"Dodge!" IcePool ordered, she watched her new apprentice try her best, only to be bowled over by BeautyPaw's More experienced defense.
"You'll have to do better then that, CalmPaw!" BeautyPaw joked, taking a step back for CalmPaw to get to hr feet. The tabby apprentice struggled up and took her stance again.
"That's the way, CalmPaw! Never give up!" IcePool encouraged. CalmPaw ran forward again, intent on tackling BeautyPaw to the ground, only to have the elder apprentice step out of the way. CalmPaw sailed right by her, into a nearby stream.
"Whoops..." BeautyPaw muttered... She obiously hadn't ment for that to happen.
"Uh, IcePool. We've been at this all morning... Can we rap this up?" SplashingFish asked worried, he looked up at the sun. Almost like he was missing an important meeting.
"CalmPaw's only been at this for a few days SplashingFish! She'll catch on.." IcePool looked over to where her apprentice was trying to heave herself out of the stream. Only to topple back in when she slipped on some moss. "Eventually..."
"Yes, but ummmm..." SplashingFish looked at BeautyPaw pleadingly. The she-cat jumped up.
"BlazingStar said he had an announcement!" BeautyPaw said quickly.
"Oh ya, I remember some one saying that.." IcePool nodded.
"Really?" SplashingFish asked, but quickly recovered when IcePool sent him a confused look. "I mean, I'd really hate to miss it."
"I guess so. CalmPaw! Were going back to camp!" IcePool shouted. "Get out of the stream!"
"I'm trying!" CalmPaw whimpered, she once again slipped in.
"Hold on, I'm coming." IcePool sighed.
The small group of cats slipped into the camp walls, only to be greeted by the two clan queens. IcePool's mother FrostWing and the younger queen AspenLeaf. Behind them the clan's kits were toddling in pursuit of their mothers. "Ah, IcePool!" FrostWing smiled. "How is our newest mentor doing?"
"Not bad, I hope." IcePool meowed. "CalmPaw been catching on, but she has a long way to go."
"Like every apprentice dose." FrostWing agreed.
"Hey! Hey, IcePool!" SwiftKit, IcePool's younger sister shouted, bouncing around infront of her. "Guess what! I'm going to be six moons old next moon! I'll get to be an apprentice soon too!"
"Congradulations." IcePool purred.
"Yes, time dose go by fast doesn't it." AspenLeaf nodded.
"I'm gonna become an apprentice to!" SandKit announced. He padded forward proudly.
"Nu uh, you have to wait with WaterKit and FishKit!" SwiftKit growled.
"Do not!" SandKit frowned. "AspenLeaf said I didn't, right AspenLeaf?"
"Why dose he get to and not us!" WaterKit wailed. FishKit soon joined in.
"SandKit! I told you not to say anything!" AspenLeaf frowned.
"Then I'll be the bestest warrior ever!" SandKit said to SwiftKit. The young she-kit only growled.
"FrostWing! SandKits being annoying again!"
"Well, we'd better get on with your first swimming lesson." FrostWing said quickly. "You three better get to your fathers meeting." FrostWing and AspenLeaf quickly herded the kits past IcePool and the apprentices, then out the camp towards the small creek.
"She's right, we don't to miss the meeting. SplashingFish could you-...SplashingFish? SplashingFish!" IcePool looked around, but the ginger and white warrior was gone. "Where is that fish brain!"
"Maybe.. maybe he's already at the meeting.." BeautyPaw muttered. IcePool was growing more and more suspicious, yet of what she didn't know.
"Ok... lets go then.." IcePool frowned, leading the two into the camp center. BlazingStar was already up on the old willow tree in camp where everyone could see him. The meeting had already began. The three stragglers to a seat.
"As you know. We will soon be expecting some new apprentices soon." BlazingStar began. "I have already chosen a cat for SwiftKit." He looked across the crowd, now slightly nervous. "Yet now we must chose a cat to mentor SandKit-"
"Not me!"
"I don't want to!"
"He never dose what he's told!"
BlazingStar gave a sharp yowl in anger, making the clan fall silent. "That's why I called this meeting!" He growled softly. "Now, what will a cat who mentors SandKit need?"
"The patience of a hunter trying to find a white dove in the snow!"
"That, or a firm claw."
"Yes, even if I hate to say it, a small amount of... cuffing in the right direction may be what is needed." BlazingStar sighed. "That mentor will also have to be firm."
"Loyal!"
"Calm and quiet!"
"Wise!"
"Without many high hopes!"
"Yes, yes." BlazingStar hissed. He cocked his head to the side, thinking, until a sly smile spread across his mouth. "I know the perfect cat..." Slowly he looked off to the side, all the cats looked in the direction he was staring. It was the clan deputy. NightHeart. It took her a few moments to understand why everyone was staring at her.
"Wait! Huh!" NightHeart gasped.
"Then it is decided. Thank you NightHeart." BlazingStar nodded to her. The black she-cat seemed to want to disagree, but kept choking on her response. "That is all. To your duties." BlazingStar hopped down from his place in the tree and went to his den.
"She won't be to happy." BeautyPaw commented. IcePool had to agree, while NightHeart was great with kits... SandKit was never her favorite. IcePool looked at the apprentices with a sigh. "You two have worked hard this morning, go get something to eat while I go talk with NightHeart... BeautyPaw, maybe you could give CalmPaw some pointers.
"Sure!" BeautyPaw purred. She took her fellow apprentice towards the highly stacked fresh kill pile.
IcePool watched them before padding up to the clan deputy, the she-cat seemed frazzled. "Hey NightHeart, how are you feeling?"
She grumbled something. Clearly not wanting to talk about it. IcePool turned to leave, only to have a paw step on her tail. "IcePool! Take a boarder patrol off to Shadow Clan boarders."
"Me! Lead a patrol!" IcePool gasped, excited. "S-sure! What cats do you want me to-"
"Any cats will do." NightHeart frowned. IcePool nodded and quickly ran off towards her friends.
"Whoa! Hold you prey there IcePool!" DuskShade growled when the white she-cat nearly ran into her.
"DuskShade, TigerStripe, were going on boarder patrol!" IcePool explained.
The three she-cats waded through the murky stream water towards the marshes and swamps of the Shadow Clan. IcePool slowly approached the closing boarder. Only to hear something nearby. She turned her head towards it, frowning.
What was that?
"You two go on ahead, I want to check on something." IcePool said.
"Fine, just don't straggle off." TigerStripe meowed with a slight marrow. The two slipped in the opposite direction of the noise towards the first sent marker.
IcePool looked back towards the area where the noise was coming from. She leaned down into a stalking crouch, slipping between the grasses. Silently she stepped, till the noises became words...
"I *****stay away."
'SplashingFish?' IcePool thought, she scooted closer.
"I don't know why you try."
"Your just too beautiful.."
'...who is that?"IcePool wondered.
"I better go, and I do not want to hear from you again!"
"That's what you said the last time." SplashingFish purred. IcePool could make out the sounds of moving grass, when she raised some one was coming towards her. She looked up just to catch SplashingFish almost step on her.
"I-icePool!" SplashingFish gasped, stepping back. IcePool sat up, slightly embarrassed that she had been caught, but growled none the less.
"Who was that?" She asked.
"Who was... what?" SplashingFish replied nervously.
"That! The cat you were just talking to!" IcePool growled.
"Oh, um... myself?"
...
IcePool snarled at him, bearing her teeth in a hiss. "So your 'voice' just took off over Shadow Clan boarders?" She took a step closer to him. "You had better not be going against your clan, SplashingFish! Your clan is your first priority! Along with the warrior code!"
"Well... of course it is." SplashingFish muttered. "I am very loyal to my clan!"
"Then you won't mind if I keep an eye on you. Will you, SplashingFish." IcePool snapped, then turned and left, leaving SplashingFish with a worried look on his face.
'There is nothing more important! Nothing!' IcePool thought angrily. She spotted her patrol up ahead and quickly went to join them. Her two friends were looking down into the creek, purring softly in amusement.
"What?" IcePool asked when she got closer. DuskShade only flicked her tail into the creek, where the kits were desperately trying to get use to the wetting water.
"This is cold!" WaterKit squealed when his mother dropped him in. He tried to get back out, but AspenLeaf guarded his escape.
"You'll get use to it." AspenLeaf purred. She looked over at FishKit, who was stuck in some water weeds.
"Help! Help!" He whimpered, too tangled to free himself, but he could keep his head above water.
"I'm coming!" FrostWing meowed, she paddled over to him till she reached the shallow area he was stuck in, pulling the weeds away. SwiftKit already was a pro, she paddled right behind FrostWing without a problem. SandKit on the other hand, was splashing about, aimlessly just staying above the water.
'This is what the River clan is all about.' IcePool thought warmly, she joined the other cats as they purred.
"We finished up the marking while you were gone." TigerStripe spoke, looking over to IcePool. "Wanna, help the queens with the kits."
"It would be the warrior thing to do." IcePool agreed. The three jumped in, swimming up to the kits. SwiftKit was the first to notice them. She managed to paddle out to IcePool's side.
"Look at me IcePool! FrostWing says I'm just BlazingStar, cause he could swim on his first try to!" SwiftKit meowed. IcePool smiled.
"Well you are doing a wonderful job." The white warrior paused to take in her surroundings. She watched her friends swim past her to the queens to aide them with the floundering kits. IcePool looked back down at her little sister, now serious. " SwiftKit, there is one thing you need to know, if you ever want to be a warrior."
"What! What!" SwiftKit asked excitedly.
"There is nothing more important then your own clan." IcePool explained. SwiftKit seemed to take this in silence. Thinking...
"I guess your right!" SwiftKit agreed after a moment, she then took off to where SandKit was splashing. "Wow, SandKit. Very impressive."
"Really?" He asked.
"Yep. Best imitation of a rock I've ever seen." SwiftKit marrowed in laughter, swimming circles around him.
IcePool sighed happily. This was what a clan is all about.