[I Like Bees]

Username: I Like Bees
Name: Stormcall (Previously Juniperpaw)
Gender: Female
Age: 13 Moons
Rank: Deputy
Clan: FrostClan

Prompt:
8 Moons Old

Honeywhisper sighed, watching as Juniperpaw fell to the ground yet again. It wasn't her mentor's disappointment that hurt, however; what truly stung Juniperpaw were the rude comments her peers were throwing her way.

"She'll never be able to hunt!"

"I bet she couldn't even catch a dead mouse!"

"Poor Juniperpaw. She must know Heatherstar is going to give her the name Stumpytail, right?"

Juniperpaw gritted her teeth, standing back up and trotting back to her mentor. She tried to tune the other apprentices' whispers out, but their voices kept whispering through her mind. Not good enough. Failure. Useless.

"Juniperpaw," Honeywhisper began, her voice concerned, "Are you sure..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Are you sure you're able to hunt? You're an excellent fighter; I'm sure I could talk to Heatherstar and we could find a way for you to help the Clan with just your fighting skills. Or something else?" Honeywhisper fidgeted her front paws nervously.

Juniperpaw stared at her mentor, eyes slowly beginning to water. How could she say that? Honeywhisper was supposed to never give up on her, to always support her and encourage her to do her best. That was what a mentor was for! Did no cat in the Clan believe she could hunt?

"I understand if you need some time to think about it," Honeywhisper continued. "It's a big decision. Just.. let me know when you've made up your mind, okay?"

Juniperpaw nodded, then muttered hoarsely, "I think I need a moment to myself."

--

Juniperpaw stared at the forest floor, gently swatting at the dead leaves in front of her. She knew she could hunt. She just knew. All she needed was more time, more training.

Juniperpaw looked up at the sky, watching a pair of birds fly by. Fighting was great and all, but there was more to being a warrior than battling the occasional fox or badger. Protecting the Clan from physical threats wasn't a constant job; protecting the Clan from hunger was. What good would she be in winter, if she couldn't contribute to the fresh-kill pile?

There was always the option of becoming a medicine cat. Juniperpaw glared at a passing cloud. No, she refused to be a medicine cat. Being tossed into the medicine den as a warrior apprentice was like... It was like being tossed into the elders' den as a young warrior! Besides, Thrushsong had no need of an apprentice, and Juniperpaw would merely be in the way.

Juniperpaw turned her head, watching as the pair of birds from earlier returned to their nest. The heads of three younger birds appeared above the nest's rim, chirping excitedly as their parents landed. The birds went on communicating in their song-like way of speaking, with Juniperpaw watching and enjoying the peacefulness of it all.

Until one of the parents shoved a chick from the nest.

"What?!" Juniperpaw exclaimed in shock. "You--" her angry outburst was cut off as the younger bird spread its wings and flew.

Juniperpaw gasped. Regardless of whether or not this was a StarClan-sent sign, she understood how she could learn to hunt.

--

"Honeywhisper," Juniperpaw meowed, trotting behind the older she-cat as the warrior followed a patrol out of camp. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course!" Honeywhisper chirped. "Come on; you can join the patrol. Border patrol," she added, when Juniperpaw opened her mouth to object. The apprentice nodded, then followed her mentor out of camp.

"Did you make a decision already?" Honeywhisper asked, falling to the back of the patrol with Juniperpaw. "That was fast."

"Yes," Juniperpaw replied, hopping over a fallen branch, "but you're not going to like it."

Honeywhisper shook her head. "Juniperpaw, I won't be mad if you want to work as a medicine cat. I trust Thrushsong will be an excellent mentor."

"No, no no," Juniperpaw insisted, shaking her head rapidly and almost running into a thorn bush. "I'm not going to be a medicine cat." The apprentice stopped running, allowing the patrol to continue ahead. Honeywhisper slowed to a stop as well. "I'm leaving."

"What do you mean? Leaving the patrol?"

Juniperpaw shook her head. "The Clan. Temporarily. Before you try to stop me, I know this is what I have to do. I need to leave the nest-- Clan, and force myself to learn to hunt. The pressure of knowing there isn't fresh-kill waiting for me back at camp will be enough, I'm sure of it."

Honeywhisper's mouth hung open, her eyes wide and scared. "It's not that dangerous out there," Juniperpaw tried to reassure her. "I can protect myself. Plus, there aren't really any badgers or foxes out there. We've driven all of the--"

"I'm not your mentor anymore, Juniperpaw," Honeywhisper meowed, trembling, "if you go through with this. I can't be responsible for what will happen to you, not after.. after Rubblepaw." Rubblepaw had been Honeywhisper's previous apprentice; he had died in an accident Honeywhisper was convinced was her own fault.

Juniperpaw opened her mouth to reply, then closed it and narrowed her eyes slightly. Honeywhisper didn't care about her. She only cared that she wasn't responsible for her death. Aside from that, was it so difficult to have a little bit of faith in Juniperpaw's plan? Juniperpaw could -- would -- do this.

The apprentice turned and walked away, silent. She didn't need Honeywhisper.

--

Check for debris. Step. Check. Step. Check. Step. Juniperpaw froze, her prey whiskers away, oblivious as it nibbled on an acorn.

The apprentice lunged forward, her paws lashing out and closing around the shocked prey. I caught it! she realized, staring down at her paws. She leaned forward, lifting a toe to check on her prey. The mouse bolted forward, immediately diving into its burrow.

Juniperpaw sighed. It was progress, at least. Her stomach grumbled in objection. It didn't want progress; it wanted food.

The runaway apprentice sat down, her short tail twitching in thought. It must have been because I was closer, she thought, replaying the hunt in her mind. If I'm closer to my prey, I don't need my tail to balance, since I don't need to leap. Juniperpaw grinned. This might just work.

The she-cat tested her new tactic on an unsuspecting squirrel. It noticed her too early, unfortunately, but that was fine. Squirrels weren't easy for any cat to catch.

Her next target was a small shrew, young and not yet accustomed to avoiding predators. Juniperpaw's strategy worked flawlessly, and she devoured her first ever catch in two famished mouthfuls.

Juniperpaw repeated the process again. And again. And again. And again.

At the end of the day, Juniperpaw stood before her pile of prey, grinning triumphantly. She was unstoppable.

--
12.5 Moons Old

"Welcome to FrostClan!" the tom who had just introduced himself as 'Cloudstar' announced. "What's your name?"

Juniperpaw tapped a claw. 'Juniperpaw' didn't seem fitting any more. She wasn't the hopeless, failing apprentice of the forest anymore; she was going to be a fierce mountain warrior.

"Storm," she finally decided. "My name is Storm."

Cloudstar nodded. "Edgy name. I like it. You'll fit right in here, I'm sure of it."

--
13 Moons Old

"The new deputy of FrostClan is Stormcall.

"Stormcall, do you accept this position?"

Storm, now Stormcall, nodded firmly. "I do."

Cloudstar smiled. "Then I welcome you as FrostClan's new deputy." Darkstone and Iceflight, the Clan's only other current residents, cheered Stormcall's name loudly, to make up for the small Clan size.

Stormcall closed her eyes, smiling as she thought back to everything that had led her here. She wouldn't change a thing.

[DiamondDogg]

After a bit of deciding and crying, I Like Bees has won the first ever 100/'00 adopt. Take good care of Stormcall!
I will also be giving an HM to: OceanFosh, HawkFire102, and TheWolfyWonder

Username: I Like Bees
Name: Stormcall (Previously Juniperpaw)
Gender: Female
Age: 13 Moons
Rank: Deputy
Clan: FrostClan

Prompt:
8 Moons Old

Honeywhisper sighed, watching as Juniperpaw fell to the ground yet again. It wasn't her mentor's disappointment that hurt, however; what truly stung Juniperpaw were the rude comments her peers were throwing her way.

"She'll never be able to hunt!"

"I bet she couldn't even catch a dead mouse!"

"Poor Juniperpaw. She must know Heatherstar is going to give her the name Stumpytail, right?"

Juniperpaw gritted her teeth, standing back up and trotting back to her mentor. She tried to tune the other apprentices' whispers out, but their voices kept whispering through her mind. Not good enough. Failure. Useless.

"Juniperpaw," Honeywhisper began, her voice concerned, "Are you sure..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Are you sure you're able to hunt? You're an excellent fighter; I'm sure I could talk to Heatherstar and we could find a way for you to help the Clan with just your fighting skills. Or something else?" Honeywhisper fidgeted her front paws nervously.

Juniperpaw stared at her mentor, eyes slowly beginning to water. How could she say that? Honeywhisper was supposed to never give up on her, to always support her and encourage her to do her best. That was what a mentor was for! Did no cat in the Clan believe she could hunt?

"I understand if you need some time to think about it," Honeywhisper continued. "It's a big decision. Just.. let me know when you've made up your mind, okay?"

Juniperpaw nodded, then muttered hoarsely, "I think I need a moment to myself."

--

Juniperpaw stared at the forest floor, gently swatting at the dead leaves in front of her. She knew she could hunt. She just knew. All she needed was more time, more training.

Juniperpaw looked up at the sky, watching a pair of birds fly by. Fighting was great and all, but there was more to being a warrior than battling the occasional fox or badger. Protecting the Clan from physical threats wasn't a constant job; protecting the Clan from hunger was. What good would she be in winter, if she couldn't contribute to the fresh-kill pile?

There was always the option of becoming a medicine cat. Juniperpaw glared at a passing cloud. No, she refused to be a medicine cat. Being tossed into the medicine den as a warrior apprentice was like... It was like being tossed into the elders' den as a young warrior! Besides, Thrushsong had no need of an apprentice, and Juniperpaw would merely be in the way.

Juniperpaw turned her head, watching as the pair of birds from earlier returned to their nest. The heads of three younger birds appeared above the nest's rim, chirping excitedly as their parents landed. The birds went on communicating in their song-like way of speaking, with Juniperpaw watching and enjoying the peacefulness of it all.

Until one of the parents shoved a chick from the nest.

"What?!" Juniperpaw exclaimed in shock. "You--" her angry outburst was cut off as the younger bird spread its wings and flew.

Juniperpaw gasped. Regardless of whether or not this was a StarClan-sent sign, she understood how she could learn to hunt.

--

"Honeywhisper," Juniperpaw meowed, trotting behind the older she-cat as the warrior followed a patrol out of camp. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course!" Honeywhisper chirped. "Come on; you can join the patrol. Border patrol," she added, when Juniperpaw opened her mouth to object. The apprentice nodded, then followed her mentor out of camp.

"Did you make a decision already?" Honeywhisper asked, falling to the back of the patrol with Juniperpaw. "That was fast."

"Yes," Juniperpaw replied, hopping over a fallen branch, "but you're not going to like it."

Honeywhisper shook her head. "Juniperpaw, I won't be mad if you want to work as a medicine cat. I trust Thrushsong will be an excellent mentor."

"No, no no," Juniperpaw insisted, shaking her head rapidly and almost running into a thorn bush. "I'm not going to be a medicine cat." The apprentice stopped running, allowing the patrol to continue ahead. Honeywhisper slowed to a stop as well. "I'm leaving."

"What do you mean? Leaving the patrol?"

Juniperpaw shook her head. "The Clan. Temporarily. Before you try to stop me, I know this is what I have to do. I need to leave the nest-- Clan, and force myself to learn to hunt. The pressure of knowing there isn't fresh-kill waiting for me back at camp will be enough, I'm sure of it."

Honeywhisper's mouth hung open, her eyes wide and scared. "It's not that dangerous out there," Juniperpaw tried to reassure her. "I can protect myself. Plus, there aren't really any badgers or foxes out there. We've driven all of the--"

"I'm not your mentor anymore, Juniperpaw," Honeywhisper meowed, trembling, "if you go through with this. I can't be responsible for what will happen to you, not after.. after Rubblepaw." Rubblepaw had been Honeywhisper's previous apprentice; he had died in an accident Honeywhisper was convinced was her own fault.

Juniperpaw opened her mouth to reply, then closed it and narrowed her eyes slightly. Honeywhisper didn't care about her. She only cared that she wasn't responsible for her death. Aside from that, was it so difficult to have a little bit of faith in Juniperpaw's plan? Juniperpaw could -- would -- do this.

The apprentice turned and walked away, silent. She didn't need Honeywhisper.

--

Check for debris. Step. Check. Step. Check. Step. Juniperpaw froze, her prey whiskers away, oblivious as it nibbled on an acorn.

The apprentice lunged forward, her paws lashing out and closing around the shocked prey. I caught it! she realized, staring down at her paws. She leaned forward, lifting a toe to check on her prey. The mouse bolted forward, immediately diving into its burrow.

Juniperpaw sighed. It was progress, at least. Her stomach grumbled in objection. It didn't want progress; it wanted food.

The runaway apprentice sat down, her short tail twitching in thought. It must have been because I was closer, she thought, replaying the hunt in her mind. If I'm closer to my prey, I don't need my tail to balance, since I don't need to leap. Juniperpaw grinned. This might just work.

The she-cat tested her new tactic on an unsuspecting squirrel. It noticed her too early, unfortunately, but that was fine. Squirrels weren't easy for any cat to catch.

Her next target was a small shrew, young and not yet accustomed to avoiding predators. Juniperpaw's strategy worked flawlessly, and she devoured her first ever catch in two famished mouthfuls.

Juniperpaw repeated the process again. And again. And again. And again.

At the end of the day, Juniperpaw stood before her pile of prey, grinning triumphantly. She was unstoppable.

--
12.5 Moons Old

"Welcome to FrostClan!" the tom who had just introduced himself as 'Cloudstar' announced. "What's your name?"

Juniperpaw tapped a claw. 'Juniperpaw' didn't seem fitting any more. She wasn't the hopeless, failing apprentice of the forest anymore; she was going to be a fierce mountain warrior.

"Storm," she finally decided. "My name is Storm."

Cloudstar nodded. "Edgy name. I like it. You'll fit right in here, I'm sure of it."

--
13 Moons Old

"The new deputy of FrostClan is Stormcall.

"Stormcall, do you accept this position?"

Storm, now Stormcall, nodded firmly. "I do."

Cloudstar smiled. "Then I welcome you as FrostClan's new deputy." Darkstone and Iceflight, the Clan's only other current residents, cheered Stormcall's name loudly, to make up for the small Clan size.

Stormcall closed her eyes, smiling as she thought back to everything that had led her here. She wouldn't change a thing.

[TheWolfyWonder]

Congrats I Like Bees~