I don't own Warriors, go figure.
Ooookay. I wrote this a looong time ago.
...
Okay not that long ago like. . . maybe five months ago? I don't know. But anyways. It's kind of long, which is a good thing, I guess? I don't know where the plots going with this one, but I do have some ideas.
Also, there's probably going to be a lot of typos in it. With Warriors stories, you can't really check spell check because it counts every name and term as wrong, so finding the real problems is a pain.
Well go ahead and enjoy Warriors Eye of Stars, Distant Storms
Amberstar sat with his paws engulfed in the soft sand that surrounded WaveClan's small ocean gulf. He could just barely make out the thin line of the sun that was now slowly sinking into the lapping waves of the vast stretch of water ahead. The air smelled of salt, and carried with it a cool breeze that fluffed up the Clan leader's golden brown fur. Looking up, he observed that the sky was a brilliant shade of red. Pink clouds wisped across his head. Amberstar could only imagine what it would feel like to race across the ocean and leap into the puffy clouds above. Warm light shone down on his fur and made him close his eyes in comfort.
As if snapping him back to reality, Amberstar spotted a seagull running up and down with the tides, scanning the area for food. Deciding not to return to camp empty pawed, he dropped into a hunter's crouch. Making sure to stay whisker to whisker with the water to conceal his scent, he crept up behind the bird. It had now started to hastily pick at the remains of a washed up fish. Yuck! Crow-food! With a grunt of disgust, he raced up to the gull and swiped its legs out from under it. Before it could open its wings, he placed his paw on its back and delivered a clean nip. It gave out a startled screech and went limp. Muttering thanks to StarClan, he picked up his prey and headed towards the bundle of dry tree's that led deeper into his Clan's territory.
The ground under paw had gotten much harder as sand mixed with clay. Amberstar let out a frustrated hiss as he trod of one of the seagull's wings. Dropping the bird to readjust his footing, he scented cats up ahead. The dusk patrol was just rounding a tall patch of sea grass, and Sunlick was in the lead. Following close behind was Tanglewhisker, Featherleaf, and her apprentice, Doepaw. Amberstar noticed lean muscles rippling underneath the apprentice's dappled brown pelt.
Sunlick lifted his tail in greeting. "I can see you've had good hunting," he meowed warmly. Dipping his head in agreement, Amberstar turned to Featherleaf.
"It's getting dark. You should think about practicing ghost crab hunting with Doepaw."
"Of course, Amberstar. I've been meaning to do that," she replied, flicking her ears.
"Actually," glancing at Doepaw again, Amberstar realized how much she had grown since she and her brother had been appointed mentors, "actually, I'd like to have a word with you, Featherleaf."
Featherleaf gave her black shoulder a nervous lick and looked at the rest of her patrol. "You go on, I'll catch up." When the other cats left, she sat down and curled her tail around her paws. Weak moonlight started to replace the sunlight that had tickled Amberstar's fur just moments before. "Yes Amberstar? Do you need me for anything?"
Amberstar sat next to his seagull. "I need to ask you a question," he rasped. A puzzled look swept across Featherleafs face. "About Doepaw."
Her green eyes widened. "If it's about the squirrel incident, it wasn't her fault, I swear on StarClan's name! It was Cloudnose's kits again, just looking for more trouble! I know it looked bad for
her. . . . Well very bad for her, but she was only trying to stop it before anyone found out! I –"
"No Featherleaf," Amberstar purred, amused at how loyal she was to her apprentice, "I stopped you to ask about her progress." Featherleaf let out a sigh of relief and relaxed her shoulders. "Tricky as Cloudnose's kits may be, they are six moons old now. They're going to be apprentices soon so we need all the space in the apprentices den as we can. Doepaw and Wrinklepaw are coming along to be fine cats. Do you think your apprentice is ready to become a Warrior of WaveClan?"
"Oh!" she breathed, "Yes, Amberstar. She is extremely strong, and very hard to beat in battle. Even Bonetalon had a tough time defeating her in training. Also, Olivespalsh tells me Wrinklepaw is an excellent tracker."
"Good," he dipped his head and stood up. "Go catch up to the others, and don't tell Doepaw a word of what we've said here."
"Thank you, Amberstar," Featherleaf licked his shoulder and sped off, kicking sand up behind her.
"Be prepared to wake up early!" he yowled after her. Looking up at the stars, he sighed. I have a strong Clan. Oh StarClan, what will I do with all of them? Blinking at the night sky, he picked up his seagull and began to head back to camp.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highstone for a Clan meeting!"
Amberstar's yowl rang loud and clear in the warm morning air.
Scanning the clearing, he watched as Cloudnose pushed her way out of the nursery with her three kits following close behind. They calmly brushed past the bristling ferns that concealed the nursery's entrance. They sat quietly together in a line next to their mother. Either they're growing up, or they're still ashamed of what they did to poor Mousetail's squirrel, he thought.
Warriors started to pad out of their burrow. Bonetalon poked her head out and blinked back the previous night's sleep. With a yawn, she dragged her paws over to the foot of the Highstone and sat down.
"Have a good sleep?" Amberstar whispered to her, chuckling.
Bonetalon squinted up at her Clan leader. "Oh keep your fur on. Be happy I'm up."
Amberstar let out a purr. As lazy and sharp-tongued as she was, Bonetalon was his deputy, and closest friend.
Looking back at his Clan, he saw that most of it had filled out the clearing. He noticed Doepaw pick a piece of moss out of her yawning brother, Wrinklepaw's long brown fur, obviously not noticing the tendril that clung to her ear.
Once he saw Toadleap and Mousetail emerge from their burrows, Amberstar raised his tail to stop the chatter that had formed among the cats below.
"Today we have a very special ceremony to perform. That is why I've gathered you all so early. I want you all to be here."
Cloudnose's grey eyes stretched wide in realization. She swept her tail over her three kits and desperately covered them in licks.
"WaveClan is growing strong and steady. We will have many good things to report to the other two Clans at the gathering this next Full Moon. Stonefoot's patrol drove that fox out of our territory a quarter moon ago."
The dark ginger she-cat drew a mottled grey paw over her whiskers in modesty. Murmurs of congratulations rose from the cats in the clearing as they all turned to look at her.
"And I do believe we have three kits who have reached six moons old."
Gullkit flicked her tail, while her sisters Sandkit and Tidekit bounced up in disbelief.
"Sandkit, Gullkit, and Tidekit. Would you please step forward."
The warriors in the center of the clearing parted so the kits could stumble up to the base of the Highstone.
"Sandkit." Amberstar's mew rang out in the cool morning air. Sandkit looked up at her leader. "From this day forward you shall be known as Sandpaw. Bonetalon. From now on, you will be Sandpaw's mentor. Train her well in the path of the warrior."
Bonetalon stood and padded over to the small tabby she-cat. Touching her nose on Sandpaw's head, her new apprentice licked her shoulder.
"Gullkit. From this day forward you will be known as Gullpaw." Amberstar started. "Toadleap tells me you have taken great interest in his herbs, and enjoy helping him treat sick cats. Is this true?"
"Y- yes!" the grey and white kit squeaked.
"Then are you willing to devote yourself to the life of a medicine cat? You will not fight, unless completely necessary and you may never claim a mate. You will learn how to take care of your Clan and interpret signs from StarClan. The job of a medicine cat is just as important as the job of the Clan leader. Are you willing to train under Toadleap's supervision?"
"Yes," she said more solid than before.
"Then Toadleap. You will be mentor to Gullpaw. Teach her the way of the medicine cat."
Toadleap walked over to Gullpaw and put his muzzle on her head. She licked his shoulder and sat down.
"Tidekit." Amberstar looked down at the dark grey tabby kit. "From this day forward you will be known as Tidepaw. I will be your mentor."
Whispers of excitement started up in the group of cats but were sharply cut off as he leapt down from the Highstone. The entire Clan was silent as he pushed his nose into Tidepaw's forehead. He could hear a gull in the distance, calling to its flock. Tidepaw nervously licked his shoulder. Amberstar dipped his head as yowls rose from the crowd of cats. "Sandpaw, Gullpaw, Tidepaw! Sandpaw, Gullpaw, Tidepaw!"
"But this ceremony is not over!" he yowled, leaping back onto the Highstone. "Doepaw and Wrinklepaw!" The two apprentices' heads shot up and their Clanmates eagerly nudged them towards the Highstone. Wrinklepaw's eyes stretched wide as he noticed the piece of bracken that hung on his sister's ear. He went to nip it off, but it was too late.
"Wrinklepaw. You have learned what it takes to become a warrior. I hope Olivesplash has passed his intelligence courage on to you. May you use your skills for the good of your Clan. And now I present your warrior name. Wrinklepaw, from this moment forward, you will be known as Wrinklefur. Protect your Clan with your life, as any noble warrior would." Wrinklefur puffed out his chest as his sister licked his cheek.
Amberstar's blue gaze fell on the speckled she-cat eagerly awaiting her warrior name. "Doepaw. You have graced this Clan with your cunning strength. I know that Featherleaf has taught you patience and stealth, so that you may protect your Clan with your life for moons to come. Doepaw, from this moment forward you will be known as Doestep." Doestep's bright green eyes shone up at her Clan leader.
"Wrinklefur and Doestep, I welcome you as full Warriors of WaveClan!"
"Wrinklefur, Doestep! Wrinklefur, Doestep!"
Amberstar leapt down from the Highstone as the Clan rushed around the five cats at the foot of the Highstone. "This meeting has come to an end!" he yowled.
As the chatter started to die down and cats started to pad over to Bonetalon, who had now sat down with her apprentice and started calling our patrols.
"Sharpheart, you lead a hunting patrol with Wrinklefur and Sunlick," she dipped her head towards the patched she-cat and nodded, continuing, "Stonefoot. You take a border patrol to Salt Rocks to see if that fox has come back. Take Tanglewhisker and Doestep with you. And Cloudnose, do you think you're ready for warrior assignments again? If so, go with them." Sandpaw shuffled her paws in anticipation but kept quiet
Just as Tidepaw swept past Amberstar, he flicked his tail in front of the young she-cat's nose. "Headed for the apprentices den?"
Tidepaw whipped her head around. "S – sorry! Am I not supposed to? I wanted to go check it
Out, but I won't if I shouldn't!" She looked at the dark borrow opening. Scraggly roots hung from the top like fangs, and a clump of sea grass sat at the edge, acting as a windbreaker to stop the cold and sand from disturbing the sleeping apprentices.
"No," Amberstar glanced over at Bonetalon, who had finished sorting out patrols and was now stretched out in the warm sand. Sandpaw sat loyally beside her.
"Oh no. Looks like we'll have to save your sister from that good for nothing deputy of mine. She looks as if she'll fall over from boredom at any heartbeat." He looked down at her apprentice, who just twitched her whiskers. "Alright then," he mewed, trotting over.
As he approached Bonetalon she let out a sigh. "What is it now, mouse brain?" Sandpaw and Tidepaw gasped as the white she-cat cursed at their Clan leader. "I'm resting. You didn't give me enough sleep; I was keeping watch all night!"
She rolled onto her back and put one ginger paw in the air. The two apprentices looked up at Amberstar to see what he would do next.
"Bonetalon, I gave you an apprentice because I knew you are one of the strongest, smartest cats in the Clan," he meowed.
Sandpaw drew her whiskers close to her sister's ear and whispered, "Yeah right! Before you came over, she told me to go practice my hunting crouch and leave her alone! And she hadn't even taught me how to!"
"Well excuse me for giving you something to do!" Bonetalon jumped up, fur standing on edge.
"I haven't even been an apprentice for a day and you already act like I should know everything!" Sandpaw unsheathed her claws. Tidepaw just shrank back, avoiding the quarrel.
"Hey now!" Amberstar stepped between the bristling cats. "Bonetalon, I agree with what your apprentice is saying. You are the deputy of WaveClan! This is no way to act! What if something were to happen to me and you had to take over the Clan? Would you act like this?"
"I . . . I'm sorry." She hung her head as Sandpaw puffed out her chest.
"But," he swung his head around to the sandy colored apprentice. "You do not talk to the deputy like that. No matter how immature she may be," he growled. "Now, I'm taking Tidepaw out to show her our territory, and you two are coming with me."
Sandpaw and Tidepaw looked at each other and sprang up.
"I'll race you to the tunnel!"
"Yeah okay, but I'll beat you!"
"Yeah right, not if I get a head start!"
The two apprentices nearly toppled over Mousetail as they lumbered in the direction of the tunnel. The white tom stumbled back, dropping the fish he was carrying. "Hey, watch it!" he hissed.
"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Tidepaw jumped back, eyes wide.
"Kits!" the elder mumbled under his breath.
Sandpaw's tail fluffed up. "Hey, we're apprentices now!"
Mousetail just ignored them and stalked away with his fish.
"You two go on, but be careful!" Amberstar called after the two she-cats as they trotted towards the tunnel that led out of camp. "Meet us at the opening on the other side!"
He looked at Bonetalon, who was watching after her apprentice's tail disappear in the small tunnel whose path was worn with moons of pawsteps.
"Why did you give me her?" she turned to her friend. "Yours is polite, but mine just doesn't know when to hold her tongue."
Amberstar's blue eyes sparkled back at her. "She reminds me of you. You know she was the mastermind of the squirrel prank. It was something you would do, even now, but luckily you know better."
The two cats looked at each other for a heartbeat. Amberstar reached out to lick the white she-cats
cheek. "Just be careful what you say to other cats, okay?" he mewed softly. She just pushed her muzzle into his neck and stood up.
"Let's go. We should go catch up before they set fire to camp," she yawned, stretching.
Amberstar looked up. The sun had started making its way to the top of the sky, and large puffy clouds surrounded it. All of a sudden he heard a faint mew echoing out of the camp entrance. "Let's hide so when they come back they think that we're gone!"
Bonetalon let out a hiss of annoyance.
"Keep in mind they were still kits just this morning," Amberstar sighed.
"I know," she replied, whiskers twitching. "Come on."
The two cats walked out of the clearing and into the tunnel. The clay was damp under Amberstar's paws, and the air was cool and musky. He twitched his whiskers as he and Bonetalon pushed their way through the sea grass that grew in front of the entrance. No creature would ever know a whole Clan of cats was hiding just through the bristles.
Rustling above Amberstar's head caused him to swivel around. All of a sudden Tidepaw flung herself out of a dry bush that sat on top of the tunnel archway. Amberstar sidestepped just in time for the grey apprentice to go tumbling into the sand below.
"Mousedung!" she spat. Amberstar sat over her as Bonetalon jumped up to the crest of the tunnel, her striking white pelt hidden behind the mass of tangled branches. Moments later, she hopped down with Sandpaw swinging from her jaws. The tabby apprentice was still much smaller than the deputy, and was still outgrowing her kit fluff. She put her apprentice down next to Tidepaw. "Are you kits?" she hissed. The apprentices looked up at their mentors with wide eyes.
"No! We. . . . we thought it would be fun if - "
"This is the kind of thing a kit would do. Trying to sneak up on senior warriors like that! Do you want to see our territory or not? Because if you want, I can easily get you sent you back to the nursery," Bonetalon meowed sternly.
"No Bonetalon," Amberstar flicked his tail across the white warrior's face. "Don't be so harsh. But you two do have to remember that you aren't kits anymore. I've made you apprentices so that you can train to be warriors and defend your Clan."
He stood up, "Now let's go."
The two she-cats took this as a sign to keep their mouth shut. They stood with their leader and started to twitch sand off their pelts.
Amberstar started to walk towards a bundle of palm trees, and Sandkit and Tidekit followed with hanging heads. Bonetalon took up the rear, flicking her tail. The cats padded along a small sandy trail in silence.
"So are we going to the beach or exploring the forest? Surely we can't cover it all today," Tidepaw finally piped up.
"Or are we going hunting? Or battle training!" Sandpaw chimed in and looked at her sister, "Oh I hope we go battle training."
She snapped into a crouch, her flanks rising awkwardly in the air, "I want to claw the ears off of those HighClan mangepelts."
"Now don't trip over your paws," Amberstar turned his head around and kept walking, "and that crouch could use some work."
Sandpaw suddenly sprang up, almost tripping Bonetalon. As the ginger pawed warrior let out a hiss of surprise, Sandpaw squeaked, "Then where are we going?"
Amberstar turned his head forwad again. "We're going to the borders," and with a flick of his tail, he added, "And we are not fighting HighClan or MarshClan.
Sandpaw's whiskers drooped. Tidepaw was in front of her, and laid her tail on the tabby apprentice's shoulders. "Come on," she urged Sandpaw to keep walking. "Soon you'll know our territory like the pattern on your pelt."