New chappie's up! Brambleclaw's POV. Here goes...
It's a lot harder to be a mentor than it sounds, Brambleclaw thought, as he chased Birchpaw across ThunderClan territory. It was his first day out with his new apprentice, and he was giving him a tour of ThunderClan land. Birchpaw hardly ever stopped talking, whether it was about some new thing he'd seen or smelled, or some new thing that he hoped to smell or see. Brambleclaw would have been able to put up with that, of course, if only the young cat would stay in one place.
"Birchpaw!" he called again, as he raced after the gray-flecked tom. "You have to be careful around here, you know! We're nearing ShadowClan territory!"
At once the apprentice halted, his light green eyes widening. Obviously this had gotten his full attention. He came padding back to Brambleclaw. "Where does their territory start?"
Slowly, Brambleclaw led him towards the border, carefully pointing out the scent marking. "Their territory begins where the forest switches to pine," he explained, "though it's a bit mixed right around the border. Don't worry, though- you'll soon learn the place well enough."
Birchpaw looked curiously over into ShadowClan territory. "Applekit and Marshkit and Toadkit might be apprentices now too," he meowed thoughtfully. "Can I ever see them?"
Brambleclaw looked at him, an anxious feeling pricking at him. "Not now," he meowed. "Only at Gatherings. Remember, they're not your Clanmates."
Birchpaw looked up at him. "What are they, then?"
"Well...technically...they're your enemies," Brambleclaw admitted.
Birchpaw looked at him as if he did not quite believe that he had heard him right. "What? No way!" he meowed indignantly. "I played with them! They're nice."
"Yes, well..." Brambleclaw pawed nervously at the ground. "My own sister, Tawnypelt, is from ShadowClan. I know better than any cat what you're feeling, and I know that they're not bad. But you can't see them whenever you want. That's the way it is. We won't ever be at peace with the other Clans, not enough for you to do that."
"Why not?" Birchpaw demanded. "Why can't we all be in one Clan?"
Brambleclaw blinked at him, and he remembered the answer to the question- because it was the answer Firestar had given him, long ago. "Because it is loyalty to our Clan that makes us strong. What are we, if not ThunderClan? What do we fight for, if not for Firestar and Graystripe and for our territory? It's the battles that kill strong warriors, but without them there wouldn't be any strong warriors at all." Brambleclaw gazed down at the young cat, willing for him to understand. A light dawned in Birchpaw's eyes. "So we're seperate because it helps us?"
"Sort of, yes," Brambleclaw meowed. "And don't worry about Marshkit and Toadkit and Applekit. You'll see them at Gatherings. Now come on-" he flicked his tail lightly over his apprentice's ear- "I'll show you the broken Twoleg nest!"
"Really?" Birchpaw tore his eyes away from the border and shot off in the completely wrong direction. Before following him, Brambleclaw stopped to look into ShadowClan territory himself. Birchpaw's reaction had surprised him. Never before had a Clanborn apprentice questioned the Clan boundries.
But did the other kits that had bonded on the journey to the new home feel the same? Did Toadkit and Applekit and Marshkit wonder why they couldn't see Birchpaw anymore? And if they did, what did that mean for the future of the Clans?
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Brambleclaw took Birchpaw the long way to the broken Twoleg nest, which meant crossing a stream ahead. As they approached it, Brambleclaw began, "Now don't go trying to jump it- it's far too wide in the middle-"
"No, wait!" Birchpaw meowed, and he leaped forward, his first hop carrying him all the way to the edge of the bank, the second bringing him out over the water- the middle of the stream, where it was too deep and strong for him to be safe. Brambleclaw immidiately leaped himself, his own larger jump aimed right where his apprentice was sure to disappear underwater.
Brambleclaw was still midleap when he saw Birchpaw's small paws catch a rock that he hadn't seen underwater. The gray cat landed neatly on the hidden stone, and then bounded safely the last half of the stream- just as his mentor came crashing behind him. Brambleclaw's jump had been far more powerful than Birchpaw's, and he had gone at it with all four legs splayed out, for he thought he would be trying to swim. But instead he had to twist to try and catch the small rock- which proved to be slippery and awkward. He grasped it with one paw, and then his claw lost his grip.
Brambleclaw fell into the water with a yowl. There was a splash that made the birds flutter indignantly away from their perches- and then the new mentor was crawling out of the stream- drenched, and beginning to wonder if having an apprentice was worth it.
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A thick coating of mud was settling on Brambleclaw as they finally made it back to camp. Birchpaw scampered over to carry the elders' fresh-kill to them, while Brambleclaw flopped down beside Squirrelflight outside the warriors' den. She looked at him with a determinedly straight face. "So training went well?"
Brambleclaw relayed the day's events to her, making sure to mention the incident at the ShadowClan border. Her ears twitched as she heard of it. "I suppose we shouldn't be surprised," she meowed. "After all, he was only a kit when we moved here. And it wasn't as if we were discouraging him from meeting kits of other Clans."
Brambleclaw flicked his tail. True, they had been doing their best to bring the Clans together on their journey here- but that was before they had arrived. Now they were all striving for a normal Clan life, like the one they had left in the old forest. "But what if all the kits think like this? What'll they do when they're all warriors. Some of them will meet in battle, for sure."
Squirrelflight nodded. "They will. But by then they'll have learned how the warrior code goes. Including Birchpaw."
Brambleclaw accepted this, and then turned to begin to wash the coat of drying mud off his fur. Squirrelflight watched him, her expression dancing with amusement. "So how'd you get like that?"
As he told her that bit of his day, she let out a long mrrow of laughter that she quickly stifled when he looked at her reaproachfully. "Oh. Well, now we know that the stone is there. It'll be easier to cross."
"Oh, good," Brambleclaw meowed sarcastically. "If only there had been a way to figure it out that didn't involve nearly drowning me." He lay back, widening his eyes at her. "Now will you help me get it off?"
"Only so you don't track mud in my den!" Squirrelflight meowed, though her eyes were full of laughter. She began to help him clear his dark tabby fur of mud, and as they shared tongues Brambleclaw heard her begin to purr.
Brambleclaw's eyes closed briefly. What would I do without you, Squirrelflight? he wondered. He was about to say something, but he was interrupted by a sudden yowl. Sunpaw exploded through the thorns, Graystripe hard on her paws. The deputy looked like he was ready to find Firestar, though Sunpaw seemed to have a faster idea in mind. She yowled again, loud enough for the whole Clan to hear.
"RiverClan! RiverClan's been scented in WindClan territory!"
I know, it seems like I've had every Clan attacking each other. Got to stir up the plot somewhat...anyway, reviews are appriciated!
