Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War
Book 1: Faded Boundaries
Chapter Eight

It was two days after the Gathering ended. Since then, it had all been a whirlwind of patrols and hunting and rebuilding. There was hardly time to relax between when Blazepaw woke in the morning and when he finally crawled into his nest at night. He didn't mind, though. Working that much took his mind off his worries. And he was worried, very worried about whether it would rain again.

The storm had absolutely devastated the Clans. The tree bridge was gone, and the lake was still swollen. What had happened at the Gathering Island was still rippling through the Clan, impacting every cat. The tree bridge had been there ever since the Clans had claimed the lake as their territory.

Blazepaw had heard the story time and time again from the elders. There had been a huge battle when a WindClan deputy had tried to steal Onestar's leadership. StarClan had sent the tree crashing down, crushing the treacherous deputy and creating a bridge to the Gathering Island at the same time. It was as great a landmark as the Moonpool, or the Great Rock in the old territories. Blazepaw still couldn't believe it was just gone.

Oddly enough, the elders seemed to be handling it the best. Blazepaw was bringing them a mouse that he'd caught earlier. Millie was asleep, but Spiderleg, Brightheart, Cloudtail, and Sorreltail were all up and talking about the Gathering. "Do you really think it's a sign that we need to leave the lake?" Spiderleg asked. His tone seemed unusually subdued. He was the youngest of the elders, but Blazepaw often forgot because of how cranky he was.

Sorreltail let out a snort. "Of course not. Don't be so daft, Spiderleg. If StarClan wanted us to leave the lake, they'd find a better way to do it than washing a tree away in a storm."
"But how can you be sure?" Blazepaw blurted out. He didn't mean to interrupt, but it had been eating at him for days. Did StarClan really want them to leave their home?

Cloudtail shook his head. "The last time we had to leave our home, StarClan sent a sign to four cats, one from each Clan. They had to go on a long, mouse-brained journey to get the whole message, but it was a whole lot clearer than losing a tree. Ask Bramblestar to tell you about it sometime."

Sorreltail gave a friendly flick of her tail. "Don't worry, little one," she said warmly. "Sometimes a storm is just a storm. I wouldn't worry about any wayward signs from StarClan if I were you."

The small tom nodded, trying to feel like he meant it. The elders had seen so much more in life than him. Surely if they weren't worried, he had no reason to be either.

Of course, not every cat was as at ease as the elders. When Blazepaw padded out of the den, he noticed a few warriors gathered by the fresh-kill pile, speaking in low whispers. "But what if it rains again?" Lilyfrost mewed, her voice almost kit-like in quiet fear. "What if the camp floods?"

Seedlight lashed her tail once. "Quit talking about it," she hissed, "you're going to get the whole Clan panicked."

"Maybe they should be panicked," Toadstep countered. He waved his tail, indicating the vast walls of the camp. "Look at this place. If it rains hard enough, this would all fill up with rain. We'd be trapped."

"That's enough," Molefoot warned. "We all just have to hope it won't rain again."

Blazepaw padded past them, heading towards the warriors' den. The warriors' words rang in his ears. Would the camp really flood? He could imagine it all too easily, his Clanmates being pulled under by the waves as the rain pounded down and the stone walls of the camp filling up with dark, murky water. He shuddered. It won't happen. It can't. StarClan won't let it.

Trying to push the thoughts out of his head, the small tom padded into the warriors' den. "Bumblestripe?" he called out. The long-haired tabby was sitting by his nest, talking to Mousewhisker. "I fed the elders. You said you wanted to see me after that?"

Both toms looked up when Blazepaw walked in. "Ah, Blazepaw, come in," his mentor mewed warmly. As Blazepaw padded over, Bumblestripe explained, "I need you to find Snowpaw and find us by the entrance. We're meeting Silentpaw and Ivypool in the forest for a special training session."

Blazepaw perked his ears up in interest, but when no explanation was forthcoming, he just dipped his head. "Yes, Bumblestripe."

"He should be in the nursery cleaning nests," Mousewhisker added as Blazepaw backed out of the den. The small ginger tom padded across the camp, making his way to the nursery.

Rosepetal was inside, her kits Sparkkit and Finchkit sharing a mouse beside her. They looked too big for the nursery now – it couldn't be long until Bramblestar made them apprentices. Hazeltail was there too, and Dovewing, who was asleep. Finchkit was asleep by Hazeltail's side, but Petalkit was awake. The tiny gray she-kit darted to the entrance when Blazepaw walked in. "Hi! Did you bring any prey? Can you tell us a story?"

Blazepaw smiled warmly. Petalkit rarely stopped talking. "Not right now, Petalkit." Snowpaw was in the far corner, cleaning out some of the nests. Blazepaw padded over to him. "Snowpaw?"
The apprentice looked up. "Hi Blazepaw," he mewed. "Do you need something?" The young white tom was a quiet, serious sort, but he had been a good friend while he and Blazepaw were denmates.

"Mousewhisker wants to see you," Blazepaw told him. "We're having some sort of special training session, apparently."

Snowpaw's ears flicked forward with interest. "Really? Well, sounds better than cleaning dens." He glanced at Rosepetal. "No offense," he added.

The dark cream she-cat purred. "None taken. We can finish up around here."

"Thanks," the apprentice mewed. He followed Blazepaw out of the den, the two toms making their way to the entrance of the camp. Mousewhisker and Bumblestripe were already there waiting.

Mousewhisker lifted his head, getting to his paws as he mewed, "Alright, let's get going." He waved his plummy tail, indicating for the other cats to follow him.

The small patrol made its way through the woods, the two young toms trailing behind their mentors. It didn't take long to reach Ivypool and Silentpaw, who were waiting by a small, twisted redwood. Silentpaw padded up to her brother, touching noses with him in greeting. "Do you know what this is about?" she asked as they walked back to their mentors.

Blazepaw shook his head. "No clue."

Ivypool cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the three apprentices. "Now that you're all here, we can get started. We've decided to hold a little competition today." Silentpaw tipped her head in question while Blazepaw and Snowpaw shared an excited glance.

"After all the rain that we've had, we figured that a hunting assessment might be in order," Mousewhisker continued. "So here's how the rules go. You have until sundown to catch as much prey as you can. You have to stay inside the 'territory' you choose for yourself. No straying over your boundaries, no taking prey from other territories."

Bumblestripe told them, "Each of you will choose where you want to hunt, and where you'll set your borders. This will show us your judgement, and how you handle yourself in your environment. We can't help you with your choice, but we'll be watching." He gave a friendly flick of his tail, glancing at his apprentice as he added, "Good luck. Meet us back here at sundown with your catch."

The warriors turned and padded off into the forest, leaving their apprentices behind. Blazepaw could see Silentpaw kneading the ground with excitement, while Snowpaw had his head bowed, eyes shut in concentration. Blazepaw himself felt his tail twitching with excitement. He'd been practicing his tree-climbing and squirrel-hunting a lot with Bumblestripe, so he was hopeful about his chances of winning.
Silentpaw was the first to break the silence. "So, where are we all hunting?"

"I think I'll hunt by the lake, from the WindClan border to the Ancient Oak," Snowpaw said slowly. "There's usually plenty of squirrels in the area."

Blazepaw tipped his head, trying to think. "I'll take the abandoned Twoleg nest," he mewed finally. "The place is overrun by mice."

"Which leaves me," Silentpaw said. "I guess I'll take this stretch of wood, from this twisted redwood to the edge of camp." Her tail tip twitched. "I think I heard a bluejay earlier, maybe I can work on my bird hunting."

Now that they'd decided where to go, the three apprentices went their separate ways. Blazepaw made his way through the woods, finally reaching the Twoleg nest. The place was run-down, broken in several places with ivy and other plants draping themselves over the walls. The scent of Twoleg was so faint it was barely noticeable, and the air was thick with the smell of birds and mice. A perfect place to hunt.

He leapt lightly onto part of the decaying wall, crouching low against it and peering into the nest. Cobwebs hung in one corner, and the floor was covered with dust and dirt. It was hard to believe twolegs had ever lived there.

His ear swiveled around to catch the sound of scurrying. There was something in the corner beside him. The small tom crouched low against the wall, every muscle tensed and still as he tried to pinpoint the sound. There, just a few tail-lengths to the left. He waited a heartbeat, then he gave a massive leap.

He landed square on the back of a mouse, snapping the spine in one go. That done, Blazepaw sat, contemplating his catch. The mouse looked well-fed, plump enough to make a nice snack for the elders. Hopefully, there was more where it came from.

Blazepaw buried the mouse just outside the den, to collect for later, then headed towards the trees surrounding the den. If the other prey in the den had heard him kill the mouse, maybe it was best to do a bit of tree hunting and let them forget about the danger in the nest.

His gaze was caught by a tall beech tree. The branches were waving, and he caught sight of a thick, furry tail between the leaves. He tensed. Squirrel.

With bated breath, Blazepaw dug his claws into the bark of the beech and started to climb. The branches were still waving above him as he slunk up the trunk of the tree. He crept closer, waiting until he was close enough, then he struck our with a lightning-quick paw.

His claws snagged into the squirrel's flank. It let out a squeal of terror and tried to pull free, but Blazepaw pulled back sharply, yanking the squirrel free from the tree and sending it falling to the ground below. It twisted and struggled in the air before landing with a sickening thud and falling silent.

Blazepaw groaned, glancing down at the squirrel below. It had been a messy kill, probably alerting other prey. He'd be lucky if he caught anything else soon.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than branches from a nearby tree waved wildly and a robin tore away from the tree, below him. Blazepaw made a quick calculation and leapt for the bird, tackling it mid-air. The robin screeched and flapped wildly to get away, but Blazepaw dug his claws into its body and wrestled it to the ground. They landed a bit awkwardly, the force of it slamming into Blazepaw's shoulder and knocking the wind out of him. The bird was still beneath his paws.

As Blazepaw fought to get his breath back, he noticed movement in the bushes ahead of him, and the gleam of yellow eyes. Bumblestripe? Had his mentor seen that catch? It had certainly made up for the questionable kill of the squirrel. There was a warm feeling of pride in his chest. He really was starting to get better at this.

SCENEBREAK

Through the rest of the day, Blazepaw was able to catch two more mice, a thrush, and a vole. It started to drizzle around sundown, when Blazepaw was getting his haul together to carry back to the twisted redwood. He tried to push back the twinge of worry as he padded through the forest with the nice in his jaws and the birds slung over his back. It was just a bit of rain, not the pounding onslaught of water from the Gathering. Nothing to worry about.

The three warriors were already there when he reached the redwood, and Silentpaw was arriving with her catch, apparently with a second load as there was already a sizeable pile there. Blazepaw could tell just from the size of the pile that his sister had beat him. He dropped the mice and birds at his paws, commenting, "Whoa, that's a lot of prey!"

Silentpaw held her head up with pride. "I had a good day," she purred.

Blazepaw grinned at his sister. "This'll teach the other Clans to say that a blind cat can't be a warrior," he praised.

His sister grinned back. "It wasn't just me. All that training must've done me some good," she admitted, ear flicking towards Ivypool.

The gray-and-white tabby warrior looked pretty proud herself. "Well done, Silentpaw," she praised. "The Clan will eat well tonight. And good job to you, Blazepaw," she added. "Bumblestripe told me about how you caught that robin." The thick-furred gray tom gave his apprentice a nod, pride gleaming in his eyes.

Blazepaw bowed his head shyly. "I wouldn't have caught it if I hadn't screwed up killing that squirrel," he admitted.

Bumblestripe strode up to his apprentice, his tail tip brushing against Blazepaw's shoulder. "You caught it," he reminded the young tom. "That's what matters."

The apprentice ducked his head, but that pride was still warm in his chest. Aloud, he mewed, "I left the squirrel behind, I should go get it." He turned and padded away, his shoulder still aching and his pelt a little wet from the rain, but overall pretty content. He'd done well today.

That contentment began to fade into concern as the rain started to get thicker and harder, starting to pour rather than drizzle. His pelt was soaked through in minutes, clinging close to his frame and leaving him cold and miserable. By the time he reached the squirrel, the dirt that had been covering it had turned to mud. It was all over the creature's pelt, getting in his mouth as he picked it up. He suppressed a shudder, forcing himself to keep going with the mud-soaked thing in his jaws.

Snowpaw still wasn't by the twisted tree by the time he got back. Silentpaw was hunching over her kill, sheltering it from the rain as best she could, and Ivypool, Mousewhisker, and Bumblestripe were gazing around with concern. "Have you seen Snowpaw?" Mousewhisker called as Blazepaw approached.

The pale ginger tom shook his head. "Sorry, no."

Before Mousewhisker could ask anything else, Ivypool called out, "I see him!" Blazepaw turned to see a figure approaching through the rain. The tom's fur was so caked in mud and rain that it was impossible to make out his snowy pelt, and he held two drowned water voles in his jaws. He finally managed to stagger towards them, dropping the pitiful catch at his paws and panting. "Hunting was horrible," he spat, glaring at the voles. "It was too muddy to get anything done, and the lake's so flooded that there was barely any prey around. I spent half the time getting stuck in the mud and nearly getting pulled into the lake."

Mousewhisker bounded forward to touch noses with his apprentice, clearly relieved he was alright. Ivypool, however, was watching Snowpaw with narrowed eyes. "How flooded is the lake?"

The apprentice leaned against his mentor's shoulder, visibly shaking. "It's stretched all the way to the Ancient Oak," he said grimly. "It looked like it was getting worse when the rain started again."

Blazepaw felt a cold pit of fear in his stomach. If the lake was flooding again, how was the camp faring? "We have to go home," he said, fear tight in his throat. "We have to go back."

Ivypool nodded curtly. "We'll help carry the prey." She picked up Blazepaw's robin in her jaws, slinging a thrush from Silentpaw's pile over her shoulders and tucking a vole under her chin. Bumblestripe and Mousewhisker grabbed prey as well, finishing off all three piles. Once all the prey was loaded, the three cats headed back towards the camp.

Blazepaw could barely see through the thick haze of rain, but he managed to keep behind Bumblestripe, never more than a hair's width from his mentor's tail, or else he'd lose sight of him. The going was tough, with the rain practically blinding him and the mud trying to pull his paws down. Beside him, Silentpaw was struggling, her ears twitching and swiveling every which way to try and figure out where she was going. Blazepaw kept his tail-tip on her flank and his shoulder against hers, guiding her as best as he could through the storm.

They finally made it back to camp. Blazepaw was relieved to see that it was more or less intact. Squirrelflight greeted them as they walked back in. "Are you all okay?" the dark ginger she-cat demanded.

"We're all fine, Squirrelflight," Bumblestripe told the deputy wearily. "Just soaked and tired."

Squirrelflight sighed in relief. "Thank StarClan. You're the last cats out." Her eyes widened in surprise as she took in their appearance. "That's an impressive haul," she remarked, glancing at the prey.

Ivypool nodded. "Our apprentices did well today," she said proudly.

"I'll say they did at that," Squirrelflight mewed warmly. "Drop some of that off for the elders and kits, then get yourself some food. You earned it."

Blazepaw dipped his head respectfully, then padded off in the direction of the elder's den. As he did, he couldn't shake the little nagging thought in the back of his brain. Are we really safe from the rain here?

Disclaimer: This was written before Bramblestar's Storm was even announced. Any similarities to Bramblestar's Storm and it's plot are pure coincidence, you can check the dates, please don't kill me.

Anyway, it was nice to write another chapter of this. I'll try to have more out soon. And yeah, who knew Bramblestar's Storm would end up having so similar a plot to my fanfic? O.O I mean, a lot is different, but the idea in it is is the same. Mostly. There are plenty of differences, though.