Brambleberry's Path

Chapter 15:

Blazepaw and Snowypaw stood before Wetstar, who was perched on HighBranch. Hawkwing, Brightface, Pebblefang, and Birdpaw were in the front of the gathered cats, watching the cats with proud and excited eyes.

"Blazepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code?" Wetstar asked, his honey eyes gleaming as he stared at the ginger and white blotched tom. He twitched before nodding his head and staring up at the leader.

"I do." He mewed, twitching again. Over the moons Blazepaw had been in Waterclan, everyone had noticed the apprentice had become a lot more twitchy than usual, and they found it strange, but didn't say a word about it.

"Then from this moment on, you shall be known as Blazecloud." Wetstar announced, and Blazecloud dipped his head and stepped back. Snowypaw glanced back at Pebblefoot and he nodded his head at her encouragingly. Brightface rolled her eyes at Hawkwing as the she-cat purred with amusement. Everyone knew how Pebblefoot and Snowypaw felt about each other. It was as clear as the stars in the sky at night.

"Snowypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code?" Wetstar asked. The white she-cat looked up at him before nodding nervously.

"Then from this moment on, you shall be known as Snowyfeather." The clan cheered, and Pebblefoot rushed to Snowyfeather's side, chattering with her excitedly. Brightface and Hawkwing padded up to Blazecloud and the brown she-cat butted her head against his shoulder playfully.

"You've grown since you first came here." She mewed jokingly. Brightface purred and poked his shoulder with her paw.

"And he's grown a lot smarter, too." Hawkwing mewed with laughter and Blazecloud looked at her with an unamused face.

"Whatever. Once a kittypet, always a kittypet." Brambleberry mewed as he padded past, glaring at Blazecloud. The ginger and white tom twitched and glared back at him.

"Why do you guys hate each other?" Hawkwing asked Blazecloud as she stared at Brambleberry with narrowed eyes.

"Correction, he hates me." Blazecloud mewed to her, shaking his head. Hawkwing glanced at Brightface before turning back to the ginger and white blotched tom.

"Do you know why?" She asked.

"I can think of some." He mewed, staring at her with glowing eyes.

"Well, name one." She mewed. And of course, she didn't understand what he meant. Brightface rolled her eyes and shook her head at Blazecloud, signaling him not to tell her.

"Well, he thinks I'm a kittypet, for one." He mewed, shrugging his shoulders. Hawkwing rolled her eyes and shook her head at Brightface.

"I swear that tom has bees in his brain." She muttered. Blazecloud purred with laughter and Brightface chuckled.

"Why can't I become a warrior?" A small mew sounded behind the silver tabby. She turned around to face her apprentice, Icepaw, who was staring at her with wide amber eyes. Hawkwing glanced at Blazecloud and purred with amusement.

"Well, Snowyfeather was born four moons before you. That's why she was apprenticed first and became a warrior sooner than you." She mewed. Ripplewave purred as he padded up to his daughter and rested his tail on her shoulders.

"Trust me, little one. Brightface will make sure you're a warrior soon." He mewed to the small apprentice and padded away to go talk to Dawnfur. Brightface purred as she watched after her father and Icepaw glared at his paws. Hawkwing lightly poked Blazecloud to get his attention and nodded her head at the white apprentice. Blazecloud rolled his eyes at the small white and grey tom.

"It's obvious he likes her. Brightface is oblivious." He mewed softly, shaking his head.

"Icepaw thinks Ripplewave is Brighface's mate." She whispered to him with amusement. Blazecloud stared at her with wide emerald eyes before shaking his head.

"You're bluffing." He whispered back, looking at Icepaw with disbelief. Hawkwing purred with amusement and shook her head.

"I'm telling the honest truth. If you don't believe me, watch how Icepaw acts." She mewed before she leaned away from him. Blazecloud looked up and his emerald eyes met the confused sapphire orbs of Brightface, who was watching the exchange of words.

Hawkwing blinked and flicked her tail, feigning innocence, and Brightface narrowed her eyes at Blazecloud, who was staring at his paws. Brambleberry stared at them from across the clearing with narrowed amber eyes.

He did not like what he was seeing.