Chapter 8

Gingerpaw stared at her mother, anxiously waiting for Brackenstar to answer.

"What proof do you have?" Cloudtail finally asked.

"This tom is my brother; we both lived with Ravenpaw for a short time. I had been pregnant with kits. I had given birth to two healthy kits, a tom and a she-cat. The next morning I woke up to find out the she-cat and Scar were gone." Cotton flicked her tail at Burntail when she mentioned his old name, "Guess who that she-cat is?"

Gingerpaw padded forward, "Me,"

"That's impossible; Gingerpaw was born to Amberfoot, a ThunderClan queen."

"That's not true Brackenstar." Gingerpaw turned to see Starheart at the entrance of the camp.

"What do you mean?" Brackenstar asked.

"I brought her to Amberfoot when she was a kit. I found her drowning in the Moonpool."

"And he admits he had tried to drown me!" Gingerpaw hissed.

"And now he just tried to kill my mother!" Blizzard hissed.

"Has any other cat seen this?" Brackenstar asked.

"I did," Snowpaw came out of the apprentices' den and hissed, "I never did like that cat."

Gingerpaw walked over to her and mewed quietly, "Thanks,"

Snowpaw just nodded.

"Burntail, you are hereby exiled from ThunderClan." Brackenstar hissed.

He flicked his tail and headed out.

"I'll tell the rest of the Clan." Brackenstar mewed and Cotton nodded her agreement.

"If I never see him it'll be too soon." Cotton hissed as blood trickled slowly from her neck. She headed to the nursery and Gingerpaw tried to follow. She tripped over her hind leg.

She turned and saw a deep gash from the top to the bottom of it. He must have scratched me. She tried to lift the leg so she could limp on three legs.

Cotton turned and padded over to her. "I think you should go see Leafpool, come."

Gingerpaw leaned on Cotton as she led her to Leafpool's den.

Gingerpaw hobbled inside and sat in the entrance. She turned around and saw a trail of blood.

She faced back into Leafpool's den and saw the medicine cat come out of the area that Icepaw was in.

"What is it with you and your siblings and getting hurt?" Leafpool asked. She was probably thinking of Foxkit and Icepaw.

Leafpool got out some goldenrod, marigold and cobwebs. After treating her leg and putting on the last cobweb Gingerpaw headed over to Icepaw.

"You okay?" Icepaw pointed with her tail to Gingerpaw's leg.

"Fine, what about you?"

"I'm great Leafpool's letting me out of here tomorrow." Icepaw mewed.

"All cats old enough to gather their own prey gather here beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting."

The two sisters walked over to the entrance of Leafpool's den. Gingerpaw saw Blizzard and Cotton at the Highledge, they must be getting their Clan names.

"From this day forward, until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice shall be called Blizzardpaw."

Blizzardpaw smiled happily and hopped down from the ledge.

"Your mentor will be Maplefur."

Maplefur padded up to the white apprentice. Blizzardpaw stared at his new mentor curiously.

He doesn't know he's supposed to touch noses with Maplefur. Gingerpaw watched as he wondered what the ginger warrior would do.

Maplefur flicked his ears toward where the other cats sat.

Blizzardpaw followed slowly, ears flattened as the cats stared at him.

Cotton padded up to Brackenstar confidently. "And this she-cat will be known as Cottontail. We welcome you as a warrior of ThunderClan."

Unlike Blizzardpaw Cottontail leapt down from Highledge confidently and headed to where Blizzardpaw sat by Maplefur.

As Brackenstar hopped down the cats started to break apart. Gingerpaw padded over to where Blizzardpaw and Cottontail sat.

"Congratz," Gingerpaw mewed as she touched noses with Cottontail.

Cottontail purred and looked to Blizzardpaw, the young tom was glancing around, he was scared. Why?

"What's wrong with you Blizzardpaw?" Gingerpaw looked at her brother curiously.

"Nothing," Blizzardpaw shivered as he said it.

"It's not nothing, c'mon." she flicked her tail for him to follow. She looked up at Cottontail, hoping she wouldn't follow. She nodded and turned as they headed off.

"You know something's wrong Blizzardpaw. Tell me what."

"Burntail's not gone yet."

"What do you mean?"

"A black she-cat came to me in a dream, telling me that he wouldn't leave that easily and as long as he's here, more cats will die."

Gingerpaw and Blizzardpaw headed back to the others. At the camp entrance was Rabbitpaw, a RiverClan apprentice.

"Where's Leafpool?" Rabbitpaw asked looking around for the ThunderClan medicine cat.

"Out getting herbs." Snowpaw explained, "Why?"

"Oh, you'll do, come, Mothwing and Willowfur need, some help." Rabbitpaw flicked her tail so Snowpaw would follow.

"I need more details!' Snowpaw followed anxiously wondering what could have happened to RiverClan.

As Snowpaw left Gingerpaw headed to the apprentices' den to see Silverpaw. Rosepetal wasn't there and Silverpaw was sprawled out, jerking spasmodically. Gingerpaw watched in horror. Oh no!

"What's wrong with her?" she asked as Squirrelflight came up behind her.

"Leafpool taught me about this! I never knew a cat who did this so young. I don't know what to do with younger cats."

Gingerpaw saw Squirrelflight leap down to help the young apprentice. She started licking Silverpaw's forehead when Leafpool walked in with a mouthful of catmint.

Gingerpaw ran over to her. "Something's happened to Silverpaw!"

Leafpool rushed over to the apprentices' den. She saw Silverpaw flinching and ran to her den.

She came back with a mouthful of thyme leaves. She hopped down to join Squirrelflight as Silverpaw calmed down.

They fed Silverpaw the herbs and came back up to where Gingerpaw sat.

"Where's Snowpaw? She's suppose to be watching her." Leafpool asked.

"Rabbitpaw said there was an emergency in RiverClan and Mothwing and Willowfur needed her help."

Silverpaw looked up at the cats.

Leafpool looked at her and mewed, "I think we should move her up to my den, I need someone who can watch her at all times and Icepaw's still in there." Leafpool looked at Dewspot who was coming back from a patrol.

"Dewspot can we have some help please?"

"Sure, what with?"

"We need to get Silverpaw up here." Squirrelflight mewed.

Dewspot jumped down and pulled the apprentice up onto the stone ledge. It started to crack from the weight.

"Dewspot move!" Gingerpaw yowled to her father.

Shocked from the sudden drop as the ledge broke free, Dewspot jumped up, Silverpaw rolled over the side but mewling in pain from the sudden drop. Dewspot was clawing his way over the edge. Gingerpaw helped Silverpaw up as Squirrelflight and Leafpool helped Dewspot up.

Dewspot shook his head as he got up, he mewed, "Thanks," he headed back to the warriors' den. Gingerpaw barely saw him as he settled down to take a nap.

"C'mon, let's get you to my den." Leafpool mewed.

Icepaw watched the three she-cats lead Silverpaw into a moss next to her.

"Finally got her out?" Icepaw asked.

Gingerpaw nodded.

"How's your leg?" Icepaw asked.

Gingerpaw licked the cobweb flat and mewed, "Fine," she touched noses with her sister and limped out.

Gingerpaw headed to the nursery and went to sleep.