WARRIORS: Cruel season #1 Rises the Moon

Chapter four

Two days had passed since the talk the three had, Tommy hadnt told Bumblepaw about it but they had been talking. It was bumblepaws first gathering and he couldnt wait to tell everybody he could about it. Tommy had been dreading the full moon, he began to resent the moon as the nights passed. "Tommy? Are you in here?" Sootburrs voice would echo through the apprentice den. Tommy perked up, looking at Sootburr through the dens entrance. "Hey." Tommy meowed quietly. "C'mon, i need to show you something." Sootburr picked  Tommy up by the scruff before he could say anything and darted out the camp.

Tommys shocked expression made it clear he wanted to be put down. The two reached the hills that strayed in their territory, the grass dancing in the winds as the two looked forwards. sootburr put Tommy down gently. "Im gonna show you a way to beat that dick Hiddenstar up and prove your worthy of clan life!" he proudly said, his long coat blowing with the wind.  Tommys face suddenly lit up. "Really? You gonna teach me how to fight!" Tommy jumped with joy. "Yup!" Sootburr smiled. "Hiddenstar has always gone into a fight with no plan. hes a fast, strong and brave leader and is feared by many. If you can be just as fast and as confident im sure you could give him some sort of scar, toms." Tommy listened carefully. "Now, show me what you can do." Sootburr took a few steps back, waiting for tommy to do something. Tommy suddenly focussed harder then he had been before. He crouched down, ready to pounce he pushed himself forward. Before Tommy could reach Sootburr he was knocked to the ground. Sootburr was fast, but Hiddenstar was faster. "Tommy, you need to be faster. Hiddenstar will knock you to starclan if your that slow in battle." Tommy nodded.

He tried again, instead of straight up pouncing he ran behind Sootburr, leaping on his back. Sootburr stumbled and tried to throw tommy off his back, instead Tommy latched to his neck. The two laughed, Tommy let go and fell to the ground. "thats better! Of course Hiddenstar might be better, but you have good grip toms, maybe you van give him a good face scar." Sootburr smirked, thinking of it. Tommy smiled at Sootburrs words, his gaze began to focus on the sky, it was almost dark. "Can we try one more time?" Sootburr nodded "This time, ill try to go for you too."

Sootburr ran at Tommy, leaping at him. Tommy bolted to the left, dodging Sootburr. He ran forward, making sure he was out of sootburrs sight, this tactic seemed to work. Tommy jumped onto sootburr, making sure he had a grip on him before Sootburr tried to get him off. Sootburr once again, attempted to throw tommy off his back, but tommy was latched on tight. Tommy suddenly let go of Sootburrs back and flew backwards, landing ln his feet. When sootburr turned around, Tommy charged at him and jumped and latched onto his face with his claws barely unseathed. "Okay, Tommy you can stop now!" Sootburr said, Tommy let go and fell to the ground.

"i think your ready, you are not fully trained. If you do lose, im sure we wont let you go home if you dont want to. And if you get hurt, we will be here to help." Sootburrs warm smile brought happiness to Tommy, he almost felt like a big brother. As the moon began to rise, the voices of the moonclan cats began to rise from the camp. Crowstar looked at the two, smiling and mationing for them to follow.

"Alright Tommy, lets go!" Sootburr padded forwards with Tommy following close behind him. A part of tommy hoped this would be an okay gahering, cause if it was this bad everytime it would be his last. He looked out into the small crowd of cats, BumblePaw was following close behind his apprentice with a sling around his arm. Tommy wondered what happened, he padded up to Bumbldpaw to ask. 

"bumblepaw?" tommys voice caught Bumblepaw off gaurd, he turned his head. "hey Tommy! Whats up?" Bumblepaw asked. "Why do you have those uh.. Leaves wrapped around your leg?" tommy looked down at Bumblepaws leg. "oh its a sling, i fell from a tree a few days back. See that stick? Its holding my leg in place while walking long distances. MouseTail said i only sprained it though." He smiled and looked forwards once more. "oh, okay." the clan kept walking. Not so long after another clan came into vision. "Tommy look, thats Sunclan!" Sootburr whispered while nudging him to look at them. Bumblepaws head snapped to look at them with a grin on his face.

It hadnt been to long that they got there, the waves crashed against the shores of the moonlight island. Tommy watched Bumblepaw look around, almost like he was looking for someone. "are you okay Bumblepaw?" Sootburrs tone was soft. Bumblepaw nodded his head. Crowstar looked around and walked towards the rocks, jumping up onto the one with a moon painted onto it. Tommy looked at the rock with a sun painted onto it, his gaze planted onto a large skinny cat with bright green eyes that stared deep into his soul. Sootburr stood infront of Tommy blocking Hiddenstars view of him.

Crowstar looked to the sky that was speckled with bright white stars and a full moon, he prayed that Tommy would somehow overpower Hiddenstar. He looked to Hiddenstar and then to the cats below. Hiddenstar looked at Crowstar and nodded, signifyng the gathering was ready to begin. "let the gathering begin!" Hiddenstars voice boomed throughout the sheltered area of the island. Crowstar looked at Hiddenstar, waiting for him to begin.

 "for the past moon, Sunclan has thrived over NewLeafs gift of prey in the mountains and our part of the valley. We have also gained two new apprentices, EclipsePaw and TimePaw!" Hiddenstar shouted. The cats in the crowd shouted the twos names. "Crescentpaw! Timepaw!" the cats repeated. Sootburr looked around for bumblepaw, but he was with a different apprentice, a black and white cat who smiled at the call of their own name. "although the many heavy rainfalls, there has been barely any flooding anywheres in the tunnels and caves." hiddenstar finished, looking at Crowstar to say what had been going on with his own clan.

 "thats sounds amazing, Hiddenstar. Moonclan has been doing well, although a part of our traveling system has flooded which makes it harder to cross to the gazing-pond lately, but we have found our ways. In the past moon we have gained three more apprentices, Bumblepaw, Lilacpaw and Foxpaw." Crowstar said. "Bumblepaw! Lilacpaw! Foxpaw!" the cats shouted the apprentices names. "In the past week however, we have stumbled upon a young cat named Tommy. This brave young cat was willing to abandon the kittypet lifestyle and begin training as a Moonclan apprentice." the cats below looked confused, but not many were mad at this. Many cats in the crowd came from barns or twoleg nests. "but before Tommy begins training he must prove he wont give up in battle, he will fight Hiddenstar."

Tommy looked up, watching Crowstar flick his tail, signaling for him to come forward. "i have visited the gazing-Pond to speak to our warrior ancestor's, as long as one cat is not killed the moon shall not be covered." he continued. Tommy gripped the soft ground with his claws, digging into the ancient soils. Hiddenstar leaped down from the rock, the leader casted a shadow over tommys pelt, the moons light made his pelt shine as bright as the dawn itself. Sootburrs encouraging words echoed through tommys mind. Crowstars eyes peirced tommys soul with sadness.

Sootburr stepped back, waiting for the fight to begin. "may the fight begin." Crowstar said. Tommy arched his back, attempting to look more frightening. Hiddenstar ran forwards, grabbing tommy by his bandana and throwing him up into the air. Tommy fell to the ground, almost hitting one of the rocks. Before hiddenstar could get to him, Tommy stood up and ran back at him, latching onto his face. Tommy scramble over his face trying to climb onto his back, but was thrown off. Hiddenstar was too fast for Tommy, he managed to run past HiddenStar, dodging his attack. As Hiddenstar turned around tommy hurled himself towards hiddenstar. 

Tommy swiped at Hiddenstars face, leaving one long running scratch across is nose. Hiddenstar threw Tommy off of him, knocking him down onto the dirt. Tommy stood back up, his legs were weak but he had to keep fighting. The two cats stared down eachother, their claws unsheathed and their tails lashing behind them. A few drops of blood rolled down Hiddenstars nose, he was unbothered and focused harder, waiting for Tommy to make his move. Tommy launched himself into the air. He landed on Hiddenstar and dug his claws into the short neck fur of the leader. Hiddenstar scratched a part of Tommys ear, leaving blood dripping down his face. 

"thats enough!" George, the sunclan medicine cat yowled. "You two have done enough damage  to one another, the moon will set soon and we must get bsck to our camps." he continued. Mousetail ran to Tommy. "are you okay Tommy? We must get you back to cam-" Sootburr cut off Mousetail. "Tommy you id so amazing! You can become a clan apprentice now!" Sootburr couldnt contain his childish smile, he was proud of him. Tommy could tell. "Sootburr contain yourself, i must heal his wounds." 

Tommy smiled, looking around at all the cats. He looked down at his bandana, it was torn and dirty, but that was fine.