Chapter 6

Tigerpaw still had trouble adjusting to the new environment—however, his movements were much more precise and confident than the day he was accepted into the Clan. Only a few moons had passed since then, and he had been training hard with his two temporary mentors Lionheart and Fireheart. They taught him everything; battle skills, hunting techniques, the most hidden parts of the territory, and to Tigerpaw's disappointment, how to take care of the elders. Only thinking about the mouse bile used to remove ticks made the tabby grimace. But he shook his head now, focusing on the scents of the forest.

This time, he was alone. No other warrior was there to lead prey onto his paws, and no mentor to correct his hunting crouch. It was time for a solo hunting session, Bluestar decided. He had taken his new responsibility with pride, and promised himself to bring the fattest fresh-kill in the forest. Now that it was time to prove his words, he felt apprehensive.

A stench entered his nostrils; one that was menacing and made his pelt rise. Lionheart had mentioned it multiple times, this was the scent of a fox. Clearly, they weren't the only ones living in the territory, and he knew one wrong move could turn him into the fox's next meal. He decided to leave the area, opposite to where the scent was coming from.

Long moments of walking around he still hadn't detected anything that could feed his hungry belly. He was getting desperate as the birds refused to leave the safety of their nests. With mice hiding underground and birds hiding in the skies he grunted at the thought of being a cat, only able to climb trees in search of animals that were much faster than him.

Nearby he could scent something else, this time not foxes nor prey—cats. In the distance he could see the soft gray pelt of Graypaw, nearly perfectly camouflaged against the bushes. Their gazes met, and the gray cat approached the tabby, leaving the warrior patrol to mark the territory.

"Hey, Tigerpaw! Catch anything yet?"

The tabby was silent, narrowing his eyes to slits.

"I guess that's a no, then," Graypaw meowed happily. "Don't worry, the forest is filled with prey, you'll catch something soon."

"If that something doesn't catch me first," Tigerpaw replied pointedly, looking behind him. "All I could smell was fox back there."

Graypaw's eyes widened, his voice became more serious. "Make sure it isn't following you! They are cunning, you can never trust them. Glad you went out of there, it could rip you off in a minute. Although…" he stopped to stare at Tigerpaw's claws. "You could probably stand a chance with those."

"Well, all I hope is that it didn't scare all the prey away," the tabby meowed rolling his eyes.

Graypaw purred regaining his usual confidence. "Don't worry, there's plenty for everyone. I can help you get started, but don't tell anyone."

He stared past the gray apprentice at the other warriors. "Won't they notice you're gone?"

"There's plenty of time," he pointed out staring at the sky. "We're heading for the WindClan border, that's quite far from here. They won't mind if I stick around and hunt for a bit."

Tigerpaw twitched his whiskers gratefully. Who would have thought this apprentice could be so helpful sometimes! "Okay, but don't blame me if you get in trouble."

"Of course I will blame you!" Graypaw replied with wide eyes. "You owe me that much!"

Tigerpaw rolled his eyes, but purred in reply.

Having Graypaw there speed things up considerably. Quickly the gray tom had caught a vole and helped him catch a mouse. None of that was the large prey he was expecting, but Graypaw reminded him that every piece of prey was valuable, as there were many hungry mouths to feed. They buried the fresh-kill in a place where they could guard it, fortunately no carrion-feeder dared approach both cats.

A squirrel ran past them, throwing them off balance. Graypaw immediately shouted, "after it!" as both cats started running towards it. It was not long until the animal decided to climb a tree, hiding inside a hole in its trunk, as the cats stopped panting and sighed in frustration.

It wasn't until the loud roar of a monster reached their ears that they realized how close they were to the Thunderpath. Tigerpaw approached it, carefully.

"Yuck," Graypaw spat. "I didn't realize we were here already."

"Me neither." Tigerpaw looked across the Thunderpath, at the territory beyond. He had been told multiple times by his mentors—ShadowClan territory, where the most cold-hearted cats lived. He had never seen one of them, they didn't roam the borders that much, and to his dismay Bluestar hadn't chosen him for a Gathering yet.

He could see why they had gained that name. ShadowClan's territory was dark and cold, much darker than the forests of ThunderClan, and in the distance, he was sure he could see a pair of glowing eyes staring back at his own.

Tigerpaw was tempted to walk forward. Something was pulling him ahead, despite the dangerous Thunderpath and the monsters that roared past him, he felt the need to cross it and understand what that part of the territory was like, what the cats were like, what they ate and how they trained. He carefully lifted a paw…

Then fell down as a gray body toppled him over. He stood up, shaking his pelt. "What?"

"You were about to cross the Thunderpath, you mousebrain!" Graypaw hissed, his whiskers trembling.

"Was I?" the tabby replied, cocking his head. He looked back at ShadowClan's land, the pair of glowing eyes had disappeared now, and that pulling feeling faded with them. "Oh, sorry," he meowed back at Graypaw.

The older apprentice sighed. "Well, let's get out of here. We're doomed if a ShadowClan patrol is nearby; we're no match for those fox-hearts."

If only you knew, Tigerpaw thought, giving one last glance across the Thunderpath. He decided not to mention the eyes he saw there; he was sure that was a warrior.

Later on, both cats parted ways as Graypaw returned to his patrol. Tigerpaw decided he would catch something else before returning to camp, still not giving up on his idea of bringing the fattest piece of prey in the forest. At the very least, he wanted to get something without help from anyone.

It wasn't long until a new scent came to his nostrils. Not fox, not prey, not cat… no—he thought it better; not ThunderClan cat. His blood boiled when the realization hit him. An intruder! Another realization hit him almost as quick: his fresh-kill!

Tigerpaw burst into action, ignoring how his loud footsteps would scare the prey away. This had been a long hunting session; he wasn't about to let someone else take it! Skidding into a halt, he hid under the bushes and stared at the pile where he and Graypaw had left their catch. There, just like expected, an intruder was sniffing around. A growl started in Tigerpaw's throat, making the intruder stiffen.

"Hah, I know you're there," a raspy voice came to his ears. This was a she-cat, and most likely an elder. But what was an elder doing here? He shook his head; it didn't matter, she was stealing food, and now he had to protect it.

Tigerpaw leaped from cover, meeting her defensive pose. He stood up on his back paws, swiping at her with his long claws. The elder's orange eyes widened in surprise, and Tigerpaw smiled. Didn't expect these claws, did you? But the elder dropped to the ground, avoiding the tabby's swipes, and attacked him from below; a direct bite to his hungry belly. The elder dropped him to one side making Tigerpaw spit by reflex. Not enough time to think, the elder grabbed him by the spine, pinning him to the ground. Her grip was firm, but soft.

"ThunderClan, always thinking you're such great fighters," she purred. "But you will never beat the great Yellowfang in battle!"

Tigerpaw hissed, twisting and turning, but nothing was enough to free himself.

"Now, stop that," she meowed, placing a paw on his neck. "Give up, you were so easily defeated there's nothing else you can do."

Tigerpaw seized that opportunity. Turning his head around, he bit hard on Yellowfang's paw, making her flinch and loosen her grip. It didn't stop there; he immediately jumped to the offensive once more, using her same technique. Crouching, but swiftly, he grabbed the elder by the hind legs, making her lose her balance. As she exposed her belly, Tigerpaw knew he had won: that was the most delicate area, and whoever exposed their belly first had lost the battle.

However, he underestimated the elder's experience. She used all four paws to deflect his attacks, her front paws meeting with his, her hind legs meeting his jaws. Tigerpaw's frustration rose, but as he tried to bite down on her and pin her down, her hind legs lunged at his neck, getting him out of breath. The tabby stepped back, panting, that moment of respite allowing the elder back to her paws and assuming a defensive pose.

He was not done yet, however. Not until his territory had been defended. He lunged forward once more, yet as Yellowfang was readying to meet him, he feinted to one side and knocked the elder over. Without hesitation, he lunged at her neck, his massive front paws holding her in place, and he was ready to bite down and end it… but something made him stop.

He felt her ribs with his paws, his mouth was full of matted and unkempt fur, her skinny legs were shaking, unable to get him off. And more importantly, he remembered what happened when he trained with Graypaw, the reprimands of his mentors, what he had learned that day. No, this was wrong, he had to be a warrior.

Tigerpaw retreated his jaws, but he couldn't trust this intruder. He held her firmly with his paws, although his grip was much softer than before. "Had enough?" he hissed.

However, the elder spat and hissed in reply. "What's the matter? Act like a warrior and finish me off. Just know that, on any other day, I would have shredded you into dust."

Tigerpaw sighed. "No, I won't finish you off. That's against the warrior code."

Yellowfang's eyes widened, yet her threatening glint did not leave them. She simply hissed with nothing else to do in that sorry state.

"Yellowfang," Tigerpaw meowed. "That's your name, isn't it? It sounds like a warrior name."

"That's none of your business!" the elder spat back, writhing once more, and giving up moments later. "Are you going to keep me here forever? Get off!"

"No if you promise to leave," the apprentice told her, trying to keep his voice calm. "This is ThunderClan territory, you are not welcome here. Go back to your Clan."

His words made Yellowfang's expression change notably, but he could not understand in what way. Was that sadness? Anger? Something must have happened he could tell, but this elder was not willing to reveal what it was.

Yet my duty is to my Clan, Tigerpaw thought to himself. If there was any cat that deserved to be fed first, it was his Clanmates. And if any intruders happened to approach his territory, it was his duty to scare them off. At the same time, he couldn't shake that feeling that something was off; knowing the fox scent he detected earlier, this cat would be the perfect prey for it. Could he truly let her go like nothing?

What am I thinking? He realized later there was no way to even know if she was going to leave. At the very least, he had to guide her to the border, or make sure that she left.

"Which Clan are you from?" he asked later. "I can take you to-" His words were met with another fierce hiss. "Okay, none of my business." Tigerpaw sighed again. He made up his mind, releasing the elder from his grip, but standing his ground with unsheathed claws and a lashing tail.

Yellowfang stared at him, also standing her ground.

"If you don't leave right now," Tigerpaw began with a guttural growl, "I will have to chase you off. And you know you don't stand a chance."

The elder spat at him, hissing. She opened her mouth, but to Tigerpaw's surprise, she said nothing; she scented the air carefully, and stiffened. She stared at the apprentice, letting her body relax.

"You win this time, apprentice. If you didn't have ThunderClan warriors backing you up, believe me, I would gladly teach you a lesson." She hissed fiercely before turning around. "But remember: this isn't the last time you'll see me. I promise you that."

The elder fled among the bushes only leaving a fear scent trail behind. Tigerpaw stared, lost in thought. Was that the right thing to do? Defend his Clan from an intruder, even if said intruder was old and unkempt? He still wondered why would she be in ThunderClan, knowing that warriors would be patrolling and would be able to detect her easily. She was lucky that Tigerpaw was the first one to see her; or perhaps, she was simply too confident in her abilities.

The reason why Yellowfang had fled appeared behind him moments later. Bluestar, Lionheart, Willowpelt, and Fireheart. Closely behind them was Graypaw with his tail high in the air, who greeted the tabby with a purr.

"Tigerpaw," the leader began talking, the patrol standing behind her.

The apprentice dipped his head. "Bluestar, I'm sorry, this is all I could get." He pointed with his paw at the buried pile of fresh-kill that he caught with Graypaw, and he dug a bit to reveal its contents. Tigerpaw could see the surprise in his denmate's expression; there was not a single new piece from the time they parted ways, and the whole pile was quite small to feed a whole Clan.

However, the leader's expression was soft. "There's a faint scent here. ShadowClan, it seems."

Tigerpaw's eyes widened. ShadowClan? Could Yellowfang be the same cat I saw at the Thunderpath? "Yes… there was an intruder here, trying to steal my prey, but I chased her off!" He puffed out his chest with pride—a reaction that was met positively when Fireheart spoke to him.

"You chased off a ShadowClan warrior on your own? Impressive. Maybe you do have what it takes to be part of ThunderClan."

Tigerpaw purred gratefully, expecting some words of praise from the leader. However, those words never came. Instead, she lowered her head, talking to him in a whisper. "We will talk about this later. I need to ask you some questions about this cat." She raised her head once more and turned to her patrol. "Please help Tigerpaw carry this fresh-kill, Lionheart. This won't be enough for tonight, young one," she meowed at Tigerpaw now, "but you chased off an enemy with bravery and protected your fresh-kill. Good job."

Tigerpaw should have felt pride at her words, but instead he felt confused. There was something Bluestar wasn't telling him; maybe he actually was wrong for chasing off that ShadowClan warrior? He grabbed the mouse, following the patrol as they lead him to camp. Graypaw took a place beside him.

"Lucky you!" he purred in a low voice. "I didn't get in trouble, so they won't know I saved your tail today. You even got Fireheart to praise you—which isn't easy by the way—and Bluestar is going to give you the best piece of kill! You owe me big time for this, Tigerpaw."

The tabby was barely listening. The taste of mice was too strong to ignore, and his belly protested heavily after not eating for an entire day. His Twoleg would always leave him food ready; it was nothing like fresh-kill, but he could eat as much as he wanted without any problems. Here, he had to wait until everyone had eaten, and that sometimes meant going a long day without eating as there wasn't enough for everyone. His head was dizzy, his pawsteps unbalanced, and he could barely hear Graypaw's distant meow as his eyes closed peacefully.