YES! GO OPEN OFFICE! XD
Finally I can update more often. But not as often as I used to.
Cinderstar: We don't own warriors. But she author, Ja-
Snowstar: Shh! We aren't supposed to say the author's name!
Cinderstar: B-but?
Snowstar: Just tell her happy belated birthday and read the story!
Who's the POV...? Oh, yeah- still Amberpaw's POV
Fur brushing the bramble screen, Amberpaw crept out of the medicine cat den, following her mentor.
"I hope I get to see Gorgeleap," she whispered to Grasslace.
"Yes, me too," the old medicine cat replied. "I wonder how Riverclan is doing."
Amberpaw nodded. "But I hope Windclan doesn't come."
Grasslace led the way out of the thorn tunnel and the trail to the river, where the Shadowclan medicine cat was waiting.
"Hello, Amberpaw- I take it you are Grasslace's new apprentice? She hinted that she had her eyes on another." Wildgarlic croaked. Amberpaw noticed how stiff his mucles were.
He shouldn't have to trek all of the way to the Moonpool, Amberpaw thought worriedly. She knew that comfrey would help ease the ache in his bones but it didn't seem like Wildgarlic knew.
"Yeah, a few days after the last half-moon Grasslace asked me. I've always wanted to be a medicine cat but I didn't want to take Grasslace's position away from her- or Gorgeleap's." Amberpaw replied.
Later her mentor started talking to Wildgarlic.
"It was a shame our clans had to fight," Grasslace put in. "Any injuries?"
"None, though Amberrain fought in the battle... and she had her kits a little later." Wildgarlic's tone was full of worry.
Grasslace gasped. "That's terrible!...but wonderful news of the kit's birth. What are their names?"
As Wildgarlic told the names of the kits, Amberpaw kept her ears pricked for Gorgeleap.
"...Shadekit and Maplekit are fine but Rosekit was stillborn," she heard Wildgarlic mew. "Amberrain wasn't very happy about that."
Then some bushes rustle and Gorgeleap emerged. His eyes lit in surprise when he saw Amberpaw. "Your Grasslace's apprentice!"
Amberpaw nodded nervously. "I-I always wanted to be her apprentice and a-after you left she asked m-me..."
"It's okay. I always saw you trying to help out Grasslace as a kit, and I never expected you to be a great warrior- no offense."
Amberpaw, now calmer and happier, chatted with her old clanmate as they wound up the steep path that led to the Moonpool. At the very end, at the pool, Sunear of Windclan padded from a thorn bush.
"I'm here," she announced. All of the other medicine cats stared at her.
"What?" Sunear muttered. "I was just saying."
All of them dipped their noses to the pool and Amberpaw felt herself falling into a deep sleep.
Amberpaw was racing through Starclan's forest until she was next to a huge oak in a large clearing sorrounded by bushes. Peering through a small clump of bracken she watched as a tortoiseshell she-cat and a brown tom walked out from behind the oak.
"Yeah, so I said to my sister, 'get out of here' and she raced off with her tail between her legs!" the tom, about apprentice age, boasted. The tortoiseshell purred and replied, "What did you do then?"
"Well, I raced on and turned a corner and- wait! Shh!" the brown apprentice hissed. He dragged the she-cat behind some bushes just as another tom, apprentice age, entered.
"Sister! I know you are here!" the new tom growled. "You can't fool me!"
After a while of calling out, and the two others not answering, Amberpaw watched the cat frown and leave.
"Wow! That was close!" the tortoiseshell gasped.
"Yeah...very!" her companion mewed, eyes wide. "I thought you said no one followed you!"
"I guess I was wrong... I better get going now." The she-cat dipped her head to her friend and ran out of the clearing, the same way as the nosy tom.
"Bye!" The apprentice called out.
"Bye, Rockpaw- see you in a quarter moon."
Amberpaw gasped. That brown tom was Rockpaw... but who were the other apprentices?
Just as she looked closely at the she-cat's pelt, darkness slammed down on her... and she woke up.
Amberpaw growled in frustration. She was just about to see who the she-cat was!
Looking at her mentor, she saw that the other medicine cats were waking up. She quickly put a happy smile on her face to show that nothing was wrong.
Sunear was the first up, glaring at Amberpaw as she did.
"I'll never forgive you for escaping us... and striking up an alliance with Riverclan!" the Windclan she-cat growled. "Mouse-heart!"
Amberpaw blinked. "We didn't make an alliance." She knew she had to lie to her enemy.
"We actaully fought them a quarter moon ago, right after Shadowclan," she gushed. "And now Gorgeleap is a little hostile!"
Sunear's whiskers twitched. "Nice to have three enemy's, isn't it?" she sneered.
Amberpaw's face grew hot in anger, but inside she was cheering. Sunear had believed her!
Then Grasslace yawned and stood up, looking at the dawn sky. Amberpaw realized she didn't know Sunear and Amberpaw were up. Turning her head, she jumped in surprise.
"Ah! You two are awake!" the old Thunderclan she-cat rasped.
"Yeah... just n-now we did." Amberpaw stuttered. Beside her, Sundear's eyes sparkled in an evil happiness.
"I'll be on my way now," she mewed. "Good bye, for now." The Windclan cat's long fluffy tail wished through the ferns as she left.
Gorgeleap and Wildgarlic also left, leaving only the two.
Amberpaw felt nervous about what she had said to Sunear. Why had she lied to her again?
"Did you have a bad dream?" Grasslace asked her, misinterpreting Amberpaw's miserable frown.
"Huh? Oh-no! I'm just thinking about-" Amberpaw struggled to think of an excuse- "Wildgarlic's news about the kits."
Grasslace dipped her head. "Yes, the news about the kits is very sad, but at least Amberrain has two kits that are alive... just remember, the warrior code and medicine code forbids you for having a mate. Or kits."
"I know!" Amberpaw flashed back. "There is no one I'd even like- I never wanted romance in my life."
"Good."
Lilypaw's POV
Lilypaw shot a wary glance at Raventooth and Brighttail. Both were sleeping in their nests still, side by side. Lilypaw was supposed to be cleaning out the warrior's den.
I hate cleaning out dens! She thought. It's so boring.
Once she had cleaned out most of the nests, she quickly gulped down a mouse and then was called out for a hunting patrol.
Just an ordinary day... I guess. Lilypaw, Robinfoot, and Mudwing all caught two pieces of prey- Lilypaw with a mouse and a vole.
When they got back to camp Lilypaw saw Heatherfang stretching out her legs.
"Why are you out of the nursery?" she asked.
"Well- my kits' eyes finally opened. Skykit has blue, Blizzardkit has blue, and Sandkit has...green." Heatherfang recalled. "I love Skykit's eyes..."
Lilypaw smiled. "So now your going hunting?" she asked, remembering what Hoppaw had told her of what the queen/deputy had said.
"Yep! Right now. Want to go with me?"
Lilypaw purred. "Sorry, I just went and I'm tired...maybe later... but Firepaw's itching to go out."
Just then, Amberpaw and Grasslace padded into camp through the thorn tunnel, Firepaw waiting for them.
"Lucky! You got to go out..!"
"See what I mean?" Lilypaw asked. Heatherfang nodded. "I'll go with him and... Raventooth. He needs to get up, as it's way after sunhigh."
Lilypaw said goodbye and left to the fresh kill pile. Picking up Robinfoot's squirrel that the young warrior had caught, she dragged it near the apprentice den where Jumppaw was sitting.
"Want to share?" she offered.
Jumppaw shook his head. "No, sorry. I just ate a vole."
Lilypaw frowned. "Okay..."
Gulping down a mouse instead, Lilypaw trotted to the leader's den.
Yellowstar was sitting on the high ledge, looking down at the camp. As Lilypaw approached him the Thunderclan leader raised his head to stare at her.
"Hi Yellowstar, when will we train?" she asked her mentor.
"How about at sunset... I can asses your night hunting and tracking. Meet me in the training clearing at that time, if not sooner. Okay?" Yellowstar meowed.
"Sure." Lilypaw nodded. "I'll see you at sunset." She then turned and climbed down the tumble of rocks to the apprentice den. She didn't have much to look forward to... but at least there would be night training with her and Yellowstar.
Later
"Your early." Yellowstar's surprised mew was the first sound Lilypaw heard other than herself as she took the winding trail out of camp and into the training clearing. Even though he was surprised, she wasn't because she had already scented him.
Plus Yellowstar was always early.
"Yeah, I wanted to come early so we could get training done," she replied. Above her, the dying sun started to disappear through the trees and over the mountains. Dusk was coming fast.
"Now, you will be hunting alone, in the night, trying to catch prey while I watch you. But you wont know I'm there... this will be similar to your final assessment to become a warrior."
Lilypaw nodded. "Is anyone else coming?" she asked.
Her mentor shook his head. "On your assessment, yes, but tonight- no. This is solo hunting... skills a warrior should always have." Pausing, he looked at the now dark sky. "You may begin."
Lilypaw raced off into the woods, her heart beating in excitement. If she could pass this, she could pass her warrior assessment!
She stopped at the edge of the Shadowclan border, sniffing for prey. No such luck- most of the squirrels, voles, rabbits, and mice that usually roosted around here must still be frightened off by the last battle with Shadowclan.
Trekking to the Abandoned Twoleg Nest, she quickly sought out a black bird. After burring it, she saw a small mouse slowly moving to it's hole.
Quick as a hare, Lilypaw raced to it and slammed her paws on earth right before it. Then she bit the mouse's neck. Squealing, the mouse died.
At the end of the night, Lilypaw had caught the black bird, the small mouse, and the vole. As she picked up the blackbird, Yellowstar padded out of some bushes.
"I saw you go to the Shadowclan border and instead go here... good choice, Lilypaw," Yellowstar purred. "Lets go back to camp- I'll carry the vole."
Smiling, Lilypaw followed the Thunderclan leader to camp, proudly carrying her catch. As she entered her home, she saw that most cats had gone to their nests.
Not much cats to see my cats, she thought, but as she set her prey on the fresh-kill pile Firepaw bounded over to her. "Great catch!"" He exclaimed.
"Thanks," Lilypaw replied. "I also caught the little mouse and the vole... by the Twoleg nest."
"The Twoleg nest is easy to catch prey cat", Firepaw pointed out. "Though I suppose you deserve praise."
Lilypaw bit her tongue, about to retort. Her brother had no right to chew her out like that! But she didn't respond, because then they'd end up fighting and disturb several warrior's sleep.
To her relief, Yellowstar stepped in. "Firepaw, Lilypaw did very well. Don't critisize her because you only caught a frog today."
Then he glanced at Lilypaw. "Firepaw, tell your sister she's sorry."
Firepaw mumbled, "Um, sorry sis..." which was as much as Lilypaw- or even Yellowstar- could get out of him. Firepaw wasn't one for apologies.
"It's okay!" Lilypaw tried to say as brightly as she could but almost failed as Firepaw met her eyes strangely. Then Lilypaw hurried off to bed.
The Next Day
Lilypaw was in a sun-high border patrol with Mudwing, Fuzzyfoot, and Thornfoot the next day, near the Windclan border.
Mudwing had just came back from marking a skinny birch when Robinfoot, Brighttail, and Jumppaw- the hunting patrol at that time- burst through some bushes.
"It's Windclan! They crossed the border and are killing prey!" Brighttail gasped when she saw the patrol. "Gracepaw is tracking them currently."
"Gracepaw?" Lilypaw mewed. "Is she okay?"
Brighttiall met her gaze. "I'm sure she'll be fine." Lilypaw's mother frowned. "...I guess."
"We better chase them off," Fuzzyfoot suggested, sharing a glance with Thornfoot. His brother nodded. "Yeah, Windclan shouldn't be hunting on our territory- our land!"
"We'll go" was all Mudwing said as he led his patrol through the forest and to where Brighttail instructed.
"Stop!" the tortoiseshell hissed. Mudwing silenced his patrol just in time as Graystreak, Sparrowpaw, and three Windclan warriors crept through the undergrowth, pelts brushing against brambles and tails hitting the trees.
"This is stupid," Sparrowpaw complained. "When I become a warrior I'll never try to hunt here!"
Lilypaw stiffened. When she becomes a warrior she will never hunt here... their invading our territory!
Looking at Mudwing and Brighttail, she saw that they had also come to the same conclusion. Her mother's eyes were wide with terror and Mudwing's fur was bushing up in shock.
Then Lilypaw noticed a dark shape in the trees. Gracepaw!
The tortoiseshell she-cat waved her tail at Lilypaw in a way Lilypaw had been taught that meant, Attack! Lilypaw poked Brighttail and showed her.
Nodding, the tortoiseshell warrior flew out of the bushes and ran at the Windclan warrior. Mudwing and Robinfoot streamed after her, flanking the she-cat, while Lilypaw and Jumppaw trailed behind. The rest of the patrol followed swiftly.
Screeching, Graystreak leaped onto Mudwing and the two slammed to the ground, fighting. Lilypaw and Jumppaw took a warrior Lilypaw recognized as Crosstail. Robinfoot slammed into Runningclaw and Brighttail fought Whitefoot.
Just as Lilypaw thought that Thunderclan would win- the did out number the Windclan warriors- a yowl sounded and Vinestar ran into the clearing with Icepaw and several cats Lilypaw didn't recognize.
"Hello, Thunderclan cats. By sunset all of you fighting here will be dead unless you join with my clan! We've already raided Riverclan!" Vinestar announced.
Lilypaw stared in horror as the leader continued. "Icepaw became Icestreak... but that isn't important right now. What is important is that if my new warriors would like to show their true loyalty, attack now!"
As Lilypaw watched all of the new warriors race at her, she knew she was dead.
Cliffy?
Nukeman and anyone else who sent in a Windclan warrior or rouge are about to see their cats apprear... thanks for the OC's!
Cinderstar: Was that enough of a cliff hanger for you guys?
Snowstar: It could be... but that doesn't matter. What does matter is that sometime in August I'm going to be three years old!...as in, she created me three years ago...
Cinderstar: Happy Birthday!
Snowstar: Mousebrain! It isn't even August yet!
Author: Expect me to update sooner... sooo yeah...