This is very exciting! We're getting closer to the very climax of our story, if you can believe it, of course. But this is Warriors, and the book always ends on a cliffhanger. I hope you all like mine, but my only main concern is if I'm rushing it. I would say that you all have no idea what will happen, but I know from experience that some readers have mad psychic skills. Anyway, here's Lightcloud!
"No, like this, Stormpaw!"
Squirrelflight mewed loudly to her apprentice, and performed the move they were trying to teach. The ginger she-cat leapt off her back legs, claws digging into the ground, and outstretched her forepaws. As she maneuvered in the air over invisible assailants, she dragged her back legs and clawed them through the air.
"Like that." She explained, touching back to the ground. "You'll need this for taking on two cats at once without any backup, in case they corner you in a battle. Your back legs are supposed to claw on their backs, or even their heads. Understand?"
However, the gray-and-orange apprentice was batting a green leaf in the air. "Stormpaw!" Bellowed Lightstreak, trying to get her attention. The apprentice, startled, wobbled on her hind legs and fell over on her side. "You need to pay attention! I know this move is complicated, but it's very important, and could be a lifesaver in a battle!"
She sat up and yawned, clearly not content with the great amount of sleep she received when confined to camp for a quarter moon after practically drowning in the flood. Lightstreak growled, losing patience. "Have you been listening at all to us?"
She looked up at him, twisting an ear that was covered in gray, but tipped with orange. "Yes, in fact I have. But honestly, when will I need all this? Even if I am cornered in a battle, I know one of you warriors will come and rescue me!"
He sighed. Yes, he could see form her point of view how simple it would be, and wanted to believe it too. But he knew it wasn't true, and she had to see that as well.
"Stormpaw, when you're a warrior, cats expect you to be able to fend for yourself sometimes, even though that's not normally how the Clans go. But if we're all fighting for our life, how are we supposed to turn tail and help you when we can't help ourselves? Other cats don't think just to hurt you and leave. If you ever fight rogues, they might go into battle with no hesitation to kill you. That's why you're training. So you won't get killed in a fight!"
He added the last part with such ferocity that he even scared himself a little bit. Lightstreak wasn't bloodthirsty, but he wasn't a pacifist either. And when Sorreltail had asked him if he would do a training session with the two, he was determined to teach Stormpaw as much as possible, and even prove to Bramblestar he could handle an apprentice.
Stormpaw flattened her ears for a moment, but they returned, fluffed up. "Alright, alright." She conceded. "Can you show me that move one more time, Squirrelflight? Then I'll try it on you two."
Flicking her tail, Squirrelflight obliged, and stood in front of her apprentice. In a magnificent leap, she scaled Stormpaw and batted at her head with soft, sheathed paws. She then landed deftly on the soft ground beneath.
Lightstreak padded towards Squirrelflight, and crouched slightly. He wanted to give Stormpaw room in case she didn't leap high enough, and didn't want her accidentally smashing his face. Squirrelflight, glancing over at him, didn't hesitate to crouch as well. Inwardly, Lightstreak laughed.
Stormpaw screwed her face up in concentration, observing the ground for where she should lift off. Then she ran forward two large steps, and sprang off the ground using her back legs. As Lightstreak closed his eyes, bracing for an impact into his face, he felt her paw scrape his back, and a zephyr tickle his face.
Opening his eyes in amazement, he turned around to see Stormpaw standing with a smug, satisfied look on her.
Next to him, Squirrelflight looked astounded. "You executed that perfectly! Where'd you learn to leap so well?" Squirrelflight looked to Lightstreak. "Wasn't that great?"
He looked to the ground, realizing closing his eyes wasn't the smartest move for training an apprentice. "It was very impressive," he murmured, still carefully examining his paws.
Stormpaw looked so proud of herself; her chest was puffed out, and her face glowed with pride. She clearly was either very proud, or didn't get much praise from her other teachers. "Let's do it again!" She hollered to them, and ran back to where she was on the other side, before leaping over them.
Lightcloud felt like he had a light heart the rest of the session. Him, Squirrelflight, and Stormpaw practiced the one move until Stormpaw could perfectly execute the move. Then they moved on to a few other moves, which were centered on more jumping and rolling.
The next moment he had to rest, Lightcloud noticed the skylight was dimming. The sun had already set, and twilight was setting in. Surprised that they had used up so much time, he called Squirrelflight and Stormpaw to stop. Stormpaw froze, and by the looks of it, was just preparing to leap over Squirrelflight. Lightstreak saw the older she-cat let out a small sigh of relief. Lightstreak smiled as he remembered how Stormpaw had ended up tripping over Squirrelflight's chin twice before.
The three departed for the hollow. ThunderClan had returned back to camp about half a moon ago after being in the Two-Leg nest for about a quarter moon, trying to be sure it was drained of water. However, the hollow still held scratches from the rushing waters, and after the cats returned, rocks had a tendency to come crumbling down after wear and tear. Nests had to be rebuilt, and some were still being fixed. The apprentices den hadn't fared too well, and when Stormpaw wasn't practicing fighting moves, her and her siblings were repairing their dens.
Lightstreak had once poked his head inside the den checking on the apprentices as they worked, and noticed it was quite a suitable living space. The apprentices had the entire den to the three of them, which made for great nights. However, when Hazeltail litter of Nudgekit, Runningkit, and Rowankit would be made apprentices, Lightstreak mused to himself that there cold be sleeping problems with the apprentices.
The camp was a bizhub for Lightstreak's clanmates, some were bustling out for another patrol, other sitting down to eat, and even some returning from a long day. He said goodbye to Squirrelflight, who was headed over to greet Bramblestar, and flicked his tail at Stormpaw. She was rushing over to Webpaw, looking as if she wanted to bowl him over with the new moves she learned.
Lightstreak headed over to the fresh-kill pile and took a blackbird, and then meandered over to an undisturbed corner of the hollow. As he nestled himself near the rock wall, settling down, Lightstreak realized just how tired his limbs were from the strenuous exercise they received all day today. Letting go of a long breath, he started to devour his blackbird.
Shortly into his meal, Swiftcloud approached him. Lightstreak's heart couldn't help but skip a beat, like every other time he saw her. He loved everything about her, and had even admired her a bit when he was an apprentice.
His mate sat beside him, and curled her fluffy tail over her paws. Lightstreak sat up, licking the last bits or bird off of his lips. He brushed his pelt next to hers and laid his tail along her back, and whispered, "how was your day?"
Swiftcloud took a moment to reply. "It was good. I went on the dawn patrol, then hunting. I was dismissed in the late afternoon, and just helped Jayfeather sort and collect some herbs. He was getting low on cobwebs, so I had to go fetch some more." She held out her paw as proof, and it was shiny-looking and covered in spindly cobwebs.
Lightstreak didn't speak at first. Then he mewed, "you've been spending an awful lot of time in Jayfeather's den recently. Do you-" he faltered, unsure of what to say, then blurted it out. "Do you think you want to be a medicine cat?"
Swiftcloud looked shocked, almost appalled. Her eyes widened at her mate's accusation, and Lightstreak felt his pelt in shame. He was just paranoid, that was all…
But Swiftcloud's gaze softened and she returned to the normally forgiving cat she was known to be. With a loving butt with her head to Lightstreak's shoulder, she responded, "I would never do that to you. Medicine cats can't have mates, I think your family would know that best out of all of us. No, Lightstreak, I just enjoy working with the herbs, but I would never take up the mantle. That's Jayfeather's tasks, and when the time comes, his apprentice's task as well."
She turned from him to finish eating her own fresh-kill, but some still troubled him. I think your family would know that best out of all of us. What did she mean by that? But in his mind, he knew exactly what she meant. She was referring to his own heritage, how his grandmother was once a medicine cat who fell in love with a warrior from another clan, thus breaking both medicine cat and warrior codes of law.
Before he had any more time to dwell on the topic, in the corner of his eye he spotted Bramblestar leap up on top of Highledge. Looking around, Lightstreak noticed the entire clan was present, all of them looking up at their leader. In the center of the camp was Hazeltail's litter, and their mother herself, who was still washing them vigorously.
Bramblestar spoke clearly, but it was needless, as the whole clan was already listening, ears perked. "Let all those old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting."
Nobody moved, as they were all already sitting around. However, Jayfeather did emerge further out from his den and sit beside Hollyleaf and Lionblaze.
"I have called you here today to mark a special moment in every Clan. Before me are three kits who have deserved this ceremony and become apprentices."
Turning to the first kit, who was Rowankit, Bramblestar meowed, "Rowankit, until the day you receive your warrior name, you shall now be known as Rowanpaw."
Rowanpaw lit up with brightness as being the first of her siblings, and turned to the crowd, trying to pick out her mentor. Cloudtail came forward. "Cloudtail, many times over you have proved yourself as a worthy warrior of ThunderClan. You are loyal and wise from many years of serving your clan, and I expect you pass these notable qualities to Rowanpaw."
The dark-reddish brown apprentice stepped forward, and touched noses with her mentor, excitement shining in her eyes. Lightstreak understood her reason well; Cloudtail was a revered warrior in the Clan.
Next, Bramblestar beckoned forth Runningkit. The light brown tabby tom look nervous, but puffed out his chest in an attempt to look brave. "Runningkit, from this moment you will be known as Runningpaw until you earn your warrior name. Mousewhisker, you are a brave and loyal warrior, and I trust you will pass all you know along to Runningpaw." The two touched noses traditionally, and Runningkit settled back down beside Rowanpaw and her mentor.
Lastly, Nudgekit came forward. Her golden-colored fur caught in the sunlight, and Lightstreak noticed she looked as if she was shaking in the middle of Greenleaf, but he dismissed it as nerves. She was a very jumpy kit, skittish and nervous about many things.
Bramblestar spoke, "Nudgekit, from this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Nudgepaw." The tabby leader craned his head, and beckoned forth a warrior to come forward with his tail.
The cats part the crowd, as the cat who emerged to become Nudgepaw's mentor came from the back. Lightstreak's ear detected a gasp or two from his Clanmates.
It was Brightheart.
Lightstreak was on her bad side, so he saw the ravaged marks where her eye had been many seasons ago. Mauled by dogs, with little chance of survival, Cloudtail nursed her back to health. In the seasons to come though, Brightheart was never mocked or ridiculed, but never granted an apprentice.
She strode up confidently, and Lightstreak could see that Cloudtail, from his position next to his new apprentice, looked proud as well for his mate.
"Brightheart, the time for you to receive an apprentice is long overdue. StarClan values you for your courage and determination, and I know you will pass on all that you know to Nudgepaw."
Nudgepaw looked up at her mentor, and Lightstreak saw that in her green eyes was eagerness. The two touched noses, and sat next to her other siblings.
"Nudgepaw! Rowanpaw! Runningpaw! Nudgepaw! Rowanpaw! Runningpaw!" The Clan chanted the new apprentices names.
Bramblestar, after cheering along with the rest of the Clan, said finally, "Clan meeting dismissed!" And leapt down from the rock.
A swarm of cats mobbed the three apprentices and their mentors, gushing mews of congratulations to both cats, particularly Brightheart.
Lightstreak, however, did not. He got up and stretched, tensing his limbs, and stood up. Easing over, he padded to his den, and entered the Warriors' Den. It was empty, and smiling, he curled up in his nest and fell asleep swiftly.
Well, there goes chapter 28. Took me a while, because I've been preoccupied by mountains of books. Bought The Forgotten Warrior the second day it came out (which happened to be my birthday!) and devoured it in about three to four hours. IT WAS SO GOOD. I won't give away any spoilers for those of you who haven't read it, but if you want to obsess about it with me, I welcome all PM's talking about it! Then I reread it, reread some of another book, and am now currently flipping between the book "Silence" by Becca Fitzpatrick and "Destined" by P.C. + Kristin Cast. They're both great so far!
