Warriors- Veil of the Red

Chapter 4

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[[A/N: Gah~ guess who's back ^^ Yay~ /been such a long time. I sorry ]: So much drama going on in my life and school stuff and family issues. But I'm sure you'd rather not hear about that. Okay well, Remember when you review it makes me want to write more. When you just read and dont write reviews... your just a lazy scum bag. I know that I said I would have jayfeather in this chapter but im unsure if I want him in this one... So... Maybe... I'll see.]]

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A light breeze shifted through Foxpaw's ear tips. She shuffled for a more comfortable resting position then when finding one jolted awake realizing it was her first day as a apprentice. It was the day to show everyone that she was a cat! The young apprentice's eyes widened as she found herself staring at the fresh kill pile. She shook her head roughly believing she was still dreaming, there could be no way she could be staring at the Fresh-kill pile. She opened her eyes again and yet it was still there...

She quickly twisted around and noticed she was standing outside of the apprentice's den...

I don't sleep walk...That means... Did they really?

A look of hurt found its way onto her face. She felt her spirits drop as well as her shoulders. She figured that the other apprentice's pushed her out of the den while she was sleeping. The image of the juvenile cats waiting for her to fall asleep and sneaking up to her bedding and dragging her out by her scruff and throwing her out all the while laughing, came to her.

She let out a sharp disgusted breath, "They are the foxes..."

Suddenly a warm body of fur came up against hers and mixed with her pelt. Foxpaw quickly looked around to stare at the tall body of RussetFur. Seeing the comforting cat Foxpaw actually felt much more relaxed. Whenever RussetFur was around it seemed that everything was better. RussetFur was the only one that seemed to understand her, whenever she was around she felt less threatened by the clan.

The young cat perked up her ears as RussetFur's pelt bristled.

"Eh..." Foxpaw muttered slightly noticing RussetFur's uncomfortableness. She was going to wait for RussetFur to say something but when RussetFur suddenly looked down at her with questioning look she couldn't help but yowl, "What?"

RussetFur's eyes closed and deep within her throat a loud purr began to erupt, "Oh, nothing. I was just wondering why you were the only one up, morning jitters, or other apprentice's giving you a hard time..."

Foxpaw's eyes widened. Was it really possible that the deputy knew about how the Apprentice's had been bullying her? Foxpaw took a deep breath and held it in scared to breathe.

RussetFur looked at apprentice with confusion, wondering why she was acting so strange, "Foxpaw... Are you okay... Did you eat a bad mouse? Your face looks all twisted."

She doesn't know...

She sighed, "No,No, I'm fine. Just excited for my first day as an apprentice." She lied.

The Deputy bowed her head, "Well then, It seems as if the rest of the apprentice's are waking up. I should take my leave to set up patrols... You go hurry and find Ratscar." She quickly turned around and left, taking her beautiful brown fur with her.

Foxpaw sighed, she was no longer excited being an apprentice. She honestly thought a lot of things would change once she was apprenticed.

Hearing shuffling in the den and not wanting to face another confrontation Foxpaw scurried towards the Warrior's den. As she raced over towards the other side of the forest floor, the sun which began to bleed through the sky, made its way through the tall pine trees. It kissed the forest floor like oozing honey, and warmed the den's waking the cat's of the forest. Morning yawn's could be heard all across the camp, cries from the kits and arguing of the apprentice's and the bickering of the elders.

The Warriors began to exit from the den one by one, yawning and stretching in the golden sunlight. Some even went to find a nice patch of sunlight to sun bathe. It was Greenleaf, getting warmth while you could was a blessing from Starclan. Queens had found their way with their kits outside to find a nice patch of sun. It was truly a beautiful day.

"Are you just going to stand there... Your honestly as much use as a dead fox!" A harsh yowl came from behind Foxpaw. She automatically recognized it as Ratscar's and bowed her head as he walked past her to go to the Fresh-kill pile. He sneered in displeasure seeing nothing he liked, twisting around he looked at the apprentice, "I don't like you... Lets make that clear. I have no intention of making you a Warrior or teaching you anything and if you feel like going to tell some other cat you want a new mentor, too bad. Your stuck with me, and trust me I'm not too happy about it either." He began to walk away to find his own spot to bathe in the warm sun, "Why couldn't you just have died...?" He hissed.

Foxpaw dropped her head between her legs, she was hurt. Her own mentor was saying such cruel things to her. She had never done nothing wrong to him, or anyone for that matter. Even if she did she was truly sorry for it and would do everything in her power to make up for it. She shook her head and looked back towards Ratscar walking away. She chased after him, "Because I am going to be a Warrior!" She yowled proudly. Running in front of him stopping him from entering a patch of sun she glared at him, "I want a task, I am a Apprentice now I need a task right? You may not want to teach me anything or be a mentor but that doesn't mean your going to stop me from being a Warrior..." She softly meowed.

The older cat wrinkled his nose in frustration and disbelief at her disobedience. He was furious that a mere kit was trying to threaten him! The thought of this stupid cat being a Warrior gave him chills. He knew she would just bring misery to the clan. He began to glare at the apprentice, "The elder's have been complaining about flea's and ticks. Go clear their fur of them, go get mouse-bile from Littlecloud." He sneered.

At least it's something...

She sighed and walked passed him, eyes glued to the ground. It was so unfair how he was treating her like she was some... Fox. She growled slightly and stormed over to the medicine cat's den, "Mouse-Bile!" She roared, angry and not wanting to waste her time.

Littlecloud looked up from another cat he was treating and twitched his whiskers, "Eh..?"

"Did I not say it loud enough?" Her voice carried a heavy load of sarcasm.

Littlecloud rolled his eyes, "No, I heard you. I mean for what I'm not just going to give it to you." He went onto kneading the other cat's stomach.

Foxpaw sighed while plopping down on her side, "Ratscar said he doesn't plan on making me a warrior and mentoring me," Her tail dusted dirt away from her body as it flopped around furiously on the ground, it looks like he's just going to be giving me so-so jobs...I'll never be a Warrior."

Littlecloud rolled the moss filled of Mouse-bile towards the depressed cat, "Ratscar does not decide if you become a Warrior or not, Blackstar does. Just try to do what he says... Ratscar is a good cat. He just takes some warming up to."

Foxpaw let out a long exhausted breath and stood up, she examined the moss and quickly reached down to pick it up with her mouth. Quickly she spat it out, yowling in disgust and pain, "It taste horrible! Disgusting! Mouse-dung! Uhhh!" Words could not explain the taste that was featuring itself in her poor mouth. She yowled in pain and looked at Littlecloud for help but only found a snickering cat. Her eyes widened, "Ho-how! Dare you!"

"You woul..You would think... That the name Mouse-bile would not want to... Make you pick it up... by your mouth..." He meowed between snickers.

She glared at the Medicine cat and began to roll the moss ball out of the den without another word to the cat.

-x-

"Ow! Can you not try to kill me you stupid Fox!" An Elder hissed violently as Foxpaw dabbed a cut with the mouse-bile.

"S-Sorry..." She went onto searching the Old She-cat's fur for ticks and dabbing the moss ball here and there. With each pat of the moss she watched as a small black body fell off the white fur. Even though she was doing good in her task she wanted to be doing good in a task like patrolling or fighting off ThunderClan or RiverClan Warriors, even hunting! She was lost in thought when a yowl came from outside the elders den. She recognized RussetFur's Mew.

Foxpaw turned around considered and unsure why Russetfur was back from patrol so soon, "RussetFur...?" She mewed softly.

RussetFur's eyes were bright with excitement, she raced into the den next to Foxpaw and curled her body around the young one, "Your going into the woods, for a hunt." She purred.

A hunt... Me? I'm going to catch my first prey!

Foxpaw's eyes were wide as she turned around to look at RussetFur, "W-What... Are... you serious? Don't yank my tail, I really get to go hunt?" Her eyes were wide and filled with excitement.

Russetfur twitched her whiskers, "Yeah, why wouldn't you be able to. I think if you are able to contribute to the clan, even on your first day as a apprentice that the clan may have a different outlook on you."

Russetfur had a point, Foxpaw looked at her with admiration, "Oh thank you... thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me! I will catch a hundred squirrels! No... A thousand!" Foxpaw excitedly jumped around.

Russetfur rolled her eyes and began to walk out of the den, "Well are you coming or just going to flop around like a fish out of water?" She mewled.

Foxpaw stopped, her long fluffy tail seized to a halt as well and she quickly bounded behind her, "So Where do I start Are you going to show me what to do? Am I gonna learn some battle techniques along the way? How about my first Battle practice scar?" Her mind rushed with thoughts. The fact that she was finally going to get a chance to hunt was good enough, she was going to show her clan she was no fox! She was a clan cat!

Russetfur rolled her eyes and carried on leading Foxpaw out of the camp to the forest.

-x-

Foxpaw's eyes were wide as she took in the beautiful scents and tall pines. They were magnificent and spectacular in every way shape and form. Her paws hurt from the pine needles she stepped on, but that didn't matter to her, the calming smell that came from them eased the pain and tension in her paws. Being she was a Shadowclan cat, her paws we tight and thick padded so the pine needles hurt less then they would for the other clan cats.

There was a sudden THUMP and a medium sized object plummeted to the ground into front of Foxpaw causing her to jump ten feet in the air. Her fur was on its ends and her back was curled in defense. She hissed at the object and backed away until Russetfur came trotting over snickering, "Don't be frightened... It's only a Pineball." Foxpaw calmed down at Russetfur's words and examined the Pineball. It was brown and had rough-edgy looking spikes that didn't look sharp but more rounded.

"A Pineball?" Foxpaw questioned.

"Yes, they fall from the Pine's when I guess they are fully grown. We keep a few in our camp because they tell us when a storm is coming." Russetfur began to turn and walk away.

Foxpaw's eyes widened in fascination, "Really? How?" She raced along side the deputy.

"Well, we don't really know how but the Pineball's edge's close when a storm is coming." The older cat explained.

Foxpaw looked down, there was so much about the world that she hadn't known, and so much she had yet to learn. She suddenly heard a rustling sound to the right of her. She stopped and instantly crouched, she didn't know what came over her. She felt the dirt beneath her feet and clawed at it slightly feeling the earth. Her first hunt...

RussetFur stopped and just examined her. Even though she knew she had no experience in hunting she wanted to see what this young one had within.

The apprentice crouched kept her body almost glued to the earth, her belly almost skimming the dirt. She stalked the sound until she saw the head of a squirrel pop up. Her eyes narrowed and she swallowed a large lump in her throat.

This is your chance!

She stalked closer, and closer. She maneuvered around twigs and Pineballs, anything which would sound alarm or give off her hunt. She allowed herself to be only a tails-length away from the squirrel; there she waited.

In silence she watched the squirrel feed on a nut, cracking it open with its teeth and devouring the treat inside. Foxpaw's eyes were narrowed into slits. She wanted to snarl at the prey, her fangs were showing and it was almost like venom was dripping from her teeth and pooling into a puddle below. There she crouched, waiting for the right moment.

The forest animal began to twitch and slowly began to move. This was when Foxpaw shook her flank in agony as she awaited her kill. She suddenly pounced from behind the bracken and by a few pawsteps missed the furball! She hissed in frustration and swung her unsheathed claws scathing the squirrel. The rodent quickly scampered away but with Foxpaw racing after it.

No way was she going to let her hunt go down in flames, she ran as if foxes themselves were snapping at her tail. The squirrel was in eye sight and she knew if she could keep on its trail and somehow corner it, it would be hers!

The rodent found its way up a tree and into a hole. Foxpaw hissed in frustration once again, but that wasn't going to stop her from getting her prey. She ran a few tail lengths back then ran forth at the tree. She flung herself at the bark with unsheathed claws and took hold of the bark. She scathed the bark as she fell a few inches but began to find the hang of it and make her way up.

This kill is mine!

One paw after another she found her way to a branch which led into the hole where the infamous Squirrel hid itself, "Come out to play Mr. Squirrel... Don't worry I don't bite... that hard." She chuckled in her head.

There was sudden rustling under her which drove her out of her hunting stage. She blinked a few times and looked around, What th- The Rustling returned this time even closer. It was louder too! It was so loud it was probably scaring all the prey in the forest off into their dens. She hissed in fury now.

Why I outta'-

When she looked below she noticed something strange, it was a cat... A cat she had never seen before with a large stick in his mouth with strange scratches on it that was dragging against the ground. The silver-Grey cat strode on through the forest with this stick as if nothing was wrong, but there was something strange about this cat. His eyes... His eyes were cold as ice. They were blue and seemed to go on forever, and empty.

She glared at him, Who is this ca-

It was then when she remembered her dream... And how similar this cat was to her dream.

Is this a sign from StarClan? Who Is this cat?

Her eyes widened when she noticed RiverClan scent and Thunderclan scent all over the cat. Intruder!

Without a second thought as soon as this unknown cat got inches under her she jumped from her position and onto the cats back, biting hard into his neck yowling, "Intruder! Intruder!"

[[A/N: O.O! OMG! WHY FOXPAW! ]:! Lol... Well here it is... Kinda took me three days to write due to laziness... lol... And homework. Teehee~ Trying to study for driving permit . Which ! IS HARD if you wanna get it perfect! But yeah. I really worked hard on this one. And I hope you like this one... so yeah. Enjoy. Remember! REVIEW. People … or kitties. Who dont review... I hate you. And people who do review.. I love you. And You deserves COOKIES!]]