Chapter 13

Whitepaw's POV

Whitepaw awoke and slowly rose from his nest. He looked around. Dreamkit, Lightkit, Tinykit, Rosekit and Willowkit were play fighting over one side of the clearing. Lakestar and Feathercloud were organizing patrols and Stonestar was talking with Mistheart, Mistystorm, Mossheart, Stormheart, Birchheart and Littlefur. He looked around and noticed that Icepaw wasn't here.

She is probably with Icewhisker. The white tom thought.

Whitepaw looked around and then stopped and looked at Silverpaw and Brackenheart, before smirking and yawning. When the white apprentice reopened his eyes, Lakestar was in front of him. Whitepaw hissed and jumped back before smiling.

'Sorry if I scared you Whitepaw.' The leader meowed.

'Don't worry Lakestar.' Whitepaw meowed.

'I came to tell you that my warriors have gathered fresh-kill for your clan.' Lakestar meowed and pointed with her tail over to the small fresh-kill pile.

Whitepaw bowed his head.

'Thank you Lakestar I shall tell Stonestar immediately.' The apprentice meowed.

Whitepaw left the Bluish queen and ran over to his leader and the other cats. Stonestar looked down, closed his eyes and shook his head before Mistheart looked at the apprentice approaching and whispered something that Whitepaw couldn't hear to Stonestar. After Mistheart finished whispering Stonestar's head shot up and he smiled at his son.

'Whitepaw what is it?' His leader asked.

'Lakestar told me that her warriors have gathered some fresh-kill for our clan.' Whitepaw meowed. 'It is over there.'

Whitepaw pointed his tail over to the small, but growing fresh-kill pile.

'Whitepaw take some fresh-kill to the nursery queens and the elders then tell the other apprentices you may eat.' Mistheart meowed.

Whitepaw nodded and backed away from the Warriors. The apprentice soon found the other apprentices. Darkpaw and Sorrelpaw were play fighting, while Greypaw, Smallpaw and Firepaw shared tongues and Flamepaw and Dustpaw talked near the other apprentices. Flamepaw saw Whitepaw and smiled at him before turning away shyly and looking at Dustpaw. Whitepaw smiled back at her before walking quickly over to them. Sorrelpaw looked at him.

'Whitepaw is something wrong?' The she-cat asked.

'No of Course not Sorrelpaw, Stonestar asked me to take some prey to the Queens, kits and Elders and told me to get the other apprentices to help.' Whitepaw meowed.

'I'll go and take some prey to the Elders.' Greypaw meowed and got up.

'I'll help!' Sorrelpaw meowed and then turned to Whitepaw.

'The prey is over there.' Whitepaw meowed and pointed to the small, but steadily growing prey pile.

The two apprentices took off over there and they each picked up a piece of prey each.

'I'll go and take some prey to the Queens.' Flamepaw meowed and got up.

'I'll help.' Whitepaw meowed and walked over to the other apprentice.

The white tom and Orange she-cat walked over to the fresh-kill pile side by side slowly. Once they got there Whitepaw picked up a rabbit and a vole and smiled at Flamepaw who was picking up a vole and two mice. Flamepaw shyly smiled back and together they walked over to Blossomheart and Bluedream who were near the edge of the cats, sharing tongues and watching their kits play-fight. Blossomheart was the first to notice the two apprentices, and whispered something to Bluedream who looked up and smiled slyly before whispering something back. Whitepaw felt confused and looked at Flamepaw who seemed to have noticed the Queens too and was looking the other way towards Dustpaw. Whitepaw shrugged. Once the two apprentices had gone over to the Queens, Whitepaw and Flamepaw placed the prey in front of the Queens who smiled at them.

'Thank you.' Bluedream meowed.

Flamepaw smiled sweetly at her old den-mates mother.

'You're welcome Bluedream.' The she-cat meowed and dipped her head.

Whitepaw smiled at Flamepaw and then bowed his head to.

Whitepaw turned away from the Queens when he heard a familiar yowl.

'Attack!'

Suddenly Whitepaw fell as kits tackled him down. He purred and pushed Lightkit who had led the attack on him. He heard Flamepaw purr with amusement and the Queens looked at their kits.

'Lightkit, Dreamkit, Tinykit, Rosekit and Willowkit come here now!' Blossomheart growled.

'Oh it's fine Blossomheart, they are only kits.' Whitepaw meowed. 'Remember I used to do this with my siblings and den mates.'

Whitepaw felt a pain rip through his heart as he said those words as Stripefrost, Sorrelpaw, Greypaw and Smallpaw weren't truly his family.

'Oh yes I remember when you, and the other kits jumped onto Heartcloud, Stardream and Lakepool when they were just apprentices.' Bluedream purred.

Flamepaw pushed the kits off of Whitepaw and smiled at him. Whitepaw nodded his thanks and got up.

'Quick Sunclan is about to attack again!' Dreamkit yowled.

At that Rosekit jumped at Whitepaw who smiled and crouched down. She scratched at his paw but he jumped up and Rosekit just missed. Whitepaw smiled and picked up Rosekit and then put her back down next to Willowkit who was ready for the attack.

'Come on Whitepaw let's go before someone gets hurt.' Flamepaw meowed and walked away.

'Bye Flamepaw and Whitepaw!' Tinykit squealed as Whitepaw ran over to her.

'They remind me of us when we were kits.' Whitepaw purred amused.

'Yeah they do.' Flamepaw agreed.

The two apprentices headed over to the fresh-kill pile and got a piece each, Whitepaw also grabbed a vole for Icepaw. Then they went back over to the other apprentices and Flamepaw sat down next to Dustpaw. Dustpaw licked her ear and then whispered something before Flamepaw shook her head and bit into her rabbit. Whitepaw went over and sat at the edge of the apprentices leaving the vole next to his paws. Just then he saw Brackenflight's tail disappear into Echomist's den. He blinked before shrugging and biting into his sparrow.

A few moments later he spotted Icepaw slowly walking towards him. She sat down next to him.

'Hey.' Whitepaw meowed. 'I saw you taking Silverpaw and Brackenflight to the medicine cat's den are they okay?'

'They just had a chill.' Icepaw meowed. 'They should be fine by the tomorrow, hey is there any fresh-kill?'

'Lakestar got some of her Warriors to hunt for us.' Whitepaw meowed. 'Here I got an extra vole.'

Whitepaw pushed the vole at Icepaw. The white she-cat sniffed and then gulped down part of the vole. Icepaw licked her muzzle and sighed.

Just then a yowl rose from outside the camp and Twilightheart and Redfoot ran in. Feathercloud ran over to them.

'What is it?' The deputy asked.

'Sunclan is coming.' Twilightheart panted.

At that Lakestar, Stonestar and Mistheart ran over. Mistheart turned to Whitepaw.

'Whitepaw get Icepaw into the medicine cats den!' She yowled.

Whitepaw gulped down the rest of his sparrow and started to push his sister over to the medicine cats den.

'Come on.' He meowed.

Whitepaw pushed his sister through the tunnel that led into Echomist's den.

'Stay in here.' He meowed and turned around.

The white apprentice bolted back out into the clearing to see Sunclan was already here. Stonestar, Lakestar and Mistystar were growling at one another. Just then Mistystar spat and jumped at Lakestar. Stonestar gave the yowl and Whitepaw ran over to a Mist blue she-cat and jumped onto her back. The she-cat yowled and Whitepaw jumped back, she sniffed and then spat.

'A Streamclan apprentice!' She growled.

'You better stay out of Lostclan's and Streamclan's territory!' Whitepaw growled.

With that the she-cat unsheathed her claws and slashed at Whitepaw's cheek.

'You better get back to your territory then!' She growled.

'We would!' Whitepaw growled and dodged her claws. 'But if you haven't notice our territory is flooded.'

Whitepaw slashed her cheek and then bit down hard on her shoulder. The apprentice yowled and ripped free of Whitepaw grip's before running out of the camp. Whitepaw looked around and saw only two Sunclan warriors left in the camp. Mistheart and Cinderfrost hissed and chased them out of the camp. Lakestar yowled. Whitepaw smiled and looked around. He found Flamepaw getting up off the ground and Whitepaw rushed over to her.

'Flamepaw are you okay?' Whitepaw asked.

Flamepaw looked up at him for a moment before nodding.

'Yeah I'm fine; A Sunclan warrior caught me by surprise that's all.' She meowed.

'Come on we need to get you to Echomist and Icewhisker.' Whitepaw meowed and helped her up.

Whitepaw helped his den mate over to the den where Icepaw was sleeping outside. Whitepaw stopped for a moment and licked his sister between the ears before helping Flamepaw through the tunnel. When they entered the den, Whitepaw sniffed and scented herbs and berries. He looked over and saw Icewhisker treating Lakestar and Echomist was just finishing Amberpaw's wounds. Icewhisker looked over at them and turned to Echomist, he whispered something and then Echomist ran over to them and the two cats helped the apprentice onto some moss.

'What happened?' The Lostclan leader asked.

Whitepaw looked up at her with worry in his eyes.

'I don't know she told me that a Sunclan warrior had surprised her.' Whitepaw meowed.

Echomist looked up from the apprentice.

'This isn't just the work of a surprise attack; it looks like this warrior meant to kill her.' Echomist meowed.

Whitepaw's eyes widened and he licked Flamepaw's ear. The orange apprentice purred and a smile appeared on her face. Echomist and Icewhisker ran over to the medicine storage and came back out each carrying different herbs. Icewhisker carried cobwebs and an orange flower, while Echomist carried some Poppy seeds and a shrub which Whitepaw recognized as Ragwort Leaves. Echomist placed the poppyseeds and Ragwort Leaves next to him.

'Can you get Flamepaw to eat these please?' The medicine cat asked.

Whitepaw nodded and picked up the herbs. He walked over to where Flamepaw's head was and looked at her.

'Flamepaw, Echomist really needs you to eat these they will help ease your pain.' Whitepaw meowed, trying to sound confident.

Flamepaw looked into his eyes for a moment before the worry in the White apprentice eyes appeared in hers. She slowly nodded and slowly lifted her head up. Whitepaw pushed the Poppyseeds towards her first and she bent down and gulped them down. Next she chewed on the Leaves and laid back down. Whitepaw got up and pushed his fur next to her, in an effort to comfort her.

'Don't worry Flamepaw; I know you'll be okay.' Whitepaw whispered into her ear.

Whitepaw placed his head next to hers and closed his eyes. He soon heard her gentle breathing next to him and fell asleep.