This story is about a "plain-old" she-cat named Partridgeclaw. She's a grey tabby with a white chest and white paws and amber eyes. She became a warrior 3 moons ago, and she's getting the hang of Warrior Clan Life. But when a near-death experience happens to her... Partridgeclaw's luck quickly runs out. I will be updating the Allegiances constantly, so they will not be filled for a while. If you want to go straight to a Chapter, you can do CTRL+F and then Search for a chapter.
Prologue
Gorseheart looks at me with her brilliant green eyes. The look she has only means one thing. An assessment.
"Are we having an assessment today, Gorseheart?" I ask, waiting for a reply.
"Yes we are, Partridgepaw. I am satisfied with your fighting skills, but I we will do a hunting assessment. I feel a pang of fear in my chest. I thought I was decent with hunting! I guess my fighting is oka-
"Are you ready?" Gorseheart asks, snapping me back from my daydream. I nod quickly, and she leads me outside the camp where trees line the area. I hear the hoot of an howl in the distance. With a look around, Gorseheart continues. "Actually, how about you hunt for a while. I must leave. Try to stay in this area, Partridgepaw." Nodding again, I scan the area for prey. For assessments, aren't mentors not supposed to watch? I shake the thought off and crouch down, spotting a mouse. The time is right, I think. I can catch this simple, puny mouse. It's only a tail-length away...
I pounce, yet then the animal escapes my grasp. No. I am faster. I finally then leap up and swipe the the ground, narrowly catching the mouse again. I breathe a sigh of relief.
Is Gorseheart watching? I lift my head up, and see her looking at me, high up on a rock. I pretend not to notice. I need to impress Gorseheart if I want to become a warrior!
Finally, I see a large squirrel, absent-mindlessly scurrying around in circles. Perfect!
Dropping into a hunting crouch, I take half a paw step forward, and launch myself onto the piece of prey. The animal didn't see it coming, so that was a perfect catch!
"Good!" I hear a cat meow from high above. It's my mentor! "I believe, tonight, you may become something even better." I dip my head. But what could that mean? Was I... "Will I become a warrior?" I ask in amazement. Gorseheart laughs and starts to walk away. "You can see tonight."
I sit patently beneath Tallrock. Juniperstar called a Clan meeting. I hope this is when I become a warrior!
When the noise finally settles down, I stretch my neck to see the leader with Gorseheart by Juniperstar's side.
"Partridgepaw!" Juniperstar says, looking straight at me. I look at Gorseheart for encouragement. She nods.
My legs wobble as I climb onto the Tallrock. Gorseheart nudges me.
"I, Juniperstar, leader of RootClan, 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." My heart flutters as the leader looks at me with warm eyes.
"Partridgepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" I gulp.
"I do, Juniperstar." I smile and nod slowly.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Partridgepaw, from this moment you will be known as Partridgeclaw. StarClan honors your loyalty and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RootClan." Juniperstar replies, resting his muzzle on my head. "Partridgeclaw!" he says.
"Partridgeclaw! Partridgeclaw! Partridgeclaw!" The Clan yells. I hear the soft voice of Dappleflower, the sturdy voice of Snakeheart, the crackled voices of Ragged-eye and Briarfoot, and others in the Clan. I smile. I nod at Gorseheart and Juniperstar as to say, "I will sit vigil."
I am a warrior.
And I will protect RootClan.
Chapter One
Three Moons Later, Present Day
"Being a warrior is very fun." I see the apprentice's eyes light up. "...But it's very, very, stressful and disturbing."
Frostpaw looks at me with his big green eyes. He smiles and turns toward Sorrelpaw.
"Now, I'll fight you! Rawr!" Sorrelpaw jumps back with surprise, and then swipes Frostpaw with a fight move. "Not until-"
I hear a yowl that breaks everybody off. Juniperstar jumps up from his basking spot in the sun, seeing the morning patrol run into camp with a small cat in their jaws.
Snakeheart darts into camp, eyes wide with Gorseheart and Snowtail.
Dappleflower screams.
"That's my.. That's... THAT's-" My mouth drops open. "Deerkit!" I finish.
I hear gasps, screams, yowls, then finally the voice of Juniperstar. "Attention, RootClan! Deerkit may still be alive. Head back to your dens, we will look at Deerkit. Dappleflower and Berryfur, please come with me." The parents rush toward Deerkit. I start to head back toward the warriors den. "You too, Partridgeclaw." I gulp and slowly head toward Juniperstar.
Every cat goes to the Medicine Cat Den where Birchleaf is standing attentively and gasps at the sight of Deerkit. Swanpaw sniffs the air. Juniperstar tells Snakeheart something, and I catch a few words; "Fell."
"Deerkit, what happened, oh StarClan! Why?" Birchleaf runs her tail over Swanpaw's mouth. "Hush. We must take care of Deerkit." Swanpaw nods and Juniperstar lays Deerkit down.
"Ma...Mama what..pain.." Dappleflower's voice cracks. "Shh, Deerkit. Be quiet. You will live!"
There might not be another time, so I ask Juniperstar quietly, "Why did you call me here?" He looks at me and says, "It is a time where a warrior experiences a.. tragedy. I was going to make Deerkit an apprentice to you. He is almost six moons old." A tear falls from Juniperstar's face.
I see Birchleaf giving Deerkit rosemary and a bit of poppy seeds.
Deerkit suddenly gasps for air and cries out, "Mama!" I stifle a cry and then Berryfur cries. Deerkit's breath slows. It becomes slower... and slower... and slower... Then it stops.
"NO!" Dappleflower cries out and lies down next to Deerkit's cold and stiff body. "He was so young... Deerkit, oh DEERKIT! Why StarClan, why?!"
I look at Dappleflower with pain and grief.
"Dappleflower, Deerkit was a brave kit. He is still amazing. With kind and care, he was an amazing cat." The queen almost collapses onto me, and Berryfur goes near her and takes my place.
I nod and then go next to Juniperstar. I hear a squeak and turn around. Brightkit and Ashkit are standing behind me.
"Mama, Papa, where's Deerkit?" I suck in a sharp breath of air. "Come with me, kits." They bound after me and I take them to Flamerock.
"Wow! It's so high up!" I hear Ashkit gasp. "Agreed! StarClan is lucky, letting us up here." I let out a nervous laugh. "Soon, you will be apprentices and may come up to this rock, getting your new name. When you're a warrior, what do you want your name to be?" I don't know if it's against the rules, but I want to distract the kits from a family's death.
"Iwant to be Brightfoot! Rawr, fastest into the wind! I will make the dust into your tracks, Ashkit." I hear a playful snarl. "Really? I'll be Ashtail. Climbing up to the tallest trees! I'll be the best climber RootClan has ever seen!" The two kits start to play fight, and Ashkit almost tumbles off Flamerock. I grab him by the scruff of his neck and pull him back up.
"Come on kits, let's come back to the nursery. Deerkit needs to go outside, he's not feeling too well." I lie. "Berryfur and Dappleflower will come back soon. Okay?" They both nod. "Okay!" they squeak. They hurry back into the nursery.
"Oh StarClan." I whisper. "What if the kits find out?"
Chapter Two
It's been a long time. Dappleflower and Berryfur have went back to Ashkit and Brightkit. Deerkit was buried by the water with Briarfoot and their parents sitting there, watching the water flow.
"Partridgeclaw." Juniperstar asks. I know it's his voice. I turn around. "I can't forget Deerkit, Juniperstar." I say quietly. He nods and switches his gaze toward the nursery. "Ashkit can be your apprentice. Instead of Deerkit, of course." A replacement. How simple.
"So, I assume, a replacement, Juniperstar?" I look with dissatisfaction. "Is that how simple a kit's death is?" My original emotion grows toward anger.
"That's not how it is, Partridgeclaw. Deerkit's death was a tragic loss. Nobody can feel any more dissapointment in RootClan other than... the rest of us, including Dappleflower and Berryfur. I am saying that Ashkit, when apprenticed, will be... instead of Deerkit. You can think it is a replacement, but I do not think so. I have even ran this through with Gorseheart." His orange eyes stare at me with kindness.
"Okay. What about the gathering? Are you taking cats?" I ask Juniperstar. It would work to change the subject, right?
"Good question. I will decide. Please, go tell Birchleaf that she will be taking care of the camp with Snowpaw." Juniperstar trots away and I head slowly toward the Medicine Cat den.
"Hello, Birchleaf?" I call. A flash of ginger fur and then she wiggles out through the small entrance. "Hi Partridgeclaw. Need anything?" I shrug.
"Gathering is tonight, and Juniperstar asked if you could take care of ca-" My words are interupted by an annoyed groan.
"Oh come on!" I hear Snowpaw say. "Do us Medicine Cats just sit around and wait for cats to be sick?" I give a small chuckle. "You go ahead, Partridgeclaw. Go tell Juniperstar it'll be... fine." I nod and I head toward the entrance. Cats are already there, so we head to the Place of Stones.
After a tough journey (with Sorrelpaw slipping and me almost getting whacked in the head with a tree branch), we get to the Place of Stones. HickoryClan and SwampClan are there. I see BrambleClan in the distance.
I turn, glad to see the Gathering as a warrior. The Medicine Cats are talking to each other, and I wonder why Juniperstar didn't invite Birchleaf or Snowpaw. When the Clans quiet down, Cherrystar speaks first.
"Hello. SwampClan is doing well. Prey is running high and no Twolegs have disturbed our camp." The leaders nod and Juniperstar takes her place.
"RootClan is also doing well. Our prey is rich. Sadly, we have lost a kit, Deerkit." I hear a muffled cry from Tawnystripe. Why would that deputy care so much?I look at the other cats, yet they show an emotion of sadness. "However, we are glad to report that we have a new warrior, Partrideclaw!" I smile and the cats chant my name. Juniperstar then looks at Comfreystar.
"We are doing well. Prey is good, and Silverheart is expecting kits. Smokewhisker is now an Elder, he has retired from the warrior position." Mumbles of respect can be heard and BrambleClan's leader walks back.
"HickoryClan is recovering well." Rockstar says. "Our herbs are low but we are gathering more. Whinchatflower's two out of three kits have suffered the tragic result of an unknown sickness. Warriors, an elder, and one apprentice have died. Other than that, HickoryClan will recover." Every cat looks at their paws, unaware of the toll that this illness could do.