Decisions (A Warrior Cats Fanfiction, Take Two)

Chapter Eleven

Her tortoiseshell fur was covered in blood, still dripping with the wet red droplets. Her claws were unsheathed, and she had a look of pain and shock on her face. Dull green eyes, with a grayish look about them, stared at nothing. As Copperpaw examined further, frozen and unable to look away, she saw most of her wounds were minor. Her neck, however, had a huge slice in it. The intention was clear immediately. Whoever had killed her had meant to do so.

Nightheart was crouched next to the she-cat, sadness filling her eyes. Foxpaw's eyes were closed. Her head was tilted upward, looking towards the sky. Hollystep and Cloverstem stared at their sister, Cloverstem with wide eyes and Hollystep with narrowed ones. A breeze blew through the camp, sending shivers down spines.

Something warm and familiar pressed against Copperpaw's side and a rough tongue rasped against her head reasuingly. She pressed closer into her mother's fur, still finding it hard to believe. She had never seen a cat die, and even if she hadn't known Fallenthorn that well, she was still furious at her murderer.

~•~

No cat talked in the apprentices den as they lay down that night to sleep. Mistypaw was there, not in the dusk patrol like it had first been planned. After what had happened with Fallenthorn, she had been taken off. Mossstar wasn't going to risk the life of such a young cat.

Mistypaw and Sunpaw were curled together and facing opposite directions as always, but they were pressed closer together than usual. Sunpaw had her tail restimg on Copperpaw's back. Gorsepaw had scooted closer, his head resting against Copperpaw's and his body wrapped around his sisters. Birchpaw and Hiddenpaw were jammed against everyone, Hiddenpaw with his head next to Gorsepaw's and Copperpaw's, Birchpaw crammed next to his brother, Copperpaw, Mistypaw, and Sunpaw. None of the apprentices had ever seen a dead cat and were unused go it. Copperpaw knew that in the life of sickness, battles, and starvation, they would be used to it someday, but at the moment they weren't, so they slept like that, comforted by each others warmth.

~•~

Copperpaw didn't wake up until a cat landed on her, jolting her from her sleep. She leapt up instantly, relaxing as she realized it was only Gorsepaw being clumsy.

"Gorsepaw!" Mistypaw hissed, glaring at her brother with angry green eyes.

Gorsepaw flattened his ears, looking embarrassed. "Oh, uh, sorry. I slipped." he muttered.

"Its fine." Copperpaw said, hardly finished speaking before Hawkscar entered the den. "You have battle training." he told the three apprentices. "Sunpaw is already ready." He ducked out of the den. The trio quickly left the bramble bush, leaving it epmty. Birchpaw and Hiddenpaw were off on the morning hunting patrols and Sunpaw was, as said, ready. She waited by Eagleclaw and Cedarpelt, looking excited. Copperpaw flintched as she caught the scent of rosemary in the air, reminding her of Fallenthorn.

~•~

Copperpaw circled Eagleclaw, ready to attack. He glared at her harshly, not shifting his gaze. Copperpaw lashed out a paw and Eagleclaw leaped away. He charged, pummeling her side and running. She drew back her ears, jumping and tackling him to the ground. He twisted and turned, trying to free himself, but Copperpaw somehow managed to get in a few blows before being forced to retreat.

Eagleclaw feinted a jump, causing her to jump back. She couched, moving forward like a snake. Eagleclaw prepared to meet her, baring his teeth and reading a paw to nat her away. Copperpaw shifted slightly, and using her power to send her more up than forward, launched into the air and over his back. She twisted quickly and pawed at his hind legs, fake biting his tail. Eagleclaw spun, rearing up and brining down his front paws onto her.

Copperpaw fell to the ground, the warrior standing over her. He attack her side. She kicked her back legs, tripping him. She escaped from his grip and attack his side and back, landing as many strikes as possible before he was back on his feet.

Eagleclaw dove at her and she jumped away. He stood back up and the two began to circle again, trying to figure out how to beat one another. Copperpaw drew back her lips in a snarl and jumped. Eagleclaw didn't have time to respond before Copperpaw was attacking him, pawing at his back and snapping at his legs. Eagleclaw rolled and Copperpaw jumped, gasping as she tumbled to the ground, her tail caught. Eagleclaw let her tail go and stood over her, placing one paw on her neck.

"Eagleclaw wins." Cedarpelt announced as the warrior let Copperpaw go. She got to her paws and padded over to Gorsepaw, Sunpaw, and Mistypaw.

"Good job." Gorsepaw praised.

Copperpaw flicked her ear. "Thanks." she said.

"Do you think we're done yet?" Sunpaw asked as she boredly batted a pebble back and forth with her paws. "It's past sunhigh."

Copperpaw glanced up at the sky, realizing Sunpaw was right. They had been training for half a day.

"I hope so." Gorsepaw muttered. "I didn't eat this morning."

"If you woke up on time..." Copperpaw told him.

"If I woke up on time I would fall asleep while eating." He said.

"Wouldn't surprise me." Copperpaw meowed and batted at his ear.

Gorsepaw ducked. "Hey." he complained.

"We are going back to camp now." Curltail announced. At first the training patrol had only consisted of Cedarpelt and Eagleclaw for mentors, but Curltail along with Hawkscar had come to watch their apprentices.

Gorsepaw and Sunpaw perked up at this, both being the first cat to get to their paws. Copperpaw and Mistypaw followed, rolling their eyes at the two. They trekked behind their mentors on the way back to camp.

~•~

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the High Rock for a Clan meeting!"

Mossstar's yowl jolted Copperpaw awake. She had begun to doze off in the camp clearing as the sun touched the horizon and began to set. She quickly sat up, looking up at the leader.

"As you know, Fallenthorn was killed in a rogue attack on the sunhigh border patrol yesterday. These rogues have been bothering us for two moons now and the battles are only becoming bloodier, but, with more cats, we will beat these twolegplace cats. Copperpaw, step forward."

Copperpaw stared in shock for a few moments. She was being made a warrior! But I've only been training for five moons! she thought. Cats that did above average in training were sometimes made warriors after only training for five moons and sometimes even just four, or when the Clan was in need of warriors and the mentor felt the apprentice had learned all they needed to know, but still. She hadn't thought she would become a warrior for another quarter moon at least.

She stood, padded forward through the crowd of watching cats, and carefully jumping onto the High Rock. She sat their nervously as Mossstar began.

"I, Mossstar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Copperpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect the Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Copperpaw swallowed, forcing her voice to stay normal. "I do." she said.

"Then, by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Copperpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Copperflight. StarClan honors your loyalty and kindness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of DuskClan."

Mossstar rested his head on Copperflight's shoulder and she respectfully licked his shoulder. The Clan began to chant her new name and she straightened back up. "Copperflight! Copperflight! Copperflight!" The chants rang through the clearing. She relaxed a bit, spotting her parents, Amberbreeze and Acornfur, and Fernfur watching. Ashkit, Barkkit, Jaykit, and Rainkit peeked out of the nursery, whispering excitedly to each other. She shifted her gaze from her kin to her friends. Dustmask, Mistypaw, Birchpaw, Sunpaw, Gorsepaw, and Hiddenpaw werw sitting and watching her, looking so happy a cat would think they had just become warriors.