ShadowClan Life Before Destruction

[:blue:]

Goldenstar took a shaky breath in as he leaped up onto the highbranch. Everything that had been happing recently was weighting down onn him, and the long gashes on his side made it hard for him to function. However, he couldn’t exactly ignore the fact that quite a few ceremonies needed to be done. He was surprised by the increase of ceremonies since his first one, back then, even though it hadn’t even been a moon, there were only two ceremonies he had to preform. Well, he assumed this was part of the leadership, steadying himself on the Highbranch now. “All cats old enough to catch their own prey please gather under the Highbranch for a clan meeting!” He meowed, hoping everyone in the camp would hear him.

“Even with, all that has been happening between the clans, I have decided to preform some ceremonies!” He started off, realizing that so far, his entire time as leader and deputy hadn’t exactly been the most peaceful time. Well, maybe that was what made being leader so exciting! Probably not, as all he really felt was anxiety with the tensions between clans, especially Windclan and Thunderclan. No matter, there were ceremonies to preform, and his mind had finally let him focus on the important things, and that currently was the ceremonies.

“Ivorykit, Owlkit, Hollykit, Berrykit, Willowkit, And Jadekit!” He called out to the six kits. He was amazed at how many new apprentinces Shadowclan would have after this, but soon enough they would be warriors, and then they would have a lot of responsibilities. “Could you please step forward?” He asked, even though it was more of an order. It was tradition, and while he liked to follow tradition on some things, such as ceremonies, when it came to LGBT+ cats, and welcoming outsiders into the clan, he didn’t really care, being a bisexual tom himself. Either way, that was not what he was here to focus on. What he was currently focusing on was the kits.

“You all have reached the age of six moons, and that means it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this moment, until you receive your warrior names, Ivorykit, you will be known as Ivorypaw, and your mentor will be Snarlfang” One He was now counting the apprentinces in his head, to make sure he didn’t miss anything. “Owlkit, you will be known as Owlpaw, and your mentor will be Deerstep.” Two “Hollykit, you will be known as Hollypaw, and your mentor will be Starrycreek” Three “Berrykit, you will be known as Berrypaw, and your mentor will be Palegleam” Four “Willowkit, you will be known as Willowpaw, and your mentor will be Nightshade,” Five “And Jadekit, your mentor will be...” he hesitated for a moment, as his mind had blanked out on him. “Your mentor will be PeachFuzz” Six There, all the apprentince ceremonies were done, and he didn’t have to worry about those for awhile.

Next was the warrior ceremony. With the apprentinces done, Goldenstar felt slightly better, but there was still three other ceremonies to do, and he decided to start off with the warrior one. “Tawnypaw, could you please step forward?” He said once again, like how all ceremonies began. “I, Goldenstar, leader of Shadowclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in turn” He was actually starting to get the hang of this, which kind of surprised him. “Tawnypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

[I do]

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name,” Goldenstar was quietly making sure everything was going good in his head, and as soon as he finally figured out that it was, he continued. “Tawnypaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Tawnyfur. Starclan honors your loyalty and caring nature, and we welcome you as a full member of Shadowclan.” He smiled at the new warrior, trying to make the situation as comfortable as possible. “You will be sitting a silent vigil tonight and watch the clan.” That was how he finished Tawnyfur’s ceremony, now there were only two left.

“Last but not least, we will be accepting two outsiders into our clan.” The leader said. “Pistachio, Ink, could you please step forward?” He said, smiling to the two. One had been a kittypet, and the other had been a Dusk Syndicate member, he would just have to see where this all went. “Ink, from this moment on, you will be known as Inkpaw, and your mentor will be Blarewind.” One last one to do. “And Pistachio, from this moment on, you will be known as Nutpaw,” That was now he finished. “Congratulations Every cat tonight!” He said, smiling, before jumping down from the Highbranch calmly.

@Undercover @Fern @Role @Bunnyburns36 @CandyFlossCat @SamCats @kitten~ @Spooky Socks @Mad King @Aleka @SparkleDemon

[wickedvirtues]

@Role

Starrycreek was surprised when she was announced as Hollykit's mentor. She wasn't mad about it, of course, but just a bit..surprised. Was she mentor material? The vitiligo splotched black she-cat smiled and glanced at her new apprentice, Hollypaw. She stood, making sure her pelt was smoothed down and she looked presentable, and she walked towards her apprentice. "Hello, Hollypaw." She spoke, trying to sound welcoming. She had no idea what the young kit was like, but she was certain she could make this work.

The she-cat took a deep breath, trying to recall what her mentor had taught her. Hunting, fighting, and..maybe patrolling? That sounded right. Starrycreek was certain she could do that at least, her confidence growing at the thought being a mentor could be easy. Her smile grew as she realized she hadn't spoken for a bit. "So, I was thinking that first..." she trailed off, searching her brain for what her mentor had done. "I wanted to show you the territory first! So you know where everything is."

Mouse-brain! That's what showing the territory is for, she probably knew that! She felt her pelt grow hot at her over-explanation, but she shrugged it off. That wasn't too awkward a thing to say, and she wasn't the most talkative, so why should she feel awkward for over-explaining something slightly? Starrycreek curled her tail, glancing at the other apprentices. She hoped they didn't want to tag along or something, she wanted a bit of alone time with Hollypaw first, to get to know her.

[Role]

@CandyFlossCat

Hollykit felt excitement surge through his trembling body as his name was called to the Highbranch. Oh how he and his siblings had been waiting for his day! At night, they would whisper to each other about how they wanted to be an amazing warrior one day, and now they took the first step to their dream. Poor Hollykit was always looked down on for his anxiety, but he would show them. He would be a better fighter than all of them combined, he just knew it. Hollykit, now pumped up, listened eagerly for his new name and mentor. Almost squealing with excitement, Hollykit, now Hollypaw glanced around the clearing, and spotted the speckled cat looking surprised. He gave her a quick, nervous smile, even if she didn't see it. Hollypaw waited impatiently for all of the ceremonie to finish before bounding with his siblings to meet their new mentors. Hollypaw slowed, examining his mentor up close. She was black all over, but all over with that black were little white spots. How unusual.. but pretty! Hollypaw gave her a brave smile, and greeted her. He was too excited to stay nervous for long. "Hello!" Hollypaw watched her nervously recall memories. He furrowed his brow, but shook off the concerned expression. No worrying. Warriors don't worry. At least he thought. "That sounds good, let's go," he agreed with a light-hearted smile.

(Continue in the territory?)

@kitten~

Willowkit exchanged a shocked, but happy expression with her twin. Berrykit looked very happy to be made an apprentice, and so should she. But she didn't. Sure she was happy, but this kitten didn't want to hurt others. Willowkit was a bit.. soft. Her brother and sister both encouraged her to open up on roughhousing with them, but she always declined. Why? They both ended up hurting each other at one point. Too rough, but the thought always nagged her: does roughhousing like that make you stronger? Disheveled, Willowkit watched the ceremony numbly. She didn't even notice Berrykit's tail twining with hers. As she was assigned her mentor, Willowpaw turned to spot her. Oh goodness.. She was assigned to Nightshade. Nightshade looked a bit.. sinister. Swallowing thickly, Willowpaw waited for the ceremony to end before bounding with her siblings down the Highbranch. She was the first to slow down. As the apprentice reached her new mentor, she finally worked up the courage to greet her. "H-hello. My name is Willowpaw, what's yours?"

@SamCats

Berrykit walked side by side with his twin to the ceremony. Finally! He had been waiting for moons, literally! Berrykit's tail tip tingled with excitement as he waited and listened. Berrykit felt a nudge at his side. Owlkit was motioning to Willowkit. Glancing at Willowkit, he noticed her mind was elsewhere. How could she be distracted at a time like this? Pitiful. Berrykit, moved by pity, twined his tail with hers. It made him feel stronger, but she didn't even react. Wrinkling his nose at her, Berrykit turned back to the ceremony. As his name was changed and his mentor was assigned, Berrypaw didn't even look for his mentor. He wanted it to be a surprise, even if he hated surprises. This was his special day. Well, his and his siblings. And the other cats he didn't know.. So maybe it wasn't just his day, but he sure felt like it was! Berrypaw grinned smugly as the ceremony ended. The tail twined with his finally twitched and moved, and the four apprentices brushed each other's pelts as they raced off of the Highbranch. Exhilerated, Berrypaw scanned the clearing for his mentor, eyes shining.

@Bunnyburns36

Owlkit must've been the most excited of them all, for she bounded to the Highbranch, claws extended, and eyes bright. As she reached the Highbranch, she climbed up until she reached her destination. She was the first one there of all of her siblings. Next was Hollykit, and last were Berrykit and Willowkit. Hollykit looked nervous, but excited. Good for him, she purred inwardly. He has been so nervous about this. In her brother's shining eyes was determination unlike anything she's seen before. Smiling, she turned to her other siblings. The twins' expression were both very different. Berrykit was proud and excited, while Willowkit was nervous and unsure. Frowning, Owlkit nudged Berrykit, and motioned with her head to Willowkit. Berrykit turned to Willowkit, and sighed. Owlkit smiled as he twined her tail with his. Comfort is good, Owlkit concluded. Owlkit listened with intent as her name was changed from Owlkit to Owlpaw. She was an apprentice! And with all apprentices were their mentors. As her mentor was announced, Owlpaw looked behind her for Deerstep. Owlpaw bounded from the Highbranch as the ceremonies finished and searched for her mentor. There. Before Owlkit raced off to meet her mentor, she met the gaze of her mother. Whitestep's eyes were shining with pride, happiness, and sadness all at the same time. Owlpaw gave her a bright smile, and Whitestep nodded, and returned the smile. Then, Owlpaw raced away to find her mentor.

[graves]

Originally Posted by .:Blue Wishes:.

Goldenstar had been pondering his own thoughts in his den. With all the hell that had been going on recently, it was hard to get a moment alone. Between his thoughts driving him crazy, and sleep deprivation making him sometimes see things that weren’t actually there. It was somewhat obvious he was trying to find some sort of break. Flood. Riverclan. Leader. Gathering. Dusk Syndicate. All those events just became a blur in his head. The long gashes on his side ached, but he had been hesitating with treatment. He knew that you could use cobwebs to stop bleeding, or infection, or something, either way, he used the few cobwebs he could find in his den, and used the gossamer strands on his side. The cuts didn’t look too good, but he would survive, that was what he thought anyways. After sitting for a few more moments in silence, he heard Daypaw, and whirled around. “Yes, yes, of course,” he said, nodding awkwardly. “What did you need?” He asked the medicine cat, as he hadn’t really been expecting them to come to his den.

taking a step forward into the den they eyed the leader. it was obvious he had wounds of his own and hadnt had them treated, but daypaw would yell at him for that later. right now they wanted to focus on the future of shadowclan. this upcoming leafbare was going to be hell. "i wanted to talk to you about my herb store," they mewed, tone serious,"after coming back from the flood most of them were water damaged or destroyed completely. and with the leaf fall being drastically cold faster and faster each day, with plants dying all around, its hard to find any," there were few places, but some herbs they couldnt pick in order to make sure that they came back next year in new leaf. "after the battle with the Dusk Syndicate its been hard to treat everyone,hell a warrior went blind today because i wasnt prepared." their tone was somber. they felt like they could do more, be more, try to do anything to help their clan. they felt helpless, useless even. what was the point in being a medcat if you couldnt heal anyone? watching your own clanmates suffer while you stand there watching them,having the power to heal but unable to use them? it was cruel. "Shinefang, the newest medicine cat of Skyclan, has offered me to use their spare herbs. as much as i dont like having charity i think we should take up the offer."

[wickedvirtues]

Originally Posted by Role

@CandyFlossCat

Hollykit felt excitement surge through his trembling body as his name was called to the Highbranch. Oh how he and his siblings had been waiting for his day! At night, they would whisper to each other about how they wanted to be an amazing warrior one day, and now they took the first step to their dream. Poor Hollykit was always looked down on for his anxiety, but he would show them. He would be a better fighter than all of them combined, he just knew it. Hollykit, now pumped up, listened eagerly for his new name and mentor. Almost squealing with excitement, Hollykit, now Hollypaw glanced around the clearing, and spotted the speckled cat looking surprised. He gave her a quick, nervous smile, even if she didn't see it. Hollypaw waited impatiently for all of the ceremonie to finish before bounding with his siblings to meet their new mentors. Hollypaw slowed, examining his mentor up close. She was black all over, but all over with that black were little white spots. How unusual.. but pretty! Hollypaw gave her a brave smile, and greeted her. He was too excited to stay nervous for long. "Hello!" Hollypaw watched her nervously recall memories. He furrowed his brow, but shook off the concerned expression. No worrying. Warriors don't worry. At least he thought. "That sounds good, let's go," he agreed with a light-hearted smile.

(Continue in the territory?)

Starrycreek smiled fondly at the young tom as he agreed to her plan. She turned to glance at his..siblings, friends? She wasn't sure, and not wanting to assume, didn't bring it up. She'd better head out before they decided to, she wanted to be a bit ahead. Not to beat them in speed or pace, but to spend alone time with her new apprentice. It was her responsibility to both train and become close to Hollypaw. Starrycreek wanted to be close to her apprentice, because it'd be awkward to train someone she didn't know or understand the preferences of. She nodded, turning. "Alright." She mewed with a smile on her muzzle, trotting towards the entrance of camp, pausing to wait for her apprentice. It'd be a bad impression to leave him and walk out by herself. And that would be embarrassing. Starrycreek kept her pelt smooth, and her eyes shined with confidence. She was determined to be a great mentor, and that started with showing Hollypaw the territory. Right? She thought that was how it worked, anyways. She swallowed her doubts, positive she was doing this semi-competently, as nobody was looking at her oddly.
(Yep!)

[loupnoir]

Sagekit groaned and buried his muzzle in his outstretched paws. The small tom was brimming over with anger.. He was 7 moons old and still in the nursery.
He hated being blind.
The small tom flexed his claws into the soil outside of the nursery entrance, the brambles tangled into his fur through every pass. Sagekit's voice rasped as he turned and began licking at his fur, growling as he groomed.

[Undercover]

Originally Posted by .:Blue Wishes:.

Goldenstar took a shaky breath in as he leaped up onto the highbranch. Everything that had been happening recently was weighing down on him, and the long gashes on his side made it hard for him to function. However, he couldn’t exactly ignore the fact that quite a few ceremonies needed to be done. He was surprised by the increase of ceremonies since his first one, back then, even though it hadn’t even been a moon, there were only two ceremonies he had to preform. Well, he assumed this was part of the leadership, steadying himself on the Highbranch now. “All cats old enough to catch their own prey please gather under the Highbranch for a clan meeting!” He meowed, hoping everyone in the camp would hear him.

“Even with, all that has been happening between the clans, I have decided to preform some ceremonies!” He started off, realizing that so far, his entire time as leader and deputy hadn’t exactly been the most peaceful time. Well, maybe that was what made being leader so exciting! Probably not, as all he really felt was anxiety with the tensions between clans, especially Windclan and Thunderclan. No matter, there were ceremonies to preform, and his mind had finally let him focus on the important things, and that currently was the ceremonies.

Ivolrykit looked up from her place beside the nursery, startled by the flood of cats that had suddenly started moving in one direction. Her blue and green gaze immediately shot to the Highbranch. Sure enough, Goldenstar was standing there, ready to perform a few ceremonies. With a jold, she realized she would be becoming an apprentice today! She stood up and scampered over to the gathering cats.

As Ivorykit patiently waited for her turn, tail curled around her small paws, nervousness pricked along her spine. Who would her mentor be? Would they like her? Would she do well to become a warrior? Questions galloped a mile a minute through her mind as the white kit watched her leaders' maw intently, making sure she didn't miss anything. She had spent time making sure she knew what her name looked like when people spoke it.

“Ivorykit, Owlkit, Hollykit, Berrykit, Willowkit, And Jadekit!” He called out to the six kits. He was amazed at how many new apprentices Shadowclan would have after this, but soon enough they would be warriors, and then they would have a lot of responsibilities. “Could you please step forward?” He asked, even though it was more of an order. It was tradition, and while he liked to follow tradition on some things, such as ceremonies, when it came to LGBT+ cats, and welcoming outsiders into the clan, he didn’t really care, being a bisexual tom himself. Either way, that was not what he was here to focus on. What he was currently focusing on was the kits.

“You all have reached the age of six moons, and that means it is time for you to be apprenticed."

Goldenstar's mew formed words that broke through her barrier of calmness. The young female feline glanced up and got to her paws. She would act like a dignified cat, not a bouncing kit. As Ivorykit neared the Highbranch, her tail twitched slowly back and forth, and her gaze held a suppressed sense of excitement. She was becoming a ShadowClan warrior apprentice, despite her minor hangback as a kit. Standing in front of her leader, Ivorykit couldn't help feeling rather humbled.

One"From this moment, until you receive your warrior names, Ivorykit, you will be known as Ivorypaw, and your mentor will be Snarlfang” He was now counting the apprentinces in his head, to make sure he didn’t miss anything. “Owlkit, you will be known as Owlpaw, and your mentor will be Deerstep.” Two “Hollykit, you will be known as Hollypaw, and your mentor will be Starrycreek” Three “Berrykit, you will be known as Berrypaw, and your mentor will be Palegleam” Four “Willowkit, you will be known as Willowpaw, and your mentor will be Nightshade,” Five “And Jadekit, your mentor will be...” he hesitated for a moment, as his mind had blanked out on him. “Your mentor will be PeachFuzz” Six There, all the apprentince ceremonies were done, and he didn’t have to worry about those for awhile.

She watched his jaw form words she couldn't hear. Ivorykit recognized a few of the less commonly used words such as her own name, the word known, and the word mentor. She assumed that after the word 'known' would be her apprentice name, Ivorypaw, and after the word 'mentor' would be her mentor's name. Not recognizing the name, however, she turned around and waited for her mentor to show her or himself.
@Fern, an interaction?

Next was the warrior ceremony. With the apprentices done, Goldenstar felt slightly better, but there was still three other ceremonies to do, and he decided to start off with the warrior one. “Tawnypaw, could you please step forward?” He said once again, like how all ceremonies began. “I, Goldenstar, leader of Shadowclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in turn” He was actually starting to get the hang of this, which kind of surprised him. “Tawnypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

[I do]

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name,” Goldenstar was quietly making sure everything was going good in his head, and as soon as he finally figured out that it was, he continued. “Tawnypaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Tawnyfur. Starclan honors your loyalty and caring nature, and we welcome you as a full member of Shadowclan.” He smiled at the new warrior, trying to make the situation as comfortable as possible. “You will be sitting a silent vigil tonight and watch the clan.” That was how he finished Tawnyfur’s ceremony, now there were only two left.

“Last but not least, we will be accepting two outsiders into our clan.” The leader said. “Pistachio, Ink, could you please step forward?” He said, smiling to the two. One had been a kittypet, and the other had been a Dusk Syndicate member, he would just have to see where this all went. “Ink, from this moment on, you will be known as Inkpaw, and your mentor will be Blarewind.” One last one to do. “And Pistachio, from this moment on, you will be known as Nutpaw,” That was now he finished. “Congratulations Every cat tonight!” He said, smiling, before jumping down from the Highbranch calmly.

Ivorykit stepped back into the crowd of ShadowClan cats once her own ceremony was done, settling beside Snarlfang. Pride shone in her bi-colored orbs, and she felt excited. What would Goldenstar say next? She fixed her intense gaze on the tom cat. She admired his courage and strength, even though he was a newly-made leader. The white she-cat's gaze left him as he proud looking the cat who had padded forward. It hit Ivorykit suddenly, a warrior ceremony! The clan cheered for the newly named warrior after she made her warrior vows. Ivorykit lifted her small muzzle and meowed her name to the slightly cloudy sky, a little late in timing since she had caught on a little later. Since she couldn't hear them yowling herself, it made her off beat for some things.

The female flicked one snowy-furred ear from her place beside Snarlfang, curious at what was next. She watched with interest as two cats padded to stand in front of the rest of ShadowClan. As Goldenstar finished their ceremonies, and once the cats had finished cheering, the tom cat dismissed them by simply jumping from Highbranch. Ivorykit smiled. She was an official apprentice of ShadowClan!

[red_inactive]

Originally Posted by Role

@CandyFlossCat@kitten~

Willowkit exchanged a shocked, but happy expression with her twin. Berrykit looked very happy to be made an apprentice, and so should she. But she didn't. Sure she was happy, but this kitten didn't want to hurt others. Willowkit was a bit.. soft. Her brother and sister both encouraged her to open up on roughhousing with them, but she always declined. Why? They both ended up hurting each other at one point. Too rough, but the thought always nagged her: does roughhousing like that make you stronger? Disheveled, Willowkit watched the ceremony numbly. She didn't even notice Berrykit's tail twining with hers. As she was assigned her mentor, Willowpaw turned to spot her. Oh goodness.. She was assigned to Nightshade. Nightshade looked a bit.. sinister. Swallowing thickly, Willowpaw waited for the ceremony to end before bounding with her siblings down the Highbranch. She was the first to slow down. As the apprentice reached her new mentor, she finally worked up the courage to greet her. "H-hello. My name is Willowpaw, what's yours?"

Nightshade focused her green eyes on Willowpaw, her gaze slightly judging. "Ladies shouldn't stutter." She leaned her head down to look Willowpaw in the eyes. "My name is Nightshade, dear Willowpaw. Now, straighten up your posture." She ordered, tapping Willowpaw's shoulders and lifting her head back up to look down at the much younger feline. "Unlike the other uncouth brutes, I shall teach you to be just like your namesake; graceful and beautiful, like the willow tree." She flicked her tail, studying Willowpaw's slightly disheveled look with a critical eye. It would take some work, but Nightshade would mold this young, impressionable apprentice into a successful feline like herself. It would be beautiful. "Come with me, it's about time that I showed you how to keep up appearances." She flicked her tail.

(To the clearing!)

[Role]

Originally Posted by kitten~

Nightshade focused her green eyes on Willowpaw, her gaze slightly judging. "Ladies shouldn't stutter." She leaned her head down to look Willowpaw in the eyes. "My name is Nightshade, dear Willowpaw. Now, straighten up your posture." She ordered, tapping Willowpaw's shoulders and lifting her head back up to look down at the much younger feline. "Unlike the other uncouth brutes, I shall teach you to be just like your namesake; graceful and beautiful, like the willow tree." She flicked her tail, studying Willowpaw's slightly disheveled look with a critical eye. It would take some work, but Nightshade would mold this young, impressionable apprentice into a successful feline like herself. It would be beautiful. "Come with me, it's about time that I showed you how to keep up appearances." She flicked her tail.

(To the clearing!)

As soon as Willowpaw's new mentor laid eyes on her, she knew she was in for a ride. She immediately started correcting how she spoke and how she stood. Willowpaw did as she was told, however, and straightened her back. As Nightshade spoke again, Willowpaw was taken aback. No territory exploring? No elder tick removing? No hunting? Dumbfounded, Willowpaw followed her mentor, posture fixed as best she could. Well, I didn't want to fight, so I guess this is better than nothing, she thought to herself. Willowkit glanced at her mother, who was watching her with glistening eyes. Willowkit gave her a smile, and Whitestep returned it. With a small wave of her tail, Willowkit focused back on her new mentor.

[red_inactive]

Originally Posted by Role

As soon as Willowpaw's new mentor laid eyes on her, she knew she was in for a ride. She immediately started correcting how she spoke and how she stood. Willowpaw did as she was told, however, and straightened her back. As Nightshade spoke again, Willowpaw was taken aback. No territory exploring? No elder tick removing? No hunting? Dumbfounded, Willowpaw followed her mentor, posture fixed as best she could. Well, I didn't want to fight, so I guess this is better than nothing, she thought to herself. Willowkit glanced at her mother, who was watching her with glistening eyes. Willowkit gave her a smile, and Whitestep returned it. With a small wave of her tail, Willowkit focused back on her new mentor.

Nightshade was silent, leading Willowpaw over to the back of the camp's clearing. She turned to look at her apprentice, flicking her ears as she studied the young feline. She had a beautiful pelt; but it was unkempt, making her melt into the background. Willowpaw's eyes would be enchanting, if she held up her head and looked cats in the eye so that the light could properly show off their beautiful color. Nightshade smiled slightly, her mouth curling into a delicate smirk. "You're no longer a kitten, Willowpaw. As such, you are now in charge of keeping up your appearance; making yourself shine. When you grow up, you will be a beauty- but only if you keep your fur clean and tidy, and let others see your beautiful eyes." She circled the apprentice, her gaze cold but calculating. "You will learn to hunt, to fight, and to be an example among your peers. You're a ShadowClan cat, Willowpaw- you should display confidence! Use everything you have at your disposal to get what you want, when you want it!" She leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "To be successful in both hunting and fighting, you will learn how to walk; how to keep your balance. But being a good hunter and strong fighter is not enough; social skills are just as important, if not more... with the right words, one could either start a war, prevent a war, or end a war." Her muzzle brushed past Willowpaw's ear, whispering the last sentence. Nightshade withdrew from Willowpaw, flicking her tail. "So the question is, Willowpaw- will you become one of the greatest members of ShadowClan, or will you hold back everything you have and remain in the background for the rest of your life? Because your answer will determine how successful your training will be."