A/N: I SORRY. I didn't want to kill Rainwhisker, I really didn't. But I wanted to have Sorreltail name one of her kits Rainkit soo... I'll apologize as many times as it takes, please don't hate me ;-;
Anyways, thanks for reading! Still taking ideas for warrior names, as there are still a few chapter before their warrior ceremonies! I love you guys, enjoy chapter 6!
Chapter 6
Lilypaw paced anxiously in front of the thorn tunnel. It was barely past dawn, but she couldn't bear to sleep another moment knowing that today could be the day. There was a rustle at the entrance of the warrior's den as Brambleclaw pushed his way out, followed closely by Crowfeather. The deputy's whiskers twitched in amusement as he saw her near the thorn tunnel.
"Excited?"
Lilypaw nodded enthusiastically. "Of course I am! How could I not be?" She needed the ground with her snowy front paws. "We're leaving soon, right?"
Crowfeather rolled his eyes at his impatient daughter. "I thought you were leaving at sunhigh?"
The tabby sighed, her tail drooping as she glanced at the sun for the thousandth time that morning. "Sunhigh is just so far away… Why wouldn't we do it at dawn, like any other training?"
"Because Birchpaw and Tanglepaw have to hunt for the elders first. If you're in such a hurry, maybe you should go and wake them?" Brambleclaw's eyes flashed with amusement as Lilypaw instantly turned tail and raced back to the apprentices' den. The lithe tabby didn't waste a moment, pouncing on Tanglepaw the moment she saw his messy orange pelt.
"Tanglepaw! You're supposed to be hunting, get up!"
Birchpaw let out a purr of laughter. "I'm glad I wasn't still asleep," he teased as Tanglepaw groaned and swatted half-heartedly at the young she-cat.
"As you should be," Lilypaw sniffed, stepping away from Tanglepaw as he sat up. She hadn't realized how close to Birchpaw's size Tanglepaw was getting. How has he grown so much…? She could barely remember how small he had been as a kit.
"Well," Tanglepaw yawned. "Let's going then."
Lilypaw curled her lip. "You're not even going to groom that mess of a pelt?"
"Oh, sure, allow me to take my time and smooth every individual hair. I'm sure the mice really care about how nice the cat that kills them looks." He rolled his eyes, flashing an exasperated look at Birchpaw before pushing his way out of the den. The older apprentice only offered an apologetic flick of his ears before ducking out after him.
Toms! Lilypaw huffed quietly.
"Why are you up so early?"
Lilypaw started, turning to see Eaglepaw stretching as he woke. "The question is why are you sleeping so late?" She couldn't help but to examine his ear again, where a large v-shape had been snagged out of the side. The battle had been nearly a half-moon ago, but she still wasn't used to seeing such a mark on her brother. He hadn't been the only cat left with a scar, though some of the scars were more emotional than others. She thought briefly of Sorreltail, who had birthed four kits, only to lose one before the poor thing had even had the chance to suckle. The other three seemed strong enough, but Emberpaw always expressed concern for the queen, and had mentioned to Lilypaw more than once that she was concerned for the well-being of the other three kits.
"Lilypaw?" Eaglepaw's tail-tip brushed her shoulder, and Lilypaw pushed her thoughts away.
"I think I'm going to go see Sorreltail while I wait," she announced suddenly, brushing past her brother and out into the hollow again. She was pleased to see that the evening patrol had brought prey, and scooped up a couple of mice for the queens before heading to the nursery. Ferncloud welcomed her with a warm purr, her eyes shining as she saw the mice dangling from the apprentice's jaws.
"Are those for us?"
"They are," Lilypaw set one of the mice down in front of Ferncloud, and the other near Sorreltail, who blinked appreciatively at her. As the queens ate, Lilypaw peered into Sorreltail's nest, looking curiously at the three little scraps stumbling around their mother's belly. There were two toms and a she-cat, Lilypaw remembered. The little golden tabby tom was named Rushkit, and the she-cat (who had Sorreltail's tortoiseshell and white fur) was Hazelkit. The third kit, who Cinderpelt had only recently announced to be healthy, was a dark, stormy gray—and named Rainkit after Sorreltail and Sootfur's brother.
"They're so cute," Lilypaw exhaled soflty.
"Mhm," Sorreltail purred, looking up from her meal to gaze warmly at the kits. "They've finally started growing and nursing properly."
"That's great, Sorreltail!" Lilypaw gave the queen a friendly lick on the shoulder.
"You know, Lilypaw," Ferncloud murmured, peering playfully up from her own meal. "The way you look at those kits… it wouldn't be hard at all for me to see you moving to the nursery someday."
Lilypaw instantly wrinkled her nose. "No thanks," she shook her head. "I couldn't give up hunting and fighting for six or more moons to take care of kits. I would go crazy."
The two queens exchanged an amused, yet knowing, look. Lilypaw opened her mouth to object more stongly, but Thornclaw's yowl cut her off.
"Sorry!" She gasped. "I've got to go now!"
She didn't look back as she rushed across the clearing to where her mentor was waiting with Sootfur and Eaglepaw.
"Sorry," she ducked her head. "I brought some fresh-kill to Ferncloud and Sorreltail."
Sootfur's ears pricked. "How is Sorreltail?"
"Getting better every day," Lilypaw purred, pleased to share the good news with the queen's brother.
Thornclaw watched with barely concealed pride for his former apprentice as the gray tom sighed in relief. "Well," the golden-brown tabby meowed. "It's nearly sunhigh, and Tanglepaw and Birchpaw will be back from hunting soon. Brambleclaw had already taken Puddlepaw and Emberpaw down to the training hollow."
"Emberpaw?" Eaglepaw echoed, tilting his head.
"With tensions rising with ShadowClan, it's important for every cat to be able to defend themselves." Sootfur rumbled gravely. "She won't participate in the assessment, but she's learning some basics from Brambleclaw right now, and will be watching along with the mentors."
"I'm glad she's learning," Lilypaw mewed firmly. "But I'll make sure she never has to fight. No cat will dare lay a claw on my sister."
Eaglepaw nodded his agreement, his amber eyes resolute.
"Well, why don't we see how well you can back those words up then, Lilypaw?" Thornclaw flicked his tail-tip across her ear. "And it's like Brambleclaw said—those that perform well will be allowed to attend the gathering tonight."
"I will go to the Gathering," Lilypaw insisted. "Just wait!" She didn't wait for any cat to respond, thrusting her way through the thorn barrier and out into the forest. She could hear their pawsteps behind her, and she put on speed, racing to the training hollow, enjoying the play of the wind in her pelt. Nothing felt better to her than the wind lashing at her whiskers and the grass brushing her belly-fur as she ran. She knew that feeling came from the WindClan blood that her father had passed on to her and her siblings, just she knew her love for the trees above her head came from her mother's ThunderClan blood.
The tabby didn't realize how fast she was running until she exploded into the training hollow, slamming head-first into Brambleclaw and sprawling to a clumsy halt.
"S-Sorry," she stammered, standing unsteadily and shaking her head to force the pain of the impact away.
Brambleclaw only rolled his eyes. "You're Crowfeather's daughter alright."
Puddlepaw had stopped his mock-fight with Emberpaw to laugh openly. "Brambleclaw you should have seen your face!" He bounded up to Lilypaw, greeting her by touching his nose to hers. "You've got to be even faster than Sandstorm!" He exclaimed. "I could hardly see you!"
Lilypaw flicked her ears sheepishly, ducking her head to groom her wind-blown pelt. A rustle in the undergrowth announced the arrival of the others, and Thornclaw approached shaking his head.
"Do you ever get tired?" Thornclaw rasped, giving his apprentice a gentle head-butt.
"Never," Lilypaw boasted, puffing her chest out. Eaglepaw rolled his eyes.
"Just wait until we start battle training," he teased. "You'll be too tired to go to the Gathering even if you are chosen!"
"Speak for yourself!" Lilypaw swatted playfully at her brother, but Thornclaw's stern look froze her paw in mid-air.
"Save it for training. This is the first time in a long time that all of the apprentices will be training together, and if it goes well, it may be something we can arrange more often."
"Yes, Thornclaw." Lilypaw sighed. "May I practice some basic maneuvers?"
When her mentor nodded approvingly, Emberpaw stepped forward shyly. Her mottled tortoiseshell pelt was ruffled and caked in dust, but her eyes shone. "Would you mind practicing with me, Lilypaw? I'd like to try the defensive moves I was learning from Brambleclaw and Puddlepaw on a different cat."
"Sure!" Lilypaw led her sister away from the other cats to where she had been practicing with Puddlepaw before the lithe tabby had arrived. "Alright, you attack first, then I'll take over so you can practice your defensive moves."
Emberpaw nodded, crouching low to the ground. Her blue eyes were sharp and focused, though her crouch was slightly off balance. It was obvious that today was her first day learning any sort of battle moves. I'll take it easy on her, Lilypaw decided silently. Besides, Thornclaw's right, I need to save all of my energy for impressing Firestar and Brambleclaw—and the other apprentices!
Emberpaw made it more challenging than Lilypaw was expecting, but the simple practice was a good warm-up for the warrior apprentice. Emberpaw's breath was growing short when Cloudtail strolled into the clearing, followed closely by his apprentice and Firestar himself.
"Firestar," Brambleclaw dipped his head respectfully, and Lilypaw joined the others that had gathered in echoing the motion.
"I see we're only missing Birchpaw, and he was just finishing with the elders when I left, Firestar meowed, moving to the edge of the clearing and sitting in a patch of sunlight. Lilypaw watched her grandfather with barely veiled amazement as his pelt seemed to catch fire in the sun. How can one cat earn so much respect from not only his own Clan, but the leaders of other Clans as well? She sank her claws into the ground. One day, I'll do the same.
"Sorry we're late," Birchpaw announced his entrance with an apologetic flick of his ears, and Ashfur mewed a similar apology as he moved to sit near the other mentors. Lilypaw beckoned for Emberpaw to follow her, and joined the group of apprentices gathering around.
"Now," Firestar meowed, drawing every cat's attention to him. "We're going to do a series of one-on-one training battles, and at the end, the two apprentices who have performed the best will join us for the Gathering tonight. I am beyond certain that I will want to bring each and every one of you, but with tensions rising high at the ShadowClan border, I cannot afford to take as big of a group as I usually would. I wouldn't put it past Blackstar to launch an attack on our camp tonight." Lilypaw felt her hackles rising as she thought of ShadowClan attacking on the night of a Gathering. She could see Tanglepaw's tail lashing, and Eaglepaw's ear were flat against his head. They won't win another dirty fight like the one at the border!
"So," Firestar raised his tail, calming the rising irritation. "Who would like to go first?"
Puddlepaw and Birchpaw went first, followed by Tanglepaw and Eaglepaw. Birchpaw had pulled a solid win against Puddlepaw, using size and experience to his advantage. By the same token, Tanglepaw defeated Eaglepaw. By the time it was Lilypaw's turn, she was beginning to realize just what a difference a couple of moons of training could make. Puddlepaw stood in the middle of the mossy hollow, his blue eyes glowing with an unspoken challenge. Thornclaw swept his tail down his apprentice's side.
"Just focus," he murmured. "You're the fastest out of all of the apprentices. You can do it."
Lilypaw swallowed her apprehension, forcing herself forward to stand before Puddlepaw. He had two moons of experience over her, but she wouldn't make it as easy as he had for Birchpaw. She had barely crouched in preparation when the older apprentice attacked. She was faster than him—much faster than she thought at first. But I can't win just by running away! She was getting tired and frustrated as her lightning-fast dodges never led to any real openings in Puddlepaw's defense. The slightest pause had the pale tom barreling into her, forcing the breath from her lungs with his weight alone. Fox-dung! She struggled vainly beneath his weight, managing by some act of StarClan to squirm out from under him. He immediately rose onto his hind paws, ready to use his weight against her again. Not if I can help it! Instead of dodging again, as she was hoping he'd expect, Lilypaw imitated his motion, rising onto her hind paws and swiping at his ears. He doesn't have as good of balance as me, she realized, watching him struggled to keep his advantage, his tail lashing wildly as he tried to find his balance. Now! She lashed out with her front paws, stepping closer as she did, until she tangled their forepaws together and gave him a solid shove, sending him sprawling to the side. She didn't waste a moment in launching herself on top of the older apprentice, who seemed to be winded. She pressed a paw to his neck, panting heavily, hoping beyond hope that he didn't retaliate.
"Well done," Brambleclaw meowed, assuring Lilypaw that the match was indeed over. She stepped off of Puddlepaw, who jumped to his paws and shook the dirt from his pelt.
"That was brilliant, Lilypaw!" He exclaimed. "I really thought I had you when you stopped dodging."
Lilypaw felt her ears warm at the older apprentice's praise, following him back to their mentors as Tanglepaw and Birchpaw took their places in the middle.
"Great work, Lilypaw," Thornclaw purred as she rejoined him. "But now that Tanglepaw and Birchpaw have seen that tactic, you're going to have to think of something else if you want to beat them."
Lilypaw nodded, sitting beside her mentor and watching carefully as Birchpaw and Tanglepaw fought. She wasn't surprised when Birchpaw came out victorious yet again. Ashfur could look any more proud, and Sootfur was nodding quietly as he watched the oldest apprentice, as if appreciating his talent. The training drug on, leading Lilypaw to lose to both Tanglepaw and Eagelpaw, though her brother had lost against Puddelpaw, whom she had defeated. Just when she thought Firestar was going to call it a day, he flicked his tail towards her.
"And finally, I'd like to see Birchpaw and Lilypaw."
The tabby she-cat blinked, her amber eyes stretching wide in surprise. Thornclaw gave her an encouraging nudge, and the apprentice moved back to the center of the clearing. Birchpaw joined her there. He had won every single match. He was bigger than her, had been training longer than her, and had nearly every advantage. Does Firestar really think I can compete with him?
She could feel eyes burning into her pelt, and glanced at the cats watching her. She realized that it was Sootfur's dark amber gaze that she felt burning into her flanks, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Does Sootfur think this is an even match? She remembered Thornclaw's words after she had lost the second time. "You let your first victory go to your head. You're great Lilypaw, but you can't let your ego get in the way of your focus!"
That's right, Lilypaw squared her shoulders, narrowing her eyes as Birchpaw crouched low to the ground in front of her. I have to focus. I have to go to the gathering tonight. And the best way to gain Firestar's approval… is to beat Birchpaw. Without warning, or even crouching down, Lilypaw launched herself at her opponent, feeling a rush of satisfaction as his eyes widened in shock. Thus far, she had been on the defensive, save for when she had turned the tide against Puddlepaw. She knew he would be expecting the same evasive style. So I've got to change things up if I expect to win. He managed to slip out from under her attack, but she dodged to the side before he could take advantage of her missed landing. He's faster than he looks! Lilypaw clenched her teeth as his paw brushed her flank. But I'm still faster. She was forced into a defensive position, and she hissed in frustration as she her chances of winning began slipping away. Birchpaw was even more careful than Puddlepaw when it came to leaving openings. But the more she dodged, the more she learned. His right paw was slower than his left, and its attack always came first, as if he needed the speed of his left paw to make up for his right. I'll still take a blow, but if I attack as soon as he withdraws his left paw, then I may be able to gain the offensive. As she ducked under his next attack, she lunged forward. His right paw, however, landed much more heavily than she expected, making her ears ring. She was stunned for a moment, and he took the chance to tackle her to the ground.
Not so fast, Birchpaw, I'm not giving in that easily! She tucked her hind legs in as he bowled her over, rounding her back and thrusting her hind paws into his stomach with all of the force she had. He was sent sailing over her head, landing heavily with an "oof!" as the wind was knocked out of him. He began to struggle to his feet, but Lilypaw cleared the distance between them in a heartbeat and slammed her head into his shoulder, much like she had on accident when she had ran into Brambleclaw earlier. The force made her head throb, but it unbalanced Birchpaw and gave her opening she needed to tackle and pin the tabby tom. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps, and she could feel her heart pounding against her ribs.
"That's enough," Firestar called, his eyes glowing. "I think I've made my decisions."
Lilypaw let Birchpaw up, and he gave her a playful nudge. "You really surprised me, Lilypaw," he rasped.
"I surprised you?" She snorted disbelievingly. "I never thought I would beat you." She glanced towards Thornclaw, who was giving her a look full of pride. Her flank prickled, and she glanced towards Sootfur, noticing that his dark amber eyes held mixture of approval and surprise.
"So?" Tanglepaw was shifting his weight anxiously from paw to paw. Cloudtail cuffed him over the ear, but Firestar's whiskers only twitched in amusement.
"Tonight, Puddlepaw and Lilypaw will be attending the Gathering."
Yes! Lilypaw could have yowled her happiness to the sky, but she was aware of the disappointment on her brother's face—and even more so on Birchpaw's. Maybe I should decline so that Birchpaw can go…?
"And Birchpaw, don't look so down. You won't be going tonight because you won't be able to."
The tabby lifted his head, his crestfallen gaze meeting Firestar's calm green gaze. "You'll be siting vigil. I've been speaking to Ashfur, and we've decided it's high time you take your warrior name."
Like mist on a green-leaf morning, Birchpaw woe vanished, his eyes suddenly burning brighter than Silverpelt. "Really?!"
"Yes," Firestar purred. "And Tanglepaw, Eaglepaw, you both performed brilliantly. You will attend the next Gathering."
That idea seemed to appease Eaglepaw, who sighed and gave a reluctant nod. Tanglepaw seemed less convinced, but Cloudtail rolled his eyes and gave his apprentice a rough nudge, reminding him of a patrol they had to get to.
Firestar dismissed them all with a wave of his tail, and Lilypaw turned to Thornclaw, her eyes bright. "What now?" She asked breathlessly. Thornclaw's tail curled in mild amusement. "Now you take a break. You did great today Lilypaw, you've earned a feast."
"So have you," Sootfur added as Eaglepaw joined them.
"Want to share?" Lilypaw offered, glancing hopefully at her brother. Earning a place at the Gathering wouldn't mean anything if it pushed Eaglepaw away from her. But the gray-black tom nodded eagerly.
"Sure," he meowed gratefully. "You really did great, Lilypaw. We'll go to the next Gathering together, I promise."
"All three of us," Emberpaw added.
Lilypaw purred. "It's a promise then."