Chapter 7

His paws moved in rhythm automatically, without their owner telling them what to do. They marched forward in unison; front leg followed by back leg with a confidence uncharacteristic to such a skittish animal. This place was unfamiliar, no recognizable scents and the sights were no more than a white and blue blur. Something lingered in the air; a sweet smell yet tinged with bitterness, unfamiliar but oddly recognizable. The sounds were nonexistent, save for a few peaceful wind blows and the glinting of the stars. Where was he? He pondered on this question for many moments yet no one answered, not even his paws, which did not stop at all, and he did not make the attempt to stop them.

Tigerpaw blinked multiple times, trying to make something out from the distance, but no matter what he did his gaze was still no more than blurry shapes.

Only a few blinks later he made out a different environment. One much darker, more familiar, as the scent of cat was mixed with the strong bitter scents that he could not ignore. Dark paws stood in front of his face as well as a soft, soothing meow.

"Bluestar, he's awake," a voice he recognized as Spottedleaf's, ThunderClan's medicine cat. Tigerpaw tried to reincorporate himself but a second soft paw held him in place.

"Don't move, Tigerpaw." This time, it was Bluestar. "You shouldn't be up so quickly." The leader now turned to the medicine cat. From below, the tabby could not see their expressions, and both of their voices were calm as ever. "Spottedleaf, I need some time alone with him. May I?"

Spottedleaf just nodded. He could see her grabbing a bundle of leaves and carry it past him, outside. Bluestar sat down, waiting until everyone was out of earshot; presumably, to start the conversation that she wanted to have the previous night.

Previous night? Now Tigerpaw noticed the sun shining from the den entrance, bright as ever. Only a faint memory of him walking with the other warriors with a mouse on his mouth told him what happened, but everything in between was a blank.

"What happened?" he grunted, stretching one paw. His belly growled in response, finally he realized how hungry he was.

Bluestar grabbed a small vole from nearby and dropped it in front of Tigerpaw. "As you know, apprentices aren't allowed to eat before elders and kits have been fed," she explained. "Unless you have permission from a warrior to do so." With this, she pointed to the vole. Tigerpaw understood the message and chomped down on the prey, his belly still protesting in anticipation. "You aren't used to this new life yet," Bluestar said with a sigh.

Tigerpaw's ears shot up in alarm, and he rushed to defend himself. "I am!" he meowed with a full mouth. "It's just, I wasted too much energy defending my territory!"

"Our territory," Bluestar corrected. She relaxed, laying down. "That is what I wanted to talk to you about. You were defending our territory… from who?"

Tigerpaw hesitated. From who? His memories from the previous day were still blurry and a confusing mess.

By his silence, Bluestar pressed. "From who?" she repeated, trying to maintain her voice calm. "This is important. By their scent, it must have been a ShadowClan cat, wasn't it?"

"Right!" Little by little, Tigerpaw was remembering the events. "Yes, I was on a hunting patrol with—" He cut himself off as Bluestar raised an eyebrow, then continued. "—with nobody, I was on a solo assignment. And I went to the Thunderpath, and…" He made a pause, still trying to remember. Bluestar didn't comment this time, she waited patiently. "And I met a gray she-cat. She looked like an elder, and was very thin. Her name was… uh… Yellowfang?"

"Yellowfang!" Bluestar's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"I think?" Tigerpaw replied, and his belly protested again. He continued eating, this time ignoring his leader's questions. Maybe she knew that cat, maybe she didn't, all he cared about now was having a good meal.

Bluestar was thoughtful for a moment. She realized her words were not getting to Tigerpaw now. She stood up, facing the entrance, staring outside; when she came back inside, she was followed by Spottedleaf who could immediately sense her worried expression. Tigerpaw was only alerted of their conversation once Spottedleaf meowed, "Yellowfang!?" with a louder meow than she anticipated.

"I thought so when I found Tigerpaw there," Bluestar was saying. "Her herb scent was unmistakable, yet I could also detect the acrid smell of hunger."

"Maybe she wanted to speak to me?" the healer suggested, but Bluestar shook her head.

"The ShadowClan medicine cat wanting to speak to us? They are too prideful to cross borders asking for help or offering assistance." She let out a sigh. "Tigerpaw mentioned she was thin and willing to steal his fresh-kill. Would she really stoop that low?"

Spottedleaf pondered on this question for some moments. "Why was she here?"

"I don't know…but this is worrying."

"Do you think we should have let her in?" Spottedleaf meowed in a whisper, taking a side glance at the apprentice.

Bluestar looked at him too, and whispered back. "It doesn't matter now. Tigerpaw chased her off; any other warrior would've. At the very least, she is lucky she only had to face against one apprentice."

Tigerpaw felt offended but he did not let that show. Instead he focused on his vole. Only, they say! He though taking a fierce bite. Elders have much more experience than apprentices and warriors, and she was from ShadowClan no less! They should be praising him for getting out of there alive, and even beating such a cat in battle!

The two she-cats finished their conversation, now Tigerpaw had been too lost in thought to hear the end of it. He ate the entirety of his vole, only leaving a few bones, and only looked up when he saw Spottedleaf letting out a purr.

"Seems you were really hungry!" she laughed with a friendly face. "Fortunately you aren't sick, so you'll be able to resume your duties today. Rest until your body has regained its strength and you'll be free to go." Spottedleaf gave him a friendly smile and left the den. The tabby wanted to stare past her, see where she was going, but a black pelt blocked his view.

The newcomer cat crouched timidly, hesitating at the entrance. Before he even scented him, Tigerpaw recognized him by his uncertain pawsteps alone.

"Ravenpaw, what are you doing?"

The young cat shifted his paws nervously. "Graypaw told me you weren't feeling well, so…"

"Please," Tigerpaw cut him off. "This is nothing. Did you really think the strongest apprentice in ThunderClan could be defeated so easily?"

"I guess not," Ravenpaw replied, unsure. Tigerpaw's kittypet roots would not be forgotten by anyone, and fainting from hunger—a hunger the other Clan cats were used to—was bound to give him a worse reputation. Ravenpaw had heard Sandpaw's, and even Dustpaw's, snarky comments the night before. He decided not to mention any of it.

"So, why aren't you out with Fireheart?" the tabby asked after a moment. Sure enough it was sunhigh, the perfect moment for a training session.

But Ravenpaw shifted his paws nervously one more. "He said he's busy today, so I should stay in camp." He sighed. "Sorting herbs, taking care of elders' ticks…"

"That's boring," Tigerpaw protested. If Fireheart refused to take Ravenpaw out for training, that meant he was confined in camp as well until Bluestar made up her mind. Dustpaw and Graypaw had already left, and no way he was going to leave with Sandpaw—although he respected her mentor Whitestorm, he didn't respect him enough to deal with the apprentice. "What else can we do?" he tried to stand up but felt his legs still shaking, and sighed in defeat. "Spottedleaf says I can't leave yet."

Ravenpaw sat down and began grooming his shiny pelt. Of course, he was never fond of training anyway.

Tigerpaw thought for a second. He wasn't going to get anything of use here, but perhaps the apprentice could quell his curiosity. "Do you know who Yellowfang is?"

The tom froze, paw mid-air. "How do you know her?"

"Just tell me," Tigerpaw insisted, his voice revealing impatience. Ravenpaw's eyes widened.

"She is ShadowClan's medicine cat. Like Spottedleaf, but much older and scarier." He faked a shiver. "Other cats say she is very wise and experienced. I heard she was a warrior before turning into a medicine cat."

"Why would she stop being a warrior?" Tigerpaw wondered out loud, but his question was met with a shaking head. He couldn't even consider the idea of being a strong warrior, respected after going through all this training, only to give it up to become a medicine cat. Especially a cat like her, who didn't look like she could take care of herself that well.

"I don't know, but Bluestar won't be so pleased knowing she is roaming our forests now."

"I chased her off!" Tigerpaw meowed more defensively than he intended. "She wouldn't dare come back!"

Ravenpaw widened his eyes. "ShadowClan cats can be very prideful. She would dare come back if that meant revenge."

The tabby felt surprised, not at Ravenpaw's words, but at his own excitement. "Well, I can chase her off again!"

Ravenpaw was about to answer, but Graypaw's hurried mew cut him off. He looked at them from the outside. "Hey, are you two deaf? Bluestar is at the Highrock!"

Hastily, Ravenpaw got up and rushed to where the other apprentices were standing. Dustpaw had already taken a spot beside his mentor, Graypaw was only getting there after alerting his denmates. Tigerpaw stood up with some effort and approached them, yet still standing a few fox-lengths away. No reason to go closer, he thought.

The queens were standing protectively in front of the nursery, the curious kits attempting to get out and listen to the leader. Bluestar had alerted them of a fox, letting them know that they should be more careful with the kits in case it decided to walk too close to camp.

Lionheart had taken a spot beneath the Highrock, and Redtail was only a little lower than his leader, standing tall and proud. The elders had only slightly left their dens to hear the news, and Tigerpaw could see Smallear protesting, attempting to secure a spot closer to the Highrock to hear better.

The other warriors gathered in the middle, only a few were missing after being sent on patrols. Tigerpaw scanned the area, trying to see where Spottedleaf was… right there, next to Fireheart, their tails barely touching as they engaged in what seemed to be a friendly conversation. Is that why you were so busy? Tigerpaw though indignantly.

"I have very grave news," Bluestar began after everyone had settled. Fireheart and Spottedleaf interrupted their conversation, making it seem like they were strangers rather than friends. Tigerpaw narrowed his eyes, but decided to ignore them and focused his attention on the blue-eyed leader. "Yesterday I traveled to WindClan territory with a patrol. We saw no signs of WindClan warriors—not even a scent or a territory marker. However, the scent of ShadowClan was strong, appearing in every corner of the territory."

With the pause she made, worried murmurs began to rise. Smallear decided to speak up what was on everyone's mind. "You think… ShadowClan chased them out?"

Bluestar sighed in reply. "We do not know. We haven't found any bodies of any Clan, but we saw blood and ripped fur. There has certainly been a battle."

Confused yowls erupted from the clearing, the words becoming a confusing mess for Tigerpaw to catch anything. Regardless, he was too focused in his own thoughts to pay them any mind. ShadowClan being casted out? He recalled Yellowfang, how he chased her off—right, he most likely prevented an invasion. What if ShadowClan decided to chase off ThunderClan as well? They must have some nerve, sending out such an old cat for their schemes.

Bluestar, as dignified and calm as ever, met the concerns of her Clanmates, letting her strong voice be heard above the cacophony of meows.

"Brokenstar, the new leader of ShadowClan, has shown no threat to us during Gatherings," she commented as the crowd relaxed. "However, ThunderClan must prepare. Starting next moonrise, all warriors will travel in larger groups. Borders must be marked more regularly, and kits will stay in the nursery."

Besides the protests of the curious kits, Tigerpaw could see the older warriors nodding in agreement.

"Our need of more warriors is apparent," Bluestar continued. "There has been one apprentice who's been sharing mentors with Graypaw and Ravenpaw."

Tigerpaw's ears perked up and his body tensed. Was that it? The moment he has been waiting for?

"I have decided that I will take Tigerpaw as my apprentice," Bluestar stated to the surprise of the Clan. Tigerpaw stood up, holding the weight of his weakened body. Bluestar herself was going to be his mentor? He stammered, not knowing if there was something he should say, until a young warrior decided to speak up.

"Bluestar, wait!" The warrior took a step forward but, as the inquisitive and disapproving gazes of his Clanmates turned to him, he lowered his head.

The leader didn't show any disapproval, instead her eyes widened with curiosity. "Go on, Longtail."

Longtail took a deep breath, bracing himself. "I wanted to mentor Tigerpaw, instead."

More murmurs rose in the clearing. Tigerpaw felt, in a way, that their shock at Longtail's words was even more than the news of WindClan's banishment. Before the leader could object, it was his own Clanmates that protested.

"You were made a warrior only a few moons ago!" Tigerpaw recognized that voice as Mousefur's, who seemed to be a similar age to Longtail and shared his bad temper. "Senior warriors should be taking apprentices instead!"

"She's right!" Runningwind meowed. With him, a few other warriors gave him similar responses.

Bluestar raised her tail, asking for silence. Her gaze revealed nothing, but Tigerpaw saw her exchanging a stare with Spottedleaf, a very understanding glance, communicating with no words. Tigerpaw sat down and looked at Longtail; the young warrior that he fought first when stepping into ThunderClan. He knew that it was a huge honor being trained by the leader of the Clan, could he really pass up that opportunity? If the tabby was as young as he looked, he would not have nearly the same experience as Bluestar did.

The gray-pelted leader looked concerned and looked at Tigerpaw. Something was on her mind, but she did not dare say it. Eventually, she nodded.

"Longtail, you had a fine mentor in Darkstripe," she began, to everyone's dismay. "You possess excellent battle skills and unmatched awareness of your surroundings. These skills will prove useful to Tigerpaw's unique energy."

Redtail, from his place near the Highrock, looked up at her. "Are you sure, Bluestar?"

Once again, Bluestar nodded. "From now on, Longtail will take Tigerpaw as his mentor."

Longtail's jaw opened as if stuck. "Thank you, Bluestar," he meowed as he dipped his head.

"However," the leader continued, making Longtail raise his head again. "Your Clanmates are right. Taking a new apprentice is a big responsibility, and you are young, Longtail. I will be supervising your training, teaching Tigerpaw about compassion, diplomacy, and the warrior code." She made a pause, turning her head to stare at the apprentice. "There's much more to being a warrior than fighting and hunting."

Tigerpaw dipped his head, showing he understood—although, he admittedly wasn't sure what was Bluestar talking about. Yet his chest swelled with pride; perhaps disappointment too at being trained by a new and inexperienced warrior, but he knew none of his denmates were supervised by the leader herself. That night he would be sure to tell Sandpaw all about it.