I do not own Warriors or any of the original characters from Warriors, I simply own the ones not in the original series. What can I say? I was on a roll the last couple nights! Only one more chapter!

Chapter 20

Blazepaw stood panting in the entrance of the Medicine Cat's den. The WindClan cats would get to their supplies over Blazepaw's dead body. His gaze was darting all over the camp, watching for any attackers. His heart sank as a fresh patrol charged into the camp.

Bracing himself, he wasn't surprised when three cats charged towards the den. One was intercepted by Icepaw, but the other two made it over, and Blazepaw charged out with a battle yowl. The pale gray she-cat and the tortoiseshell she-cat didn't waste any time, and Blazepaw had his paws full trying to deal with them both. Jayfeather helped him a bit, striking out from the entrance of the den with his claws.

The pale gray she-cat knocked his paws out from under him, and Blazepaw yowled in shock and then pain as she started to batter his stomach. He could see the tortoiseshell harassing Jayfeather, and he tried to knock the she-cat off, but she was too heavy. Without any warning she screeched in pain, and got off Blazepaw.

Scrambling to his paws, he saw what had made the she-cat let him go. Icepaw clung to the she-cat's back. Leaving Icepaw to deal with the pale gray she-cat, he charged the tortoiseshell, leaping on her back and grabbing her right ear in his jaws and yanking back hard. He tasted blood in his mouth, and the she-cat yowled in pain. Struggling to get Blazepaw off, she eventually fell over due to his weight. Getting off the she-cat, she ran towards the entrance to the camp, and Blazepaw gave her a couple good nips to remember him by. He watched as the pale gray she-cat followed her.

Blazepaw turned to Icepaw and he stared at his friend in horror. Icepaw's usually white and ginger fur was matted with blood, and Blazepaw couldn't tell how much was his and how much wasn't.

"You all right?" Icepaw asked. Blazepaw nodded dumbly, "Watch Jayfeather." He threw himself back into the fray, and as Blazepaw watched, he noticed that when the sun Icepaw's fur just right, he looked like a living flame. He wondered, is Icepaw one of the three cats?!

Before he could dwell more on his thoughts, he turned as he heard Thistlestar yowl, "WindClan! Retreat!"

The WindClan ran out through the entrance to camp, several ThunderClan cats, including Icepaw, hard on their paws.

Sighing in relief, he watched as Jayfeather trotted past him, already intent on helping his clan mates. "Blazepaw! Help me get the wounded cats to my den!"

Blazepaw did as the medicine cat asked, noticing right away that Ashfall was favoring his hind leg, "Come on! Jayfeather will want to look you over."

"No, I'm fine," Ashfall protested.

Blazepaw shoved him, and Ashfall hissed as he put weight on his injured hind leg, "Yeah, and I'm a fish!"

"I thought you looked different," Ashfall purred. At least the warrior hadn't lost his sense of humor. Blazepaw helped him over to the den, where Loudfang was already sitting next to.

Looking around, he trotted over to Cinderheart, who was grooming Icecloud, the queen had a nasty wound on the back of her neck, "What happened?!"

"I showed some WindClan cats not to mess with ThunderClan!" Icecloud stated. "They didn't know what hit them!"

The elder reassured Blazepaw, "I'll get her over to Jayfeather's den, she's not the worst off."

Knowing his mentor was right, he trotted briskly over to Sweetflower, who was nosing Tawnyclaw, trying to get her to her paws, "Come on! You can do it!"

"When I get that fleabag!" Tawnyclaw gasped in pain as she managed to get to her paws, Her front paw was at an awkward angle, and Blazepaw wondered if it was broken.

"I'll help you to Jayfeather's den," Blazepaw meowed, helping Sweetflower to guide the strong she-cat over there.

Looking around, he didn't notice any other cats that were injured, apart from Dawnstep, who was struggling against Jayfeather. Hurrying over, he caught her last words as she ran towards the entrance of the camp, "Hawkwing's hurt you stupid furball! Don't tell me to rest!"

"I'll get her!"Blazepaw called out to the furious medicine cat. Much to his surprise, Jayfeather bounded after him, his expression grim.

As they neared the cave entrance, Blazepaw heard Dawnstep's caterwaul before he came upon the scene. Sliding to a halt, his eyes wide with shock, Blazepaw gazed down at Hawkwing's body, his lips were still drawn back in a snarl, and his eyes were open, still showing the defiance he must have shown to the WindClan attackers. Dawnstep's caterwaul changed into a heartbroken wail, and his heart twisted in pity for the soon-to-be queen. She and Hawkwing had had a whole life ahead of them, and now the kits would never get to know their father or what a great warrior he was.

Jayfeather started to nudge Blazepaw away, "Let her grieve. There's nothing we can do right now, and the clan must be informed…"

Nodding, Blazepaw let Jayfeather lead him towards the camp entrance, and he watched as the cats that had chased WindClan returned, Moonpelt leading the way, followed closely by Icepaw, Bumblestripe, Rosepetal, Honeypaw, and Larkpaw.

His heart sank even lower. How am I supposed to tell Icepaw that he's lost another mentor? Blazepaw heard the words of Leafpool echoing in his head, understanding them now, "Be wary of the wind, Blazepaw, for though it has its gentle breezes, its gusts know no mercy." This last attack had been utterly ruthless, and they'd lost a valuable warrior, but the blow went deeper than that, the grief that would affect the clan would weaken it even more.

Entering the camp behind Jayfeather, he heard the yowls of triumph from the clan as Moonpelt finished announcing that WindClan had truly left their territory.

Spotting his father's reddish tabby fur heading towards the path up to Highledge, he turned to Jayfeather to point him out, only to find the blind medicine cat already halfway over there. He watched as Jayfeather spoke quietly to Foxstar, the ThunderClan leader's eyes first filling with sorrow, but the sorrow was quickly replaced with rage. He climbed up to Highledge once Jayfeather had finished speaking with him.

"WindClan won't be showing their faces around here anytime soon!"

Blazepaw turned as he heard Icepaw's voice beside him. Relief surged through him. Though Icepaw did have several wounds, none of them were too severe. At least not they didn't look severe to his untrained eyes, his relief was replaced with worry though, recalling the news his friend would soon be receiving, "That's good…" He couldn't make his voice sound happy.

"What's wrong?" Icepaw asked, his friend's eyes shining with worry.

Before he could say anything, Foxstar yowled, drawing the clan's attention, "Today, we celebrate a great victory, but also a great loss."

The clan started to murmur to each other, and Blazepaw heard some cats ask, "Where is Hawkwing? Has anyone seen him? What about Dawnstep?!"

"It is with great sorrow that I tell you that Hawkwing was killed today, fighting them at the tunnel entrance, but they overwhelmed him…" Foxstar lowered his head, his grief evident. The clan wailed their grief to the skies, and Blazepaw also heard notes of fear.

What is he doing? He's our leader! He should be staying strong! Blazepaw couldn't believe the cat on Highledge was his father, the cat he had always admired and strived to be like. He gazed worriedly at Icepaw, who stood beside him, eyes wide in shock, but he didn't cry out or voice his sorrows, just stood there, still as stone.

Taking a deep breath, Foxstar lifted his head, and Blazepaw looked away from his friend, "We all mourn the loss of Hawkwing who was a respected and loyal warrior." Foxstar stood up taller, "But there is a happier task that I must do before we bring Hawkwing's body into the camp so that we can sit vigil for him." His father's gaze rested on him, "Blazepaw…it is time you received your warrior name."

Stunned, Blazepaw looked at Icepaw in shock, "Did he say me?!"

Icepaw nodded, though Blazepaw wasn't sure how reliable that nod was, considering Icepaw still had a shocked look on his face. Stepping forward, he stood just below Highledge, gazing up at his father. Foxstar glanced at Rosepetal, "Do you feel that your apprentice is ready to become a warrior?"

"There is nothing more that he can learn from me," Rosepetal meowed confidently, her eyes shining with pride.

Foxstar raised his gaze to the first stars of Silverpelt that had begun to appear, "I, Foxstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend him to you as a warrior." He gazed down at Blazepaw, "Blazepaw, do you promise to protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your life?"

Blazepaw, still felt awkward to be the only apprentice being made a warrior, especially with how Icepaw had fought so hard, but he said solemnly, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Blazepaw, from this moment onward you will be known as Blazefoot. StarClan honors your kindness and forethought, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Foxstar leapt down and rested his muzzle on top of Blazefoot's bowed head. Blazefoot bent his head lower and licked Foxstar's shoulder respectfully before he straightened up and padded towards the warriors.

He turned as the first voice he heard wasn't any of the ThunderClan cats, but Icepaw, "Blazefoot!" Smiling, he listened as the others called out his warrior name.

"Tonight, while the rest of us sleep, you saw sit vigil in silence. Before then, get something to eat," Foxstar meowed.

Nodding, Blazefoot turned as Icepaw padded towards him, "Congratulations!"

His guilt returned, "You should be a warrior with me."

"I haven't been a ThunderClan apprentice as long as you have," Icepaw meowed. "I don't expect to be made a warrior anytime soon."

Before Blazefoot could argue with Icepaw, Ashfall, Loudfang, Rosepetal, and Icecloud crowded around him to give their congratulations, and Blazefoot just caught a glimpse of Icepaw heading out of the camp.

"Way to go!" Ashfall purred.

Loudfang meowed, "I knew it wouldn't be long!"

"I knew you'd be made a warrior!" Rosepetal purred. "You were doing great in your training!"

It was Icecloud's words that struck him the most, "Your mother would be very proud of you."

A lump frowned in his throat, and Blazefoot meowed, "I'd best go help bring in Hawkwing's body!" He quickly headed over to Moonpelt, who was saying, "Bumblestripe, Larkpaw, and…" He spotted Blazefoot, "Blazefoot. Come with me." Following the deputy, he stepped aside as Icepaw led a trembling Dawnstep back into the camp, the usually fierce she-cat looked like so frail, and Blazefoot hated seeing her look so distraught.

Exiting the camp and walking to the tunnel entrance, Larkpaw squeaked in shocked horror as they reached Hawkwing's body. No one scolded the apprentice, since it was a natural response to seeing a dead cat, especially if it was the first time she'd seen one.

Moonpelt walked forward and gently closed Hawkwing's eyes with his forepaw, and he moved his lips down to cover his bared teeth.

Fighting the lump in his throat still, Blazefoot helped to take Hawkwing's body into the camp, where they gently set it down in the clearing.

He wasn't surprised when the first two cats to come forward were Dawnstep and Icepaw.

His heart breaking for the two cats, he watched as the all the cats of the clan either touched their noses to the dead warrior's fur, or started to groom it, sharing tongues with him one last time.

When all the other cats had stepped forward, Blazefoot walked forward, pressing his nose against Hawkwing's fur, and brushing his own fur comfortingly against Icepaw's fur. Your death is a terrible blow to the clan. You will be sorely missed by all of, Hawkwing…may StarClan light your path. Sitting up, he gazed down at Icepaw and Dawnstep. He tried to reassure himself that they were both strong cats that would recover as he walked over to the scattered fresh-kill pile, grabbing a mouse, and settling down outside the warriors' den to eat it.

Blazefoot watched as Jayfeather walked towards the two grieving cats, gently nosing them to their paws and leading them over to his den so that he could treat their wounds. As he watched them walk, he truly worried about them both, Icepaw and Dawnstep's gazeswere both filled with sorrow, and their eyes were dull with grief and loss.

If they don't recover from this loss…ThunderClan will be in great danger! Blazefoot tried to push the dark thoughts out of his mind. Of course Dawnstep and Icepaw would recover. It was natural for them to be so down-hearted after losing Hawkwing so suddenly, especially since both cats had experienced the loss of clan mates and friends before.

They'll be fine, Blazefoot repeated to himself, as he finished his mouse and walked towards the camp entrance to start his vigil, the sun starting to set.