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Kits have to wait a full six moons before becoming apprentices because upon their sixth moon they suddenly become more intelligent and capable.
I hated our leader. She was mean, cruel, and disobeyed the warrior code constantly. I don't believe that she was really chosen by Owlstar, oh, no. I believe that she killed the deputy in the battle with RiverClan, then right before moon-high, killed the leader and took his very last life. Then she went out and lied. She said that right before StarClan claimed Owlstar, Owlstar named her as deputy, so now she was leader of WindClan. I didn't believe one word of it. Blossomstar deserved to die. Especially after what happened.
Even with Blossomstar as leader, I was happy. Even if my leader was old and senile, I was happy. My mate, Briarbreeze, had just given birth to five healthy kits. Could you believe it? Five! Three toms, two named them Shadykit, Flowerkit, Treekit, Darkkit, and Wishingkit. They were certainly a rambunctious bunch, but they were definitely worth it to have. Everyday, I strutted around the camp, my chest held high, bragging in a way that didn't really count as bragging. ("Did you hear Darkkit yowl? He has such strong lungs!"
One day, though, Blossomstar's deputy, a kind and young tom that Blossomstar had a crush on named Blackpool, was giving out patrols as normal. My ears perked up when I heard my name. I usually spent all day playing with my kits, so getting to be outside in the glorious breeze was just so tempting. Blackpool meowed, "Sandysky, you'll be on patrol with Branchclaw. It's a hunting patrol, so I expect the patrol to bring back lots of prey."
"Yes, Blackpool," I chorused along with the rest of the patrol. The jet-black deputy nodded his head and purred in satisfaction. I thought about what would happen if Blackpool became leader. He'd probably lead our Clan out of this warrior code breaking era. I glared at Blossomstar, who was yelling at the apprentices for only bringing back herbs for our medicine cat, Swallowsong, and not bringing back any prey. I knew that if the worst happened in leaf-bare, we would be thankful to have those herbs.
Blackpool spotted my sudden lack in attention, then followed my gaze over to Blossomstar. "Oh, yes," he sighed loudly. "I forgot to tell her, for the fifth time in the last two sunrises, that prey is for eating." For, right as he spoke, Blossomstar had grabbed a small rabbit off of the fresh-kill pile, and proceeded to start poking it, then started to play with it. She bounced around with the dead rabbit, before suddenly falling into a crouch, in which she heaved, heaved, heaved, and then vomited bile onto the rabbit.
"Ew..." Blackpool and I muttered in unison. "Anyway!" Blackpool mewed, becoming all demanding again, "You should leave with the patrol now. I'll take care of this." Our patrol watched him walk over to Blossomstar and start lecturing her, before turning tail and padding in a long line out of the camp, and into the most beautiful moorland that had ever showed up on the earth.
After breathing in the scent of the moorland, and relishing the feeling of the breeze against my sandy-colored fur, I turned to Branchclaw to await my orders.
"Alright, friends," Branchclaw began, the breeze ruffling his short white fur, "I think that we should split up into two groups. When your group has seven pieces of prey, meet back here." Branchclaw took his time to size us all up. I felt nervous. I hoped that he was going to put me with one of the cats I liked well, because I didn't think I could hunt that well anymore. Those kits kept me too distracted. Though I couldn't stop loving them.
"Okay, Longfur, you lead your group with Brightspots and Yellowlight over near the ShadowClan border." The two toms and said she-cat started to run, then burst into a sprint towards the ShadowClan border on the left side of my face. Branchclaw continued, "Okay, I guess I'm with Waterpool and Sandysky. Great! Let's head over to the RiverClan border. I was so happy. Waterpool was my best friend during apprenticeship, and still was.
Waterpool fell into place on my side. "Hi, Sandysky!" she mewed. "Did I tell you about my apprentice, Fallingpaw? He is so nice, and always obey's orders. He never even put a paw out of line on the patrol yesterday; I was so thankful. I didn't want to be embarrassed or anything, because this is my first apprentice, and I didn't want to fail Blackpool, or anything, because he's the one who gave me this appentice. Which reminds me, Blossomstar seems to be getting older, I think she'll retire soon. She already acts like a grumpy old elder, ever since that one time..." I started to drone her out. Waterpool was like a bird when she started to chat. She spoke quickly, loudly, and never seemed to stop.
Branchclaw turned around from in front of us to look sternly, yet amusedly, at Waterpool. "Geez, you're going to scare all the prey away from here to the gathering island with that loud voice of yours! Try to quiet down, we're almost there." But Branchclaw's eyes were full of love for his mate.
My friend shut up quickly, and for which I was thankful. I wanted some peace and quiet just for a little bit, was that to much to ask? Then again, with Waterpool, it was. But right as she was about to open her mouth again, Branchclaw meowed without turning around, "Don't even think about it." It was like he had eyes on the back of his head! Branchclaw continued, "We're there. Okay, let's try to find a rabbit or two. Remember, we need––" He broke off, sniffing the air. I put my nose to the air, and I smelled rabbit.
I watched hungrily as Branchclaw ran after the retreating rabbit, but sniffed the air again and smelled a water vole. Rare for WindClan, but food is food, am I right? I crouched down, watching as the water vole chewed something in his mouth, then slowly inched forwards, lifting each paw off of the ground in slow motion, so as not to startle it. Then I waggled my hindquarters, and pounced, biting the small creature's neck and tasting the tangy blood as I killed it.
I walked back towards Waterpool with my catch in my mouth. I tapped Waterpool on her shoulder with my paw, and the slender silver she-cat turned around and saw the deceased water vole.
"Oh, wow!" she gasped, taking in the body of the animal. "I've never caught a water vole before! You're so lucky that you did. I still have to catch my first prey, and Branchclaw is already hunting for his third catch. I'm so happy to have such a talented mate. Maybe someday we'll have kits, and they'll be just as talented as he is, and just as beautiful as me! Well, better get going! I'll be in so much trouble if I'm not quick, and––" A loud screech of pain cut her off.
Branchclaw's body appeared from far away, and judging from how quickly it was getting here, he was sprinting. He reached where Waterpool and I were, and skidded to a halt, making grass fly up in a flurry. Waterpool immediately rushed to his side. "What's wrong?" she asked, her fur bristling.
"Bad––idea––to––split––apart––" Branchclaw panted. "Shadow––Clan––attacking––border––" ShadowClan was attacking my Clanmates! "How many warriors are there, Branchclaw?" I asked.
"About––five––we––can––take––them––on––" Branchclaw gasped. I rushed to his side. "Sorry, Branchclaw, but we've no time to waste! We have to sprint to get there, are you okay with that? We're WindClan warriors after all..."
We raced across the moorland, paws pounding against the ground, no stopping for breath or anything. I felt as if my heart and lungs were going to burst, but my Clanmates are more important. When we reached the ShadowClan border, we saw one of their filthy warriors with their yellow fangs above Brightspots, Yellowlight, and Longfur's necks. I knew that ShadowClan warriors were dark, but to stoop as low as killing warriors?... How ghastly!
"Well, well, well," said one of the ShadowClan cats, spotting us, with a sneer in their voice, a dark brown and black tom with cruel amber eyes. "What do we have here? More scrawny WindClan cats? Ha! We can defeat you easily. We'll take your territory, too, just for fun." I bristled. We needed this territory to survive! We'd die without it!
"Not today," I snarled, leaping onto the tom with his fangs above Brightspots's neck. "WindClan, attack!" I didn't have much rights to say that, but I thought it was necessary.
Almost right as I leaped on the bulky tom, I realized my mistake. He was much larger than I am! I should've waited for him to make the first move! How in StarClan's name did I become a warrior? I scolded myself, but I really didn't need to. The ShadowClan warrior gripped his jaw around my neck and flung me around, making me hit one of the few trees in our territory.
I quickly got to my feet, this time taking my time in waiting for him to make the first move. He did, striking a paw out at me, and his eyes were so attracted to his paw that I leaped out of the paw's reach easily, and pounced onto the bulky warriors back, digging my claws into his flesh and drawing blood.
Yowling, the ShadowClan warrior fell onto his back, crushing the air out of me, but started to roll, forcing himself to carry my weight with his. By the time he got up, he was panting furiously. I just stood up in triumph, and analyzed the figure before leaping over him, but keeping my eyes on him, so he'd think I was aiming for him again.
The warrior rolled onto his back, his head facing toward me, but his belly in wide view. I immediately went for it, scratching his belly until he was bleeding furiously and begging for mercy. So, being the nice tom cat I am, I let him stand up. He fooled me though. He was perfectly fine, trying to use the same tactic as I had, leaping over me, but keeping his eye on me.
Rabbit-brain. Didn't he know not to use the same move two times in a row? I dodged him easily, then, with a running start, rammed into the tendon's in his legs, making him topple onto his side, which I easily scratched, all the while thinking about the persistence this cat had. Just amazing, I marveled.
I bounced off of him, using his head as a jumping pad, and let him scramble to his paws, and dash away yowling in fear. I looked around me, and it seemed like the other WindClan cats had managed to fight off their opponents way before I had, and were just watching me for fun.
"Victory for WindClan!" Branchclaw yowled happily, and the rest of us raised our voices to meet his. But as if interuptions weren't starting become really annoying, Lilacpaw, a small grayish apprentice, (when she's in the sun, her fur looks nearly purple!) apprentice came and looked straight in my eye, breathing heavily.
Sighing, I asked, "What is it, Lilacpaw?"
Lilacpaw looked at me, and meowed, "Blossomstar called a Clan meeting. She said any cat that doesn't show up will be killed!" Then, in a tiny whisper in my ear, she added, "That cat is crazy, don't you think?" But looked absolutely terrified to be saying that out loud. I however, was proud of her. It took her awhile for her to start thinking like the rest of us!
"Wait," I mewed. "What's the meeting for?"
"Your kits," Lilacpaw meowed, "Well, at least, some of them. They'll be getting their apprenticeship right as we speak."
"What?!" I screeched. "They're only three moons? This is against the warrior code!And what do you mean 'Some of them?'"
The small apprentice mewed, frightened by my sudden change of emotion, "Well, Shadykit and Treekit snuck out of camp while you were gone. They went and actually caught a rabbit, I know. How amazing is that?" I felt a sudden burst of pride for my wonderful kits.
Lilacpaw continued, "And you know Blossomstar, so obsessed with prey... So she congratulated the kits on being the only cats to actually get prey..."
"Hey!" Branchclaw interrupted. "Go back to where we hunted! We've got loads of prey!"
The apprentice ignored him. "Come on, she'll kill us, literally, if we don't hurry!" So I started to sprint back to camp; you can go and fetch the prey again, but you can't get your life once it's lost. Lilacpaw sprinted besides me, her long grayish- purple fur slicked back against her body, fighting against the breeze but losing.
We skidded to a halt in camp, and instantly every head turned towards us. Blossomstar was standing on her meeting ledge, glaring down at us. Geez, one time she's playing with a rabbit, the next, she's glaring death berries, fangs, and claws onto you!
Blossomstar meowed sarcastically, "Well, I'm glad that you finally showed up!" She sniffed, lifting her chin. "Well, I forget the apprentice ceremony, but I know that Shadykit and Treekit get to become apprentices." Over near the nursery, my other kits, Flowerkit, Darkkit, and Wishingkit, were mewling their hearts out pitifully, while Brairbreeze tried and failed to calm them.
"We want to become apprentices, too!" mewed Wishingkit sadly, his bright blue eyes staring up at me so sadly I thought I was going to collapse, but I managed to pull myself together.
"No, you don't," I whispered calmly. "You have to wait until you're six moons, Blossomstar's just... I don't know... defying StarClan?" I finished angrily, wondering how that piece of fox-dung got her nine lives. Wait. What if she didn't get her nine lives? What if I could kill her just with a single bite to the neck? Then I stopped. I had based all of my hopes on a "what if".
Our horrible leader continued, "Anyway, Shadykit is now Shadypaw, I will be her mentor." I gasped in horror. One of my daughters being taught by that monstrosity! Briarbreeze's light red fur fluffed up, her bright blue eyes staring in utter shock up at Blossomstar. Blossomstar payed no attention, instead mewed, "And Treekit will be mentored by Blackpool." Our leader purred flirtatiously at Blackpool, who touched noses with my son.
"Dismissed! Now all of you go hunting, because this fresh-kill pile is miniscule!" She gestured with her tail towards the extremely tall pile of dead animals. Blossomstar leaped off of the ledge to lead Shadypaw out into the moorland, followed by Treepaw and Blackpool.
I didn't know how I was going to keep an eye on my kits, with basically no trees and few bushes, but I was going to positively make sure that nothing could go wrong.
Blossomstar, Blackpool, Treepaw, and Shadypaw were strolling on the moorland, when suddenly on the breeze I smelled dog. I opened my mouth to yowl out a warning, but remembered that I was trying to spy, and that Blackpool knew what to do about dogs.
Blackpool sniffed the air, just like I did. "Dog!" he yelled. "You two," he said, flicking his tail toward the apprentices, "Go back to camp and get some warriors."
Shadypaw protested, "But come on! I'm sure I can fight it! Here, watch this." When the dark-brown dog reached the small patrol, Shadypaw unsheathed her claws and poked the dog in the nose, so mini droplets of blood were dripping onto the moorland floor. The dog seemed otherwise fine.
"Oh, come on..." Shadypaw moaned. "That was supposed to work!" Treepaw lightly tapped Shadypaw on the shoulder with his tail. "Of course it wouldn't work! Besides, this is how you are supposed to do it!" He snuck under the dogs leg and gave him a nip, hanging onto the dogs leg with just his jaws. Confused, the dog started to flail around his legs, throwing off Treepaw and, how ironically, making Treepaw hit one of the few trees. I could hear the snap of Treepaw's neck from all the way over where I was hiding.
My daughter gasped, and shrieked, "Treepaw!" She ran over to her brother, prodded him in various places, as if trying to wake him up. "Treepaw!" She fell to the ground, realizing he was dead, and started to lick her brothers pelt, sadly mewling and moaning. "StarClan, why me? Why did you take my brother?" StarClan is trying to punish Blossomstar, but failing, I thought mentally.
Blackpool and Blossomstar were paralyzed in shock. Or, considering Blossomstar's oldness, was probably having a joint malfunction.
The dog, however, found its time to strike, picked up Shadypaw in his huge drooling jaws, and snapped his jaws, killing my daughter too. I could not take it anymore. I rushed at the dog, yowling a battle cry, and started to flay the dog where he stood, all the time yelling, "You––stupid––beast!––Killing––my––kits!" Until the dog bolted away from me, tail between his legs.
I picked up my kits small bodies, ignoring the deputy and leader, and headed home, unable to think of the vigil, and how Briarbreeze would react.
…
It had been hard, but I finally gotten over my kits deaths over the course of three moons. Blossomstar had been killed by who knows what (but I'm assuming it was Blackpool), and my other kits, Flowerkit, Wishingkit, and Darkkit were finally ready to become apprentices. Real apprentices, I might add.
…
Blackstar had allowed me to accompany the apprentices and their mentors, so I could keep an eye on my kits. But, repeating the course of history, a huge dog, a tan dog this time, not a dark brown one, started to head towards the apprentices.
"Wishingpaw, Darkpaw, and Flowerpaw. Go and get some warriors. Now. Listen to me. I couldn't stand it if you died, too."
My kits took a couple of glances at me, turned, and ran back towards camp. They listened. At six moons, they must have become more intelligent. I looked up at the sky. Would Shadypaw and Treepaw turned out better if they were six moons at their apprenticeship?