Ok here is the next chapter! *hands cookies to those who guessed correctly* ^^ Enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I Thanks all my reviewrs for your support, you're the best. All of you.
Disclaimer:
Wolfpaw: Wolfang does not own warriors, only the cats in this story.
Jake: Remember read and review and, no flames!
Both: Enjoy!
Chapter 7
"Jake, from this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Tigerpaw. I ask StarClan to watch over you and guide you, until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior." The leader continued and turned to face a brown tom. He flicked his tail for the blue-eyed brown tom to step forward. "Bramblefur, you are ready for an apprentice. You have received excelled training from Swallowfeather, and you have shown yourself to be fierce and brave. You will be the mentor of Tigerpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him."
Jake looked at Bramblefur awkwardly when he touched noses with him. "Tigerpaw, Tigerpaw!" He heard the Clan cats chanting his new name. I'll have to learn to adapt to Clan life now… he thought with a silent sigh. He had to admit, it felt pretty good to be here where he could glance down at the chanting cats that quickly dispersed after it died down.
Jake, now named Tigerpaw, padded down the ledge and was met by Wolfpaw, who wanted to congratulate him. He padded over to the pile of fresh-kill afterwards and grabbed a bite to eat. "You have to give food to the elders and queens first, before you feed yourself." The black and white apprentice told him.
Tigerpaw nodded curtly, growling inwardly in annoyance as he padded over to the elder's den with a sparrow and a mouse between his jaws. He dropped it inside the den and went back to his own fresh-kill. He settled down and tore a piece. He chewed for a moment and glanced around camp. Cats were assembling by the entrance, it seemed like they were going on a patrol.
"Tigerpaw!" Bramblefur called his new apprentice. "After you're done eating, meet me by the entrance." Tigerpaw twitched his ears to show that he heard and continued eating his prey. The new apprentice wondered what his mentor would be teaching him now, he still didn't quite get Clan life but now he had a lot of time to understand it better.
He finished his prey and swiped his tongue over his jaws. Getting up, he stretched his legs and headed for the camp entrance. He flicked his tail to Wolfpaw in farewell and padded towards his mentor.
Without question, the small tabby followed his mentor out of camp and towards the vast forest. They came across a stream and, on the other side, a moor stretched far and wide with only very little trees in sight.
Tigerpaw remembered this place now; it had been the place where he had gotten lost while trying to find his way back home. "Over there is where WindClan cats live. WindClan cats are agile and fast, and eat mainly rabbits." Tigerpaw heard his mentor say as he pointed at the moors beyond the stream. "And the stream is what borders ThunderClan territory with WindClan's."
Bramblefur padded over to the trees near and around the stream and sprayed his scent on them. "What I'm doing right now is re-scenting the border markings." The brown tom explained to the small tabby.
Tigerpaw nodded in understanding but padded awkwardly towards the border to re-scent it as well. Bramblefur nodded and whipped around, heading in the opposite direction. Tigerpaw quickly followed after him.
Tigerpaw's eyes widened as they neared a stream, and past it, a thickset of pines stretched far and wide. "My home is over that stream…" he whispered longingly. He shook his head to clear it. "No, I belong in ThunderClan now."
"The pinewoods on the other side of the stream are home to ShadowClan." Bramblefur mewed. "ShadowClan cats are vicious and cunning; they eat frogs, lizards and occasionally, mice and voles."
Tigerpaw twitched his ear to show that he heard. Bramblefur then, padded over to the border to re-scent it. A flash of fur got Tigerpaw's attention. He strained his eyes and got closer to the border to see it better. He froze as the large tabby shape turned his head towards him, looking at him with piercing amber eyes. He took a step back as he remembered how he was chased out of his home by the cats that lived in the pinewoods, which he now knew as ShadowClan.
He quickly turned the other way and hoped his mentor would take him someplace else now. Bramblefur padded back towards the forest again and Tigerpaw was glad to follow him and get as far away from the pinewoods as possible.
"Maybe one day, I can go visit Cross …" Tigerpaw muttered silently as he followed his mentor towards the lake. They stopped at a huge Oak, Tigerpaw looked at it with his amber eyes as big as full moons. "That tree is known as the Ancient Oak." Bramblefur explained. "It is also called the Great Oak or the Sky Oak."
By the time they reached camp, Tigerpaw's legs were aching with tiredness from so much walking. "Give prey to the queens and elders and after you eat again come meet me at the mossy hollow to train." Bramblefur told his apprentice and stalked off.
The small tabby sighed, growling inwardly. "I just want to rest." He muttered and dragged his paws over to the pile of fresh-kill and snatched a rabbit and a squirrel for the elders. He dropped them in the den and went back to grab a sparrow, a robin and a starling for the queens.
Finally, he grabbed a mouse for himself and settled down to eat. He glanced over at the entrance and noticed Wolfpaw and Blazeheart pad into camp with prey between their jaws. He shrugged and began eating his mouse when all of a sudden a flash of black and white fur came to stand in front of him.
"Hi Tigerpaw!" Wolfpaw greeted.
"What do you want?"Tigerpaw mewed unsympathetically.
"Just wanted to ask what Bramblefur taught you." The blue-eyed apprentice mewed.
"He just showed me the territory now leave me alone and let me finish eating." Tigerpaw tore a big piece of his prey and chewed hungrily.
"Blazeheart and I are going battle training in the mossy hollow in a bit." Wolfpaw mewed, swiping a paw quickly in the air like an excited kit. Tigerpaw ignored him and continued eating. "I have to meet Bramblefur in the mossy hollow as well after I finish eating." He commented.
"That's great!" Wolfpaw exclaimed and grabbed a vole to eat. "We get to train together!"
"At least I can get back at you for annoying me." Tigerpaw mewed with a smirk, his amber eyes glinting. He finished his mouse quickly. "Well, what are you waiting for, hurry up."
Wolfpaw gobbled down his vole quickly and leaped back to his paws. "Ok, let's go."
Tigerpaw rolled his eyes at the excited apprentice but followed him out of camp and towards the mossy hollow. Tigerpaw stopped abruptly, his eyes stretching wide as he suddenly saw a large group of foxes appear in front of him. And, as quick as they appeared, they left. "Wolfpaw! Did you see that?" The tabby exclaimed and side-glanced at the black and white apprentice next to him apprentice.
His wide eyes and gaped mouth told him that, yes, he had seen the pack of foxes appear and disappear as well. Tigerpaw shook his head to clear it and nudged Wolfpaw. "Let's make it to the hollow, quick!" he urged the small black and white tom.
The two apprentices quickly rushed towards the hollow and found both their mentors already waiting for them. "You are both late!" Blazeheart mewed sternly.
"Sorry Blazeheart." Wolfpaw apologized, dipping his head.
Tigerpaw didn't even bother to apologize and padded over to his mentor, his scare now at the back of his mind.
"What are we gonna do today?" Wolfpaw asked after he padded over to the warriors and Tigerpaw.
"Simple, I want to test both your skills." The deputy mewed. "Tigerpaw and you will have a battle practice."
Tigerpaw glanced at Blazeheart for a moment before he directed his gaze towards the other apprentice. With a determined grin flashing on his face, Tigerpaw mewed. "Ready?"
"Of course!" Wolfpaw mewed, blue eyes gleaming. "I was born ready."
"Great, then let's start." Tigerpaw mewed and, without any second thoughts, lunged at Wolfpaw. Wolfpaw rolled onto his back quickly and kicked Tigerpaw off. Tigerpaw was sent flying a few tail-lengths, but got up in a flash. He leaped sideways and lashed at Wolfpaw with a paw. He knocked a paw from under the black and white apprentice and made him stumble. Tigerpaw barely dodged a blow to the cheek and rammed his head against Wolfpaw's chest. Wolfpaw fell onto his haunches in surprise and Tigerpaw took that chance to pin him down. "Looks like I win." He mewed proudly. Wolfpaw huffed. "I'll beat you next time."
"Very impressive, Tigerpaw." Bramblefur praised his apprentice.
The tabby tom got off Wolfpaw and the black and white apprentice quickly got up and shook his pelt from dust. "I'm up for another round." Tigerpaw mewed; contained energy emerged from his pelt in waves. He stretched his legs, ready for more.
"That is enough for today." Blazeheart mewed. "Let's head back to camp."
Tigerpaw hissed silently in annoyance. It was the first time they did something he enjoyed and they just had to cut it short. He followed the two warriors reluctantly with Wolfpaw by his side.
After they left the hollow, Tigerpaw's energy seemed to flow out of him and was quickly replaced by tiredness and aching muscles. "I feel like I could sleep for a moon." He muttered as they made their way back to camp. Tigerpaw followed Wolfpaw towards the apprentices' den and made a quick nest for himself before he curled up and fell asleep.
Tigerpaw opened his eyes and found himself in a strange forest. "Where am I?" he murmured and suddenly heard a growl coming from the bushes behind him. He turned around quickly and saw the massive shape of a large fox stepping out of the bush. It wasn't alone. More foxes started to come out as well and, quick as a flash, the small tabby was surrounded.
The biggest fox neared Tigerpaw and he fell back onto his haunches, body trembling at the sight of him. The fox looked over his shoulder and barked something at his large group before he turned his attention back at the trembling apprentice.
Tigerpaw got to his paws again, he swallowed hard and fought to be calm. He arched his back now, fur completely fluffed up to make him look twice his size. He hissed at the foxes and lashed out with unsheathed claws, scoring them on the fox's muzzle. The fox growled and took the apprentice's paw in his mouth, biting him hard. Tigerpaw gaped his jaws in a painful screech as the fox sank his fangs onto the flesh in his paw. The small tabby scored the claws of his other fore-paw on the fox's nose to try and make him let go of his fox snarled between Tigerpaw's paw and swung a massive paw at the tabby's face, throwing him to the floor. The fox let go of his paw and stood over him, gazing at him with gleaming amber eyes. Tigerpaw shut his eyes tightly as the fox closed his powerful jaws around the small tom's throat. Tigerpaw let out a yowl of agony as the fox tore into his flesh and the blood started to well out…
Tigerpaw twitched in his nest, thrashing madly with his paws and yowling loudly. Wolfpaw woke up beside him and prodded the tabby with a paw. "Tigerpaw, wake up!" he hissed. "It's only a dream."
Tigerpaw woke with a start, his heart thumping madly in his chest and his jaws gaping for air. He could still smell and taste his own blood in the air and his paw and throat burned and stung, making him wince in pain. "More like a nightmare." He mewed, his voice still coming out in gasps. "The war has started…" A voice hissed in his ears. "Look for the last chosen cat…"
Tigerpaw shook his head to clear it. "I'm going for a walk." He mewed to Wolfpaw and, sensing the apprentice's curiosity to know about his dream, he added. "I'll tell you about it later."
Tigerpaw gave his ruffled fur a couple of licks before he padded out of the den. He trotted towards the middle of the clearing and glanced at the entrance to camp. He gave his paw and throat a few frantic licks and shivered as he remembered his dream. "Why do I keep having such weird dreams lately." He muttered. "I should've never left my nest…"
He noticed the sky was still dark and the moon kept shining brightly up above. He padded over to the entrance and towards the forest outside the thorn barrier. He trotted through the forest and headed for the border with Shadow Clan. He came across the stream and glanced over it. "Somewhere in those woods is my home…" he mewed longingly.
Will Tigerpaw leave the Clan so quickly after joining? What could the dream have meant? Who is the third chosen cat? Find out, on the next chapter of Warriors A New Beginning!
Thanks you all for your support, you're the best. Continued reading and I'll try to make the next chapter longer! ^^
