Chapter 14
Waterpaw sat down beside her kin as Sandfire was named deputy, the JayClan cats cheering just as loudly as the small group of SkyClan warriors. From behind her, Birdheart was naming her Clanmates to Darkshadow and Waterpaw's sharp eyes picked out each cat she mentioned, "See those two toms behind Songheart?" Waterpaw spotted them, having noticed them sitting beside Ratpelt earlier. "The dark brown tabby is Jaggedclaw while the black-and-white cat is Snakefoot. There two of our newest warriors, having been made just a moon before Ratpelt." Waterpaw blinked in surprise. The agressive tom who had openly challenged Mintstar was considered a 'new warrior.' Back home in JayClan, no young cat argued with Woodstar. They would express their concerns to Voleheart and Sunfoot, the senior warriors, and they would talk to Woodstar.
"Why is your Clan so small?" Airpaw asked, twisting around to face Darkshadow and Birdheart. Waterpaw understood where her brother was coming from. JayClan wasn't a large Clan- the Clans of old had been much greater- yet they had more cats than SkyClan who only possessed a leader, a deputy, a medicine cat, and four warriors. Apprentices, Queens, and Elders were absent from the Clan. Waterpaw wondered if it was because only the strong survived the continuous rat attacks. After all, the gorge didn't allow much cover except for the ledges, but only strong able cats could reach them. Apprentices would be too small to make the jump and the pregnant queens and weak elders wouldn't even have a chance.
"Those who haven't lost their lives in the rat attacks died on the journey to find the four Clans," Birdheart explained, "My brother, Ravenfur, died on the journey to the old forest while Grayleaf died returning home." Birdheart sighed, "And those who haven't joined StarClan ended up becoming rogues or loners. The weakest even became kittypets." Birdheart said the last word in a quiet hiss.
"And they call themselves warriors?" Darkshadow growled and Waterpaw silently agreed. Even if JayClan was overun by rats or another creature, Waterpaw knew that she and her kin would stay and fight until their last breath. At least, Waterpaw knew she would. She understood if Orangepelt and Songbird, the only queen and elder in JayClan, abandoned their Clanmates since they would have the worse chance if a fight broke out.
"But Darkshadow, think about it from their point of view," Airpaw meowed, "If they stayed and fight and all of SkyClan was wiped out then no living cat would remember them existing. Sandfire told us about the old SkyClan cat being destroyed and it took StarClan knows how many seasons to recreate it. If everyone in the Clan dies than the same thing would happen again except Firestar won't be here to reunite them." Waterpaw glanced at Airpaw in surprise. The way he was talking sounded much wiser than how a normal apprentice would talk. Waterpaw glanced at her and Darkshadow, both of them as alike as anything. They both chose fighting over talking. Airpaw on the other hand... maybe one of Woodstar's children would think with their heart and not their claws.
"Darkshadow, apprentices," Sandfire called, strolling towards them. Waterpaw spotted Mintstar talking with Songheart, the tiny medicine cat applying cobwebs onto her leader's wounds. Jaggedclaw limped toward them, his paw twisted at an awkward angle, while Snakefoot followed him, his green eyes soft with concern as he guided his Clanmate. Waterpaw prayed to StarClan that Jaggedclaw wouldn't be too seriously wounded. That would be the last thing SkyClan needed.
"Congratulations on becoming deputy," Waterpaw called to Sandfire and the ginger tom dipped his head in thanks.
"Thank you, Waterpaw," Sandfire meowed, "Are you all okay? Songheart can check on you if you are hurt..."
"We're okay," Cloudpaw mewed and Waterpaw nodded. She had a cut over her eye that stung a little, but she would be fine. It wasn't large enough to get infected and Waterpaw didn't want to waste Songheart's precious supplies.
Sandfire nodded and then glanced at his Clanmates behind him, "Do you know who everyone is?"
Darkshadow nodded, "Birdheart pointed out everyone."
"Where's Ratpelt?" Cloudpaw meowed suddenly.
"Ratpelt?" Sandfire mewed, "Oh he's around I suppose. I think he's a little annoyed that I was made deputy. We were made warriors at around the same time and I know he has wanted to be deputy for awhile now. He's a good, but ambitious warrior and when he learns some patience, he might actually become deputy one day."
"Sandfire, have you changed your mind on what I said?" Cloudpaw asked.
"No," Sandfire growled sternly and then glancing at the cats surrounding him, "We should probably send a patrol out to check the border. We could also use some freshkill. Birdheart, Cloudpaw, you can come with me on patrol. Darkshadow, would you mind going hunting with Airpaw and Waterpaw? There's a good spot a little up that path." Sandfire nodded towards a trail leading up the gorge before gathering Birdheart and Cloudpaw with his tail, leading his patrol away from the three JayClan cats.
"I guess we'd better get going," Waterpaw meowed, glancing at Darkshadow.
Darkshadow paused and then mewed, "I wonder what Cloudpaw had said to Sandfire... he seemed pretty annoyed when she brought it up."
"She doesn't trust Ratpelt," Airpaw explained and two sets of eyes snapped towards him, "I overheard her talking to Sandfire one night before the mountains and she said she had a dream about SkyClan and Ratpelt disagreeing with everything Mintstar was doing. She thinks that Ratpelt may be leading the rats to SkyClan. She thinks he wants to become leader of SkyClan."
"Should we keep an eye on Ratpelt?" Waterpaw asked Darkshadow.
"We are here to defeat the rats, nothing else. Who leads SkyClan is of little concern to us," Darkshadow growled although Waterpaw noticed his eyes glimmered with nerves. Was he worried about Birdheart? After all, whoever SkyClan's leader was would be Birdheart's leader as well.
"Shall we go hunting?"Airpaw asked and Darkshadow nodded, leading his cats up the trail. Once they reached the top of the gorge, scents of prey surrounded them and Waterpaw's stomach growled. She hadn't eaten for awhile. Airpaw gave Waterpaw a sympathic glance and meowed, "Remember we have to hunt for SkyClan first."
Waterpaw nodded and the three JayClan spread apart, stalking different prey. Waterpaw walked around on light paws until the scent of squirrel drifted over to her. Waterpaw stalked over towards the area where the scent was the strongest, spotting the gray animal nibbling on a nut. Balancing on her haunches, Waterpaw paused and then sprang on top of the animal. Giving it a quick bite to the neck, Waterpaw covered her catch with dirt before going to look for more prey. As she hunted, Waterpaw's thoughts drifted back home to JayClan. To Orangepelt and Woodstar. To Gingereye and Lakesky. To Cody. Waterpaw wondered what the young rogue was doing, but then shook her head. She was a Clan cat. He was a rogue. They were enemies. His business was of no concern to her.
Within a couple more minutes, Waterpaw added a mouse and another squirrel to her catch. Deciding that she had enough, Waterpaw looked around for her Clanmates. Airpaw's scent was closer so Waterpaw strolled towards him. "Airpaw! Airpaw, where are you?"
"Shh," A voice hissed and Waterpaw glanced up, spotting Airpaw clinging onto a tree branch.
"What are you doing-"
"I said be quiet," Airpaw hissed, "If you want to know climb up here."
Waterpaw complied and climbed up the tree, landing right next to her brother. "I don't get it what are we-" Then Waterpaw saw him. Ratpelt was stalking away from SkyClan territory, glancing around nervously, before picking up his pace and disappearing from sight.
"What do you think he's doing?" Airpaw meowed, his voice returning to normal.
"I don't know..." Waterpaw's voice was quiet. What was the ambitious tom up to?
"Should we follow him?" Airpaw asked.
"It can't hurt," Waterpaw meowed, her paws sparking with curiousity. She wanted to find out what Ratpelt was doing. She had to find out.
"You don't know that," Airpaw whispered, but before Waterpaw could say anything, her brother sprang from the tree and headed after Ratpelt. "You coming, Waterpaw?"
Waterpaw followed.
Author's Note: Not much to say... Please review.