As the noise died down, Yellowfang heard Deerpaw meow to Brokenpaw, “Wow, your father is the leader of the Clan!”
“Yeah,” Brokenpaw chirped. “I bet he wishes I was a warrior already so I could be his deputy!”
“I don’t think so,” Tanglepaw retorted crushingly.
As Brokenpaw bristled, Fernshade brushed his shoulder with the tip of her tail. “It won’t be long,” she meowed, “if you keep practicing the way you are.”
Yellowfang was distracted by Runningpaw giving her a nudge. “Littlebird says she has a pain in her head,” he reported, angling his ears to where the elder stood. “Should I give her something to help her sleep?”
“I’ll do it,” Yellowfang replied. “Come to my den, Littlebird.”
Once there, she got the poppy seeds out of the store and carefully divided one in half. “That should be enough,” she warned as Littlebird licked it up. “These seeds can be very strong.”
Littlebird sighed. “My dreams are so troubled lately, I don’t want to close my eyes.”
Yellowfang pressed her muzzle into the old cat’s shoulder. “Then I will ask StarClan to send you peaceful dreams.”
Yellowfang was clearing a pile of dead leaves from the entrance to her den when she heard Raggedstar yowling a summons to the Clan, and looked up to see him standing on the Clanrock, his fur ruffled by the cold wind. Almost two moons had passed since Cedarstar’s death, and Raggedstar had won approval from his Clanmates by allowing them to continue as they had always done, patrolling and training and guarding their borders with the protectiveness of a mother over her kits.
Calling to Runningpaw, who was busy counting juniper berries inside the den, Yellowfang headed into the clearing. Brightflower and Brackenfoot emerged from the warriors’ den, closely followed by Amberleaf, Blizzardwing, and Frogtail. Russetfur and Boulder hurried in together through the brambles, giving Yellowfang a friendly nod as they sat down close to her. The other apprentices and their mentors bounded across from the fresh-kill pile. The elders appeared at the entrance to their den.
Raggedstar gazed down at them. “I am proud of my Clan,” he began. “You are all I could have hoped for as a leader. With warriors like these, I could fight any battle! And there will be a new warrior today. Brokenpaw, step forward.”
A gasp rose from the Clan as Brokenpaw bounded forward to stand at the base of the Clanrock. Yellowfang shared her Clanmates’ astonishment.
“Raggedstar,” Nightpelt meowed, stepping forward, “Brokenpaw hasn’t completed his final assessments yet.”
Brokenpaw shot a furious look at his mentor, while Raggedstar flicked his tail dismissively. “I know a cat who is ready to be a warrior when I see one,” he declared. Leaping down from the Clanrock, he faced Brokenpaw. “I, Raggedstar,” he continued, “call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Brokenpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your own life?”
Brokenpaw puffed out his chest importantly as he replied, “I do.”
“Then by the powers of StarClan,” his father went on, “I give you your warrior name. Brokenpaw, from this moment you will be known as Brokentail—but let no cat see this as a sign of weakness. You are one of the strongest cats I have ever known, and I look forward to fighting alongside you! StarClan honors your courage and your fighting skills, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan.” He rested his muzzle on Brokentail’s head, and Brokentail licked his shoulder.
“Brokentail! Brokentail!” ShadowClan acclaimed the new warrior, but Yellowfang could see that some of the cats were less than happy. Though the warriors yowled his name with approval, his fellow apprentices were staring at one another with a mixture of dismay and anger. Yellowfang was close enough to hear Deerpaw mutter, “This is so unfair! Just because his father is Clan leader!”
“This would never have happened in my day,” Archeye commented from where he sat in front of the elders’ den. “What’s next? Kit warriors?”
