Yay for the third chapter! But this also means still have writer's block on my other stories so that's not good, but they will be updated!
Tanglepaw knew she was RiverClan, she knew all too well that she couldn't swim well. But she was RiverClan, everyone knew so. Tanglepaw loved it in RiverClan, she even liked to swim when she was alone, and no one could tease her if she was lopsided. Her black and white pelt was as sleek as any RiverClan cat's and she loved fish. She bragged to apprentices at the gathering about RiverClan's latest victory. That all changed during a battle with ShadowClan.
"Prey stealers!" yowled ShadowClan. Tanglepaw's pelt burned with indignation RiverClan hadn't stolen anything!
"Why would we eat frogs?" she called tauntingly, despite the signal from her mentor to stay down.
"I don't know, why did you?" asked a ShadowClan warrior, Swamptail.
"RiverClan attack!" growled Rushstar.
"ShadowClan attack!" roared Yellowstar. The border was now in chaos. Tanglepaw couldn't think, her clan's pride was at stake! Her pride was at stake! She growled and leaped at a warrior, her batted her away with ease, she growled and sank her teeth into his tail.
"RiverClan scum!" he hissed drawing back.
"Frog-breath!" she hissed back. A ginger apprentice leaped at her next.
"You leave my father alone!" she growled.
"Who are you supposed to be?" Tanglepaw asked.
"I'm Rosepaw!" she announced.
"Right…." Tanglepaw meowed and raked her claws down Rosepaw's shoulder. Rosepaw shrieked and struck back, but missed. Tanglepaw grinned, this apprentice couldn't match her. She struck again and again until Rosepaw ran away. The tom saw her run and turned around, the wound in his tail still showing. He dealt his opponent quick blows and ran over toward Tanglepaw. Tanglepaw unsheathed her claws and hissed, ready to fight.
"How dare you do that to your sister?" he asked. Tanglepaw stopped. Sister. She had definitely heard it, but it couldn't be true.
"I'm a RiverClan cat!" she snarled trying to claw at his side, but he dodged.
"Rosepaw is your sister! ShadowClan knows, does RiverClan?" he asked.
"No! You're lying!" hissed Tanglepaw.
"I'm not, you can ask your mother," he hissed.
"Cedarfern would never lie to me! My father died on the Thunderpath!" growled Tanglepaw.
"Ask her again," there was a cruel seriousness in his eyes that made Tanglepaw flinch. She drove her claws into his side again, but couldn't forget that word, sister. A ShadowClan apprentice could never be her sister!
After the Battle….
"It's true," Cedarfern looked upset, but Tanglepaw didn't care.
"How? Why didn't you tell me?" asked Tanglepaw.
"When Toadleap and I realized we were going to have kits we made an agreement. I would keep one and he would take one to ShadowClan. I chose you, because you had a longer and glossier pelt that would look more suited for RiverClan. Toadleap convinced me that Rosepaw would be well cared for and she was. I didn't tell you because your pride in RiverClan was so strong I didn't want to compromise it," meowed Cedarfern.
"You should have told me," muttered Tanglepaw.
"I know that now," mumbled Cedarfern.
"What will the clan say?" asked Tanglepaw.
"The clan doesn't need to know."
"Yes they do!" meowed Tanglepaw and she ran towards the leaders den.
"Come in Tanglepaw," mewed Rushstar.
"Rushstar I-I'm half-clan," muttered Tanglepaw.
"I'm sorry to hear that Tanglepaw, but don't worry you can stay in RiverClan," meowed Rushstar. Tanglepaw left, thinking she should be happy but she couldn't. Where do I belong? That night Tanglepaw couldn't sleep, her mentor had said her assessment.
"Sleep will help," she meowed to herself. But when she fell asleep she dreamed, and that made everything worse.
A long furred white RiverClan warrior was standing next to a night-black ShadowClan warrior. The RiverClan cat was a she-cat with pale blue eyes that were sparkling. The ShadowClan cat was a tom with amber eyes that flashed with strength and courage.
"You belong with me Tanglepaw," cooed the she-cat.
"No Tanglepaw, come to where you belong," the black tom encouraged. The she-cat was kinder but the tom was strong, his muscles rippling under broad shoulders. The she-cat was slim and beautiful her fur glossy and obviously meant for swimming. They both kept calling her name. All the while their tails were joined together, they become larger and more tangled until all she could see was the tangled tails. But the voices kept calling "Tanglepaw come to me…."
Tanglepaw woke at the slightest hint of dawn. She shook herself, it had only been a dream. Then came confusion, what if it was more than that? What if she had to choose? She wanted to go back to sleep to choose RiverClan, of course she would choose RiverClan! But she couldn't help thinking about ShadowClan. She had a sister there, and a father who had never lied to her. She wasn't any good at swimming and ShadowClan was watery anyway. Wait! What was she thinking! She could never leave her clan.
"You're up early Tanglepaw," commented her mentor Greenreed.
"So are you," pointed out Tanglepaw.
"I thought I'd go on a morning stroll…" he meowed.
"You mean you wanted to stroll with Pebblesplash," corrected Tanglepaw. Greenreed had told her about his crush on Pebblesplash on her first day as an apprentice.
"Shush!" he hissed. The gray tabby she-cat had turned her head and fixed her piercing blue eyes on Greenreed before walking away to hunt.
"You know she's an early riser," Greenreed purred.
"I was wondering when we'll begin my assessment," meowed Tanglepaw.
"As soon as some more warriors get here to help," meowed Greenreed.
"Why don't you ask Pebblesplash?" asked Tanglepaw. Greenreed looked at her for a second and then nodded.
"Pebblesplash?" he asked.
"What?" she asked.
"Could you help with Tanglepaw's assessment," Greenreed meowed quickly.
"I'd love to!" purred Pebblesplash. The assessment went fast, she fought Pebblesplash and eventually won. She hunted with and without Pebblespash and brought back eight pieces of prey in all. Soon Greenreed went to Rushstar's den to tell him about it.
"She did great, she by all means passed," he purred.
"Very well, I will hold the ceremony at sunhigh," meowed Rushstar. The rest of the day flew by. Tanglepaw was congratulated by warriors and her fellow apprentices: Pikepaw and Flamepaw. Finally it was sunhigh.
"Tanglepaw do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?" asked Rushstar when the ceremony began.
Tanglepaw paused, but then meowed "I do."
"Then by the powers of StarClan I grant you your warrior name, Tanglepaw from this moment on you will be known as Tangleheart, RiverClan thanks you for your wit and courage.
"Tangleheart! Tangleheart!" the clan called. But Tanglepaw couldn't listen to them, she didn't deserve to be a warrior of RiverClan if she had any loyalty to ShadowClan.
"Wait!" she yowled.
"Yes Tangleheart?" asked Rushstar, surprised.
"I need to tell you something, I need to tell the clan something," meowed Tangleheart. "I'm half-clan, my parents are Cedarfern from RiverClan, and Toadleap from ShadowClan," she meowed sadly. The clan gasped and murmurs rushed through the group of cats faster than lightning.
"Tangleheart I thought you were joking," meowed Rushstar angrily.
"I wasn't," she meowed sadly.
"In that case Tangleheart there is no way to insure your loyalty to RiverClan, from this moment on you are no longer welcome here, now leave!" he hissed. Warriors yelled taunts and insults as Tangleheart left. Rushstar was right for questioning her loyalty, her heart was tangled.
I'm officially asking for names, you can tell me the plot or you can let me decide! I do have an idea for one more but I hope you can help me before I get writer's block on this!