Warriors, The Next Chapter; Spiderpaw's Journey

Chapter 10

Spiderpaw paced outside, after he had explained why they were here, he was told to wait outside. Drifteye's apprentice, Sweetpaw, had seen him pacing and bounded over, "I know Clawstar is intimidating but she's an amazing leader and she would never do anything to hurt her sister's kits!"

"Clawstar is Emberlight's sister?" Spiderpaw asked.

"Yeah, and Liongrowl is their brother," Sweetpaw mewed, "I'm actually Tawnyflight's daughter, so Twigclaw and Mousetail are my older siblings. Do you have any kin?"

Spiderpaw gulped as he thought about his kin, "Well, my mother, Mothwood, and my father, Springpuddle, and then there's my amazing sister, Sparkpaw!"

Sweetpaw smiled softly, "I hope I meet her someday."

"I bet Sparkpaw would be excited too!" He mewed.

Kinkwhisker slipped from the den, followed by Drifteye. Spiderpaw waited for Petalkit and Pouncekit to emerge with Clawstar but Emberlight's didn't follow the medicine cat and deputy. "Are the kits okay?" Spiderpaw asked as Kinkwhisker passed.

The medicine cat didn't reply, just brushing past him and Sweetpaw and hurrying away.

Spiderpaw began to grow nervous but his mind eased when Pouncekit and Petalkit emerged from the leader's den, "We get to stay here for the night!"

Spiderpaw hadn't even noticed the moon above his head, "Great." He yawned. Puddlefoot, the gray queen from earlier, waved her tail to the kits and they followed her to the nursery.

"I could show you to the apprentice's den if you'd like?" Sweetpaw purred.

"Thank you," Spiderpaw mewed as he padded after the fluffy white she-cat. She led him into a wide cave in the side of the ground where two apprentices, a white she-cat with orange patches, and a dusty colored yellow tom, were already waiting.

The tom was talking proudly, "So Honeypaw we found a RiverClan patrol at the border and caught one of their cats stalking a mouse into our territory, that cat couldn't leave quick enough!"

As the tom went on with his boasting, the she-cat, Honeypaw, spotted Sweetpaw and Spiderpaw, "Who's this?"

"This is Spiderpaw, he's staying the night here," Sweetpaw explained, "Spiderpaw, this is Honeypaw," She mewed, turning to the tom, "And Pebblepaw."

Pebblepaw lifted his head, "So your the cat Mousetail told me to make a nest for! My mentor's so bossy!"

Honeypaw swatted his ear playfully, "You don't know a strict mentor til you meat Jaggedice! One wrong step and suddenly he takes over."

"I feel bad for you Honeypaw, Drifteye's wonderful, he thinks I'm catching on really well to the jump and twist move," Sweetpaw mewed, "I can't believe that Clawstar gave you Jaggedice, I thought he'd be nice to you since we're sisters."

Pebblepaw snorted, "Sisters or not, Clawstar will do anything to have strong cats."

The other apprentice's murmured agreement.

"Before long we'll need more nests in here, Hawkkit, Barkkit, Icykit, and Acornkit will be in here any day now!" Sweetpaw added as she laid down in her nest.

Once the other apprentices were settled in the nests, he walked to the only open nest, it was lined with feathers and the moss was soft and well dried. Spiderpaw fell asleep faster that night then he had in a moon and began to dream.

***

Dawnlight shone brightly into the den, Spiderpaw blinked, rising to his paws. He looked around and saw the Sweetpaw's nest was empty and so was Pebblepaw's but Honeypaw was still fast asleep.