A/N- uhhhh…yeah. Seventh chapter, nothin much to say.
Disclaimer- guys, this is siriusly (teehee. sorry I was just reading Harry Potter fanfics, I couldn't resist.) pointless. I do not, and will never, own Warriors. Now let me cry in peace while you read this chapter.
Chapter 7- Living Up to It
Swiftpaw opened her eyes to the quiet apprentices' den. Though the pre-dawn darkness still hung in the air, she was too excited to sleep. She was still thinking about her apprentice ceremony as she padded outside for a thorough wash.
When she was done, Swiftpaw sat and watched the camp slowly come to life. The dawn patrol bounded out, supervised by Darkclaw. Dreamsong emerged from the nursery with Hawkpup and Dapplepup, whose newly-opened eyes were round with wonder. Jewelpool and Redstorm emerged from the warriors' den and began sharing tongues.
After what seemed like forever, Spiritstar emerged from her den, padded over for an update with Darkclaw, called to Redstorm, and padded over to the apprentices' den.
Swiftpaw raced back inside and prodded Leafpaw to wake her. She merely turned over in her sleep and muttered, "Just a little longer mom."
Shaking her head, Swiftpaw prodded her harder and said, "Wake UP Leafpaw! Redstorm and Spiritstar are waiting!"
This caused her to snap awake and leap out of her nest, "You could have woken me earlier!" She called as she bounded out, leaving Swiftpaw to shake her head and follow.
OOOoooOOO
When both apprentices were ready, Spiritstar explained to them that they'd be learning the territory and other Clans today, and then they'd start hunting and fighting the next day.
Exhilarated, Swiftpaw raced out of camp right next to Spiritstar. She soon found, however, that her speed was far greater than any of the other dogs and her small size allowed her to move through the undergrowth much quicker. She often had to stop and wait for the others to catch up and tell her the way to go.
Swiftpaw finally burst from the trees to find herself a few tail-lengths away from a large river. Between her and the river, a cluster of rocks sat almost begging her to come lay on them. She heeded their call and leapt on top of one, letting the sun soak into her fur and sooth her muscles.
She soon heard a rustling in the bushes and turned to see Spiritstar, Redstorm, and Leafpaw burst out, panting. Swiftpaw leapt off the rock to stand by them and Spiritstar remarked, "I can see why they named you Swiftpaw, you live up to it."
Swiftpaw dipped her head, unsure how to answer. Spiritstar went on, "These are Sunningrocks. RiverClan has battled us many times for control of this spot, but we've never given it to them." she said with a gleam of pride and determination in her eyes.
Swiftpaw padded toward the river and took a deep sniff. A strange mixture of dog, fish, and reeds met her nose. It was so different from the familiar musty odor of ThunderClan that she wrinkled her nose in distaste. She then asked, "That's RiverClan scent, isn't it?"
"Yes Swiftpaw," Spiritstar padded up to sit next to her, "it is."
After that they continued along the border, stopping at the Owl Tree and other landmarks until they came to a giant hollow with four enormous oak trees standing in the center.
"This," Redstorm began proudly, "is Fourtrees, the place where all the Clans meet in peace every full moon. It is also where all four territories come together."
Swiftpaw picked her way a few steps down the slope and felt as though she was that much closer to StarClan. She closed her eyes and thought she saw a flash of fiery red fur. She opened them with a jolt, expecting to see Redstorm somewhere close to her, but he was still seated at the top of the slope with Spiritstar.
Then she felt a warm breath ruffle her ear fur and a voice whispered, "Remember…"
She knew then that her dream was far from over, and the nightmare was just beginning.
A/N- yeah, that part about living up to it (and the title) was stupid. It seemed good when I wrote this. Anyway, you know the deal, I'm happier because I now have more reviews than chapters (and I found out what would have happened in The Savage Generation), so keep me happy by reviewing!