Chapter Nine
Still not owning warriors
Before you start reading, just in case you didn't read Chapter Eight, this may be my last update for a while. The next time I update will probably be in February because I'm going on a holiday. So uhh… Enjoy!
Lighteningpaw twitched his tail, aware that a tick was embedded in it. He purred triumphantly as he cracked the small body in his teeth, and felt his blood that the tick had stolen trickle coolly into his mouth. He looked up as a slender tortoiseshell entered the apprentices den.
"Hello." He mewed cheerfully to Blossompaw.
"I can't believe last night was my last night in the apprentices den!" She exclaimed. She looked at him sadly.
"It'll be a while before we're in the same den again." Lighteningpaw murmured sad agreement.
"Well, let's hunt! My last hunt as an apprentice." Blossompaw raced out of the den, Lighteningpaw close behind. As soon as they left the hollow, the forest scents filled Lighteningpaw's nose, and a warmer breeze swept through his fur.
"Newleaf is on its way." Blossompaw commented. Lighteningpaw nodded agreement, scenting the air carefully.
"Mouse," he whispered, "by the beech tree." He flicked his ears in the direction and started to slowly stalk it. Swiftly, he pounced, taking its life with a nip to its neck.
The sun was floating down to the horizon by the time Lighteningpaw and Blossompaw came back, each carrying few tiny morsels. Newleaf was definitely on its way, but the sun wasn't tempting enough prey out of their burrows yet.
"Prey still not running?" Silverpaw padded up to Lighteningpaw and purred sympathetically. He lifted his chin; he had caught a rabbit and a wood mouse.
"Not really… The sun isn't warm enough yet." The words were barely out of his mouth as a hunting patrol of Sandstorm, Hollyleaf and Clearpaw entered each swinging two mice in their jaws. Clearpaw padded over to Silverpaw and Lighteningpaw and dropped her prey at their feet.
"I have a surprise for you guys, so don't eat yet. Please take that to the nursery! I'll be right back, but I have to collect the rest of the prey." Clearpaw scurried off to the thorn barrier before they could reply.
"Sun's not warm enough, eh?" Silverpaw teased lightly.
"Shouldn't we be rejoicing the fact that our sister has caught so much prey? Do we really need to know who the best apprentice prey-hunter is?" Lighteningpaw grabbed the mouse and ran to the nursery. He felt Silverpaw, hot on his heels, holding two shrews. They burst softly into the nursery, where the queens looked up sleepily.
"Shhh, I just got Amberkit and her brothers to sleep." Hazeltail swept her tail gently over her sleeping kits.
"Thanks for the prey. Peachkit was mewling for food before." Lighteningpaw set down the prey.
"How are you, Poppyfrost?" Lighteningpaw sat down next to Squirrelflight, who was swishing her tail lightly over Poppyfrost's kits, in an attempt to warm them.
"Yeah, four kits is a lot!" Silverpaw exclaimed softly.
"I'm fine, thanks. I think they're nearly ready to taste fresh-kill!" Poppyfrost gazed down affectionately on the bundle of fur as Lighteningpaw and Silverpaw backed slowly out of the nursery. When they re-entered the main clearing, Clearpaw came in, swinging a large crow in her jaws.
"Where did you find such plump prey?" Silverpaw stared at her sister, her green eyes glowing.
"It's a secret!" Clearpaw teased.
"Come on, Clearpaw! Tell us! Stop hiding the secret to hunting from us." Lighteningpaw flicked her ear with his tail, and her blue eyes widened.
"I'm not hiding a secret!" She mewed indignantly. "Now, do you want this or not? It's so big; I think we can all share." Her belly grumbled, and she flicked her ears in embarrassment.
"So long as you don't eat it all yourself!" Silverpaw crouched down and took a bite.
"You sure you haven't stuffed it with deathberries or anything?" Clearpaw fluffed out her fur angrily and cuffed his ears lightly.
"Just checking! You don't usually get such plump prey in this kind of weather." He crouched down and took a bite, the warm flavours seeping over his tongue. It had been a while since he had eaten such plump prey; during leaf-bare all the fattest prey had been sent to the queen and elders first. Just as he finished his piece, Firestar leapt on to the high ledge and let out a yowl.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high ledge for a clan meeting!" His voice echoed clearly through the camp, and soon all of the cats were gathered.
"Today we are going to perform one of my favourite ceremonies. Blossompaw, Bumblepaw and Briarpaw, please step forward." The three apprentices edged away from Millie's and Graystripe's vigorous grooming, and stood proudly in the centre of the clearing. Firestar looked to the sky.
"I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn." The setting sun turned the leader's pelt to a flame, and Lighteningpaw watched admiringly.
"Briarpaw, Blossompaw and Bumblepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"
"I do." Briarpaw looked up, the solemn promise echoing through the clearing.
"I do." Blossompaw looked up too, the white dapples on her pelt shining under the setting sun.
"I do." Bumblepaw replied, his eyes glowing with enthusiasm.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Briarpaw," the dark brown she-cat eagerly stepped forward, "From this moment you will be know as Briarlight. StarClan honours your loyalty and determination and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Briarlight licked her leader's shoulder respectfully as he rested his muzzle on her head. Stepping back, he continued.
"Blossompaw," Lighteningpaw felt pride swell in his chest as he watched his friend step forward calmly. "From this moment forward, you will be known as Blossomfall. StarClan honours your silent dignity and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Firestar rested his broad muzzle on Blossomfall's shoulder, and she licked his shoulder happily. As Blossomfall fell in beside Lighteningpaw again, he swiped his tongue over her ear, and she flicked her tail over his pelt.
"Bumblepaw," the striped tom stepped forward, and Lighteningpaw noticed that Clearpaw's eyes were glowing happily in the growing-dusk. "From this moment forward, you will be known as," Firestar paused, his eyes meeting Graystripe's. "Bumblestripe. StarClan honours your courage and forethought and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!" Bumblestripe licked Firestar's shoulder, as the flame-pelted tom rested his muzzle on his head.
"Briarlight! Blossomfall! Bumblestripe!" Lighteningpaw raised his voice in the cheer proudly, and chuckled as Graystripe bowled his kits over, and Millie batted them affectionately with a paw. Lighteningpaw watched as the slender shapes moved away in the darkness, ready to start their vigil, and slowly tore his gaze from Blossomfall.
"Ooh-la-la! Somebody likes Blossomfall!" Silverpaw appeared at his side. He glowered angrily at his sister, and she rumbled with amusement.
"Mr-row-ow!" She rolled onto her back laughing. Clearpaw padded up and prodded her with a paw. She got to her paws and glared angrily at her sister.
"Ow! That hurt Clearpaw!" Clearpaw tilted her head confusedly.
"I didn't even press hard! You're just cranky because Foxleap chose Briarlight to go on patrol alone with him, and not you." If it was possible, Silverpaw glowered, even angrier then before. Lighteningpaw rolled on his back laughing at the scared look plastered on Clearpaw's face.
"I was just excited because Spiderleg had told me that I was going on the patrol, not that stupid furball Foxleap! And then that piece of mouse-dung told me I couldn't go and that Spiderleg meant the Sunhigh patrol, not the dawn patrol." Silverpaw strode off with her tail in the air, her teeth bared in a soft growl. Clearpaw and Lighteningpaw exchanged an exasperated glance and followed her. Once Lighteningpaw had settled comfortably in his nest, he lay his bushy tail over his paws and waited for sleep. It came faster than normal, and he was plunged into an icy forest. It was never this cold, not even in leaf-bare, and never this dark. He looked up to the moon and gasped – there was no moon. Terrified, he kept running in the darkness.
"Mouse-dung!" He spat as he stumbled into a rabbit-hole.
"Lighteningpaw! Didn't your mother teach you to look before you step?" Shivering, Lighteningpaw turned around slowly and stared into ice-blue eyes. The dark tabby shape seemed familiar…
"I'm Hawkfrost. Your father's brother."
"You're a traitor!" Lighteningpaw snarled. He whipped around only to find himself nose-to-nose with Tigerstar.
"It is true, we betrayed our clans and went against the warrior code. But you see," Tigerstar broke off as Lighteningpaw flew at him, claws extended. He shook him off easily, continuing his small speech.
"Lighteningpaw, I would like to make it up to ThunderClan."
"You're dead! There's nothing you can do!" Lighteningpaw spat.
"That's why I need you. I can train you, and make you great. You'll be a credit to your clan. And I will feel as though I have repaid them by giving them an invincible warrior who sticks to the warrior code!"
"You could really do that?" Lighteningpaw would've battled him once more, but a strange calmness enfolded him, and he felt… different.
"Yes Lighteningpaw, I could." Lighteningpaw gave him a brisk nod, though it felt mechanical, as if somebody was moving his head for him. He felt a hard jab in the side.
"Wake up! You're sleeping the day away." He opened his eyes to see Silverpaw's grass green eyes staring at him.
"Ok, ok, I'm up!"
OMSC! Lighteningpaw just agreed to train with Tigerstar! Gasp!