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Silverpaw looked down at the kit scowling at him.
It was the morning after Stormpaw's incident with the fox, and the apprentice was still unconscious. Ravenstrike's kits naturally were shocked that their invincible idol was hurt so badly.
"How come you're fine, yet Stormpaw's leg is broken?" Grasskit turned his nose up suspiciously. Silverpaw's whiskers twitched.
"I've already told you. He fought the fox for longer," Silverpaw tried as hard as he could to stay patient. Shadekit glared unbelievingly at him, while Swankit scoffed beside her sister. "There's no way a cat as weak as you would still be alive if Stormpaw'shurt."
A snarl sounded from across camp.
"The kit's right. Doesn't it seem odd that the runt comes back perfectly fine, yet my son is half dead? Stars, Stormpaw isn't even awake yet!" Wolfstorm lashed his tail.
"Yeah, how do we know that he isn't lying?" Moontail piped up. The clan began to murmur amongst themselves.
Silverpaw's stomach lurched. This couldn't be right! Panic flooded throughout his body.
To his surprise, Hailbreeze emerged from the warrior's den, an angry frown on his face.
"Why would Silverpaw want to harm a fellow apprentice?" He hissed, arching his back. Wolfstorm tilted his head up arrogantly.
"For one, why wouldn't he?" The dark grey tom reasoned silkily. "Stormpaw's always been the stronger apprentice. It's plausible that your apprentice did it out of jealousy."
"If Silverpaw wanted to kill Stormpaw, then why would he rush back to camp instead of just leaving him to die? Also, how would you explain the fox scent on him?" Aspenpaw padded up to stand beside Silverpaw. He was extremely grateful for her support.
"How do you know that he didn't just use fox-dung to cover up his scent?"
Blackfrost walked up and shoved his face into the older warrior's, bushing up grey fur that was lighter than Aspenpaw's, but darker than Silverpaw's.
"Listen, that's just plain mousebrained. I heard Stormpaw's yowl too, but wasn't close enough to get to him. By the time I got back to camp, Silverpaw was on his way too."
"So you're saying that you couldn't go help my son? That sounds awfully traitorous to abandon a clanmate like that. You should still be an apprentice, so you have no right to speak that way to a warrior!"
Blackfrost trembled in fury and crouched down, preparing to pounce on the tom.
"Stop!"
Redtalon's commanding yowl sounded from the top of Highrock. He swept his scorching yellow gaze over the quarrelling cats. "We are in the midst of a war.ThunderClan does not need its warriors fighting amongst themselves," The dark ginger tom helped Sleetstar up onto the boulder.
"Our leader has a ceremony to perform."
"Seedpaw, step forward." The grey she-cat with darker flecks strode forward, eyes glinting with long-awaited relief. Silverpaw, admittedly, shared her relief. The faster that the quick tempered she-cat was in the warrior's den, the better. Seedpaw despised him almost as much as Stormpaw, and had loved to see hi humiliated.
"I, Sleetstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." The white tom's voice shook with frailty, and Silverpaw vaguely recalled a time not too long ago when Sleetstar's booming yowl had brought attention to his clan.
"Seedpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Seedpaw's blue eyes shined with apprehension.
"I do."
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Seedpaw, from this moment you will be known as Seedpelt. StarClan honours your independence and dedication, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." The old tom rested his muzzle on Seedpelt's head, while she ducked to lick his shoulder.
"Step forth, Meadowpaw."
"I, Sleetstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn."
"Meadowpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Meadowpaw hesitated for a moment before responding.
"I do."
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Meadowpaw, from this moment you will be known as Meadowstream. StarClan honours your patience and honesty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."
Meadowstream licked Sleetstar's shoulder, then stepped back.
"Seedpelt! Meadowstream! Seedpelt! Meadowstream!" Silverpaw called both their names to the sky. He hadn't known Meadowstream particularly well, but she was polite, dipping her head whenever she saw him.
"As according to custom, new warriors must keep silent vigil over camp tonight, while their clanmates sleep." Sleetstar coughed quietly before continuing. "Due to the threat of ShadowClan invasion, I have decided that ThunderClan's younger warriors will have to practice with senior warriors that have apprentices. They mustn't believe that warriorship is the end of their training!"
Cries of approval rang out. Silverpaw uneasily shifted his paws as he realized that Hailbreeze was one of the most experienced warriors, meaning that he was likely going to have to train younger warriors.
Silverpaw sat still as the cats went about their daily tasks around him. Hailbreeze was padding toward the leader's den.Going to talk to Sleetstar.
Silverpaw turned his head at the sound of high-pitched growls coming from the nursery. The kits were wrestling happily, mock snarling and bushing out their fur. Silverpaw purred as he saw Shadekit attempt to perform a slash-and-roll on Lightkit, but miss by an entire tail length.
Silverpaw closed his eyes.
"Hey, what's his problem?" Silverkit seethed as Talonpaw roughly pushed him aside. Flamekit shrugged.
"He said I was as dumb as a squirrel yesterday," The ginger and white tabby kit squeaked indignantly. "I'm not."
"You're not." Silverkit's eyes glinted mischeviously."You're dumber."
"Am not!"
"Am too!"
Lightkit's eyes brightened as he saw Silverpaw, shaking the dust from his pelt. "Silverpaw! Can you play with us?" Grasskit scoffed quietly. "We don't need a weakling teaching us! It's not as if he's any good at battle moves."
Silverpaw's ears swiveled forward. "Battle moves aren't the most important things to being an apprentice." Swankit looked unconvinced.
"If it isn't, what is?' Silverpaw padded up to them.
"What use is knowing battle moves if you can't jump high enough to reach the enemy? What if you aren't strong enough?" Shadekit furrowed his brow, then his eyes cleared and the black kit cocked his head. "He's right. How can we train?"
"Well," Silverpaw pushed a couple of sparrow sized rocks to one side of camp. "Let's play a game. Whoever can push their rock to the other side of camp gets a badger ride!" Shadekit, Lightkit, and Swankit bounded to their rocks. Shadekit puffed his chest and walked up to the biggest one. "I'm the strongest, I'll do it!"
Grasskit stood, narrowing his eyes. Swankit stood questioningly by the pebble.
"Aren't you going to play with us, Grasskit?" The brown-grey tabby tom snorted and wrinkled his nose. "That sounds dumb. I'm going to practice battle moves."
"Suit yourself, killjoy. Don't be regret it later, 'cause I'm gonna be stronger than you!" Shadekit bounced enthusiastically. "As if." The tabby kit scoffed and walked away.
Silverpaw frowned. It seemed like Stormpaw's personality had rubbed off onto the moon and a half old kit.
"Ready." The three kits lined up beside their rocks. Lightkit braced his shoulder against his, eyes bright with excitement, while Swankit rested her dainty white paws on the smooth stone, preparing to roll it. Shadekit was going for a completely different approach, back pressed to the rock, seemingly going to push on it with only brute strength.
"Set." Lightkit dug his back paws into to earth to steady himself.
"Go!"
The kits heaved on their rocks. Swankit's rolling technique seemed to work best, as she was halfway across camp by the time Shadekit and Lightkit had pushed it a tail-length. Lightkit's eyes widened in dismay, and the cream tabby tom pushed even harder.
Swankit's rock was caught on a pebble sticking out of the ground, and she had to stop in her rolling to assess the way she would get it free. This gave time for her two brothers to catch up. Shadekit grunted in determination as he backed up, forcing the rock with his back.
"This is hard work!" Lightkit exclaimed, jumping in front of his rock and beginning to pull it instead of push.
Silverpaw purred. "Being a warrior is hard work. Does that mean you'll give up?" Lightkit shook his head fiercely.
The three kits all reached the edge of camp within a heartbeat of each other. "Who won?" Swankit asked, eyes hopeful. Silverpaw grinned. "All of you." With that, the pale grey tabby tom growled like a badger and threw the kits one by one onto his back.
"Hold on tight!" Silverpaw stomped around camp, making sure that each step was elaborately heavy so that the kits were shaken like burrs in a wind. They squealed in glee and clung to his fur with thorn-sharp claws. Silverpaw ran faster and grumbled. "Brave ThunderClan warriors, no match for Dirt-face!" He noticed Grasskit sitting, eyes narrowed, alone, by the nursery.
"There's room for one more," Silverpaw offered, but Grasskit turned away. "Badger rides are for kits!" You are a kit, Silverpaw wanted to point out, but kept his mouth shut.
He went for another lap, whilst the kits were giggling.
Silverpaw saw Flamepaw standing dejectedly by the edge of camp.
"That's enough for today, kits," Silverpaw mewed, carefully lowering the kits off his back.
Shadekit looked crestfallen. "Aww, just one more ride? Please?" Silverpaw smiled and shook his head. Swankit hesitantly padded to Silverpaw. "I'm sorry for insulting you earlier, Silverpaw," The white splotched kit licked her chest fur quickly.
"It's alright, I never took any offense," Silverpaw flicked the she-kit with his tail tip. "How about you try to fight your other brother now? I'm sure that you can beat him!" Swankit nodded and led her brothers to where Grasskit was sulking.
"See, he's not thatbad," Lightkit caught up with his sister.
And now it's time to talk to mine. Silverpaw trotted over to Flamepaw. She hung her head. Before Silverpaw could even open his mouth, Flamepaw spoke.
"I know that you've come to say 'I told you so'. Don't even bother," She mewed sharply, dark green eyes flashing. Silverpaw nudged his sister gently. "You know I would never say that!"
He continued, waving his tail. "Pinespring says that Stormpaw won't be out of the medicine cat's den for at least two whole moons." Flamepaw raised an eyebrow.
"So? How does that affect anything? He still doesn't like me," Frustrated, Flamepaw plopped back down.
"It's the best way to get back at him. Think about it: If we became warriors before Stormpaw and Rainpaw, wouldn't they realize that they haven't affected our abilities?" Flamepaw straightened up. "They would realize all of the things they've done to try and break us were useless, right?"
Silverpaw's mind flashed to a small bit of information that he had not told Flamepaw.
Had not planned to tell her.
But, at that moment, felt compelled that the ginger and white apprentice had to know.
"I have to tell you something- but first, promise me that you won't get mad," Silverpaw stared into Flamepaw's fiery green gaze. "Sure."
"The other day-I heard- I heard Talonpaw talking to Rainpaw and Stormpaw about you. He suggested that- that Stormpaw should lead you on and reject you as soon as you told him how you feel." The coldness in Flamepaw's eyes surprised Silverpaw. "What?"
"To top it off, Stormpaw seemed to think that it was a good idea," Silverpaw shifted his paws uneasily. "You promised you wouldn't be mad," He added. Flamepaw lashed her tail, but said nothing more.
"Silverpaw!" Silverpaw turned to see his mentor padding out of the leader's den. "There's no time for gossip, we must get to work." Glancing back at Flamepaw for one last moment, Silverpaw sighed and padded over to his mentor.
"You didn't complete my challenge, did you?" Hailbreeze narrowed his eyes. Silverpaw gasped.
"My prey! I buried it back there. I can go get it." Hailbreeze waved his tail in dismissal. "Leave it. They're probably crowfood by now." Silverpaw's ears drooped. All that work for nothing!
"I did catch them, though," Silverpaw peered up at his mentor's imposing figure. Hailbreeze's whiskers twitched.
"You didn't catch the jay." Seeing Silverpaw's expression, he added, "I saw where you had buried the prey. But I wanted you to feel the pride of feeding your clan by bringing it back yourself. You didn't attempt to try and find a jay." The sooty grey tom's pelt rippled. "Why didn't you?"
Silverpaw unsheathed his claws, feeling them prick into the ground. "Er, I was fighting a fox," He suggested. Hailbreeze shook his head.
"That's not an excuse." Silverpaw almost yowled in opposition. What did he mean by fighting a fox wasn't an excuse? How could he have possibly gone to catch a jay after he dragged Stormpaw back to camp?
"I was never trying to test your hunting skills, Silverpaw, but you're willingness to go on. What would happen after a battle, when all of the warriors and apprentices were injured?"
Understanding flared through Silverpaw's mind. "They have to go on, to hunt for their clan even if they were tired and hurt." Hailbreeze nodded.
"Precisely. And that, my apprentice, is why you'll be catching a vole, two shrews, a blackbird, and a jay by the beginning of dusk."
…
"Youdungbrain!How could've you not caught that?" Moontail's mew was hot with rage.
"If you weren't going to catch it, you could've at least moved out of my way so I could!"
Flamepaw stared at her mentor, stricken. I've done it again! Why do I always get it wrong? "I'm sorry!"
Moontail glared at her. "'Sorry' catches no prey! How many times have I told you?" Flamepaw struggled to suppress the wave of anger rising up in her chest. Once again, she had to restrain it, keeping it buried deep. "StarClan, I said I was sorry already!"
"You do not speak to your mentor that way!" The blue-grey she cat snarled. Flamepaw lashed her tail, feeling a rush of boldness. "Why shouldn't I? It's your duty to teach, not criticise and do nothing else," She spat, hackles rising. Moontail huffed and sat back down.
"Your entire family-kit-killers and mate-stealers. Why do I get the stupid apprentice who, for StarClan's sake, can't even catch a mouse leaping into her jaws?" Moontail raised her paw and swatted Flamepaw's cheek. Blood dripped out of the wound, and Flamepaw seethed, no longer trying to hide her anger. After enduring moons of abuse, she was not going to stand another moment of it. Growling, Flamepaw leapt over Moontail, raking sharp claws down her back before landing and turning back to face the unhinged she-cat.
"Y-you monster!" Moontail sprang at her apprentice.
"Stop!"
Flamepaw opened her eyes. Moontail lay in a crumpled heap on the ground, Silverpaw standing over her. The she-cat snarled and struggled to her paws to face Flamepaw's brother. Silverpaw met her scorching gaze evenly.
"I said stop! You are dismissed." Hailbreeze commanded. Moontail hissed. "Why should I listen to you? Who died and made you leader?"
Hailbreeze turned his flint like eyes to Moontail. "As your senior, I have the right to tell you to stop hurting your apprentice. You may go back to camp now." Without another word, Hailbreeze led Flamepaw and Silverpaw away, leaving the disheveled blue-grey she-cat in the dust.
They reached the Sandy Hollow, and Hailbreeze turned around. "Show me your hunting crouch."
Feeling painstakingly awkward, Flamepaw dropped flat onto the ground, spreading her paws as evenly as she could. She had not been taught properly by Moontail, and had to figure out herself by watching her fellow apprentices.
Hailbreeze studied her disapprovingly, motioning with his tail. Silverpaw padded up, pale blue eyes kind. "Gather up your crouch so that the weight is on your haunches." He pushed her leg so that it was bunched up against her side. "Hold your tail out so that it's directly behind you."
Flamepaw watched her light tabby brother for a few moments. When had he gotten so confident? With guilt, she remembered that she had barely talked to him for the past moon. All because of a stupid, arrogant tom!
Where was the quiet kit, the kit that had tried so hard to prove himself to their father? Silverpaw had watched from the shadows as Flamepaw was trained by Redtalon with pride in his eyes. Flamepaw knew that their father cared about Silverpaw. If he didn't, why did he shoot such proud, loving glances when Silverpaw hadn't been looking?
In his place was a steadfast tom who was unafraid to speak exactly how he felt, yet was kind enough to understand when someone needed a bit of encouragement.
And Flamepaw was proud that he was her brother.
Aww, how sweet! XD
QOTD: What do you think about Moontail? Or should I say, Moonytail!