Chapter 17

"Stormpaw, dawn patrol!"

Owlpaw sleepily opened his eyes at the Nightfrost's shout. He watched as Shadowclan's newest apprentice emerged from the apprentice's den, her mouth stretched open in a huge yawn.

"Why do I have to go on dawn patrol?" the small tabby she-cat complained to her mentor, Nightfrost.

Nightfrost glared at her, amber eyes filled with annoyance. "We all have to," he reminded her. "Now get a move on, or you'll be searching the elders for ticks when we get back!"

"I'll have to search them for ticks no matter what," muttered Stormpaw.

Owlpaw sighed and started to go back to sleep, but then a paw was poking in the side. Hard.

"Ow!"

Owlpaw opened his eyes a fraction and found Dawnfeather glaring at him. "You're on the dawn patrol too!" she scolded.

I am?

The gray apprentice pulled himself up, and began to groom his coat. Instantly Dawnfeather was poking him again. "You can do without the neat fur!" she meowed.

Owlpaw slowly padded outside, green eyes sleepy and half-closed. His paws stumbled over the smooth ground, and his mouth widened and he let out a yawn.

"Hurry up," snapped Dawnfeather. "Nightfrost, Stormpaw, Rockpaw, and Whiteheart are all waiting for you!"

"Wait!"

Ambershade was no more than a streak of pale ginger as he raced up to them. "I want to go too!" he panted. "Grayfeather wants me to collect herbs." He made a face. "But it's going to be my last task as a medicine cat apprentice!"

His brother's eyes widened. "Pinestar's letting you become a warrior?" Owlpaw squeaked. Ambershade nodded. "I guess my begging paid off. Isn't it awesome?"

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!

The patrol padded out of camp, Owlpaw bursting with happiness and Ambershade jabbering on and on about some battle move. Dawnfeather had to ask him to be quiet three times so he wouldn't scare away prey.

Then Whiteheart leapt forward, scooping up a mouse the instant Rockpaw launched himself at a sparrow. Dawnfeather, of course, criticized them both while Stormpaw complimented them.

Rockpaw purred, but then his ears pricked. "Do you hear something?" he asked.

Stormpaw shook her head. "No, I don't hear anythi-AHHH!" The gray tabby she-cat shrieked as a badger crashed through the forest and swiped at her.

"Get out of the way, beetle-brain!" Nightfrost screeched as he launched himself at his apprentice. The badger's huge paw came down with a sickening crack on Nightfrost's back, and his cry of pain was quickly cut off.

"No!" Ambershade yowled as he charged at the badger. Owlpaw sprinted after him, fear twisting in his belly. He wanted to check if Nightfrost was okay, but he needed to help his brother. Ambershade barely had any battle training.

Ambershade was trying desperately to keep the badger form cornering him. Unfortunately, it somehow managed to. Too late, Ambershade dashed for a small opening that hadn't been blocked by the badger's huge body, but a huge paw was already smashing into the ginger tom's hind leg. Whiteheart let out a roar and managed to race up to the badger and slash his claws down his side as Owlpaw bit its leg.

Ambershade shrieked in pain as the badger flung him aside and then wandered into the woods, scared off by the clan cats.

"Ambershade! Ambershade, are you alright?" Owlpaw panted, running over to Ambershade and examining him.

The ginger tom glared at him. "Of course!"

Stormpaw padded up to him and poked at his injured leg. "Owwwww! Don't do that!" Ambershade complained. Owlpaw looked at him questioningly.

Ambershade glared at his brother. "C'mon, let's get back to camp, so I can be an awesome warrior." He cast a glance at Nightfrost. "And heal that guy."

Whiteheart and Rockpaw looked up from Nightfrost's unmoving body.

"He doesn't need any healing," Whiteheart said grimly. Owlpaw's eyes grew wide. "You don't mean he's-" he began, but was cut off as Ambershade said, "Not in need of herbs?"

Dawnfeather glared at them. "No, you idiotic mouse-brain," she hissed. "He means that Nightfrost's dead!"

Ambershade's ginger fur bushed up and his eyes widened. "But I was going to ask him about being a warrior-I mean, he was so young," Ambershade said quickly.

Everyone glared at the tom, who said, "What?"

Owlpaw growled under his breath and went to help Ambershade up. But as soon as the ginger tom got to his feet, he collapsed again. "Oof!"

Owlpaw sighed and grabbed Ambershade by his scruff and hauled him up, surprised at how heavy his brother was. Then he realized that Ambershade wasn't even trying to get to his feet.

"You could help, you know!"

With Stormpaw's and Owlpaw's help, Ambershade was able to slowly limp home, while Dawnfeather, Whiteheart, and Rockpaw carried the cold body of Nightfrost.

When they arrived at the camp, Whiteheart and Rockpaw set down the body of Nightfrost. "He's dead," Rockpaw announced.

Instantly Rosepaw raced over to them, her face filled with horror. "Nightfrost?" she whispered.

Owlpaw bowed his head. "I'm so-"

"It's all your fault!" Owlpaw blinked in surprise. Rosepaw glared at him. "You never liked him. You were jealous, jealous enough to kill-"

"Rosepaw, we all saw the badger killing Nightfrost," interrupted Whiteheart gently.

"But he didn't help Nightfrost, did he!" Rosepaw's voice was unusually high and shrill. "You left him there to die!"

"There was nothing he could've done!" protested Stormpaw, but Rosepaw wasn't listening.

"Murderer!" shrieked Rosepaw. Her brown fur fluffed up, and her ears were flat against her head. "Traitor!"

"Who's a traitor?"

Pinestar walked over to them, looking sternly at all of them. "Dawnfeather tells me that Nightfrost was killed by a badger, and that Ambershade is severely injured." The tom nodded at the medicine cat apprentice. "Get him to Grayfeather. And Rosepaw," he added, "don't blame Owlpaw for your troubles."

"No! Nightfrost was not a trouble!" Rosepaw was at it again, eyes blazing with fury. "Owlpaw, you murderer!"

"Rosepaw, stop!"

Pinestar pulled Rosepaw aside. "I know it's hard," he murmured. His green eyes, normally filled with content and joy, were darkened with sadness. Owlpaw suddenly noticed how the tom's tail drooped, the way his shoulders sagged. He seemed to be taking it unusually hard. Then Owlpaw remembered that Pinestar was Nightfrost's father.

Hollypool padded forward and pressed her nose into her brother's fur. "He will be welcomed into Starclan as a noble warrior."

"One who sacrificed his life," added Stormpaw sadly.

Pinestar sighed. "But stronger warriors will come!" he meowed. "Owlpaw, come forward!"

The gray apprentice stared at Pinestar before shuffling forward.

"Owlpaw, Dawnfeather tells me of how you fought bravely against the badger! You deserve to be a warrior!"

No, I don't. I deserve to be a medicine cat.

"From this day on, you shall be known as...OWLFLIGHT!"

"Owlflight! Owlflight! Owlflight!"

The newly named Owlflight looked down. Being a warrior felt exactly like being an apprentice. There was still that disappointment of not becoming a medicine cat.

The warrior glanced at the medicine cat den before padding towards it. He peeked inside, and found Grayfeather slapping wads of chewed up herbs onto Ambershade's leg.

"How is it?" he asked.

Grayfeather looked up from her work. "Owlpa-no, Owlflight. Thank goodness you're here."

"Is Ambershade alright?"

" 'Course," muttered the ginger tom. "Only want to be out of here so I can become a warrior."

"I'm afraid you can't." Grayfeather looked away.

Ambershade sprang up, wincing as his leg whacked against the ground. "What?" he screeched.

Grayfeather flinched. "Your leg will never heal properly. You won't be able to run, and if you do become a warrior, you won't be able to keep up. Your leg will get in the way of things."

Owlflight's eyes grew rounder and wider. "S-so I can't become a medicine cat?" he said weakly.

"I'm afraid so."

Ambershade limped out of the den. "I'll show you! I'll become the best warrior!"

Owlflight and Grayfeather watched as Ambershade hobbled across the camp, wincing everytime his leg touched the ground. He hadn't gone more than a few tail-lengths when he stumbled over a dip in the ground. "Oof!" he grunted. "I'm okay."

Owlflight rushed outside and helped his brother back to the den. Ambershade pushed him aside with an angry shove. "I don't need help."

"If you say so." Owlflight sighed, and slowly made his way to Hollypool.

"I'm worried about him," he confessed. Hollypool nodded. "He'll get over it."

"No I won't!" came the loud response. Ambershade poked his head outside the medicine cat's den. "My life is ruined!" he wailed.

Owlflight narrowed his eyes. "Your life!"

"Yes, my li-"

"Let's just calm down," interruped Hollypool.

"SHUT UP!" both brothers said.

Owlflight stalked away to the apprentice's den before remembering that he was a warrior. Hollypool rushed to his side, but Owlflight pushed her aside.

"You have to do your vigil," she reminded him.

Owlflight sighed. "Right." He walked to the front of the camp, and sat there, stiff and unmoving.

Just like Nightfrost.