Chapter Seven

For a moment everything was quiet. Then the forest grew louder and louder as Skypaw's eyes slowly opened. She suddenly remembered where she was when she heard cats whispering outside the den. She turned to see Nightwing standing over a pile of herbs.

She noticed with a start for the first time that one of his wings was torn halfway. Something had clearly happened to him. But she was almost too afraid to ask until Nightwing noticed she was staring.

"I was attacked when I was an apprentice," he explained after a few seconds of awkward silence passed. "We were on patrol, and a fox ambushed us. The fox was ready to strike my sister when I got in the way instead."

She couldn't help but wince at the thought of having something as fragile as wings torn off. Nightwing didn't seem to mind it though. In fact he looked perfectly content with his work as a medicine cat.

"Is that how you became a medicine cat?" she asked curiously. Nightwing nodded in response. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

She bowed her head, ashamed of how much she took for granted. Maybe she should consider herself lucky that she had a place in CaveClan at all. They could have just left her out in the forest to die for all she knew. She didn't realize how lucky she was until now. Nightwing seemed to sense this and placed his tail on her shoulder. She stiffened at the touch, wondering if he would suddenly hurt her. But instead of pain she half expected, she saw sympathy in his eyes.

"No cat deserves to endure the pain you suffered while in that Clan," he told her. "What they did to you is unforgivable. And you should not go back to them, if you want to keep the fur on your pelt." Skypaw looked at him doubtfully. She didn't have anywhere else to go. "You're more than welcome to stay in our Clan," he suddenly added as if he'd read her mind.

I could stay here, she thought. But I don't have wings. I wouldn't exactly be useful. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she wanted to stay. Here cats were friendly to her. A few had stopped by to visit her every now and than. They were worried about her. Back in CaveClan none of that would have happened. Here she actually felt as if she belonged somewhere.

"Can I speak with Goldenstar?" she suddenly asked warily. Nightwing nodded and padded out of his den, leaving her to think of the possibilities. Skypaw was thankful for the moment she had on her own. It cleared her thoughts and made her realize that staying was a good idea. Maybe from this Clan she could learn how to better fight and defend herself. She appreciated what Ferntail had taught her, but she knew that she could learn so much more. Heartbeats seemed to drag on until Goldenstar returned.

"Nightwing has told me that you're feeling better," the golden she-cat purred after dipping her head. "I trust that you have been treated well than." Skypaw nodded and looked down at her paws. She was almost afraid of what Goldenstar would say if she asked what her heart was yearning for. "Is something else on your mind?" Goldenstar suddenly asked helpfully.

"I-I was wondering if you could…." Skypaw swallowed and tried not to make herself look like a nervous wreck. That was easier said than done while Goldenstar watched her carefully. She hated being stared at. "I was wondering if you would allow me to stay here, in the Clan," she finished, correcting herself at the last heartbeat. Goldenstar's eyes lit up almost instantly. Skypaw wondered for a moment if this was exactly what Goldenstar had hoped for.

"Of course, you are more than welcome to stay," she purred. "But first I must speak with my senior warriors about this. I am sure they will hold in a good word for you." Again Skypaw nodded, hopeful that would be the case. She wasn't sure where she would go if they turned her down. She couldn't go back to CaveClan, not after what Brackenpaw and the other apprentices did to her.

A few more heartbeats of silence seemed to go on as Skypaw peered out of the den. Her shoulders were slowly beginning to feel better now. The herbs Nightwing had used worked wonders on her wounds. And for that she was more than grateful he had taken her in. At last Goldenstar returned, with two unfamiliar looking cats standing on either side of her. One was a dusky brown tom with hawk-like wings, and another was a dark ginger she-cat with flame-like red feathered wings. All Skypaw could do was gape at them as the dark ginger she-cat inspected her. She squeaked in surprise when she was suddenly pulled back by her tail.

Skypaw couldn't help but flinch when she felt a paw touching her shoulder. They were still sensitive even though her shoulders were healing. The dark ginger she-cat though seemed to sense this and was quick before it was over. Once they were finished she turned around and glared at them.

"What was that for?" she demanded, her voice almost coming out in a squeak. The cats looked at her in amusement before looking at Goldenstar. She looked anxious, as if she wasn't sure what they would say next.

"She is one of us," meowed the dark ginger she-cat. "Her wings are so tiny, but they will grow. I'm guessing those Cave rats decided to rip them off when she was a kit." The bitterness in her voice made Skypaw wince. But what she had said almost made her faint from shock.

I'm one of them? The thought was almost too overwhelming for her to accept. In CaveClan the winged cats had always been deemed as horrible creatures to scare off kits. And now she was told that she was one of them. She couldn't believe what they said. She didn't want to believe that it was true. And yet another part of her did want to believe.

"Very well, I will hold a ceremony for her," Goldenstar replied after giving it some thought. The two cats backed out of the den once she said that. They were most likely alerting the Clan to what just happened. "Skypaw," Goldenstar added, looking down at the stunned apprentice, "I know that this news is shocking, probably overwhelming for you. But know that you have a place among us. We wouldn't treat you the way CaveClan has treated you. Imagine what it would be like to fly, to feel free and never again see the darkness of those caves."

Skypaw couldn't speak. Her mouth opened and closed but no words spilled out. Instead she stared helplessly at Goldenstar, begging for her to change her mind. She limped after Goldenstar as the leader padded out of the den. For the first time Skypaw could see that the camp they resided in was surrounded by huge, ancient looking trees. She glanced up and saw that they were protected by their leaves, as if they had been moved to stay that way.

"Hi there!" Skypaw jumped at the sound of a young she-cat's voice. She turned to see an apprentice staring at her strangely. "My names Cloudpaw, I bet you can imagine why." For a moment Skypaw thought this cat was crazy. But then she noticed the tiny silver dapples flanking the gray cat's fur, and feathers. Dapplepaw's wings weren't nearly as big as the warriors she had seen. "They aren't nearly as big because they aren't fully developed," Cloudpaw added as if she could see what Skypaw was thinking.

"Does every cat here read minds?" Skypaw asked with a shake of her head. Cloudpaw only smirked in amusement. She was ready to say something when another apprentice joined them, by flying down from a lower tree branch. Skypaw's eyes widened in amazement as he landed easily beside Dapplepaw.

"This is my brother, Shadowpaw," she introduced him before he could speak. The black-furred tom was ready to say something when a yowl sounded from nearby. Skypaw turned to see Goldenstar standing on a tall rocky ledge.

"I see that everyone is already gathered, so there is no need for formalities," Goldenstar began. Purrs of agreement rose from the large crowd of cats. "The news I am about to share is something that I had hoped to tell you earlier. We found an apprentice just beyond CaveClan's territory a few days ago." Skypaw couldn't help but flinch again as cats began murmuring to one another. She could see a few hissing at the mention of CaveClan. "She was badly injured, and when we brought her back to our camp I was afraid she would not survive. But she has, thanks to Nightwing."

The medicine cat licked his chest fur in embarrassment as cats cheered for him. Cloudpaw only rolled her eyes while Shadowpaw shook his head. For a moment Skypaw was confused, until she realized they were cheering as well.

"Nightwing's the best medicine cat we've had in moons," Cloudpaw purred. "You're lucky you had him as a healer." Skypaw nodded in agreement, once again thankful for everything Nightwing did for her.

"And now it is time that she has become an apprentice for our Clan," Goldenstar went on. "It has been revealed that she is in fact, one of us." Again more cheers followed her words. Skypaw was embarrassed this time. She wasn't expecting the Clan to cheer for her. "Skypaw, you already have a name worthy for this Clan. So you can keep it." Skypaw nodded in relief. She didn't want to change her name if she was given the choice. "Leafstorm, you are ready for an apprentice. You have shown great skills in both flying, hunting and fighting. I expect you to pass on what you know to Skypaw."

Skypaw watched as a ginger and white she-cat with the same colored wings stepped out of the crowd. She was young, sleek and well built for someone her age. If she was going to be her mentor, than Skypaw was looking forward to her training. Once Skypaw touched noses with Leafstorm, the ceremony came to an end.

"I'm glad that you're part of this Clan now," Leafstorm told her. "I won't be too hard on you." A mischievous gleam flashed in her eyes. Skypaw purred before she was whisked away by Cloudpaw. Shadowpaw followed shortly after, apologizing to Leafstorm in the process.

"Now you get to meet the other apprentices!" Cloudpaw exclaimed as they bounded over to what looked like an abandoned badger set. Ferns surrounded it along with brambles that were used for cover. Skypaw looked at it warily before Cloudpaw nearly shoved her inside. "Don't worry, it's safe. The only badger you'll find in there is Cinderpaw," she added cheerfully.

Skypaw was amazed to find that the den was much bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. Nests were lined up where the apprentices usually slept. She spotted three more shapes lying in a mossy nest. To her surprise they were using their wings to keep themselves warm.

"Hey everyone, guess who just became an apprentice?" Cloudpaw shouted at the top of her lungs. Skypaw watched in amusement as most of the apprentices staggered to their paws, unfolding their wings and glaring at Cloudpaw. Again Shadowpaw stayed farther away, probably hoping he wouldn't be seen with his loud sister.

"Seriously? It's too early for this foxdung," growled a lighter ginger she-cat with white paws. Her wings ruffled with annoyance when she looked at both Cloudpaw and Skypaw. "And I'm assuming you're the new mouth that we have to feed?"

"Hey, she's one of us now!" Cloudpaw protested, ignoring the look Skypaw was giving her. She did not want to be part of… whatever this was. Clearly Cinderpaw wasn't happy with being woken up so early in the morning. Then again by now everyone in CaveClan would be wide awake. Skypaw didn't miss the fact that things worked very differently here.

"Really?" Another head popped up, and Skypaw noticed he was a brown and white tom with amber eyes. Even his feathers were brown and white as well. "She doesn't look anything like us. She doesn't even have wings!" Purrs of laughter filled the den. Skypaw's paws shuffled uncomfortably when she realized they were laughing at her.

"Goldenstar must have really lost it than if she accepted one of those Cave rats," another apprentice sneered. His fur was a dark russet color, and like the others his wings matched his fur color. Skypaw resisted the urge to glare at him when he disregarded Goldenstar. She had changed everything for Skypaw, and maybe for the better if these apprentices would just stop laughing at her.

"Go ahead and speak," Cloudpaw said quietly, nudging her. Skypaw wasn't even sure what to say. She just gaped at the three other apprentices before looking down at her paws. "Look, she's been through a lot and is probably too shy to say anything," Cloudpaw went on, ignoring the glares everyone was giving her. The den was uncomfortably quiet before Cloudpaw led her to a nest. "You can sleep with me if you really want to," she added reassuringly.

Skypaw looked at Cloudpaw gratefully before getting to her nest. Nightwing had allowed her to leave once she was almost healed enough. Though her shoulders still hurt a little, she was feeling a bit better. Cloudpaw curled up beside her, and Shadowpaw crept out of the den just as she did so. By now all of the other apprentices were waking up, and leaving the den. All Skypaw wanted to do right now was rest. Tomorrow would prove whether or not she was indeed fit to stay in this Clan of winged cats.

AN: I'm having so much fun writing this :) If there's any mistakes in the names, please let me know. Also this story will probably be updated almost every day since I am ahead in the chapters; by four at least!

Lightclaw's Shadow - You'll have to wait and see ;)

Cloudleap - Yeah, Brackenpaw's definitely a big fat jerk :P I think this chapter answered your question ;)

Foreststar of WindClan - Hehe, yep, they definitely found her. And just in the nick of time as well! They really do deserve all of the bad comments they're getting... but they will be playing a major roll in upcoming chapters :P

Guest - Thank you! I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far! You'll be finding out more about her soon... for now Skypaw's gotta adjust to this new life. And you'll find out whether or not they do grow back :) And no problem, I'm just glad you're enjoying it this much!

Mermaid1108 - XD That's good to hear :) Hopefully the next few chapters will have a bit more detail in them than they have previously. I'm trying to work on my descriptive writing :D