Hello to you all! I'm currently editing this chapter while playing Mario Party 6, which I haven't touched in a year...
I don't exactly remember how I ended up with eight stars, though... Anyway! Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 1
"Survival of the Fittest."
11/25/16 - 11/26/16 - 11/29/16 - 12/1/16 - 12/2/16
Littlepaw couldn't stand the beating of his own heart. It was beating so loud that he was sure his mentor overheard it in his hiding place. At dawn, Foxflame gave him the task of returning to camp from the clearing without being seen by him, and Littlepaw was sure that he left a scent trail for Foxflame to follow.
Even a cat with a stuffy nose could track me down.
Littlepaw kept padding through the bushes. He heard a snapping stick and snaps his head to look over his shoulder. He saw a brief moment of bright fur moving in the ferns behind him.
Shoot!
Littlepaw dove under brambles without thinking. He winced at the thorns on his thin pelt, but remains still and quiet as he sees Foxflame's white paws standing in front of his hiding place.
Littlepaw held his breath. Foxflame padded away, and Littlepaw waited until he was absolutely sure that he was gone before crawling out of the brambles.
Littlepaw was immediately pinned to the ground.
"That was sloppy." Foxflame told the struggling Littlepaw. "Not only did you leave a scent trail, but your fear scent was so overpowering that I was able to pinpoint your hiding spot by a couple mouse lengths away."
"ThunderClan can't be swayed by fear, otherwise other cats will take advantage of you."
Littlepaw felt crushed underneath Foxflame's weight. "Okay, okay! I get it - now will you please get off of me?!"
Littlepaw and Foxflame return to camp. It has been four days since his apprenticeship, and Littlepaw couldn't figure out why Foxflame was being so hard on him. He was a good hunter, and tracker, but when it comes to fighting he would feel like fleeing. Even in this case where his assignment was to run away, he couldn't even do that right.
"Go and feed the elders." Foxflame instructed him. Littlepaw quickly obliged and grabs a dove from the pile. Littlepaw enters the elder's den and sees Dapplepelt, Stormfoot, Blackcloud and Gorseheart.
Although, Blackcloud actually looked cross when she laid down in her nest begrudgingly.
"I swear, Thrushwing needs to control her kits!"
"It was just a prank." Stormfoot soothed her.
"A fire ant is hardly considered a prank!" Blackcloud hissed. "Honestly, Stormkit is a menace! I thought Thrushwing would have learned how to discipline her kits after Goldheart-!"
Dapplepelt quickly shushed Blackcloud when she saw Littlepaw approach them with a dove. He politely dips his head. "I brought some prey for you."
Blackcloud's anger melts away when she purrs at Littlepaw.
"Thank you, dear, but we've had our fill."
"Except Gorseheart, he hasn't had anything to eat." Stormfoot put in. Littlepaw padded toward Gorseheart's nest and nudged him with his paw.
"Here's your dove." He told the pale grey tom. Gorseheart remained unmoving as he curls tighter into a ball. Littlepaw cautiously places the dove in his nest, but he still doesn't move.
Blackcloud blinked sadly. "It's okay, Littlepaw, we'll make sure he eats." Littlepaw nodded and quickly left the den, feeling tense. From what he was told, Gorseheart had two daughters from the same litter, Seabreeze and Jaystripe, who both died in the battle dubbed the "Soulless Attack".
Gorseheart didn't have a good relationship with his youngest daughter Seabreeze when she was an apprentice, until she became a warrior then they became close.
After the battle, Gorseheart was emotionally distraught when he lost his kits in one night.
Now Gorseheart rarely leaves the den or eats food, and everyone was careful about mentioning Seabreeze or Jaystripe when Gorseheart was around, so Littlepaw kept his nose out of it.
Littlepaw heard shouting coming close, and he identified the voice of two brothers he greatly disliked before quickly seeking for cover behind the medicine cat den.
He saw Stormkit and Lionkit play fighting with each other, he curled his lip and shook his head.
Littlepaw couldn't stand those two, the kits of Thrushwing and Foxflame.
They have everyone fooled, but they can't trick me.
Everyone seems to adore them and his brother, Finchkit, as strong and promising kits. Littlepaw doesn't understand how cats valued appearances and psychical strength more than loyalty and intellectual strength.
But if that's the case, then where does that leave me?
Littlepaw waited until the two brothers were gone, but when he sees Foxflame with Thrushwing, he remained hidden as he listened in.
"-Littlepaw is always scared. He doesn't even stand up to me, or whenever Stormkit and Lionkit harass him. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong."
"Well, finding out the problem is a start." Thrushwing put in. "Have you tried talking with him?"
Foxflame shook his head.
"Then talk to him!" Thrushwing said, exasperated. "Littlepaw probably needs someone to talk to…"
Littlepaw couldn't listen in anymore, so he came from behind the den and saw Finchkit himself sneaking through the thorn barrier.
Are you kidding me right now?!
"Hey!"
Finchkit nearly jumped out of his fur and looked around in alarm until he realized it was just Littlepaw.
"You are all kinds of dumb! Why are you still leaving camp without permission?"
Finchkit rolled his eyes. "Don't overreact, Littlepaw. I just wanted to see the territory."
Littlepaw bristles his fur. "I hope you're lying, for your sake!"
"Actually, could you cover for me and tell Whisperclaw that I stayed in the nursery all day?"
Littlepaw narrowed his pale amber eyes with anger. "You must be joking! I refuse to lie to mom just because you want to break the code however you please!"
Finchkit flattened his ears and glared at Littlepaw.
"Are you seriously prepared to tell on me? You think that just because you're an apprentice now, that I have to listen to you?"
Littlepaw felt his courage die away. Finchkit continued to grow bigger despite not being an apprentice yet, while Littlepaw still looked like a four moon old kit, even with his kit soft fur shedding off.
"Yes, it does." He whispered, loud enough for Finchkit to hear.
Finchkit looked furious. But before he could retort, Tigerflame padded through the thorn barrier and paused when he saw his sons.
"Finchkit, how are you?"
Finchkit quickly smiled at Tigerflame. "Oh, I was just getting up from my sleep. Right Littlepaw?"
Littlepaw heard the edge in Finchkit's tone. He dug his claws into the ground as Tigerflame looked at him.
"Is this true?"
"Of course." Finchkit said. Tigerflame gave Finchkit a stern look. "I was asking Littlepaw."
Littlepaw felt Finchkit's gaze burn into his pelt, but he could hardly care anymore.
"He left the camp without permission. Then he tried to convince me to lie to Whisperclaw."
Finchkit glared at him, and Tigerflame nodded. "I thought so. You had some ferns attached to your pelt." He said, nosing bits of fern on Finchkit's fur.
"Go back to the nursery, I'll have to talk about your punishment with Darkstar."
Finchkit suppressed a huff and stalked away from Tigerflame. The dark tabby looks at Littlepaw. "I'm proud of you for telling the truth. I hope one day Finchkit will learn from this before he remains a kit through his elderly moons."
Tigerflame nuzzles Littlepaw before padding away. Littlepaw felt great for doing the right thing, but why does he feel dread when he remembers Finchkit's furious face?
Welcome to The Littlest Warrior, Book 4. Let it be known that this will be the last book of the series. It's been fun but I would like to write my other story. Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a great day. ~ Kyubi