Chapter 5: Rootpaw/Cavepaw

"Ok, first we will begin with using our defense. You will each perform a counter swipe on me. Claws sheathed please," Blazespark demanded.

The apprentices nodded. Rootpaw was worried. I can't fail this, he thought. Although, it seemed so far that everyone had failed. Except for Flamepaw and Magmapaw that is. He saw Silverpaw fumble his swipe and flip completely backwards landing head first. Rootpaw didn't even know how that was possible.

He was next. Blazespark was charging at him with full speed. Aim for the right paw, he had thought. Rootpaw had swiped under Blazespark's right paw sending the Lightclan deputy flying past him. Rootpaw had turned around. Blazespark had been caught in some brambles.

"Help!" he cried.

Rootpaw couldn't help but giggle. Sure, that wasn't how the attack was done, but hey. It had worked hadn't it? He ran over to haul Blazespark out of the brambles. He had them all over his pelt.

"Alright, that was interesting," Blazespark said with an angry tone.

"S-sorry," Rootpaw chuckled.

The last apprentice to perform the move, Cavepaw, had done it flawlessly. And by the look of it he was made and apprentice just two days ago!

"Alright, some of you have yet to learn a counter swipe. Now, we will work on battling. I will tell you your teams," Blazespark said.

"Ok, Flamepaw, Cloudpaw, Silverpaw, Honeypaw, Crystalpaw, and Skypaw over there. And over here will be Magmapaw, Cavepaw, Rootpaw, Peakpaw, Lightningpaw, and Snowpaw. Flamepaw's team will be playing defense. Begin!"

Flamepaw snarled," What an overpowered team."

Magmapaw spoke,"Ok, I will go around that birch tree with Rootpaw and Lightningpaw. You three will break through other defenses. Snowpaw will lead you."

Rootpaw shuddered. This would be his first real battle. Doesn't matter, focus, he thought. He had followed Magmapaw around the tree. He had spotted Skypaw guarding the entrance to the defense zone.

"Lightningpaw, go!" Magmapaw had commanded.

The grey-tom sprinted and pounced on Skypaw in what seemed like half a second.

"Alright Rootpaw, go!" Magmapaw whisper-shouted.

Rootpaw ran passed Skypaw not knowing what he should do. He had spotted Cloudpaw and Honeypaw. I can't take em' both! he thought. And idea popped in his head. He had decided to sneak around Honeypaw and go for Cloudpaw. He was moving stealthily around the golden she-cat. He saw Cloudpaw guarding the "objective". He was getting ready to pounce, but something heavy slammed down on him. Flamepaw, he immediately thought. He knew what to do. Quickly, he rolled underneath Flamepaw and began to sprint passed Cloudpaw.

"Starclan no!" Flamepaw bellowed.

Rootpaw ran passed to objective point,"We won!"

Magmapaw yowled in triumph. Cloudpaw just shrugged. Flamepaw was boiling with anger. Everybody on the winning side seemed happy, and everyone on the losing side was 'ok'. Blazespark congratulated the six winners.

"Hmm, looks like we have time for a second round," Tidalflame announced," New teams!"

The offensive team was Cavepaw, Flamepaw, Rootpaw, Skypaw, Silverpaw, and Cloudpaw. The defending team was Magmapaw, Honeypaw, Lightningpaw, Crystalpaw, Nutpaw, and Peakpaw.

Flamepaw spoke," Ok guys. Listen to me. Cloudpaw, Rootpaw, and Silverpaw back-up. I will go with Cavepaw and Skypaw to break their defenses. Alright? Let's go."

Cavepaw bounded behind the ginger-furred tom and the Earthclan apprentice.

"Stop," Flamepaw commanded.

The two apprentices halted to a stop. Cavepaw could hear what seemed like two apprentices speaking.

"This way," Flamepaw directed.

What? Cavepaw thought. Going that way would mean the enemy would see them easily. Their enemies weren't that stupid.

Cavepaw directly darted towards the objective. He heard Flamepaw curse loudly behind him, but this was for the best. If Flamepaw was smart enough, he could directly pass by while Cavepaw distracted them. But, Flamepaw logic and Cavepaw logic don't mix.

Cavepaw was only a few tail-lengths away from the objective zone. He saw Peakpaw shriek and call out to somebody. Weakling, Cavepaw thought. By then, Cavepaw had already infiltrated. They had won.

"And the winners offense!" Blazespark announced.

Cavepaw nodded,"That was a bit easy if you ask me."

Flamepaw padded towards Cavepaw," Wow. You're idea did work after-" he was cut off.

"Face it, Flame. You knew my idea was gonna work, you just didn't want me to do it because you wanted to be more superior than me. But look now. My idea worked. I hope you took back everything you said about me when I ran off."

Before Flamepaw could respond, Cavepaw bounded away to where everybody cheered his name.

Flamepaw felt something burning inside of him. Rage? Almost certain to be. He did nothing. He helped nobody. This was a waste of his time. Both times he had been a useless team member in the little "battle".

"Hey, do you guys smell that?" Magmapaw asked.

Flamepaw and everybody had begun to smell that weird scent.

"Smells familiar…smells like Shadeclan," Blazespark responded.

Shadeclan? Flamepaw had thought. He saw Blazespark look around carefully this time. Cloudpaw and others were preparing for an attack.

Suddenly, a sound was heard. It sounded like a squeal. Everybody had turned towards the noise. Behind them, shady warriors had begun to sneak up. Flamepaw had turned around to see them, "Cats! Behind you guys!"

Blazespark quickly turned to meet their gazes. All of the apprentices had turned to see the cats.

A cat had begun to speak, "Haha, only two deputies and some apprentices. We can take them easy."

"Shadeclan, attack," the cat in front commanded calmly.

All the hostile cats sprung directly into the Lightclan and Earthclan cats. Flamepaw had seen Cloudpaw fighting off two large toms. He had also seen Lightningpaw and Cavepaw gang up on one warrior. Why am I just sitting here? Flame asked himself.

Without notice, Flamepaw felt a heavy weight slam down on him. He had quickly turned up and threw that cat off of him. Flamepaw had looked the cat who had attacked him directly in the eyes. He was a tom with ice-blue eyes, and a pelt that looked dark-blue. He was broad-shouldered, a pretty powerful looking cat.

"Who are you?" Flamepaw asked.

"Who are you? Ha," the cat had mocked.

Flamepaw had broken eye contact with the cat and had immediately lunged at him knocking him down. The cat did not seem to be stunned, but instead pushed Flamepaw off with what seemed like no effort. Flamepaw had gotten up to his paws, and had lunged once again this time aiming for the cats' legs. With that strategy, Flamepaw had easily swept the cat, pinning him down.

"What, who are you? For real this time," the dark-blue tom had asked.

Flamepaw had loosened his grip on the tom a bit.

"I'm Flamepaw, and who would you be?"

The tom had wriggled out from underneath Flamepaw's paw and stood up,"They call me Azurepaw. That was my given name."

Huh, no wonder his pelt looks so blue, Flamepaw had thought.

"I don't really know how this battle had started anyway, I thought we had just been on a patrol. Seems like we weren't," Azurepaw had stated.

Flamepaw snorted,"No kidding."

"Alright! You've all been defeated! You cannot go on! Please take this opportunity to leave Shadeclan!" Tidalflame had announced.

"Ugh, whatever," a cat had muttered,"Shadeclan! Retreat!"

Azurepaw had begun to bound towards his clan. Flamepaw stared at the dark-blue apprentice again. He doesn't seem like any ordinary cat. He reminds me of somebody...