It's a battle! Hurrah! Forgot to mention in a couple of my last chapters, but I don't own Warriors.
FlyingOranges76 - Berrynose is Cherryflower's father. xD That would be really scary if he was the father of her kits. Already got chapter 15 written and will probably be updating more regularly from now on.
Hannah - Dewpaw is starting to soften a little, there's only so long he can deny his destiny. I'll say no more...
icefire - Yup, I'm british and proud! We're amazing. xD Just kidding, although we are awesome. Oh and thanks for the feedback, Amberpaw's maturing so I kinda want her to say more mature stuff. And also, it makes a good quote for the future. I don't want to tell you why I really made her say that because that would spoil loads.
Raggedstar 3 - Well, in the next chapter you find out the father, I hope you'll be pleased. And I know Cherryflower's young, but did you know that she and Molespots were actually made apprentices when they were a year old, six moons too late? So by the time they're warriors, they about a year and a half so now she's about 2 years old.
Read and review! I reached 50 reviews! Wooo!
Snowpaw's P.O.V.
Snowpaw had been picked for the ShadowClan border patrol. There'd been a lot of interest about ShadowClan, with both their leader and deputy being dead.
Bramblestar had announced it to the clan and ever since there had been many suggestions to whom the next leader may be. Many had suggested Toadfoot, though he hadn't mentored an apprentice so Snowpaw didn't think it would be him.
"Snowpaw! Wakey wakey, we're leaving in a minute!" Icecloud's mew jerked him from his thoughts and he sat up straight, amber gaze alert.
"Sorry," he mumbled, stretching and getting to his paws. He scrambled over to where his mentor sat with the rest of the patrol, which consisted of Birchfall, Blossomfall, Brackenfur and of course Icecloud and himself.
"Right then," Brackenfur's meow cut through the silence, "We'd best get going then," his amber gaze swept over the patrol, "Remember, we must be alert. With a new leader, ShadowClan may try to claim more territory for themselves."
The snow-furred apprentice nodded, the others did the same. Brackenfur smiled, nodding to Squirrelflight who was sat up on the highledge, before disappearing through the Thorn Barrier
Snowpaw followed eagerly, Icecloud on his tail. Birchfall and Blossomfall followed. There was a sort of tension in the air, there had been on every ShadowClan border patrol since they'd found out ShadowClan's leader and deputy were dead.
No one knew why they had died though. Bramblestar did, and Dovewing did, of course, because they had been the ones to find out the news, but they hadn't shared it with anyone. Perhaps it's the dark forest, reborn! Or Sol, the evil cat for nursery tales that Brightheart told me about.
He shook the thoughts from his mind, suddenly realising that Icecloud had muttered something to him, "Sorry, what was that?"
Icecloud chuckled and cuffed him gently by the ears, "Still asleep are you? Well, we need to be alert, because just because ShadowClan haven't launched an attack yet, doesn't mean they won't."
Snowpaw opened his jaws to protest, "I was just thinking about what killed Blackstar and Rowanclaw, I hope it doesn't come and kill us or RiverClan or WindClan even!" since the battle against the dark forest, there had been peace between the clans and Snowpaw certainly didn't want any pain to come to his friends in RiverClan, Rainpaw and Rapidpaw.
Icecloud stiffened at the mention of the other clans, "I'm sure it's nothing, otherwise Bramblestar would have told us," she meowed, dismissing the subject with a flick of her fluffy, white tail.
But Snowpaw persisted, "Unless Bramblestar doesn't know," he meowed thoughtfully, amber eyes growing distant once again.
"Stop fantasising!" Icecloud snapped, "We're on a patrol, we need to be alert! If it really was dangerous, Bramblestar would have told us."
Snowpaw shivered at Icecloud's sudden burst of anger. His mentor had been behaving a little strangely over the last few days; she could suddenly go from being as happy as an expectant mother to a fierce badger.
Icecloud wasn't normally like this, she was usually eager and friendly, and perhaps a little easily excited. What's up with her?
"Sorry," he mumbled, amber eyes clouding with hurt. Although he knew she didn't really mean her words, it hurt to have his mentor snap at him.
"Quiet!" Birchfall's hiss sounded from up ahead. Snowpaw glanced up, all sense alert.
The ShadowClan border was up ahead and sniffing the air, the white-furred apprentice could smell an unusually strong ShadowClan scent. Automatically, he unsheathed his claws and his amber eyes narrowed to slits.
The patrol stopped and all fell silent apart from hostile mews ahead.
"Hah! ThunderClan don't even have the courage to show their faces!"
"ShadowClan need more territory to feed our growing numbers."
Snowpaw stiffened, white pelt bristling with fury. Brackenfur hissed under his breath, "Under my command, we attack. Birchfall, you're fast, get reinforcements from camp."
Birchfall dipped his head and darted away back in the direction of camp. All eyes fell upon the ShadowClan patrol as they marked a new border, Snowpaw took a deep breath. He wasn't overly keen on fighting, but he had to admit, this infuriated him.
Stinky ShadowClan warriors were trampling over their territory and spraying their scent everywhere, Snowpaw hated it. Brackenfur nodded to the warriors before him, "Three, two"-
Snowpaw didn't hear Brackenfur say one, the next thing he knew, yowls erupted from their patrol as they leapt out of the undergrowth and launched themselves at the intruders.
Snowpaw quickly spotted a ShadowClan apprentice, whom he recognised as Shadepaw. Letting out a yowl of defiance, he threw himself onto the pale grey tom.
The ShadowClan apprentice's eyes stretched wide with shock, before narrowing to slits, "Come to defend your territory, you mangy excuse for a cat," he hissed, shaking off Snowpaw.
The snowy-white tom growled, "Don't you dare call me that!" he screeched, lashing out at the pale grey apprentice's ears. Shadepaw was too slow in reacting, resulting in a hiss of pain as blood dripped from his wound.
Snowpaw shook the blood from his claws which was a mistake as in the time taken to deposit the ShadowClan blood on the ground, Shadepaw leapt at him, claws unsheathed and pale grey pelt bristling with fury.
"Feel my wrath!" he screeched as he charged towards him and let out a furious flurry of attack. He was so quick, Snowpaw could hardly contemplate what was happening. He tried to fight back, but he could feel the blood draining from his body.
Shadepaw paused his attack and determinedly, Snowpaw forced himself to his paws. Blood oozed from his wounds, but he forced a grin before leaping at the pale grey tom.
Shadepaw sniggered, shaking him off easily, "ThunderClan are weak. They always have been. You're full of kittypets, just look at you!" he beckoned to the battle around them.
Blossomfall was fighting a dark grey tom, Icecloud was tussling with two ShadowClan warriors and Brackenfur was wrestling a scarred brown tom.
Snowpaw let out a ragged breath, "We are not weak!" he hissed, summoning every remaining strength from his body and lunging at the pale grey tom. His claws dug into the ShadowClan apprentice's flesh and Shadepaw let out a yowl.
The next thing Snowpaw knew, everything went blurry. He saw a dark grey pelt race to his side and attack Shadepaw, "DON'T YOU DARE HURT MY BROTHER!"
Snowpaw smiled weakly as he fell to the ground. Dewpaw, "Thank you," he whispered, before the whole world turned black.
Dewpaw's P.O.V.
Snowpaw collapsed and instantly the dark grey tom's body boiled with rage. Had that mouse-brained excuse for a warrior just killed his brother. He glanced down at Snowpaw's body, before preparing to face the light grey apprentice again.
Shadepaw smiled an evil smile, "I hurt your brother, I can do the same for you," he hissed.
"I think not!" Dewpaw snarled, lip curling to show his pure-white teeth, unstained with blood, "I'll kill you if I have to," and with that, he threw himself at Shadepaw. Razor-sharp claws cut through flesh and a pain-stricken cry broke out from Shadepaw.
"You, mouse-dung, you foxed-brained coward, you"- the ShadowClan apprentice's hiss was cut off as Dewpaw spotted Shadepaw's soft underbelly unprotected. He raked his claws cross it, flesh tearing and blood welling up from the wounds. Shadepaw fell to his paws.
Dewpaw slit his throat and blood gurgled up from the pale grey apprentice's throat. He fell limp and not even a breath stirred his body. He was dead.
Dewpaw had killed. An honourable warrior does not need to kill to win his battles. The words of the warrior code flew through his mind and Dewpaw took a deep breath before staring down at the body again to check it had really just happened.
Shadepaw's body was as limp as ever. The ShadowClan patrol were outnumbered by now as Birchfall had raced to camp to fetch reinforcements, Dewpaw being one of them.
The ShadowClan warriors started to retreat backwards and a yowl sounded from Ratscar, "Crowstar will avenge this defeat!" and with that, the ShadowClan warriors hurtled back towards their territory. Crowstar, Crowfrost; ShadowClan's new leader. The ThunderClan warriors watched as they fled, but Dewpaw wasn't amongst them, he was at his brother's side.
Small, shallow breaths stirred the otherwise lifeless white form, "He's not dead, he's not dead," he whispered, joy overwhelming him. But Snowpaw was still in a critical state, as was Dustpelt.
The senior warrior still refused to join the Elders' Den, despite being one of the oldest cats in the clans. The dark brown tabby tom had decided to fight and no one had been able to stop him, perhaps the mouse-brain will finally decide it's time to retire?
Blossomfall raced over to Dewpaw, her amber gaze falling upon Snowpaw's almost limp body, "We must bring him back to camp, Jayfeather may be able to save him," she muttered hurriedly, gently lifting the white apprentice.
Dewpaw aided her, taking Snowpaw's other side. They were soon joined by Birchfall and together they carried him back to camp. They walked in silence, no one dared utter a word.
Snowpaw was in a critical state, everyone knew that and Birchfall ran ahead to go and let Jayfeather know and so as soon as they got to the hollow, the blind medicine cat came running out.
"Everybody, go away and give me and the patient some space," he meowed after the warriors set down the snowy-furred tom in his den. Everyone but Dewpaw left; the dark grey tom didn't see why he should leave his brother when he was in such a state.
"Leave!" the blind medicine cat hissed, "He's more likely to heal if I get some space!" his grey fur bristled as he spat the words, blind blue eyes glaring at him.
Dewpaw rolled his eyes; Jayfeather could be so grumpy sometimes! He thought with a hiss, "Fine," he glared at the medicine cat for a second before letting his amber gaze fall to Snowpaw, What if he dies? He shook the thought away, No, StarClan forbid.
He padded out of the den and immediately Amberpaw raced over him, "I heard about the battle," she meowed breathlessly, "Is Snowpaw going to die? He's not going to die is he, he can't die!" she wailed, amber eyes clouding with grief.
"Snap out of it!" he hissed, "We must be strong for him, otherwise he could die. So let's concentrate on the positives."
Amberpaw stared at him, "What positives?" she asked, staring down at the ground, amber gaze distant. Snowpaw and Amberpaw were very close, so Dewpaw couldn't even contemplate how worried she must be. He hadn't even been very close to his brother and he was worried sick.
"We won the battle for instance," he meowed, amber eyes clouding as he thought, "And we now know who ShadowClan's new leader is."
Amberpaw's jaw dropped and her amber eyes stretched wide, "Really? Who?" she asked, suddenly brightening. Just as any other cat, she'd been curious to find out what would become of ShadowClan now that Blackstar and Rowanclaw were dead.
"Crowfrost, well Crowstar," he meowed smugly, sitting up tall. He couldn't get his mind off Snowpaw, and the cat who had caused his wounds. He glanced around anxiously before mewing to Amberpaw, "But, I, err. I killed a cat."
His sister's eyes stretched wider than Dewpaw though possible, "You what?!" she hissed, amber eyes blazing, "But, that's breaking the warrior code."
Dewpaw stared down at his paws shamefully, "I-I know, I didn't mean it. It was Shadepaw, the cat who caused all of Snowpaw's wounds," he managed to meet his sister's gaze briefly, "But had I not stopped him, he would have killed Snowpaw."
Amberpaw stared at him for a second, amber eyes blazing, but then she managed to control herself, "I won't tell anyone," she whispered, "You were protecting your brother, your clanmate, it's not your fault," she paused, "I would have done the same."
Dewpaw let out a sigh of relief, "You won't tell anyone? Thank you, thank you!" he nuzzled his sister affectionately. Caught off guard by this sudden rush of affection, Amberpaw took a step back.
"Just don't do it again, I don't want you turning into Tigerstar," she spoke the words in a playful way, but her amber eyes swam with worry and a more serious emotion. Nerves.
Is she worried I'll turn into a murderer? Oh StarClan, I wouldn't do that!
He looked away from her all-seeing amber eyes, "No, I'm no Tigerstar," he meowed. He didn't want his destiny to be anything like such a cat.
He and Amberpaw locked gazes for a second before the grey-and-white she-cat spoke up, "Good," she meowed. Dewpaw thought she was going to say something about the stupid prophecy, but she fell silent.
They waited for what felt like moons, outside the medicine cat's den. Cloudtail joined them at one point, as did Brightheart. But the next dawn, when Jayfeather emerged from his den, it was just Dewpaw and Amberpaw.
Jayfeather's blind blue eyes flashed with concern, "Would you like the good news or bad news?"
Muhaha! Cliffhanger. I feel so evil, hopefully this will encourage you to review. :) So, what did you think about Dewpaw killing Shadepaw?
Read and review please!