City of Polaris (Warriors, Book 1)

Chapter 3

Ravenpaw crept out of her nest, as silent as a slinking beetle. She crept quickly out of the apprentice den, sqeezing through the leaf walls and darted across the moor, alert and ears pricked for any RiverClan scent.

She skidded past a bramble bush, as she knew it was there when she'd stepped on it her second day out, and crouched near where she knew the bridge was.

She pirked her ears and flared her nostrils, waiting for any fishy scents. Ravenpaw felt as though she'd been waiting forever. Then, she heard a sound as silent yet loud as a splashing fish. She lifted her chin to the sky, as if she was calling out to StarClan if it even was real, and sniffed the air. Rabbits, wind, sky, clouds, and fish...

Wait, fish!

Sure enough, by the way the winds blew the fresh scent, a RiverClan patrol was marching along the border. This was Ravenpaw's chance!

She crept into the grass, listening to the RiverClan warriors. Judging by the sharp scents, there were four of them. Two males and two she-cats. "Corapaw," Said one, with a big, strong voice. "Go to the bridge and go on the WindClan path. Mark the bridge so they know its our's, and not those rabbit-eaters."

Judging by how Corapaw's fishy scent got closer, she must have crossed the bridge. When Ravenpaw was sure she had stopped to mark the border, the black cat pounced on the apprentice's back. Sure enough, she landed on soft fur.

Yowling, Ravenpaw bit down on the back of her neck. Ravenpaw quickly hopped off, avoiding to get squished. She heard a thud and smelled the blood on her claws.

It was complete.

***

Sunlight drifted onto Ravenpaw's back, warming her pelt. She lifted her head and sniffed the air. She felt a paw prod her side. "Come on, Ravenpaw!" It was Boldyowl's voice.

Ravenpaw quickly realized that the blood was still on her claws. She lapped at her paws fiercly, the fur ruffling, then darted outside to were Boldyowl's scent was. "Whitestar wants you to go to the Fourtrees Gathering," Boldyowl announced with a growl.

"Oh," Yawned Ravenpaw. "Yay."

"Anyways," Continued Boldyowl as he and Ravenpaw bounded out of the entrance. The sun was warmer out there. "RiverClan has been acting strangely, so I'll need to teach you some fighting moves. In case you ever get in trouble."

Ravenpaw nodded. Yes! My plan worked!

Boldyowl stopped walking at a flat piece of land, with no grass and only soft dirt. "First," Said Boldyowl. Ravenpaw judged from the thump she heard he had sat down. "you'll learn the back kick move. "Judge opponent's distance from you carefully, then lash out with your back legs, taking all weight on your front paws."

Ravenpaw nodded. Boldyowl had sat up, judging from how there was some shade on her. The apprentice estimated his distance, then, as quick as a rabbit, put all weight on her front paws and lashed out with her back legs. She heard a grunt from Boldyowl as Ravenpaw's back legs came in contact with chest fur.

"Good," Growled Boldyowl. "Next is Jump and Pin. Complicated move. Leap backwards, and bounce off the wall or any surface. With precise accuracy, land on the cat, then..."

***

Ravenpaw and Boldyowl trained for the rest of the day until Sundown. By the end, Ravenpaw had learned the belly rake, the play dead, the scruff shake for rats, and badger defense, where you bit them then ran, bit them then ran.

Each time Boldyowl had given her praise, but with a weird worry in his voice.

Perhaps he's scared I'll use the battle moves against him when I kill him, Ravenpaw thought, though she was satisfied with Corapaw's death. For now.

The yowl of Whitestar snapped her back to attention. "The cats going to the Gathering with me," The leader said. "are Stoatfur, Falconwhisker, Butterflyfur, Coyoteclaw, Cinderfoot, Boldyowl, Dunepaw, Cactuspaw, Sunkissedpaw, and their mentors." Ravenpaw glared at Whitestar. He must've saw, as he added, "Oh, and Ravenpaw."

***

The moon glinted in the night sky, gleaming sharper and brigher than any tiny star. Paw steps shook the earth, and many shapes chatted together, their friendly mews echoeing through the Fourtrees hollow.

Ravenpaw was overwhelmed by scents; A sappy pine smell, a disgusting mouse or vole smell, and the familiar fish smell. I forgot all about RiverClan. Are they going to confront Whitestar about Corapaw's death? Did they know it was me? My Clan all assumes I'm evil, so I'll probably get blamed if Goldenstar says they saw an apprentice kill another apprentice.

Suddenly Ravenpaw bumped into someone.

"Hey!" The cat said. Ravenpaw scented they were a tom and a ShadowClan cat. "Don't you bump in-" Then the tom stopped. "Whats up with your eyes?"

"I was born blind, idiot." Ravenpaw spat.

The ShadowClan cat scoffed, then seemed to relax, judging by their tone of voice. "I'm Wolfpaw," He announced loudly.

"I'm Ravenpaw."

Wolfpaw giggled. "Not Snappypaw?"

Ravenpaw snorted in laughter. This cat was much more fun than her clanmates! "Very funny," She purred. "I wish. I've eaten a raven before."

"I've never had a wolf," Wolfpaw snorted back.

Ravenpaw had remembered the stories elders had told about wolves, and how sometimes they come and hunt the sheep on the moor. She decided to make a little joke about her blindness. "I'll never see them in my life." She said.

Wolfpaw spoke, confused. "But I heard they lived on the moor, so one day-" Then he stopped. "OOOOOOOH. Haha."

"Let the Gathering begin."

Instantly Wolfpaw and Ravenpaw stopped chatting. Ravenpaw's ears pirked, and she listened carefully.

"May ThunderClan go first?" Asked a cat.

Three voices came. "Of course, Rottenstar."

Rottenstar spoke, their crokey voice ringing loudly through the hollow. "Everything is well in ThunderClan. Cherryheart has given birth to three kits; Mulchkit, Horsekit, and Blazekit. Prey is running well, and we've had no problems with the other Clans." Ravenpaw heard a few scoffs coming from the crowd.

"May ShadowClan go now?" Growled a voice. Nightstar. Ravenpaw realized.

The other leaders grunted in agreement. "ShadowClan is doing... decent. The twolegs have started putting their filthy stuff into our water, so we have to drink from the marsh now. None of us have gotten sick, though, and prey is running well. We have two new warriors: Thunderdog and Stempelt."

The Clan's cheered loudly. "STEMPELT! THUNDERDOG!"

An angry, impatient voice spoke. "RiverClan will go next." It must've been Goldenstar. The she-cat sounded angry.

"Prey is good," She started. "we had two new apprentices, Mudpaw and Corapaw. My border patrol claims that she was killed by a WindClan cat. The cats who witnissed it said they couldn't see it properly, and it was about the size of a fresh apprentice. It could've been that pathetic tiny warrior you have, though."

Whitestar hissed softly under his breath. "My warriors would never do that." He spat, then his tone lightened. "WindClan is well. Rabbits have been getting more scarce, but we have four new apprentices; Dunepaw, Sunkissedpaw, Cactuspaw, and Ravenpaw."

"Dunepaw! Sunkissedpaw! Cactuspaw! Ravenpaw!"

Ravenpaw puffed out her chest as the Clan's cheered her name. She wondered if the other three were doing the same.

"Lets go," Said a few voices.

A shoulder nudged Ravenpaw. She thought it might've been Wolfpaw, but she recognized Boldyowl's scent. "Come on," He growled. Ravenpaw nodded, then bounded out of the slope with her mentor, satisfied with the fight- and possible war- she had started.