Blackpaw followed Crowfeather and Oatwhisker to the moor, morning dew sparkled in the sunlight. A moon had passed since Blackpaw left Thunderclan to live with her mother's clan and she adjusted quickly. Finding it easier to hunt in the open she won over her clan mates quickly by hunting and stocking the fresh-kill pile. "What are we doing today Crowfeather," she asked the dark gray tom.
"Hunting," her mentor grunted. She knew that Crowfeather was short tempered, but she was happy to have him as a mentor. Raising her head Blackpaw sniffed the air, the scent of rabbit tickled her nose and she held up her tail.
She scanned the moors for the source of the scent, Oatwhisker put his muzzle to her ear. "There" he hissed pointing to a spot several fox lengths ahead. She nodded to the pale brown tabby, "You go downwind of it and drive it to me," she whispered.
"Why do I have to drive it to you," he whispered indignantly
Blackpaw rolled her eyes, "Your pelt sticks out less, and you'll be able to get closer,"
"That is very clever Blackpaw," Crowfeather praised, "Do as she says Oatwhisker," the pale tabby lashed his tail in frustration before moving downwind.
"You have your father's brains you know," Crowfeather whispered. Blackpaw blinked in surprise at her mentor, she knew he was the father of Lionblaze and Jayfeather, but Crowfeather rarely spoke of them.
A flash of movement caught Blackpaw's eye, she crouched in the tall grass waiting for the rabbit to come into pouncing distance, but it spotted her and veered away. Both Blackpaw and Oatwhisker hissed in frustration, as one they sped after their prey. Bellies low to the earth they were gaining, the rabbit skittered down its burrow. Blackpaw skidded to a stop, panting. Oatwhisker paced back and forth lashing his tail angrily, "I'm going in after it," he slithered into the burrow before Blackpaw and Crowfeather could stop him. They paced back and forth anxiously as they waited for him to return, "He's been down there too long," Blackpaw mewed "I'm going after him," she started forward, but Crowfeather stopped her.
"We don't know how stable the burrow is," he mewed "What if the ceiling collapses, you and Oatwhisker will be trapped. Heathertail and Lionblaze would never forgive me if something happened to you,"
"I'm not leaving a clanmate trapped down there," Blackpaw snapped, "If he is hurt I will drag him out backward, that way if the tunnel starts to collapse you can pull us out by the tail," Crowfeather's gaze glowed uncertainly for several heartbeats before nodding.
Blackpaw took a deep breath before slithering into the burrow. Rabbit scent smothered Blackpaw, but under it she could pick up Oatwhisker's scent. The earth ceiling didn't look very stable, and bits of it crumbled. I have to find him quickly she thought as dirt fell on her head. A shape appeared in the darkness, "Oatwhisker," she called the tom didn't respond, Blackpaw shook him. "I've got to get him out of here," she grunted grabbing his scruff she began to tug the unconscious tom back through the tunnel. The entrance was only a tail length away when the earth above her began to rumble, showering both of them with dirt. Fighting panic she continued to drag Oatwhisker toward the light of the tunnel, suddenly teeth met in her tail and dragged her out of the tunnel, Oatwhisker still clamped in her jaws.
"That was too close," Crowfeather panted as Blackpaw pressed her ear to Oatwhisker's chest.
"He's alive," she sighed she wrenched open his jaws and realized his airway was blocked with dirt, sticking her slender paw in she gently scooped out some of the dirt. Oatwhisker began coughing and retching up black dirt, he blinked at Blackpaw and Crowfeather.
"What happened," he wheezed, "Did you save me" he asked looking at Crowfeather.
"No Blackpaw did," Crowfeather mewed his eyes glowing with pride, "Come on we should get you to Kestrelflight," Crowfeather nosed Oatwhisker to his paws and led them home, the pale brown tom leaned heavily on Crowfeather's shoulder.
It was past sunhigh when the small patrol stumbled back into camp, yowls of shock met them. Onestar, Heathertail and Leaftail reached them first. "What happened," he asked his gaze flicking between the three exhausted cats. Blackpaw realized she was still covered in dirt.
"Leaftail fetch Kestrelflight," Onestar instructed as Oatwhisker slid to the ground. The dark tabby hurried off, "Now what happened,"
Blackpaw listened as Crowfeather told their leader everything, "When I found Oatwhisker he was unconscious, I couldn't leave him in that tunnel to die," she said pleading her leader to understand, "I dragged him out, but when we were about a tail length from the entrance the tunnel collapsed," Heathertail gasped, her blue eyes round with shock, "Crowfeather pulled me out by my tail,"
"You stupid she-cat," Heathertail spat, "You could have died," her eyes were blazing.
Onestar rested his tail on Heathertail's shoulders to quiet her, "It was brave of you to go in and rescue Oatwhisker," his eyes flashed, "I think you have proven yourself ready to become a warrior,"
Blackpaw squeaked in surprise, she was to be a warrior at last.
"Blackpaw are you ready," Heathertail asked. Blackpaw gave her chest fur one final lick before answering.
"Yes I am,"
Onestar appeared and summoned the clan, "Today is a day of joy," the Windclan leader yowled, "Blackpaw is ready to become a warrior,"
Yowls of surprise met his words, "Why she has only been with us for a moon," a voice yowled, it was Breezepelt. Unease sank in Blackpaw's belly, the vicious tom and his mother still did not want her here.
"What has she done to prove her loyalty to Windclan," Nightcloud yowled. A growl rumbled in Heathertail's throat at the black she-cat's words.
Onestar fixed his gaze on Breezepelt and Nightcloud, "Early this morning Blackpaw, Oatwhisker and Crowfeather went hunting," he began
"And came back with nothing," Breezepelt yowled. Crowfeather fixed his son with an icy stare. Tension crackled in the air as Onestar raised his tail for silence.
"Oatwhisker and Blackpaw were hunting as a pair when the rabbit they were chasing fled down a burrow, Oatwhisker followed and when he didn't reappear Blackpaw went in after him," murmurs rippled around the clan, Blackpaw unsheathed her claws and pressed them into the dirt, "She found him unconscious, instead of leaving him she risked her own life to drag him out. The tunnel collapsed, but Crowfeather was able to grab hold of Blackpaw's tail, as he dragged her out she refused to let go," Blackpaw felt hot as all her clanmates turned and stared at her in awe, except for Breezepelt whose amber gaze glittered maliciously. "Oatwhisker would be dead if not for the bravery and loyalty of Blackpaw, is there still anyone who wants to object to my decision," Onestar asked. No cat raised their voice in response so the ceremony began.
"I, Onestar, Leader of Windclan call upon my warrior ancestors to look upon this apprentice," Blackpaw looked up at Silverpelt which shone above them with the warriors of Starclan. "She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn," Onestar fixed his gaze on Blackpaw, "Blackpaw your path has been a difficult one and you have traveled it with bravery and loyalty, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan even at the cost of your life," Blackpaw gazed at her clanmates before turning back to Onestar, surprise jolted through her. Sitting on either side of the leader were two unfamiliar toms, one black and white with a very long tail and the other had a ginger pelt bright as flame. Both had star shine glittering in their fur, their gazes glowing with pride and encouragement. Certainty and confidence filled Blackpaw as she straightened, "I do," her mew was firm and clear.
"Then I give you your warrior name, from this moment on you will be known as Blackcloud. Starclan honors your loyalty, honesty and bravery, we welcome you as a full warrior of Windclan," Onestar leapt from his perch, padded forward, and rested his chin on Blackcloud's head. The new warrior licked her leader's shoulder.
Blackcloud sat at the base of Tallrock, alert to all her surroundings. She lifted her muzzle to Silverpelt, Did I do the right thing by choosing Windclan she thought. Movement drew her gaze as two toms entered the camp. Blackcloud began to snarl a warning, but it died in her throat. She saw the star shine glittering in their fur and realized that they were the same Starclan warriors she had seen during her ceremony. "Greetings Blackcloud," the flame colored tom meowed, "I am Firestar and this is Tallstar," he gestured to his companion with a flick of his tail, "We have a message for you," Blackcloud lowered her head respectfully.
"You must succeed Harespring as deputy," Tallstar meowed, Blackcloud blinked in confusion, "If you don't Breezepelt will become deputy and then leader," the former leader of Windclan bright gaze darkened. "He will lead Windclan down a path flooded by blood and death,"
"The Clans will be destroyed," Firestar added.
Blackcloud took a step back, shaking her head in disbelief, "Breezepelt is a loyal Windclan warrior," she objected.
Tallstar's gaze flashed with anger, "He still walks with the traitors in the Place of No Stars,"
"You must become deputy," Firestar's mew grew urgent as he and Tallstar began faded away.
Is it really my destiny to lead Windclan? Blackcloud thought as the sky began to pale with morning light. She was so deep in her troubled thoughts that she didn't hear Onestar pad up to her. He touched his nose to her shoulder, jerking her out of her thoughts.
"Your vigil is over," he mewed "Go get some rest, but I want you up by sunhigh," Blackcloud nodded and padded over to the nests that edged the clearing.
"Blackcloud over here," a voice hissed, it was Oakwhisker, "You can sleep in mine I'm on dawn patrol,"
"Thanks Oatwhisker," Blackcloud meowed, touched by his kindness.
"You saved my life, it was the least I could do" the pale brown tabby's amber eyes glowed in the dawn light. He touched his nose to her ear as she curled up in his nest, "Sleep well" Blackcloud purred and drifted off to sleep with the warm, sweet scent of Oakwhisker all around her.