Chapter Nine: The Newcomer
Hey! I'm updating! My computer's internet is broken, so it gave me time to update all my stories.
So we left off a little bit ago. This is a little confusing. The Longtail part takes place sorta during the last Tigerclaw POV. It is the day when Lionheart and Whitestorm go out to bring Firepaw to the camp.
Disclaimer: I dont own it!
"Longtail! Longtail!"
"What?" sighed Longtail. Lionheart was staring at him with a worried expression. They were out giving Graypaw a lesson in hunting.
"Are you okay? You kinda zoned out." Lionheart said. He gave the young warrior a good look.
"I didnt sleep too well." Longtail sighed. He yawned heavily. Lionheart still looked consirned.
"Why dont you go turn in early?" he asked. "You could bring Graypaw back for me, and tell Whitestorm to come and meet me if you would."
"Sure." Longtail said. "What do you need Whitestorm for?"
"Bluestar wants us to go greet this new apprentice she's taking in." Lionheart said, rolling his eyes. Apparently he didnt agree with Bluestar.
"A new apprentice?" said Longtail, excitment flaring in his eyes.
Lionheart let out an amused purr. "Dont get any quick ideas. You'll me a mentor sonn enough." he laughed.
"Really?" studdered Longtail, happiness swelling inside him.
Lionheart took a quick look around him. "You didnt hear it from me, but I hear that Redtail suggested you to Bluestar to mentor Swiftkit." he whispered.
Longtail smiled. "Thanks Lionheart."
Just then, Graypaw returned, a small wood mouse clasped in his jaws. His head was held high and his eyes were gleaming with pride at having caught his first prey.
"Good catch." Lionheart said happily. "Go feed to the elders."
"Yes Lionheart." purred Graypaw.
"Come on." Longtail said, gestured with his tail for Graypaw to follow him. The little apprentice bounced happily back to camp. Longtail laughed.
"Where are they going?" asked the gray kitten.
Longtail turned to find out what he was refering too.
Tigerclaw, Redtail, and Ravenpaw were preparing to leave through the gorse tunnel. Redtail looked furious, and Ravenpaw looked excited.
"What's wrong?" asked Longtail, hurrying over to them.
Redtail let out an angry yowl. "Ravenpaw scented RiverClan at Sunningrocks. We're going to renew the scent markings."
"Be careful." Longtail warned. Anything that invovled RiverClan and Sunningrocks came with caution.
Redtail let out an amused purr. "Its RiverClan who'd better be careful." With a final nod to Longtail, Redtail signaled for Tigerclaw and Ravenpaw to follow him.
Graypaw retreated to the elders den. Longtail, feeling weak, limped over to the warriors den in hope of catching a quick nap.
He awoke around sundown, feeling slightly better. He went over to share tongues with his former mentor, Darkstripe.
"I wonder when Lionheart and Whitestorm will return." he asked Darkstripe.
""Here they are now." Darkstripe said, gestured with his tail.
Whitestorm and Lionheart entered the camp. In between them sat a little kitten, no older then Graypaw. He smelled of kittypet, and a little collar was around his neck.
Longtail brsitled. This cat had a glowing orange pelt. He was frighfully reminded if his dream last night. Whoever this newcomer was, he brought bad news for ThunderClan.
Bluestar exited the den and hurried over to the few. She exchanged words with Whitestorm, who nodded, She then leapt up to the Highrock and essembled the Clan.
"ThunderClan needs more warriors." she announced clearly. "Never before have we had so few apprentices in training. It has been decided that ThunderClan will take in an outsider to train as a warrior."
And outsider. Right from his dream! Longtail had to protest.
"Lucky to become an apprentice!" he growled. Bluestar shot him a dirty look, but he ignored it.
"Lionheart and Whitestorm have met this young cat, and they agree with me that we should train him with the other apprentices." she continued.
"Where does he come from?" asked Goldenflower.
"Which Clan does he belong to?" asked Willowpelt.
"What a strange scent he carries. That's not the scent of any Clan I know." Runningwind growled.
Longtail could not remain silent. "Look at his collar! He's a kittypet! Once a kittypet, always a kittypet. This Clan needs wildborn warriors, not another soft mouth to feed."
Lionheart leaned into the the kittypet and whispered something to him. The kittypet looked up im confusion.
"Your collar is a mark of the Twolegs, and that noisy jingling will make you a poor hunter at best. At worst, it will bring the Twolegs into our territory looking for their poor lost kittypet, who fills the woods with his pitiful tinkling." Longtail cried out. The others yowled their agreement. He continued. "The noise of you trechouous bell will alert our enemies, even if your Twoleg stench doesnt."
Suddently, the kittypet flung himslef at Longtail. Surprised, Longtail was knocked off his balance. The kittypet sunk his teeth into Longtail's leg.
Longtail had a sudden idea. Flinging the newcomer sidways, he grabbed hold of his collar with his teeth. The result was instint: The kittypet began to choke. He now had to let go of Longtail's leg, or be strangled.
With a snap, the collar broke and Longtail was thrust sideways into the dust. Bluestar leapt between them. Longtail stayed on the ground, panting.
"The newcomer has lost his Twoleg collar in a battle for his honor. StarClan has spoken its approval- this cat has been from the hold of his Twoleg owners and is free to join ThunderClan as an apprentice." she paused, taking in the cat's appearence. "You look like a brand of fire in this sunlight. You have fought well. Until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice will be called Firepaw, in honor of his flame colored pelt."
Longtail felt like shouted out no! This confirmed his doubts; Firepaw was the 'Fire' spoken about in his dream. Shaking himslef, he noticed that the kittypet had torn a nick in his ear. Wincing, he dragged himself over to Spottedleaf's den.
The den had been, until last moon, belonged to Streamfur. But the elderly medicince cat had past away, and now Spottedleaf was the full medicine cat. She was also Longtail's sister.
"Good job. You made Firepaw's first enemy."
Longtail turned to see his sister walk in, and amused purr rising from her. "I dont want to talk about it." he muttered sheepishly.
"Fine, keep your secrets." Spottedleaf said. She brought some cobwebs over and draped them over his ear. She then put something that stung on his leg in the place where Firepaw had bitten it.
"Thank you." he said when she had finished. He was about to exit the den when there was a cry from outside. "Whats wrong!" he gasped. Spottedleaf shook her head.
The two raced out of their den just in time to hear Ravenpaw, who was up on the Highrock, declare loudly "Redtail is dead!"
Bluestar looked grief stricken. Ravenpaw staggeredm blood pouring from his shoulder wound.
"We met five RiverClan warriors beside the stream, not far from the Sunningrocks. Oakheart was among them. Redtail warned Oakheart to kepp his patrols out of ThunderClan territory. He said the next RiverClan cat caught in ThunderClan territory would be killed, but Oak.. Oakheart woundn't back down. He said his C;'Clan had to be fed, whatever we threathened." he paused to wheeze for breath. "Thats when the RiverClan ctas attakced. It was hard to see what was happening. I saw Oakheart had Redtail pinned to the ground, but then Redtail..."
The apprentices eyes slid out of focus and he fell from the rock. The cats cried in shock. Mousefur hurried over to Ravenpaw and sniffed his scruff.
"Spottedleaf." she called, though there was no need to. Spottedleaf hurried over to the apprentice and sniffed him carfefully.
"Its alright Mousefur, his wounds aren't fatal, though I'll have to fetch some cobwebs to stop the bleeding." She then picked up the apprentice and carried him into her den.
Then Tigerclaw arrived, Redtail's body in his mouth.
Longtail felt weak with shock. Redtail, the deputy he had known since kithood, was dead! Brindleface was cryinng quietly. Longtail realized with sadness that Redtail was her father. He hurried over to her and touched his nose to her ear. She blinked at him.
Tigerclaw muttered something to Bluestar, though Longtail didnt care. He was too upset for Redtail, and for Brindleface.
He thrust his nose into Redtail's blood soaked fur. I'm so sorry. I promise to avenge your death. he vowed silently. He waited for Brindleface.
"Will you be alright?" he whispered to her.
"I'm going to sit vigil with him" she muttered, curled up next to her father. Lionheart, Whitestorm, Tigerclaw, and Bluestar joined her.
He sighed as he spotted Firepaw and Graypaw heading into the apprentice den
