A/N: Meh, I was bored.
Here.
Chapter Nine
"Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Tallstump for a Clan Meeting," WhisperStar yowled hoarsely over the frigid wind, and those cats braving the nasty weather quickly called their comrades who remained curled up in their dens. Sparrowpaw grumbled beneath her breath as she reluctantly crawled from her nice, warm nest at Grasspaw's insistence, joining her brother and Stormpaw as the Apprentices hurried to huddle with the rest of their Clan before their Leader, shoulders hunched and heads ducked as the harsh wind tossed loose snow about and over them.
With his back to the wind, WhisperStar did not hunch, nor flinch, ears up and turned towards his Clan, yellow eyes gleaming. To his right, Foxtail sat just as still, though her head was ducked slightly, green-gold eyes narrowed against the flurries.
"Tonight is a Gathering at the Fallen Oaks," WhisperStar called to them all as they focused up at him, his dirty white fur blending in with the snow around them. "And this night, we welcome not only, three new Apprentices," he informed them, nodding over to Sunset as the orange queen herded her three kits into the center of the group of cats, "but also a Warrior." Beside Sparrowpaw, Grasspaw jolted, green eyes going wide, and the Clan erupted into yowls and caterwauls to show their pleasure and pride.
"Come forward, Grasspaw," WhisperStar ordered calmly; the fluffy gray queen obeyed, stumbling forward against the wind, to jump up onto the snow-covered short stump on the Leader's left. WhisperStar turned his yellow eyes back onto the awaiting cats, and lifted his whiskers in fondness.
"Grasspaw has spent the past eight moons training under Robinheart. She has, in that time, proved herself to be intelligent, loyal, and patient, often spending what time she could teaching small survival tricks to the kits, such as how to hide and stay down wind. She has proved herself more than worry of being a proud Warrior for MeadowClan." Once more a cacophony of sounds arose from the Clan as they agreed and celebrated the young cat's life.
"Tonight, our new Warrior will hold Vigil, while those chosen will travel to the Fallen Oaks for out Full Moon Gathering," the Leader yowled as the Clan quieted. "She will guard the sleep of our Clanmates, our kits, and our home, with only StarClan as company. Tonight, we honor her, and place our lives and the lives of our future kits, in her paws. StarClan guide you, and may your life be long and filled with many kits," WhisperStar finished the customary speech, before he leaped lightly down onto Grasspaw's stump, standing so tall over her tat the gray she-cat looked far smaller than she actually was.
"We welcome you, Grassrunner!" WhisperStar declared; the Clan screeched their approval as the newly named Warrior purred and lifted her whiskers, sitting tall and proud despite the chilly wind that tossed her fluffy fur about roughly. "You may greet your Clanmates," the Leader told her, and Grassrunner immediately obeyed, leaping from the stump to join her Clan, rubbing against them all and purring loudly, all the while trying not to get buried in the newest snow that was tossed by the wind. Sparrowpaw shook her head slightly as she noticed her brother's adoring gaze on their friend, whiskers lifted in fond exasperation as she swatted him on the head with her tail, earning a soft, half-hearted hiss from Sunpaw as he sulked at her teasing.
"Will the three kits step forward," WhisperStar called; in response, Tigerkit, Flowerkit, and Pebblekit obeyed after a brief nudge of encouragement from their mother, the three kit's leaping up onto the short stump and facing their Clan, huddled together with warmth. Sparrowpaw couldn't help but feel some pride as she took in the three kit's appearance, knowing that she had helped care for these three soon-to-be Apprentices once upon a moon.
Tigerkit was the largest still, his tabby coat thick and bright against the white background, orange fur gleaming, and stripes appearing darker than they had once been. His eyes had changed, from kit-blue to a clear amber, and he all but quivered, though Sparrowpaw couldn't tell if it was from the cold or excitement, or even nerves.
His sister, Flowerkit, was already on her way to becoming a beautiful queen, her yellow fur sleek and smooth, the white blaze on her head looking like a small cap of snow. Her own eyes were a bright, clear blue, paler then they had been when se was a young kit, and she looked very pleased with herself, head held high and tail curled around her sister as she looked out at her Clan with pride.
Pebblekit, worryingly enough, was still small, though her thick, fluffy golden-brown fur made her appear a little ways bigger than she was. Her eyes were gold, and nervous as she huddled against her larger sibling, kneading the snowy wood beneath her paws as she glanced at their Leader with keen uncertainty, her fluffy plume of a tail sweeping a large amount of snow from behind her as she swished it anxiously.
"These three shall begin on their path to becoming Warriors today," WhisperStar announced seriously, yellow eyes gleaming as he glanced up at the sky briefly, the full moon peeking out from around the gray clouds that covered the Silverpelt from view. "So, with the Blessing of StarClan, I name them Tigerpaw, Flowerpaw, and Pebblepaw!" The Clan cheered, Sunset loudest of all as she yowled for her three kits, while Sunpaw and Sparrowpaw were close seconds behind their aunt, pleased with their younger cousins.
"I shall now name their mentors," WhisperStar declared hoarsely, and the Clan quickly quieted, ears perking despite the cold, whiskers quivering with excitement and interest as they awaited to see which cats would be named.
"Blossomheart," he called out; the Queen stood and stepped forward, blue eyes bright as her silver tortoiseshell fur was ruffled and dotted with snow. "You have long proved your patience and dedication to your Clan, as both a Queen and a Warrior. I hope you will teach young Tigerpaw such virtues as you guide him down his Warrior Path." The she-cat inclined her head and lifted her whiskers, as the orange tabby tom leaped eagerly from the stump and all but ran through the snow to lift his nose towards her. Amused, the tortoiseshell-queen obligingly touched her nose to his, and he quickly took his seat at her side, leaning into her thicker fur when a sharp blast of wind had almost the entire Clan hunching with shudders.
"Windclaw," WhisperStar yowled over the next gust of wind, and the tall, gray tom stepped forward, ears pinned back as he faced the wind down, dual-colored eyes shut almost completely as he stared up at the Clan Leader. "I know you have only recently watched as your Apprentice became a proud MeadowClan Warrior, but we have need in these dangerous times, for your strength, cleverness, and tenacity. All of these, I know you will be able to impart on Flowerpaw as you guide her truly, as you have always done." The tom in question nodded in acceptance to WhisperStar, as Flowerpaw leaped from the stump, stumbling as the wind overbalanced her, before she touched noses with her newly-made mentor, sitting at his side with a fluffed out chest, pleased.
"Rainstorm," WhisperStar called, startling the Medicine Cat, who slowly stepped forward, eared perked curiously, his black fur standing out starkly against the snow, gold eyes gleaming in the dim lighting of the Full Moon. "As unusual as it is, Pebblepaw has specifically asked to become your Apprentice, wishing to take on the mantle of a Medicine Cat. I know you shall teach her diligence, dedication, and confidence in herself, as you guide her down her chosen path."
"I will do so gladly," the tom meowed, and touched noses with the shy, small Apprentice when she finally managed to slink over to him. As she took her seat at his side, WhisperStar looked over his Clan, and nodded.
"Now, I and those cats chosen will be leaving immediately for the Fallen Oaks," he announced firmly. "I entrust the care and guidance of our newest Apprentices with their older counterparts. May StarClan watch over and guide us," he declared, ending the Clan Meeting, before leaping from the stump. Within moments, the group for the Gathering was disappearing from the clearing, with WhisperStar, Foxtail, and Rainstorm in the lead, followed by Windclaw, Stonefang, Rabbitfoot, Palestripe, and Blacktail. Newly-named Grassrunner was already beginning her vigil, walking around the clearing attentively, on alert for any danger.
"Come on, you three," Sparrowpaw meowed clearly, leading the three newly-named Apprentices towards their new den, Sunpaw and Stormpaw having already disappeared back to their nests.
"I'm so excited!" Tigerpaw crowed gleefully, prancing through the snow, amber eyes glowing faintly from the moon's light. "But I'm so jealous of you, Flowerpaw!" He declared loudly as he turned his head to look at his sister, who was sauntering smugly as they followed Sparrowpaw (who was listening with absent exasperation. "You got Windclaw! You're so lucky!" The yellow queen made a soft, prim sound, chin lifted, but she said nothing as the three of them ducked into the den at Sparrowpaw's gesture. With a quick glance around at the seemingly-deserted Camp (with the exception of the still circling Grassrunner), before she, to, entered the relative safety of the den, swatting Tigerpaw when it seemed he was beginning to get snappish with his sister, who continued to ignore his complaints in order to scrape her nest together, Pebblepaw tentatively forming her nest right next to the yellow queens.
"Shut your muzzle and get to sleep," Sparrowpaw told them sternly as she made her way to the back of the den, where her own nest was waiting for her. "You'll probably have a Dawn Patrol, as new Apprentices, and you do not want to deal with that on little sleep." Tigerpaw grumbled, but Flowerpaw hissed at him to be quiet, and, within a few minutes, the newest Apprentices had settled into their nests, and were on their way to being asleep.
Huffing lowly in bemusement, Sparrowpaw curled up in her nest, hiding her nose beneath her tail as she willed herself to sleep.
There would be much to do the next day.
Unfortunately, a full night's sleep was not to be, as all the MeadowClan cats were abruptly roused by Grassrunner's warning screech. Scrambling to their paws, those who could, rushed from their dens, to find the newly-named Warrior attacking one of two foxes who had crept their way into the camp. With a screech, Sparrowpaw leaped through the air towards the second fox, which was in the process of dragging a plaintively meowing, struggling Brownfur from the Elder's den. Her attack and battle cry roused the other cats from their sleepy stupor, and more battle cries rose as Warriors and Apprentices attacked and circled the two foxes.
Sparrowpaw was struggling with her hold upon the foxes back, mouth full of the thick, oily fur of the larger creature as she desperately clawed at it, making it yip and release Brownfur in order to snap sharp teeth at the Apprentice, the fetid stench of it's breath making Sparrowpaw gag even as she was forced to leap away when those teeth grazed her side.
"Sparrowpaw!" Sunpaw cried, unable to get any closer as the fox snapped its teeth at him when he tried; Sparrowpaw ignored the blood trickling down her side as she once more leaped at the fox, bouncing off its head when it spun abruptly towards her. There was a pained yip off to the side as Nightfur, Grassrunner, and Sunset joined forces against their enemy, and, suddenly, Sparrowpaw found herself beside her brother, Stormpaw, and Robinheart, and didn't hesitate.
With familiar moves, they confused and infuriated the fox, while Lostfoot and Thornclaw pulled Brownfur to safety, and Blossomheart and the three newest Apprenticed guarded the Nursery, where Softtail and Whitekit hid.
"Watch out!" Nightfur yowled as the second fox abruptly made a run towards Sparrowpaw's group, and the cats scattered out of the way as the two foxes made their escape with the distraction. Quickly, Nightfur and Robinheart took chase to make sure that the foxes stayed away from the Clearing.
"Sparrowpaw!" Blossomheart called sharply; the younger she-cat immediately turned towards her, absently licking thick, hot fox blood from her whiskers, eyes wide and pupils huge from the thrill of the fight. "Go to the Fallen Oaks and inform the Gathering of the foxes. Who knows which Clan they'll go after now."
"On it," Sparrowpaw agreed immediately, before turning and dashing into the snow-caked grasses, disappearing well enough despite her tabby coat.
The cold burned her lungs as she ran as fast as she could, ignoring the various stinging and burning pains from her scrapes, scratches, and small punctures from lucky swipes the fox had given her. Leaping neatly over a fallen tree as she fearlessly entered the No-Clan Territory, the she-cat continued running, barely pulling enough air in to yowl in warning just before she crested the hill just before the Gathering Place, what seemed like moons later.
The cats sitting on the other end of the Fallen Oaks all looked towards her alertly, the three Leaders and their Deputies standing from their perches in the branches as the young tabby she-cat barreled down the hill and leaped neatly up onto the large trunks, ignoring the thrill of fear that made the fur along her spine stand on end, as she felt the ice that glazed the wood beneath her paws. Instead, she determinedly lunged down the length of the tree she was on, not even hesitating to leap high and far over a few belligerent-looking CreekClan Warriors, claws scrabbling for a hold as she slipped slightly and stumbled upon landing, only to continue on, dodging around the Warriors between her and her Leader, until she could finally slide to a stop, bloody sides heaving heavily as her limbs shuddered and her body felt almost too hot under her fur.
"What happened, Apprentice?" WhisperStar demanded, standing tall beside the tiny, black queen that was the WoodClan Leader, DarkStar, her gold eyes narrowed, while the gangly, thin brown tabby tom that was the CreekClan Leader, RippleStar, slunk up from behind them, hazel eyes gleaming green in the moonlight.
"Fox Attack," Sparrowpaw managed to wheeze out against the biting cold that had infused her chest. "Two of them. Brownfur was gravely injured before we managed to chase them from the Camp. We don't know whose Territory they'll head for next, so I was sent to inform you and the other Leaders," she gasped, sitting shaply with a short wheeze, coughing harshly as she tried to catch her breath.
"Stop talking, foolish Apprentice," Rainstorm's familiar, cantankerous growl ordered as Sparrowpaw abruptly found herself being nudged and prodded by the Medicine Cat as he muttered under his breath and glared at a few of her deeper injuries.
"I suggest we cut this Gathering short," A soft, light voice suggested, and Sparrowpaw glanced towards it to find it came from DarkStar, who was looking up at her fellow Leaders with a faintly twitching tail.
"Agreed," WhisperStar nodded; RippleStar hummed, before inclining his head, and turning towards the watching cats.
"CreekClan, come!" He ordered, before he led the way down the Fallen Oaks towards his territory, a third of the gathered cats going with him.
"I hope you live, Apprentice," DarkStar told Sparrowpaw coolly, watching her with narrowed, sharop gold eyes, black fur stark in the snowy night. "I look forward to seeing your time as a Warrior," she added, before tunring towards the waiting cats. "WoodClan!" She yowled, and her cats obeyed, following her off the tree trunks and disappearing silently amongst the surrounding trees and foliage.
"Come, MeadowClan," WhisperStar ordered, before lifting Sparrowpaw up off the ground like a kit, despite the fact that she was fully grown. Sparrowpaw grunted, as the movement pulled her wounds painfully, but didn't struggle as her Leader led the way back through the No-Clan Territory, Rainstorm running easily at his side to keep an eye on her as the Apprentice carefully curled up and remained silent, singing with every lunging movement WhisperStar made as he ran.
They made it back to the Camp, to find that Brownfur had died of her injuries. WhisperStar set Sparrowpaw down, and quietly joined the cats who were already Sharing Final Tongues with the Elder, bowing his large head over the bloodied body of the fallen Elder. Ears pinned back, Sparrowpaw hesitated in moving to join the gathering, only to be stopped by Rainstorm.
"You have all night to hold vigil over Brownfur, Apprentice," he told her solemnly, gold eyes sad but stern. "Tend your own injuries first, then care for the dead." Reluctantly, Sparrowpaw obeyed, moving towards his Den as the black tom deftly gathered all the other injured Clanmates and herded them after her.
Once her wounds were tended, Sparrowpaw made her way to Brownfur's side, ears once more pinned back as she settled at Lostfoot's side, Thornclaw moving to settle on her other side, as the three of them mourned the kind, sweet cat.
As the sun rose and turned the sky soft colors, not even the frigid wind of the night before disturbed the silent, mourning cats. Once the sun could be clearly seen, however, Thornclaw, Lostfoot, and Stonefang lifted the stiff body, and left the Camp to bury her a safe distance from the Camp.
"Get some sleep, Apprentice," WhisperStar ordered Sparrowpaw when she hesitated in what to do, exhausted from her run, the fight, her injuries, and what little sleep she'd managed before it all. "The Warriors will do well enough without you for the morning." Nodding her head gratefully, Sparrowpaw obeyed, slipping into the Apprentice Den and curling up in her nest at the far back, slipping swiftly into a doze.
When sleep finally came, she dreamed of Brownfur walking with StarClan, and knew her old friend was happy and at peace.
A/N: Here you go, enjoy.