Chapter 12

Gingerpaw was on dawn patrol with Icepaw and their new mentors, Cottontail and Cloudtail.

Gingerpaw saw a flash of black and white fur. Burntail! Gingerpaw dashed after the fur. He pinned down the cat and saw it was indeed Burntail.

Cloudtail came running next. Burntail pushed Gingerpaw to the side and pinned the white warrior down by the neck. Cloudtail tried to push him off with no success.

Gingerpaw dashed to his side and knocked the black and white tom off of Cloudtail.

Icepaw and Cottontail came to help them. Cottontail attempted to bite his neck. Burntail tossed her to the side.

"I'm ashamed to call you my sister, can't even hurt a cat open for attack." Burntail lept up and bit her shoulder. Using his hind legs he pinned her to the ground. He lifted his jaws up, Cottontail squirming in pain until Gingerpaw heard a crack.

Cottontail yowled in pain as Burntail dropped her. Gingerpaw saw her shoulder was twisted and bleeding horribly. Gingerpaw turned to face him. Fight me! If you kill me at least I'll join the ranks of my warrior ancestors. You sure won't go there!

Burntail jumped for her neck and easily got a grip. Gingerpaw saw he left his shoulder open for her teeth. She managed to catch her teeth in easily. She tugged her teeth back and Burntail came with them. Burntail, shocked by the sudden pull lost his grip. Gingerpaw easily bit his neck. She pulled back, and saw she had a piece of his flesh in her jaws.

Gingerpaw spat it out and stared at Burntail's limp body. I just killed a cat! Burntail's neck was gushing with blood. Gingerpaw ran back to camp. No, Gingerpaw ran back to her den. Padded in the moss and fell asleep.

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Gingerpaw saw two cats waiting side by side. Moonstream and Starheart!

"You've completed your destiny Gingerpaw," Moonstream mewed. She came forward to touch noses with her.

Gingerpaw flinched back. "You're celebrating the fact that I killed some cat!"

Starheart stepped forward, "No, you didn't kill any cat. You killed a cat who would have doomed your whole Clan."

Gingerpaw backed away from them. They were right but she knew that she would never get over the fact she had killed a cat, no matter how evil he was.

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The two she-cats faded away and Gingerpaw woke up with a yawn. Gingerpaw padded out of the apprentices' den. She found that she and Icepaw were the only ones in the den.

Cloudtail and Cottontail must have let us sleep in after yesterday.

Gingerpaw ran to where Brackenstar was talking with Snowpaw and Leafpool.

"- and Snowpaw received her name at the Moonpool last night. She is now Snowcloud."

That's not fair! She's younger then I am! How could she have gotten her name already?

Gingerpaw looked at Brackenstar to see he was as surprised as she was.

Brackenstar nodded and padded over to Gingerpaw. "I heard about what you did yesterday. And there have been no problems lately. I would like to give your and Icepaw your warrior names."

Gingerpaw stared at her paws. This was an honour but she felt that she would be honoured for the wrong reasons.

"Give Icepaw her name, I don't want mine." Gingerpaw ran outside the camp to see the bright sunhigh light.

She saw a white pelt follow her. "Icepaw, I want to be alone!"

"I heard you reject Brackenstar's offer to become a warrior. We've only been training for five moons! This is a huge honour!"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Icepaw touched her nose to her sisters, "Foxkit is watching us."

Gingerpaw thought about her ginger brother. "I don't want my warrior name. I killed a cat Icepaw!"

"Gingerpaw, do you know how mouse-brained that sounds! As warrior we will at least kill a warrior."

"Maybe," Gingerpaw sighed. "Your right, I'll tell Brackenstar I changed my mind."

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"I, Brackenstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices, they have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

Icepaw and Gingerpaw looked at each other. Both smiled happily.

"Icepaw, Gingerpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"I do," Gingerpaw mewed.

"I do," Icepaw echoed.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Icepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Icefrost. StarClan honours your bravery and strength and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Brackenstar bent his head over Icepaw's and she licked his shoulder.

"And Gingerpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Gingerear. StarClan honours your courage and determination and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Brackenstar bent his head over Gingerpaw's and she licked his shoulder.

"Icefrost! Gingerear! Icefrost! Gingerear!" the cat's chanted below them.

Blizzardpaw was the first cat to run over to them. He was followed by closely by Mudpaw.

Blizzardpaw nodded to them and they both pounced on him, claws sheathed.

"You formal furball!" Icefrost meowed as the two she-cats got off of him. He hissed playfully and ran off with Mudpaw.

Is it just me or do they spend too much time together? Gingerear thought as she saw her brother pad off with the golden tabby.

"C'mon, we have to sit vigil." Icefrost flicked her tail to the hollow's entrance.

Gingerear followed her eagerly.