Lucky Where Dawn Begins- Thank you for reviewing again!
Now for Chapter 2!
Chapter 2: Featherpaw
Featherpaw yawned. Fawnlight was calling her. She shook off her sleepiness and padded out of the den. Mintpaw was already in the clearing with Slatestorm and Fawnlight.
"Good morning," she purred, padding over to them.
"Good morning," Fawnlight replied. "We're going on a tour of the territory." She led the way out of camp through the bracken tunnel. Out in the forest, Featherpaw stared around in wonder. Birds fluttered around in the trees and bushes swayed, while animals scurried about underneath them.
"Wow!" At the same time Featherpaw whispered the word, Mintpaw said it more loudly.
"Can we go see the lake?" Featherpaw asked excitedly.
The mentors exchanged a glance. Then Slatestorm meowed, "Later. First we're going to see the clan borders."
"Okay, we border OakClan and StreamClan, right?" The gray tabby apprentice chattered on, "And PineClan is across the lake? Do you think we'll meet a patrol? That would be fun." She paused to take a breath. "Can we go fishing today? Or maybe hunting? What about swimming?"
"Featherpaw!" Fawnlight meowed sternly. "Be quiet, or you can go back to camp!" She whipped her head around and started talking to Slatestorm in a low voice.
"StarClan, Featherpaw! How do you get in trouble on your first day?" Mintpaw giggled. Featherpaw shot her sister an angry look. So what if she wanted to know what they were going to do? That was a good thing. After all, what kind of warrior would want an apprentice who wasn't interested in what they were doing in training?
Finally, they arrived at the edge of their territory. "This is the StreamClan border," Slatestorm announced. "They fish in the river. But we only fish in the lake. We sit on the rocks sticking out of the water and face the direction where our shadows will fall behind us."
…
"We're going to go to war?" Leafstar's outraged voice came from inside the leader's den. Featherpaw was walking by, holding a large salmon for the elders, in her jaws. But when she heard this, she stopped.
"Leafstar! I had this vision six moons ago! The night your kits were born. It isn't like you didn't already know." That was Ivybreeze and she sounded exasperated.
"But I haven't really worried about it until now, because I found OakClan scent markers all around the waterfall!" The waterfall! Does she mean our clan's sacred waterfall? The story of the sacred waterfall was one every kit was told, of how, many, many seasons ago, long before the elders of the elders were born, the dark forest attacked the clans, and the fallen warriors were buried at the bottom of the waterfall so they could look out at the lake.
"But then I had the other vision! Featherpaw and Mintpaw are going to save us! Besides, you first found scents two moons ago. You've been worrying since then."
"Featherpaw! We're waiting!" Softfur stuck her head out of the elders' den, glanced at her and went back inside. Oh, right! Featherpaw guiltily looked down at the salmon, now lying in the grass. She picked it up and ran over to the den.
"Here," she mewed, placing it at their paws, quickly, then leaving the den.
"Featherpaw, come share with me!" Mintpaw had chosen a fluffy squirrel from the fresh-kill pile. Featherpaw walked over to her sister. Should I tell her we're destined to save the clan? Whatever, I can do it later. She pushed the thought away and bit into the flesh.
"Guess what?" The words burst out of Featherpaw's mouth before she could stop them, "We're going to save the clan!" She dropped her voice to a whisper.
Mintpaw blinked at her. "If you heard Ivybreeze and Leafstar talking, you're wrong. They mean we're going to start a war."
"No, Mintpaw, you heard wrong!" Featherpaw whispered excitedly. "Ivybreeze clearly said: 'Featherpaw and Mintpaw are going to save us!'"
Mintpaw cocked her head. "Well I heard her say, 'I saw a feather falling on a leaf of mint and I hear the words, 'War is coming,' again!' See, she means we're going to start the war!" Mintpaw's voice became anxious at the end.
Featherpaw opened her mouth to argue, but was distracted by Leafstar. "Cats of LakeClan!" The leader yowled. She looked distressed. When all the cats had gathered, she continued, "Those of you who have patrolled the waterfall know that OakClan is trying to take it from us. This has been going on for the past two moons, and I have decided we need to take action." She paused and stared down at the clan. Wait—two moons? I only found out today!
"Since when?" one cat called.
"Did you forget to tell us?" yowled another.
Leafstar twitched her tail. "Yes, I realize that for most of you this is a surprise. Only the senior warriors know." Her gaze passed over Crowtail, Fawnlight, Doveheart, and Petaldrop. "We have no choice but to declare war on OakClan!" These words were greeted with a mix of excited and shocked yowls.
"We're going to war?" There was outrage in the voice of the cat who had spoken.
"Finally!" Crowtail called.
"Quiet!" Leafstar shouted. "We will attack four sunrises from now. Fawnlight, Slatestorm, I want the apprentices to fight, so have them ready." She shot a fond glance at Featherpaw and Mintpaw.
"Bet she doesn't think we're going to destroy the clan, then, huh?" Featherpaw mewed as they padded to their den. Mintpaw just snorted.
…
"Leap! Twist! Bite!" Slatestorm was yowling instructions while he watched the apprentices train. Featherpaw twisted around in midair, nipped her sister on the hind leg, and dropped to the ground, panting. Mintpaw whirled around to catch her sister off guard while the apprentice was getting her balance. She ran straight by, raking a sheathed paw along Featherpaw's side before she could get out of the way.
"Good job!" Featherpaw gasped. "Good thing your claws weren't out!" she said, standing up.
"Okay, that's good for today!" Fawnlight mewed. "Be ready at dawn tomorrow!" Then she left the apprentices and went to speak to Slatestorm, meowing over her shoulder, "Go back to camp, and go to sleep early. You'll need strength."
"That was fun!" Mintpaw mewed as they walked back to camp. "You would have been shredded if we were fighting for real!"
"Ha! You wish! What if I had really bitten your leg? You'd be in trouble now," Featherpaw crowed, skipping ahead of her sister into the bracken tunnel.
"Hey, look! The hunting patrols are back!" Mintpaw mewed shoving her way to stand next to Featherpaw, just inside the camp.
"And the fishing patrols," Featherpaw added. She trotted to the fresh-kill pile and pulled out a couple of trout.
"Can you believe Fawnlight has known about the scents for two moons?" Mintpaw whispered. "And we're just finding out now!"
Featherpaw nodded hurriedly. She was exhausted. "I'm going to bed," she yawned, finishing her trout in a few quick bites, then getting up and padding across the clearing into her den.
"Good night!" Mintpaw called after her, just as Featherpaw slipped into her nest, yawning.
When she was about to drift into sleep, she heard a voice speaking behind the den, "I'll warn her. She can tell the clan, and OakClan will be victorious tomorrow, Smokesplash, don't worry." Smokesplash? What's my brother doing? Then she realized something else, and her blood went cold. No. It can't be. She would never do that! To Leafstar? To the clan? But Featherpaw knew exactly who had spoken, as much as she wished she didn't.
So, who is speaking? Here is a hint: Featherpaw and Mintpaw have both spoken to this cat.
Also, I need three OC's for Honeyfrost's kits. Two toms and a she-cat. I will choose my favorite of the names!
I hope you liked this chapter! :D