Eternal Heart: Thank you!
Fun Fact; "A Tale of Seven" probably wasn't a good title for my warrior cats series, because the number of main cats/clans changes quit often. Depending on what timeline i set my story in, it could be A Tale of Seven (Plus One!) or A Tale of Seven (Minus One)
A Tale of Seven: The Way of the Apprentices: Winding Path
Chapter 19
Puddlepaw shook his white paw, droplets of water sprinkling on to the grassy ground. Puddlepaw swallowed, glancing nervously and fearfully around the muddy territory of SullenClan. Due to the full moon truce, they were allowed to cross on the borders of FallenClan and SullenClan to get to the Gathering Place, but that didn't stop the unease from rippling through him. PondClan, like usual, would be a bit late, due to both the fact that they were farthest from the Gathering Place, and that, today, they got held up by Willowchill's newborn kits. The kits were still too young to wander, or even open their eyes, but there were five of them, and PondClan had not been prepared for that or their early birth. PondClan had to double patrols to make sure they had enough prey to feed the new addition's mother. Willowchill was exhausted often, taking care of the five kits, and had rarely left the den in the past five days. And of course, as the only apprentice, Puddlepaw was stuck running around, dead on his paws, fetching prey and wet moss for her. Not that he didn't mind.
...Then again, it irked him greatly that he had been stuck as an only apprentice, and then five kits just popped into the clan, and by the time they would be apprentices, he would be a warrior.
But, he shook the thoughts off, following his clanmates as they made their way to the Gathering Place. They had to cross over the river dividing RushingClan and SullenClan territory, but they crossed it with ease, swimming like otters through the shimmering water. Speaking of water, one of the kits had been named Waterkit, because of her bright blue-gray tabby markings that looked like clear water. Puddlepaw found it a funny name. One would think Willowchill and Ivyblaze would have more creativity left for their last born, and given her a name like Clearkit, Streamkit or Riverkit, but no, they'd given their other four unique names and left the youngest with one of the simplest names ever.
Puddlepaw shook out his light brown and white fur, licking his cold paws. He stepped in beside Benjamin and Duskspirit. Duskspirit, a dark gray tabby tom with dark yellow eyes, was talking energetically to Sedgeheart, a larger, muscular long-haired dark gray tabby with a lighter underbelly and light, night sky-blue eyes. Sedgeheart nodded calmly, pretending to listen to his former apprentice.
Puddlepaw's eyes gazed over the eight, excluding himself, cats that were going to the gathering. He felt a lump in his throat. PondClan was few in numbers. He had seen fifteen cats going to a gathering from SpruceClan once. Nine cats was nothing compared to that. Once, PondClan had only taken five cats.
The cat's going to the gathering were Lizardstar, Mallowtooth, Heronburr, Puddlepaw, Benjamin, Duskspirit, Sedgeheart, Mockingjaypelt and Podberry. Only three warriors. And Lizardstar... Casting the broad-shouldered, ragged-furred dark off-ginger brownish tabby she-cat with dark amber eyes a worried look... She wasn't looking too good. The way she walked was more like a wobble, as she was off-put by her recently gained weight. The she-cat had a habit of eating irregularly. Sometimes, she would eat like there was no tomorrow. Other times, she wouldn't eat for a quarter-moon. Right now, she was in her "eat everything" mood. But even so, she was still sick as well, not just eating too much. A patch of snot had dried under her dark nose and her eyes had crust, and her breathing was raspy from coughing all night.
"You seemed concerned," Benjamin's wise voice cut in, his bulky form dripping with water.
Puddlepaw dipped his head. "Of course! Um," he lowered his voice. "Lizardstar... She's, uh..."
"Not doing well," Benjamin finished, waving his black and white tail. "That much is obvious to every cat, every clan."
Puddlepaw's brown fur pricked. "Exactly," he murmured a bit loudly. "What if they other clans decide to attack us? I've, uh, never been in a fight before... Most, um, PondClan cats haven't."
"Mm, a fault in our system," he lifted his head high. "But, SullenClan, and even RushingClan and FallenClan, let us walk through their territory. They have no concern for us. Being seen as 'weak' or 'peaceful' has its perks. No one believes us to be a threat, and so, they ignore us. They know we won't steal from them, so they don't steal from us."
Even though Puddlepaw agreed, it didn't rest his worries. How could the clans not care? What if PondClan was on the brink of destruction, would they not do anything? Puddlepaw felt a shiver down his spine.
Puddlepaw leaped over a thin log, taking after Benjamin as the large tom padded threw the open fields of RushingClan's border. PondClan walked silently among the moors, heading swiftly towards the Gathering Place. Puddlepaw's tail fluffed up like a porcupine as they approached the large trees of the Gathering Place. Mallowtooth, followed by Lizardstar, entered the trees first, slithering through the dry grass and dark trees. Heronburr, then Podberry and Mockingjaypelt, then Duskspirit and Sedgeheart, then Benjamin, and, finally, it was Puddlepaw's turn to enter the forest. His pelt shivered. So many cats would be waiting, and they would be judging. Maybe they would just be judging Puddlepaw, or they would be judging Lizardstar and her unwellness, and how it represented PondClan.
Puddlepaw followed his clanmates into the Gathering Place. It swarmed with cats of every clan, from MoonClan to FallenClan. BrokenClan and SpruceClan cats talked together in packs, giggling and chatting as if they were clanmates. FallenClan cats glared at the BrokenClanners, and SullenClan exchanged hellos with MoonClan, while also getting sneers from RushingClan. His clanmates began to cluster around SullenClan, FallenClan and SpruceClan.
Puddlepaw swerved around two cats who chased each other. One smelled of the sweet scent of MoonClan and the other the dusty, rigidness of FallenClan. Puddlepaw timidly took a few steps away from the other cats, and his eyes sought out the blossoming tree that the apprentices clustered around. He didn't go there often- It felt awkward being the only PondClan apprentice every time... And the apprentices like Sorrelpaw, Pearpaw and Rosepaw were much too chatty, and it hurt to see other clans get new apprentices so quickly.
Something rammed into his side and he tumbled to the ground. Squeaking, he scrambled to his paws, fur fluffed out. A voice chuckled meanly. Puddlepaw turned to stare at his assailant, tail trembling in shock and a little bit of fright.
Puddlepaw felt his tail droop and his face frown when he realized the attacker was none other than the snickering FallenClan apprentice, Fuzzypaw. The short-legged gray tom with light green eyes sneered at Puddlepaw.
"Pfft!" Fuzzypaw put a paw to his muzzle. "You're such a scaredy mouse! Are all PondClan apprentices this pathetic?" His eyes glimmered. "Oh wait! You're the only one."
Puddlepaw flattened his ears and turned away from the annoying fur-ball.
"Hey!" Fuzzypaw snarled indignantly. "Don't ignore me!"
Puddlepaw continued to walk away, into the crowd of clancats. He knew there was no chance of getting to the apprentice's tree now. It was an unspoken rule that Fuzzypaw not find out about the apprentice's tree. Even Flintpaw, Darkpaw and Volepaw, Fuzzypaw's own brother, agreed. Now, Puddlepaw would just have to deal with the burr in his pelt.
Puddlepaw stopped beside a MoonClan warrior by the name of Mothshine. Last Puddlepaw had heard, she was in the nursery. Her kits must have become apprentices. Fuzzypaw trotted beside Puddlepaw, before glaring at the MoonClanner.
He sneered to Puddlepaw under his breath, whiskers twitching. "Really? I thought PondClan hated MoonClan. Why are we even near her?"
'You decided to follow me,' Puddlepaw wanted to argue, but kept his mouth shut.
Puddlepaw's eyes slowly turned to Lizardstar. The ragged dark off-ginger brownish tabby she-cat was scrambling up the rock, fur wet from wading in the water surrounding it. She was having some difficulty pulling herself up the rock. But, with effort, she slinked in beside the other clan leaders. A white tom with black patches and light green eyes, Ryestar, leader of SpruceClan, was in the middle of all the clan leaders. On his right side, was a cat bigger than him, a scarred bright brown tabby tom called Copperstar, who was the leader of BrokenClan. Two she-cats where on the other side of Copperstar. One was the small and fluffy golden tabby she-cat with a white patch on her chest and amber eyes. She was Dawnstar, leader of the tempered RushingClan. Then, at the edge of the rock, was the fuzzy pale-ish tortoiseshell pale green-eyed she-cat, MoonClan's leader, Sweetstar. On the other side of Ryestar, a paw step away, was the large mostly white (from his face down to his paws) dark ginger tabby SullenClan leader with light amber eyes. The tom was named Spiderstar, the leader who had most definitely been in a secret relationship with a kittypet before letting her into the clan under the name Jaymoon, no matter how much he denied he had been in a forbidden relationship. The final leader beside Lizardstar was Briarstar, the scrawny pale gray she-cat with a white underbelly and pale brown eyes. She sat straight and defiant.
On the right side of the water that bordered the rock the leaders sat upon was the deputy's spot. The large white tom with a gray mask around his blue eyes was the SpruceClan deputy, Hailmask. Then the pale brown tabby tom of FallenClan called Brindlefoot, brother of Briarstar. A light ginger tabby she-cat with a tail marauding with scars was called Marigoldflight, deputy of SullenClan. Wishwing, a fluffy white she-cat, was the deputy of BrokenClan. Then was Puddlepaw's father, Mallowtooth, who's dark blue eyes were stuck on Lizardstar, watching with an emotion Puddlepaw couldn't quit place from this distance. The RushingClan deputy was Lightshade, the pale golden blue-eyed tabby she-cat. Lastly, was Sharpbranch, a muscular dark ginger tom with light yellow eyes, deputy of MoonClan.
The medicine cats laid in front of the water, and Heronburr, PondClan's medicine cat, had his paw hanging limply in the water. The other medicine cats preferred to stay a little further from the water. The dark gray tom with a lighter face and underbelly, Heronburr, looked like he was sleeping. The giddy medicine cat of SpruceClan, Foxskip, stood bright-eyed with her tail swishing. The clumsy medicine cat of FallenClan, a large-pawed white tom with gray spots on his flanks, called Hawkspots grinned sheepishly to his fellow medicine cats, fangs gleaming. Two golden cats stood next to him, and the mentor of the two laughed gleefully and good-naturedly. The other sat coldly beside the mentor. Those two were SullenClan's medicine cats, Beefrost and Goldenpaw. The oldest medicine cat was Shortsong of RushingClan, the stubby-tailed pale she-cat. Weedshine and Morningpaw, the medicine cats of MoonClan murmured to each other. One of the BrokenClan medicine cats, the tortoiseshell tom named Sniffnose, groomed himself contentedly.
Puddlepaw glanced around to find where the other BrokenClan medicine cat, Leaftail, would be. He located her chatting quietly with two SullenClanners. One was a scrawny, boney, thin pale brown tabby tom with dark green eyes whom Puddlepaw did not know the name of and an off-black she-cat with a lighter underbelly and dark yellow eyes, who Puddlepaw believed was the sister of Marigoldfight, Thistlefeather and Shining-something. Her name was Nettle-something. Leaftail's damp green eyes flickered to the side, out into the forest before she returned her focus to the SullenClan cats she was talking to. She gave them a wave of her tail and dismissed herself over to the other medicine cats.
"Cats of all Clans!" Spiderstar's voice boomed, silencing all the chatter of the cats. Everyone turned their attention to the seven leaders on the rock. "The Gathering has begun!" Spiderstar raised his head head, white fur shining against the dark ginger. "SullenClan will report first." He curled his long tail around his paws. "Our borders are well marked and prey is running well. We are prosperous, and our kits are kept strong and our apprentices trained." His light amber eyes shone brightly and his white chest fur fluffed proudly. "That is all."
Briarstar dipped her head and shifted forward. "All is well in FallenClan. We are thriving and our tunnels are as strong as us." Her brown eyes flickered to Copperstar, who straightened up stiffly. Ryestar sent his ally a confused glance. "Poppyjump's kits are due soon. That's all FallenClan has to say." She dipped her head at Lizardstar, offering for her to go next. Lizardstar's bones seemed to creak as she raised her head, her eyes glazed. Her voice rasped with sickness as she spoke.
"PondClan is swimming with the strength of otters," Lizardstar began. "Willowchill has given birth to five healthy kits." Her eyes twitched. "Gillkit, Frecklekit, Waterkit, Salamanderkit and Duckkit."
The clancats began to murmur and a few called out congratulations to Willowchill and Ivyblaze and to the new kits.
"Five kits?" Fuzzypaw mewed from beside Puddlepaw. "I didn't know PondClan was so busy!" Puddlepaw rolled his eyes, but Fuzzypaw continued. "And to think, they're all healthy, and your siblings weren't!" Puddlepaw gave him a glare, before turning back to the leaders.
Lizardstar had finished her report by the time Puddlepaw refocused on her, and Dawnstar began to report next.
"Redpaw, Sootpaw and Rushpaw have been apprenticed under Ravenshriek, Squirrelflame and Curlflame respectively."
Cats began to call out the new apprentices names, and Puddlepaw yowled out their names as well. Fuzzypaw just groaned, as if the calling of the new apprentices' names was annoying him.
Sweetstar reported next. "MoonClan has many new additions. We have two new warriors, Pricklefur and Creamstripe. Their daughter, Stonepaw, along with Harepaw and Shiningpaw, are now apprentices!" The clancats called their names out as well, although some stayed silent.
Fuzzypaw's whiskers twitched. "They let more rogues into their clan," he growled, eyes glaring at Sweetstar.
"It's none of our business what MoonClan, uh, does," Puddlepaw informed him waspishly.
Fuzzypaw's fur spiked. "Yes it is! MoonClan doesn't belong!"
Mothshine gave Fuzzypaw a glare and Puddlepaw murmured an apology to her.
Sweetstar continued. "Sunnybelly has had her kits as well; Blossomkit, Thrushkit, Rumblekit and Frondkit. Hollyjaw has moved into the nursery, expecting Feathernight's kits." The clancats called out their names as well. Puddlepaw felt a prickle of unease run through him. MoonClan was ever-expanding, and PondClan... PondClan was still few in numbers, even with the new additions of the kits.
Ryestar was the next to report. His report was of the typical, "SpruceClan is well", though he announced some new apprentices as well, Tansypaw and Snowpaw. Next and lastly went Copperstar, who reported vaguely the same thing.
At the end of the announcements, the cats below the rock began to break into soft murmurings, getting in last conversations before their clans departed. Puddlepaw caught a SpruceClan cat and RushingClan cat hissing at each other, claws unsheathed. A SpruceClan she-cat trotted over and nudged her clanmate, and the tension of between the RushingClan cat and SpruceClan cat faded. Other cats sent dark glares at cats from enemy clans. FallenClan and PondClan, as well as BrokenClan and SpruceClan seemed the most friendliest towards each other.
Fuzzypaw butted Puddlepaw's shoulder. He had a scowl on his face. "I'm borrrrrreed." He whined.
Puddlepaw felt strong displeasure rise within him. Did he think he was a kit deserving attention from his parents? Puddlepaw's tail quivered. "So?" He responded.
Fuzzypaw's light green eyes flared. "I wanna do something!"
Puddlepaw rolled his lake-blue eyes. He didn't give Fuzzypaw a response this time, simply slipped into the crowd. Fuzzypaw tailed him. Puddlepaw's gaze searched for some familiar cat to talk to, or just be around. His eyes caught on two unfamiliar young cats, some of the new apprentices. One was white with odd red-pink eyes and the other was a pale brown and white tom with wide, warm amber eyes. The two giggled together and the she-cat nudged the tom's shoulder, and he flushed, before mumbling a response. Puddlepaw's gaze kept going until it landed on Driftnose, a black and white tom with blue eyes, a former RushingClanner, now a MoonClan elder. He was talking to Kes, a former kittypet who had chosen to reside in MoonClan in her final days and Mockingjaypelt.
Puddlepaw approached the elders, but Fuzzypaw stomped on his tail. "Yow!" Puddlepaw hissed, wiping around to face the flea in his pelt. "What was that for?"
"Elders? Really?" Fuzzypaw frowned. "They're boring!"
Puddlepaw gave a sighed out a hiss. "Ugh-uh, I find them interesting." 'They're better than you.'
Fuzzypaw spiked out his gray fur. "Elders aren't interesting!" Fuzzypaw growled, scrunching his nose.
Puddlepaw was about to retort when one cat slinked past them, head low and ears flat. His eyes followed the cat, the off-black she-cat who had been talking to Leaftail previously. Fuzzypaw noticed his distraction and eyed the cat warily. The she-cat crept off into the bushes, barely rustling them.
"Well, isn't she suspicious," Fuzzypaw chuffed, raising a paw and running it over his whiskers. Puddlepaw twitched his ear in agreement, and, although his curiosity peaked, he knew it was not his business what a SullenClan cat was doing. Puddlepaw turned back to the elders and began trotting over to them. Fuzzypaw, once again, cut him off.
"Woah, woah, woah!" Fuzzypaw glared lightly at him. "You're just gonna go talk to elders and not investigate what Nettlepool is doing?"
Puddlepaw paused. "Yeah."
Fuzzypaw looked aghast. "You really are a boring mouse!" He whacked his paw against the side of Puddlepaw's head and Puddlepaw jerked back, offended.
Fuzzypaw fluffed out his tail. "Come on. Nettlepool's the jealous type!" Fuzzypaw's eyes were bright. "What if she's in some half-clan relationship? What if she's trying to pull a Tinystar?" Puddlepaw felt his fur rumple at how dismissively mentioned Tinystar. Tinystar! Former PondClan leader! Embodiment of evil! He almost destroyed SullenClan and FallenClan and SweetClan! Maybe he did destroy SweetClan! Who knows? And here Fuzzypaw was... not caring? Did he not care about what Tinystar had once made PondClan do? Did he not... Why did no one care about Tinystar, about Tigerleaf, about Cherrypelt, about any of those ambitious traitors? How could nobody care?
"I-" Puddlepaw stammered.
Fuzzypaw lashed his tail. "You're no fun. Well, if you don't wanna discover the second Tinystar, then stay out of my fur!"
'Second Tinystar?' Puddlepaw thought. 'Try the tenth.'
There had been so much evil since the time of Tinystar. Could any cat keep track? Was it even worth keeping track? ...Is that what the other clans had done? Stopped counting? Is that why they couldn't remember... Puddlepaw couldn't recall any evil FallenClanners or SpruceClanners. Had they even had any? Did Sweetstar count? She was a former SpruceClanner who went against her clan and started a new clan all together. That was similar to Cherrypelt's case. Except Cherrypelt wanted to demolish PondClan forever and Sweetstar wanted to create an alliance to protect all the clans like a StarClan in the waking world.
Fuzzypaw fidgeted nettledly as he waited for a response, and his scowl got deeper. "We don't have all day, Puddlepaw."
Puddlepaw sighed, feeling thoroughly annoyed by the FallenClan apprentice. "Fine, I'll go." 'If only to stop you from pestering poor Nettlepool.'
Fuzzypaw gave a small hop on his toes and flashed a fanged grin. "Good! Glad you can see it my way. Come on!" He whipped around, gray tail slapping Puddlepaw on his pink nose. He dashed away, light on his paws, which was expected from someone who probably stealthed around a lot, spying on cats and being mischievous all around. He slipped into the bushes. To Puddlepaw's surprise, he clawed at a tree and began to pull himself up. Did FallenClan cats know how to climb? He didn't think so.
Puddlepaw trotted over to the tree Fuzzypaw had pulled himself up onto. Fuzzypaw layed low on a thick, sturdy branch. He glanced down to Puddlepaw.
"Coming up, or do PondClanners not know how to teach their apprentices how to climb?" Fuzzypaw sneered.
Puddlepaw's pelt pricked self-consciously. "No! Er- Perchmist is a great mentor. But, uh, PondClan cats swim, not, ah, climb."
Fuzzypaw rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just don't blow my cover." He slipped onto the next branch and slowly made away in the treetops. Puddlepaw crouched down and sidled through the brambles, careful not to catch his brown pelt on any of the brush. The gray fur of Fuzzypaw flashed between the dark canopy. Puddlepaw tracked the gray blur and followed it closely, careful not to crush any twigs beneath his paws.
They had barely taken ten pawsteps when a strong, sharp voice spoke.
"..yes," was all they got.
"So the clans are peaceful?" A tom's voice replied calmly, yet held a sinister undertone to it. The first sight of the voices' owners was the spikey off-black tail of Nettlepool. Her dark yellow eyes glared through the underbrush. Half of a cat was concealed in the bush. He was a lean, long-legged light gray tabby with darker patches and white flecks. His blue eyes stood out piercingly.
Puddlepaw felt a chill down his spine. He could already see where this is heading. This was what every tale of an ambition cat told him. Cats conspiring with one another to destroy the clans or take control of a clan. He didn't know if he wanted to be here. He wasn't qualified for saving the day. He didn't want to interfere. Besides, Nettlepool was a SullenClan cat, and the tom was... Based on his body type, Puddlepaw thought he might be RushingClan, but his hidden scent told him rogue.
Puddlepaw's lake-blue eyes flickered to Fuzzypaw's form in the trees. Puddlepaw had to admit, he was a good spy. The gray tom was stealthily hidden in the curling leaves. His light green eyes barely sparkled, blending in with the dry green of the leaves.
Nettlepool shuffled on her paws, her eyes flickering hesitantly. "This will promise MoonClan's demise?"
The tom's blue eyes flashed. "Of course. Your kits will be avenged." His long, white claws curled into the ground below and his fangs shimmered as he smiled deviously. Nettlepool's back fur bristled and her eyes hardened. Her muzzle twitched into the beginnings of a snarl. Unclear emotions stirred beneath her pelt. The tom waved his tail over the grass. He did not say anything as he stood up and turned away. He slipped between the trees, disappearing into the ferns. Puddlepaw's paws twitched to follow him.
Nettlepool let out a small sigh, rubbing a paw over her whiskers. She looked... tired. She stretched out her limbs, tail puffing and shaking. She shook her whiskers and twitched her black coat. Blankly, she padded through the bramble bushes. Puddlepaw stiffened up and moved a bit to the left as she brushed by. His heart beat wildly and his mind screamed at him that he shouldn't have listened to Fuzzypaw, and that Nettlepool would find him spying on her and then kill him.
But Nettlepool passed on by, not even sparing Puddlepaw a glance. She slipped out into the Gathering Place. Puddlepaw settled his heart down and slithered out into the clearing behind her.
Puddlepaw leaped into the air as something thudded behind him.
Fuzzypaw sneered and snickered. "Still a scaredy mouse, PondClan apprentice?"
Puddlepaw's fur bristled. "No! Uh." He snaked his white-tipped light brown tail. Fuzzypaw opened his maw to retort, but was cut off.
"SpruceClan! BrokenClan!" Ryestar called out from beside Copperstar, at the edge of the Gathering Place's territory. The two clans began to gather around the leaders. Hailmask traded words with the BrokenClan medicine cat apprentice, Leaftail, murmuring something back and forth. He twitched his tail tip irritably and stomped off while Leaftail rolled her eyes. Other cats swarmed about.
"SullenClan!" Spiderstar called out next, gathering his cats. RushingClan cats herded and circled them, suspicious of the cats who would cross their territory. Puddlepaw began to migrate towards them, since PondClan would be travelling with them, most likely.
"PondClan!" Mallowtooth echoed, as Lizardstar rasped beside him. "Gather!" Puddlepaw's father yowled. Puddlepaw didn't spare Fuzzypaw a fair well as he dashed over to his father's side. His father smiled warmly, and gave him a swift lick on the top of his head. Benjamin padded up beside them.
Puddlepaw's smile turned to a frown and he glanced worryingly over his shoulder, trying to spot Nettlepool. He found her hissing something to the scrawny, boney pale brown tabby tom with dark green eyes. A black tabby tom, an apprentice called Darkpaw, walked up to the brown tom, presumably his mentor. Nettlepool immediately shut up and scowled. She walked away angrily. The medicine cat apprentice of SullenClan, Goldenpaw, looked on interestedly.
Benjamin nudged him forward, and Puddlepaw realized PondClan, SullenClan and RushingClan had began moving forward. He let out a concerned, frustrated, anxiety-ridden sigh. This is what PondClan was trying to prevent. The rise of evil, ambitious, jealous cats, and here he was, throwing himself in the path of one. He had a feeling he couldn't just lie down and let it blow over. The severity of the situation would weigh down on him, until he eventually burst.
Stupid Fuzzypaw.
Lizardstar does have an eating disorder, probably the night eating disorder or the restrictive food intake disorder, I'm still researching them.
Bonus Fact; At the end of the Third Arc, one clan will have been whipped out completely and another will have been forced to disband.
Hint; I love leaving little background things. Some things that are relevant to the plot, or maybe just a side story. Who are some characters, not all are mentioned by name, that pop up frequently, or are just randomly spliced in?
Leave a review or critique!
-Lolling