Lynxfur sat in the clearing waiting for Racconpaw to join him. Dapplepaw had just ran into the camp from the half-moon gathering at the Moonpool. Monarchfall was shaking his head slowly as his apprentice disappeared into the apprentice den. "So how was the other medicine cats?" Lynxfur asked.
"Happysong has an apprentice now." Monarchfall meowed, sitting down in front of Lynxfur. "His name is Runningpaw."
"What does Runningpaw look like?"
"Runningpaw is a golden tabby with green eyes." Monarchfall answered, drawing a paw over his ear. "Anyway what are you going to teach Raccoonpaw today?"
"Hunting."
Monarchfall's eyes narrowed. "What about battle training?"
"I will teach him that tomorrow."
"You do realize that he needs to learn as soon as possible." Monarchfall pressed. "We can't have an apprentice hiding in the nursery, because he doesn't know how to fight. If I were you, I would have him hunt in the morning and fight in the afternoon."
"Okay, I'll do that." Lynxfur agreed, stifling a purr as he saw Frostheart poke her head out of the nursery. Then her head disappeared back inside after meeting Lynxfur's gaze.
"Lynxfur! Lynxfur!" Raccoonpaw yowled, as he dashed over from the apprentice den. "What are we doing today?"
"You'll see." Lynxfur replied, trying to sound mysterious. "Now follow me." He led the way out of the camp. He kept up a fast pace on the path to the training area. Monarchfall was right of course but Lynxfur wanted Raccoonpaw to learn to hunt for the clan first. When they arrived in the training area, Lynxfur padded to the middle and waited as Raccoonpaw bounded over. "I'm going to teach you how to hunt."
Racconpaw gazed at him in astonishment. Clearly bursting with curiosity. "Will I learn the hunting crouch?"
"That's what I'm going to teach you, right now." Lynxfur tried not to laugh, though his whiskers twitched. He dropped into the crouch, his muscles flowing smoothly in place. "Now you try."
Raccoonpaw dropped into a sloppy crouch, and looked at Lynxfur with pride in his eyes. "Like this?" Lynxfur tried not to burst out laughing at Raccoonpaw's position. The apprentice's legs were splayed out in all different directions and his tail was swishing up the leaves as he tried to keep his balance. Raccoonpaw was trying to keep his belly off the ground but was unable to.
"No! You look like a lopsided badger!" Lynxfur purred, padding over and nudging Raccoonpaw's paws in place. He stopped by the tail and shook his head. "Can you tell me why, I kept my tail off the ground and still?"
Raccoonpaw lifted his tail slightly off the ground and stilled it before replying. "So the prey can't hear your approach because your tail isn't swishing up the leaves." He added. "This feels wrong."
"You'll get to use it." Lynxfur promised, scenting the air. "Now try stalking." He could smell some prey close by. He deceted the tang of mouse and came to decision. He wanted Raccoonpaw to try and catch the mouse. Raccoonpaw moved forward, his paws landing heavily on the ground. The apprentice soon fell out of the proper crouch into a more comfortable position. Lynxfur let out a hiss of frustration.
"What now?" Raccoonpaw asked, sitting up and looking at his mentor.
"You don't stalk like that!" Lynxfur growled. "The prey will hear you the moment you start stalking!"
"So?" Raccoonpaw meowed, tilting his head to one side. "They'll hear us coming anyway."
Lynxfur let out a sigh, trying to control his anger. "Alright, let's try again. Drop into the hunting crouch." Raccoonpaw obeyed and flashed Lynxfur a look. Lynxfur was pleased to see that he had the position down correctly this time. "Now move forward slowly. Like a snake, but still in the crouch."
Raccoonpaw placed one paw, slowly after another, till he reached the edge of the clearing. Lynxfur let out a purr of satisfaction. "Great! Now I'm going to drop a leaf and you pounce on it like you would on real prey." Lynxfur scanned the clearing and found a leaf. He picked it up and padded over to drop it a few fox-lengths away from Raccoonpaw. "Now hunt!"
Raccoonpaw dropped into a crouch and stalked forward. When he was a mouse-length away from the leaf, he wriggled his haunches and pounced. Lynxfur let out a sigh as Raccoonpaw landed a tail-length away from the leaf. To his dismay the mouse-brained apprentice was looking rather pleased with himself. "Did I get it?" He asked.
"No! You landed a tail-length away!" Lynxfur meowed, and gazed at his apprentice closely. Raccoonpaw's long hind legs meant that he could pounce on his prey from farther away. "Let's try it again, but this time don't go too close. Your hind legs are designed for longer distances."
"Ok!" Raccoonpaw brightened up and returned to the starting point. He stalked over and pounced a tail-length away and landed squarely on the leaf. "Did I get it?"
"Yes, you did." Lynxfur purred, padding over. "It's sunhigh now so why don't we head back to camp for a meal?"
"And afterwards?" Raccoonpaw pressed.
"You'll see." Lynxfur meowed, heading back to camp. Raccoonpaw dashed ahead of him. "Get back here!" Lynxfur called, breaking into a run to catch up to his apprentice.
Raccoonpaw stopped, letting Lynxfur catch up. "You don't go dashing off without checking for danger first!" Lynxfur scolded. They headed back to camp in silence. When Lynxfur emerged from the thorn tunnel, Snakefang dashed towards him.
"What's going on?" Raccoonpaw asked.
"It's Daisystar." Snakefang meowed, her voice shaking. "She has greencough."
"How?" Lynxfur demanded.
"I don't know, it came on very quickly." Snakefang admitted. "Monarchfall is with her now."
"Raccoonpaw why don't you go get a piece of fresh-kill, and care for the elders the rest of the day." Lynxfur ordered, "See if Dapplepaw is willing to help you."
"Ok!" Raccoonpaw dashed away. Lynxfur watched as his apprentice headed over to Dapplepaw, who was pacing in front of the apprentices' den.
"You got your paws full with that one." Snakefang observed quietly.
"I know," Lynxfur agreed, and quickly added. "How's Frostheart?"
"She's doing fine." Snakefang meowed, her eyes brightening. "In fact she was asking for you earlier."
"Where is she now?"
"In the nursery."
"When will she kit?"
"You are too impatient." Snakefang flicked his ear with her tail before padding off to the warriors den. Lynxfur turned his paws towards the nursery. When he reached the bramble bush, he stuck his head in and let out a soft purr. Frostheart was curled asleep in her nest. Sunlight was streaming in through the patches in the den, dappling her fur. Lynxfur didn't want to wake her, so he padded quietly over, and settled down beside her. Curling his tail gently around Frostheart, he drifted off into a light sleep.
Lynxfur woke up in his nest in the warriors den to a wail. It's been half a moon since Daisystar first fell ill. He sat up and pricked his ears when the wail came again. This time it was filled with grief. "Buzzardwing!" He yowled, jumping to his paws and waking the warriors. He headed out into the clearing to see the elder letting out another wail at the sky. Lynxfur quickly identified what happened. Monarchfall and Dapplepaw were sitting a tail-length away from the elder, bending over Daisystar's body as they applied lavender.
"Why Starclan? Why?" Buzzardwing wailed. "Why would you take my family away from me? Why?"
Lynxfur stopped next to the elder, and pushed his nose gently against her shoulder. "I'm sure, Daisystar is watching you right now from Starclan."
"You!" Buzzardwing hissed. "Your name is a curse brought upon us by Starclan! Daisystar should've sticked to your original name! She should've called you Weaselheart!"
Lynxfur stiffened and looked around the clearing. Buzzardwing was drawing a crowd. Raccoonpaw was looking at him in horror, while Moonstripe let out a snarl. Lynxfur said nothing as Buzzardwing continued. "I should've killed you while I had the chance! You no good, crowfood eating, foxheart!" She spat out, spinning around and stalking over to Daisystar's body.
Lynxfur followed, and with a wary glance at Buzzardwing, he pressed his nose into his leader's fur briefly. He quickly sprang back as a claw swiped right in front of his face. He glared at Buzzardwing, who was watching him with a sneer on her face, as he padded to the camp entrance, ignoring the shocked mutters of his clanmates.
"Hey! Lynxfur!" Longpelt called, making Lynxfur stop. He turned his head to see his former mentor crossing the clearing, with Monarchfall in tow. "I want you to lead a border patrol to the Thunderclan border."
"Yes, Longpelt." Lynxfur dipped his head respectfully, as Longpelt padded past him.
"Oh, and Lynxfur," Longpelt meowed, pausing. "I admire the way you dealt with Buzzardwing back there. If I were you, I would've clawed her face off for that!"
"We need to get going," Monarchfall meowed impatiently. Longpelt nodded and followed the medicine cat into the forest. Lynxfur turned to gaze at his clanmates.
"So…" Lynxfur began, then paused. He gulped before asking, "Who wants go on the dawn patrol?"
"I do!" Raccoonpaw bounded forward to Lynxfur's side. Lynxfur blinked at his apprentice gratefully, then lifted his head to see Moonstripe take a hesitant step forward.
"I will come but that doesn't mean you're deputy!" Moonstripe hissed in his ear.
"I know, but Longpelt told me too." Lynxfur pointed out, meeting Moonstripe's gaze. Frostheart immediately stepped forward, her blue eyes brightening with excitement. "No, Frostheart, I want you in the nursery resting."
"But…"
"I said no, Frostheart," Lynxfur meowed gently. He pressed his muzzle against hers. "What would I do if you got hurt?" Frostheart glared at him, but stepped back and let Snakefang usher her to the nursery.
"I'll come." Cloudeye offered, padding to Lynxfur's side. "What border are we patrolling today?"
"Thunderclan," Lynxfur shied away from Cloudeye's respect. "Er…let's get going then." He caught Moonstripe's whiskers twitching in amusement at his awkwardness.
The patrol went peacefully with Raccoonpaw bounding ahead every few heartbeats, his tail quivering in excitement. "What's gotten into you today?" Lynxfur teased, flicking his tail lightly over Raccoonpaw's ears, as he stopped to watch a butterfly.
"Nothing! Except that I am so excited!" Raccoonpaw yowled as he jumped up, trying to catch the butterfly. Lynxfur let out a purr.
"About what?"
"That my father is clan leader!" Raccoonpaw yowled again, bounding ahead.
"I get that you are excited, but keep your voice down!" Cloudeye scolded the adventurous apprentice.
"Let him be," Lynxfur argued. "It's his first dawn patrol."
"And his father is becoming clan leader," Moonstripe pointed out. Lynxfur cast his brother a look of gratitude.
"Raccoonpaw! Come back here!" Lynxfur called, and Raccoonpaw came bounding back.
"Are we going back to camp now?"
"Yes, but stay close," Lynxfur meowed sternly.
"Great!" Raccoonpaw bounded off in the direction of camp, his tail quivering in excitement.
Lynxfur stifled a growl of frustration and bounded off after him. Why doesn't Raccoonpaw do as he told. Lynxfur wondered, shaking his head. He heard Moonstripe and Cloudeye keeping pace with him, as they slowly neared the camp. They were gaining on the apprentice when Raccoonpaw's tail suddenly disappeared. Lynxfur felt his heart sink as a yowl of alarm split the air. Lynxfur increased the pace, till he skidded to a stop, his eyes widening in alarm. His apprentice was cornered by the biggest badger he had ever seen.
Shadowclan
Leader: Longpelt: A long pelted tom with green eyes. The pelt is black and white
Deputy: not yet chosen
Medicine cats: Monarchfall: a ginger tom with black stripes and blue eyes – Apprentice: Dapplepaw: A dappled brown and white tom with green eyes
Warriors:
Sunrise: A tom whose pelt looks like the sunrise and has sparkling green eyes
Cloudeye: A black tom with amber eyes though he is blind in one eye.
Whitetail: A brown she-cat with a white tail. Has hazel eyes
Badgerflame: Has a badger like coat with a short temper. Has amber eyes, tom
Swallowtail: A sandy colored tom with brown eyes and black stripes
Watermist: Silver she-cat with black stripes that slowly merge together. Soft white paws and a white tail tip. Dazzling amber eyes.
Flowerclaw: A golden pelted she-cat with leaf-green eyes
Moonstripe: A silver-ginger tom with black paws and stripes and a ginger tipped tail. His ears tapper off into a tuff of black fur. Has pale leaf-green eyes.
Lynxfur: Dark brown tom with big paws, small ears and a long tail. Has wide owl like eyes, one green and one amber. (The big paws aren't big as in size to body but bigger than a normal cats)
Snakefang: A ginger she-cat with a long winding tail and silver eyes.
Flameclaw: A ginger and white tom with amber eyes.
Fawnwing: A brown she-cat with a white speckled back. Has pale blue eyes
Apprentices:
Raccoonpaw: A silver kit with a silver and white striped tail and a black mask over his amber eyes
Queens:
Frostheart: A white she-cat with faint black spots and light blue eyes
Kits: None
Elders:
Juniperberry: small ginger tom with golden eyes
Buzzardwing: frail cream she-cat with hazel eyes