Chapter 9

Pondstar yowled for his Clan to cross the Thunderpath, Cedarpaw running after him, his Clanmates following. He looked over his shoulder to find two dogs, both small and scruffy, chasing after them.

Cedarpaw was glad that no monsters were awake.

Sedgespots climbed up a tree, Firetail and Flintpool following her. Flintpool stumbled, but Firetail helped him up.

Curlears, Dewmist, and Foxfur were the most strongest cats in MarshClan, so they stayed behind to fight the dogs.

Cedarpaw felt a jolt of fear flash through him.

The kits!

"Cherryfur, Darksky, Scratch! Get Aspenkit and Dustkit!" The two kits were turning to fight the dogs, despite them knowing they were kits. Cedarpaw rushed over and grabbed the two, blood roaring in his ears.

"Snowkit! Nightkit!" The white and black kits raced after Cedarpaw, their energy quickly running out. Foxfur grabbed the two kits and launched them over to their mother, who climbed up a tree.

Beechkit, Blossomkit, and Whitekit were already scrambling up the tree, but Cherryfur and Darksky helped them up.

Cedarpaw chased after them, Aspenkit and Dustkit swinging in his jaws. When he dropped them, their fur was fluffed out, and they looked terrified.

Pondstar leaped onto one of the dogs, the two rolling around in a flurry of claws and fur. The dog whipped around and met Pondstar's eyes, and quickly lunged forwards, biting his throat and whipping him around in his jaws.

Cedarpaw felt his heart drop into his stomach as he watched his leader being mauled. The dog finally let go of him, Pondstar looking like a piece of preythat was turned into bile.

Leafheart looked at the gray tom. "He's losing a life," she announced. She looked down, whispering, "Only two left." Despite her voice cracking, Cedarpaw saw a glint of happiness in her eyes.

A twoleg called, sounding angry, and padded over to the two dogs. The twoleg didn't seem to notice MarshClan at all. It made another angry noise and dragged the two dogs away.

Pondstar twitched, and quickly got back up. He looked frantically over at Leafheart. "We shall go onwards," he mewed, fear thickly laced in his voice.

He trudged along, seemingly oblivious to what just happened to him.

The cats that had been on ground followed Pondstar, while the others climbed down the trees. Beechkit tumbled down to Cedarpaw. "Is Pondstar okay?" Cedarpaw nodded. "He's fine. He just needs time to reflect,"

"Oh," the she-kit mewed, and caught up to Cherryfur.

Cedarpaw quickened his pace to match Pondstar's. The gray tom was staring at the ground as he padded, not blinking. Cedarpaw flicked his tail over his face. Nothing.

"Pondstar?" he mewed quietly. Pondstar's head snapped up and looked at the apprentice. "Oh, yes, Cedarpaw?" His voice was shaking.

Cedarpaw shivered. "Are you okay?" Pondstar nodded. "Yes, yes, exactly fine," Cedarpaw stopped in his tracks as he waited for Leafpaw and Pondpaw.

"Do you think Pondstar is okay?" Pondpaw whispered, knowing that she was right behind Leafheart and Acornfrost. Cedarpaw shook his head. "I just spoke to him. He seems a bit out of it,"

Leafpaw copied Cedarpaw. "I don't think he's okay. Ever since he woke up from the dogs, he's been acting strange."

Sedgespots caught up to them. "Everybody knows that. Even Acornfrost," Cedarpaw looked into the medicine cat's eyes. Her face was confident, but her eyes had a glint of fear in them.

Pondstar abruptly stopped in front of a Thunderpath. "I can't take another one of these mouse-brained things," he groaned. He walked blindly across it, saying nothing more, not listening for any monsters.

One roared past, catching the leader in its huge paws.

The Clan had settled in a forest by a Twolegplace for the night.

Cedarpaw was going over his day.

The black and white tom stared at the ground in thought, when he heard pawsteps coming towards him.

It was Leafpaw.

The tortoiseshell she-cat stood beside him. "It's been a rough day, hasn't it?" she mewed cheerfully. Cedarpaw looked up at her and nodded. "Yes it has. With Pondstar losing two lives…" the tom looked back down at the ground again.

Leafpaw looked into his eyes. "I bet I can help," she mewed, and curled up next to her denmate. Cedarpaw purred, his thought calming, and went to sleep.

Cedarpaw awoke with Leafpaw still laying beside him. Pondstar was rushing past them, sitting down. "Wake up, warriors," he yowled. The Clan woke up and trudged over to Pondstar, Sedspots sitting beside Cedarpaw and Ivysong sitting beside Leafpaw.

"Well will be making five new apprentices this sunrise. Aspenkit, Beechkit, Larkkit, Whitekit, Blossomkit, please walk forward."

Aspenkit was the first to pop out of the crowd, bouncing in excitement. Beechkit padded over beside her, more calmly and gracefully. Larkkit padded out on the other side of Aspenkit, Whitekit and Blossomkit following.

"Aspenkit, Beechkit, Larkkit, Whitekit, Blossomkit, you all have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Aspenpaw, Beechpaw, Larkpaw, Whitepaw, and Blossompaw. When we reach the new territory, I will give you your mentors."

The Clan cheered, "Aspenpaw! Beechpaw! Larkpaw! Whitepaw! Blossompaw!"

Acornfrost padded over to Leafpaw and Cedarpaw. "Looks like you have a denmates," she purred in amusement.

Larkpaw ran over to Cedarpaw. "I'm finally gonna be in the same den as you! This is gonna be great!" Cedarpaw had never seen Larkpaw so happy in her life.

Aspenpaw and Beechpaw raced over to Cherryfur, while Whitepaw and Blossompaw padded over to Darksky.

Pondstar left the forest, not leaving time for the new apprentices to spend time with their families, but they quickly caught up to their leader.

Pondstar padded along the twoleg path, not stopping. Cedarpaw, at this point, strangely idolized his leader for being so tireless, but pushed the thought away.

There was a large fence towering over the cats, making Cedarpaw feel rather uncomfortable. He decided to look across the Thunderpath instead.

It was still early morning, the sun just coming up, so no monsters were awake at this time. Cedarpaw was thankful for this.

Pondstar and the rest of the cats crossed the Thunderpath easily and noiselessly, the only sound being birdsong.

Cedarpaw and the other cats started crossing another twoleg path, and a thought crossed Cedarpaw's mind. What if there's an endless loop of Thunderpaths and twoleg paths? He shook his pelt. There is a lot of them, but not that many.

A tall stick stood over them, following another. Cedarpaw sighed. But how many are those? Is there even a destination to our journey?