Book One, Batpaw's Courage

Chapter Four

"Ow!" Batpaw exclaimed, she was carrying a rabbit into camp but she trod on something sharp.

"You okay, Batpaw?" Asked Crowpaw, worry filling his gaze. Batpaw, Crowpaw, Hawkpaw, Sweetpaw and Frogpaw were all ordered to go and hunt for the Clan.

"Yeah, I should be," she said through the rabbit. "Here, let me take that" Crowpaw offered, he took it from her mouth.

The five of them only found a scrawny mouse and two shrews on their trip, but Batpaw got lucky, on her way back to camp, she caught the huge, thick rabbit.

It had been only a moon since she became an apprentice and she was getting the hang of hunting now.

Batpaw checked her pad, there was a huge thorn embedded into the base of it. Blood welled around it. "Mousedung." She cursed.

Once Sweetpaw, Hawkpaw and Frogpaw had dropped their prey they went to their mentors but Crowpaw stayed behind to check Batpaw.

"Go get Cherryfur to look at it, you don't want an infection." he said, Crowpaw could be so caring, she didnt understand why. Could he.. no! He just is caring towards other cats, I'm sure he'd do the same for any cat.. right..?

"No, I dont want to busy her by a thorn, Swiftbreeze's kits are due any day now" Batpaw responded. Crowpaw just rolled his eyes. "I'm helping you to the medicine cat's den."

"Fine." Batpaw allowed herself to put her weight on Crowpaw. He helped her to Cherryfur and Pumpkinpaw's den.

"Cherryfur?" Crowpaw called. "Yes?" A soft voice responded. "What do you need?" Cherryfur sniffed, curiously. "Sorry for bothering you but I have a thorn in my pad!" Exclaimed Batpaw as another wave of pain rolled through her paw.

"Okay, let me take a look, give me your paw" Cherryfur instructed. Batpaw nervously raised her injured paw. "Yep, a thorn. Here" she gripped the thorn between her teeth and pulled it out.

Batpaw squeaked in surprise, blood started welling out of the wound. "Pumpkinpaw!" Called Cherryfur to the back of the den. "Get some marigold and cobwebs!"

She heard Pumpkinpaw's mew. "Okay, Cherryfur!" Cherryfur started to lick Batpaw's pad. It was stopping to bleed.

Soon Pumpkinpaw came out with some herbs in her jaws and cobwebs too. "Do you know why we use marigold?" Cherryfur asked Pumpkinpaw as she started to chew up the marigold.

"To keep off infection?" Pumpkinpaw asked, wrinkling her nose at the smell of the herb as Cherryfur applied it. "Correct, then we add cobwebs to.." she trailed off "To keep the marigold on and keep back bleeding!" Pumpkinpaw finished.

Batpaw was surprised at how much Pumpkinpaw knew. Cherryfur looked up, shocked too. "Very good, Pumpkinpaw," she praised. "I want you to keep off of that paw for the rest of today, come and see me at sunhigh tomorrow." Cherryfur instructed.

"What about training?" Batpaw questioned, she didn't want to miss a day! "I'll see how your paw is tomorrow, if it's showing signs of infection, you'll be off training until it's healed." Cherryfur replied.

"Now go to your nest and rest. I need to check on Swiftbreeze." Cherryfur pushed past her with Pumpkinpaw trailing behind.

"I'll help you, and bring a piece of fresh-kill too, maybe we could share that rabbit..?" Crowpaw looked nervous saying those words. "That'd be great, thanks!" Batpaw replied.

Batpaw leaned against Crowpaw's shoulder, limping back to the apprentices den. By now the sun was setting and there was a beautiful sunset.

"Oh wow!" she exclaimed, stopping for a minute, adoring the pale orange sunset. "You like that?" Crowpaw asked, looking thoughtful. "Of course, the sunset is the best thing ever, we should sneak out to Sunningrocks to see it better!" Batpaw said eagerly.

"Erm I dont know, that's all the way across the territory.. with your paw.." Crowpaw pointed out.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, let's go eat." Batpaw limped on next to Crowpaw.

They reached her nest and Batpaw sat down. "I'm gonna go find you that rabbit now." Crowpaw said briefly before exciting the den.

Batpaw licked her paw, it hurt a little bit but she knew it would heal. She heard a rustle at the den entrance, Crowpaw's warm scent fell over her.

"I got the rabbit," Crowpaw said as he settled down into his nest, Batpaw took a bite. "Thank you again, Crowpaw." she murmured, looking into his deep, green gaze.. getting lost..

"Batpaw? You okay?" his soft mew startled her. "S-sorry! Yeah I'm fine, what were you saying?" she licked her chest fur in embarrassment.

Crowpaw just laughed and gently flicked her with his tail. Batpaw playfully let out a battle cry and tackled him, claws sheathed, and held him to the ground, watching her paw.

Crowpaw heaved upwards and pinned her. Crowpaw stared deep into her gaze, she met his eyes, unblinking. "I was saying how rabbits were my favorite prey."

Crowpaw murmured, laughing slightly, getting up. "Mouse is way better," Batpaw argued.

Crowpaw sighed and looked at her. Batpaw and Crowpaw just stared into eachother's eyes for what felt like forever.

Then Crowpaw sort of leaned in to touch his nose to hers, she was shocked but stayed exactly where she was.

"Swiftbreeze! She's having her kits!" She jumped to the sound of Sweetpaw crashing into the apprentice's den. "Ooh, sorry was I interrupting something?~" She said with a smirk on her face.

"U-uh no!!" Batpaw buried her head into the moss below her.

"Haha," Crowpaw laughed heartfully. "Come on, Batpaw! New kits will be born soon!"

Crowpaw went to her side as she got up. "I'll be fine, Crowpaw, thanks." Batpaw mewed as she limped out of the den.

Sweetpaw, Frogpaw and Hawkpaw were all crowded outside of the nursery. "Out of my way!" Called Cherryfur, though herbs in her jaws.

The crowd of apprentices parted to let the medicine cat through. Batpaw heard a groan from Swiftbreeze, she guessed her kits would be coming now.

Swiftbreeze screeched, and after a few heartbeats of silence she heard Cherryfur exclaim, "a beautiful she-kit!" and Batpaw let out the breath she had been holding.

Where was Pumpkinpaw? Batpaw wondered but the thought traveled to the back of her mind as Swiftbreeze gave another painful sounding screech.

Batpaw prayed Swiftbreeze would be okay. "You're okay, Swiftbreeze, just one more kit!" Cherryfur encouraged. Swiftbreeze screeched.

"And a tom!" Cherryfur announced at last, Batpaw almost thought she was going to pass out.

"Can we see them yet?" Sweetpaw demanded as Cherryfur poked her head out. "Fine but only two at a time."

"Frogpaw and Hawkpaw, you come first." They both went inside to see ThunderClan's new little warriors.

Pumpkinpaw bounded up to side with Batpaw. "Where have you been?" asked Batpaw, "you missed Swiftbreeze's kitting!"

"I was collecting herbs, is she okay?" she responded, distracted by the tiny mewls. "She sounds okay, I can't wait to see the kits, Frogpaw and Hawkpaw are in now."

Pumpkinpaw nodded curtly. Frogpaw and Hawkpaw came out. "They're so cute! And Swiftbreeze is doing great." Frogpaw said as he padded towards the apprentice's den, Hawkpaw followed.

"Come on in, Sweetpaw and Batpaw." Cherryfur said, beckoning them inside. Batpaw padded into the nursery, she hasn't been in the nursery for what felt like forever!

Curled up to Swiftbreeze were a small gray she-kit and a yellow-white tom. The tiny kits were suckling Swiftbreeze for milk.

"They're so cute!" exclaimed Batpaw. "What are their names?" she asked Swiftbreeze.

"The tom is Oakkit and the she-kit is Moonkit" Swiftbreeze responded tiredly. "I don't see a tom around here.." Remarked Sweetpaw. "Who is their father?"

"I..I'm sorry, Batpaw, but Shadowheart is the father of these kits.."