Scorchpaw panted heavily as the RiverClan warriors retreated from the camp, leaving death and destruction in their wake. He was unhurt, only thanks to Adderpaw and Bramblepaw. He swallowed hard as he gazed at the limp body of his father, lying in the middle of the camp in a pool of his own blood. RiverClan is more ruthless than I could have imagined. Sunleaf and Petalspring were sitting with Swiftstar and Violetheart came bounding towards them with a bundle of strong-smelling herbs in her jaws. Swiftstar will be okay. He has to be.
As the sun began to spread its first rays over the horizon, the chaos caused by RiverClan only became more apparent. Swiftstar had been helped back to his den to be supervised until he fully recovered. Berrysplash was staring blankly at her Clanmates, not wanting to send out any patrols until the scouts returned with news that RiverClan was gone for good. Dens were trampled. Warriors and apprentices alike licked their wounds and waited in line to see Violetheart for treatment. Scorchpaw ran up to Wildpaw and Blackpaw, whose pelts both bore scratches but they were otherwise unhurt. "You were both so brave," he breathed.
Wildpaw's yellow eyes glittered with gratitude. "Thanks, Scorchpaw. So were you."
Blackpaw nuzzled Scorchpaw's cheek. "We saw you cornered by those two RiverClan apprentices… thank goodness for Adderpaw and Bramblepaw. Who knows what they could have done to you?"
Scorchpaw sighed as he recalled the terror he had felt. "I felt so helpless and scared. I only got to practice my battle moves once before this battle, and I was a burden on Adderpaw. I never want to feel that way again."
Both she-cats murmured in agreement. "I'd never thought I'd have to use my claws to hurt another cat this soon." Wildpaw stared down at her own claws, which were caked with blood and fur.
"Is Russetkit all right?" Scorchpaw stared across the clearing at his sister, whose eyes were huge with fear and horror. He padded over to her and touched his nose to her ear comfortingly.
Russetkit shied away from him. "You don't have to treat me like a kit! Everyone else does a good job of that already," she mewed crossly.
Scorchpaw purred. Russetkit was being her normal, prickly self. "I'm just glad you're okay. How did you know RiverClan was…?"
Before he could finish his sentence, Sunleaf had crossed the camp and was standing over her two kits. "Russetkit, Swiftstar wants to see you." Their mother's green eyes glowed with excitement. She touched her nose to Scorchpaw's head. "I'm proud of you too, little one."
Scorchpaw beamed at his mother's praise. "Can I come, too?"
Sunleaf nodded. She led the two young cats to the well-hidden leader's den, nestled deep between the gnarled roots of the old, lightning-blasted oak tree that stood in WindClan's camp. According to WindClan legends, this tree had existed when the very first WindClan cats came to live by the lake. "Swiftstar, Scorchpaw and Russetkit are here to see you," she announced softly.
"Come in." The gruff voice summoned the young cats into the gloom. Scorchpaw looked around. Though his father was the Clan leader, he had never actually seen the inside of his den. Roots were woven tightly to make a sturdy ceiling and walls, and the floor was dry and dusty. It was roomier than Scorchpaw could ever imagine. Swiftstar was crouched in his nest, his neck caked with dried blood.
"Russetkit, I…" Swiftstar glanced down at his daughter with a blank face, as if he didn't know what to say to her. Russetkit lifted her chin to stare at him in the eyes. Scorchpaw was surprised by her boldness. What happened to the little she-kit who was always trying to please their father?
"...Thank you. You saved lives today, Russetkit. Without your warning, I fear things could have been even worse for WindClan." As Swiftstar meowed these words, Russetkit's eyes widened in shock.
Scorchpaw, overcome with joy, shoved Russetkit affectionately with his shoulder. Russetkit never took her eyes off Swiftstar. The disbelief at what she was hearing was apparent on her face. Sunleaf's chest rumbled with a purr. "Now, Swiftstar, tell her what her reward is."
Swiftstar looked at his mate before returning his burning gaze onto Russetkit. "I won't ask how you knew RiverClan was coming. In fact, I don't want to know." He inhaled sharply. "Today, you will be made an apprentice of WindClan."
Russetkit lost her cool composure and bounced up and down on her paws. "You're serious?" she gasped.
Scorchpaw felt himself overcome with happiness for his sister. "Now you can boss me around again!" he teased.
"I can summon the Clan once things get settled a little bit…" Swiftstar's amber eyes were glazed with exhaustion. Scorchpaw frowned, wondering if Swiftstar was strong enough to call a Clan meeting today. Would this further delay Russetkit getting her well-earned apprentice name?
"No." Russetkit's interruption took all three cats by surprise. "I just want you to give me my name and mentor, right here in this den. Everyone I care about is right here. I don't need a fancy ceremony."
Swiftstar's nostrils flared for a moment, and Scorchpaw was worried that Russetkit had spoken too boldly to their father. But he continued in a low voice. "Very well. From this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Russetpaw. And your mentor will be Rabbitfur."
Russetpaw's green eyes glowed as Scorchpaw and Sunleaf chanted her new name. Even Swiftstar allowed himself to purr with pride for his two kits. But he stopped purring and fixed his son and daughter with a piercing gaze.
"I need you both to take your training seriously and practice your battle moves as much as possible. We are at war with RiverClan, and I fear things are only going to get worse. I need strong warriors who obey their leader and aren't afraid to get their claws bloody." Swiftstar unsheathed his long claws. Scorchpaw wondered if he wished he was sinking them into Troutleap's throat.
"Yes, Swiftstar," Scorchpaw bowed his head in respect to his father and leader. Russetpaw did the same, her long ginger tail sweeping the ground. Swiftstar gave them a curt nod. "You are both dismissed. Go find your mentors and get started right away."
As Scorchpaw and Russetpaw turned to leave the den, Scorchpaw wondered if their mentors were up for training today. Berrysplash's eye was stuck shut with a dark green herb poultice and dried blood caked her chest. Rabbitfur looked even worse, covered with various claw marks and bites, and plastered with cobwebs. Scorchpaw watched Russetpaw greet her new mentor. Rabbitfur's eyes brightened as he touched noses with her. Without a doubt, Rabbitfur had already been told that he was receiving Russetpaw as an apprentice.
Berrysplash's good eye swept over Scorchpaw as he approached the bright ginger deputy. "Where have you been?" she asked, an edge of concern to her voice. "You weren't hurt in the battle, were you?"
"No, I'm fine." Scorchpaw dipped his head to his mentor. "I don't think you were so lucky, however," he mewed, noting the large gash over her eye.
Berrysplash's whiskers twitched with amusement. "I'll be fine. Heathercloud, Aspenstep, and Sandfall just returned and reported that no more RiverClan warriors were seen or scented on our territory," she told him. "So I think we will be safe to go on an excursion out of camp. I want to show you the territory and all of the borders we share with the other Clans. As you saw last night, borders are important, and they are not to be crossed without good reason." Anger thickened her mew with her last words. Scorchpaw nodded grimly in understanding, feeling his own hatred for RiverClan burning in his stomach.
Scorchpaw's jaws stretched in a yawn as he followed Berrysplash out of camp. He realized with a jolt that he had hardly slept or eaten since before his apprentice ceremony, no thanks to RiverClan's night raid. Berrysplash gazed at him with firm green eyes. "I know you're tired, but before we can rest, we must hunt for the Clan. As a reward for your endurance, you will get to enjoy a freshly killed rabbit after you have hunted one for the elders."
Scorchpaw's eyes widened as he surveyed the beautiful heather-covered moorland for the first time. The endless hills were dotted with flowers of purple and blue hues, and far away he could see the dark purple mountains jutting out from the horizon. The cloudless bright blue sky overhead seemed to stretch forever. A fresh breeze ruffled his fur, bringing with it the scents of prey and nectar-filled flowers. His hunger and exhaustion was suddenly forgotten as he gawked at the beauty of his territory. "Wow…"
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Berrysplash's gaze was surveying the vast moorland. Scorchpaw suppressed a shiver at how she looked at her territory with the same look as a cat who was in love. She sees this place every day, and yet is infatuated with it still all these years later…
"What first? Hunting or patrolling?" Scorchpaw's paws itched to run and feel the grass whipping through his fur and his lungs fill with the clean, crisp air. Is this what every WindClan cat feels like?
Berrysplash let out a low chuckle. "Let's patrol, first. The border with ThunderClan hasn't been checked yet today, so we can head on over there first, and then do some hunting afterwards." A shadow crossed Berrysplash's eyes, and Scorchpaw realized that she did not want to take him to RiverClan territory. He didn't exactly blame her - he wasn't sure how he'd react if he saw those rotten RiverClan cats again.
The WindClan deputy took off at a rapid pace, her paws barely skimming the long grassland that brushed against her underbelly. Scorchpaw, startled by the speed she ran with, raced after her, but found himself panting as he realized he couldn't keep up with the WindClan deputy. Resolve steered his movements, and he felt his muscles burning as he forced himself to run faster.
Berrysplash's green eyes glowed. "You don't have to push yourself!" she called out as she ran, the strong wind taking her voice away. "What use will you be if you're a heap on the ground near ThunderClan's border?"
Scorchpaw grinned at her, refusing to slow down. "Just you wait. I'll be the fastest warrior in WindClan!"
"I'm sure you will," Berrysplash agreed, her tail streaming out as she went on in her wild flight. Scorchpaw stayed at her heels, knowing that he couldn't outrun her, but he could at least try to keep up. His mentor finally slowed her pace when they reached the fast-moving stream that carved an arc through the moorland, separating the woodland and the grassland. Scorchpaw skidded to a halt, peering closer into the mass of trees that stood, protected by the stream. He shuddered at the shadows the canopies brought to the forest floor. I wouldn't be able to live in ThunderClan. How can they handle being in the dark all the time?
Berrysplash's green eyes focused on the ThunderClan border, her pupils narrowed into slits. Scorchpaw frowned at the solemn expression on Berrysplash's face, and he realized that WindClan must have just as many troubles with ThunderClan as they did with RiverClan, considering they both shared borders.
"Be careful of the forest cats, Scorchpaw," Berrysplash murmured. "They're just as treacherous as RiverClan is."
"They are?" Scorchpaw asked. Berrysplash's demeanor had changed so suddenly. What had happened? "Why?"
The WindClan deputy shook out her head. "They'll kill anyone if it means they get to be the strongest Clan in the forest. Can you tell if the scent is strong?" The abrupt topic change made Scorchpaw's ears twitch in confusion, but due to the somber look in Berrysplash's eyes, he didn't feel as if it was right to press further.
"Uh…" Scorchpaw padded towards the stream, watching the water rush in front of his paws. He lifted his head and scented the air, tasting the crisp scent of the grassland, and the murky hint of birches from the forest, tinged with the scents of mice and ferns. As he sniffed once, and then twice, the scent started to become more fragrant, more potent. "The scent… it's getting stronger."
"Then that means there will be a patrol soon," Berrysplash declared. The fur on the back of her spine pricked. With the way her ears twitched, Scorchpaw wondered if she was thinking about retreating. Does she not want to get into a fight? But the ginger she-cat stayed where she was, squaring her muscles. Scorchpaw twitched the tip of his tail, not sure what to do as he studied the aggressive posture Berrysplash had.
A pair of glowing amber eyes reflected from the ferns on the other side of the stream. Out stepped a sleek-furred, gray tabby tom, who tensed his muscles as he met the combined gazes of Berrysplash and Scorchpaw. He drew himself to his full height, not saying one word.
"Peartuft from ThunderClan," Berrysplash whispered to Scorchpaw, and he could see the pale she-cat's claws unsheathe. Scorchpaw turned to study Peartuft, and he was taken aback by the condescending but primitive ambience the tom seemed to project.
"Are you introducing me to that puny little thing?" Peartuft asked, his burning yellow gaze smoldering into Berrysplash's pale pelt. "Because I'd love to do it myself. Of course, if that's not a problem for you, Berrysplash."
Berrysplash snapped her head and glared daggers at Peartuft. "I'm showing Scorchpaw the borders of the Clans. I'm not showing him young warriors who think they're StarClan's blessings to their Clan."
"Now, who would ever say that?" Peartuft sniffed in disapproval. He swung his glare across Scorchpaw, who squared his muscles and met the tabby warrior's threatening gaze with a dangerous one of his own. But, even though Scorchpaw tried to display all the ferocity and strength he had in that one stare alone, confusion made him step back as Peartuft suddenly threw his head back and laughed. "Ha! You think you scare me?"
"One day I will," Scorchpaw threatened the gray tabby tom, unsheathing his claws.
Peartuft snorted. "You're nothing more than a kit just crawling out of the nursery for the first time. Any other Clan cat would eat you alive, but you think you're so dangerous. You may be Swiftstar's son, but you'll never be as good of a warrior as he is."
"Enough!" Berrysplash snarled at Peartuft. "Keep pattering on, and I'll show you what it's like to be attacked by a real warrior."
"Haven't we gone through that multiple times before?" Peartuft asked, twitching his tail in irritation as his gaze scanned several old scar marks on Berrysplash's lithe body. Scorchpaw's fur bristled in fury. Who does he think he is? I want to claw his eyes out right here! What a stuck-up, arrogant piece of rabbit-dung! "I think you're the one who should be afraid of me."
"And why is that?" Berrysplash inquired, her blue eyes narrowed.
"Because, one day, I'll be the leader of ThunderClan." Peartuft's amber eyes glowed with pride. "And I'll have WindClan in the palm of my paw, when Swiftstar is dead and buried and you've got some pathetic nobody leading your Clan."
"Peartuft…" Berrysplash's voice was a low growl in her throat. "Is this a threat to WindClan's well-being? I don't think Flintstar would take so kindly to his newest warrior threatening the WindClan deputy and their newest apprentice."
"He'd be thrilled," Peartuft remarked flippantly. "Well, this was an interesting meeting. I get to see the next generation of WindClan warriors, and I'm not impressed. Until we meet again." The haughty tom turned on his heel, disappearing into the undergrowth until there was nothing left of him. Scorchpaw watched him go, utterly bewildered. The interaction had happened so quickly, he barely had any time to process it. But there was one thing Scorchpaw knew.
"He's dangerous," Scorchpaw murmured.
"He's nothing," Berrysplash spat. "Just a young warrior who's full of himself. The dangerous cats are Reedstar and Flintstar. But we're dangerous too, Scorchpaw. Swiftstar is the most powerful cat in the Clans. He won't let WindClan be trampled on so easily, and neither will we."
Scorchpaw forced the fur on his spine to relax. "You're right, Berrysplash!" he declared. "I'm not afraid of him."
"And so you shouldn't be," Berrysplash agreed, brushing her tail across the spine of Scorchpaw. "Forget about his threats, but remember how he talked. You can use his confidence to your advantage when you meet him in battle. But, for now, let me introduce you to the RiverClan border."
Scorchpaw nodded and followed the bright ginger she-cat into the long grass once more. He listened as she talked about the other Clans and their leaders and deputies, and the history between them and WindClan. Berrysplash also explained how the Clans were all at war with each other. Scorchpaw felt that with all this fighting and distrust between Clans, the future looked bleak. But he studied the way Berrysplash held her head and tail high, though her body was crisscrossed with battle scars, fresh and old, and strength flowed into Scorchpaw's paws once more. His mentor obviously believed there were better days ahead. I can help end all the fighting. Some cat has got to bring WindClan back to glory, and it's going to be me.