Chapter 1
"Blossompaw! Pay attention!"
Blossompaw wished she could pay attention but she couldn't stop thinking of Dovekit. Come on Blossompaw! You're an apprentice now! Stop getting hung up on a kit-hood crush!
Hazeltail knew something was up with the tortoiseshell she-cat, "Come on Blossompaw! A couple more tries and we done for today!"
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Blossompaw padded into camp and was immediately greeted by an eager Dovekit, "How was your first day as an apprentice?" Blossompaw looked down at the small grey kit below her and sighed, "Let me get something to eat and I'll tell you."
Blossompaw grabbed a mouse from the fresh-kill pile and walked over to where Dovekit waited eagerly. "Are you going to tell me now?" Dovekit asked as Blossompaw.
"How starved for entertainment are you?!" Blossompaw joked before taking a bite of the mouse.
"There's nothing to do with only two of us in the nursery, most of our old games are ruined, it's just mossball. All-day-long." Dovekit complained.
"Give it a moon and you'll be an apprentice."
"It's going to be the worst moon ever!"
"Would it be better if I tell you what I learn every day?"
"Do you promise? Anything's better than lazing around in the nursery!"
"I promise!"
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Blossompaw had stayed true to her word and now, almost a moon later it was time for Dovekit and her sister Ivykit to become apprentices.
Blossompaw could barely blink before the ceremony was over. Short but sweet.
"Dovepaw!" "Ivypaw!" "Dovepaw!" "Ivypaw!"
After the the ceremony had finished, the last dying embers of the sun disapeared and Dovepaw and Ivypaw had to be shown their new resting place. Blossompaw and her siblings had already constructed two extra nests for the new arrivals. One next to Blossompaw the other next to Bumblepaw. Dovepaw immediately collapsed on the nest next to Blossompaw, Can't blame her, Bumblepaw is a huge thorn in the backside!
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Blossompaw opened her eyes to see the sun streaming brightly into the den. Great Starclan! How long have I slept? It had been about a quarter-moon since Dovepaw and Ivypaw had become apprentices and they were settling in quickly. Blossompaw let out a short yawn and left the now empty den to see Hazeltail waiting impatiently outside.
”Come on Blossompaw! You need to get up earlier, we’re wasting valuable daylight almost every day!” Hazeltail scolded. Blossompaw let out a halfhearted apology and followed Hazeltail to the Sky Oak for battle training.
When they arrived, Blossompaw saw that Dovepaw was also there training with her mentor, Lionblaze.
Hazeltail spoke a few words to Lionblaze who promptly nodded before speaking, “Dovepaw why don’t you practice with Blossompaw, although she’s got a whole moon over you learning wise, you’re a fast learner, I wouldn’t count you out on winning.”
Blossompaw could tell that Dovepaw was inexperienced by the way she fought, sometimes over-extending and losing balance but for a weeks worth of training it was very good progress.
Blossompaw walked into camp, now free for the rest of the day. Hmm, I'll see what Dovepaw's doing, she's also done for the day after all. Blossompaw gazed around the camp looking for Dovepaw. Blossompaw spotted the grey she-cat out of the corner of her eye, Dovepaw's ears were pricked as if listening closely to something. What's that mouse-brain going to claim she can hear now?! That badgers are attacking Windclan?
Blossompaw walked over and sat herself down next to Dovepaw, "What can you hear this time?!" Blossompaw joked. Dovepaw twitched her ears and turned to face Blossomfall, "You know how the lake is really small at the moment, it's because animals are creating a blockade!" Dovepaw mewed.
"Have you got bees in your brain Dovepaw?!"
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Blossompaw watched as Dovepaw left camp with her mentor. The clans had each sent two cats to deal with the blockage upstream in the river. It was going to be a lonely moon without her closest friend but Blossompaw knew that she would benefit as she would be able to focus more, Dovepaw was a huge distraction.
Blossompaw was right, she greatly benefited from Dovepaw's absence, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of longing without the kind, grey she-cat to talk to after a long day of training or following the dreaded dawn patrol that Hazeltail seemed to drag her on almost every day.
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The news of Dovepaw and Lionblaze's return spread through the camp like a wildfire. Blossompaw raced to the entrance of camp to greet her friend that she hadn't seen for around a moon.