*slaps hand to forehead* Really, SpiritGirl? Nearly a MONTH since an update?

I can't apologize enough for such a belated chapter. We had THREE science article summaries to do, THREE tests to study for, and BOATLOADS OF HOMEWORK. I made this chapter longer than usual for such a long-awaited update, so I hope that at least can earn forgiveness?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Warriors.

Chapter 6

RiverClan

Tinypaw rounded the corner and gasped. Lying mangled and bloody in front of her, was a huge raven about half as big as her. She closed her eyes, willing herself not to gag.

She took a couple steps back. Not only did it look bad, it reeked of rotting food as well. Tinypaw kept her eyes shut for a couple of moments, waiting for her stomach to stop churning before she looked at it again; she thought she had seen something coming from the bird.

When she opened her eyes again to examine it, she noticed with a shudder that there was a trail of fresh blood leading away from the half-bridge, as if the bird had been dragged there.

Curiosity overcoming her fear, Tinypaw padded gingerly around the bird to the start of the blood trail. She noticed that it curled around the outside of one of the half-bridge's long, wooden trunks and continued along the MonsterPlace.

Tinypaw padded cautiously beside it, shuddering at the strong tang of blood in her nostrils. It was long past sunset, and the blood glimmered silver in the quarter-moon light.

Soon, Tinypaw had reached the other side of the MonsterPlace, and she stopped as a Thunderpath continued on from where she stood. She walked a little ways more, and saw that the Thunderpath ended at the beginning of a large TwolegPlace.

Tinypaw looked down; the blood trail, no longer in the center of the Thunderpath but off to the side, still dragged on until stopping and fading at the edge of the TwolegPlace.

However curious Tinypaw was, she wasn't going to venture that far off of her territory. She turned around and started to head for camp, slightly disappointed and slightly relieved that she hadn't followed the trail any longer.

"I'll come back, though." Tinypaw whispered. "When I won't be missed."

Tinypaw trotted into camp and set down a fresh mouse on the fresh-kill pile. Darkfoot was on guard, and he gave her a suspicious look.

"Where have you been?" He asked her coolly.

"On a walk. Thought I'd hunt." Tinypaw replied sourly. She hated Darkfoot for blaming her for Creekpaw's death, along with her mentor Fishsplash.

Darkfoot looked up at the sky; it was almost moon high. "At this hour?"

Tinypaw didn't answer. She trotted toward the apprentices' den, lying down in her nest beside Bluepaw; he was curled around himself with his tail over his nose, and Tinypaw suddenly felt a rush of sympathy for the young apprentice.

Bluepaw, since he had been apprenticed, was hardly noticed by anyone except his mentor; even Tinypaw, though she hated to admit it, was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to even say hello.

Tinypaw curled up in her own nest, looking outside. I'll talk to him tomorrow, Tinypaw thought sleepily. She closed her eyes.

Tinypaw awoke to bright sunlight shining in her eyes, streaming down from the roof of the apprentices' den. All was quiet, Swallowpaw being the only other apprentice still sleeping other than herself.

Being careful not to disturb her sister, Tinypaw crept quietly out of the den into the morning.

The sun was already high in the sky, and the RiverClan camp was busy at work. Nearby Adderfang, Tigerblaze, and Moontail were working on expanding the nursery with Bubblepaw and Icepaw, while Bluepaw was bringing a rabbit to the elders. Tinypaw watched Bluepaw as he set it down in front of them, but they were too deep in their own conversations to notice his great catch. Tinypaw breathed a defeated sigh, then padded up to Bluepaw as he sadly left the elders' den.

"Hey." Tinypaw mewed quietly to him as he settled down to eat a mouse; they were sitting beside the apprentices' den, slightly apart from the other apprentices as they chatted and ate prey of their own.

Bluepaw looked up at her, thoroughly surprised. "Hi." He mewed, puzzled. He continued to eat, staring down at his mouse with intense concentration; as if it were a very interesting bug instead of a freshly caught piece of kill.

"Um..." Bluepaw looked up. Tinypaw continued, "I heard that Sootpaw, Kestrelpaw, and Scorchpaw will be warriors soon." Tinypaw desperately tried to make a conversation.

Bluepaw blinked at his food. "Sounds great for them." he whispered, and Tinypaw shifted in the uncomfortable silence that followed.

"Hey, do you..." Tinypaw trailed off when Bluepaw looked up at her. "Do you want to go hunting with me later? I can show you all of these great spots..."

Bluepaw blinked again. "Sure. That has to be..." he shook his head.

A yowl from Blazestar interrupted the next silence, making Tinypaw breath a silent sigh of relief; at least the worst part was over.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Reed Rock for a Clan meeting." Blazestar yowled the formal greeting, and cats began to file from around the clearing and sit beneath the Reed Rock. Tinypaw took a place and settled beside Bluepaw at the center of the hub.

"Cats of RiverClan," Blazestar began, "It is my honor, at this time where the sun is highest, to give the full responsibility of a warrior to three well-trained apprentices." At the words of the familiar ceremony, Tinypaw felt her pelt prickle with anticipation. "Sootpaw, Kestrelpaw, and Scorchpaw. Step forward."

The named apprentices slowly picked their way through the crowd, finally sitting down at the base of the Reed Rock; their pelts were glossy and washed, and their eyes were glowing with excitement and determination. Their mentors Treetail, Nightfall, and Thunderbreeze came and sat beside them, tails wrapped around their paws and expressions overwhelmed with pride.

Blazestar hopped down from Reed Rock, landing in front of them. He padded up to the first, Sootpaw. "Sootpaw. You have trained hard to learn the ways of a warrior. Your confidence and determination have shone through in your fighting and hunting skills, as well as your support to your leader and Clan." Sootpaw was nearly trembling with excitement. "Do you promise to honor and protect your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Sootpaw stammered.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment, you will be known as Sootstripe. I now welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan." Blazestar rested his chin on Sootstripe's head, who licked his leader's shoulder respectfully. The Clan cheered, greeting Sootstripe with his new name as he sat back down next to his former mentor.

Blazestar turned to Scorchpaw. "Scorchpaw. Though you were struggling with being a new apprentice in the past, you have grown into a fine cat and soon, a new warrior. Your boldness and intelligence in battle have proven that you deserve to be a warrior of RiverClan. Do you promise to honor and protect your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Scorchpaw mewed steadily. Tinypaw heard a hint of triumph in her voice.

"then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment, you will be known as Scorchtail. I now welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan." After Scorchtail had licked Blazestar's shoulder, the Clan burst into even more cheers for another warrior.

Now, only Kestrelpaw remained. Tinypaw leaned closer, eager to hear what her older sibling's warrior name would be.

"Kestrelpaw. Your positive attitude and encouraging nature have made me proud to call you my deputy's son. You are strong in battle, and are wise and true to everyone around you. Do you promise to honor and protect your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Kestrelpaw mewed smoothly. Tinypaw was about to explode from excitement, almost as much as if she were becoming a warrior.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment, you will be known as Kestrelshade. I now welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan."

Kestrelshade. Tinypaw was bursting with pride; her brother was a warrior!

As Kestrelshade made his way back into the crowd, the Clan erupted in shouts of pride and congratulations.

"Sootstripe! Scorchtail! Kestrelshade! Sootstripe! Scorchtail! Kestrelshade!"

As soon as the din had died down, Blazestar hopped back onto the Reed Rock; Tinypaw cocked her head to the side, puzzled. Isn't the ceremony over...?

"I congratulate our new warriors." Blazestar called to the Clan. "As with all new warriors, they must keep silent vigil tonight as their first mission to protect our camp." Tinypaw nodded, and heard murmurs of agreement and puzzlement around her as the other warriors spoke amongst themselves. If that was the entire ceremony, then why was Blazestar still standing up there?

Once the Clan had settled once more, Blazestar spoke again; but his voice was graver, much more serious. "Though the naming of new warriors is a reason to be joyful, we must also consider our problems with the other Clans."

Tinypaw's eyes widened, surprised. What problems? Which Clan was he talking about? Tinypaw pictured the face of a white tom, his fur stained with the light of a thousand fireflies, his eyes dancing in the moonlight...

Tinypaw was jolted back to the present when Bluepaw's tail brushed her shoulder; she looked at him, and saw he was bristling.

"As you know, WindClan has given up the HorsePlace territory. Though this could be seen as a generous offering," Blazestar looked about the crowd, "it could also be foreseen as a sign of weakness; or strategy."

Murmurs once again broke among the cats, and Tinypaw exchanged a worried glance with Bluepaw; she could see where this was going.

Thunderbreeze stood, hushing the crowd. "I say we raid their Clan! Attacking them before they attack us!" His lips curled back in a snarl.

Blazestar didn't seem fazed by the warrior's outburst. "However much I admire your loyalty, Thunderbreeze, I must disagree. We can't just run blindly across the moor and into their camp, without even a proper idea of what we're doing there in the first place."

"Blazestar's right." Grayfoot spoke up from the front of the crowd. "We need strategy. And reason. If WindClan is too weak to keep enough of their territory, then we should first discuss it with them and see if we can help."

"What are you, some kind of Firestar?" Fishsplash spat from Tinypaw's far right. His eyes were flashing with greed. "I say we raid; better safe than sorry!" Grayfoot shot him a disgusted glance.

Blazestar growled. "If we run in blindly, we will be at the disadvantage. The Clans have lived peacefully for moons, and one little thing as insignificant as a piece of worthless territory isn't a reason to break it." Many indignant yowls of approval rose against Fishsplash, Tinypaw being one of them.

Fishsplash twitched his whiskers, his eyes slit, but said nothing more.

"I think we shouldn't do anything." A quiet voice below the din made Tinypaw prick her ears. She turned and looked beside her, where Bluepaw was staring down at his paws.

"I think," Bluepaw continued, his voice rising. The Clan fell silent again, listening. "We should just leave it be; we don't have to make a fuss over something like this." He looked up at Blazestar, who nodded for him to go on.

Bluepaw took a tired breath. "If we approach their Clan asking why they gave us the territory, we would be nosing into their business. If we do nothing, then we could still live in peace alongside them."

"Bluepaw's right." Tinypaw spoke up; Bluepaw looked at her with hope in his eyes. "We shouldn't pester them. Sure, we've had one almost border skirmish; but that doesn't mean that we have to start a battle." Tinypaw looked straight at Blazestar. "If we don't do anything, we'll be saving innocent blood that could be spilled."

Blazestar studied her, then the rest of his Clan. There was a long silence, where Blazestar sat with his tail around his paws, staring at the RiverClan cats who had earlier been celebrating new warriors; but were now sitting, too, in earnest.

"...We will not fight." Blazestar mewed simply. And the meeting broke.

To Tinypaw's left, Fishsplash was still bristling. Cats moved around him, and he glared angrily up at the Reed Rock where Blazestar had stood moments before. Tinypaw felt a prickle of worry shudder down her spine; what was he up to?

Tinypaw padded over to him, scorching his pelt with her fine gaze. "What was that about? Do you want innocent warriors and apprentices to die?" she challenged.

Fishsplash's fur flattened, and he looked down intensely at Tinypaw. "No. My duty is to my Clan, and my leader. Of courseI don'twant innocent cats to die."

Tinypaw found his tone infuriating; why did he treat her like a stubborn kit?

Fishsplash turned away from her, slapping Tinypaw's muzzle with his tail. "It's the not so innocent ones I fear for." he growled; he spoke in a tone only Tinypaw could hear below the noise.

Tinypaw gulped and shrunk back, eyes wide. She blinked rapidly a few times to clear her thoughts, and was just able to see Fishsplash disappear into the warriors' den.

Tinypaw shivered. What exactly did he mean when he said he feared for the not so innocent? He couldn't be sincere; it just wasn't like him. Perhaps he was hiding something...other than the Creekpaw incident.

Tinypaw felt a tail run along her side, and she turned to see Bluepaw standing next to her staring at the place where Fishsplash disappeared.

"I wonder what he's hiding?" Bluepaw tipped his head to one side. Tinypaw paled; Bluepaw couldn't have found out about Creekpaw...it just wasn't possible...Fishsplash's threat echoed in her mind.

"W-What makes you think that?" Tinypaw blurted before she could stop herself. Bluepaw stared at her, confusion written in his eyes.

"Nothing. He just...seemed anxious about something, that's all." Bluepaw twitched his whiskers at her. "Is there something you're hiding from me?"

Tinypaw grew hot. Of course; Bluepaw just saw he was anxious; she guessed this is what she got for overreacting. "Er..." Tinypaw looked around at anything but him. When she looked at his eyes again, she saw with relief that they were teasing and playful. She let out a silent sigh and smiled.

A thought struck her. " Hey...can I...show you something?"

Bluepaw looked around camp. "Well, since no one needs me." he dipped his head. "Sure."

Tinypaw flicked her tail, signaling him to follow. She felt uneasy about showing Bluepaw, but it was worth a shot if she wanted to figure out this mystery.

Once out of camp, Tinypaw trotted along the familiar trail towards the ShadowClan border. Soon, the MonsterPlace could be seen above the crest of the hill.

As Tinypaw descended the hill, she paused. She looked back at Bluepaw, and saw he was trembling.

Alarmed, Tinypaw raced back up to him. "What's the matter?"

"I'm sorry." Bluepaw shook his head. "It's just that...I've never been so close before. My mentor told me not to venture this far out, because she warned that there were horrible beasts here." he shivered.

Tinypaw's fur flattened. She had forgotten he was three moons younger than her. She began to have second thoughts; should she show him the raven carcass?

"Hey, don't worry." she laid her tail-tip gently on his shoulder. "I've got your back."

Bluepaw nodded. He straightened, once again passive and confident. "Okay."

Tinypaw nodded in approval. She led the way over the hill, carefully stepping onto the hard Thunderpath. It burned hot on her paws, but she ignored it and started walking toward the half-bridge. She kept glancing back to make sure Bluepaw was following, and every time she did so she became more and more uneasy about what she was going to do.

When she reached the bridge, she stopped. Her nose wrinkled as it caught the sour stench of crowfood, and she saw Bluepaw cringe back at the odor.

"Ew!" he exclaimed. He pawed his nose, eyes slit. "What's that?"

"Er," Tinypaw thought quickly. She spotted the raven and, before she could think, shoved it into the lake. A smear of blood followed it.

Bluepaw padded up to stand beside her. "What?"

"Must just be some old prey." Tinypaw mewed lamely. But Bluepaw wasn't listening; he was staring at the blood smear, horror in his eyes.

"It's not what you think," Tinypaw mewed quickly. Oh great StarClan, what was I thinking!

But Bluepaw didn't respond. He blinked rapidly a couple of times, then turned his wide blue eyes onto Tinypaw. "What...is it then?"

Tinypaw's neck fur fluffed up in anxiety. "That's what I wanted...to talk to you about."

Cautiously, Tinypaw told Bluepaw about the blood trail. It was beginning to darken when she finished.

Bluepaw blinked at her. His eyes were calm and understanding. "And you came to me to see if I could help?"

Tinypaw blinked. "I was hoping so."

Bluepaw looked into the water, where the faint outline of the raven was visible. "Okay. We should get that out of there, first. We don't want to taint the water." Tinypaw insisted on doing it, and she carefully extracted the raven from the lake water. She spat out wet feathers, shaking her head in disgust. She dragged it away to bury it from sight.

When she returned, Bluepaw was sniffing at the drying blood trail. "I can smell faint cat scent." Tinypaw's heart soared; she eagerly bent to sniff, but recoiled as the tang of blood engulfed her nose.

"How can you smell beyond the blood?" She asked, but Bluepaw only shook his head in concentration. Tinypaw followed him as he walked along the scent trail.

As soon as they reached the place where Tinypaw had stopped the night before, Bluepaw kept going until he reached the edge of the TwolegPlace.

"The trail ends there." Tinypaw called to him; she had stayed farther back.

Bluepaw looked back at her, his tail-tip twitching as he thought. "But the cat scent doesn't." He gazed into the TwolegPlace; the sun was just beginning to set, and the low-hanging clouds were stained pink and yellow. "I have a feeling something wanted you – or any other cat that came this far – to go inside."

Tinypaw shivered. Whoever that strange cat was that told her to meet by the half-bridge must be the same one who wanted her inside the TwolegPlace. Tinypaw still felt curious, but she couldn't ignore the strange feeling of recognition she had seen in the cat's eyes.

Tinypaw turned away. "Come on. Let's go back." Bluepaw, puzzled, followed her away from the TwolegPlace.

"But the scent continues!" Bluepaw mewed anxiously, staring in disbelief at Tinypaw. "Isn't that what you were curious about? We should follow it."

"TwolegPlace is dangerous. We can't go in. It's Clan code." Tinypaw didn't look back as she answered.

Bluepaw strayed one last glance at TwolegPlace, then turned his head and ran to catch up to Tinypaw, the rays of the setting sun staining the sky gold and blue.

Review!

Do you think I should add Bluepaw's POV to the mix? Or should I wait until the next book, where he becomes more active? Please put your answer in review form.

Thanks to people for reviewing! Keep it up! I'll try to make the next update sooner. :/