Lucky

Thank you Snowsong of SnowClan and Silkbreeze-Of-ThunderClan for reviewing! I really appreciate your support, guys c:

Chapter Five

The next morning, Firepaw was prodded awake by a sharp, unsheathed paw. She creaked open her golden eyes slightly, nearly blinded by the sunlight streaming through the den. When her eyes adjusted, she saw Blossomfall's looming figure staring down at her, her green eyes brewing in rage.

"Why were you not already awake?" the tortoiseshell snarled fiercely. "Remember what I said yesterday—you have to wake up at the break of dawn for complete training."

"Yes, I remember," Firepaw murmured, getting to her paws and carefully licking her chest fur. "I'm sorry, Blossomfall."

"Sorry isn't going to cut it," her mentor growled, and turned away and exited the apprentices den. The sun beams made it look as if her fur was glittering as she left.

The ginger tabby apprentice licked her fur to clean herself and then made her way out of the den, looking around for the tortoiseshell coat of her mentor. She saw her by the fresh-kill pile, meowing to her brother, Bumblestripe. The pair looked as if they were arguing.

Firepaw started to walk towards them cautiously, then thought better of it and turned around to see Dewpaw, Amberpaw, and Snowpaw talking together. She narrowed her golden gaze at Snowpaw, their last encounter still fresh in her mind. She was annoyed by the white-furred apprentice for always caring about her. It was too weird for her and she snapped.

The apprentice turned away from them again and stared up at the sun. It was sun-high. She must have really upset Blossomfall—it was a long ways off from dawn now.

After a moment, Blossomfall's angry voice echoed from right next to her. "Stop staring at clouds and let's get to special training."

Firepaw sighed in annoyance and got to her paws, ignoring the rumble her stomach made as she did so. She followed Blossomfall out of the camp, sending the fresh-kill pile longing glances along the way.

After a while, they arrived at a clearing with orange and yellow flowers showered along the green grass. Her tortoiseshell mentor looked around for a moment and then turned around to face her. "Sniff the air," she commanded. "What do you smell?"

Firepaw lifted her muzzle and sniffed the air carefully. An acrid tang immediately met her head on and she recoiled, flattening her ears. "It smells like crow-food!" she spat, trying to shake her head and clear the scent.

Blossomfall cast her a narrowed green stare. "It's ShadowClan—remember their scent. Secretly, I think they want to invade ThunderClan territory."

ShadowClan? Firepaw heard from the elders that they hardly ever agreed with ThunderClan when she was just a kit. She narrowed her gold eyes at the thought of them invading. They'd never win, not with me as an apprentice of ThunderClan!

Blossomfall looked at her apprentice for a moment, and then meowed, "Well, let's get to special training. ShadowClan warriors will shake in fear at you if you just follow my instructions."

"Okay!" Firepaw bounced on her paws as the tortoiseshell she-cat padded to the far end of the grassy clearing. She crouched as she noticed Blossomfall doing a move she showed her a few days ago called the Blinding Pounce.

Blossomfall leaped into the air, and Firepaw leaped at her at the exact same moment. The two met at the point where the sun was in the clear blue sky and they batted their unsheathed paws at each other. Blossomfall's claws met Firepaw's cheek and she mewed in pain.

The two cats landed on the grass with a loud thump, but they continued to tussle with each other. Firepaw lashed at Blossomfall's ear and was met with the delightful feeling of flesh. The tortoiseshell's face scrunched up in pain and the tabby apprentice took that chance to pin her down.

"I win!" Firepaw exclaimed, immediately jumping off of her mentor.

Blossomfall got to her paws and shook herself. "I was going easy on you," she meowed. "If I showed you my real strength, that would hardly be fair."

Firepaw fluffed up her fur indignantly. "You shouldn't go easy on me! I could beat you anytime!"

The tortoiseshell narrowed her green eyes to slits. She flashed her teeth and she looked like she was about to pounce on her when suddenly, a screech rang through the air.

Blossomfall immediately swung back and licked her chest fur, looking around wildly as if she did something wrong. When nothing happened, she carefully flicked her ears and sniffed the air.

"There's trouble!" she hissed. "There's a border skirmish between us and ShadowClan, but I think they're outnumbering us!"

Firepaw's eyes widened in surprise. But we can't lose to ShadowClan! We're ThunderClan—the most independent and amazing Clan around the lake! She lashed her tail angrily. "We have to help them!" she meowed.

Blossomfall's green eyes glowed in surprise for a moment but then she nodded and led the way through the grass. After a maze of ferns and thickets, Firepaw saw a glimpse of the battle. A silver tabby and white apprentice and a cream-colored warrior were advancing on Dewpaw and a black warrior was cornering Poppyfrost. Her golden gaze swept across the clearing and she noticed that there were more ShadowClan cats than ThunderClan.

The ginger tabby apprentice looked at Blossomfall and she saw that her eyes were narrowed. Firepaw was about to meow something to her when suddenly, the tortoiseshell leaped out of the bushes they were hiding in and ran towards the black warrior that was attacking Poppyfrost.

Firepaw launched herself down the slope towards the apprentice and warrior. She saw Dewpaw's amber eyes sparkle in surprise as she neared them and she flashed her paw forward, going for the warrior first.

Her claws met her tail and she yowled in surprise, whipping around towards her with her amber eyes narrowed. The cream ShadowClan warrior lunged forward, slashing her claws against Firepaw's cheek.

She yowled in pain, feeling blood well up against the cuts. She winced, but managed to claw the warrior's ears. She felt satisfaction glow inside of her as the warrior shrunk back under her paw.

Suddenly, the silver apprentice bowled her over. Firepaw winced again as he bit her side and slashed his silver claws along her back. She twisted her paw slightly and unsheathed her claws, ready to attack him when his fur came into reach.

She finally found her chance and sliced her claws along his side. The tabby and white apprentice reeled in pain and jumped off of her. Firepaw leaped on top of him and pinned him. She hissed at him and she saw his green eyes widen in desperation. She was about to claw his face when suddenly, a voice yowled, "Stop!"

Firepaw immediately jumped off of the tabby apprentice and she saw his eyes light up in gratitude. She turned to the source of the voice and saw Bramblestar and a ginger tom, their eyes narrowed in anger.

"What are you doing?" the ginger cat hissed, looking around the scene. "I told you to survey the area for rogues, not attack ThunderClan warriors!"

"But all ThunderClan cats are bad, remember? Jayfeather drowned Flametail!" the cream-furred warrior snarled, the fur along her back bristling angrily.

The ginger tom swung his head around to glare at the warrior. "Dawnpelt, Jayfeather wasn't responsible for your brother's death! He's one of the Three, and he deserves respect for helping us win the final battle."

Dawnpelt flattened her ears and looked as if she was going to retort, but she stayed quiet.

Bramblestar looked at the ThunderClan cats for a moment, and then meowed, "We should go. We probably shouldn't stray so near the ShadowClan border if their warriors will attack us." He glared at the ginger tom for a second longer and then flicked his tail, disappearing into the bushes.

Firepaw's mind was swimming with questions. Who is Flametail? How did he die? Was Jayfeather really responsible? She shook her head to clear her thoughts and followed Bramblestar through the bushes.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather underneath the High Ledge!" Bramblestar yowled.

Firepaw looked up from the mouse she was eating, noticing how even the injured cats from the fight with ShadowClan earlier were gathering under the ledge. She finished her prey and got to her paws, exhaustion washing over her. She managed to make it under the ledge to sit next to Amberpaw and Dewpaw.

When all the cats had gathered, her father meowed, "As you all know, we had some trouble with ShadowClan this morning. However, we won't let that get in the way of our truce at the Gathering tonight."

Oh yeah, the Gathering! Firepaw had forgotten that the full moon was tonight. If I can go, I can meet the other apprentices from the Clans! Hopefully, she'd be able to go. She visited Jayfeather and he said that her wounds wouldn't stop her from training, but Lilypaw had said she might not be able to walk long distances.

Bramblestar flicked his tail to silence the murmuring sweeping through the camp. "I'll now announce the cats that are going to the Gathering. Foxleap, Birchfall, Lionblaze, Dovewing, Bumblestripe, Leafpool, Cinderheart, Ivypool, Icecloud, Poppyfrost, Blossomfall, Thornclaw, Toadstep, Dewpaw, Amberpaw, Snowpaw, and Firepaw will be attending."

Firepaw felt shock flash through her like a wild fire. I'm going to the Gathering?

"You should eat so you are prepared to go to the island. Meeting dismissed." Bramblestar dipped his head slightly and disappeared into the shadows of his den.

"Congratulations," Dewpaw meowed, nudging her shoulder slightly. "You're going to the Gathering!"

"I'll show you around, if you'd like," Amberpaw meowed quietly, staring at her with speculating amber-colored eyes.

"No, that's okay," Firepaw meowed, excitement making her paws feel lighter.

The gray and white she-cat nodded and padded off, Dewpaw following after her. Firepaw stared after them for a moment and then jumped excitedly on her paws.

I'm going to the Gathering!

Well, that's the end of chapter five! I still think it's rushed like pretty much all of my chapters, but it is the longest one I've ever written! So, review and tell me what you think!