"Wavepaw, where are you?"

The apprentice groaned quietly, trying to not let her frustration show. That was most likely her father or her mentor; she decided to go with the latter. Pikeslash was probably the most bossy and stuck up cat in ShoreClan. Begrudgingly rising from her nest, she sulked out the apprentice den, sunlight lighting her gray face.

The large brown warrior was waiting outside, not looking very pleased. Dunepaw, another clan apprentice, was waiting beside him, looking nervous from the way he shuffled his paws. Wavepaw sighed, he really had to drag him into this, even if she didn't know him very well.

Pikeslash cleared his throat loudly before speaking, "since you two are they youngest clan apprentices, you'll clean out the elders nest today," he mewed. Dunepaw gave a tiny huff and looked at her with, surprisingly sympathetic look. The molly barely had time to decode it before Pineslash gave a nudge towards the elders den. "It's best you get started."

"Yeah, okay. My wonderful, amazing mentor." She added more quietly. The pair padded over to the elders den, which the entrance was woven with green tendrils.

A sturdy canopy of palm leaves were built in for the roof, letting in sunlight and warming the den. Their mentors must have left moss for them in the corner, she observed. Three nests were there, occupied by the three clan elders. Ottermask was picking out sand from between his claws, muttering to him. Baycrash was trying to smooth out his mate, Violetdapple. Ottermask looked up when they entered the den.

"Wavepaw, Dunepaw," he greeted friendly. "Come to clean out our nests? Was it bossy Pikeslash again?" The brown tom gave them a small grin.

Wavepaw couldn't help but give a toothy grin as well, she enjoyed talking to the elders, it was certainly a relief from the training with her mentor. She rolled her eyes, amused. "Yep, he said it's best we get started now."

Dunepaw nodded in agreement, not muttering a word as stepped towards Violetdapple's nest. Her ears twitched, was he upset with her? In all honesty, it wasn't her fault, if anything the large tom should blame their age, being only nine moons.

Wavepaw didn't linger over the thought too long as she crouched near Ottermask nest, unsheathed her white claws and pulling out the stale, green moss. She scrunched up her pale nose at the scent, working in silence, the only sound breaking the silence was the claws scraping against the bedding.

Finally, Baycrash broke the silence. "What's the silence for, apprentices? I know you have a voice, especially you, Wavepaw." His mate nudged the tabby, "don't be a crab pincer. Ottermask can tell a story, I'm sure you have a good one you haven't told."

"Ha!" He barked a laughed, startling the both apprentices. "Good idea, I think I have a good one to tell. Wavepaw and Dunepaw and can work while I tell it." The tom turned to the apprentices, "have I told you about Ocean Melodies?"

The gray molly gave him a curious look. "No, what's that?" She asked, genuinely curious. The young tom looked just as curious, piling up the dirty moss into a nest pile behind him. The other elders shifted into more comfortable position, their ears perked as they listened to his tale.

"Well, to understand I have to go back, when I was around twelve moons, still a naive warrior ready to serve his clan. I was sitting vigil for the night, the wind blowing the sand and the moon as bright and high in the sky. Suddenly, I heard a noise and  judging from where it was coming from, it came from the ocean." Ottermask began, his yellow eyes gleaming.

"I raced down to the shoreline, my tiredness replaced with wonder and a bit of fear. I had no idea what made that noise, but I was determined to find out."

"What was it?" Dunepaw asked, pulling fresh bedding into Baycrash's nest. The tom's tail flicked, his whiskers twitching, "I'm getting to that part soon, and oh, it's interesting."

"I made my way up to the coast, the cool water lapping at my brown paws. I gazed at the rippling water, trying to spot anything unexpected or different. Nothing was there expect the moonlight reflecting over the water surface. That's when I saw it, a large sliver figure leapt out the water, making the same chirping noise as before. It was beautiful, the white light shining on its smooth scales." He mewed, obviously flashing back to that very day.

Wavepaw turned, hearing the den entrance rustle. Pikeslash and Dunepaw's mentor, Silverleap, poked their heads into the den. "I hope you're working and not sitting around, Wavepaw." He grumbled, his whiskers twitching.

Ottermask blinked at him, "she's doing her job well, no need to get upset." Violetdapple nodded, glancing at the apprentices, "they both are working hard."

Sliverleap gave a approved look to her apprentice while Pikeslash narrowed his amber eyes at her. "What's all the nonsense about a sliver figure? It doesn't sound like working to me," he grumbled.

"I wasn't finished with my story yet," he answered him. "Now, as I was saying. I never figured out what that shape was but I knew that noise was wonderful to my ears. I had to go but to camp, but that tone never left my memory."

The sturdy warrior scrunched up his muzzle at him. "Great stars, Ottermask. You're tale get more and more crazy. There can't be anything like that."

Wavepaw finished pressing new moss into his nest, "I believe him! That story was great." Dunepaw nodded, his tail flicking in excitement.

Ottermask nodded to the apprentices, looking glad they had enjoyed his tale. "I'm glad you two enjoyed it. Maybe, you could listen to the Ocean Melodies tonight in this full moon. And," he gave Pikeslash a small smile, "maybe you'll feel more happy and true, like a real ShoreClan cat should."

________

Wavepaw was restless that night.

She curled up in her nest, trying to drift off. But to no avail, the elder's tale still rang in her ears. She could go see it, just maybe. But the gray apprentice didn't just want to listen to it, she wanted to see it with her own blue eyes. She had to see it tonight.

Wavepaw rolled over to her right, prodding Dunepaw with her paw. The long-furred tom looked up, blinking his amber eyes. "Wavepaw? Why would you wake my up at this time?"

"I need to see what Ottermask saw," she mewed, a bit too loudly. Palepaw, another apprentice, shifted in her nest. She dropped her voice to a whisper, "do you want to come?"

He stared at her, looking startled. "Sneak out of camp? Our mentors won't be happy, especially yours."

She flexed his claws, staring at him, she was wasting precious time. "Look, you don't have to come if you don't want to get in trouble. But I think it's worth it to see it." She stood, giving her pelt a quick shake but quietly making her way towards the exit.

"Wait," he scrambled to his paws, making his why towards her. "I want to see too, if you don't mind." Wavepaw nudged him gently.

"Of course you can come, fur-ball. We'll sneak through the dirt place tunnel and make are way to the coast. Very, very quietly," she emphasized. Dunepaw wasn't the best at stealth, she remembered.

The pair took off, heading towards the tunnel. Wavepaw nudged her way in, wrinkling her gray muzzle at the scent. The loud rustling begin was definitely the large tom, she didn't need to look back to know.

They took of into the night, racing towards the beach, their hopes high. The moon was full and bright, just as he described it. Tonight it would happen, they'd see and hear the Ocean Melodies, it wouldn't be a kits tale anymore.

The molly leapt over the pale sand, coming up towards the water. Wavepaw couldn't help but feel excited for this, it almost made her feel like a kit. Dunepaw padded up beside her, tail waving in the air.

She scanned the ripples, looking for the figure. The waiting, a lot of waiting for the both of them. A lot of staring at the water and pacing beside the shoreline, the water lapping at her gray paws. Dunepaw waited as patiently as he could muster, thought she could sense his restlessness.

Finally, he sighed. "Wavepaw, I don't think anything is here. Perhaps he was right, maybe it was a kits tale." He turned backs towards the direction of camp.

"No! I refuse to believe my mouse-brained mentor. I-" her voice was cut of by a beautiful tone. They both whipped around, staring at the water. A sliver figure, just like he described, leapt from the water. The tone it made was wonderful, much more better than Ottermask had described.

"It is real," he whispered, padding up beside her. His flank brushed against hers, but Wavepaw was too in awe to snap at him.

"Dunepaw," she turned towards him, her pale blue eyes glittering with happiness, "tonight, our hearts are pure. We are true ShoreClan warriors."

________

Word count: 1542, not including the authors note.
ashfeather- cloudyyweather
Here's my entry. It's a bit rushed but I love the plot. See if you can guess what was making the noise, :3 .