🍁🍃Warriors: A Poisonous Path🍁🍃

Chapter 5

(pic is Rainwish) The cats swarmed restlessly, waiting for Brindlestar. Emberpaw weaved among them, searching for Badgerpaw. She spotted his black-and-white pelt. He was talking to Mudpaw, with Haypaw sitting nearby. In total there were six apprentices also counting the medicine cat apprentice, Pikepaw. As Emberpaw made her way towards Badgerpaw, weaving among the now-familiar faces. Though Shadepaw gave her a hostile glance, the whole Clan treated her like one of them, even Shellflight, who had been giving her suspicious glances for a few days. When she reached Badgerpaw, Mudpaw went off to stand beside her mentor, Deerfang. Haypaw was moving hesitantly away towards Blossomtail, a she-cat who had been given her warrior name the day before Emberpaw had joined the Clan. When she finally got to stand beside Badgerpaw she snorted. "Does Haypaw really think Blossomtail would be interested in him?" Badgerpaw turned to face her: "Yeah, Blossomtail is really pretty and smart. Quite the opposite of clumsy Haypaw," he meowed back, a faint sneering tone entering his voice. Emberpaw was surprised. "Did you and Haypaw fall out?" she knew very well that the two were littermates. When Badgerpaw turned to face her again, his eyes had a spark of sadness and hurt in them. "He said that he was ashamed of having me as a littermate," he spat bitterly, "that the two worst enemies in the forest, badgers and foxes, are meant to be driven out," he glared after Haypaw. Emberpaw pressed her red fur against his black-and-white fur and they sat there for a few moments, looking at the stars.

Emberpaw had crossed the tree-bridge easily with her muscular body and long, sharp claws. Now it was Badgerpaw's turn, and he looked quite nervous. After a few words of encouragement from Emberpaw he leaped down on the rocky shores. They pushed their way onto the island, on which Emberpaw recognized the scents of RiverClan and WindClan. ShadowClan hadn't arrived yet. Emberpaw went to sit in the middle of the ThunderClan cats, though she was nervous. Brindlestar had told her before the Gathering that she would announce her arrival to the other Clans. She recognized the scent a few moments before ShadowClan entered the island. The moment Ferretstar had made himself comfortable on the Great Oak, Bearstar, leader of RiverClan, yowled for the meeting to begin. "Fish are plentiful this greenleaf," he announced, "And we have two new warriors: Cherrywillow and Splashfur," when the cheers had died down, Applestar, leader of WindClan, went. All she had to announce was that prey was plentiful and they had a new apprentice, Snakepaw. Ferretstar had the same. Emberpaw's apprehension rose as Brindlestar stepped forward. "We have three new apprentices, Haypaw, Badgerpaw and Emberpaw," she waited for the noise to die down. "Also, ThunderClan has decided to welcome a newcomer into it's ranks, one that is feared." The three other Clans shrank back, wondering what Brindlestar could have done. "Emberpaw, step forward," Emberpaw stepped into the space before the Great Oak and turned to face the Clans, this time she realized she felt no fear, only the determination to prove herself, as the Clans gasped in shock as they realized the newcomer was a fox.

Emberpaw faced them bravely as the Clans gasped in shock. "Brindlestar, what is this?" asked Ferretstar sharply, Emberpaw could hear fear in his voice. Brindlestar eyed him challengingly. "The new ThunderClan apprentice." she said simply, then before Ferretstar could reply, she leaped down from the Great Oak and with a flick of her tail gathered the Clan to leave. Emberpaw wanted to make an impression on the other Clans, so just before she disappeared into the bushes she turned to face the other Clans and snarled menacingly from the shadows. She could already smell the fear-scent coming from the cats still in the clearing, and she slowly backed into the bushes, eyes narrowed.

I know, I know, EmberXBadger is going on here, and I'm not gonna stop it. Though the pair cannot have cubs/kits together I think it's fine how it is. Also, you still have time to submit the warrior names! Shoutout to Skyfang_Skypaw for commenting.