I race toward my sister and her attacker, but a big gold shape attacks them first. I'm shocked when I realize this is Hawkpaw, because I saw him with another cat not long ago.
He bowls over the other cat with his paw, smacking them in their jaw. He says something to Mosspaw I don't catch, but she nods, and scrambles out of the way.
I watch him with the other cat for a while.
Seeing the vicious look in his eyes, plus knowing how he is when he isn't in battle-mode, I would not want to fight him. Well, that and he's much bigger than I am.
"Aren't you going to fight like a warrior, kittypet!" A voice hisses in my ear, and I don't have time to react before they swipe my back legs under me. They flip me over, front claws digging into my soft shoulders, and one back leg pinning both of mine beneath it. They're sandy grey, and have amber eyes, I note.
"You can't be more than six moons old, tiny little kittypet." They sneer, and I hiss and them. My temper getting the better of me, I struggle beneath them, though I was in this exact situation, pinned, not long ago. They insult me a few more times, and I've worn myself out from trying to break free when I suppose they tire of teasing me, because they start clawing at my shoulders more.
I yowl in pain, and warm blood oozes from the cuts, running down my shoulders in little rivlets. They half-laugh-half-hiss at me, and use their free hind leg to scrape the top of one of my hind legs.
"Prepare to die, kittypet." They hiss in my ear, and I shut my ears, hoping it's quick, and that at least my brothers and sisters will do something helpful with their lives.
No, Hazelpaw. You must live to fulfill your prophecy. A strange voice whispers through my ear. Take my strength, and help your clan win this battle.
A hot wave of renewed energy flows through me, and I shove off my attacker. I slash at their nose, then their ear, and blood washes down their face and they are blinded. I dive under them on my back, and kick upward with all the strength I have. They collapse on me, but I shove them off with my hind feet.
"I'm not a kittypet! I'm going to be a great warrior!" I yell, and they scamper away to a thick fern-covered den. I stand for a minute, reveling in self-pride.
A tiny claw hits my leg, and I whip around, back in defense mode, but are faced instead by a tiny, smaller than me, blue-grey she-cat with bright red spots looking up at me with wide green eyes.
"P-please don't hurt me! I-I'm just an apprentice! Please, I need help!" She says quietly, pleadingly.
"Oh, okay. I'm an apprentice too. Help?" I say, equally as soft.
"You're an apprentice? You fought off Sandtail so well though!" She says, and her fur flattens a little. "Yes. I need your help, please let me join Sunclan. My clanmates, they're... horrible" She murmurs, shaking a little.
"Well, I'll have to ask Tunnelstar when the battle is over. I have to help my clan right now though. I'm sorry. I'll find you after, okay?"
She nods, and wriggles off into a small hole to another den.
I seek out Mosspaw again, and she is struggling with a dark brown cat, probably an apprentice. I jump onto his back, clawing at his sides, and he hisses, rears, and lands on me before I have time to get off. All the air rushes out of my lungs, and I see black stars everywhere for a moment. The tabby is hauled off of me by Nightpaw, who promptly claws at the tabby's face viciously.
"Nightpaw! Enough! Don't blind him, he's just an apprentice!" I hiss through my teeth. He tosses a glare at me, while holding down the poor tabby.
"He hurt you!" He hisses back, pummeling the tabby's stomach with his claws unsheathed. I swallow nervously, and nudge Nightpaw off of the tabby.
"Nightpaw you can't kill him! Then you'll be just as bad as them!" I hiss, not understanding how he could be so cruel.
But suddenly I'm hit with a memory.
A rainy day in the nursery. It was gloomy all day, thunder and lightning. Ivyfeather said it was an uncommonly rough common new-leaf rain storm. We all sat anxiously in the den, wanting the rain to go away so we could go play. I slept on and off the whole day, and it was probably a little after sunset when I heard a loud mewl.
I jerked up, and found Nightkit pinning Blossomkit beneath him, laughing at her feeble attempts to throw him off.
"C'mon Nightkit I'm not having fun anymore. You're too heavy!" She squeaks. He just laughs again, and pummels her belly with his paws. She squeals again, and starts to cry.
"Oh stop being such a kit! I'm playing! You said you wanted me to teach you to be a strong warrior! Well, strong warriors don't cry, you little weakling!" He spits. She's still crying. "Fine." He growls, and lets her go. "You better not tell anyone about this. Or else I'll never help you be a warrior ever again." He threatens, and she nods, then goes to curl up beside her mother.
I quickly return to my place in the curve of Ivyfeather's belly, and soon Nightkit lays beside me, falling asleep quickly.
A loud yowl brings me to the end of my memory, leaving me shuddering.
"Sunclan! Halt your fighting!" Tunnelstar. I quickly lock onto his light brown, but now stained criss-crossidly with blood and cuts, pelt.
The Sunclan cats seem to shift to his side, the side to the entrance of the camp, while the Moonclan cats huddle by a silver and black cat in the rear of their camp.
"Now, Shardstar, we are going to show you mercy and let you keep some of your dignity, instead of beating you into crowfood. We're leaving, but I think it's clear who won this battle, and that you're going to renounce your silly claim to our territory." His voice rings clear and proud, laced with threats. He stands tall, And I survey the other clan versus us, and it is clear that we won.
The Moonclan cats were battered and bloody, maybe of them laying down in pools of pine needles and blood and dirt. I suddenly thought of the small blue-grey apprentice, and search for her. I don't see her, but I assume she'll find me quickly enough. I hope.
Tunnelstar tips his tail, and warriors start to leave the tunnel. A small mew sounds near me, and its the blue-grey cat.
"So?" She prompts.
"Well, c'mon. We'll go see Tunnelstar together." I say gently, and head toward Tunnelstar, whose gaze is locked with Shardstar, in some sort of pride-stand-off.
Toms. *cue eyeroll* haha not really
"Tunnelstar?" I say warily. He turns from Shardstar's gaze, and narrows his eyes at me.
"Um, this apprentice, she wants to join Sunclan." I say nervously. He nods slowly,and whisks us out the tunnel with his tail.
A certain long-legged black she-cat nudges my shoulder with her own.
"Hey Hazelpaw! You fought really well, and thanks for having my back." She speaks brightly, making me hot with pride.
"Thanks Longstripe. You too." I smile warmly at her, glad to have a friend.
"Who's ya friend?" She asks, nodding toward the blue-grey apprentice.
"Oh, she's from Moonclan. She wanted to join our clan though. But er, I don't know her name. What is it?" I aim the question at the little apprentice padding along next to me.
"Its Rainpaw." She says simply. I nod at her and introduce her to Longstripe. They chat about something or other, and Thrushpaw and Hawkpaw find me.
"Oh Hazelpaw!" Thrushpaw exclaims, while Hawkpaw just nods at me, appreciation shining in his eyes. I like that, he's simple, and doesn't cause drama. I really liked the snappy, gruff tom more than I realized. "Hazelpaw how many cats shredded your pelt like this!" Thrushpaw worries around me, and demands that he gives me a complete look-over when we get back to camp. I agree, simply because disagreeing would only lead him to force his authority as a medicine-cat-in-training over me. Hawkpaw walks silently, no surprise there, beside us, and I occasionally see him roll his eyes at something Thrushpaw remarks.
Thrushpaw rushes toward the front of the group upon hearing his name called.
"Thank Starclan. My brother can be very talkative and overbearing sometimes, I'm sorry." Hawkpaw says lightly. I laugh lightly, moving closer to him slightly.
"It's fine. He's just worried. We are friends after all. Oh, and you helped out Mosspaw, thanks." I murmur, looking up at him.
"Oh, yes. I saw her and figured she looked like she needed help. How are you Hazelpaw? That was a wild battle and we walked a lot too?" He says, and I see the concern in his eyes.
"Well, I am a little tired, but I think it's mostly from the cuts. A day or two, I'll be fine." It's not really a lie, but I still feel as if starlight is flowing through my body from the Starclan cat who gave me their strength.
Oh! Thank them now!
Er, hello, I don't know who you are, but thank you. You saved my life back there. I think clearly, out into space, focusing on the cat's voice.
You are welcome, young Hazelpaw. My name is Lionblaze. Go back to Hawkpaw now, go back to your friend.
Hawkpaw is beside me, looking at the ground.
"Sorry," I say gently, "I just kind of spaced out for a minute."
"I don't mind. It's no good when cats talk without thinking. Quiet is nice too."
Hawkpaw's a real deep cat, huh.
I simply nod, and disappear within the confines of my thoughts.
Hiya! im having fun writing this now, so im promising ill update more! It may be two or three more chapters that are kinda fillers, and then some stuff goes down, but i dont want to rush it! also, review if you liked how i brought in Lionblaze, as i personally really like him, or review if there are other cats from the books i could bring in, and how so!
bye!
-kat