Chapter 1
Sparrowpaw padded after his mentor, his orange-amber eyes narrowing at every noise. The dark brown tabby tom remained focused, his ears pricked in case of anything happening. Scorchgaze was trotting towards the RiverClan border, his ears twitching. What's he looking for? Sparrowpaw wondered.
His mentor suddenly stopped and ducked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. Sparrowpaw said nothing, but crouched under a bush. His nose wrinkled at the smell of fish. Suddenly, he managed to hear voices. Strange voices. Cats on our territory!
His pelt bristled with fury. He hadn't been an apprentice for long, a moon to be exact, but he had been told that ShadowClan and the other Clans, ever since they came into the new territories, were on bad terms. I can guess why, he fumed as he managed to see the dark shapes of RiverClan cats moving about. I'll teach those mange-pelts a lesson. Sparrowpaw let a low growl out and unsheathed his claws, staring at Scorchgaze for a nod of approval. Scorchgaze whipped around, his eyes blazing.
"Sparrowpaw!" he hissed quietly, his tail lashing. The enemy warriors were completely unaware of their presence. "Keep your claws sheathed! I'm going to go ask them what they're doing here. If they don't leave, go fetch reinforcements. Got it?"
Sparrowpaw opened his mouth to protest, but nodded reluctantly afterwards. There's no use trying to convince Scorchgaze of anything. He's more stubborn than a badger.
"Good." The dark gray tom stood and padded over to the RiverClan cats. Sparrowpaw's claws itched to sink them into their soft, glossy pelts.
"Spikefur," Scorchgaze mewed, his tone even. Sparrowpaw noticed a thin, blue-gray tom with fur that stuck out at all angles turn, his blue eyes narrowing. "What are you and your warriors doing on ShadowClan territory?"
"Patrolling." Spikefur drew himself up to his full height. "This land belongs to ShadowClan, and RiverClan knows it."
"This was never your land," Scorchgaze spat. Sparrowpaw longed to leap out and give his mentor a sharp cuff over the ear. Why is Scorchgaze so frog-brained? Attack them already!
"It is now," the RiverClan deputy lifted his chin. "We have already placed the scent-markers."
Scorchgaze turned slightly and nodded to Sparrowpaw. Sparrowpaw's eyes widened with anticipation and his claws flexed. Can I finally give them what's coming?
"Fetch reinforcements, Sparrowpaw," Scorchgaze hissed, his eyes narrowed. He turned around and began arguing with the RiverClan deputy.
"Of course," Sparrowpaw muttered. Nonetheless he hared away into the trees towards the ShadowClan camp.
Once he crashed inside the camp, his eyes darted around wildly. Where's Newtstar?
There! The small ginger tom was sharing fresh-kill with Raggedfeather, the ShadowClan deputy.
"Newtstar!" he yowled, his eyes blazing. "RiverClan has invaded!"
The tom's eyes flashed with alarm. "Invading?"
Sparrowpaw's pelt prickled at the lie. Tell him, a voice whispered. Tell him that Scorchgaze is fighting them off by himself.
"Scorchgaze is fighting them all off!" he blurted, his pelt prickling even more. "Come quick!"
"It is worse than I thought," Newtstar mewed, his eyes clouding. He turned and began calling names. "Puddlestep, Lizardclaw, Raggedfeather, Spiderfoot, Nightgaze, Owlfeather, Rockpaw and Cherrypaw. You're all coming with me. The rest of you stay in camp in case they bring the fight into the heart of ShadowClan."
Finally, he thought. His tail flicked guiltily as he remembered Scorchgaze telling him not to look for fights. You shouldn't feel guilty, a voice purred. You're only doing what's best for your Clan.
Turning, he raced out of camp towards his mentor as the ShadowClan patrol followed. The pine needles felt springy underneath his paws, and his sharp claws flexed at the thought of a good fight. Time to show them that ShadowClan aren't mouse-hearts.
The cats exploded into the clearing, where the small strip of land was located. The deputy of RiverClan yowled as his clanmates were attacked. Sparrowpaw lifted his head and was relieved to find his mentor grappling with a sleek black to. He turned his head and managed to see a light brown tabby she-cat staring at him through narrowed eyes.
"What are you looking at, fish-breath?" he snarled, leaping at her. He easily overpowered her and pinned her down. The tabby hissed ferociously and threw him off with a powerful kick. Sparrowpaw stared up at his opponent as she tackled him to the ground and pinned him skillfully. He tried to wriggle free, but he couldn't escape her grasp.
"You're just like all the ShadowClan cats," she growled. "All threats and nothing to follow through with. Why don't you just go back to being a kittypet?"
Sparrowpaw exploded with rage and barreled into her. Whipping around, he swiped her muzzle viciously, crimson liquid spraying all over the floor. The shock showed on her face as Sparrowpaw gave her a ferocious bite before tackling her to the ground. They struggled for a moment, exchanging equal blows before Sparrowpaw eventually flipped and held her down. His eyes narrowed. "Never call me a kittypet again, you RiverClan scum," he hissed, his voice dripping with contempt. The tabby stared back at him, defiance filling her gaze.
Sparrowpaw raised a claw threateningly. "I'll kill you right now," he snarled, grinning with pleasure once he managed to see the look of fear cross the RiverClan apprentice's face. "I've always wanted to sink my teeth into a RiverClan scum's neck-"
"Let her go!" Sparrowpaw suddenly felt himself being thrown aside by a large, muscular cat. Sparrowpaw whipped around, eyes blazing. Which fish-breath do I have to slice next?
To his surprise, Scorchgaze was standing over him, his eyes furious. "Clan cats do not kill!" he hissed. "Have you forgotten the warrior code?"
"She called me a kittypet!" Sparrowpaw spat, his tail flicking. He turned back to the RiverClan apprentice, who scrambled to her paws and sped away once he bared his teeth. He turned back to his mentor. "What do you want me to do?"
"I never want to see that again," Scorchgaze snarled. Sparrowpaw's claws flexed again as his mentor left him and leapt back into battle. She provoked me! Nonetheless, the tom was satisfied with the fear in her eyes. She'll never step foot in ShadowClan territory again. I've made sure of that.
Suddenly his vision blackened for a heartbeat as a white tom barreled into him. Sparrowpaw turned and retaliated quickly, swiping at him with his paws and ducking whenever the white tom attacked. "This is ShadowClan territory!" Sparrowpaw snarled. "Back off!"
"You aren't even ShadowClan," the tom sneered. "You're just a mangy, soft kittypet!"
Sparrowpaw's rage increased, and his eyes narrowed. "Die!" the brown tom yowled, swiping at the white tom ferociously. They're a bunch of fox-hearts! The voice told him soothingly. All they care about is your kittypet roots. Kill them while you have the chance.
They shouldn't know about that, Sparrowpaw found himself arguing with the familiar voice. Newtstar should've never told anybody about my mother. I'm going to be called a kittypet for the rest of my life.
"What's wrong, kittypet?" the tom taunted, breaking Sparrowpaw out of his thoughts. "Are you too soft to fight a real Clan cat?"
"Shut up!" Sparrowpaw hissed, his hackles rising. "I'm not a kittypet, and even if I was, I would be better than some two-faced RiverClan dirtbag!"
The tom narrowed his eyes and circled around Sparrowpaw, but he initiated first and lunged at the tom. "You need to be much faster than that," the apprentice sneered, dodging him and bringing his paw down on Sparrowpaw's head. He felt the breath knocked out of him, as he slammed face-first into the ground.
"You're just like all the ShadowClan cats," the RiverClan apprentice growled. He pinned Sparrowpaw down and raised a paw threateningly while baring his teeth. Unable to hear anything or see anyone, Sparrowpaw went completely limp.
The tom's eyes flashed with confusion. He loosened his grip and Sparrowpaw opened one eye. Big mistake, fox-heart, the voice mewed. Rake his belly with your claws.
Sparrowpaw, too exhausted to realize what he was doing, raked his claws down the tom's belly. A twisted purr of unexpected satisfaction rose in his throat as deep red lines appeared on the RiverClan apprentice's soft white belly. The white tom yowled with agony and leaped back, giving Sparrowpaw enough time to scramble to his paws.
There's a tree behind him. Jump off of it, and land on his back, the voice ordered. Sparrowpaw obeyed and sped towards the tree. Jumping onto it, he grasped onto the soft bark before leaping onto the white tom's back. He clung on to his pelt, digging his thorn-sharp claws into his fur.
Good. He's going to drop in order to counterattack. Leap off when I tell you, then attack him while his belly is exposed, the voice mewed. Sparrowpaw pulled out tufts of white fur and gave him ferocious swipes.
Now. Suddenly he felt himself drop as the white tom threw himself onto the ground. Sparrowpaw leaped off just in time.
He turned and gave the tom a vicious swipe, sending him toppling to the ground. The RiverClan apprentice yowled in agony as Sparrowpaw rushed over and raked his claws down the tom's belly again. The expression of pain filled Sparrowpaw with adrenaline.
He bared his teeth and sunk his claws deeper into the tom's fur. "RiverClan, retreat!" a yowl could be heard above the screeches of battle. As Sparrowpaw glanced up at the tabby she-cat who gave the cry, the white tom wriggled free and sped off, his ears flattened. "Coward!" Sparrowpaw hissed, speeding after him. The tom leaped into the river and swam off, leaving Sparrowpaw cursing on the shore.
Sparrowpaw began padding back to his mentor. Scorchgaze stopped talking with Raggedfeather and turned to Sparrowpaw as soon as he came. Sparrowpaw waited for his praise.
"Sparrowpaw," Scorchgaze mewed, his tone even. "Where did you learn those battle moves?"
The question hit Sparrowpaw like a rock. Where did he learn those battle moves? None of the apprentices in ShadowClan learned a move as complicated as that moment he jumped off the tree.
"I'm not sure. I guess it just came in the heat of the moment," he shrugged. Scorchgaze analyzed him for a moment longer before turning back to Raggedfeather.
I'm probably going to be a warrior in no time. He thought as he followed his Clan through the strip of land. Not if you act like that, the voice hissed. Sparrowpaw's ear twitched. Go to the Stone Circle at moonhigh, and I can teach you some real battle moves.
Moonhigh? Sparrowpaw was confused. How are you going to teach me battle moves?
The same way I didn't let you get completely shredded by that RiverClan fish-brain, the voice growled. If you want to truly be a good warrior, you must first prove that you want it badly.
I want it, Sparrowpaw found himself trying to convince the voice. I want to be a good leader.
Good, the voice purred. Then you will go to the Stone Circle at moonhigh.
A/N: So, what did you think? Is Sparrowpaw going to turn out evil? Remember to give feedback in the comments!