Warriors belongs to Erin hunter
Chapter 6: Four moons later...
"Fo-oxpa-aw~" Fear called, his voice cold as ice. "Fo-oxpaw~"
Trying to steady his breath, Foxpaw leapt at the tree, his claws scrabbling against the bark. The apprentice fell to the ground with an excessively loud thud. In a few seconds, he felt Fear's cold breath on his neck. Foxpaw let out a yelp and fled, ignoring the soreness in his pads. Unable to see where he was going, the young fox tripped on a root. His head pounding as though a badger was walking on his head, Foxpaw leapt up and kept running, hearing the sound of paws pounding on the ground just a few tail-lengths behind him.
Foxpaw began to see the faint outline of the trees and grass, thankfully allowing him to avoid another fall. A faint buzzing echoed in his ears as he ran, panting heavily, which grew into the faintest cry of the smallest kitten, until their yowls filled his ears; deafening him to the sounds of the forest. Dozens of cats stood, yowling, just beyond the fungus covered pines. A dazzling light emanated from just beyond the boundary, the colours bringing fresh hope and strength to his legs.
Foxpaw leapt towards the light, his paws arched towards the starry cats. Claws dug into his heels, stopping him in midair. Thumping to the ground, Foxpaw reached desperately towards the yowling cats, his front leg extended to its farthest length. The cats reached back, his claws were but a whisker away from theirs. Just a little farther...
"Get up!" Adderpaw yowled into his ear, effectively waking him from his slumber. Flicking her tail, she sauntered out, the pink, jagged scar on her shoulder gleaming in the sun.
Foxpaw was six moons old as of that day, although he was now as large as an adult cat. He reflected on how he should only just be becoming an apprentice by cat standards as he stretched his aching muscles; The ginger fox couldn't remember the last time he'd had a good night's sleep. He took a moment to admire his long tail; unlike the ragged prickly tails of a normal fox, Foxpaw's tail was soft and sleek, although thicker than a cat's. He didn't like to think of himself as a 'normal' fox, rather he preferred to separate himself from the rest of his species; it provided some comfort.
Foxpaw left the den on that note, looking around for Nightbriar; Just two moons ago, Pebbledawn had kitted, to the delight of the clan and surprise of Foxpaw, who was oblivious to her growing belly. Three moons ago she had been 'banished' to the nursery as Pebbledawn herself had so eloquently put it. Foxpaw himself didn't dislike the new development; Pebbledawn seemed to have developed some personality before and after her kitting. She was as motherly towards the apprentices as she was to her kits, which was quite motherly. But of course, then came the problem of Foxpaw's mentor. Nightbriar was 'forced' to become his as he was reminded every day.
Nightbriar was decidedly far worse of a mentor than Pebbledawn. Whereas Pebbledawn showed little emotion, Nightbriar showed only anger towards him. He would always come back to camp scratched and bruised from a long day of battle training. It was a rare occurrence that he would be allowed to spend the day hunting, and when he did have the chance, he could barely catch more than a wounded bird due to is lack of experience.
A flash of grey, black and ginger appeared at the corner of his vision: Pebbledawn's three kits. The light grey tom was an exact copy of his mother, except for his gender; the black, white-bellied tom was almost identical to his father (Who was quite pleasantly, and surprisingly kind towards the fox cub); and the ginger she-kit didn't resemble either. Crowpelt would often tease that Pebbledawn had been sleeping with Foxpaw, although Foxpaw couldn't understand what sleeping beside a cat would have to do with kitting; Pebbledawn always said kindly that she would tell him when he was older, one of the most infuriating things to say to a young cat, but he didn't reply. Just in case though, he was always sure to sleep a fox-length away from Owlpaw.
"I know a game! I know one!" The black kit (Ravenkit) called out, awaking Foxpaw from his thoughts.
The others were Flamekit for the girl, and Stonekit for the other tom; Foxpaw had suggested Flamekit's name, as he had always secretly wanted to be called it.
"You be the mother," Ravenkit, ever bossy, pointed to Flamekit, "you be the kit," he pointed to Stonekit.
Foxpaw listened in, interested to know what their game was.
"-and I'll be the fox!" Ravenkit declared, letting out a small growl.
"Why can't I be the mother?" Stonekit complained, stomping his little, grey paw down.
"Because you're a tom, duh," Ravenkit replied, "Now run in terror, cause I'm a big, scary fox and I'm gonna eat you up!"
Ravenkit growled, stalking the other two kits with a nasty grin.
"No, You'll never eat up my kit!" Flamekit hissed, acting the part and standing over Stonekit.
"Ow! You're squashing me," Stonekit protested from beneath the ginger kit.
"I don't care!" Ravenkit boasted, pretending to take a bite out of Flamekit, "I'm a monster, and I'm gonna eat up you and your kit!"
"I thought you said you were a fox," Flamekit interrupted, getting off of Stonekit in a clumsy fashion.
"Foxes are monsters," Ravenkit explained.
"Oh, okay," Flamekit mewed, getting back into the game, "I'm not afraid of you! I'm gonna catch you and put you in the fresh kill pile!" Foxpaw began to feel sick.
The two rolled over in a play fight, batting at each other with sheathed kit-paws as Stonepaw watched jealously from the side.
"Oh, hi Foxpaw," Owlpaw greeted loudly, purposefully stepping in front of him. The light-brown she-cat was now a head shorter than him, even though she was three moons older. I'll have to get used to towering over cats, Foxpaw thought miserably.
"I know you've been having a bit of a hard time lately," Owlpaw meowed, shifting her body to block his view of the kits, which was obvious even to him.
"So, I thought you could ask your mentor if you could come hunting with me and my mentor," Owlpaw suggested, "mine already said it's okay, as long as Nightbriar says yes."
'As long as Nightbriar says yes', that was the catch. Getting her to agree to anything was a miracle from StarClan in and of itself.
"I-I'll try," Foxpaw said honestly. With a purr and a happy look, Owlpaw left, her amber eyes half-closed in a cat-smile.
"You're getting me dirty!" Flamekit scolded from just behind where Owlpaw stood, licking her pelt clean.
"Oh, grow up, it's just a little dirt!" Ravenkit mewed, flicking his tail impatiently as she carefully groomed her fur.
"Mommy says that good warriors keep themselves clean," Flamekit lifted her face from her flank to sneer at him.
"You're just mommy's little girl, aren't 'cha?" Ravenkit growled, swiping his paw at her to punctuate his frustration.
"Well, you're a troublesome nuisance," Flamekit retorted, sticking her nose up snottily.
"You're a troubul- a troubuh-" Ravenkit stuttered, "Where'd you learn that anyways?"
"Dustfoot told me," Flamekit bragged.
"H-he said that about me?" Ravenkit stammered, a scowl growing on his little face.
"No," Flamekit giggled, "He said that Fo-"
"Hey!" Adderpaw hissed, stomping over to the kits, "You ungrateful little whelps,"
'Ungruh-"
"Foxpaw here is a fox," she scolded, her face twisted into an ugly scowl.
"No he's not," Flamekit immediately disagreed.
"If he's a fox, why hasn't he eated anybody yet?" Stonekit asked, looking genuinely confused.
Adderpaw aimed a swipe just above his head, making him squeal in terror and run into the nursery.
"He is a fox, just look at him," Adderpaw insisted.
Flamekit and Ravenkit stared at him for a long moment.
"He does have a big nose," Flamekit whispered loudly into Ravenkit's ear.
The two stared at each other before letting out a wail and running into the nursery with their brother.
Adderpaw let out a long sigh, then turned on Foxpaw, "and you!"
Foxpaw tensed, bracing himself for a scolding.
"Grrrr-ugh!"
Adderpaw stomped away without another word, the silence following leaving Foxpaw feeling awkward. He looked up to the leaders den, where she lay sick with greencough, though luckily, she had four more lives left and had assured them all that she wouldn't be leaving them anytime soon. He silently promised the kits that he'd console them later, unenthusiastically continuing his search for Nightbriar.
Sharp claws lightly brushed Foxpaw's hindquarters, and he whipped around to see Nightbriar scowling at him.
"Let's go," She commanded.
"Uh, I was wondering if I could maybe-"
"No," Nightbriar interrupted, Her prickly, black fur ruffling in distaste, "Give my condolences to your girlfriend."
Foxpaw didn't protest to her calling Owlpaw his girlfriend, despite her not being his.
He followed Nightbriar into the forest, but she passed right by the training hollow. Maybe we're going hunting, Foxpaw thought, allowing himself to feel a little hopeful; but Nightbriar continued to walk until they reached a familiar smelling border. We're going into ThunderClan territory! Foxpaw realized suddenly.
"What are we doing?" Foxpaw asked cautiously.
"We're going to teach ThunderClan a lesson about trespassing," She growled, stepping over their borderlines with ease.
Foxpaw hesitated for a moment. "Come on, this is our territory," Nightbriar meowed.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Foxpaw stepped over the boundary, his paws prickling.
Nightbriar continued on without looking back, leaving Foxpaw to catch up. Nightbriar sniffed, glancing up at the full moon.
"Nice night for a gathering," She commented, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Oh, yeah... That," Foxpaw muttered, knowing that he probably would, once again, not be going.
Nightbriar gave a snort. A ShadowClan scent filled his nose, he stopped where he stood, staring at a scent-soaked stump. ShadowClan had marked their boundary here! Did ThunderClan mark their border inside ShadowClan's territory, or did ShadowClan mark it's border inside ThunderClan's? As Foxpaw pondered this, Nightbriar padded past him.
"Come on," She growled.
"What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?"
A brown warrior stepped out from the bushes, hissing a warning at Nightbriar. Foxpaw recognized the warrior to be Brownstep.
"I've come to teach ThunderClan a lesson about trespassing," Nightbriar snarled, her hackles rising threateningly.
"Listen, Nightbriar, I know things have been hard on you since..." Brownstep trailed off, noticing Foxpaw.
"Fox!" Brownstep yowled, leaping over Nightbriar to attack him. He batted at the fox cub's face with unsheathed claws, ducking and dodging as though he expected Foxpaw to fight back.
"Ow! Please stop," Foxpaw yipped, getting knocked over as Brownstep leapt for his chest.
"Redkit?" Brownstep paused in his attack, scrambling off the young apprentice.
"That's my apprentice you're attacking," Nightbriar finally elaborated none too kindly.
"Redkit, I thought you were-"
"He is irrelevant," Nightbriar interrupted, stepping in front of the battered fox.
Brownstep gave her a sceptical look but didn't bring it up again.
"Take me to your leader," Nightbriar demanded, her tail lashing threateningly, whipping Foxpaw in the face as he picked himself up.
"Wolfstar is in no condition to see you," Brownstep argued, not budging an inch.
"Are you saying that your leader is weak?" Nightbriar sneered, cleverly not mentioning that ShadowClan's leader had fallen ill herself.
"Please leave our territory," Brownstep ordered.
With an indignant hiss, Nightbriar scratched Brownstep across the face with unsheathed claws, spraying droplets of blood onto the grass and stormed off. Brownstep remained where he was, staring at the blood stains with an unreadable expression. Foxpaw looked back and forth between the two, then scrambled to catch up to Nightbriar.
"And uh, by the way, Owlpaw isn't my girlfriend," Foxpaw corrected once he had caught up with her.
"Oh," The deputy cooed, her attitude suddenly changing, "I wasn't talking about her."
Thanks for reading this chapter!
Thanks to: Echoed Song for reviewing!
