Chapter16: Blazepaw

Bet you didn't think I'd update, did you? I GOT MY BOATING LISCENSE! YESS! FINALLY! I was at a place two hours away and its multiple hours and then a test... But I'm still updating once a day! Oh, and while I'm doing an author's note: guys, they people who review this story and say they like it, what are the chances they have a similar type of story and you might like theirs? Seriously though, try their stories!

Blazepaw kneaded the ground with worry. They had just scented rogue scent on the recent border patrol, and Cloudtail, who was leading the patrol, went to tell Bramblestar.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Bramblestar's yowl made the warriors look up at their leader in surprise.

Blazepaw moved closer next to Featherpaw, Stormpaw, and Stonepaw. "I wonder what this meeting is about." Featherpaw mewed to Stonepaw, who shrugged in response. Blazepaw and Stormpaw, who were both on the patrol, remained silent.

"Well, if you would be quiet, then you might find out!" A cat behind them hissed.

"Sor-ry, didn't mean to bother you, Seedpaw." Featherpaw rolled her eyes.

The ginger she-cat just snorted and turned back to Bramblestar.

"A border patrol found fresh rogue scents on the ShadowClan border. I believe the rogues are looking for a battle. We shall patrol that border one more time."

The cats gasped and started murmuring to themselves. "Silence!" Bramblestar ordered impatiently. All of the cats in the clearing turned their attention back to Bramblestar.

"You all know what the rogues did to RiverClan and WindClan. We can never be too careful. The cats that will be on the regular border patrol will be the patrol from this morning, Cloudtail, Ivypool, Molepelt, Blazepaw, and Stormpaw." Stormpaw had been apprenticed to Molepelt, and Featherpaw had been apprenticed to his sister, Cherryfern. "The cats that will be on the battle patrol to provide reinforcements for the border patrol will be myself, Squirrelflight, Lionblaze, Dovewing, Cinderheart, Toadstep, Stonepaw, Mousewhisker, and Seedpaw."

"That's an awfully big patrol!" A cat in the crowd yowled.

Bramblestar blinked. "You can never be to cautious, we need to show these rogues that we will not be defeated!"

The cats on the patrols left. The border patrol went to "check the border" while the battle patrol stayed behind, practically out of earshot, but Blazepaw appeared to be one of the only cats to know why. It's because of Dove's Wing's hearing! Wait, Dovewing is Dove's Wing! Blazepaw suddenly realized.

The border patrol came across a regular patrol of ShadowClan cats. They didn't seem to know what was happening. It was a small patrol; there were only three cats on it. The patrol was led by Neetletail, a young ShadowClan warrior, and consisted of Pinenose and Smokepaw. Blazepaw's heart skipped a beat when he saw Smokepaw. No! What is she doing here? She could get hurt!

Cloudtail dipped his head in greeting to the ShadowClan patrol, and then stopped. Blazepaw suddenly realized that they were using The ShadowClan patrol to try to seem casual.

Neetletail dipped his head. "Greetings, Cloudtail. Such a large border patrol, isn't it?"

"Can never be too careful with the rogues about." Cloudtail replied smoothly.

Blazepaw realized that Smokepaw had her ears perked, and was listening to something. "What is it?" He whispered.

"Shh!" She commanded without looking at him.

Suddenly, there was a furious yowl, and a group of large cats suddenly jumped from the trees.

Their using our battle skills against us! Blazepaw though as he was shoved to the ground by an unknown cat. Thankfully, Blazepaw realized that here were only about nine cats, four of whom appeared to be warriors, four others who could have been apprentices, and one kit that should still be in the nursery.

The two patrols were outnumbered, and Blazepaw found himself under a lithe black she-cat with one ginger paw. There was yowling, and paws came racing though the underbrush. Suddenly, the weight was lifted from Blazepaw. He found that the rouge were outnumbered nearly two-to-one. But they're still beating us! Blazepaw thought. Most of these cats were made for the trees.

Blazepaw found him alone against the small black kit. The kit looked like he didn't want to be there but was fighting anyway.

Blazepaw used his bigger size against the kit. He soon had the cat pinned. The cat started clawing at Blazepaw's belly with unexpectedly sharp claws. Blazepaw yowled and leaped off of him, droplets of blood staining the grass. The kit was just a flash of black as he jabbed and slashed at Blazepaw. How is this kit beating me? Blazepaw thought. Smokepaw leaped in beside him and shoved the kit off of him.

"Smokepaw!" Blazepaw exclaimed, surprised.

"We have almost twice as many cats as them, and their still beating us!" Smokepaw told him.

The kit hissed at Smokepaw. Suddenly, there was a yowl of "Black Hearted Rogues! We have left our mark, time to go!" From a gray she-cat. All of the rogues started pelting after her, and the kit was about to join them, but Smokepaw and Blazepaw leaped on him and had him pinned.

Stonepaw was prancing around the clearing. "Yea you better run!" He stopped when he heard the rogue kit hissing at Smokepaw and Blazepaw. "Who do you have there?"

All of the cats started coming around the rogue, who flattened his ears and snarled at them.

"You've captured one of them?" Bramblestar asked.

Blazepaw and Smokepaw looked at each other. Blazepaw nodded.

Smokepaw got off the rogue and went over to the other two ShadowClan cats were waiting, covered in their own blood. Pinenose nodded to the ThunderClan cats, and headed off into their own territory.

Blazepaw let Lionblaze pit up the rogue by his scruff and carry him back to camp.

When they arrived, Featherpaw, who wasn't assigned to a patrol that fought the rogues, ran up to them. "What happened? Did you beat them so they would leave the lake for good? Who is that? How much did you beat them by–"Featherpaw stopped asking questions when she saw the wounds on her clanmates. Molepelt was limping badly, and Toadstep had to be carried by Squirrelflight and Mousewhisker. All of the cats were support a little more than minor wounds, except for Lionblaze, whose pelt was red with his enemy's blood.

Bramblestar bounded up to the Highledge and called to the Clan. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather to hear my words." The ThunderClan leader sounded weary, and most cats were already in clearly to see how the battle had gone. Everyone stared up at their leader to hear his announcement.

"There were nine rogues, when the second patrol arrived we, along with a patrol of three ShadowClan cats, outnumbered them nearly two-to-one. They were still beating us. We are lucky to not have lost anyone, and lucky that they left when they did." The leader sighed. "To those who are wondering about the rogue that Lionblaze brought back to camp, Blazepaw captured him with the help of a ShadowClan apprentice, Smokepaw."

Featherpaw sighed. "If I were there, then I could have been the one to help you bring down that rogue." She whispered to Blazepaw.

Blazepaw nodded in response, and then turned his attention back to Bramblestar.

"However, one deserving apprentice has fought bravely, and I believe she has earned her right to join ThunderClan as a warrior. Seedpaw stepped forward."

"Great, she's just going to get even more annoying now that she's a warrior." Stonepaw muttered.

"Mousewhisker," Bramblestar continued. "Is Seedpaw ready to become a warrior?"

Mousewhisker nodded, "She is more than ready."

"Seedpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Bramblestar asked.

"I do." Seedpaw was practically shaking with excitement. Sorreltail and Brackenfur were practically bursting with pride.

"Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From now on, you stall be known as Seeddapple, we honor your spirit and hunting skills." Bramblestar rested his muzzle on Seeddaple's head, who in turn respectively licked his shoulder.

"Seeddapple! Seeddapple!" The Clan chanted her name, and despite how he finds her annoying, Blazepaw did the same.

The newest warrior walked over to her sister, Lilypaw, who had chosen the path of a medicine cat.

Blazepaw saw that the small rogue was sitting next to Lionblaze, with his ears flattened. As the sun set, Blazepaw saw Lionblaze escort the rogue to the opposite edge of the camp.

Blazepaw sighed and went to his den; Seeddapple would be starting her vigil.

Blazepaw found himself in a clearing. There were three other cats in the clearing, with a start Blazepaw realize that they were Beetlepaw, Harepaw, and Smokepaw.

"Blazepaw!" Smokepaw yowled before running over to greet him.

"Glad to see you came." Harepaw commented.

Beetlepaw nodded. "Smokepaw told us what happened."

"I've captured a rogue, too. But he was hunting." Harepaw reported.

"It seems those two are two of the rogues that don't want to kill the Clans." Beetlepaw observed.

"There's one more we should try to talk to." Harepaw said. "She saved Fernpaw's life."

"How?" Smokepaw asked.

"She charged Fernpaw and made her retreat." Harepaw said. "She is a white she-cat with a darkening tail and blue-green eyes."

The others nodded and started to fade.