Oakheart's Promise - A Warriors AU

Chapter 12

"Graypaw! Willowpaw!" The Clan cheered as the two apprentices received their new names. Crookedpaw watched, proudly smiling at the gray she-cats. He turned to his brother. I remember when we were getting our new names. Rainflower was so proud of me. He stopped. But she wasn't proud of Oakpaw.

After Crookedpaw's Clanmates grew quiet, Hailstar stepped down from the stone in the clearing. With the Clan dismissed, the cats diffused around the camp. The elders returned to their den, and Fallowtail made her way to the warriors' den. Shellheart began organizing patrols, sending a few warriors away to hunt. As the clearing emptied, Crookedpaw felt a need to join his Clanmates away from the camp.

I can go hunt, Crookedpaw decided. He glanced towards Oakpaw, who was now eagerly listening to his mentor, Cedarpelt. I'll let him stay here. Turning to the entrance of the camp, he pushed away the reeds. He stepped onto the first stepping stone in the creek.

As Crookedpaw left the camp, he caught the scent of Willowpaw and Graypaw. Their mentors are already showing them the territory. They seemed to be heading towards the gorge that resided at the WindClan border. His mother, Rainflower, had refused to let him explore near there. He had only been at the border once, on his first tour of the territory.

Hopping off of the stepping stone, Crookedpaw made his way towards the river. As long as he didn't go far from camp, he would be allowed to hunt on his own. Now, as he approached the river, he crouched down, staring into the clear, undisturbed water. Not many fish swam by. However, a large one sluggishly made its way down the river.

Crookedpaw's gaze flashed to the ground. His shadow was away from the calm, flowing stream. His paws twitched with excitement as the fish grew closer and closer to the shore. It was much larger than he had thought it was. I'll have to dive into the water if I want to catch it. Finally, when it paused, he pounced, his paws slamming down onto the fish as he splashed into the river.

Clamping his jaws around the fish, the light brown tom thrashed his paws. He clawed at the muddy shore and hauled himself out of the water. Luckily, it was moving slowly, so his only struggle was bringing the fish with him. His crooked jaw allowed him to sink his teeth into its side, getting a better grip on it. However, it still squirmed, almost slipping away into the open depths of the river.

Crookedpaw held the fish with a grin. A light trickle of blood dripped down from his fangs. He proudly carried it on his way back to the camp. As he followed a path of crushed, worn grass, he spotted gray fur rushing towards him.

"Rainflower!" Crookedpaw exclaimed. "Look what I caught!" He puffed out his chest and held his tail high, lifting a paw to point towards the fish that now limply dangled from his half-open jaws.

But the tabby was only met with an expression of worry. "I was looking all over for you!" Rainflower explained dramatically. "Your father had no idea where you went. You should have stayed in camp!"

"I'm an apprentice now!" Crookedpaw protested, his voice slightly muffled by the prey he held. "The Warrior Code doesn't say I can't leave camp alone!"

"But I say you can't leave camp alone!" Rainflower reasoned, reaching down. To Crookedpaw's shock, she tried to grab him by the scruff of his neck and drag him back to camp. I'm not a kit! I'm almost as big as Shellheart!

"Let go of me!" Crookedpaw ordered, pulling away from his mother. He bounded away, escaping into the reeds that surrounded the camp.

Rainflower continued to shout, "You were so good when you were a kit! What ever happened to you?"

"I grew up!" Yelling his final response, Crookedpaw entered the camp, approaching the fresh-kill pile and dropping the fish. Birds called overhead, keeping the cats in the camp alert as they rested. Warriors gathered and shared tongues, grabbing prey. Shellheart noticed Crookedpaw and approached the young tabby.

Shellheart's eyes widened as the noticed the fish on the pile. "Did you catch that?" He asked in awe.

Finally, someone who cares more than Rainflower! "Yes!" Crookedpaw replied.

"With your injured leg?" Shellheart questioned, still in disbelief.

Crookedpaw nodded. He glanced down, seeing that his hind leg was still slightly injured from the battle at Sunningrocks. He had slipped on the stones as he retreated, gaining a wound which took longer than usual to begin to fade. Now, all that was left was a thin, red line. It still ached some mornings, but unlike his broken jaw, it was temporary.

"We can share this with Oakpaw," Shellheart suggested, gesturing towards the fish Crookedpaw had caught. The light brown tabby nodded. He peered at the entrance of the camp, checking to see if Rainflower had returned. But the gray she-cat was still away from the camp. For just a moment, Crookedpaw felt free from her overprotective paws.