FoxFang's tabby tail exited the rosebush wall quickly, ShadePaw right behind her, ready for her first boarder patrol.. For some reason the clan wanted she and her siblings to learn how to fight before any they boarders. So the first month had confront with chores and fighting then hunting practice. ShadePaw felt her pelt tingle with excitement as the patrol marched towards the River Clan boarders. She took a quick look around.
Up in front was her mentor and eldest warrior FoxFang, her tabby pelt glittered under the sun escaping through the pine trees above. Her eyes were hauntingly dull and cold as they got closer and closer to the river.. A few steps behind her was MouseEars, the brown tom srunched up his nose as the wind blew in their direction. ShadePaw felt her nose do the same as the sent of fish washed over her. Disgusting. Some one padded to her side and she looked over to find ElmPaw. Her dark ginger she-cat friend smiled at her before speeding to her mentor's, MouseEars, side. Finally a few steps behind ShadePaw was PrickleBush, the black she-cat blinked sleepily in the dawn's light, yawning sleepily.
Still, ShadePaw had to wonder, why was the River Clan boarder patrol so much more protected then the Thunder Clan's? She had watch TuffPaw, NightPelt and SmellyFur head off to it a few moments before her patrol had left.. did GorseStar think Thunder Clan was no threat, or was it something else....
"Come on you two, speed up!!" FoxFang ordered as she noticed how far behind PrickleBush and ShadePaw had fallen. PrickleBush snapped to attention and picked up her pace, ShadePaw also sped up and was soon at ElmPaw's side.
ElmPaw trotted closer to her. "How do you like your first boarder patrol?" She asked, flicking her tail around in reference to the newly shown territory. ShadePaw gave a tired purr.
"Its intresting. I always wanted to see this part of the forest, but.." ShadePaw yawned loudly, showing her white, sharp fangs. "Its just too early for my taste.."
"Should have waited like GingerPaw did for the sun high patrol." ElmPaw giggled. The patrol soon came to a large marshy area that was fed by a river's tail. FoxFang nodded the other ahead then turned to ShadePaw.
"Time for a lesson." She murmered. "This marsh is covered in sink pits. Do you know where they are?"
ShadePaw look around quietly, taking in the landscape. Most of the area had reeds and grass tufts poking out... but... "The areas where nothing grows?" ShadePaw asked.
"That is one way. Another is that it looks like wet sand all the time. Good think though..." FoxFang nodded. "Come on and I'll help you across the first time... remember one of the clan rules.. NEVER LEAVE CAMP ALONE.."
"Your gonna cloud that over my head forever aren't you.." ShadePaw frowned as she carfully padded after her mentor's lead through the marsh.
"Till the day the Star Clan takes me.." FoxFang muttered with a trace of warmth in her voice, she tested out a grassy island surrounded by wet sand before stepping on it.
ShadePaw groaned softly and leap to the grassy spot, only to slipp forward and have her front paw slide into the sand. "FoxFang!"
"Hold on." FoxFang grunted, she backed up and helped ShadePaw pull paw up, till it broke the surface with a bubbly pop. "See, you could have been sucked right down.. Take your time , there's no rush.."
"Ok.." ShadePaw nodded, she slowly followed after FoxFang until the thick marsh had ended and they found the others.
"We've already marked The Old Stump. Were ready to move onto the Red Rock." MouseEars said to her, he flicked his tail to a very large stump covered in moss.
"Good, lets go." FoxFang meowed, she lead the patrol farther along the bank of the river, which was slightly shallow this time of year. ShadePaw got up to FoxFang's side and could make out a large red rock on the horizon. She padded forward fast, until FoxFang let out a hiss of warning. At first ShadePaw thought it was directed at her.. but she quickly found out who it was for.
A grey she-cat with a black muzzle and tail tip just stepped out from behind the red rock, with a small patrol behind her. One a black and grey tom, one dark grey tom with a spotted pelt that reminded ShadePaw of small rocks piled together, and finally a black tom with a white face and paws. They stank of fish and water, the patrol spotted them and began to march towards them.
"River Clan." FoxFang hissed quietly, hate weepied from her voice like a waterfall. ShadePaw slunk closer to ElmPaw's side and looked up at the older apprentice.
"Who are they?" She asked, looking over the approaching group.
"The she-cat is GreyFur, their oldest warrior, then there's FishScale." ElmPaw flicked her tail unnoticeable towards the black and grey tom. "He's their newest warrior. Then StoneFur is the spotted tom and Black and white one is SplashFace." ElmPaw went silent for a moment before she commented. "We don't normally meet a patrol.."
"FoxFang!" GreyFur called, FoxFang glared at the she-Cat and kept walking towards her.
"What is it GreyFur!?" FoxFang demanded, walking right past the River Clan warrior, GreyFur stared after her, flustered.
"If you stay still long enough she'd tell you!!!" SplashFace hissed, making FoxFang whip around to face him.
"I owe your clan nothing!"
"Neither do we!" FishScale began, but GreyFur sent him a stare.
"You owe us everything.." MouseEars spat, walking to FoxFang's side. The two clan held steady glares towards each other, time seemed to grow cold between the two. ElmPaw and ShadePaw were clueless as to why they were fighting, FishScale also had a lost look on his face... suddenly a small black River clan apprentice came out from behind the patrol.
"GreyFur?" She impiled quietly, drifting to her mentor's side.
"Quite NinePaw, this doesn't concern you.." GreyFur growled. the apprentice sighed and wandered closer to the boarder.
"NinePaw. Put one paw over that boarder and I'll have to claw your face off.." ElmPaw said blandly. NinePaw let out an amused snort, but did not cross.
"Why can't we have a normal boarder spat with you guys like we have with the Wind Clan?" NinePaw inquired. ElmPaw only offered a shrug in response. "Anyway-" The River Clan cat continued. "We lost a warrior around the boarder here.. he's sick and he need to find him.."
"Who?" ShadePaw asked, drawing attetion to herself.
"Well, who are you?" NinePaw asked.
"ShadePaw- NinePaw, NinePaw- ShadePaw." ElmPaw said quickly. "Now who's missing?"
NinePaw looked surprised at ElmPaw's briskness, but nodded, she shot a look towards their mentors before continuing.
"Its-"
"None of their business , seeing as they don't want to help." GreyFur spat, whipping around and leading her patrol away. NinePaw had no chice but to follow, she shot glances over her shoulder as they left.
"Of all the nerve." FoxFang growled, MouseEars gave a sharp nod as he glared after the River Clan cats.
PrickleBush stepped forward, looking at the two senior warriors. " Did you hear her? She said a sick cat was around the boarder.. what if he crossed?"
"Then we'll finish him." FoxFang snarled coldly. She stalked onward towards the red rock to mark it. Unlike FoxFang, MouseEars seemed more worried about the sick river clan warrior.
"If he is truelly sick, what happens if it spreads to our clan..." He muttered.
"I remember from the last gathering that the other clans were hit really hard with green cough... do you think, maybe, that's what the cat has?" PrickleBush questioned.
"Prehaps." MouseEars nodded. "We must keep our ears up and eyes peeled."
"Are you coming or not?" FoxFang yowled over her shoulder, as she finished marking. MouseEars looked in her direction and sent her a stern look before leading the others to her.
After Red Rock was properly marked the group moved on to the last land mark.
"Its call Warm Cove." ElmPaw said softly. FoxFang nodded in agreement.
"Yes, the River Clan own the Cove itself, we just mark around it.." FoxFang growled. "Its the perfect sunning spot, but those River Clan fish own it.."
"Look!" ElmPaw yowled, she pointed inward toward their tarritory. A grey tom with a black underbelly was scrabbling through the marsh unevenly, he breathing heavy and shallow.
"I didn't know GuppyBelly was sick.." MouseEar frowned, scrunching up his nose, the smell of illness hit the Shadow Clan cats like a wall. PrickleBush made a gaging noise at the smell.
"I don't care if he's sick! He's going back to the River Clan if I have to drag him there on my last legs!" FoxFang spat, she stomped towards him. "GuppyBelly you fish brained River cat! Get back to your own clan!!!"
GuppyBelly raised his head, then began to sway, before falling over on his side.
"Useless..." FoxFang began to mutter heatly, but it soon to to a shocked yowled. GuppyBelly was sucked into a sinking pit he had foolishly collapsed on. "Get him! Get him before he sinks!!"
The patrol ran forth, making sure not to get stuck themselves, they arrived just as his back was starting to sink. MouseEars took him around his scruff. FoxFang dug her claws into his pelt. "Pull!!" PrickleBush hissed as she took hold of the tip of his tail, beginning to tug. They worked feverishly trying to free him, ElmPaw and ShadePaw hooked their claws into his back, just like FoxFang and began to pull..
"Come on! Come On!!" FoxFang snapped, pulling harder. GuppyBelly made no noises of distress as he sank deeper into the sand.
"Its another River Clan patrol!" MouseEars grumbled from his full mouth. Sure enough some cat had taken notice of them and crossed boarder.
"GuppyBelly!" A young tabby she-cat gasped as the two got closer, the other cat, a white tom with tan feet, watched helplessly from the main land. Unable to aide them without fear that they would find another sinking pit and be lost as well.
Suddenly GuppyBelly's head became submerged in the sand.. there was no other choice.
"Pull back! Theres nothing we can do!!" FoxFang sighed sadly, releasing the tom's fur, as did most of the others. ShadePaw tired to let go but her claw was stuck.
"FoxFang! My claw! Its, its stuck-" ShadePaw couldn't continue as her face was pulled into the sand.
She couldn't breath! Everything was so dark and cold!! Then some one grabbed her scruff and she felt a painful twinge come from her paw. He face resurfaced with a cough and sweet air filled her lungs.
"You ok?" ElmPaw whispered into ShadePaw's ear, the younger cat only nodded slowly..
"You all go back to camp.." MouseEars ordered. "FoxFang and I will handle them.." He flicked his tail towards the River Clan warrior, who seemed to be mourning but enraged at the same time. PrickleBush gave a curt bow before leading the two apprentices away into the brush.
A few days later and the clan still had an erie cold feeling blowing inside them.. They expected the River Clan to get mad, attack them.. even have PebbleStar come and visit. Yet nothing came, GorseStar lay inside the nursery, watching her kits play together carefully. Her mind was a muddle with thoughts and worries... everything had been going up and down so fast for the clan. What could they do....
GorseStar gave a heavy sigh and relaxed into her nest.
She hoped nothing worse could happen..
"Filthy thunder clan..." NightPelt bristled. TuffPaw was at his side, along with BundleFur and FrozenPaw. GingeraPaw had also accompanied them after TrueHeart had come down with a slight illness. BundleFur also hissed quietly in agreement. The group watched as four young Thunder Clan cats were hunting in their boarders. LoudPaw, or LoudVoice as she was so correctly call now, was stalking up on a small crow settled deep in their boarders. She pounced, but missed as the crow flew away.
"She's not use to the uncovered area. She's use to those thickets. Why can't she get that through her tiny head... amazing her big mouth even fits on her face." ForzenPaw muttered. LoudVoice's older clan mate, a small, beautiful grey and white shecat let her yellow, snake like eyes darted around.
"AdderEyes.. that arrogant thief. She's done this before." BundleFur added, watching as the she-cat managed to show the others a proper Shadow Clan stalk. TuffPaw allowed his claws to unsheathe, pushing them into the ground sourly.
" Longwhisker was always ready for an adventure more them obeying the warrior code." NightPelt added as the grey tabby tom stalked across the marsh, but much more clumsily then AdderEyes had shown them. His long whiskers bobbing around his face. "What kind of example is that to set for his kits. He's almost a senior warrior."
"What is MoonPaw doing out here and away from her mentor." BundleFur muttered, they all turned their gaze to the grey shecat with a white under belly and tail tip. She was wallowing around, not even trying. "At lest she's got sense.."
"Are we attacking or not?" TuffPaw frowned a them, he heard GingerPaw whimper next to him, not that he really cared.
"Of course we are." FrozenPaw growled, h glared out of the bushes angrily. "We'll teach them a lesson they won't forget."
"GingerPaw, go back to camp and get reinforcements." NightPeltordered, the ginger white she-cat dashed away greatfully.
"FrozenPaw and I will go around, we'll corner them. When I give the signal, we'll attack." BundleFur said, hiking off into the bushes, FrozenPaw at her heels.
TuffPaw crouched beside his mentor, watching the Thunder Clan cat stalk around their territory. LongWhiskers darted forward behind a tree, then returned with a mouse dangling from his teeth. TuffPaw's crouch turned into a pouncing position, the only thing that stopped him from nailing the cat was NightPelt. The senior warrior lay his tail on TuffPaw's back.
"Relax.. not until BundleFur gives the signal." NightPelt meowed, TuffPaw seatled into his crouch again. He looked up at his mentor.
"What do I do?" He asked ceriously.
"What I taught you." NightPelt grumbled. A sudden yowling sound filled the air as BundleFur and FrozenPaw burst out of the weeds behind the Thunder Clan cat. They all looked up and began to back away. "Go!" NightPelt yowled, leading TuffPaw into his first battle. They scrambled down towards the battle, teeth bared and hissing. NightPelt tackled LongWhiskers head on, bowling the warrior over. BundleFur and AdderEyes were already circling each other, spitting wildly. TuffPaw spotted FrozenPaw cornered by LoudVoice off to the side. TuffPaw looked around quickly before spotting MoonPaw, she was halfway back to the boarder, most likely off to get aide.
"No you don't!" TuffPaw growled, padding after her. She had gotten only a fox tail away from the boarder when TuffPaw caught up, he leaped at her, pushing MoonPaw off balance and falling to the ground. He managed to cut her a few times before MoonPaw rounded on him. She hissed and slashed at him, luckily TuffPaw managed to dodge her out stretched claws. Unfortunately her fangs were another story, her teeth nipped his pelt around his legs, then latched onto the back of his neck, using her back feet to batter him. TuffPaw yowled , cutting the she-cat across the nose. MoonPaw whimpered and stepped back, letting him. TuffPaw prepared to leap at her again, when..
"Tuffpaw look out!"
Too late.
TuffPaw felt someone cuff his back feet, forcing him to fall down. AdderEyes jumped over him and lead MoonPaw off into the Thunder Clan brush. It wasn't long before LongWhiskers went after them, without his prey.
"I-Im back!!" GingerPaw shouted, she lead FoxFang, SmellyFur and GorseStar towards them.
"Let go! Let go!!" LoudVoice yowled from behind, the Shadow Clan turned to stare at the battle before them. FrozenPaw had LoudVoice under him and he was slashing at her with all his might. The white she-cat had turned a blood red from her wound and she yowled in pain as he cut her and bit her.
"Let her go FrozenPaw!" GorseStar ordered, her voice in panic as she race down towards them.
FrozenPaw obeyed. LoudVoice jolted to her paws and gimped quickly away towards her boarder, once she was across she collapsed. Her breathing was heavy, but she was still awake. Most likely trying to catch her breath. She manged to her feet and wobbled away, looking back at them before escaping into the bush.
"You cut her eye out." GingerPaw whimpered softly, she walked up to TuffPaw and began to lick his fur nervously, TuffPaw and the old cat stared at FrozenPaw in questioning eyes.
FrozenPaw looked off over the boarder in a mixture of guilt and triumphant, when he caught the others stares he snorted. "She came over here, hunting our prey! I taught her a lesson she will never forget, like I said I would. If any cat messes with my clan! I will make sure they never forget it!" FrozenPaw began to lick his bloody paw clean, avoid the others eyes. GorseStar gave her head a shake to clear it before she spoke.
"Let us return to camp.."
The patrol stalked into the camp, the eire feeling grew strong as the clan had just upset the enime clans on either side of them. MouseEars padded up to GorseStar sensing the tenseness between them. He whispered something in GorseStar's ear and she visible relaxed. "BundleFur. My den." GorseStar ordered, she lead the two towards it, talking to them quietly.
"Ooooo, your in trouble." TuffPaw snickered, only to have FrozenPaw turn on him.
"The squirrel was asking for it!" He spat. "And so are you!"
TuffPaw clamp his mouth shut.
PrickleBush, who had been eating nearby, paused and turned to them. "What happened?" She asked worriedly. ElmPaw was at her side, gulping down some water vole. ShadePaw lay down next to ElmPaw when she saw her siblings return, she had remined at camp after yanking a claw out of joint.
ForzenPaw remianed quiet, not looking either she-cats in the eye. Yet TuffPaw spoke for him.
"He clawed LoudVoice's eye out." He meowed. FrozenPaw glared at the young tom, then turned guiltily towards the others.
"I-I didn't mean to get her eye, m-my paw missed her ear. I was aiming for her ear. I just wanted her to get a scar, so she wouldn't dream of hunting on Shadow Clan land again..I never thought-"
"Calm down FrozenPaw." PrickleBush said sympathectically. ElmPaw seemed more disturbed by her brothers action and pushed her vole away, feeing nausious. "Im sure you didn't mean it, besides, LoudVoice needed a wake up call. That she-cat thought she could get away with anything."
FrozenPaw relaxed slightly, but looked worridly off towards GorseStar's den.. "I hope they see it that way.." He muttered.
Like his words had summand them, the three cat exited GorseStar's den, GorseStar herself marched towards the great oak. "All cats who can catch their own prey, gather!!"
The cat crowded around, some looking at FrozenPaw nervously. The young tom ducked his head.
"Cats of Shadow Clan, we have found out some Thunder Clan Cats have been hunting in our tarritory!!" GorseSTar announced, she was greeted by yowls of outrage and curses. After they quieted she continued. "Thanks to a small patrol, they were chased off... if not some what cruelly.." She flashed a look down at FrozenPaw for a moment before going on. " MouseEars, BundleFur and I have agreed that the time is right. ElmPaw and FrozenPaw.. step forward."
The two cats did as they were told.
"It is time for you to become warriors!" GorseStar announced. The cats began to yowl again, but this time in agreement. GorseStar store down at them, and began.
"I, GorseStar , leader of Shadow Clan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn." GorseStar looked back down at the two. "ElmPaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life? "
ElmPaw was jiggling about excitedly, just at the thought of being a Warrior. " I do. " She smiled
GorseStar nodded "Then by the powers of Star Clan, I give you your warrior name. ElmPaw, from this moment you will be known as ElmLeaves. StarClan honors your courage and enthusiasm .We welcome you as a full warrior of Shadow Clan. " GorseStar turned and looked down at FrozenPaw. " FrozenPaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"Yes, I do." FrozenPaw said seriously, he stood tall and proud before the clan. Many of the other cat muttered to themselves in glowing, anxious voices.
"Then by the powers of Star Clan, I give you your warrior name. FrozenPaw, from this moment you will be known as FrozenHeart. StarClan honors your courage and..." GorseStar paused, trying to think of a kind thing to say about the warrior, she quickly came up with a virtue that would satisfy them. "And your loyalty. We welcome you as a full warrior of Shadow Clan. " With that she finished and leaped down, padded up to the new warriors and licked both the new warriors shoulders. The cats around them began to chant.
"ElmLeaves, FrozenHeart! ElmLeaves, FrozenHeart!"