A quick note. All of my other stories shall be delayed and NOT get updated until I am finished with this story. Have a nice day. -Burrfrost
Chapter 5
Ravenkit curled up beside his new littermate, Softkit, who was now his foster sister, Whitetail, his foster mother, and Boulderfur, his foster father.
Having a family who actually cares about you feels nice, Ravenkit thought with pleasure. Softkit had finally warmed up to him, and it made Ravenkit feel special that his new family cared about him, loved him, would protect him.
"Can't you sleep?" Gingerkit's mew startled him. He forgot that Gingerkit and Graykit still disliked him.
"Shut up," Softkit mumbled, turning over.
Suddenly, excitement fizzed through Ravenkit at the prospect of training with Mapleshade, his StarClan mentor. He squeezed his eyes shut, and willed sleep to come. It did, and swept him away from his body as his spirit rose up to StarClan, ready to train with his StarClan mentor for the night.
"Hello, Ravenkit," Mapleshade's welcoming made Ravenkit feel as if he could remain there forever. He dipped his head as the familiar orange-and-white she-cat padded up to him, and they touched noses like they had known each other for seasons.
"Are you ready to continue your training?" she murmured.
"Yes!" squealed Ravenkit, bouncing up and down. "Let me show you that move you taught me! I'm going to be the best warrior WindClan has ever seen!"
Mapleshade purred. "I'm afraid not, dear," she whispered.
Ravenkit's heart lurched. "W-what do you mean?" he squeaked worriedly.
"I mean," began Mapleshade. "That you're going to be the best leader the Clans have ever seen!" Her mighty mew echoed throughout the forest.
"Now," she mewed. "Show me that move you've been dying to have me see."
Ravenkit nodded, leaping in the air, twisting onto his back and slashing out at a clump of misty moss with his hind claws, slicing it into several tiny pieces. Just before he hit the ground, Ravenkit twisted so all four of his paws were facing the forest floor, and landed feet-first.
Mapleshade's eyes brimmed with joy.
"Excellent!" she beamed. "Already you have the makings of a fine warrior!"
Ravenkit straightened up proudly.
"Your mentor will be so impressed!" Mapleshade yowled proudly. "Soon, you'll have glory, power over all the Clans, and respect!"
Respect. Ravenkit repeated the word in his mind. It sounded better each time he played it in his head.
"Ready to learn a new move?" Mapleshade's words snapped him out of respect land.
"Yes!" Ravenkit chimed.
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"I've never met your sisters, Softkit. How come?" Ravenkit asked his foster sister.
"Meh. They stayed in the elders' den for a while listening to Tornear's stories," Softkit replied smoothly.
"That long? What about milk?"
"They eat prey, now."
"Really?"
Ravenkit and Softkit stopped at a rather large, abandoned badger's den.
"Is this the elders' den?" Ravenkit queried.
Softkit nodded. Together, they padded inside. Ravenkit sneezed as the dust filled his nostrils.
"And so, we fought off those Dark Forest warriors, and made sure they stayed out of they elders' den! Mapleshade was so stubborn..." Tornear began.
Ravenkit stiffened. Did he say Mapleshade? Surely not! Mapleshade was a StarClan warrior, not a Dark Forest warrior! Right?
"Silverhawk and-" Tornear stopped as he and Webfoot looked at the two new kits. Ravenkit looked at the two she-kits; a golden tabby she-kit with a dark gray splotch on her forehead, and a dark red she-kit.
"Webfoot, Tornear, Rosekit, Stormkit," Softkit dipped her head to each cat in turn. "This is Ravenkit. Ravenkit, this is Webfoot, Tornear, Rosekit and Stormkit."
"Uh... hi..." Ravenkit mumbled, shuffling his paws beneath him uncomfortably.
Rosekit rushed up to Ravenkit, her dark blue eyes searching him.
"Hi!" she squeaked, cocking her head to one side as she studied him. "You sure are handsome!"
"Er... thanks..." Ravenkit had never been called 'handsome' by a peer.
Stormkit kneaded the dark soil with her front claws, muttering something Ravenkit couldn't understand.
"Hi," she hissed gruffly.
"What's eating her?" Ravenkit whispered to Rosekit.
"I think she likes you," Rosekit murmured back.
The ground swayed beneath Ravenkit's paws. Was it possible?
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"Ravenkit, come forward," meowed Ashstar. She seemed to have gotten over her grief for Onestar, and had grasped the qualities of a true leader.
"I hereby name you Ravenpaw, apprentice of..." Ashstar's gaze swept over the sea of WindClan cats. "Apprentice of Gorsetail!"
"Ravenpaw! Ravenpaw!" cheered the WindClan cats.
Ravenpaw touched noses with the pale she-cat as he sat beside her, watching the rest of the apprentice ceremony take place.
Rosepaw was apprenticed to Whiskernose, Stormpaw to Sedgewhisker, Softpaw to Furzepelt, Gingerpaw to Emberfoot, and Graypaw to Leaftail.
"I'm so excited!" Rosepaw whispered to Ravenpaw as she sat down beside him. "We'll get a tour of the territory soon!"
Ravenpaw was thrilled about that part, but more thrilled about how he could impress Gorsetail by showing her the moves Mapleshade had taught him.
"Rosepaw!" Whiskernose called to his apprentice.
"Yes?" Rosepaw called back, her dark blue eyes still sparkling with excitement.
"Time for the tour of WindClan territory!"
"I have to go," Rosepaw muttered to Ravenpaw, brushing her muzzle against his. "See you later."
Yeah... thought Ravenpaw dreamily as he gazed after the dark red apprentice. See you later...
Then Ravenpaw stared out across the bleak moorland, realizing that there wasn't much to see except for the never ending grass that stretched out across the vast landscape, whispering in the greenleaf sun as the soft breezes tickled its blades of grass.
"Ravenpaw?" Gorsetail's mew made him jump.
"Yes?" he replied shakily.
"We're going to go on the tour of the territory with Softpaw and Stormpaw, OK?" Gorsetail informed him.
Ravenpaw nodded. His heart wished that Rosepaw could come with them, and his mind just laughed.
How could you be so dumb? His mind cackled. But... but she likes me! Argued his heart. She'll distract you from becoming a great warrior! After a while Ravenpaw noticed that it wasn't his mind speaking, but it was Mapleshade. Her thick, raspy voice still echoed in his mind. She'll distract you from becoming a great warrior!
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"You rabbit-brain!" hissed Mapleshade, her tone sticky with anger. "Remember your promise! You can't go mooning after some fluffy pretty she-cat! She'll drag you away from your top priority!"
StarClan cats weren't supposed to be this cruel! What was wrong with her?!
"My promise was that I'd be loyal to my Clan, and I am!" Ravenpaw spat back at her.
"Yes," Mapleshade echoed. "It was. But like I told you before; forget about what you want, think about what your Clan needs! The Clan is stronger and better than its cats!"
"I'm sorry," Ravenpaw mewed, frightened. "Can we get on with training now?"
Mapleshade's gaze softened. "How impressed was your mentor?" she soothed.
"Crazy impressed!" Ravenpaw beamed. "I already knew half the moves she tried to show me!"
"Ready to learn more?"
"I was born ready!"
Mapleshade stood up on her hind legs, curling her tail around her left hind leg, and slashing out at a tree hollowed with claw-marks with her front claws, then landing back on all fours, uncurling her tail.
"Let me try!" Ravenpaw meowed.
He stood up on his hind legs awkwardly, curling his tail around his left hind leg. Without any balance due to his curled tail, Ravenpaw fell to the floor.
"Why do I have to do that?" he asked.
"Because that way your enemy won't get your tail if they duck under you!" Mapleshade replied. "Now, try again."
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Ravenpaw blinked open his eyes to warm sunlight streaming onto all the apprentices. The soft grass against his pelt made him feel at home. He liked sleeping outside, especially next to Rosepaw.
Next to him, Rosepaw stirred, sitting up beside him.
"Too bad we can't go for a walk until we're warriors," she murmured. "They say apprentices can't go anywhere without a warrior supervising."
"I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we said we were going out to collect moss," Ravenpaw told her sleepily.
"Moss?" Rosepaw echoed. She purred with amusement. "Good luck finding some of that out here."
"Surely there's some at the Moonpool?" Ravenpaw queried.
Rosepaw shook her head.
"Only leaders and medicine cats can go there," she mewed. "Ashstar's orders."
Ravenpaw huffed.
"We can climb the top of the slope that shelters part of the camp," Ravenpaw told her gently.
Rosepaw shrugged. "I guess..." she mumbled.
"Race you!" cried Ravenpaw as he dashed up the tall slope.
Rosepaw smirked as she caught up with him easily.
"I'm WindClan," she reminded him. "I'm faster than you."
Ravenpaw rolled his eyes, straining to rush ahead of her, but Rosepaw had already made it to the top.
Ravenpaw purred loudly, pushing her to the ground and gently clamping his teeth on her neck.
"I killed you!" he hollered playfully.
Rosepaw grinned widely, pushing him off. Then she swung a sheathed paw at his face gently while dodging his next blow.
"You'd never win a battle with me!" she teased.
"I already killed you," taunted Ravenpaw.
"I wasn't ready!" Rosepaw protested.
"Doesn't matter!" Ravenpaw meowed. "A warrior is always prepared for anything!"
Rosepaw rolled her dark blue eyes, sitting beside Ravenpaw as together they gazed out at the milky-yellow dawn sky.
"I think we should go," mewed Ravenpaw after a while.
Rosepaw nodded, racing back down the slope, and Ravenpaw followed, feeling the wind buffet his fur.
As soon as they got down there, the rest of the camp began stirring awake.
"Ravenpaw." Gorsetail dipped her head as she padded up to her apprentice. "Ready for some new hunting and battle moves?"
Ravenpaw nodded eagerly, flexing his claws beneath him.
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Ravenpaw yawned, stretching his limbs as he curled up beside Rosepaw. He felt her shift in her sleep so they were both facing each other, their noses touching. With a content sigh, Ravenpaw drifted into sleep.
"I told you, a mate is going to distract you!" hissed Mapleshade.
Ravenpaw shuffled his paws beneath him.
"But," he protested. "Kits grow into warriors, and warriors help the Clan."
A soft growl rose in the back of Mapleshade's throat.
"Worry about mates after you become leader and fulfill your destiny!" she spat. She began to curl her lip, showing sharp, yellow teeth, but obviously thought better of it.
"I'm sorry, dear," she purred smoothly. "I just have a bad temper sometimes."
Ravenpaw nodded in reply.
"Anyway," Mapleshade circled him. "I've realized you have warmed up to nearly every cat in the Clan."
Ravenpaw huffed. "Every cat except Gingerpaw and Graypaw," he retorted bitterly.
"That's because they're jealous of you," Mapleshade soothed. "All cats are jealous of a cat in which is obvious has a great destiny ahead of them."
"I guess you're right," mewed Ravenpaw.
Mapleshade froze.
"What?" Ravenpaw asked, worry rising in him.
"Get down!" hissed Mapleshade.
Ravenpaw plunged into a thick patch of dark green leaves, dampened with misty dew. He watched as a mottled gray tom and a pale gray tabby tom padded up to Mapleshade.
"Where's your new pupil?" the pale gray tom asked Mapleshade.
"None of your business, Silverhawk," Mapleshade replied flatly.
"Tell us," hissed the mottled gray tom.
"Go away," spat Mapleshade.
"Make us," taunted Silverhawk.
Ravenpaw closed his eyes, willing sleep to come, and it did as it swept him away.
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"Ravenpaw," whispered Rosepaw. Ravenpaw stretched in the soft grass, yawning.
"Why are you covered in scratches?"
Ravenpaw looked down at his body and noticed scratches and scars as blood dripped out of them from his nighttime training with Mapleshade.
"Maybe a fox attacked me in my sleep," he joked. Rosepaw was not amused.
Suddenly a sharp pang in Ravenpaw's tail made him shudder. He looked down at it, and saw a long scar stretching across it from the end to the start.
"It'll fade away," he promised Rosepaw.
"One other thing," Rosepaw muttered uncomfortably, shifting her dark red paws beneath her. "I need to talk to you about it somewhere else."
Ravenpaw followed his mate to the top of the slope, where Rosepaw gazed forlornly at the brightening dawn sky, the wind buffeting her fur.
"What is it?" Ravenpaw inquired.
Rosepaw took a deep breath. "I'm expecting kits," she meowed unsteadily.
Ravenpaw let out a gasp.
"Kits?!" he gaped.
Rosepaw nodded. "I am truly expecting kits," she repeated.
Ravenpaw gazed down at her belly, which was partially swollen with kits, but just ever so slightly that you'd have to look very closely. So it was true. Rosepaw was expecting Ravenpaw's kits!