Just Keep Fighting
By Ivy Phoenix
Hello everyone! I'm Ivy Phoenix, and, as you may have geussed, I'm new to this forum. . . Well, not exactly. I have been reading a lot of the fanfics here before I joined. Anyway, this is a story of What things are like after the warriors series, when Lionstar is an experienced leader of Thunderclan. When Leopardstar is dead and gone, and Mistystar is the old leader, and Dapplepelt is deputy. Oh, did I mention this strory takes place in Riverclan? This story is about a young riverclan she-cat named Snowdapple. Lots of fluff. Please review, and constructive criticizum is always welcome.
List of Characters:
Riverclan
Leader: Mistystar
Deputy: Dapplepelt
Hazypaw
Medicine Cats: Mothwing, Willoweyes
Warriors:
Icepool
Rippletail
Minnownose
Pouncepelt
Pebblewhisker
Shrewpaw
Beechfur
Dawnflower
Redpaw
Rowanthicket
Foxfur
Snowdapple
Tigerstripe
Queens:
Larkpetal
Rosekit, Frostkit
Brighteyes
Sparrowkit, Shrewkit,Springkit
Apprentices:
Hazypaw
Shrewpaw
Redpaw
Elders:
Blackclaw
Stonestream
Brookheart
Chapter One
"It's today! It's today!" The excited mewling came from the apprintices den. Snowpaw birst from the tall grass and holly bushes, her eyes gleaming with excitment. "It's today!" she mewed again, leaping into the air with a triumphant mrrow which led to many amused purrs from throughout the clearing. She knew she ought to be acting more reserved, but today, she was a kit again, waiting for her new name.
"Calm down, furball. It's not like your clan leader." Came the grumpy voice of her denmate, Shrepaw.
"Not yet!" she replied with a sniff. Snowpaw knew that Shrewpaw was just jealous that even though he had started training before her, it was she that was being made a warrior. Behind him emerged Redpaw, his deep red fur sleek and well groomed.
"Well, today's your last day as an apprentice. How are you going to spend it?" he asked. Until Redpaw had mentioned it, Snowpaw hadn't thought about what she would do on her last day of apprenticeship.
"How about going hunting?" she suggested, then looked reproachfully at Shrewpaw. The young she-cat did not want that grumpy old furball ruining her last moments as an apprentice. Luckily, she was saved from having to make up an excuse when Pebblewhisker called him over to clean out the elder's den. Grumbling as usual, the dark-grey tom stalked over to the mound of undergrowth of the elders den.
"Sounds good!" Redpaw meowed. "Shall I fetch Hazypaw?"
"No, she told me she was going to be training today. So it looks like it's just us." Snowpaw's eyes were still filled with excitment and joy as she and her friend exited the clearing and moved further downstream to fish. Snowpaw could smell the mingled scents of Mistystar, Rippletail, and Pouncepelt—ovbiously the dawn patrol, going to mark their scent down near horseplace. She suddenly had an image of herself leading a faceless apprentice to horseplace and telling it the story of how the tree fell to make a bridge to the island. She was jolted from her thoughts when a large, warm something barreled into her. She felt her paws slip from under her, and with an icy splash, was sent sprawling into the river. She felt her head go under, but a second later was back at the top, paddeling lightly against the current. She looked around to find Redpaw looking down at her with an amused expression on his face.
"Are we daydreaming or fishing?" he teased. With a meow of mixed joy and outrage, Snowpaw leaped at him, sank her teeth lightly into the scruff of his neck, and pulled her denmate in with her. Yowling and meowing, the two scuffled in the shallow water until they wore themselves out, and lay on the bank, panting.
"Well, I geuss the fishing was a flunk. Any fish with brains would have swam from here to the lake with all the racket we made." Snowpaw mewed, shaking her beautiful white and gold pelt, sending droplets everywhere. "But I suppose I could catch us a vole." she added nonchalantly. They both knew that she was one of the best land-prey hunters in Riverclan. By sunhigh she had caught two water voles, and even Redpaw had caught something, a mouse, even though he deemed himself horrible at "catching that kind of pray."
As the two headed back to the camp, Snowpaw found herself face-to-face with her mentor, Icepool. "Oh, Snowpaw. Good. Mistystar is ready to preform the ceremony." The beautiful she-cat barley had time to finish her sentance when Snowpaw was off, bounding into the clearing. The old leader was perced on top of Tallpile, the pile of rocks in the middle of the camp.
"Mistystar! I'm here!" Snowpaw needlessly raised her voice to her leader. The she-cat gave her a nod, and then rasped, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beside Tallpile for a clan meeting." Slowly, painfully, the clan cats gathered at Tallpile.
Mistystar meowed again. "Cats of Riverclan, today is a special day for the clan. Snowpaw is now ready to be made a warrior." Yowls of approval met her—the young cat had worked for many, many moons. "I, Mistystar, leader of Riverclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your warrior code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." Snowpaw was quivering with excitement as the leader said the next words. "Snowpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?" Suddenly, Snowpaw felt cooly calm. Her voice came out as a firm "I do."
"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name: Snowpaw, from this moment you will be known as Snowdapple. Starclan honers your dedication and skill, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Riverclan."