Path Of A Warrior: Book Two

Chapter 2

FLAREPELT

Flarepelt's ear twitched. Shinefall and Alderclaw were laying beside her. It had been a few days since they became warriors. But, something kept tugging at her thoughts, something that might ruin their peaceful atmosphere.
Flarepelt began to wash her paw, her eyes flicking around the camp.

"This is nice," Shinefall mewed. "At least we don't have to worry about training anymore, y'know?"
"Mm.." Flarepelt mewed, hardly hearing her.

"What are you looking for?" Alderclaw mewed through a tongueful of fur, he was grooming himself.
"Poolstar," Flarepelt said.
"Why?" Alderclaw stopped washing and looked up at her. "You've had your eye on her since our vigil. What are you planning to do?"
"I have to tell her where Icepaw is, and warn her about Shadowfoot," Flarepelt meowed.

"Do you think she'll listen?" Shinefall tilted her head. "That's her deputy, and there's no evidence to anything. We don't even have Icepaw anymore."
Flarepelt looked at her sister, "She has to. Poolstar should know the whole story. She needs to know what her deputy is capable of."
"I know. But just be prepared in case she doesn't believe you."

Alderclaw lowered his voice to a urgent hiss. "But we only have Icepaw's word that Shadowfoot killed Dovenose."
"Don't you believe her?" Flarepelt widened her eyes.
"Look, if Shadowfoot lied about killing Goldenfur in his revenge for Dovenose's death, that means Dovenose must have killed Goldenfur herself. And I don't think Poolstar would like to hear about how Dovenose would have deliberately killed another Clan deputy in battle."

"Or maybe he killed both of them," Shinefall mewed. "It's possible. Maybe he was planning to kill Dovenose for a while, and that was his perfect chance. Maybe Goldenfur saw him and so Shadowfoot had to kill Goldenfur too! But that's just me thinking," Shinefall mewed to the two of them.
Flarepelt shook her head. "If he did, Icepaw would of mentioned it." Flarepelt didn't feel quite ready to tell them what Icepaw said on Goldenfur's part.

"As I was saying," Alderclaw murmured, "What you are saying has implications for Dovenose's honor. And none of the other cats have a problem with Shadowfoot. It was only Icepaw who was scared of him."
"So you think Icepaw made the story up because she didn't get along with her mentor?" Flarepelt hissed.
"No," mumbled Alderclaw. "I just think we should be careful. How long have we been warriors exactly?"
Flarepelt sighed, her fur calming down a bit as she realized Alderclaw was right.

Shinefall then mewed, "I just don't want anything bad to happen to anyone in this Clan. If he strikes again, who knows who he'll be taking down? Think about it, both deputies were killed until Shadowfoot was deputy. He might go after Poolstar's lives next!" She whispered the last part quieter than the rest.

Flarepelt winced as she remembered what Poolstar told her the night Owlpool died.
"It wasn't my fifth life that I lost...it was my seventh."

She hesitantly mewed, "I have something to confess...I haven't exactly been...truthful with you guys."
"Do you know something?" Shinefall asked. "If we want everything to be normal again, we can't have secrets, y'know?"
I don't necessarily WANT things to be normal between us, thought Flarepelt. She didn't exactly know what she felt with Shinefall anymore. She doesn't think they can even go back to how things were, as if nothing had happened at all.

"Alright..the truth is.." she glanced left and right, and was quiet enough for only Alderclaw and Shinefall to hear. "Poolstar doesn't have four lives left...She has two."

"What?!" Shinefall whispered sharply. "Why would she lie? She needs to be careful with her lives now!"
Flarepelt looked at her. "She didn't want the Clan to worry. She told me the day Owlpool died."

Shinefall's eyes went round with worry. "So if Shadowfoot goes after her, she'll have only one life left. And if he does it again, she'll be.. gone. And we'll be stuck with him as a leader!"
"We won't let that happen." Flarepelt promised fiercely.

They then heard a yowl. "All cats old enough to drift in the snow, gather below the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"
Flarepelt looked up to see Poolstar leaping from rock to rock to leap onto the Highrock with a aura of authority in her stance.
Flarepelt's tail lashed with excitement. "A naming ceremony!" she purred. She heard the older warriors talking about how Thrushkit was bound to be apprenticed soon. She padded over to the crowd of cats.

She smiled as Shinefall and Alderpaw padded over and sat next to her.

A thick-furred sandy gray kit with emerald eyes with ear tufts padded into the clearing.

Amberleaf groomed her son briefly one last time before he padded up to the Highrock.

Poolstar looked down at the kit. "Thrushkit, you have 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 Thrushpaw."

There was no flash of determination in the eyes of the sandy gray kit as he looked up at his leader. Instead his emerald eyes were wide with anxiety.
Flarepelt felt sympathy for the kit, she hoped he could see her supportive smile.

Poolstar spoke again, "Jayclaw, you were Darkclaw's apprentice. He taught you well, and you have become a fierce and loyal warrior. I hope you will pass these qualities towards Thrushpaw."
Gently, the two Clan cats touched noses.
"It's okay, you're doing fine," Jayclaw murmured encouragingly.

Flarepelt let out a purr, it was as if she was watching her own apprentice ceremony, when Poolstar had touched her nose like that. She had full belief that Jayclaw would be the best mentor for the kit.

"Thrushpaw! Thrushpaw!" The cats chanted.

Flarepelt purred, nudging Shinefall. "That could be us, one day! Getting our own apprentices!"
"I hope so!" Shinefall mewed.

Flarepelt knew she was gonna do whatever it took to help her Clan.