Warriors: The Red Den.

Chapter one

CoarsePaw woke up from a restless sleep. Yesterdays training was hard and exhausting, but even then he couldn't rest for the night. He stretched the stiffness from his limps and slumped his shoulders as he padded out of the apprentices den, the evening sun greeting him warmly.

   Sniffing the air told him that most of the warriors had already left, and his mentor RatMaw would be here to grab him soon. He loathed the morning training that was to come, praying to StarClan that a storm would rain it out.

   As he was planning a way to escape the mind numbing session's, RatMaw approached him in perfect, terrible timing, souring his mood instantly. RatMaw's face looked almost as tired as his own, with sunken eyes and an ugly expression. It was clear from the many session's, that his mentor had no passion to teach. But nonetheless, he was decent enough at it and gave an effort to help him improve.

   "CoarsePaw," he called in a voice that commanded attention. "You're late. The others are already waiting." RatMaw said unenthused with him. CoarsePaw coughed and looked at him with tired eyes.

   "I don't feel well... can I rest today?" RatMaw scoffed at the poor attempt to fake his sickness.
   "Don't you even want to be a warrior?" He asked as if it wasn't the first time this topic had come up.
   "I don't get what all the excitement's about... it's just more things to do..." CoarsePaw meowed timidly, fighting back a yawn and avoiding his mentor's glare that he could already feel burning into him. RatMaws ear twitched in annoyance. From his half open mouth and the look in his eyes, CoarsePaw knew he had spoken too freely.

   "As a warrior you get to help serve your clan and take care of those who cannot themselves. It's a great honor. When I was an apprentice I always want-" But a loud yowl from across the camp, and the traditional calling of their leader cut him short.

   "Let all cats old enough to run the moor gather around the Tall Rock for a clan meeting!" A white and black tom with huge furred ears called from the distance.     

   With that, all the cats at camp, and the patrol who had conveniently just returned, made their way to an empty patch in the camp with a tall flat rock in front.

   "What is it SplitStar? Any good news?" Meowed a tom from the crowd. "Has the gathering been announced yet?" Mewed another. SplitStar let them talk amongst themselves for a moment before finally elaborating.

   "I bring you the news of the gathering. As you all know the melting snow has flooded the usual gathering area." SplitStar announced before carrying on, "In light of this news, I and the other clan leaders have decided to move the meeting location from four trees to our own territory." With this the whole of WindClan was silent for a moment, before exploding into caterwauls of protest and jeers.

   "Into our own clan! Are you mad?" Cried an elder in the crowd. "You agreed to this! Why didn't you tell us first?" Hissed another angrily. However a furious yowl that echoed throughout the forest ripped through the noise of the clan. The birds singing stopped and it seemed like the whole world was still for a moment.

   "Have you all no respect for your leader!" Erupted a black and brown furred, flat faced tom with an intense anger in his eyes. He waited for a moment as the rest of the clan stared at him, then SplitStar, then him again, unsure of where to put their attention.

   "That's enough MireFur. Thank you." Called SplitStar in an attempt to quell his rage.

   "As I was saying," The clan leader started up again, "The others will be meeting here for the gathering. We have the least flooded pathway and the traditional peace will make sure we are in no harm." SplitStar walked down the rock and to the entrance of his den before ending the meeting with a tired meow. "That is all. RatMaw, meet me at my den." A flash of anxiety swept its way across RatMaw's face as his leader called to him directly.

   "CoarsePaw, go join BrightTail's training while I'm gone." RatMaw meowed, flicking his tail towards BrightTail who was about to leave with his own apprentice.
  CoarsePaw groaned and sulked his way towards BrightTail.

  RatMaw made his way towards SplitStars den with heavy paws, his tail anxiously flicking back and forth.
   "SplitStar?" Called RatMaw, poking his head into the dimly lit den.

   "Come in." He answered from the darkness. Dry moss lay on the bottom of the den, and the inside had vines crawling around it. It was a cozy little space just big enough for him.

"So," SplitStar began "How are you?"

  "I'm here." RatMaw responded, biting at his gray fur nervously. "Why do you ask?"

  "I was just wondering..." SplitStar said, opening his mouth for a second as if he had something else to say, before letting it die on his tongue.

  "Ok well... there's a patrol running out right now, and CoarsePaw is with BrightTails training... am I free to leave?" RatMaw mewed, thinking out loud more than explaining.

  SplitStar sighed heavy heartedly, building up the courage to ask what was on his mind.
  "How's CoarsePaw?" He said, lifting his posture up and sitting straighter, as if a weight had been lifted off him.

  "As... challenged... as usual." RatMaw said, putting his thoughts as nicely as possible. CoarsePaw was more than challenged.
  "I see... Have you talked to him about his thoughts on becoming a warrior?" SplitStar Questioned, hoping to hear some kind of good news.
  "I have. He is... Uninterested in the idea. He has yet to actually try anything I teach him with a hint of passion." RatMaw answered bluntly, taking his failure with CoarsePaw roughly. He had raised him since he was a kit, and wanted more than anything for him to succeed, but it seemed the apprentice was determined to self sabotage.

  "Do you think he could hunt on his own if he had to?" SplitStar said, looking RatMaw in his eyes, proving the importance of his question. "If his life depended on it, could he survive alone?"
  RatMaw stuttered for a moment, tripping on his words. After a moment of thinking, and careful consideration of his skills, he answered.

  "No. He could not." The statement was cold coming out of his mouth, but true.

  "Very well. We will take him to the two legs place at dawn. Hopefully there he will better fit the life style." SplitStar spoke without meeting RatMaws gaze. He knew what he was going to say next.

  "But what about his mother!" He meowed in shock. "What will she think of this?" He mewed, quieting down considerably so no one overheard.

  "He won't survive here. Seeing him die in a fight or be shunned by the clan for his inabilities will crush her. This has to be settled now." He answered sternly, as if he had already made up his mind on this a long time ago.

  "He's just an apprentice! What apprentice do you know  could've survived on their own! Shouldn't we give him a chance?"
RatMaw sputtered.

  "It's for the sake of them both!" SplitStar growled in the heat of the moment, his ears flattening against his skull in anger.
  "Don't hurt him too much, but make sure he knows he isn't welcome anymore."

  RatMaw's face was glazed over with pain. How could he just kick out an apprentice like this? Especially his apprentice.
  "Please... SplitStar... Anyone else..." RatMaw begged him.

  "It has to be you! He respects you more than anyone else in the clan. If there's anyone he'll listen to it's you." SplitStar took a breath, relaxing his jittering tail, and calming himself.
  "It's for the best... he'll be happier as a kitty pet." He finally finished, gesturing with his paw towards the exit.
"You may leave now. Get it done before daybreak tomorrow."

  RatMaw glared at him, heat searing from his eyes. After a few moments of tense glares shared between them both, RatMaw rose to his paws, and walked out of the den looking more miserable than before, with claws digging into the dirt below him.