Warriors: Apprentices to Warriors, Peace to Bloodshed (Book Two)

Chapter One

Welcome to book two:

 

Snow fell softly to the ground, resting delicately on more of the cold powder that was already a mouse-length deep. Among the roots of a tree, a mouse squeaked once before leaving its home and entering the frosty morning air. It looked around and took several tentative paw-steps forward. It sniffed around, searching for any kind of food it could find in the barren landscape. It was completely unaware of the snow-covered cat lurking around the edge of the trees, its silver paws treading softly on the snow.

With a burst of strength the cat leaped onto the mouse, killing it with one quick blow. The tom’s blue eyes glowed in satisfaction, and he shook the snow from his fur, revealing patches of black all along his body. He sniffed the air, and almost purred when he smelled a squirrel not far away. It was amazing luck to find another bit of prey in leaf-bare.

The tom instinctively lowered into a hunting crouch and crept forward. He may have been skinny like the rest of the forest-dwelling cats, but his pelt rippled with the thick and powerful muscles that had developed since green-leaf, when he began his apprenticeship. Now he crept with the stealth of any warrior, and his silver paws skimmed over the snow with ease.

                With another powerful but graceful leap, the apprentice caught the squirrel and killed it. He went back to the mouse he had killed before and killed that up as well before heading back to his Clan’s camp. He padded through the thorn tunnel and made his way to the fresh-kill pile, where he put down his prey and admired the pile. It was still small, but for leaf-bare it was pretty large.

The cat looked at the elders’ den to see Rockstripe, Flamefur, and Badgerface, the elders, eating their filling meal of mice and birds. Cowpelt and Daisyfur were burying the bones of prey that they and their kits had eaten, and many of the warriors and apprentices were eating as well. Hearing a growl of hunger, the apprentice picked up the mouse he had caught and began walking toward the thorn barrier, where he usually ate alone.

“Moonpaw, over here!” a voice called from the apprentices’ den.

The black and silver cat looked towards the voice to see his littermates, Cloudpaw and Piranhapaw, eating their own prey beside it. He excitedly padded over to them and settled close, though he was a little cautious. They hadn’t eaten together in a while. Four and a half moons earlier they had fought in a battle between their Clan and FireClan, which was led by their father, Eaglestar.

Eaglestar had once been the leader of ShadowClan, and killed ThunderClan’s previous leader during a Gathering, which was strictly forbidden. At the same time, he had won the loyalty of their other two littermates, now named Mudkill and Shadeblood. As a result, Eaglestar, his deputy, and Mudkill and Shadeblood had been banished and formed FireClan.  In the battle, Eaglestar had killed their mother Kickingbird and tried to recruit his remaining kits to his Clan, but the three had refused.

Cloudpaw and Piranhapaw had grown very close since then, rarely going on separate patrols or duties if they could help it. Moonpaw had separated himself from them, even though they would occasionally insist that he join them on hunting patrols and make him join other activities. But he had stayed away, wanting to do things on his own. He had vowed after the battle that when he became a warrior, he would track down his father and his “Clan”.

Eaglestar had also promised to kill every last ThunderClan cat, including helpless kits. After nearly five moons they hadn’t seen the slightest sign of FireClan cats, not even the faintest scent. It worried Moonpaw more than anything, and he couldn’t help thinking that they would attack at any possible moment.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highledge for a clan meeting,” Wolfstar, the leader of ThunderClan, called from the ledge up on the cliffs surrounding the camp.