Chapter TenWildpaw woke just as the birds started their morning songs. As cheeps and tweets sounded all around her, Wildpaw stretched until her belly touched the ground of the apprentice's den. Then she padded outside, careful not to step on any cats' tails or paw. She passed by Cloudpaw's sleeping form as she did so, and she shivered. After Wildpaw had seen the...love in Cloudpaw's eyes, she gulped her bird down so quickly she almost choked on it. Then she had told Creampaw, who was still pushing around his fresh-kill, she was tired and quickly rushed to the apprentices' den. There she had lain down and pretended to sleep while Cloudpaw curled up in his nest. Wildpaw headed over to the fresh-kill pile, her stomach rumbling. She picked a mouse and brought it near to the apprentices' den. The sun was almost fully in the sky now, its pale dawn rays quickly consuming the shadows of the night. The rays touched her pelt, warming it. Wildpaw sighed contentedly and finished her mouse. Then she began grooming herself.As she licked her paw and drew it over an ear, Stargaze appeared at the entrance of the warriors' den with Blackwhisker and Hazelstar. Her mentor spotted her, and beckoned over to her with her tail. Wildpaw approached them."Wildpaw, wake Creampaw and Cloudpaw and tell them they're on dawn patrol with you, Icestorm." Fireblaze ordered. "And wake Redpaw and Sapphirepaw too. They're on the hunting patrol with me, Mousetail, and Silvermoon. We need to start stocking up fresh-kill."Wildpaw nodded and bounded off to the apprentices' den. She quickly woke up the chosen apprentices and they followed her outside to the middle of the stone hollow, where the warriors her father had chosen had gathered.The sun was higher up in the sky as Wildpaw pounded out of the stone hollow alongside Creampaw, Icestorm, and Cloudpaw in front of them. They ran through ThunderClan's territory, swerving around bushes, past trees, the grass flattening under their paws. Soon the roar of the rushing stream that separated WindClan's territory from ThunderClan's forest could be heard. The patrol slowed down to a stop as they rounded some bushes and came into sight of the stream.Creampaw sniffed the air. "WindClan's been here already," he meowed.
“Very good,” praised Icestorm, looking at the creamy tom. He ducked his head in embarrassment when Wildpaw purred in agreement.Wildpaw breathed in the air. He was right. The smell of the moor and rabbits filled her nose and she twitched her nose distastefully. She didn't like the smell or the open ground. How could any cat hunt at the bare moor, without any bushes or tall grass, much less live in there? Wildpaw was glad she was a ThunderClan cat."Come on. Let's start marking the border," Icestorm meowed briskly. The border patrol got to work. Wildpaw followed Creampaw and Cloudpaw upstream, while Icestorm went downstream, towards the lake. "Is ShadowClan still stealing our prey?" asked Wildpaw as Creampaw marked a bush nearby the stream. Cloudpaw marked a birch tree a few fox-lengths away, ears pricked Wildpaw noticed. She had completely forgotten about ShadowClan in the last few days, but seeing WindClan made her think of ShadowClan and the prey Fawnpaw, Foxheart, Cherrypaw, and Icestorm had found with ShadowClan scent.Creampaw paused. "Yes," he answered. "Mangy prey-stealers." He shook his head."At least WindClan's not stealing from us," Wildpaw meowed, marking a tuft of tall grasses, the tips turning brown with the coming weather."Well, not yet," mewed Creampaw. "Mark that young tree over there. I can smell mouse over there so I’m going to try and catch it" He flicked his tail to a small tree that stuck out from tangle of undergrowth and where he smelled the mouse and bounded off, his scent disappearing. Wildpaw bounded over to it and marked it; after that, she trotted back to her friend and they started padding along the border, intending to meet up with Icestorm and have a small hunt after reporting to Fireblaze.
“I would never let the other clans steal prey from ThunderClan,” Cloudpaw bragged, looking shyly at Wildpaw. “I-I-I w-wouldneverletthemstealfoodfromyouWildpaw.” Cloudpaw meowed this really fast and Wildpaw went, “Huh? Slow down, Crea-Cloudpaw!”
The handsome white tom looked at her with love in his green eyes. “I w-would never let any Clan steal food from you, Wildpaw.” He stopped and so did Wildpaw, her green eyes huge. Wildpaw was speechless, so she played it safe and tried to ignore the terror coursing through her. “Let’s go meet up with the patrol,” Wildpaw suggested slowly, trying to ignore the hurt in Cloudpaw’s eyes. I’m too young!!! she thought in agony. And I like Creampaw! Seeing the disappointment in his eyes was enough to kill her, so she butted him in the flank and purred. “Come on, they’re looking for us,” and they walked back to camp, fear and happiness spilling from her pawprints behind. As they did, Wildpaw thought she saw a flash of creamy fur to her left, but when she looked over hopefully for Creampaw, there was nothing.
"What do you mean, not yet?" asked Wildpaw, worry clouding her face.Hazelstar sighed again. "One day, Wildpaw, they'll be stealing our prey. And then we'd have to battle them, just like we're going to with ShadowClan."A small shiver ran down her spine when her mentor meowed that. Wildpaw could not forget about the upcoming battle; nor could her Clanmates. Especially her denmates. This would be the first battle they'd have in moons; everything had been so peaceful before. Her thoughts were interrupted by a bout of coughs from Hazelstar. I wish everything would stay peaceful, thought Wildpaw. What if a Clanmate dies?
“Are you okay?” she asked, worried about her mentor and leader."Excellent catch, Creampaw," Fireblaze praised his apprentice. "That's big enough to feed the elders tonight!"Wildpaw gazed at the large bird Creampaw had in his jaws, her green eyes stretched wide with pride and awe. How did he catch that? she thought enviously. She wanted to catch something, too!"Yes, very good," agreed Icestorm. Hazelstar wasn’t feeling well so the warriors were taking turns with Wildpaw’s training.Creampaw’s amber eyes shone with happiness, but he was careful to avoid Wildpaw’s gaze."I think we should go back now," announced Fireblaze. "Come on. We'll pick up our prey on the way back home." He padded away, with Creampaw right behind her. Icestorm turned to go too, a mouse in her white jaws, but Wildpaw stopped her."Icestorm, may I please hunt by myself?" pleaded Wildpaw.Her blue eyes widened in surprise. She placed the mouse on the ground before speaking. "But you don't know the hunting moves!" she exclaimed. "I've been watching you all," meowed Wildpaw, "and I think I know the moves. So may I hunt by myself?"The white warrior hesitated, her eyes thoughtful. "Alright," she mewed at last. "But return to the camp before nightfall, okay?"Wildpaw nodded eagerly, and bounded away. Stopping between some trees, she opened her mouth and inhaled the air. Forest smells flooded her mouth at once; she picked a bird-scent from among them. Locating the bird behind a bush in front of her, she dropped into a hunting crouch and stalked forward a few paces, her pawsteps light and soundless, her tail barely brushing the ground. She could smell the bird on the other side of the bush, and her mouth watered. Excitement coursed through her. If she caught this bird, it would be her first fresh-kill!Wild bunched up her muscles, preparing to leap, and then she leaped into the air. But she missed the bird, landing right next to it. The blackbird swiveled its head round, and then, seeing it was a cat, it shot up straight into the air with a loud cry of warning. Wildpaw watched it fly off, her claws tearing up the grass.Fox-dung! she cursed. Now they'll be no more prey over here, after that stupid bird's call!Suddenly a squirrel nearly as big as her shot out from the undergrowth straight towards her. On instinct, Wildpaw lashed a sheathed paw at the squirrel, knocking it out. Then, on instinct again, she killed it with a swift bite to the neck. Shock fizzed through her as she watched the dead squirrel that lay at her paws. I killed a squirrel. Then realization hit her. I've made my first catch! she thought gleefully, all signs of shock gone. She picked up the large squirrel and started off towards camp, happiness flooding her. Wildpaw couldn't believe her luck. She lost a small blackbird but gained a huge squirrel!As she neared the bramble tunnel, she looked up at the sky. The sun had started to set, and the first few stars had appeared in the darkening sky. There was a pale moon in the sky, too. A pale moon shining brighter than the excitement in Wildpaw’s and her littermates’ eyes.A full moon! The Gathering's tonight! Wildpaw realized this with a jolt. I hope, with this fresh-kill, I'll be able to go to it!With high hopes she entered the camp and strode to the fresh-kill pile, where her mentor, coughing, was just picking out a mouse. Her blue eyes widened when she saw her carrying the squirrel."Wildpaw! Did you catch that?" Hazelstar sounded disbelieving, hacking up sticky mucus. She wasn’t feeling any better that Wildpaw could see. Cloudpaw raced over and twined his tail with Wildpaw’s. “Great catch!” he purred, licking her on the ear. Wildpaw thought she’d die of embarrassment. Cherrypaw, who was a couple of tail-lengths away, glared at Wildpaw. Confused, Wildpaw turned toward her mentor, who also had a questioning look. Wildpaw was as surprised as they were.Wildpaw nodded proudly, her jaws full of the squirrel's fur.Pride flooded Hazelstar glazed over eyes. "Bring that to the nursery," she ordered. "I will allow you, Lilypaw, Cloudpaw, and Creampaw to go to the Gathering tonight,” and turned to pad to the medicine-cat den.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Chapter 9
"Uff...where's that medicine cat?" meowed Scorchstone irritably. "My bones are aching!" Wildpaw stifled a purr of amusement as she unsheathed her claws to scrape out the entire dirty nest in the elder's den. This was her second lesson in being an apprentice, and she had to clean the elder's den. For some reason, she enjoyed it. It might be because of Scorchstone—a cranky, but fun gray tom—and Dawnheart—light gray she-cat with milky blue eyes—humorous complaints about their aching joints. Or maybe it might be because she didn't want to go hunting or do battle moves.
"Humph! If Sagewhisker doesn't get here soon, I'm going to complain to Hazelstar," grumbled Scorchstone. He moved next to Dawnheart so Wildpaw could clean out his nest. As he did so, Wildpaw spotted a flea. She wrinkled her nose, disgusted. She would have to tell Sagewhisker to give her some mouse-bile later on, so she could kill that flea.A few minutes passed, and still no sign of Sagewhisker. Wildpaw wondered whether she should call Sagewhisker or not; the elders were getting crankier by the second. Just as she was straightening up from her work, the brown medicine cat padded into the den, plants with long stems and bright yellow flowers dangling from her jaws.
"Finally!" meowed Scorchstone. "Took you long enough, Sagewhisker!" He stretched a bit, wincing at the stiffness of his joints.The gentle she-cat purred.
"I had to collect some catmint before leaf-fall, Scorchstone," she mewed. Wildpaw forgot about cleaning the elders' den as she watched the medicine cat chewed up the leaves and flowers into a moist poultice. Then she applied it to Scorchstone's joints first, the gray tom telling her where to put the poultice and then sighing in satisfaction as the poultice soothed his aching bones. Sagewhisker then turned to Dawnheart and in moments later, the old tom was done too. The two elders padded out from the den, their stiffness not so much now, and lay down in front of it, wanting to catch the rays of the sunlight.
"What's that plant called, Sagewhisker?" Wildpaw asked, fascinated.
"Hmm?" Sagewhisker looked at Wildpaw. "Oh, this plant? It's called goldenrod.""Goldenrod..." Wildpaw trailed off, looking into the distance. She wondered how a plain plant such as goldenrod could soothe the elders' joints. How fascinating, she thought.
"Shouldn't you get back to cleaning the nest?" Sagewhisker's question interrupted her thoughts. Wildpaw started, her attention snapping back to the medicine cat. Then embarrassment filled her from head to tail-tip as she recalled what ThunderClan medicine cat had said and she nodded, keeping her gaze fixated on her work. Pawsteps sounded as Sagewhisker padded out of the den, and then Wildpaw heard the light brown she-cat meow to some unseen cat, a she-cat:"I'll be resting in my den if you need me."
"You went herb-hunting last night, didn't you?" There was a pause, and then the unseen she-cat continued, "No wonder you look so tired. Go get some nap, Sagewhisker."Wildpaw heard pawsteps and she looked up just in time to see Stargaze poking her head into the den. Her gaze softened when it landed on her daughter, and the she-cat went over to Wildpaw.
"How's your training going?" Stargaze asked.Wildpaw stopped her work for a while. "It's been great!" she meowed enthusiastically. It was a fake, of course. She was still depressed by the fact that she couldn't master one simple battle move taught by Mapleleaf. And that she had made a fool of herself by not realizing she was in StarClan when she was talking to Lightedpath and Goldenheart. Embarrassment flooded her again when the blurry memory of the 'dream' flashed through her mind.
"If you need any help, Wildpaw, I'll be right here, okay?" Stargaze licked the fur between her daughter's head, and padded out of the den. Wildpaw shot a grateful glance at Stargaze's retreating back. Thank StarClan my mother is always there for me, she thought.Wildpaw finished her apprentice duty to clean the elder's den and went outside, passing Scorchstone and Dawnheart on the way. She enjoyed the gentle breeze that rustled the leaves of the bushes lining the hollow, and the bright sunlight that warmed her tortoiseshell pelt. She went over to the fresh-kill pile and chose a small bird from it. Wildpaw carried it over to a corner of the camp and settled down to eat when a familiar-sounding wail brought her to her paws.Shimmerkit! What was happening to her? Wildpaw sniffed the air and smelled the scent of the kit on the breeze. She tracked it to the bramble tunnel that led from the camp. There, near the bush where she and Fawnkit and Creamkit had hid in when they had their first expedition outside the camp, was Shimmerkit. One little gray paw was raised and she was wailing in pain. Wildpaw recalled Tigerlily saying something about going hunting with her brother, Ashwhisker, and that Midnightkit, Shimmerkit and Brackenkit were asleep in the nursery. Well, Shimmerkit was awake now.
"Shimmerkit!" Wildpaw bent down to face the kit. "What's wrong?" she asked.Shimmerkit showed her gray paw, sniffing. Wildpaw saw that there was a thorn in it, a medium-sized thorn sticking halfway into Shimmerkit's paw.
"Hold still, alright?" As Shimmerkit nodded, Wildpaw grasped the part of the thorn sticking out with her teeth, and then she tug sharply. The thorn came out at once, and drops of blood appeared on the wound and dripped down onto the ground. Wildpaw spat out the thorn as Shimmerkit began wailing again.
"Shush," meowed Wildpaw, and gently grabbed Shimmerkit by the scruff of her neck. She carried Shimmerkit to the medicine cat's den, setting the kit down onto the floor of the den before waking up Sagewhisker. The medicine cats woke up with a start, and blinked her eyes blearily to see who had shaken her awake.
"Wildpaw!" Sagewhisker straightened up. "What are you doing in here?"
"Shimmerkit has a thorn in her pad," Wildpaw explained. "I pulled it out, but blood is dripping out from the wound."Sagewhisker nodded briskly and went over to the little gray kit, who was wailing her head off.
"Hold up your paw," she instructed. Shimmerkit did so, and Sagewhisker began licking the wound until there was no more blood.
"Better?" she purred.Shimmerkit nodded.
"Thank you, Shimmerkit," she mewed, and licked the medicine cat swiftly on the cheek before bounding out of the den, limping a bit. Wildpaw followed her, meowing a goodbye to. She returned to where her bird lay and settled down to eat just as the hunting patrol returned. Cloudpaw was one of them. Wildpaw didn’t know the white apprentice that well, but she talked to him sometimes.. He had a mouse in his jaws, a mouse which Wildpaw supposed he had killed, by the smug look on his face. Cloudpaw looked around and his green eyes brightened up when he spotted his denmate. He carried the mouse over to her and settled down beside her, just close enough so that their pelts brushed. Wildpaw was startled by this, but she did not move away. Why is Cloudpaw acting so weird? Wildpaw looked around self-consciously, spotting Cherrypaw across the camp. But Cherrypaw was glaring at her, eyes narrowed into slits. Startled, Wildpaw looked away, her eyes finding Creampaw, a tail-length away. He was starring at his paws, pushing around a half-eaten starling.
"So what were you doing this afternoon?" inquired Cloudpaw, taking a bite out of his mouse and jolting Wildpaw back into reality.
"Just cleaning the elder's den," answered Wildpaw simply, looking at him. But she was startled by the emotion in his eyes, and quickly glanced away.The emotion in his eyes was love.He couldn't be falling for her, could he? She was barely eight moons old and she had a denmate padding after her. Why????
"Humph! If Sagewhisker doesn't get here soon, I'm going to complain to Hazelstar," grumbled Scorchstone. He moved next to Dawnheart so Wildpaw could clean out his nest. As he did so, Wildpaw spotted a flea. She wrinkled her nose, disgusted. She would have to tell Sagewhisker to give her some mouse-bile later on, so she could kill that flea.A few minutes passed, and still no sign of Sagewhisker. Wildpaw wondered whether she should call Sagewhisker or not; the elders were getting crankier by the second. Just as she was straightening up from her work, the brown medicine cat padded into the den, plants with long stems and bright yellow flowers dangling from her jaws.
"Finally!" meowed Scorchstone. "Took you long enough, Sagewhisker!" He stretched a bit, wincing at the stiffness of his joints.The gentle she-cat purred.
"I had to collect some catmint before leaf-fall, Scorchstone," she mewed. Wildpaw forgot about cleaning the elders' den as she watched the medicine cat chewed up the leaves and flowers into a moist poultice. Then she applied it to Scorchstone's joints first, the gray tom telling her where to put the poultice and then sighing in satisfaction as the poultice soothed his aching bones. Sagewhisker then turned to Dawnheart and in moments later, the old tom was done too. The two elders padded out from the den, their stiffness not so much now, and lay down in front of it, wanting to catch the rays of the sunlight.
"What's that plant called, Sagewhisker?" Wildpaw asked, fascinated.
"Hmm?" Sagewhisker looked at Wildpaw. "Oh, this plant? It's called goldenrod.""Goldenrod..." Wildpaw trailed off, looking into the distance. She wondered how a plain plant such as goldenrod could soothe the elders' joints. How fascinating, she thought.
"Shouldn't you get back to cleaning the nest?" Sagewhisker's question interrupted her thoughts. Wildpaw started, her attention snapping back to the medicine cat. Then embarrassment filled her from head to tail-tip as she recalled what ThunderClan medicine cat had said and she nodded, keeping her gaze fixated on her work. Pawsteps sounded as Sagewhisker padded out of the den, and then Wildpaw heard the light brown she-cat meow to some unseen cat, a she-cat:"I'll be resting in my den if you need me."
"You went herb-hunting last night, didn't you?" There was a pause, and then the unseen she-cat continued, "No wonder you look so tired. Go get some nap, Sagewhisker."Wildpaw heard pawsteps and she looked up just in time to see Stargaze poking her head into the den. Her gaze softened when it landed on her daughter, and the she-cat went over to Wildpaw.
"How's your training going?" Stargaze asked.Wildpaw stopped her work for a while. "It's been great!" she meowed enthusiastically. It was a fake, of course. She was still depressed by the fact that she couldn't master one simple battle move taught by Mapleleaf. And that she had made a fool of herself by not realizing she was in StarClan when she was talking to Lightedpath and Goldenheart. Embarrassment flooded her again when the blurry memory of the 'dream' flashed through her mind.
"If you need any help, Wildpaw, I'll be right here, okay?" Stargaze licked the fur between her daughter's head, and padded out of the den. Wildpaw shot a grateful glance at Stargaze's retreating back. Thank StarClan my mother is always there for me, she thought.Wildpaw finished her apprentice duty to clean the elder's den and went outside, passing Scorchstone and Dawnheart on the way. She enjoyed the gentle breeze that rustled the leaves of the bushes lining the hollow, and the bright sunlight that warmed her tortoiseshell pelt. She went over to the fresh-kill pile and chose a small bird from it. Wildpaw carried it over to a corner of the camp and settled down to eat when a familiar-sounding wail brought her to her paws.Shimmerkit! What was happening to her? Wildpaw sniffed the air and smelled the scent of the kit on the breeze. She tracked it to the bramble tunnel that led from the camp. There, near the bush where she and Fawnkit and Creamkit had hid in when they had their first expedition outside the camp, was Shimmerkit. One little gray paw was raised and she was wailing in pain. Wildpaw recalled Tigerlily saying something about going hunting with her brother, Ashwhisker, and that Midnightkit, Shimmerkit and Brackenkit were asleep in the nursery. Well, Shimmerkit was awake now.
"Shimmerkit!" Wildpaw bent down to face the kit. "What's wrong?" she asked.Shimmerkit showed her gray paw, sniffing. Wildpaw saw that there was a thorn in it, a medium-sized thorn sticking halfway into Shimmerkit's paw.
"Hold still, alright?" As Shimmerkit nodded, Wildpaw grasped the part of the thorn sticking out with her teeth, and then she tug sharply. The thorn came out at once, and drops of blood appeared on the wound and dripped down onto the ground. Wildpaw spat out the thorn as Shimmerkit began wailing again.
"Shush," meowed Wildpaw, and gently grabbed Shimmerkit by the scruff of her neck. She carried Shimmerkit to the medicine cat's den, setting the kit down onto the floor of the den before waking up Sagewhisker. The medicine cats woke up with a start, and blinked her eyes blearily to see who had shaken her awake.
"Wildpaw!" Sagewhisker straightened up. "What are you doing in here?"
"Shimmerkit has a thorn in her pad," Wildpaw explained. "I pulled it out, but blood is dripping out from the wound."Sagewhisker nodded briskly and went over to the little gray kit, who was wailing her head off.
"Hold up your paw," she instructed. Shimmerkit did so, and Sagewhisker began licking the wound until there was no more blood.
"Better?" she purred.Shimmerkit nodded.
"Thank you, Shimmerkit," she mewed, and licked the medicine cat swiftly on the cheek before bounding out of the den, limping a bit. Wildpaw followed her, meowing a goodbye to. She returned to where her bird lay and settled down to eat just as the hunting patrol returned. Cloudpaw was one of them. Wildpaw didn’t know the white apprentice that well, but she talked to him sometimes.. He had a mouse in his jaws, a mouse which Wildpaw supposed he had killed, by the smug look on his face. Cloudpaw looked around and his green eyes brightened up when he spotted his denmate. He carried the mouse over to her and settled down beside her, just close enough so that their pelts brushed. Wildpaw was startled by this, but she did not move away. Why is Cloudpaw acting so weird? Wildpaw looked around self-consciously, spotting Cherrypaw across the camp. But Cherrypaw was glaring at her, eyes narrowed into slits. Startled, Wildpaw looked away, her eyes finding Creampaw, a tail-length away. He was starring at his paws, pushing around a half-eaten starling.
"So what were you doing this afternoon?" inquired Cloudpaw, taking a bite out of his mouse and jolting Wildpaw back into reality.
"Just cleaning the elder's den," answered Wildpaw simply, looking at him. But she was startled by the emotion in his eyes, and quickly glanced away.The emotion in his eyes was love.He couldn't be falling for her, could he? She was barely eight moons old and she had a denmate padding after her. Why????
Friday, August 13, 2010
Chapter 8
Wildpaw gazed at the two golden cats. The tom was glaring at her, suspicion tingeing the glare. And the she-cat had a look of confusion on her face. Wildpaw wondered why, momentarily forgetting about the she-cat. Had she grown wings somehow? That would be a good thing; she could fly up into the sky, away from this two scary cat—
"Well? Who are you?" growled the tom, Goldenheart.
"I-I'm..." Wildpaw faltered. Her mouth and throat felt dry. Very dry. She swallowed, and tried again. "I'm Wildpaw," she croaked out.The anger faded away from the golden tom’s amber eyes, though suspicion still lingered. Lightedpath sat down and licked a paw. She drew the paw over one ear, all the while staring at Wildpaw. Wildpaw shifted uncomfortably under the she-cat’s gaze, wondering what was going to happen next.
Finally, Goldenheart spoke up: "I know you. You're Wildkit, daughter of Stargaze and Fireblaze am I correct?" She turned to Goldenheart and was about to say something but the golden tabby tom silenced her with a glare. Wildpaw missed all this, though; anger flared in her the moment Goldenheart meowed Wildkit. How could this tom still think she was a kit? Wildpaw opened her mouth to correct the golden tabby tom haughtily, but the golden tabby she-cat beat her.
"I think you mean Wildpaw, Goldenheart," the tabby meowed, her voice calm. "Wildpaw had just had her apprentice ceremony this sunhigh."
"Wildkit, Wildpaw, I don't care, Lightedpath," Goldenheart mewed, obviously trying to muffle his excitement. But Wildpaw missed this too; she was happy that at least one of these cats knew she was an apprentice, not a kit. And then she realized another thing: Goldenheart was either a warrior or a medicine cat, and Lightedpath looked like a leader even though there was no ‘star’ at the end of her name. So the two cats must be from another Clan.How did I get onto another Clan's territory? Wildpaw asked herself silently. Did I sleepwalk all the way here? And why haven't they attacked me yet for trespassing?The questions buzzed around her head so much she didn't hear Goldenheart asking how she came here. The golden tom’s voice sounded distant, like a ThunderClan cat near the edge of the lake shore yowling to the cats in the ThunderClan camp.
"Hey!" Goldenheart meowed loudly. His excitement had vanished and she was now irritated at this silly little she-cat who refused to listen to her. "How did you—"
"Which Clan do you come from and where am I?" asked Wildpaw suddenly, interrupting Goldenheart, who started in surprise, his jaws gaping. Wildpaw noticed this and felt embarrassment prick every hair of her pelt.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "Were you about to say something to me?"
"Yes, I was," snapped the bossy tom. "But did you just ask which Clan do we come from and where are you now?" Goldenheart looked disbelieving. Lightedpath looked astonished as well.Wildpaw wondered why the tom had that expression on his face as she nodded.
Goldenheart shook his head, all the while muttering, "How ignorant. How very, very ignorant." he looked up at Wildpaw, and shook his head some more. Wildpaw twitched her tail impatiently; annoyed at Goldenheart for not answering her questions straight away and saying she was ignorant.
"Well? Are you going to tell me?" she demanded the golden tom, who she hoped would answer her. It was Lightedpath who answered.
"Wildpaw, we are StarClan cats and"—the golden tabby indicated the territory with her tail—"this is StarClan's hunting grounds."Shock coursed through Wildpaw, and her green eyes widened. She now noticed that the two cats looked a bit translucent and they had stars glimmering at their paws. She looked around and saw that the trees and bushes were lush, and there were prey everywhere, so different from ThunderClan's territory. Wildpaw remembered that leaf-fall would strike ThunderClan in half a moon's time, and already there were less prey on the fresh-kill pile. A memory of Hazelstar saying it was going to be a bad leaf-bare flashed through her mind, and she shivered. She wished it wouldn't be that bad, though she had never experience leaf-bare.
"Hey!" Somebody jolted her out of her thoughts.
"Huh?" Wildpaw looked around wildly, and spotted Goldenheart glaring at her. "What?" she asked the stupid tom.
"I said how did you get here?" Goldenheart replied, annoyed. The golden tabby she-cat watched silently, laying her tail on the tom’s shoulder. Wildpaw wondered if they were mates or kin.
"What do you mean?" Wildpaw's brows scrunched together in confusion. What is this tom blabbering on about?Goldenheart sighed irritably.
"How did you get here in StarClan?" He meowed the words slowly, as if Wildpaw was a dumb cat.Wildpaw stifled the urge to stick her tongue out at the tom, but kept her mouth shut instead."Well?"
"Umm..." Wildpaw thought back to when she had entered camp as the sun was setting down, feeling defeated because she hadn't been able to master the battle move Hazelstar taught her. She remembered bringing her mouse over to Creampaw [Ahh…Creampaw!] and Fawnpaw, and Cherrypaw telling her she had prepared a nest for Wildpaw in the apprentices' den. Then Wildpaw had padded to her nest and fell asleep in it, and woke up...here. In StarClan….
"I fell asleep and just...woke up here," she meowed to the tom-cat.
"Just like that?" Goldenheart looked shock again. "How strange..."
"An unusually strong connection with StarClan," murmured Lightedpath. "I've never seen this, not since Jayfeather. But he had power..." Her voice was so quiet Wildpaw didn't catch the last sentence.
"What?" Wildpaw's ears pricked with interest when she heard the name Jayfeather. Jayfeather, who saved the five Clans from the Dark Forest with Dovewing and Lionblaze. "Jayfeather? Is he here right now? Can I see him?" she asked eagerly, wanting to meet one of the Three.But the two cats weren't listening to her. They were lost in their thoughts. Wildpaw lashed her tail. I was talking here! she thought angrily.Suddenly, she felt something jab her side. She yelped and pushed her muzzle into the fur of her flank, but she couldn't find any bruises.
"Wildpaw! Wildpaw!"Wildpaw looked around wildly for the source of the voice, and noticed Goldenheart and Lightedpath were much fading. Fading fast. Panic rose up in her throat. What was happening?
"WILDPAW!"Wildpaw's eyes snapped open. She was in the apprentices' den. She blinked her eyes rapidly; sunlight was filtering through the red and gold leaves of the bush, a sign of leaf-fall. Then a shadow loomed over her, and Creampaw's sweet scent filled her nostrils.Wildpaw felt another jab in her side.
"Ow! That hurt!" she complained, and got to her paws. She began grooming herself, all the while glaring at Creampaw. She softened her gaze as she saw his warm amber eyes. She stiffled a sigh. Creampaw rolled his eyes.
"I had to, because the leader was asking for you. You're on the dawn patrol."
"WHAT?" Wildpaw shot, alarmingly fast, out of her nest, pausing at the entrance of the den to yowl thank you at Creampaw. She stopped, dashed back to him and asked him if he wanted to come. His eyes lit up with something more than happiness it seemed and he dashed after her. She sped to the center of the stone hollow, where Hazelstar, Icestorm, and Fawnpaw were waiting. As they pounded out of the camp, all Wildpaw could think about was Lightedpath and Goldenheart.
"Well? Who are you?" growled the tom, Goldenheart.
"I-I'm..." Wildpaw faltered. Her mouth and throat felt dry. Very dry. She swallowed, and tried again. "I'm Wildpaw," she croaked out.The anger faded away from the golden tom’s amber eyes, though suspicion still lingered. Lightedpath sat down and licked a paw. She drew the paw over one ear, all the while staring at Wildpaw. Wildpaw shifted uncomfortably under the she-cat’s gaze, wondering what was going to happen next.
Finally, Goldenheart spoke up: "I know you. You're Wildkit, daughter of Stargaze and Fireblaze am I correct?" She turned to Goldenheart and was about to say something but the golden tabby tom silenced her with a glare. Wildpaw missed all this, though; anger flared in her the moment Goldenheart meowed Wildkit. How could this tom still think she was a kit? Wildpaw opened her mouth to correct the golden tabby tom haughtily, but the golden tabby she-cat beat her.
"I think you mean Wildpaw, Goldenheart," the tabby meowed, her voice calm. "Wildpaw had just had her apprentice ceremony this sunhigh."
"Wildkit, Wildpaw, I don't care, Lightedpath," Goldenheart mewed, obviously trying to muffle his excitement. But Wildpaw missed this too; she was happy that at least one of these cats knew she was an apprentice, not a kit. And then she realized another thing: Goldenheart was either a warrior or a medicine cat, and Lightedpath looked like a leader even though there was no ‘star’ at the end of her name. So the two cats must be from another Clan.How did I get onto another Clan's territory? Wildpaw asked herself silently. Did I sleepwalk all the way here? And why haven't they attacked me yet for trespassing?The questions buzzed around her head so much she didn't hear Goldenheart asking how she came here. The golden tom’s voice sounded distant, like a ThunderClan cat near the edge of the lake shore yowling to the cats in the ThunderClan camp.
"Hey!" Goldenheart meowed loudly. His excitement had vanished and she was now irritated at this silly little she-cat who refused to listen to her. "How did you—"
"Which Clan do you come from and where am I?" asked Wildpaw suddenly, interrupting Goldenheart, who started in surprise, his jaws gaping. Wildpaw noticed this and felt embarrassment prick every hair of her pelt.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "Were you about to say something to me?"
"Yes, I was," snapped the bossy tom. "But did you just ask which Clan do we come from and where are you now?" Goldenheart looked disbelieving. Lightedpath looked astonished as well.Wildpaw wondered why the tom had that expression on his face as she nodded.
Goldenheart shook his head, all the while muttering, "How ignorant. How very, very ignorant." he looked up at Wildpaw, and shook his head some more. Wildpaw twitched her tail impatiently; annoyed at Goldenheart for not answering her questions straight away and saying she was ignorant.
"Well? Are you going to tell me?" she demanded the golden tom, who she hoped would answer her. It was Lightedpath who answered.
"Wildpaw, we are StarClan cats and"—the golden tabby indicated the territory with her tail—"this is StarClan's hunting grounds."Shock coursed through Wildpaw, and her green eyes widened. She now noticed that the two cats looked a bit translucent and they had stars glimmering at their paws. She looked around and saw that the trees and bushes were lush, and there were prey everywhere, so different from ThunderClan's territory. Wildpaw remembered that leaf-fall would strike ThunderClan in half a moon's time, and already there were less prey on the fresh-kill pile. A memory of Hazelstar saying it was going to be a bad leaf-bare flashed through her mind, and she shivered. She wished it wouldn't be that bad, though she had never experience leaf-bare.
"Hey!" Somebody jolted her out of her thoughts.
"Huh?" Wildpaw looked around wildly, and spotted Goldenheart glaring at her. "What?" she asked the stupid tom.
"I said how did you get here?" Goldenheart replied, annoyed. The golden tabby she-cat watched silently, laying her tail on the tom’s shoulder. Wildpaw wondered if they were mates or kin.
"What do you mean?" Wildpaw's brows scrunched together in confusion. What is this tom blabbering on about?Goldenheart sighed irritably.
"How did you get here in StarClan?" He meowed the words slowly, as if Wildpaw was a dumb cat.Wildpaw stifled the urge to stick her tongue out at the tom, but kept her mouth shut instead."Well?"
"Umm..." Wildpaw thought back to when she had entered camp as the sun was setting down, feeling defeated because she hadn't been able to master the battle move Hazelstar taught her. She remembered bringing her mouse over to Creampaw [Ahh…Creampaw!] and Fawnpaw, and Cherrypaw telling her she had prepared a nest for Wildpaw in the apprentices' den. Then Wildpaw had padded to her nest and fell asleep in it, and woke up...here. In StarClan….
"I fell asleep and just...woke up here," she meowed to the tom-cat.
"Just like that?" Goldenheart looked shock again. "How strange..."
"An unusually strong connection with StarClan," murmured Lightedpath. "I've never seen this, not since Jayfeather. But he had power..." Her voice was so quiet Wildpaw didn't catch the last sentence.
"What?" Wildpaw's ears pricked with interest when she heard the name Jayfeather. Jayfeather, who saved the five Clans from the Dark Forest with Dovewing and Lionblaze. "Jayfeather? Is he here right now? Can I see him?" she asked eagerly, wanting to meet one of the Three.But the two cats weren't listening to her. They were lost in their thoughts. Wildpaw lashed her tail. I was talking here! she thought angrily.Suddenly, she felt something jab her side. She yelped and pushed her muzzle into the fur of her flank, but she couldn't find any bruises.
"Wildpaw! Wildpaw!"Wildpaw looked around wildly for the source of the voice, and noticed Goldenheart and Lightedpath were much fading. Fading fast. Panic rose up in her throat. What was happening?
"WILDPAW!"Wildpaw's eyes snapped open. She was in the apprentices' den. She blinked her eyes rapidly; sunlight was filtering through the red and gold leaves of the bush, a sign of leaf-fall. Then a shadow loomed over her, and Creampaw's sweet scent filled her nostrils.Wildpaw felt another jab in her side.
"Ow! That hurt!" she complained, and got to her paws. She began grooming herself, all the while glaring at Creampaw. She softened her gaze as she saw his warm amber eyes. She stiffled a sigh. Creampaw rolled his eyes.
"I had to, because the leader was asking for you. You're on the dawn patrol."
"WHAT?" Wildpaw shot, alarmingly fast, out of her nest, pausing at the entrance of the den to yowl thank you at Creampaw. She stopped, dashed back to him and asked him if he wanted to come. His eyes lit up with something more than happiness it seemed and he dashed after her. She sped to the center of the stone hollow, where Hazelstar, Icestorm, and Fawnpaw were waiting. As they pounded out of the camp, all Wildpaw could think about was Lightedpath and Goldenheart.
Chapter 7
Wildpaw couldn’t believe it! An apprentice of ThunderClan at last! She bounded up to her mentor, eager to see the territories. After the cheering died down and the afternoon was over, Wildkit—no, Wildpaw bounded up to her mentor, eager for their first lesson. She hoped fervently that she wouldn't have to collect moss or clean out the elder's den, which was Fawnpaw's and Cherrypaw's first job as apprentices. She hoped Mapleleaf would teach her some hunting moves, or maybe battle moves.
"Can you please show me the territories?" asked Wildpaw as she approached her new mentor, eyes sparkling. Wildpaw saw she was thinking, her amber eyes thoughtful. She waited for an answer from Mapleleaf, her tail twitching impatiently.
“I’ll show you the territory today. Go get Cloudpaw and Creampaw," decided the she-cat, and flicked her tail to order her to follow her. Wildpaw raced over to the two toms and told them Mapleleaf wanted them and dashed away again.
“Yes, Mapleleaf?” meowed Creampaw as he skidded to a stop in front of the warrior. Cloudpaw padded slowly up to them and sat down, licking a paw and drawing it over his gray ear.
“I want you to help me explain the territory to Wildpaw,” explained Mapleleaf. She bounded out of camp, the three apprentices close behind. Wildpaw was right behind her as they pounded through the bramble tunnel, the entrance to the stone hollow, and out to the forest beyond. She recognized some bushes she saw from her first expedition in the forest with Fawnpaw and Creampaw. Now that she thought about it, Creampaw was looking kind of, almost handsome, with his thick cream shiny fur, always groomed and those glowing amber eyes. Then they made a left turn and Wildpaw knew the territory no more and forgot about Creampaw. She struggled to keep pace with her mentor, her short legs slowing her down. She hoped she would get legs as long as her leader when she grew up to be a warrior. A warrior.That's what I'm going to be, thought Wildpaw proudly. Not a medicine cat. Medicine cats are lonely. But even as she thought that, she felt like her decision to be a warrior's apprentice was somewhat...wrong. Wildpaw shook her head. I am a warrior's apprentice, not a medicine cat's apprentice, she told herself firmly. I am a warrior’s apprentice, not Sagewhisker apprenti—
"Ah!" screeched Wildpaw as she suddenly collided with Mapleleaf’s back. As Mapleleaf tumbled forward a few paces, trying to regain her balance, Wildpaw picked herself up from the ground where she had fallen face-first, embarrassment burning in her pelt. Cloudpaw and Creampaw purred in amusement, but were silenced by a glare from Mapleleaf.
"Sorry," mumbled Wildpaw, keeping her gaze fixed on paws, which she shuffled in the ground. Then Wildpaw heard a deep purr and she looked up. Mapleleaf had an amused expression on her face.
"It's alright," she meowed. "I guess you were excited about seeing the fores—wait, have you been here before?"Wildpaw looked around. They were in a sandy hollow, rimmed with bushes and trees. She didn't recognize it, but she figured out it must be the training hollow. Fawnpaw and Cherrypaw told her this was where they did most of their battle training.
"It's the training hollow, right?" Wildpaw mewed. Creampaw nodded and looked at Mapleleaf. The ginger-and-tortoiseshell nodded, too.
"Can you guess what we're going to do here?""Umm...battle training?""Yes, but not today," Mapleleaf meowed. "I suppose Creampaw or Leafp---” and stopped in mid-sentence. Wildpaw gulped. She had almost said Leafpaw! Creampaw and Cloudpaw looked up at the she-cat, wondering why she had stopped in mid-sentence.
“Okay, Mapleleaf, who was Leafpaw?” she demanded, looking at her mentor’s reaction closely. Sorrow flashed in the she-cat’s amber eyes as Wildpaw said the name.
“Leafpaw w-was H-Hazelstar’s k-kit!” she stammered, fixing her eyes on her paws. “Hazelstar is my littermate.” She paused and looked up at Wildpaw, who was astonished. Littermates?!? But they were so different! “Flowerpelt w-was her mentor and they were inseparable. Her mate, Coalfang, was killed in a WindClan raid many moons before you were born. He died before knowing Hazelstar bared his kits. Leafpaw-paw was beautiful, and two toms loved her. She looked like you but her fur shone in the sun, her eyes sparkled when she was happy.” Wildpaw was intrigued. This was fascinating! But it was sad to see her noble leader in so much pain. My fur shines in the sun, she thought defiantly, her green eyes flashing. Cloudpaw and Creampaw leaned forward keenly, ears pricked with interest.
Suddenly, Mapleleaf looked up and meowed, “Battle moves! Ah….yes battle moves! Copy me, Wildpaw!”
“Hey! What about Leafpaw?” Wildpaw protested. Her mentor ignored her question and started the day’s battle move. Wildpaw let it go and nodded, excitement bubbling up inside her. Mapleleaf was going to teach her some battle moves! Most mentors didn't teach their apprentices battle moves until the third or fourth lesson. She couldn't wait to brag about this to Fawnpaw and Cherrypaw!"Sit down and watch me," ordered her mentor.Wildpaw obeyed and sat with her tail neatly laid on her paws as Mapleleaf dropped into a crouch. She was well aware of Cloudpaw’s pelt brushing hers. Then her mentor propelled herself forward and slashed at the invisible enemy with her claws. She landed on the ground perfectly, whipped around as fast as light, and kicked out with her hind legs.Wildpaw's eyes were wide. I hope I'll be able to do that! she thought, her paws itching to try out the battle move.
"Try it." Mapleleaf settled down to watch her as Wildpaw scrambled to her paws.She took a deep breath, and flattened herself to a crouch. Then, pushing with her hind legs, she leaped forward and lashed with sheathed claws at the air. Triumph was spreading through her when she landed and suddenly lost her balance.
"Oof!" Wildpaw fell on her side on the ground. She leapt to her paws, furious at herself for concentrating properly on the battle move. Creampaw looked on and blinked at her encouragingly. She would do it to impress Creampaw. Wait! What was she thinking? They were just friends!"Hmm..." Wildpaw looked up at her mentor. Mapleleaf eyes were narrowed. “You two,” she meowed, flicking her tail at the two toms.
“Show her how it’s done.” Wildpaw’s ears burned. She didn’t need help!"We'll work on your balance," she meowed. "Try the move again."Wildpaw did the move, and she landed on the ground on all four paws, wobbling a bit. But she lost her balance again when she tried to spin around as fast as Mapleleaf, and fell to the ground again. Gritting her teeth, she tried the battle move again. Pretty soon, Mapleleaf sighed with impatience and dismissed Creampaw and Cloudpaw, who was curled up in the shade of a hazel bush. Wildpaw attempted the move again.And again.For the rest of the afternoon, Wildpaw practiced the move over and over again, but she just couldn't get it right. There was always some sort of mistake. Finally, as the bottom of the sun touched the moorlands of WindClan's territory, Mapleleaf, who had been watching her repeat the battle move again and again, got to her paws.
"Let's go back to camp," she meowed, and padded to the edge of the training hollow. Wildpaw tried to protest—she wanted to do the move over and over until she got it right—but stopped herself in time. Do not argue with your mentor, she told herself, and followed the ThunderClan warrior to the stone hollow.
"Eat." She ordered, flicking his tail to the fresh-kill pile, which had been stocked up by the hunting patrols. Wildpaw obeyed, and picked a mouse from the top of the pile. She padded to the side of the apprentices' den where Creampaw and Cherrypaw were eating, the mouse dangling from the tail in her jaws. She suddenly felt self-conscious around Creampaw, wishing she had groomed her fur thoroughly. It was sticking up all over the place with moss and leaves caught in her long tortoiseshell fur.
"How was the rest of your first lesson?" asked Creampaw through a mouthful of sparrow-meat.
"What was your first lesson?" Cherrypaw looked up from her squirrel. Wildkit couldn’t help herself from looking into those pools of melted honey…….Wake up, Wildpaw!
"Too tired to explain," mewed Wildpaw. It was true. Now that she wasn't feeling the desire to master the move, she wanted to curl up right now, right there and have dreams of hunting mice or birds or squirrels. She took a bite out of her mouse drowsily.Creampaw nodded understandingly.
"It's always tiring when it's your first day as an apprentice," he meowed sympathetically. "I've prepared you a nest next to mine." Was she imagining it or was there a double meaning to his words? You’re too young to be falling in love! She scowled herselfWildpaw finished up her mouse, blinking gratefully at Creampaw, and went into the apprentices' den. She sniffed out Creampaw's scent, and found her nest next to her denmate's nest. It was spongy green moss and feathers from a sparrow. She’d have to thank Creampaw. She circled it for a while, and then curled up to sleep, her screaming muscles relaxing. Darkness washed over her as she closed her eyes.Suddenly scents drifted up her nose; scents that smelled like grass and fresh air and something else she couldn't identify, and Wildpaw could hear sounds; leaves being rustled by breezes, and voices.Voices.Wildpaw's eyes snapped open. She was behind a bush. She peered out from behind it as silently as she could, and saw a clearing with a small, dark pool in the middle of it. A strange, faint glow rimmed the dark water and there were two cats talking beside it. A golden tabby she-cat and a golden tom.
Wildpaw pricked her ears, straining to hear what they were saying."...Strange voices? What are you talking about, Lightedpath?" asked the golden tom, confused.
"I've been hearing voices, Goldenheart," explained the golden tabby she-cat, Lightedpath. "Voices that appear whenever..." A breeze picked up, blowing away the rest of the words. Voices that appear whenever...what? Whenever what? Wildpaw struggled to hear more, but the breeze didn't die down. She slid her claws out and clawed the ground furiously, cursing the stupid breeze. She wanted to hear more!Wildpaw sighed, and sheathed her claws, looking around. It was right then that she realized she didn't know where she was. This wasn't ThunderClan territory that was for sure. It didn't have scents of ThunderClan cats and she was sure there wasn't a golden she-cat in her Clan. Where was she?Wildpaw decided to explore. She took a step forward—and stepped on a twig as the breeze died down. CRACK! The sound was loud in the still air. Wildpaw froze. The two cats stopped talking immediately.
"Who's there?" demanded one of them.Run! Wildpaw thought urgently. Run, mousebrain, run!But her paws wouldn't move. It was like as if they were frozen to the ground.
"I think it's coming from there," meowed the she-cat. Pawsteps grew louder as the cats approached Wildpaw. Wildpaw's heart was beating wildly; fear rising up inside her, threatening to spill over. What would they do to her when they found her? Were they going to...kill her?Run, you fox-dung paws! She screeched silently.It was too late. The leaves of the bush she was hiding behind rustled and the two golden cats stepped through it. The golden she-cat narrowed amber eyes at her.
"Who are you?" she demanded
"Can you please show me the territories?" asked Wildpaw as she approached her new mentor, eyes sparkling. Wildpaw saw she was thinking, her amber eyes thoughtful. She waited for an answer from Mapleleaf, her tail twitching impatiently.
“I’ll show you the territory today. Go get Cloudpaw and Creampaw," decided the she-cat, and flicked her tail to order her to follow her. Wildpaw raced over to the two toms and told them Mapleleaf wanted them and dashed away again.
“Yes, Mapleleaf?” meowed Creampaw as he skidded to a stop in front of the warrior. Cloudpaw padded slowly up to them and sat down, licking a paw and drawing it over his gray ear.
“I want you to help me explain the territory to Wildpaw,” explained Mapleleaf. She bounded out of camp, the three apprentices close behind. Wildpaw was right behind her as they pounded through the bramble tunnel, the entrance to the stone hollow, and out to the forest beyond. She recognized some bushes she saw from her first expedition in the forest with Fawnpaw and Creampaw. Now that she thought about it, Creampaw was looking kind of, almost handsome, with his thick cream shiny fur, always groomed and those glowing amber eyes. Then they made a left turn and Wildpaw knew the territory no more and forgot about Creampaw. She struggled to keep pace with her mentor, her short legs slowing her down. She hoped she would get legs as long as her leader when she grew up to be a warrior. A warrior.That's what I'm going to be, thought Wildpaw proudly. Not a medicine cat. Medicine cats are lonely. But even as she thought that, she felt like her decision to be a warrior's apprentice was somewhat...wrong. Wildpaw shook her head. I am a warrior's apprentice, not a medicine cat's apprentice, she told herself firmly. I am a warrior’s apprentice, not Sagewhisker apprenti—
"Ah!" screeched Wildpaw as she suddenly collided with Mapleleaf’s back. As Mapleleaf tumbled forward a few paces, trying to regain her balance, Wildpaw picked herself up from the ground where she had fallen face-first, embarrassment burning in her pelt. Cloudpaw and Creampaw purred in amusement, but were silenced by a glare from Mapleleaf.
"Sorry," mumbled Wildpaw, keeping her gaze fixed on paws, which she shuffled in the ground. Then Wildpaw heard a deep purr and she looked up. Mapleleaf had an amused expression on her face.
"It's alright," she meowed. "I guess you were excited about seeing the fores—wait, have you been here before?"Wildpaw looked around. They were in a sandy hollow, rimmed with bushes and trees. She didn't recognize it, but she figured out it must be the training hollow. Fawnpaw and Cherrypaw told her this was where they did most of their battle training.
"It's the training hollow, right?" Wildpaw mewed. Creampaw nodded and looked at Mapleleaf. The ginger-and-tortoiseshell nodded, too.
"Can you guess what we're going to do here?""Umm...battle training?""Yes, but not today," Mapleleaf meowed. "I suppose Creampaw or Leafp---” and stopped in mid-sentence. Wildpaw gulped. She had almost said Leafpaw! Creampaw and Cloudpaw looked up at the she-cat, wondering why she had stopped in mid-sentence.
“Okay, Mapleleaf, who was Leafpaw?” she demanded, looking at her mentor’s reaction closely. Sorrow flashed in the she-cat’s amber eyes as Wildpaw said the name.
“Leafpaw w-was H-Hazelstar’s k-kit!” she stammered, fixing her eyes on her paws. “Hazelstar is my littermate.” She paused and looked up at Wildpaw, who was astonished. Littermates?!? But they were so different! “Flowerpelt w-was her mentor and they were inseparable. Her mate, Coalfang, was killed in a WindClan raid many moons before you were born. He died before knowing Hazelstar bared his kits. Leafpaw-paw was beautiful, and two toms loved her. She looked like you but her fur shone in the sun, her eyes sparkled when she was happy.” Wildpaw was intrigued. This was fascinating! But it was sad to see her noble leader in so much pain. My fur shines in the sun, she thought defiantly, her green eyes flashing. Cloudpaw and Creampaw leaned forward keenly, ears pricked with interest.
Suddenly, Mapleleaf looked up and meowed, “Battle moves! Ah….yes battle moves! Copy me, Wildpaw!”
“Hey! What about Leafpaw?” Wildpaw protested. Her mentor ignored her question and started the day’s battle move. Wildpaw let it go and nodded, excitement bubbling up inside her. Mapleleaf was going to teach her some battle moves! Most mentors didn't teach their apprentices battle moves until the third or fourth lesson. She couldn't wait to brag about this to Fawnpaw and Cherrypaw!"Sit down and watch me," ordered her mentor.Wildpaw obeyed and sat with her tail neatly laid on her paws as Mapleleaf dropped into a crouch. She was well aware of Cloudpaw’s pelt brushing hers. Then her mentor propelled herself forward and slashed at the invisible enemy with her claws. She landed on the ground perfectly, whipped around as fast as light, and kicked out with her hind legs.Wildpaw's eyes were wide. I hope I'll be able to do that! she thought, her paws itching to try out the battle move.
"Try it." Mapleleaf settled down to watch her as Wildpaw scrambled to her paws.She took a deep breath, and flattened herself to a crouch. Then, pushing with her hind legs, she leaped forward and lashed with sheathed claws at the air. Triumph was spreading through her when she landed and suddenly lost her balance.
"Oof!" Wildpaw fell on her side on the ground. She leapt to her paws, furious at herself for concentrating properly on the battle move. Creampaw looked on and blinked at her encouragingly. She would do it to impress Creampaw. Wait! What was she thinking? They were just friends!"Hmm..." Wildpaw looked up at her mentor. Mapleleaf eyes were narrowed. “You two,” she meowed, flicking her tail at the two toms.
“Show her how it’s done.” Wildpaw’s ears burned. She didn’t need help!"We'll work on your balance," she meowed. "Try the move again."Wildpaw did the move, and she landed on the ground on all four paws, wobbling a bit. But she lost her balance again when she tried to spin around as fast as Mapleleaf, and fell to the ground again. Gritting her teeth, she tried the battle move again. Pretty soon, Mapleleaf sighed with impatience and dismissed Creampaw and Cloudpaw, who was curled up in the shade of a hazel bush. Wildpaw attempted the move again.And again.For the rest of the afternoon, Wildpaw practiced the move over and over again, but she just couldn't get it right. There was always some sort of mistake. Finally, as the bottom of the sun touched the moorlands of WindClan's territory, Mapleleaf, who had been watching her repeat the battle move again and again, got to her paws.
"Let's go back to camp," she meowed, and padded to the edge of the training hollow. Wildpaw tried to protest—she wanted to do the move over and over until she got it right—but stopped herself in time. Do not argue with your mentor, she told herself, and followed the ThunderClan warrior to the stone hollow.
"Eat." She ordered, flicking his tail to the fresh-kill pile, which had been stocked up by the hunting patrols. Wildpaw obeyed, and picked a mouse from the top of the pile. She padded to the side of the apprentices' den where Creampaw and Cherrypaw were eating, the mouse dangling from the tail in her jaws. She suddenly felt self-conscious around Creampaw, wishing she had groomed her fur thoroughly. It was sticking up all over the place with moss and leaves caught in her long tortoiseshell fur.
"How was the rest of your first lesson?" asked Creampaw through a mouthful of sparrow-meat.
"What was your first lesson?" Cherrypaw looked up from her squirrel. Wildkit couldn’t help herself from looking into those pools of melted honey…….Wake up, Wildpaw!
"Too tired to explain," mewed Wildpaw. It was true. Now that she wasn't feeling the desire to master the move, she wanted to curl up right now, right there and have dreams of hunting mice or birds or squirrels. She took a bite out of her mouse drowsily.Creampaw nodded understandingly.
"It's always tiring when it's your first day as an apprentice," he meowed sympathetically. "I've prepared you a nest next to mine." Was she imagining it or was there a double meaning to his words? You’re too young to be falling in love! She scowled herselfWildpaw finished up her mouse, blinking gratefully at Creampaw, and went into the apprentices' den. She sniffed out Creampaw's scent, and found her nest next to her denmate's nest. It was spongy green moss and feathers from a sparrow. She’d have to thank Creampaw. She circled it for a while, and then curled up to sleep, her screaming muscles relaxing. Darkness washed over her as she closed her eyes.Suddenly scents drifted up her nose; scents that smelled like grass and fresh air and something else she couldn't identify, and Wildpaw could hear sounds; leaves being rustled by breezes, and voices.Voices.Wildpaw's eyes snapped open. She was behind a bush. She peered out from behind it as silently as she could, and saw a clearing with a small, dark pool in the middle of it. A strange, faint glow rimmed the dark water and there were two cats talking beside it. A golden tabby she-cat and a golden tom.
Wildpaw pricked her ears, straining to hear what they were saying."...Strange voices? What are you talking about, Lightedpath?" asked the golden tom, confused.
"I've been hearing voices, Goldenheart," explained the golden tabby she-cat, Lightedpath. "Voices that appear whenever..." A breeze picked up, blowing away the rest of the words. Voices that appear whenever...what? Whenever what? Wildpaw struggled to hear more, but the breeze didn't die down. She slid her claws out and clawed the ground furiously, cursing the stupid breeze. She wanted to hear more!Wildpaw sighed, and sheathed her claws, looking around. It was right then that she realized she didn't know where she was. This wasn't ThunderClan territory that was for sure. It didn't have scents of ThunderClan cats and she was sure there wasn't a golden she-cat in her Clan. Where was she?Wildpaw decided to explore. She took a step forward—and stepped on a twig as the breeze died down. CRACK! The sound was loud in the still air. Wildpaw froze. The two cats stopped talking immediately.
"Who's there?" demanded one of them.Run! Wildpaw thought urgently. Run, mousebrain, run!But her paws wouldn't move. It was like as if they were frozen to the ground.
"I think it's coming from there," meowed the she-cat. Pawsteps grew louder as the cats approached Wildpaw. Wildpaw's heart was beating wildly; fear rising up inside her, threatening to spill over. What would they do to her when they found her? Were they going to...kill her?Run, you fox-dung paws! She screeched silently.It was too late. The leaves of the bush she was hiding behind rustled and the two golden cats stepped through it. The golden she-cat narrowed amber eyes at her.
"Who are you?" she demanded
Monday, August 9, 2010
Chapter 6
It was a breezy day in StarClan, wind whistling through the branches, composing their own song. Leaves rustled overhead as Lightedpath padded down the familiar path, worn smooth by the pawsteps of StarClan cats, to the Seeing Pool. Today was the day Wildkit, Sunkit, and Lilykit, the daughters of Stargaze and Fireblaze, would become apprentices. The golden tabby she-cat wasn't sure why she wanted to see the kits’ apprentice ceremonies. Maybe it was because of the strange voice that told her to watch over Wildkit the day the she-kit was born. Lightedpath emerged from the trees that lined the clearing where the Seeing Pool was. She approached the dark pool, and looked down at it. The pool was glowing faintly around the edges, a soft silver-white light. Lightedpath couldn't see her reflection; only darkness. Deep, swirling darkness.Lightedpath bent down her head and lap up some water from the Seeing Pool, silently wishing to see ThunderClan camp. Ripples fanned out from the middle of the pool, where a bright light, dimmed by the dark waters, suddenly shone. A picture formed right above the bright light, disturbed by the ripples. Then the rippling ceased, and she was looking at ThunderClan camp from above. She spotted the nursery, and saw Stargaze sitting there, washing Wildkit and her littermates clean. Wildkit tried to wriggle out from her mother's tongue; Lightedpath could hear her angered squeaks as easily as if the kit was right next to her.
"Mother," moaned the multi-colored kit, "Please stop. This is enough!"
"I want you to look proper and clean for your apprentice ceremony," meowed the blue-gray queen between licks. Wildkit desperately tried to get away, but her mother hooked a slender paw around her.
"I'm so clean you can see yourself in my fur!" Wildkit squirmed away from under Stargaze's tongue and wriggled from her gentle grasp. “Stargaze! It's starting!" she squealed as Hazelstar leaped onto the Highledge and yowled, "Let all cats who can catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge."
As the cats gathered, Hazelstar jumped off the ledge and sat with her tail neatly curled around her white paws."Cats of ThunderClan, I gather you all for one of my favorite duties." Hazelstar's meow filled the hollow, and Lightedpath saw Wildkit giving a little impatient bounce. Lilykit looked excited and determined, while Sunkit looked like ready to hide in the nursery. Lightedpath purred as she watched and suddenly, the little she-kit looked up, bewildered, straight at Lightedpath, as if hearing the golden tabby’s amused purr. Wildkit starred intently up at Lightedpath and fear crept into the she-cat’s pelt. Could the kit see her? No, that was impossible……..wasn‘t it? Right?
"Wildkit and her sisters have reached their sixth moon. Wildkit has had an adventurous kit-hood with Fawnpaw and Creampaw"—there was amusement in her soft mew as she glanced at the two apprentices, pawing the ground in embarrassment—"but I hope she have learned valuable lessons, and I believe she is ready to become an apprentice along with her sisters.” She paused as the Clan cats murmured and nodded approvingly. Then Hazelstar turned to Stargaze and her kits, pride shining in his eyes.
"Wildkit, Sunkit, and Lilykit, step forward." Lightedpath purred again as the tortoiseshell-black-and -white she-kit bounced forward and halted in front of the ThunderClan leader, her eyes wide with happiness just like her littermates’. "Wildkit, Sunkit, and Lilykit, from this day onwards until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Wildpaw, Lilypaw, and Sunpaw."
Cherrypaw, Fawnpaw, and Creampaw and the other apprentices called their names until Hazelstar flicked her tail for silence."I ask StarClan to watch over you and guide you until you find the courage and strength of a warrior inside yourselves," Hazelstar meowed. Wildkit quivered with excitement. Who will be her mentor? Lightedpath wondered. I hope it's a good warrior.
"Wildpaw, your mentor will be Mapleleaf." An awed silence greeted her choice and she was confused. The ginger and tortoiseshell warrior touched noses with the energetic apprentice.Good choice, Hazelstar, you couldn’t of chosen better. Mapleleaf has a good heart and should keep her from straying to evil paws. Lightedpath nodded in approval.
"I trust Mapleleaf to pass on all I have taught her to Wildpaw and help her to become a warrior the Clan can be proud of," Hazelstar went on. She went on to give Silvermoon Sunpaw and Fernfall Lilypaw.The Clan burst into cheers again, yowling out their names. Lightedpath joined in happily. Wildpaw once again glanced up, confusion clouding her green eyes. Lightedpath shivered; could the kit really here her?Remember what I said, Lightedpath. Lightedpath stopped in mid-yowl. That voice again! Watch over her, Lightedpath.Yes, watch over her. Another voice said. A more feminine one. A female. Lightedpath looked around wildly, wondering where the voice—voices came from. And why the voices were telling her to watch over Wildpaw. Exactly what was so special about Wildpaw, until some voices need to tell her to watch over the she-cat? Don't let her walk a dark path. The feminine voice whispered. Lightedpath froze. What did she mean? Was Wildpaw going to be an evil cat?
"Mother," moaned the multi-colored kit, "Please stop. This is enough!"
"I want you to look proper and clean for your apprentice ceremony," meowed the blue-gray queen between licks. Wildkit desperately tried to get away, but her mother hooked a slender paw around her.
"I'm so clean you can see yourself in my fur!" Wildkit squirmed away from under Stargaze's tongue and wriggled from her gentle grasp. “Stargaze! It's starting!" she squealed as Hazelstar leaped onto the Highledge and yowled, "Let all cats who can catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge."
As the cats gathered, Hazelstar jumped off the ledge and sat with her tail neatly curled around her white paws."Cats of ThunderClan, I gather you all for one of my favorite duties." Hazelstar's meow filled the hollow, and Lightedpath saw Wildkit giving a little impatient bounce. Lilykit looked excited and determined, while Sunkit looked like ready to hide in the nursery. Lightedpath purred as she watched and suddenly, the little she-kit looked up, bewildered, straight at Lightedpath, as if hearing the golden tabby’s amused purr. Wildkit starred intently up at Lightedpath and fear crept into the she-cat’s pelt. Could the kit see her? No, that was impossible……..wasn‘t it? Right?
"Wildkit and her sisters have reached their sixth moon. Wildkit has had an adventurous kit-hood with Fawnpaw and Creampaw"—there was amusement in her soft mew as she glanced at the two apprentices, pawing the ground in embarrassment—"but I hope she have learned valuable lessons, and I believe she is ready to become an apprentice along with her sisters.” She paused as the Clan cats murmured and nodded approvingly. Then Hazelstar turned to Stargaze and her kits, pride shining in his eyes.
"Wildkit, Sunkit, and Lilykit, step forward." Lightedpath purred again as the tortoiseshell-black-and -white she-kit bounced forward and halted in front of the ThunderClan leader, her eyes wide with happiness just like her littermates’. "Wildkit, Sunkit, and Lilykit, from this day onwards until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Wildpaw, Lilypaw, and Sunpaw."
Cherrypaw, Fawnpaw, and Creampaw and the other apprentices called their names until Hazelstar flicked her tail for silence."I ask StarClan to watch over you and guide you until you find the courage and strength of a warrior inside yourselves," Hazelstar meowed. Wildkit quivered with excitement. Who will be her mentor? Lightedpath wondered. I hope it's a good warrior.
"Wildpaw, your mentor will be Mapleleaf." An awed silence greeted her choice and she was confused. The ginger and tortoiseshell warrior touched noses with the energetic apprentice.Good choice, Hazelstar, you couldn’t of chosen better. Mapleleaf has a good heart and should keep her from straying to evil paws. Lightedpath nodded in approval.
"I trust Mapleleaf to pass on all I have taught her to Wildpaw and help her to become a warrior the Clan can be proud of," Hazelstar went on. She went on to give Silvermoon Sunpaw and Fernfall Lilypaw.The Clan burst into cheers again, yowling out their names. Lightedpath joined in happily. Wildpaw once again glanced up, confusion clouding her green eyes. Lightedpath shivered; could the kit really here her?Remember what I said, Lightedpath. Lightedpath stopped in mid-yowl. That voice again! Watch over her, Lightedpath.Yes, watch over her. Another voice said. A more feminine one. A female. Lightedpath looked around wildly, wondering where the voice—voices came from. And why the voices were telling her to watch over Wildpaw. Exactly what was so special about Wildpaw, until some voices need to tell her to watch over the she-cat? Don't let her walk a dark path. The feminine voice whispered. Lightedpath froze. What did she mean? Was Wildpaw going to be an evil cat?
Chapter 5
It had been two and a quarter moons since Cherrypaw, Creampaw, and Fawnpaw were made into apprentices. Wildkit would be an apprentice any day now, because she had been almost four moons when Tigerlily gave birth to her kits. The two she-cats rarely saw Wildkit nowadays; they were always patrolling, or hunting, or training, or doing apprentice duties, or whatever. Creampaw was the only one that visited Wildkit and her sisters anymore .Wildkit missed the three eager, adventurous littermates, but not that much, since she had Shimmerkit, Midnightkit, and Brackenkit to play with.
Right now, Wildkit was hiding behind the fresh-kill pile, which was pityingly low, because the hunting patrols had not yet return with their prey. But Wildkit didn't mind; she was planning to jump on Brackenkit, who was happily pawing at the fresh-kill pile, and surprise him. She bunched up her back muscles, preparing to leap, but before she could do so, teeth met in her scruff and someone swung her high up into the air. From the scent of the cat that wreathed around her, Wildkit knew it was Fireblaze who was carrying her.
“Let go of me!” she squeaked angrily, struggling to loosen her father’s grip on her scruff. She didn't want to be treated as a newborn kit! She was almost an apprentice!The bright ginger tom set his daughter in front of the nursery. A moment later, Stargaze came out, her pelt fully groomed, muscles rippling under her shiny pelt, and her gaze darted from her mate, to her kit, which was sulking, and back to her mate again.
She let out an exasperated sigh. “What did she do now? Did she ‘accidentally’ step on Shimmerkit's tail, like the other day? Did she try to convince Midnightkit to eat some poppy seeds, like last time?”“She was going to jump on Brackenkit and scare him,” the deputy meowed, amusement glinting in his amber eyes.
Her mother sighed again, shaking her head, while Wildkit protested, “Hey! I was just practicing on how to surprise enemies!”“I wonder what Tigerlily will say if you scared poor little Brackenkit to death,” pondered the ginger warrior, his expression amused. “You can't scare a cat to death!” Then Wildkit shuffled her paws in the ground, turning her eyes upwards to her father.
"Can you?" she squeaked uncertainly.
“Oh, yes, you can.” Her father nodded gravely.
“Can you really scare a cat to death, Stargaze?” asked Wildkit, turning to her mother. She could trust her mother not to lie to her.
“Mousebrain,” her beautiful mother purred lovingly. "How come I’ve never heard a story of how a cat scared another to death?"
“See?” Wildkit rounded on her father. "You can't scare a cat to death! You were lying!" Her grass-green eyes shone with triumph.
"Well, that's be—" A yowl interrupted Fireblaze in mid-sentence. Wildkit whirled around in time to see Cherrypaw, Fawnpaw, Willowshade, and Foxheart pounding to the middle of the camp. They were looking agitated and angry, and Cherrypaw was carrying something in her jaws. Wildkit's stomach clenched; whatever the thing in her ex-denmate's mouth was, she was sure it was bound to be bad news.
"Hazelstar! Hazelstar! Look at this!" the leader of the patrol had spotted the ThunderClan leader sharing tongues with her senior warriors and the four cats made their way over to their leader. Upon reaching them, Cherrypaw spat out the stuff she had been carrying, and screwed her face up into a disgusted expression. Following her father, Wildkit rushed over to the pile that gleamed white in the sunlight, and saw it was a pile of bones. Bones that belong to a small animal, a mouse maybe. She sniffed it hard, and recoiled.ShadowClan! she thought. What is ShadowClan's stench doing on the mouse-bones? She turned to her father, who was talking to Willowshade and Foxheart.
"...found bones on our side of the border," Foxheart was meowing angrily, pacing around in front of Hazelstar, who calmly looked on. "With ShadowClan stench on it! A few fox-lengths along the border we found more bones, with ShadowClan scent on them too!"
"Stupid ShadowClan cats!" spat Fawnpaw angrily, her slender paws working furiously in the ground. "I'll rip them to shreds for stealing ThunderClan's prey! They'll pay!" She lashed her tail. Wildkit flinched; she had never seen the gentle apprentice like this. Icestorm and Foxheart stopped pacing.
"What should we do, Hazelstar?" he demanded to his leader. "We can't just let them steal our prey and get away with it!"
"You're right," Hazelstar solemnly agreed, nodding. "We'll have to do something." She padded across the camp, strolled up the rock slope, and jumped onto the Highledge. She called out the familiar words, ordering every cat that could cat their own prey to gather beneath the Highledge. She needn't have bother, though; most of ThunderClan's cat was there, brought out of their dens by Foxheart’s angry meowing. Wildkit sat herself down next to Fawnpaw as Hazelstar opened her mouth to speak."Cats of ThunderClan," she began, "ShadowClan has been stealing our prey." Furious yowls met this statement; some cats even stood up, their eyes blazing, their fur bristling. Wildkit understood why they were angry: one more moon and it would be leaf-fall time. By then there would be lesser prey and the Clan wanted to stock up before leaf-bare approached. So ThunderClan was mad that ShadowClan was stealing their prey.Hazelstar flicked her tail, demanding silence, and the cats quieted down.
"We will teach them a lesson," she meowed loudly, her voice bouncing off the walls of the stone hollow. "We will attack them in a moon's time. But for now, we will train until we are sure we can beat them."
“But is that smart so close into leaf-fall?” asked a silver tabby she-cat with white paws. She stood up and padded to the front of the crowd of cats. Wildkit recognized her as Silvermoon, a quiet she-cat with blue eyes. “Why risk battle wounds and waste herbs on them instead of warning them at the next Gathering?” Murmurs followed her suggestion and Hazelstar looked rather taken aback.
“You have a point, Silvermoon, but if we don’t they may very well continue to steal ThunderClan’s prey.”
The ThunderClan leader flicked her tail to dismiss the Clan meeting and disappeared into her lichen covered den. ThunderClan cats immediately broke up into groups and started whispering excitedly. There were murmurs of agreement from every cat in the stone hollow. Hazelstar was very wise. Unlike the leaders of RiverClan, ShadowClan and WindClan, she'd prefer to make sure they will win if they fought another Clan, rather than attack straightaway. "I'm going to train so hard that when the battle comes, I'll be the best fighter there," whispered Fawnpaw to Wildkit. Wildkit nodded vaguely, not really listening, feeling excitement trill through her. She wanted to fight ShadowClan so badly!But then, she didn't like to see other cats get hurt, too.In a few days’ time, it would be her apprentice ceremony. But to whom will she be apprenticed to? Sagewhisker, the medicine cat, or one of the warriors? Once again, the question whether she would rather be a medicine cat or a warrior haunted her.
Right now, Wildkit was hiding behind the fresh-kill pile, which was pityingly low, because the hunting patrols had not yet return with their prey. But Wildkit didn't mind; she was planning to jump on Brackenkit, who was happily pawing at the fresh-kill pile, and surprise him. She bunched up her back muscles, preparing to leap, but before she could do so, teeth met in her scruff and someone swung her high up into the air. From the scent of the cat that wreathed around her, Wildkit knew it was Fireblaze who was carrying her.
“Let go of me!” she squeaked angrily, struggling to loosen her father’s grip on her scruff. She didn't want to be treated as a newborn kit! She was almost an apprentice!The bright ginger tom set his daughter in front of the nursery. A moment later, Stargaze came out, her pelt fully groomed, muscles rippling under her shiny pelt, and her gaze darted from her mate, to her kit, which was sulking, and back to her mate again.
She let out an exasperated sigh. “What did she do now? Did she ‘accidentally’ step on Shimmerkit's tail, like the other day? Did she try to convince Midnightkit to eat some poppy seeds, like last time?”“She was going to jump on Brackenkit and scare him,” the deputy meowed, amusement glinting in his amber eyes.
Her mother sighed again, shaking her head, while Wildkit protested, “Hey! I was just practicing on how to surprise enemies!”“I wonder what Tigerlily will say if you scared poor little Brackenkit to death,” pondered the ginger warrior, his expression amused. “You can't scare a cat to death!” Then Wildkit shuffled her paws in the ground, turning her eyes upwards to her father.
"Can you?" she squeaked uncertainly.
“Oh, yes, you can.” Her father nodded gravely.
“Can you really scare a cat to death, Stargaze?” asked Wildkit, turning to her mother. She could trust her mother not to lie to her.
“Mousebrain,” her beautiful mother purred lovingly. "How come I’ve never heard a story of how a cat scared another to death?"
“See?” Wildkit rounded on her father. "You can't scare a cat to death! You were lying!" Her grass-green eyes shone with triumph.
"Well, that's be—" A yowl interrupted Fireblaze in mid-sentence. Wildkit whirled around in time to see Cherrypaw, Fawnpaw, Willowshade, and Foxheart pounding to the middle of the camp. They were looking agitated and angry, and Cherrypaw was carrying something in her jaws. Wildkit's stomach clenched; whatever the thing in her ex-denmate's mouth was, she was sure it was bound to be bad news.
"Hazelstar! Hazelstar! Look at this!" the leader of the patrol had spotted the ThunderClan leader sharing tongues with her senior warriors and the four cats made their way over to their leader. Upon reaching them, Cherrypaw spat out the stuff she had been carrying, and screwed her face up into a disgusted expression. Following her father, Wildkit rushed over to the pile that gleamed white in the sunlight, and saw it was a pile of bones. Bones that belong to a small animal, a mouse maybe. She sniffed it hard, and recoiled.ShadowClan! she thought. What is ShadowClan's stench doing on the mouse-bones? She turned to her father, who was talking to Willowshade and Foxheart.
"...found bones on our side of the border," Foxheart was meowing angrily, pacing around in front of Hazelstar, who calmly looked on. "With ShadowClan stench on it! A few fox-lengths along the border we found more bones, with ShadowClan scent on them too!"
"Stupid ShadowClan cats!" spat Fawnpaw angrily, her slender paws working furiously in the ground. "I'll rip them to shreds for stealing ThunderClan's prey! They'll pay!" She lashed her tail. Wildkit flinched; she had never seen the gentle apprentice like this. Icestorm and Foxheart stopped pacing.
"What should we do, Hazelstar?" he demanded to his leader. "We can't just let them steal our prey and get away with it!"
"You're right," Hazelstar solemnly agreed, nodding. "We'll have to do something." She padded across the camp, strolled up the rock slope, and jumped onto the Highledge. She called out the familiar words, ordering every cat that could cat their own prey to gather beneath the Highledge. She needn't have bother, though; most of ThunderClan's cat was there, brought out of their dens by Foxheart’s angry meowing. Wildkit sat herself down next to Fawnpaw as Hazelstar opened her mouth to speak."Cats of ThunderClan," she began, "ShadowClan has been stealing our prey." Furious yowls met this statement; some cats even stood up, their eyes blazing, their fur bristling. Wildkit understood why they were angry: one more moon and it would be leaf-fall time. By then there would be lesser prey and the Clan wanted to stock up before leaf-bare approached. So ThunderClan was mad that ShadowClan was stealing their prey.Hazelstar flicked her tail, demanding silence, and the cats quieted down.
"We will teach them a lesson," she meowed loudly, her voice bouncing off the walls of the stone hollow. "We will attack them in a moon's time. But for now, we will train until we are sure we can beat them."
“But is that smart so close into leaf-fall?” asked a silver tabby she-cat with white paws. She stood up and padded to the front of the crowd of cats. Wildkit recognized her as Silvermoon, a quiet she-cat with blue eyes. “Why risk battle wounds and waste herbs on them instead of warning them at the next Gathering?” Murmurs followed her suggestion and Hazelstar looked rather taken aback.
“You have a point, Silvermoon, but if we don’t they may very well continue to steal ThunderClan’s prey.”
The ThunderClan leader flicked her tail to dismiss the Clan meeting and disappeared into her lichen covered den. ThunderClan cats immediately broke up into groups and started whispering excitedly. There were murmurs of agreement from every cat in the stone hollow. Hazelstar was very wise. Unlike the leaders of RiverClan, ShadowClan and WindClan, she'd prefer to make sure they will win if they fought another Clan, rather than attack straightaway. "I'm going to train so hard that when the battle comes, I'll be the best fighter there," whispered Fawnpaw to Wildkit. Wildkit nodded vaguely, not really listening, feeling excitement trill through her. She wanted to fight ShadowClan so badly!But then, she didn't like to see other cats get hurt, too.In a few days’ time, it would be her apprentice ceremony. But to whom will she be apprenticed to? Sagewhisker, the medicine cat, or one of the warriors? Once again, the question whether she would rather be a medicine cat or a warrior haunted her.
Chapter 4
Wildkit wriggled out from underneath her mother's tongue. It had been a quarter of a moon since Fawnkit, Creamkit, and Wildkit were found missing from the camp. Once the three kits were found, Hazelstar had postponed Wildkit’s apprentice ceremony, which made her wail in dismay. She begged her not to, but Hazelstar said it was her punishment. Then she had turned to Fawnkit and Creamkit, her daughter’s kits. She decided they would be confined to the nursery for a quarter moon, only to go out if there was a ceremony or something. Wildkit had been dismayed, having to watch her sisters’ Lilykit and Sunkit complained they wanted to be apprentices, but she didn't complain. After all, she did deserve it, for making the Clan panicky once they found out three kits had been gone. And she didn't mind waiting another quarter moon; Tigerlily’s kits had just opened their eyes!Wildkit felt somebody paw at her, and she turned to see Shimmerkit, a silver tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes and lots of energy. Midnightkit, a dark blue-gray she-cat, almost blue-black, with white flecks and dark blue eyes, then bounded up to the two she-cats, followed by Brackenkit, a golden-brown tom with dark brown tinged fur and bright gold tinged feet. Secretly, Wildkit thought his warrior name would be Brackenfeet. "Play fight!" Brackenkit announced happily, and jumped onto Wildkit and batted her with his tiny paws. His two others sibling joined him. Wildkit was squashed under three kits. She heaved up and sent them flying a few tail-lengths away. Tigerlily, who was watching them, purred in amusement. Wildkit wasn’t tricked by her purrs; she could tell the creamy queen was still grieving for her lost kit. They had buried the pale ginger she-kit beneath Silverpelt the moment the sky had turned a dark blue. She was happier today since her mate, Liontail, had come to visit her and the kits. Milkfur was lecturing her three kits in the back corner of the nursery because they were playing too loudly. Suddenly a yowl came from outside. "Let all cats that can catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a meeting!" Wildkit felt a nudged from behind her, and looked around. Stargaze was pushing at her to go out. Wildkit unsheathed her claws and dug them into the ground so her mother couldn't move her.
"You need to go out and watch," meowed Stargaze. "I know a ceremony's about to happen."
"A ceremony? Whose?" Wildkit was mystified. Stargaze flicked her tail to Squirrelpaw and Featherpaw, who were conversing outside the nursery. Wildkit gazed at the two apprentices and Sapphirepaw chattering excitedly. Sapphirepaw and Redpaw were from an earlier litter of Stargaze and Fireblaze. Wildkit's green eyes widened in amazement.
"It's their warrior ceremonies?" she squealed. "That's great!" She pushed out of the nursery, followed by her mother, Milkpool, Tigerlily, and her three kits Shimmerkit, Midnightkit, and Brackenkit.Wildkit glanced at Squirrelpaw and Featherpaw. Their pelts shone in the sunlight from them grooming it thoroughly this morning. They looked older, somehow. Wildkit wondered whether they would still play with her once they became warriors. She hoped so.She settled down beside her mother and Tigerlily and her three kits, and watched as warriors, apprentices and the elders poured out of their dens to watch the ceremony. Then a ginger tom leaped up to the Highledge, his pelt blazing in the sunlight. Fireblaze. Then a flash of bright brown followed. Hazelstar.
"Today is a very special day," she announced loudly, her voice bouncing off the walls of the stone hollow. "It is time for two apprentices to be made warriors," she continued. She paused to stare down at Squirrelpaw and Featherpaw, who ducked their heads in embarrassment."Squirrelpaw and Featherpaw, come out in front," she meowed loudly, and jumped off the Highledge as the two apprentices went to the front of the camp, their embarrassment forgotten, their eyes shining with excitement and happiness. Squirrelpaw gave a little bounce halfway to the leader, and Wildkit purred. "By naming warriors, we show that ThunderClan will survive and remain strong." Hazelstar paused, and looked down at the apprentices.
"Tigerstripe,” the leader meowed, addressing the black-striped warrior, “are you satisfied this apprentice is ready to become a warrior?”
Tigerstripe looked up and answered, “Yes, she is ready.” Hazelstar nodded and continued the ritual.
“I, Hazelstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.” Hazelstar looked at Squirrelpaw and beckoned with her tail.
“Squirrelpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?” Hazelstar looked gravely at Squirrelpaw and Wildkit felt her heart skip a beat. What was her warrior name going to be? Squirreltail? Squirrelfeet? She was so deep in thought; she missed the light brown apprentice say “I do.”
“Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Squirrelpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Squirrelleap. StarClan honors your courage and spirit and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan,” Hazelstar stepped forward just as Squirrelleap did and they bonked muzzles. The entire Clan let out mrrows of laughter and low-pitched snorts as Squirrelleap scrambled backward, repeating apologizes to Hazelstar. Wildkit was too busy in thought of how perfect the name Squirrelleap was for the bouncy young apprentice---she meant warrior. The new warrior was begging her leader not to make her an apprentice again which only made the Clan leader and the entire Clan mrrow in laughter harder and twitch their whiskers.
Squirrelleap finally realized they were laughing at her and slunk down the rock slope in embarrassment.
“Squirrelleap! Squirrelleap! Squirrelleap1” cheered the Clan, amongst purrs of amusement. Hazelstar stopped shaking with laughter and raised her tail for silence, causing the cats to stop in mid-purr. Hazelstar waited till utter silence took hold of the air in the clearing and meowed, “Featherpaw you are to receive your warrior name today also.”
“Liontail, are you satisfied this apprentice is ready to become a warrior?” inquired the ThunderClan leader, gazing at the golden tom with blue eyes. Liontail returned the intimidating stare steadily and answered, “Yes, she is ready.”
“I, Hazelstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn,” the small she-cat beckoned the silver apprentice with her slim tail.
“Featherpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan even at the cost of your life?” Featherpaw nodded solemnly, forgetting she was supposed to speak. Liontail hissed, “I do!” as quietly as possible but of course the entire Clan heard and yowled in laughter all over again.
The light grey apprentice opened her jaws to speak, but she couldn’t be heard. Wildkit saw her leader’s hazel eyes narrow dangerously, causing a wave of fear to wash over her.
“SILENCE!” yowled Hazelstar, lashing her tail back and forth. “How dare you all greet a newly named warrior like this? What does StarClan think of a Clan that laughs during a warrior’s ceremony? I’m fairly disappointed!” she turned back to the stunned Featherpaw and said sweetly, “Say ‘I do’.”
Featherpaw trembled with fear and Wildkit could practically feel the waves of heat coming of the apprentice’s pelt that was probably hot with embarrassment.
“I do,” she squeaked, looking at Hazelstar.
“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Featherpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Featherdust. StarClan honors your honesty and thoughtfulness. We welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.” Hazelstar finished the traditional speech and vanished into her den before anyone could say ‘mouse’. Then she reappeared for some reason and raised her tail for silence, and didn’t put it down until there was complete silence.
“I seem to have forgotten that we have three new apprentices to name,” she meowed solemnly. Why did she sound so sad? Wildkit wondered. She sneaked a glance at Cherrykit, Fawnkit, and Creamkit. They were busy chatting amongst themselves excitedly, dodging their mother’s rough tongue at the same time. Milkfur looked proud of her kits, but also sad that their fur wasn’t gleaming.
“Cherrykit, Fawnkit, and Creamkit, you have all reached your sixth moon, and it is time you were apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Cherrypaw, Fawnpaw and Creampaw. I ask StarClan to watch over and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of warriors,” as the kits were called upon, they all flattened their ears, but puffed up their gleaming chests.
Creampaw, unable to hold it in, squealed, “Thank you, Hazelstar! You’re the best leader ever!”
Hazelstar looked angry for a moment and said, “I couldn’t agree more!” which was followed by purrs of amusement and approval.
“Willowshade,” she said, looking at the pale gray she-cat, “You are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Blackwhisker, you have shown yourself to be honest and courageous, and I expect you to pass all you know to Cherrypaw.” Flowerpelt stepped forward and touched noses with the eager apprentice. “Can we see the lake, please, please?”
“Flowerpelt,” meowed the ThunderClan leader, speaking to the gentle tortoiseshell, “you are ready to take on another apprentice after Leafpaw”---sadness flashed in the new mentor’s eyes at the sound of the name and Hazelstar’s , her deep sorrow brimming in her eyes—“You had received excellent training from Scorchstone, you have shown yourself to be brave and independent and I expect you to pass all your know to Fawnpaw,” and even before she finished, Fawnpaw was rushing toward her new mentor to touch muzzles. Hazelstar went on to name Fireblaze, Wildkit’s father, as Creampaw’s mentor.
Wildkit didn't listen to Hazelstar as she called the ceremony to an end. She was wondering about when it would be her time to be an apprentice. Her punishment was over and she’d be free of the nursery. She saw her littermates, Lilykit and Sunkit, with Redpaw. She thought she had wanted to become Sagewhisker's apprentice, but now she wasn't sure. Being a medicine cat was such a lonely life. Sure, she'd have a respectable reputation in the Clan, and everyone would go to her if they were hurt, and they would sit vigil sadly for her if she died. But they would soon forget her, and they would get on with their lives.She didn't want that. Being a medicine cat meant never being loved and Wildkit wanted to be loved, not only have a respectful position in the Clan.What she wanted was to be loved as herself, not as a medicine cat. But she couldn't have that if she chose the ways of a medicine cat. Wildkit sighed unhappily. Why is life so hard, even as a kitten???
"You need to go out and watch," meowed Stargaze. "I know a ceremony's about to happen."
"A ceremony? Whose?" Wildkit was mystified. Stargaze flicked her tail to Squirrelpaw and Featherpaw, who were conversing outside the nursery. Wildkit gazed at the two apprentices and Sapphirepaw chattering excitedly. Sapphirepaw and Redpaw were from an earlier litter of Stargaze and Fireblaze. Wildkit's green eyes widened in amazement.
"It's their warrior ceremonies?" she squealed. "That's great!" She pushed out of the nursery, followed by her mother, Milkpool, Tigerlily, and her three kits Shimmerkit, Midnightkit, and Brackenkit.Wildkit glanced at Squirrelpaw and Featherpaw. Their pelts shone in the sunlight from them grooming it thoroughly this morning. They looked older, somehow. Wildkit wondered whether they would still play with her once they became warriors. She hoped so.She settled down beside her mother and Tigerlily and her three kits, and watched as warriors, apprentices and the elders poured out of their dens to watch the ceremony. Then a ginger tom leaped up to the Highledge, his pelt blazing in the sunlight. Fireblaze. Then a flash of bright brown followed. Hazelstar.
"Today is a very special day," she announced loudly, her voice bouncing off the walls of the stone hollow. "It is time for two apprentices to be made warriors," she continued. She paused to stare down at Squirrelpaw and Featherpaw, who ducked their heads in embarrassment."Squirrelpaw and Featherpaw, come out in front," she meowed loudly, and jumped off the Highledge as the two apprentices went to the front of the camp, their embarrassment forgotten, their eyes shining with excitement and happiness. Squirrelpaw gave a little bounce halfway to the leader, and Wildkit purred. "By naming warriors, we show that ThunderClan will survive and remain strong." Hazelstar paused, and looked down at the apprentices.
"Tigerstripe,” the leader meowed, addressing the black-striped warrior, “are you satisfied this apprentice is ready to become a warrior?”
Tigerstripe looked up and answered, “Yes, she is ready.” Hazelstar nodded and continued the ritual.
“I, Hazelstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.” Hazelstar looked at Squirrelpaw and beckoned with her tail.
“Squirrelpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?” Hazelstar looked gravely at Squirrelpaw and Wildkit felt her heart skip a beat. What was her warrior name going to be? Squirreltail? Squirrelfeet? She was so deep in thought; she missed the light brown apprentice say “I do.”
“Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Squirrelpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Squirrelleap. StarClan honors your courage and spirit and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan,” Hazelstar stepped forward just as Squirrelleap did and they bonked muzzles. The entire Clan let out mrrows of laughter and low-pitched snorts as Squirrelleap scrambled backward, repeating apologizes to Hazelstar. Wildkit was too busy in thought of how perfect the name Squirrelleap was for the bouncy young apprentice---she meant warrior. The new warrior was begging her leader not to make her an apprentice again which only made the Clan leader and the entire Clan mrrow in laughter harder and twitch their whiskers.
Squirrelleap finally realized they were laughing at her and slunk down the rock slope in embarrassment.
“Squirrelleap! Squirrelleap! Squirrelleap1” cheered the Clan, amongst purrs of amusement. Hazelstar stopped shaking with laughter and raised her tail for silence, causing the cats to stop in mid-purr. Hazelstar waited till utter silence took hold of the air in the clearing and meowed, “Featherpaw you are to receive your warrior name today also.”
“Liontail, are you satisfied this apprentice is ready to become a warrior?” inquired the ThunderClan leader, gazing at the golden tom with blue eyes. Liontail returned the intimidating stare steadily and answered, “Yes, she is ready.”
“I, Hazelstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn,” the small she-cat beckoned the silver apprentice with her slim tail.
“Featherpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan even at the cost of your life?” Featherpaw nodded solemnly, forgetting she was supposed to speak. Liontail hissed, “I do!” as quietly as possible but of course the entire Clan heard and yowled in laughter all over again.
The light grey apprentice opened her jaws to speak, but she couldn’t be heard. Wildkit saw her leader’s hazel eyes narrow dangerously, causing a wave of fear to wash over her.
“SILENCE!” yowled Hazelstar, lashing her tail back and forth. “How dare you all greet a newly named warrior like this? What does StarClan think of a Clan that laughs during a warrior’s ceremony? I’m fairly disappointed!” she turned back to the stunned Featherpaw and said sweetly, “Say ‘I do’.”
Featherpaw trembled with fear and Wildkit could practically feel the waves of heat coming of the apprentice’s pelt that was probably hot with embarrassment.
“I do,” she squeaked, looking at Hazelstar.
“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Featherpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Featherdust. StarClan honors your honesty and thoughtfulness. We welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.” Hazelstar finished the traditional speech and vanished into her den before anyone could say ‘mouse’. Then she reappeared for some reason and raised her tail for silence, and didn’t put it down until there was complete silence.
“I seem to have forgotten that we have three new apprentices to name,” she meowed solemnly. Why did she sound so sad? Wildkit wondered. She sneaked a glance at Cherrykit, Fawnkit, and Creamkit. They were busy chatting amongst themselves excitedly, dodging their mother’s rough tongue at the same time. Milkfur looked proud of her kits, but also sad that their fur wasn’t gleaming.
“Cherrykit, Fawnkit, and Creamkit, you have all reached your sixth moon, and it is time you were apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Cherrypaw, Fawnpaw and Creampaw. I ask StarClan to watch over and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of warriors,” as the kits were called upon, they all flattened their ears, but puffed up their gleaming chests.
Creampaw, unable to hold it in, squealed, “Thank you, Hazelstar! You’re the best leader ever!”
Hazelstar looked angry for a moment and said, “I couldn’t agree more!” which was followed by purrs of amusement and approval.
“Willowshade,” she said, looking at the pale gray she-cat, “You are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Blackwhisker, you have shown yourself to be honest and courageous, and I expect you to pass all you know to Cherrypaw.” Flowerpelt stepped forward and touched noses with the eager apprentice. “Can we see the lake, please, please?”
“Flowerpelt,” meowed the ThunderClan leader, speaking to the gentle tortoiseshell, “you are ready to take on another apprentice after Leafpaw”---sadness flashed in the new mentor’s eyes at the sound of the name and Hazelstar’s , her deep sorrow brimming in her eyes—“You had received excellent training from Scorchstone, you have shown yourself to be brave and independent and I expect you to pass all your know to Fawnpaw,” and even before she finished, Fawnpaw was rushing toward her new mentor to touch muzzles. Hazelstar went on to name Fireblaze, Wildkit’s father, as Creampaw’s mentor.
Wildkit didn't listen to Hazelstar as she called the ceremony to an end. She was wondering about when it would be her time to be an apprentice. Her punishment was over and she’d be free of the nursery. She saw her littermates, Lilykit and Sunkit, with Redpaw. She thought she had wanted to become Sagewhisker's apprentice, but now she wasn't sure. Being a medicine cat was such a lonely life. Sure, she'd have a respectable reputation in the Clan, and everyone would go to her if they were hurt, and they would sit vigil sadly for her if she died. But they would soon forget her, and they would get on with their lives.She didn't want that. Being a medicine cat meant never being loved and Wildkit wanted to be loved, not only have a respectful position in the Clan.What she wanted was to be loved as herself, not as a medicine cat. But she couldn't have that if she chose the ways of a medicine cat. Wildkit sighed unhappily. Why is life so hard, even as a kitten???
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