Warrior Cat Cody: Hey there, everyone, and welcome back to Warrior Cat Tales Of Virtues! The great author IWalkBlindlyIntoTheDarkness himself/herself has left a review or two, and he/she is an excellent author of Darktail's Tales. Why don't you check them out?

So now we're going the reverse way now. We started with the toms in WaterClan and EarthClan, and then there were the she-cats in FireClan and AirClan. Here, we're starting with toms in AirClan and FireClan. Like I said plenty of times before, you'll notice the pattern.

Uploading Date: March 12, 2015

Enjoy!

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Patrols And Pesky Kits

The greenleaf air was so hot that Galeclaw could barely stand it. The AirClan deputy ruffled his gray fur once to fan himself, but the high warmth wasn't enough to cool him down. With a pant, he got up, yawned, and padded out of the warriors' den and into the camp.

Since AirClan lived on a grassy hill in the mountains, they were preparing to go down to the stream between the Thunderpath and the mountain. Some of the Clan spent every greenleaf near the stream, carrying water between them up to the camp. But since the queens and elders couldn't travel too far except to Gatherings, they had to remain in the main camp, so warriors and apprentices stayed behind. Galeclaw was one of those warriors, so he had appointed a warrior or two the leaders of the mini-camp until greenleaf ended.

Right now, Ravenstar had stayed behind at the camp to look out for the weaker cats. And Galeclaw remembered that he had to attend a small meeting with said leader, so we find him in her den, listening to what she had to say.

"EarthClan's planning on meeting us at the ditch just to gloat their victory in our faces," Ravenstar was saying. "But we will not let that happen. Galeclaw, will you lead a battle patrol over to the ditch?"

"Sure, Ravenstar. I'll get to it," Galeclaw replied. With a respectful nod, he slipped out of her den and out into the clearing.

Once he got there, he called three of the most senior warriors over and meowed, "How would you three like to take a battle patrol over to the ditch? To give EarthClan a lesson about mocking us."

One of the warriors, a tom named Slugfoot, meowed, "You bet we'll go there!"

"Good," Galeclaw meowed. "Slugfoot, lead a battle party right towards the ditch and confront the cats there. Yellowfoot, lead another group on either side and then strike from above while the fight goes on. I'll catch up with you shortly with a third patrol."

"Hey Galeclaw!" He looked up to see a ginger apprentice named Sunpaw careening into his forelegs. "I heard you're gonna fight EarthClan! Can I go with the battle patrol today?"

Galeclaw wasn't so sure about that. AirClan had recently declared that they were taking the ditch back from EarthClan, and it was going to be a tough battle. Sunpaw was still too young to be in a major battle. He couldn't die just sometime after his mother Dawnfur was killed by a dog.

So he meowed, "No, this battle will be too intense for someone your age. Why don't you help Foxmask with some chores or something like that?"

"I don't wanna," Sunpaw grumbled. "She's boring, and her den smells nasty!"

"Hey, show her and her den some respect," Galeclaw scolded the apprentice. "Foxmask had been doing her best to heal everyone. Without an apprentice, she just has to do the healing by herself."

Sunpaw snorted. "She doesn't have to be stuck in there all day. What's even the point of having a medicine cat?"

Galeclaw was feeling his patience wearing thin. "The point of having a medicine cat is to keep ungrateful little furballs like you healthy and safe," he snapped. "Now get the battle out of your head and take something for the elders to eat!"

He almost felt guilty when he saw the hurt on his face, but it was replaced by anger as he stomped off. Galeclaw felt that he should at least owe him an apology, but his pride wouldn't let him. He wasn't going to get Sunpaw get the satisfaction that he could get away with being disrespectful.

"Did you really have to insult him like that?"

Galeclaw looked up. Mallowflight was padding over towards him, a frown on her face, and he groaned to himself. He didn't need to be told off by the cat who had caused his niece to be killed by a dog.

"What else was I supposed to do?" he snapped back. "You know what Sunpaw's like. He's been acting bratty ever since he set paw outside the nursery."

"That's because he lost his mother," Mallowflight countered. "He hasn't had a true mother figure or father figure to help him out with respect."

Galeclaw snorted. "And whose fault is it that he has no mother or father?"

The light brown tabby she-cat's eyes narrowed, and Galeclaw found himself wishing he could take it back. But he was too stubborn to back down. Then Mallowflight rasped, "I learned my lesson, on how kittypets can be good. I think it's you who needs a lesson on respect, and I don't care if you're the deputy; I'm tired of your attitude."

Now that she mentioned it, Galeclaw grudgingly admitted that she was right; he even remembered telling her almost the same thing on the day Dawnfur died. But he didn't want to admit it out loud.

"Never mind that," he growled. "You're needed for the hunting patrol anyway."

So Mallowflight joined the patrol at the entrance, though some of the cats gave her critical looks. Galeclaw guessed that they had heard the true story from her, how she had driven Dawnfur away because she had mated with a kittypet. He himself didn't like that, but at least he didn't scold her constantly about it.

Behind him, the battle party was staring at Galeclaw as if he had grown a double tail tip. Irritably, he asked, "Well, what're you all waiting for? Let's go confront those EarthClan cats!"

...

A few hours later at sunset, the AirClan battle party came back, injured and tired but satisfied. Galeclaw's ambush tactic had worked, and EarthClan had not been expecting an attack from above. It wasn't enough to get the ditch back, but it seemed that the ambush would teach them a lesson they wouldn't forget. They had stopped to hunt for the Clan along the way, catching birds and mice. Galeclaw had gotten a juicy starling and was just going to show them when he remembered something.

He felt that he should save the starling for Sunpaw. Sunpaw was behaving like a furball, yes, and he was prone to being reckless. But Galeclaw himself hadn't made the situation better; in fact, he had insulted the apprentice in front of his warriors. So he decided to work up his apology the best he could and hope that bygones would be bygones.

"Sunpaw! Get your sorry tail back here! You just scared that thrush away!"

Galeclaw stiffened when he heard the voice in the trees. The voice belonged to Hawkspeck, a warrior four seasons older than him and known for his bad attitude. Now he felt sorry for Sunpaw having been chosen to be his apprentice.

"Take this starling back to camp," he told one of the warriors. "I'm gonna go check something out. Tell Ravenstar I'll be fine."

The warriors looked confused, but they nodded and took the starling.

"I got something else this time," Sunpaw was mewing, setting something down before Hawkspeck. "I got a shrew."

The mottled dark gray tom glared down at the piece of prey. "You call that prey?" he growled. "I've seen grubs bigger than this! Scrawny prey for a scrawny ball of fur like you!"

"But it's better than nothing," Sunpaw protested, trying to sound brave. "And why don't you show me what to do instead of telling me?"

Galeclaw rolled his eyes, but what happened next made Galeclaw's irritation towards Sunpaw fade away. "You disrespectful little mouse-heart!" Hawkspeck snarled as he reared up on his hind legs, forepaw raised up to strike. "Can't you do anything right?! I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget, you flea-bitten little-"

But he didn't get to finish. For Galeclaw found himself yowling "That's far enough, Hawkspeck!" and jumping in between them just in time. He took the blow from Hawkspeck's claws and felt a stinging pain on his face when he got slashed, but this wound was nothing compared to what Sunpaw suffered.

He looked around to see Sunpaw staring at him in surprise, crouching low to the ground. The look he had when Galeclaw scolded him earlier was there now, and he felt even more ashamed. Perhaps Mallowflight was right about her nephew.

Galeclaw glared around at Hawkspeck and spat, "That right there was flat-out abuse! What right do you have to treat an apprentice like that?"

"Apprentices like him are always disrespectful!" Hawkspeck bit back, getting back up to his paws. "I was just teaching him a lesson."

"By beating him until he's mouse meat?!" Galeclaw argued back. "I'm sick of this attitude of yours! Ravenstar must have bees in her brain to give a bright young cat like Sunpaw a mentor like you!" He tapped Sunpaw on the shoulder and meowed, "Let's get back to camp, Sunpaw."

Sunpaw nodded quickly and darted to his side, looking surprised and relieved that the deputy had saved him. Hawkspeck was yowling after them, "Hey! Where do you think you're going?!"

Galeclaw glared over his shoulder. "To Ravenstar. She'll know what to do."

...

"Let all cats old enough to climb trees gather at the Hill Rock!"

Galeclaw already took his spot at the foot of the rock, looking up to where Ravenstar usually held meetings. Hawkspeck and Sunpaw were already before it, and he hoped Hawkstrike didn't give him more trouble than was needed. While looking around, he noticed Mallowflight looking concerned when she saw Sunpaw being brought up front like this.

At last, the cats had gathered around the Hill Rock. Then Ravenstar began, "Galeclaw told me about what happened between Hawkspeck and Sunpaw. He told me that though Sunpaw was a little disrespectful towards Hawkspeck, Hawkspeck was going to actually hit him. That is never allowed in this Clan except when using training moves."

"And what he did wasn't much of training," Galeclaw added. "It consisted of name calling and physical assault, and he knows it."

"No it wasn't!" Hawkspeck snarled. "I was gonna teach the brat a lesson, that's all!"

"Well, we don't want an abuser mentoring an apprentice!" one warrior in the back yelled. "Ravenstar, let's just banish him and get it over with!"

"When you become leader, Stonedusk, you will make that decision. As for I, I will not banish Hawkspeck," she revealed, and Galeclaw and most of the Clan were left disappointed. But Ravenstar went on, "However, he will be monitored at all times. So Hawkspeck, you are no longer Sunpaw's mentor. Until you can keep your temper in check, I won't let you mentor another apprentice. And if you lay a claw on another apprentice again, I will reconsider exiling you."

The mottled tom merely glowered, but he didn't say anything.

"Slugfoot, it's time you've had an apprentice. You will be mentor to Sunpaw," Ravenstar told the dark orange tom as he stepped over. "Despite the name, AirClan has appreciated your swiftness and willing to learn, and I hope you can pass these down to your apprentice."

Slugfoot nodded and calmly touched noses with Sunpaw, who looked relieved. Around them, the cats staying behind in the main camp called, "Slugfoot! Sunpaw! Slugfoot! Sunpaw!"

Galeclaw watched this scene, recalling when he had seen Sunpaw become Hawkspeck's apprentice. The young cat looked happier than on that day, and he felt like calling out his and Slugfoot's names out loud too. But there was still enough daylight left for more patrolling, so he decided to take a solitary patrol and head towards the rock tunnel.

"Hey Galeclaw!" He turned to see Sunpaw standing behind him just as he was ready to leave. "I wanted to say sorry for earlier. I guess I was acting like a little furball after all."

Galeclaw gave him a nod and then replied, "I also owe you an apology; I'm sorry for even calling you names. When I was trying to teach you respect...I guess I forgot my lessons on that." With a flick of his tail, he asked, "If Slugfoot lets you, how about I teach you about manners? The right way?"

Sunpaw purred. "Okay! Let me go tell Slugfoot!"

"Then hurry, you little furball," Galeclaw chuckled, nudging him away from him.

"Did you call me furball?" Sunpaw asked, sounding as if he was offended. But then his ears twitched as he meowed happily, "Oh I will, you grumpy old fox!"

Galeclaw gave a half-hearted growl and watched as the apprentice ran over towards the warriors' den. Life was good now, and he was going to enjoy it.

To be continued...

...

Warrior Cat Cody: There we go. I hope you all like this chapter, everyone. If not, I'll go back and fix any mistakes. By the way, the double tail tip part came from Japanese folklore, saying that a cat with a double tail tip was a demon. Heck, the Pokémon Espeon has a double tail tip!

Why I didn't write much of a battle scene is not because I don't like battle scenes; it's just that, you know, not every chapter will have a battle scene. There may be some here and there unlike what happened in Twilight...the book series, not the Warriors book. There were actions scenes in that Warriors book.

See ya next time!