Chapter 7- The First Meeting

Redpaw didn't sleep well that night. Her dreams were constantly disturbed by a river of blood. She was jerked awake by Spotpaw's and Snowpaw's complaints. It was dawn, so Redpaw didn't bother trying to go back to sleep. She set about grooming bits of moss out of her fur.

"Having trouble sleeping?" meowed Brackenpaw.

"Yes," replied Redpaw softly, "Bad dreams."

Brackenpaw got up and stood beside Redpaw. "Don't worry, they'll pass."

Redpaw sighed. "I hope so."

Lightpaw opened one eye and looked at his sister. "Hungry, Redpaw?" he asked sleepily, "We could get some fresh-kill."

Redpaw's ears pricked. "I am hungry…come on!" She slipped out of the branches of the tree and bounded to the fresh-kill pile.

Brackenpaw and Lightpaw joined her. They each chose a piece of fresh-kill and settled down just outside their den.

Other cats had begun to wake up. Shadowstep, Rushsong, and Cragheart slipped out of the warriors' den and made for the camp entrance. Moonstar, Brownclaw, and Tidalpaw joined them, and the unusually large dawn patrol set off.

Redpaw burrowed into her mouse ravenously. It was delicious. She couldn't remember having ever tasted anything better.

"So what will you two be doing today?" asked Brackenpaw.

Lightpaw quickly swallowed a piece of frog. "Amberclaw's taking me to see the borders."

"Beesting said that Spotpaw, Greenpaw, and I would be joining you," added Redpaw, glancing at her littermate.

Brackenpaw sighed happily. "I wish I could go with you. I haven't talked to Beesting much since he got his warrior name."

Lightpaw nuzzled Brackenpaw comfortingly. "Don't worry, Brackenpaw. Beesting's just been busy, and you'll be a warrior soon too."

Lightpaw's words reminded Redpaw of Rushsong when she was comforting Yarrowpelt. Did that mean…? Yes, Brackenpaw loved Beesting, and Lightpaw had realized it.

Beesting padded up behind Brackenpaw and gently sat beside her, just far enough back that Brackenpaw would have to turn her head to see him. Beesting winked at Redpaw and Lightpaw, warning them to keep quiet.

"Oh, you're probably right, Lightpaw," meowed Brackenpaw sadly, "I was just hoping that Beesting cared about me enough to at least say hi."

Just at that moment Spotpaw had to slip sleepily out of the apprentices' den. "Good morning, Lightpaw, Redpaw, Brackenpaw, Beesting."

Brackenpaw leapt to her paws and stared at Beesting as though he were a badger creeping up on her. She stood there for a moment, and then flung herself at him. The tom rolled onto his back and Brackenpaw landed, standing over him. He batted at her affectionately and she playfully dodged his swipes. Having completed this exchange, they sat down beside each other, their pelts pressed close together.

"I haven't forgotten about you," meowed Beesting softly.

Brackenpaw rubbed her head on his shoulder. "I know."

Redpaw spotted Moontide and Rockfall slip out of the warriors' den. They headed over to the apprentices. Moontide's silvery gray fur shone in the growing light as Rockfall's stone gray pelt brushed against his gently.

"Brackenpaw, are you ready for some training?" asked Moontide.

Brackenpaw got to her paws, staring longingly at Beesting. "Yes, Moontide. Can we do some battle training?"

"That was the idea. Come, the dawn patrol's already left."

Brackenpaw nodded and followed Moontide out of the camp. Rockfall surveyed the gathered apprentices. "Is Greenpaw still asleep?"

Greenpaw slipped out of the now almost empty apprentices' den. "Not anymore."

Rockfall nodded. "I've decided that we will go see the boundaries today, despite yesterday's…misconduct."

Greenpaw hung her head, still ashamed. "Thank you, Rockfall," she murmured.

Redpaw put her tail tip comfortingly on her sister's shoulder. Moments later Amberclaw joined the medley of cats by the apprentices' den.

"Ready for your first day of training?" he asked Lightpaw.

Lightpaw nodded vigorously, but he then turned to Spotpaw. "What about Spotpaw?" he asked, "Moonstar went on the dawn patrol."

Every cat stood frozen for a moment until Moonstar came bounding back into camp. She sauntered over, as lithe and agile as ever.

"Well, we can leave for the borders now. There was just a scent near the desert that I wanted to check out," she meowed.

The eight cats slipped out of camp. The last thing Redpaw saw of the camp before she followed the others was Snowpaw, heading for the elders' den, a sour look on his face. Redpaw laughed inwardly. Snowpaw was always getting himself in trouble with Whiteheart, and Rattooth had a tendency to tease him about it.

As they bounded through the forest Moonstar took the lead. Spotpaw, being the biggest of the four and Moonstar's apprentice, kept pace with her. Redpaw used a burst of speed, managing to catch up to them. Greenpaw situated herself just behind Redpaw. Suddenly Lightpaw shot past all three of them, whooping loudly. He passed Moonstar and kept going as fast as he could. Redpaw blinked and found herself and her littermates left far behind the warriors. Even Lightpaw was falling behind. The young apprentices stretched their short legs as far as they could and their paws flew across the forest floor, but none of them could catch up to their mentors. They had to just grit their teeth and keep on running.

Suddenly Redpaw had an idea. She glanced at Spotpaw. She managed to catch his eye for only a second, but that second was long enough. By the next second all four apprentices had the message. They formed a single file line, Lightpaw in the lead. Far ahead the grown cats leapt over a tree trunk. Lightpaw pulled ahead and as he approached the trunk he dropped as close to the ground as he could and raced right under it without losing any of his speed. The others followed just behind and navigated the obstacle with just as much success. The grown cats may have been faster and more able to leap over and around things, but the apprentices were small− and clever. They could slip right through a thick bush that their mentors would have to contour, and they knew it.

They slowly gained on their mentors. They had just slipped through a small gap between two trees when they spotted a great mass of thick, tangled brambles. The warriors were already racing around it, but if the apprentices could make it through…Redpaw automatically took the lead. Still running, she studied the thicket, plotting their path through. She darted right into it, weaving, and ducking, her littermates right behind her. One by one they popped out the other side. At the very same moment the warriors dashed around the side of the thicket, but the apprentices were already out ahead.

Beesting executed a burst of speed, bringing him up alongside the young cats, but he fell behind again as they slipped through some bracken.

All eight cats arrived at their destination at the exact same moment. The apprentices stumbled to a halt and faced their mentors.

Moonstar was the first to speak. "It's good to know that our Clan has quick and intelligent apprentices. None of you seem to be claiming leadership among you… Tell me, whose idea was it to go through the things we could not?"

Spotpaw pushed Redpaw forward. Redpaw sighed, and answered. "It was my idea, but the credit should not just go to me. It was all of us. We worked together."

Moonstar nodded, and then changed the subject. "We are not at the border with ThunderClan. Tell me, what do you smell?"

The four apprentices opened their mouths to allow the nearby scents to pass over their scent glands.

"It's kind of tangy," mewed Lightpaw.

Greenpaw wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Whatever that is, it's way too sweet. It's the exact opposite of ShadowClan scent."

Spotpaw nodded agreement. "If that's ThunderClan's scent, I don't think I could stand being around those cats for very long."

Beesting scoffed. "You can say that again. ThunderClan's always interfering in the business of the other Clans."

Rockfall glared at Beesting, and the young warrior's jaw snapped shut. Redpaw sniffed ThunderClan's scent again and then cocked her head, staring to her right.

"What's over there?" she asked.

"Let's go see," prompted Rockfall.

Moonstar nodded and led the way. As they padded along the ThunderClan border the warriors continuously pointed out scents for the apprentices to identify and learn. Finally, they came to a point where the ThunderClan scent markers veered away from ShadowClan's.

The small band stopped, and the apprentices sniffed the air. The scent that wafted across the border was strange. None of the apprentices could describe it.

"What is that?" Redpaw asked, "It smells so strange, it's definitely not a cat scent."

Rockfall sniffed slightly. "That the scent of twolegs," she answered calmly.

Redpaw had heard about twolegs from her parents. They were large, pink, almost hairless creatures that walked around on only two legs. Twolegs were mouse-brained. One could never know what a twoleg might do. They were dangerous. They would ride around in the bellies of their smelly monsters, and if a cat was hit by one of those they were usually killed. Redpaw had also heard of thunderpaths, but her parents said that there were none in the Valley.

Redpaw opened her mouth to allow the scents to pass over her scent glands. There was another smell, similar to that of the twolegs, except harsher and stronger. "What is that?" she asked.

"That's the scent of a monster. I think one's been by here recently," stated Amberclaw.

Redpaw shivered as the others began to pad away. She followed slowly, letting herself fall behind. Eventually, the others disappeared, leaving her alone. The open space made her want to run, but at the same time she wanted to savor the solitude. She tasted the air and froze. There was yet another scent.

Pricking her ears, she crept towards its source. The scent had a trace of cat, but it was mostly twoleg. Well, twolegish. It was a strange mix of unfamiliar twoleg scents. All that Redpaw was sure of when she pounced was that she was bearing down on a cat, a tom, and that he lived in the vicinity of twolegs.

"Ayeeeeeee!" yowled the tom as Redpaw dug her claws into his flank. "Let me go!"

Redpaw blinked, but she did not loosen her grip on the tom. For a moment she had thought she had leapt on Greenpaw. The tom, who was just about the same age as her, looked almost exactly like her sister.

The kittypet, Redpaw was now certain he was a kittypet, took advantage of her moment of uncertainty to roll over, knocking her off. Redpaw spun around and faced the kittypet. They stood there, staring each other down.

The kittypet was the same stone gray as Greenpaw. His chest was also black, but his paws were the same gray as most of the rest of his body. His eyes were the same blood red as Redpaw's.

The kittypet growled as he bunched his muscles to pounce. Redpaw leapt first. The kittypet reared, preparing to bat her aside. "Redpaw twisted in the air, just missing his outstretched claws. She landed beside him and knocked him over. He still kept fighting, but Redpaw had him pinned tightly to the ground. Finally he gave up. Fixing Redpaw with an angry scowl he loosened his muscles and let his head droop.

"You're pretty vicious for a kittypet," mewed Redpaw, "I'm Redpaw, a ShadowClan apprentice. What's your name?"

The kittypet blinked at her, bewildered, and then answered. Redpaw liked the sound of his soft mew. "I'm John. I like your name, Redpaw. It sounds… I can't explain it, but it's nice."

"Thank you," Redpaw mewed, letting John up. "You fight well for a kittypet. You do live with twolegs, don't you?"

"Twolegs? You mean housefolk? Yes, I live with them. There are a lot of different names for them, aren't there? A friend of mine, Ivy, she calls them upwalkers. But Ivy doesn't live with housefolk. At least, not anymore. She ran away from hers after one of their kits turned her tail green. It's been that way ever since. The color just won't come off…Redpaw?"

Redpaw was staring in the direction her Clanmates had gone, her ears pricked. She glanced back at John. "I have to go. Beesting is calling me."

John's ears drooped. "Ok. But can I see you again?"

"I don't know when I'll be able to come back, but I'd like to."

"Ok, I'll keep an eye out for you," John mewed, delighted.

"Just don't let anybody else see you. If they do, they'll probably rip you to shreds."

John nodded. Redpaw started to pad away, but then she turned back around and licked John between the ears.

"Bye!" she mewed as she bounded away.

John watched her. "Don't worry, Redpaw. I'll know if it's you," he murmured, "I've always had a good nose." He then turned and padded towards his home.