Warrior Cats; Smokeskull's Revenge [ 1 ]

Chapter 25

As they walked out of camp, Smokefur noticed the old scent of CloudClan became stale as if they gave up trying to get Smokefur back into their camp. She claw- ed herself over a trunk as Snakefang followed. The grey feline lifted her head. "Sandheart showed me a moss tree a moon ago," Smokefur glanced at the moor ahead of them. "I'm sure its still there."
Snakefang jetted after her, not saying a word and keeping his distance. He followed until they reached a huge trunk that stuck out of the ground.
It was weirdly sinking into the muck slowly. There was heaps of dry moss hanging from the top. "Doesn't look very safe..."
She didn't hear the rest of his sentence. Smokefur leapt up onto it and hung herself on a branch. Her claws unsheathed and they dug into the bark. "Come on Snakefang. You don't want to freeze tonight, do you?" She hissed and heaved herself up to the top.
The trunk rattled and fell deeper into the soil. "Well, I do, but..."
"Get up here, furball! I'm not making your nest on my own!" Smokefur growled, tiptoeing down the bark, hooking her claws on each of the tips.
Snakefang shrugged his fear away and followed her up, clawing at the bark, then reaching for another branch until he reached the top. It was slippery and the truck wobbled under their weight.
Smokefur rolled her eyes and fell to the side. She hooked herself and pulled back up. The sinking tree rolled with her. "Uh, Snakefang?" Smokefur called, now scratching herself free. Nothing was working.
The new warrior knew nothing of it. His fear of heights got the best of him and distracted him as he stared horrified at the muck under the shaking tree.
It shivered through the thick wind. "Snakefang!" Smokefur yowled with wide eyes. Her arms stretched across the trunk and she hung, scratching her hind legs at its bark.
Snakefang snapped out of his shock and turned over to the hanging feline. His eyes shrunk, but he pushed himself onwards up the trunk. "S-Stay strong." Snakefang whispered, trying not to look down.
"Help!" Smokefur yowled as the tree twisted into the mud again. Her paws dipped in the sand and sunk in with it. She shivered and pulled them out.
The warrior dipped his head and sunk his fangs into her scruff, not even tight enough to hurt her.
"Pull me up, sapface!" She hissed loudly, now shaking with fear of the floor under her that closed over her tail.
Snakefang tightened his grip, ignoring Smokefur's tiny squeal of pain, and yanked on her pelt. His foot slipped in a hole and he pulled his head up in pain.
She clawed at the trunk and under his paws, helping him pull herself up. With a heavy sigh, Smokefur laid on her stomach and felt the trunk sink under her. "Let's get off." She quivered and lifted herself to her paws.
"Good thinking," Snakefang meowed and licked his sore foot. He turned and snatched the moss that was left uncovered with muck.
Smokefur pulled some off too, following him down the stems where they came up. She leapt off right away and landed on her paws, looking at Snakefang gratefully. "Thanks," Smokefur sighed in relief.
The warrior dipped his head and turned back towards the path they used when coming.
The grey she-cat purred and rubbed against him. "I mean it," she meowed, gazing at him. "I wouldn't be alive now if it weren't for you."
Snakefang purred back at her. "Any warrior would have done it." He replied, sounding surprised at her sudden affection.
"But you did it. I'll never be able to repay you." Smokefur rubbed her head against his neck. Her heart pounded, feeling touched.
"Smokefur," Snakefang looked at her in the eye. He paused for a short moment. "I love you." He meowed, purring.
Smokefur blinked. "I love you too, Snakefang."
Perhaps she would have a mate.

Sandheart met them at the entrance. "Hey, you." She glanced between them and purred. "Smokefur, would you come with me on a hunting patrol?"
"First," Snakefang replied first, "I have to go speak with Onestar. Smokefur must stay in camp." He touched Smokefur's muzzle with his.
The cream warrior opened her eyes wide. "Let me know when you can." She looked confused at Snakefang then padded over to Halfwind by the Highrock.
Smokefur purred and dropped her moss by the warriors' den. "I will tell her." She turned for Onestar's den. "You can stay and make your nest." Smokefur silenced him with her tail and walked away towards Onestar was the leader emerged from her den. "Hello Onestar."
"Greetings, Smokefur. What is it? I was just about to call a Clan meeting." The leader pointed her muzzle at the Highrock.
"I understand," Smokefur dipped her head respectfully, "I just wanted to let you now that Snakefang and I are now mates."
Onestar turned her head with a surprised expression. "I'm glad you've found a Tom for yourself." She purred, "Might as well add it to the meeting." The leader leapt up and called to the Clan, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting."
Blackfoot followed Snakefang out of the warriors' den, Foxlight right behind them.
The first sight of Silverclaw made a shiver of guilt sway down Smokefur's spine. The light grey cat stepped out of the medicine cats' den, looking around the clearing. She took a seat beside Blackfoot and grunted.
"First, we have a new pair of mates; Snakefang and Smokefur!" Onestar announced proudly. She waited for mews of applause stormed around the crowd. "Second, we have three kits who have reached six moons old." Onestar gazed down at the wriggling triplets. "Skykit, Cloudkit, Patchkit, step forward please."
Skykit, a pretty white she-kit, pounded forward with wide eyes, blind in one and clear in the other. Her two brothers were crawling around behind her, but they straightened when the leader called on them. Patchkit's fluffy orange-dappled ears perked up, repeated by Cloudkit, a light grey-furred Tom-kit.
"You have all reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Skypaw, Cloudpaw, and Patchpaw. Skypaw, your mentor will be Tigerfrost. Cloudpaw, your mentor will be Sandheart. Patchpaw, your mentor will be Smokefur."
I'm a mentor!
Onestar went on, "I hope they will pass down all they know to you."
Smokefur bounded to Patchpaw's side and touched noses with the new apprentice as the Clan called the new apprentices' and yowled out their names. After, Patchpaw and Cloudpaw went to greet their family while Skypaw nuzzled Tigerfrost.
The half-blind apprentice hardly noticed her brothers scattering away to meet Cherryfeather, their mother. The queen smiled, both proud of her kits and happy to move back into the warriors' den. Smokefur knew she would feel the same.
Patchpaw turned over to Smokefur, smiling widely. "Can we go hunting? Could you teach me how to fight? Please! I wanna fight like you and Tigerfrost did when I was a little kit!" His eyes glowed, clearly happy to have Smokefur as his mentor.
"You still are a little kit." Tigerfrost grumbled as he past them. Skypaw had her head and tail high, copying her mentor's ignorance.
"You're misleading her," Smokefur glared at him and flicked her tail at his apprentice. "She is as cute as a newborn kit." She meowed and pulled Skypaw close with her tail.
The warrior growled in his throat. "She's going to be the best warrior in warrior cat history after I'm finished with her."
"More like the worst!" Cloudpaw spat, standing beside his new mentor, Sandheart.
The cream warrior shushed him with a brush of her tail, but spoke no words as she watched. "Are you going to take Patchpaw on a territory tour?" She meowed, changing the subject.
Tigerfrost beckoned Skypaw over to the entrance and they went out into the moor without another word.
"Yes! Yes! Will you, Smokefur? Please?" Patchpaw's eyes glittered as he gazed up at the warrior.
Smokefur was unsure. It had been a long day and she wanted anything but to go out into the moor. She was afraid of going back to the trunk...or had it already sunk? What would mark it for danger? What if they fell in-
Sandheart interrupted her thoughts. "I'm taking Cloudpaw."
Smokefur blinked. "We can go together." She meowed, looking back down at Patchpaw.
"Really? You mean it? Awe, thanks Smokefur! I'm so happy you're my mentor!" Patchpaw jumped out of his sitting position and raced Cloudpaw for the entrance.
"Slow down!"
Smokefur chased Patchpaw up the hill and down the slope after teaching him how to run in the watery ground. She leaned forward and jumped up on top of him, rolling them both in the mud. Her head closed in around him. She underestimated his size, he was a lot smaller than her.
The apprentice ducked his head under her fur and didn't bother to squirm. His chest heaved as they fell apart and crashed into the forest part of the territory.
"I've never been here before," Patchpaw said out loud as he turned his head back and forth, looking around.
Smokefur sighed impatiently. "This is where we catch mice and forest birds." She told him, looking up into the trees. She wondered if Snakefang was looking at the stars too.
Patchpaw acknowledged her but meowed, "Where is Skypaw and Tigerfrost?" He looked behind them. "And Cloudpaw and Sandheart?"
"They went the other way to investigate on their own." She replied, looking the same way. "Would you like to try a bird hunting crouch?" Smokefur stretched out her long arms and flexed her unsheathed claws.
Patchpaw nodded and sat, waiting for a demonstration.
"Okay so I'll do it first, then you try it." Smokefur ordered, then bent down in a crouch. Her tail hung low behind her and she stepped forward slowly. "Do you see?" Her eyes shifted from the grass to Patchpaw's eyes. "If you keep your tail low, it won't see you. But you must focus on the fact that it will not be able to hear you." She explained, then stretched her paws out and leapt at a floating leaf. Smokefur lifted her head with triumph in her gaze as she held the leaf in her mouth.
"You look like a medicine cat, is what I see!" Patchpaw joked, "I got it, I promise." He mewed and dived down into the tall grass as quiet as a dead mouse. The apprentice stalked, but swished his tail back and forth. He licked his lips and jumped over the grass. Then, his tiny ears perked up. "Did I do it?" Patchpaw mewed anxiously.
Smokefur grunted. "You mustn't sway your tail. It will startle the bird and it'll fly away." She meowed sternly and watched him straighten up. "And, you can't lick your lips. The bird will smell and hear that, too." She nudged him back to the spot where she demonstrated it. "Try again."
The day went on, longer than ever, and Patchpaw got the hang of it. His version of the leap was different from the way Smokefur had learned it, but it worked; and that's all that mattered. Patchpaw was different. He's styles of hunting and practicing were different too. It showed his unique side, and Smokefur enjoyed being around him more and more was the days went by.
"Can we try some battle moves now?" Patchpaw urged, rubbing his small, patched head against Smokefur's shoulder. He had grown bigger and he was almost half the size of a full-grown fox, more than half the size of Smokefur.
Cloudpaw fluffed out his chest. "As if you'd be able to scare off enemy warriors! You're as small as a kit, still!" His brother mocked.
"He's grown bigger than me, so why aren't you picking on me instead?" Skypaw glared at her defiant brother. One grey eye blinded from sight made her one of the weaker cats, but she proved herself to be as caring and loyal as any other.
Tigerfrost growled his opinion, "He's too afraid to, he knows you're the best of all them." He took pride in having a half-blind apprentice.
"Smokefur said I can use my size to conquer any enemy!" Patchpaw spat back. "I'll be the best warrior any of you have ever seen!"
Smokefur purred in amusement and pride in her apprentice.
"Hush now," Cherryfeather's voice approached them with care. "You will all have your chance to prove yourself during your final assessment in only two more moons." She meowed. Her voice was docile and calm.
But Cloudpaw felt as if he needed to be the best out of everyone, and he showed it well. "Two moons? Still? It feels like it's been forever!" He dramatically fell to his side and sighed loudly.
"It will pass soon enough." Halfwind meowed, passing by from the warriors' den to Onestar who was sitting outside her den.
Smokefur's purr slowed as she gazed at the entrance. They knew a lot already. Was it possible to do a review test? "Would it be possible if Sandheart, Tigerfrost and I could get you to take a review assessment?"
The three apprentices turned their heads to look at her. They were clearly unconvinced and confused. Skypaw fluffed out her fur and shook her head. "What's a review assessment?" She asked.
"It's when we let you go out alone and test you by your current skills," Sandheart replied. Smokefur knew she would like the idea. "Then we know which ones you must improve on."
Smokefur nodded after Sandheart glanced at her to get a yes- you're-right response. "Exactly." She dipped her head to her friend and looked back at Patchpaw who was praising himself.
"I'll be the one with the most prey when I'm done!" Cloudpaw enjoyed the idea as it clung to him like a burr.
Patchpaw narrowed his eyes at his brother disbelievingly.
"Yeah, right." Skypaw growled under her breath.
"Hmph," Cloudpaw sneered at his sister, "We'll all see how much the half-blind cat will catch when the assessment is over! It'll hardly put a dent in the fresh kill pile." He added in a whisper.
The white apprentice hissed and batted her paw at Cloudpaw's face. "You don't know that! You're totally underestimating me." She flicked her tail as he fell off balance and purred victoriously.
"You're so weak, Cloudpaw." Patchpaw mewed with delight, cuffing a paw over his sister's ear playfully. "You won't be able to catch a mouse with that loud mouth of yours!"
Skypaw purred more when her light grey brother got up and marched over to the exit. "When do we start?" He asked, ignoring his less-serious siblings.