Warriors: A Drop Of Rain

Chapter Nine

Claws unsheathed and extended, Sablepaw leaped at Sparknose, practicing his fighting moves. He raked his claws down his side, but his mentor ducked when he tried to throw another blow. Sparknose leapt onto his apprentice's back, pinning him.

"Fox-dung!" Sablepaw shouted. He saw Sparknose swiftly get up, and envied his skills.

"Try again." He purred. Sablepaw stared intently at Sparknose's back, and knew his plan. He pounced, fooling Sparknose to think that his back was getting attacked. Sparknose rose, blocking his back but letting his stomach be vulnerable. Sablepaw clawed Sparknose's belly, and once he got confused pinned him.

"Well done!" Meowed Sparknose, getting up and licking his paw. "I'll have to arrange your warrior ceremony soon." He said. Excitement bubbled in Sablepaw's tummy. "Go grab your fresh-kill and drop it in the pile. Oh, and get something to eat. You've earned it." He purred. Sablepaw nodded and did what he told him.

***

Bluepaw curled close to Sablepaw as they lay in their nests.

"Goodnight." He meowed. She purred and scooted closed. Sleep drifted over him like a pile of leaves, and he felt himself drift from reality.

Sablepaw jumped up, pumped. He looked at Bluepaw and felt happiness in seeing her calm and curled up. He might've been the only cat in the Clan that could calm her, and they shared a close, strong bond. She lifted up and licked her chest fur.

"Were you staring at me?" She let out an amused mroww, and Sablepaw felt a flood of embarrassment. He looked at his bracken-colored paws.

"Sorry." He murmured. Bluepaw snickered.

"Oh? You should be." She growled. Sablepaw knew she was kidding. He looked back at her and saw her eyes glimmering. He smiled and popped up.

"Well, are we going to meet our mentors or leave them waiting?" Sablepaw meowed. Bluepaw nodded, rushing out to meet them. Feildstripe and Sparknose sat together right outside the warriors' den.

"Follow. Me and Sparknose will help you practice hunting." Fieldstripe said to the two apprentices. They padded out of the entrance and rushed out into the heather. Heatherpaw was picking herbs close to the WindClan border, and when she saw them called them over.

"Fieldstripe! Sparknose!" She called.

"Heatherpaw?" Sablepaw mewed in surprise.

"You mean Heatherleaf now. And I need to tell your mentors something." She meowed urgently. Bluepaw's ears pinned. "Listen, Clawstar needs to talk to your immediately. Can you get Sunsetstar?" Heatherleaf asked. The two warriors nodded and led their apprentices back into the camp.

"Leave us to talk to Sunsetstar. You two wait." Growled Sparknose. Bluepaw and Sablepaw sat next to eachother as they watched their mentors talk to their leader.

"That Heatherpaw annoys me." Hissed Bluepaw.

"You mean Heatherleaf?" Meowed Sablepaw.

"I know what I said." Bluepaw licked her back. As she said that, a flash of red burst into the camp. Sablepaw gasped as it grabbed a kit who was playing around in the sun. He bounded over and but the thing in its back. Sablepaw realized it was a fox he was attacking. He felt pain surge through his sides as he struggled to defeat the canine. He raked his claws down the fox's side, and yowled in pain. He hissed, his tail growing two times its size in fur. The fox back away, dropping the kit. He rushed out, whimpering. Sunfur snatched her kit and groomed him aggressively.

"Thank you so much!" She yowled. Sablepaw noticed Sunsetstar and Sparknose walking towards him.

"You fought like a warrior." His mentor said. Sunsetstar nodded. The leader leapt on the TallRock.

"All cats old enough to hunt their own rabbit gather round the TallRock for a Clan meeting." He announced. "No cat is more worthy to receive his warrior name than this cat. Sablepaw, will you please step up?" He asked. Sablepaw gulped as he sat down close to the rock.

"I, Sunsetstar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him as a warrior in his turn. Sablepaw, do you promise to always uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?" Sablepaw nodded. "Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day on, this apprentice will be know as Sableoak, warrior of WindClan. StarClan honors you for loyalty and courage, and welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan." He meowed. He rested his nose on his head, and Sableoak licked his shoulder. Bluepaw looked at her paws. Sableoak padded to sit beside her. Sunsetstar walked out to ThunderClan, and asked Sableoak and Cowpelt to come with him. Sableoak glanced at Bluepaw, who was still looking at the ground.

The walked into ThunderClan camp and Clawstar rushed over to Sunsetstar. Sableoak noticed Heatherleaf rush over to him.

"Sablepaw!" She called.

"You mean Sableoak now." He purred. She chuckled, and licked him behind his ears. Sableoak felt himself smile at the she-cat's gentle touched, and realized something bad. Ever since he saw Heatherleaf sitting over his father, he felt what he felt for Bluepaw. He suddenly realized what it meant. He gazed at the medicine cat. He touched noses with her when no cat looked.

"Looks like Sunsetstar is going. Maybe I'll see you picking herbs tomorrow?" He meowed. She nodded. He padded back to WindClan. When he arrived, he saw Bluepaw glaring at him.

"Why do you smell like you shared tongues with a ThunderClan cat?" She hissed. She sniffEd again. "With Heatherleaf?" Her ears pinned. Sableoak glanced around.

"I-I didn't . . . I just touched noses with her, that's all." He stammered. Bluepaw turned away. "Wait!" He pleaded. She didn't stop. He glanced down. Sunsetstar had told him it was time for his vigil. He glanced at the moon, then near the medicine den, and saw his sister smiling at him. It almost looked like she could see him, and his heart swelled up. I'm a warrior now, he thought, but what do I do with Bluepaw, when I'm supposed to meet Heatherleaf tomorrow? He felt more stressed than ever now.