Well that took a while. Sorry, things got really busy, and then I had a huge writer's block, but at least this came out! Also, I had to put a few of everyone's OC's as apprentices, but they will grow into warriors (I mean, unless they die. They could die.)
Songmistle: I didn't expect to like Frondpaw that much either! I love all the new names, too. Thanks for the great additions to the other Clans!
RavenblazeOC: I'm glad you enjoy my story. Also, for names… wow. Unfortunately, I couldn't use all of them, but there were some really amazing ones that I just had to put in!
Fourcherries: Again a lot of amazing names! And I do really like Crimsonstone, he's definitely a great character, though for now he'll have to start out as an apprentice, but he'll still be the same old prickly great tom.
Rowanpaw didn't have a chance to respond to the statement her new friend had made, as Flashstar had hurriedly called an end to the gathering, and Flowerpool was already pulling her into the large group of LightClan cats heading back to camp. She didn't resist, barely noticing herself being swept up in the crowd. She could hardly believe what Applepaw had said.
The warrior code, false?
But that was impossible. LightClan had always been this way, had always been perfect. And that foxdung about all the Clans following the same version of the code… Well, she never knew if they actually did, but she had to assume that LightClan was a special case. After all, it wouldn't be easy to make another Clan of perfect cats. Applepaw just had to be plain wrong.
"Don't do that ever again," she heard someone hiss into her ear, as she was pressed along with the group of cats. Startled, Rowanpaw looked at Flowerpool, fear plain in her eyes. Did Flowerpool know what she was talking about? Surely she would punish Rowanpaw for even discussing the idea. And what about Applepaw? Rowanpaw wasn't sure how much she liked the StormClan apprentice anymore, but she still didn't want anything bad to happen to him.
"It ruins my image, too, for you to consort with those other Clans," Flowerpool told her. Rowanpaw breathed a sigh of relief. Her mentor didn't know. And now that she was safe, she would never have to think about that wretched idea again.
"What?!" Rowanpaw asked incredulously. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.
"Yes, darling," Flowerpool replied, exasperated. "I told you, you're going to be in the front line for the battle."
"But I've barely had any training!" she insisted. "How can you expect me to be able to fight?"
"LightClan needs to display it's young apprentices, to teach a lesson about how perfectly we train them. Seeing even the youngest cats fighting so perfectly will scare them more than seeing all of us experienced cats."
"Please tell me you're going to be there to help me out," she muttered under her breath. Flowerpool looked at her with wide, surprised eyes.
"Of course I'm not going to be there! I'm going to stay nice and safe, in the back row, helping cover our retreat. Don't worry, I'm sure the other warriors could maybe spare a moment or two to help you, not that you'd need it."
Furious, Rowanpaw stalked away from her mentor. Sure, she was happy to be in the fight. Every LightClan cat wanted too. Two days had passed since SunClan had started hunting on their territory, and whenever she went out she could hear them stomping around and chattering noisily. But this was going too far. In the very front of the battle, with no cat to help her?
Camp was busy. Every cat was talking about the upcoming battle. Quite a few cats were complaining about something or another. But some were talking about the revenge they would have. Their chance. My chance too, Rowanpaw thought.
You're chance to die, the voice said. It had come back again, and was taunting her every waking moment, making her miserable. They messed up the warrior code to do this to you. They want you to die.
Rowanpaw chose not to answer. After all, she had no reason to contradict it.
Some cat shoved a squirrel in front of her, but she didn't want to eat it. She could not think of anything. They shoved it closer, and she gave in. The fresh-kill had no taste. No meaning. She felt just as empty as she had in the first place.
Time passed agonizingly slowly. Finally Flashstar called the meeting. It felt like forever when all the cats were gathering. Her mind wandered back into a haze, snapping out of it when she heard a big cheer come from her Clanmates.
"It's finally time to show SunClan they can't get away with stealing our territory!" Flashstar yowled.
"LightClan! LightClan!" the cats around her chanted in response.
"It's time to show those flea-pelts which cats are really in charge around here!" the tom continued viciously.
"LightClan! LightClan!" LightClan chanted.
Once the chanting died down, their leader finally spoke again. "A small patrol of cats led by myself will go and meet up with a StormClan patrol at the Birch Clearing. Then we will position ourselves, and go teach SunClan a lesson. The remaining cats will stay back, to protect our camp in case of a counter attack." A loud moan rippled through the crowd; no cat wanted to be of those hanging back. "The cats coming with me are Nettlecloud, Rabbitfur, Sleetstone, Pondwillow, Beechnose, Burdockleaf, Hazelbreeze, Flowerpool, Flurryfire, Elmfang, Sagepaw, Rainpaw, Leafpaw, Larkpaw, and Rowanpaw."
Rowanpaw felt a shock go through her, and she saw similar reactions from the rest of her Clan as well. It wasn't any surprise to her that she would be going into a battle like this, but several other cats clearly disagreed with such young apprentices in such an obviously lethal circumstance. It was also a fairly small battle patrol for LightClan; they would be putting a lot of faith in StormClan. Some of the cats yowled in outrage at their leader.
"No medicine cats?!" Heronflight's voice rang out through the Clan. The senior warrior's words did nothing to comfort any of the cats, instead making more fear and panic emerge.
"StormClan will be providing medicine cats, seeing as ours have to keep watch for Lavenderstripe's kits," Flashstar said in a low voice, though it carried through the crowd. He looked civil enough, but his eyes flashed dangerously. He raised his voice. "All who I called, join me to head off to the Birch Clearing!"
The Clan separated into two groups. Those who were joining in on the battle all followed their silver leader out the camp entrance, some sending looks of pity to their friends who stayed behind.
Rowanpaw's stomach was churning. The moment was coming. Flowerpool wasn't even with her, she was off talking with her little gang of admirers, who would mostly be hanging back with her, chatting lazily as her apprentice went out to risk her neck.
She could hear Sagepaw encouraging Leafpaw about what a battle was like; he had gotten the chance to fight in a minor skirmish with StormClan a few moons back, and ever since had been cocky about his experience.
"You'll be fine," said the cat next to her, and Rowanpaw reconized her voice as Pondwillow's. When she looked at her doubtfully, the warrior continued. "I was nervous too in my first battle. Rogues were coming in and hunting in our territory. We expected it to be minor, so not many cats got involved, but they fought hard. I was so scared, though my mentor was there the whole time to protect me. Every cat will be looking out for you."
That's what you think, Rowanpaw thought glumly. She had never known a senior warrior to be so wrong.
Seeing that she was still uncomfortable, Pondwillow changed tactics. "You'll be so far away from the fight, no cat will even notice you. You'd be lucky if you even get a chance to use your claws."
Once again, Rowanpaw had no response. She was thankful when Pondwillow left her alone, even though she obviously could have used the encouragement. There would probably be no time in her life that she'd feel more helpless than this.
The Birch Clearing had a very different feeling than it had a quarter moon ago, at the gathering. There was only one other scent, and every cat was more nervous, more excited. The rules about mingling had seemingly changed without a word, and cats from LightClan moved to talk to those of StormClan willingly.
The sea of cats made Rowanpaw dizzy. And she desperately tried to find a friendly face. In the distance, she saw a tortoiseshell pelt, and stumbled forward to meet the other cat, relief washing over her.
"Skypaw!" She cried.
"Rowanpaw, I'm so glad to finally see someone I know," Her fellow apprentice responded. "There are so many cats, aren't there? It seems impossible to find anyone with so little boundaries." She paused to look at Rowanpaw again. "Why are you even here? I would think you haven't had enough training yet."
"I haven't," she said bitterly. "But according to Flowerpool, we need to show off how perfect even our youngest apprentices are to intimidate the other Clans."
"That's a mouse-brained idea," Skypaw meowed, and Rowanpaw nodded fervently in agreement. "But at least you'll be at the back of the battle, right?" The dark russet she-cat just stared. "Right?" she asked again, pointedly. When Rowanpaw didn't answer, Skypaw let out a huge sigh. "What is wrong with your Clan?!"
Rowanpaw snorted. "I have no idea." She looked around to change the topic. "Who else is here?"
"Not many cats that you know." the tortoiseshell told her. "Frondpaw and Applepaw stayed behind for this one. Frozenstar is here of course, and so is our medicine cat, Littlepond. A lot of warriors came. I guess they were really mad, and forced Frozenstar to let them come."
"And that?" Rowanpaw asked, wrinkling her nose at the young tom that had stayed in the same position the whole time.
"Oh, that's Crimsonpaw," she replied, flicking her tail dismissively. "Don't mind if he's a bit prickly to you, he is to everybody. One of the ones chanting for a bigger battle party, couldn't wait to get claws on some SunClan cats." Her face clouded in worry. "Applepaw was with those ones too."
"Applepaw?" Rowanpaw meowed. It didn't fit in with the way she had seen the dark ginger tom at the gathering. True, had gotten a bit weird, trying to question the warrior code and all, but other than that, he seemed civilized. She couldn't believe that he would be chanting to fight more cats.
"He's started acting all weird, so much more cold and solitary," Skypaw fretted. "Even Frondpaw can't warm him up. I don't know what's going on."
Probably thinking evil thoughts about the true way of the Clans, Rowanpaw thought. She felt a bit guilty for not telling Skypaw what had happened, especially with seeing her so worried. But it was a private, dangerous conversation, and her new friend didn't have to hear it.
"Stop chatting and get going for the positions to be announced," snapped an old gray she-cat with a StormClan scent. Rowanpaw obliged, and followed the pack to where Flashstar and Frozenstar were awkwardly sitting on the Large Trunk.
"StormClan and LightClan!" Frozenstar started, and Flashstar nodded at him to continue. "We are here today to fight against the oppressors, SunClan!" A huge cheer went up. "Flashstar and I will call your name for you to fall in place into your positions, and from there we will silently head out to meet SunClan in battle."
"The front line will be myself, Frozenstar, Ebonynose, Rabbitfur, Burdockleaf, Wildsnow, Larkshade, Cottenshadow, Skypaw, and Rowanpaw," Flashstar announced, and Rowanpaw took her place with the other cats called. "On the right side will be Nettlecloud, Pondwillow, Rainpaw, Violetheart, Elmfang, and Crimsonpaw. The left side will be Beechnose, Flurryfire, Shimmerflight, Rockwing, Larkpaw, and Sagepaw."
"Ripplepelt, Hazelbreeze, Flowerpool, Sleetstone, and Leafpaw will be in the back as a last defence," Frozenstar put in. "And Lionpaw and Elmfang will accompany Littlepond going in the midst of the battle to help the wounded."
Rowanpaw looked around the cats that were lining up with her. Flashstar and Frozenstar were standing silently, with none of the other warriors saying anything. She wished that Skypaw could've been next to her, but she was all the way on the other end of the line with the StormClan deputy. Instead, on her side was an intimidating young warrior with fluffy white fur and dangerous dark green eyes. The StormClan cat stood silently, making no move aside from slowly raking her claws through the ground. It wasn't the most comforting sight.
Once every cat got into position, they marched slowly through the thick woodland, occasionally getting out of line to avoid a thornbush or vines, and then joining together in formation immediately again. Frozenstar flattened his ears and put his tail low to the ground. Immediately, everyone got in a crouch position.
The leader pounced.
The battle was raging. SunClan was caught by surprise from the two Clans attack, but they were fighting fiercely. Rowanpaw's stomach sank when she saw how they were outnumbered. Clearly the leaders had misjudged the number of cats needed for the attack.
Suddenly, someone slammed her into a thorny den, and she immediately felt them bury their way through her pelt and into her skin. She dazedly looked up to see a large yellow tabby swipe at her face, and feebly dodged, so it hit her front leg instead. She attempted to pounce on him, only for him to dodge with more agility than she expected, and suddenly he appeared behind her, pinning her down.
"I bet they meant for you stupid small kittie to do," the SunClan cat hissed in her ear. "Not perfect enough, or whatever LightClan junk you're mouse-hearted Clan says."
"Oh, so you're part of LightClan now?" Mocked a new voice. "Cause you're the only mouse-heart I see."
Rowanpaw breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Skypaw jump forwards, and roll under his belly viciously clawing it. She came up behind him, where she jumped on top of the big tom and clawed his ears. He viciously tried to shake her off, but thankfully the stormClan apprentice had sharp claws, and was small enough to hold on.
The SunClan cat retreated and rushed on to help out in a different part of the fight. Skypaw turned to Rowanpaw, out of breath.
"Sunnypaw's just a big coward," she hissed. "He'll only fight anyone who he's certain he'll beat." She paused for a moment. "I better go help out in the rest of the battle, but you should go see Littlepond. You have some nasty scrapes."
"Get Sunnypaw for me," the russet she-cat responded bitterly, before pulling back out of line.
Before long, the reliving sight of the small calico medicine cat accompanied by Elmfang and an apprentice arrived. The poor medicine cat looked like he was about to burst, and he quickly checked her cuts and scratches, before a couple yowles of pain rang out in the distance.
"Rockwing's been hurt," Littlepond reported. "Rowanpaw, how much does it hurt? Can it wait?"
She could hardly stand the pain, but she gave a small little nod for confirmation. Littlepond bustled on, and she attempted to stand up, but ended up collapsing on the ground. Thankfully no SunClan warriors had found her.
When it seemed that the battle had finally gone on for eternity, Rowanpaw heard a victory cry, and watched in the distance the SunClan cats retreat.
"That'll teach them their lesson!" She heard a cat shout.
"No cat hunts on StormClan territory!" Put in another one.
"Those nasty foxhearts won't be-" started another voice. It was Sleetstone.
Rowanpaw never got to hear the end of the she-cats comment. The pain was too much, and she blacked out.
Well that's now done. It may be a little bit til the next chapter comes out, but I'll try to work on it when I can. It's your last chance to add in any extra OC's you want to be added to the allegiances. Also, There are some empty slots for Lavenderstripe's kits! Please only submit one or two kits per a person, and hopefully I'll get to use some of them!
I'll try to write the next bit extra quickly!