Chapter 12

The next morning Nightclaw walked through the forest, heading towards the Shadowclan border, still thinking about his heart wrenching dream. The forest wasn't particularly bright, or dim, so Nightclaw's mood wasn't affected or changed. He met up with Crookedwhisker, and they padded along the stream, planning. And Nightclaw had to force Nina out of his mind.

"If Riverclan gets angry enough, they may start a battle," decided Crookedwhisker. "That could be good for our chances. We have many choices if that happens. We could go for the kits, we could go for Duskstar, we could go for Lightstar or we could go for the apprentices. The kits are probably our best choice, but going for Duskstar would be good too."

"But I can't overpower a cat with nine lives," argued Nightclaw. "He would kill me before I even killed him once, nonetheless nine times."

Crookedwhisker growled in frustration. "Then we'll have to go for the kits. We capture them and threaten their lives. It is the easiest plan. Thunderclan was always softhearted."

Nightclaw glared at him but did not question the decision. "What about the apprentice?" he demanded. "She knows too much."

Crookedwhisker sank his claws into the soft earth, the smirk on his face clear, obviously two steps ahead of Nightclaw. "Try what we discussed at the gathering, otherwise I do not know. You were very careless, letting your apprentice tell her that information."

Nightclaw winced and muttered something under his breath.

"If you fail at silencing her then I will take care of her myself," Crookedwhisker continued. "What does she look like?"

"Well," mewed Nightclaw, "she's black-"

"Like you," interrupted Crookedwhisker.

"Yes," said Nightclaw, and now that Crookedwhisker mentioned it, she did look like him. "And she has golden eyes-"

Suddenly his vision was jolted, and Nightclaw felt as if the world was spinning before his eyes. He saw Nina before him and she was murmuring, "No, Nightclaw, I cannot but she can tell you herself; but she can tell you herself, herself, herself, herself, herself." The words echoed in his head, burning into his vision, making his mind pound. And then he could see Nina staring up at him with her piercing golden eyes, that cut through his pelt and bones, straight to his heart.

"Nightclaw! Nightclaw!" Crookedwhisker mewed angrily.

Nightclaw snapped out of his trance and blink in surprise. "W-w-what," he stammered, taken aback. He tried to hide the expression on his face that still lingered from his thoughts of Nina, but it was too late.

Crookedwhisker stared at him for a moment and then sadly shook his head. "I had not thought," he mewed softly. "That you were the type to go astray, but apparently I have been proved wrong."

And then he leaned forward, right next to Nightclaw's face and whispered, "Love is a tool, a tool used to weaken you."

Batpaw happily sank her paws into the warm sand of the training hollow. She had not had a good training session for a long time, too much things happening. Ever since the gathering, where she had seen Nightclaw with the Shadowclan cat, Batpaw had been feeling a bit uneasy, worried that something was going to happen. Batpaw felt that learning and fighting would be a just the thing she needed to keep the rumors she had heard about Nightclaw in the medicine cat den out of her mind.

"All right Batpaw," mewed Eaglewing, taking charge. "You haven't worked on your fighting for a long time so I imagine that you're a bit out of practice. Why don't we start with a simple defensive exercise. Pretend that I'm an enemy warrior and that you are guarding the kits. I am going to try to get past you and you have to stop me from going anywhere."

Batpaw nodded and watched Eaglewing closely. Suddenly her mentor darted forward, racing for an opening in Batpaw's defenses.

Time seemed to slow and Batpaw just stood frozen. Eaglewing was too good. She would never block her! But then her eyes blurred and Eaglewing seemed to become the mouse that she was hunting. Determined that her prey did not get away, she pounced on it and sank her claws into it's scruff. She heard a sharp gasp and jerked out of her trance. Batpaw stared at her mentor with shock, realizing what she had just done. "I'm sorry," she squeaked, but Eaglewing just stared at her.

"Never," she gasped. "Never have I seen an apprentice use hunting tactics in battle. Batpaw that was amazing! I expected to get past you the first few times."

Batpaw looked up at Eaglewing in astonishment. "You liked it?" she gasped. "Really?"

Eaglewing looked at her warmly. "I loved it. Now lets get back to the camp and get you some food."

Batpaw nodded happily and followed Eaglewing through the gorse tunnel. She happily munched on her vole with Starpaw, and she had to smack her friend with her tail so that she would pay attention to her instead of to certain warriors. To make it worse when Lynxfoot walked by Starpaw choked on a bone.

"Starpaw," mewed Batpaw, irritated. "Could just listen to me for once?"

"S-sorry Batpaw," Starpaw mewed, apologetically. "I guess I'm just a little nervous today."

"I wonder why," said Batpaw, rolling her eyes.

"Did you hear the big news," gasped Starpaw, bubbling with excitement, as if she had wanted to tell Batpaw this all day. "Lynxfoot got attacked at the border by a Riverclan warrior, but he defeated the warrior and came back immediately to report to Eaglewing."

Normally, Batpaw would have dwelled in the fact that Starpaw was nuts about Lynxfoot, but the idea that a Riverclan cat had just attacked him for no good reason worried her. If that kept happening then Eaglewing was right and they would find themselves in the midst of a very large battle.

"Of course," Starpaw continued, "Lynxfoot did nothing, until he was forced to fight the cat and win."

"Of course," Batpaw muttered. It seemed that Starpaw's mooning would be continuing for a lot longer than she had expected. Just my luck, Batpaw thought to herself. My mentor and my friend are dead and my best friend is dumbstruck over a tom. Just my luck. She sighed. Oh Mother, why can't you be here?

"I, Duskstar leader of Thunderclan, look down upon these kits." Duskstar's voice echoed out across the clearing, the clan crowded around the Highrock. Leapkit, Violetkit and Pantherkit were staring around with wide excited eyes, trying to guess who their mentors would be. "They are of their sixth moon," he continued, "and are ready to become apprentices and learn our noble code."

"Pantherkit, please step forward. From this moment until you receive your true warrior name, you shall be known as Pantherpaw. Addertooth, please step forward. You are ready for your first apprentice. You shall mentor Pantherpaw. Teach him your quick wit and loyalty." Addertooth touched noses with Pantherpaw, his eyes shining and Pantherpaw did the same.

"Leapkit, please step forward. From now on until you achieve your warrior name you shall be known as Leappaw. Greymoon, you are a very respected and experienced warrior and I know that you will make a loyal warrior of this young apprentice. You shall mentor Leappaw." Leappaw bounded forward as fast a she could, and in her excitement, banged her nose against Greymoon's, making her fur bristle in embarrassment and Greymoon's whiskers twitch in amusement.

Murmurs of surprise rippled across the clan as Duskstar stepped down from the Highrock. Violetkit looked around with scared eyes, and Batpaw realized that Duskstar had not given her a mentor.

"Cats of Thunderclan," came a quiet voice, and the whole clan turned to see that it was Dewpelt. "As you all know, I will not be around forever," she continued, calling out the ancient words. "So it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who is very gentle, kind and a quick learner. Your next medicine cat will be Violetpaw."

Whispers broke out among the clan and Batpaw understood their worries. Part of what Dewpelt said was not true, she was a very young cat maybe even too young to have an apprentice.

"Violetpaw, do you except the post of apprenticeship to Dewpelt?" Duskstar mewed steadily, not noticing anything wrong.

"Y-yes Duskstar, I do." Violetpaw still looked scared half to death, but she was starting to relax as she gave her shoulder a quick lick.

"Then at the half-moon," mewed Dewpelt, "you must travel to Mothermouth, to be accepted by Starclan before the other medicine cats."

"The good wishes of all of Thunderclan will go with," murmured Duskstar.

Violetpaw nervously came forward and touched noses with Dewpelt, as if she was not sure if she was doing the right thing. Batpaw saw Frosttail sitting close to the Highrock, watching Violetpaw with a pained look on her face.

"Pantherpaw! Leappaw! Violetpaw!" the clan chanted, although some of them looked uneasy and nervous.

"I wonder what made Violetpaw want to become medicine cat apprentice," whispered a voice in her ear, and Batpaw turned to see that it was Starpaw. "Now she can't have a mate. I'd hate to not have a mate and what if I fell in love but I couldn't mate?"

Batpaw rolled her eyes. "And of course you're not in love."

Starpaw just continued to munch on the vole that she was eating. "Of course I'm not! Where did you ever get that idea?" she asked, looking at Batpaw as if she crazy.

Batpaw choked on a bit of mouse fur, trying to hide her laugh. Starpaw then excused herself and padded into the apprentice den.

"Hi, Batpaw, have you seen Starpaw? We were supposed to go hunting together."

Batpaw turned towards the sandy warrior. "Oh, yes Lynxfoot," she said, letting out a snort of laughter and trying hard to contain her giggles. "She went into he apprentice den."

"Thanks," he mewed, and bounded over just as Starpaw was coming out. It was hard to describe Starpaw's expression at that moment. It was full of surprise, panic, admiration, helplessness, shock, and delight. She let out squeal and said something like, "uh da, eeeeh!"

Batpaw then decided to leave, rather then watch Starpaw make a fool out of herself. She bumped right into Eaglewing just as she was leaving.

"Batpaw! There you are! I've been looking for! How'd you like to go on hunting patrol with me?"

"Really?" asked Batpaw. "But I already went on border patrol!"

"I know," Eaglewing mewed, apologetically. "But border patrol went a little wrong and I know that you really like to go on patrol."

"I'd love to," Batpaw purred. She bounded after her mentor and into the forest. Goldenfoot, Rabbitpaw, and Frosttail, who was looking tremendously pleased to be out in the open again, raced after them, and into the bright sunshine.

Frosttail dropped into a crouch, scenting a mouse, but she accidentally snapped a twig, startling the animal. She let a sigh of defeat as the mouse darted away from her. Suddenly Batpaw's limbs seemed to move of their own accord, and she darted forward and in one fluid movement, had it in her jaws.

Frosttail gaped at her and Goldenfoot stared, shocked. "How did you do that?" squealed Rabbitpaw, with a stunned expression on her face.

Batpaw looked at her confused. "What do you mean how did I do that? I just caught the mouse."

"Batpaw," Frosttail said softly. "Most warriors can't catch a mouse after it has sensed you and started to run away. It is very unusual, and it takes a lot of skill."

"Lets split up," interrupted Eaglewing. "Batpaw you go down by Fourtrees, Goldenfoot go hunt near the sandy hollow, Rabbitpaw you'll come with me to the great sycamore, and Frosttail I want you to go all the way down to tallpines. We'll meet back here after you've caught all the prey you can carry." Eaglewing motioned to Rabbitpaw and bounded off.

As Batpaw padded through the trees towards Fourtrees, she thought about what Frosttail had said. Could she really do special things? Batpaw paused, sniffing the air. To her, the forest smelled full of prey. She didn't know which way to turn.

Batpaw smelled rabbit. That would be a great catch! She crouched low, looking around until she pinpointed the rabbit. Batpaw saw a little fluffy tail sticking out of the bushes. She gathered herself up, and pounced, missing the rabbit by inches. Immediately Batpaw was up again and racing after the rabbit. She wove in and out of trees, until, finally, Batpaw pounced, and the catch was hers. Satisfied, she scraped dirt over the rabbit and bounded off to catch some more prey.

The day was fresh, and the forest full of prey. In no time at all Batpaw had another mouse buried next to the rabbit. Soon she would be heading back to meet the rest of the patrol. Batpaw was about to turn back when she scented vole. She dropped into a crouch and began a stalk. Batpaw got so close, she could see the vole's whiskers quivering. Suddenly she lashed out with her paw, lunged, and snatched up the vole. Batpaw nodded in satisfaction and bounded off to collect her prey. She found her mouse but to her dismay, her rabbit was gone.

Batpaw padded back to camp, her spirits depressed from the disappearance of the rabbit. She had been hoping to impress Eaglewing with all of her prey but now her load seemed light and small.

"Batpaw," Eaglewing said, relieved, as she entered the camp. "We were worried about you."

Batpaw looked up at Eaglewing in alarm. "Was I gone for a long time?"

"Not that long," Eaglewing mewed, quickly. "What did you catch?"

"A rabbit, a mouse and a vole." Batpaw gulped, wondering what Eaglewing would say when she heard that Batpaw had lost the rabbit.

Eaglewing looked at her closely. "Where's the rabbit? All I see their is a mouse and a vole."

Batpaw swallowed hard. "I- uh, I didn't collect it yet," she burst out, immediately regretting her lie, but it was too late.

Eaglewing looked at her with a piercing gaze but finally nodded. "All right then, go back and collect it."

Batpaw plunged through the gorse tunnel, out into the forest. What could she do now? Eaglewing expected her back with a rabbit in the time it took her to collect prey. The only possibility Batpaw could think of was to catch another rabbit. Nervously, Batpaw padded through the forest, scenting the air. That had been the only rabbit she had smelled in the forest before.

Suddenly, she scented one. Unfortunately, it had heard Batpaw first. The rabbit was bounding away, with long jumps. But Batpaw did not give up. Gathering herself up, she sprang, and bounded off after the fleeing rabbit. It gave Batpaw a long chase. Just as the rabbit was nearing it's hole, Batpaw pounced again, and caught it in her jaws.

Happily, Batpaw bounded back into camp with the rabbit clamped in her jaws, muttering a short thanks to Starclan. She had returned so fast, Eaglewing wasn't even suspicious, but she was still a bit guilty about lying to her mentor.

"Great catches, Batpaw," complimented Eaglewing. "You caught a lot for one trip."

Batpaw headed back to the apprentice den to share tongues with Starpaw, happy and content.

Anyone think they can guess what Nightclaw and Crookedwhisker are planning for Batpaw?

I'd love to hear your predictions on that, or also what you think will happen between Thunderclan and Riverclan! :)