Hi everyone. I was kind of disappointed that I didn't get any reviews on my last chapter, that chapter really excited me to post. Anyways, if you haven't go back and read it, and I hope you like this one. :)
Fawnpaw looked up as she heard someone enter the nursery. She hadn't been asleep, as she woke up from Graystripe visiting his kits earlier. Now, she just layed in her nest with Cloudkit sleeping at her side.
Bluestar appeared in the entrance. She looked at Fawnpaw and motioned for her to follow. "Come." She whispered so she didn't wake any of the kits or queens. "Bring Cloudkit too." She ducked out of the den.
Confused, Fawnpaw gently woke her kit by nudging him gently. He blinked open is blue eyes and glared up at her. "Get up," She told him. "Bluestar wants to speak with us."
"Bluestar?" He mumbled, still half asleep. "What does she want?" He sat up, his white fur sticking out at all angles.
Fawnpaw helped him out of the nest and padded out of the den, the kit following closely behind. Bluestar watched him closely as he yawned and sat down by Fawnpaw, but shook the sleep away and tried to look focused on what she was going to say.
"I was talking to Tigerclaw the other day," Bluestar started, looking at Fawnpaw now. "He says you are almost ready to become a warrior. All he needs to do is go over your fighting moves one more time, and you should be ready."
Fawnpaw nodded, knowing she should probably feel excited. But she didn't. She felt a little worried. Was she really ready? "That's great." She meowed.
"And I've noticed that you," Bluestar looked down at the white kit who was no longer tired, "are getting a little too big for the nursery. I was thinking you may get apprenticed soon."
"How soon?" Cloudkit jumped to his paw, eyes sparkling with hope. His pelt prickled with excitement.
"How about now?" Bluestar asked, purring at the lively kit.
"Yeah!" Cloudkit gave a little hop, looking back at Fawnpaw. "I'm going to be an apprentice!"
"You go tell the other kits, you know they'll be waiting to hear what it's like being an apprentice." Bluestar used her nose to push him towards the nursery.
As he disappeared inside, Fawnpaw asked, "Who is his mentor going to be?"
"I was thinking Fireheart." Bluestar meowed, licking one of her paws. "He's a good mentor. And your Cloudkit will need a good mentor to keep a close watch on him. Are you okay with this?"
"Of course." Fawnpaw nodded, looking over at where her brother was by the fresh-kill pile. She couldn't think of any cat better to teach her kit.
"I'll tell him now." Bluestar stood and padded away.
Fawnpaw was just about to go in and get Cloudkit when he came bounding out of the den. "Cloudkit!" She called. "Come here. You need to look good for your ceremony. Bluestar's talking to your mentor. She'll be gathering the Clan together soon."
"My mentor?" Cloudkit looked around the camp. "Who is it going to be?" He asked.
Fawnpaw made him face her. "Stop wriggling and this'll go faster." She told him, smoothing down his wild fur with her tongue. "And I want it to be a surprise. But I know you'll be happy with the choice."
"Just tell me!" Cloudkit protested.
"No," She meowed between licks. "I'm not going to tell you."
"Fine." He sighed, sitting still. Finally, she let him go. His fur wasn't perfect, but it never would be with Cloudkit.
Fawnpaw looked up as Bluestar called the Clan together. "Come on," She meowed, padding closer to the Highrock. Fawnpaw sat down by Tigerclaw, who watched the Clan through narrowed eyes, looking for a cat she guessed was Graystripe.
Cloudkit sat on her other side, sitting tall and proud, trying to look important.
"Cats of Thunderclan." Bluestar started from her spot on top of the Highrock. "I've called you here for two reasons, one good and one bad. To begin with the bad, you all know what happened a few days ago, when Silverstream of Riverclan died, and we gave shelter to her kits by Graystripe."
The mood of the Clan meeting changed immediately when Fireheart and Graystripe stepped to the front of the crowd. Hostile murmuring whent through the cats.
Fawnpaw shifted on her paws, unsure of how to feel. Most cats in the Clan didn't want the kits here and thought of Graystripe as a traitor now, as he had broken the code. But Fawnpaw thought that the kits deserved to be with family, and it didn't matter if he broke the code. Graystripe was still Thunderclan. It's not like he murdered anyone or did something just as bad.
Graystripe crouched down, flinching. Fireheart pressed comfortingly against his side.
"Many cats have asked me what Graystripe's punishment will be," Bluestar continued. "I have thought carefully on this, and I have decided that Silverstream's death is punishment enough. What could any cat do to him that is worse than what he has already suffered?"
Yowls of outrage sounded. Longtail called out, "We don't want him in the Clan! He's a traitor!"
"If you become leader, Longtail, these decisions wil be yours." Bluestar said coldly. "Until then, you will respect mine. I say there will be no punishment. However, Graystripe, for three moons you will not atend Gatherings. This is not to punish you, but to make sure there is no risk to you from angry Riverclan cats who might be tempted to break the truce because of what you have done."
Graystriped dipped his head. "I understand, Bluestar. Thank you."
"Don't thank me." Meowed the Clan leader. "But work hard and fight well for your Clan from now on. One day you will be a fine mentor your those kits."
Fawnpaw was glad that Graystripe wasn't to be punished. It was bad enough that his mate died. She wasn't sure how she would react if someone she loved so much died. She was happy to see that Graystripe had brightened up a little at the last thing Bluestar said.
"Now I can turn to a happier duty." meowed Bluestar. "Cloudkit had reached his sixth moon, and is ready to become an apprentice." She jumped down from the Highrock and motioned for Cloudkit to come forward.
Cloudkit bounced over to her. He was quivering with excitement, his tail strait in the air and his whiskers twitching.
"Fireheart," Bluestar meowed. "You are ready for another apprentice, and Cloudpaw is your sister's kit. You will be his mentor."
Fireheart stood, but before he could walk over to the Highrock, Cloudpaw ran over to meet him and lifted his head to touch noses.
Fawnpaw sighed softly, watching her kit as he whent over at the wrong time. He didn't even want to follow the ceremony correctly. She hoped that Fireheart would change that and teach him to respect the Clan and their ways.
Fireheart waited for Bluestar to continue, not touching noses with the new apprentice just yet.
"Fireheart, you know what it is to be one of us, yet born outside the Clan." Bluestar continued, ignoring Cloudpaw. "I rely on you to pass on all you have earned to Cloudpaw, and help him to become a warrior the Clan will be proud of."
"Yes, Bluestar." Fireheart finally dipped his head and touched his nose to Cloudpaw's.
"Cloudpaw!" The white tom mewed triumphantly. "I'm Cloudpaw!"
"Cloudpaw!" Fawnpaw called proudly, and stepped forward to congratulate the apprentice like the rest of the Clan.
He looked up, eyes sparkling and purred to her, "I'm finally an apprentice!"
Fawnpaw yawned, stretching her legs so far that she shook. Sitting up, she looked around, confused for a short moment. But then, she remembered where she was.
It was the day after Cloudkit and turned into Cloudpaw. After his cerimoney, the tom whent out with Fireheart to explore the territory. But Tigeclaw had brought her away from camp, battle training for most of the day.
She twitched her whiskers. It had seemed like Tigeclaw was expecting a battle to happen at any time.
Now, she stood and padded out of the apprentice den. She had spent the night there, as she couldn't sleep in the nusery anymore, though she made sure to stay away from Cloudpaw as he talked excitedly with his friends into the night.
Fawnpaw blinked in the morning light and made her way to the fresh-kill pile. She picked up a squirrel and sat down to eat it. She watched the camp. It was quite.
Sure it was morning, but it was quite. She noticed only a few cats in camp. Tigerclaw must have sent out a lot of patrols this morning, letting her sleep after such a hard training yesterday.
But just as she finished the prey, she heard pawsteps running toward the camp. She looked up, startled.
Then suddenly, cats burst into the camp. She had no idea who they were, but from the scent and their looks, she reconized them as rouges. But then she saw a familiar tabby pelt among them. Tigerclaw!
She heard Fireheart's call, "Thunderclan! Enamies! Attack!" right as Tigerclaw yowled, "To me, Thunderclan!"
Fawnpaw jumped to her paws and rushed over. Tigerclaw had turned on the invaders, who scattered, yowling from his attack.
Fireheart burst into the camp behind the rouges, but stopped. He looked at Cloudpaw, who was at his side, saying something to him that Fawnpaw couldn't hear.
Fawnpaw shook her head. They weren't important right now. But what was important was fighting for her Clan.
She ran toward the group of cats and leapt on the back of a light brown tabby, pulling him away from the fight. Digging her claws in, she held on tightly. Useing her back paws, she raked his back.
He turned, hissing. She jumped off and lashed out with a paw, catching his muzzel.
Blood dripped from the new wound, but he lunged at her, knocking her backwards onto the ground. He rushed forward, putting a paw on her neck and using his other to bring his claws down her side.
She bit her tongue to stop herself from crying out in pain. She kicked at him, trying to force him away. But he was stronger and held her still, continuing his clawing.
Glancing around, she saw Tigerclaw. He was walking through the battle, ignoring all the rougues and warriors. He was heading for Bluestar's den.
"T-Tigerclaw!" She gasped out, kicking strongly at the tom with both of her backlegs. She had kicked hard enough this time to knock him backwards. She jumped up, but winced with pain. The tom came closer, and she ducked as he swung a paw at her.
She saw Tigerclaw hesitate, fur bristling. He faced away from her, watching Bluestar's den.
The tom was advancing on her, and Fawnpaw backed up. But suddenly he grabed her front paws and she fell with a surprised yelp to the ground.
The tom stood over her, claws out and one paw raised to strike, but suddenly he was gone. Fawnpaw got up to see Tigerclaw wrestling with the lighter tabby.
"Tigerclaw!" The tom exclaimed with surprise. "What are you doing? Remember the plan!" He pulled away, dodging Tigerclaw's paws as he attacked him.
Plan? Fawnpaw wondered about the plan, but she pushed the thought away and leaped forward to help. She came up behind the rouge and clawed at his sides.
The cat got a panicked look in his eyes and turned, fleeing from the camp.
"Thanks." She panted to Tigerclaw.
He stiffly turned to look at her, "Anytime." He muttered, and began to hurry to Bluestar's den again, but was kocked to the side as a light colored tom tackled him.
"Traitor!" The cat yowled at Tigerclaw. "You told us that you would-"
"I still can!" Tigerclaw yelled back, and shoved the tom away. "Just let me-" He turned around to see Bluestar fighting two cats, ducking away from their paws and twisting and turning at just the right time. Just behind her, Fireheart fought with another ginger cat.
Tigerclaw eyes darkened with some emotion that Fawnpaw couldn't place. He looked angry and frustrated, and disapointed. But more than that, the way that he snarled and flexed his claws scared her.
But suddenly, Tigerclaw turned on the tom, clawing at his ears. "Fawnpaw, get back in the battle!" He yowled to her.
Fawnpaw nodded quickly and ran off to go help Bluestar. She came up to a gray she-cat and pulled her away from Bluestar.
She clawed at her, and ducked, rolling to the side when the gray cat turned on her. Jumping up, she lunged. The she-cat jumped back, and Fawnpaw stumbled forward. The she-cat clawed at Fawnpaw's ears as she landed.
Crouching down, she bit at the gray cat's paw. Hissing the pain, the she-cat sharply pulled away. As she pulled back, Fawnpaw jumped forward, sending a hard blow to the side of the gray cat's head.
The rouge looked at her, frustrated, before turning and half running, half limping from the camp.
Fawnpaw took a deep breath and jumped into battle, grabing and pulling on a black tom's tail hard and making him lose balance. But a moment later, a yowl sounded close by. She looked up to see Mistyfoot, along with several other Riverclan warriors.
The rouges, seeing the reinforcements, ran from the camp. Fawnpaw let her cat go and watched him run.
The only enemy now was Brokenstar, bleeding badly and walking around blindly, looking confused.
The Riverclan cats gathered together again as Bluestar walked forward. She stopped in front of the Riverclan cats and dipped her head in a wordless thanks.
Leopardfur looked back at her cats. "We were going to come to talk about the kits," Then she glanced around at the wounded cats and damaged camp, and meowed, "But we can do that later. Thunderclan looks as if they need time to recover.
"Thank you for your help." Bluestar said, watching them. Then she turned to her Clan and meowed, "We won today," She announced. "But I fear that this won't be the last battle. Tigerclaw, send out extra patrols. And no apprentice is to leave without a warrior, and no kit is to leave camp at all."
Fawnpaw turned to see Sandstorm and a few other warriors burst into camp, looking around with wide eyes. Cloudpaw panted, coming up behind them. He must have gone to get the other patrols.
Cloudpaw ran over to Fawnpaw and sniffed at her wounds. "Are you okay?" He asked worriedly. But before Fawnpaw could answer, he was already off in search of Cinderpaw or Yellowfang.
Fawnpaw sank to the ground and began to lick at her wounds on her side when questions filled her head again.
What had that tabby meant when he said 'remember the plan'? And why hadn't Tierclaw been fighting with the Clan before he saved Fawnpaw? Did he know he battle was coming? Is that why he held her back from becoming a warrior and trained for battle so hard yesterday?
Fawnpaw looked over at her brother. He had always asked about her training with Tigerclaw. Did he know something that Fawnpaw didn't? Fawnpaw knew it was time to get some answers.
Now, that's a big change isn't it? Tigerclaw never got the chance to get to Bluestar in time, so he was never exiled. Please review!