Disclaimer: I do not own the Warriors books or their main characters. Copyright is Erin Hunter.
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Clan life continues with more kits, apprentices and warriors... and trouble with ShadowClan.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting.", Bramblestar's voice rang through the clearing. Half a moon had passed since Leafpool's kits were born. Dovewing was expecting Bumblestripe's kits and would move to the nursery soon. The bramble thicket was getting too crowded with all the kits and nursing queens. Bramblestar decided to make Brightheart's kits apprentices. The white-and-ginger she-cat had groomed her sons well and was waiting for the meeting to begin. The two young toms at her side quivered with excitement.
"Dewkit", a gray-and-white cat stepped forward "from this day until he has earned his warrior name, you will be known as Dewpaw. Hazeltail, you are ready for another apprentice. You trained Blossomfall well and I hope will pass on your skills to this young cat." Hazeltail stepped forward and touched noses with Dewpaw. Bramblestar flicked his tail to the white kit still sitting with his mother.
"Snowkit, from this day you will be known as Snowpaw. Ivypool will be your mentor. Ivypool, you are an excellent warrior and I trust you will pass on your skills and loyalty." The two cats touched noses and went to sit beside Dewpaw and Hazeltail. Brightheart and her mate Cloudtail were looking proudly at their kits.
"I now, I have the pleasure of giving an apprentice his warrior name. I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I comment him to you as a warrior in his turn. Rosepetal, are you satisfied with your apprentice?" Bramblestar mewed.
"Yes, he trained well to understand the warrior code."
"Then step forward Molepaw. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect your Clan even at the cost of your life?"
"I do." The tom said without hesitation.
"From this day you will be known as Molewhisker. The Clan honors your determination and loyalty." The dark tabby tom placed his muzzle on Molewhisker's forehead and the young warrior gave his leader's shoulder a respectful lick.
"Molewhisker, Molewhisker." The Clan called out loud.
xxx
New-leaf had come. Fresh buds were sprouting and prey was running plentiful. Dovewing had moved to the nursery half a moon ago. The pale gray queen was expecting her first litter. Her mate Bumblestripe was equally excited. Leafpool watched her kits playing as they tumbled over each other and pounced at a scarp piece of moss. She enjoyed being with them. Crowfeather came to the nursery often bringing his mate fresh-kill and playing with Firekit and Featherkit. As the weather became more pleasant, the kits would play outside most of the time. Crowfeather drew moss for them to catch and Cinderheart's kits, Amberkit and Duskkit, were running after the scrap piece, too. The kits were so excited they tumbled over each other into a pile of fur. Crowfeather let out an amused mrrow. Jayfeather was on his way to the nursery with a bundle of herbs for Dovewing when he almost tripped over the scrambling kits.
"Why don't you all go over to the elders' den for a story?", he tried to make them get out of the way. Excited squeals erupted as the horde of kits charged to the elders.
"Crowfeather, the sunhigh patrol is leaving." Foxleap called him and he followed the red tabby tom out into the forest. "We are patrolling the ShadowClan border again. At the last Gathering, Blackstar requested more territory for his Clan again." The cats made their way to the ShadowClan border. Foxleap led them along the shared border with ShadowClan, carefully scenting the air to make sure the scent markers were set where they should be. They saw a ShadowClan patrol marking every tree along their border. The red tom grunted. Rowanclaw, ShadowClan's deputy, led the patrol and eyed the ThunderClan cats suspiciously, but he said nothing.
A few days had passed when Birchfall sent his patrol to the ShadowClan border. Bramblestar had ordered more patrols to secure the border. No cat trusted ShadowClan to respect their border. They had reset the scent line many times before. The patrol walked towards the border, when the cats suddenly halted. There were ShadowClan scent markers way inside ThunderClan territory again. The markers were fresh, a patrol must have set these a short time ago. Berrynose and Foxleap charged ahead of the patrol following the scent line. "There are over here." The cream-colored tom yelled. The rest of Birchfall's patrol, Crowfeather, Millie, Cloudtail, Bumblestripe and his apprentice Seedpaw, pelted after them. Crowfeather spotted Rowanclaw among the ShadowClan cats. The ginger tom had led a strong patrol to reset the border markers.
"You are on ThunderClan territory, Rowanclaw. Go back to your own land." Berrynose bristled with anger, Cloudtail had to stop the younger warrior from charging at the other cats.
"ShadowClan need more territory, and we are taking it now." Ratscar hissed. His Clanmates yowled in agreement. "Try and stop up, kittypets." Cloudtail, Berrynose and Millie hissed angrily. Long ago the three warriors used to be kittypets.
"We stopped you many times before and we will do so again." Birchfall gave the signal to attack with a flick of his tail.
The light brown tabby tom attacked the ginger deputy, clawing and trashing his paws at the other cat. Crowfeather went after Smokefoot, a black tom, jumping on the ShadowClan cat and biting in his shoulder. Smokefoot yowled in pain and tried to shake off the ThunderClan cat. But Crowfeather had a strong grip on his opponent raking his claws down the tom's flank. He flung off the black cat and clawed his muzzle. Smokefoot turned tail and fled. Crowfeather turned around: Millie fought against a dark brown tabby tom and Cloudtail battered Owlclaw. A mottled brown she-cat and her white apprentice were fighting against Berrynose, Bumblestripe and Seedpaw; they were doing well. Birchfall and Foxleap had teamed up against Rowanclaw and Ratscar. Crowfeather joined the two toms to drive off the deputy. The ginger ShadowClan tom looked around quickly and then called to his Clanmates to retreat.
"Come back again you if want to get your ears clawed." Cloudtail called after the fleeing ShadowClan cats. "We haven't seen the last of them. ShadowClan must desperately need more territory.", the white tom mewed to his Clanmates.
"They are not getting any of our territory." Birchfall mewed sternly. "Let's mark the correct border. Crowfeather, Millie, Bumblestripe and Seedpaw go back to camp. Perhaps you can hunt a bit on the way."
"We were lucky the dawn patrol was so strong today. Normally, fewer cats would have gone." Millie's mew interrupted the light brown tom. He blinked.
"You are right, Millie. We have to tell Bramblestar to take more cats on border patrols."
The gray tabby she-cat dipped her head and took off with the others back towards the camp.
xxx
The broken-up dawn patrol decided to hunt for a while. Seedpaw was tensed after the battle, and Bumblestripe thought it would be good to distract her with a bit of hunting. The young pale ginger she-cat was turning into a great hunter: she caught two voles and a squirrel. The gray tabby tom must be a good mentor. Only now did Crowfeather remember how well Seedpaw had fought, too.
They returned to the hollow loaded with prey. Birchfall and the rest of the patrol were already in camp. They were talking to Bramblestar and Squirrelflight. Their leader looked troubled by the bad news. The dark tabby tom flicked his tail to Crowfeather and Millie, indicating they should come over to them.
"This problem with ShadowClan pushing our border is getting worse. They must realize they can't win against us.", came the deputy's frustrated mew.
"Millie, Birchfall told me you suggested taking out larger patrols from now on. I think you are right. At least patrols checking the border with ShadowClan should be at least eight cats strong. Squirrelflight", he turned to his mate, "make sure everyone knows to be extra careful along that border from now on. We don't want to run into any ambush. ShadowClan can't be trusted."
xxx
It has been almost half a moon since ShadowClan last attacked them. Jayfeather was joking they would be attacking again soon, because their wounds would have healed by now. Crowfeather didn't care when he would have to fight ShadowClan again. He would be ready. The dark gray tom was on his way to visit Leafpool and their kits. Firekit and Featherkit were a pawful, he purred at the thought of his mischievous kits. He would also get to see the newest member of ThunderClan. Dovewing had been kitting yesterday. He pushed his way through the brambles and peeked inside. Bumblestripe was in there, too, crouching beside his mate and rasping his tongue over the pale gray queen's ear. Crowfeather's kits squeaked at the sight of him and Leafpool shushed them.
"Quiet kits, remember Dovewing had her kit a little while ago. She needs to rest now." The kits looked disappointed. Crowfeather crawled across to his mate's nest and nuzzled his kits. "Now, you two aren't the youngest anymore. You will be apprentices soon.", he mewed.
"WE'll be warriors before you leave the nursery." Amberkit boasted. She and her brother were climbing out of the nest and Cinderheart had to collect them with her tail. "You are staying here." The gray queen mewed sternly.
Crowfeather glanced at the little bundle at Dovewing's belly. "Have you decided on a name yet?"
"Yes, we are going to name him Stonekit.", the gray queen mewed drowsily. "His fur is the some shade of gray as the stones in the hollow." Bumblestripe's eyes were sparkling with joy.
"That's a good name.", Leafpool agreed.
Continues soon...