Turtleheart's Path

Chapter 6

Turtlepaw stretched out in the clearing as the moon began to rise, she pushed the remains of a vole away while Lionpaw and Briarpaw told stories about their explorations and activities they'd had. "I saw cats from different clans. Splashfur and Bugpaw from Thunderclan and even the Riverclan deputy, Suntail and Brackenpaw!" She boasted. Lionpaw looked at her, wide-eyed. "Did they attack?" He wondered. "No, they were both showing their apprentice's fourtrees just like me. Splashfur is an old friend of Bramblestar's and Harepsrint seemed to know Suntail well." She said, Brairpaw rolled onto her back. "The clans are at peace, all are friends until we aren't. Don't go making friends in other clans." She sighed. "I was just getting to know a few enemy warriors." Turtlepaw remarked yet she couldn't help but think how sweet the silver tabby from Riverclan was. She pushed the thought from her head, hoping it wouldn't return.
Turtlepaw curled up in the apprentice den, sighing as Haresprint had told her about having to clean the elders den at dawn. When she woke she rushed from the den, it was after dawn and she hadn't gotten fresh moss. Haresprint had shown her a good spot for moss. "Lionpaw wake up!" she turned, seeing the tom stretched out in his moss nest. Briarpaw bounded up from the clearing. "Good morning sleepy heads, come on we need moss. I already took prey to them." Lionpaw scrambled down to the clearing followed by Turtlepaw. She padded down the slope and yawned. Haresprint nodded a greeting, "You need to be careful waking up late. Briarpaw was up and ready this morning. Be careful next time." He said. Turtlepaw flicked her tail. "Sorry, Haresprint, I'll be awake next time." She followed Lionpaw into the elders' den and saw Woolfur heaving himself to his paws and walking into the clearing to be out of the way. Sparrowfeather greeted the tom with herbs and prey. Lionpaw and Briarpaw cleared the den of the dirt and moss while Birdpaw and Lightpaw dragged in fresh moss. "No fair Whitepaw gets to train today." Birdpaw growled through the moss. Sheeppaw hissed and spat a mouse bile ball of moss onto the ground. "It got on my tongue!" She bounded from camp to find water. Turtlepaw put the ball of moss and mouse bile in the corner out of the way while the others spread the moss. Lionpaw and Briarpaw left the den, stretching and going to meet their mentors for training. Sheeppaw, Lightpaw and Birdpaw cleared ticks from Woolfur while Turtlepaw brought him another mouse per demand. "You're all free to go now." Woolfur rasped, "I need a nap." Turtlepaw padded to meet Haresprint but Echolight was giving him a patrol to lead. "Can I go?" She asked. Haresprint shook his head. "No, this patrol is going to the Riverclan border, we are currently unfriendly with them, apprentices under eight moons cannot go on border patrols on the Riverclan border. "But-" She attempted to question but was silenced as a whole army of warriors showed up. "Haresprint is leading an ambush on a patrol, you cannot go." Echolight said as he passed to speak to Bramblestar. "Stoneclaw's last battle?" He asked. Bramblestar nodded, "I have told the patrol to watch over him." She said, "Cant have him being far injured." She teased. Stoneclaw purred. "I'm still a warrior, I'll fight to my death." The patrol soon left, leaving a whole other battle patrol in camp in case of a raid. Turtlepaw went out training with Lionpaw and Graytooth though her attention remained focused on the Riverclan border. Was Brackenpaw in the patrol that they were attacking? She huffed, pushing the thought from her head. Brackenpaw was an enemy warrior, not a clanmate.
Soon she found herself crawling after a small blackbird. She leapt upwards, her legs extended and clawed the wings of the bird before biting its neck and killing it. She dragged it back to the meeting place and went out to catch another piece of prey. Catching a mouse she bounded back and sat next to her blackbird. "Woah a blackbird!" Lionpaw gasped, dragging a rabbit and vole. Graytooth had a large hare and mouse also. "Great catch, Turtlepaw!" She praised. Turtlepaw smiled at the praise and carried her catches back to camp, hearing many more praises along the way to the fresh kill pile.
Turtlepaw laid on her back in the sun as sunhigh came, she dozed as the camp began to stir again. Rolling over, she scrambled to her paws. Haresprint led his patrol back who were yowling of victory, they'd fought two patrols and sent them both running back for their camp. Bramblestar yowled and they went silent. "We have no idea if they are gathering to launch an attack on the camp. Any major injuries?" She demanded, none stepped forwards. "Echolight, have seven warriors along with you surround camp. All warriors that were on the battle patrol get your wounds tended to by the worst injuries going first. Apprentices under eight moons get to the elder's den and protect it." She said, "Stay alert, ears pricked. We will not let our guard down until we have signs that nothing will happen." Bramblestar leapt down from her rock and helped Woolfur back to his den. She began to pass out prey to guards and bury the rest. "Lionpaw, Briarpaw, Turtlepaw, help me. Get out eight pieces of prey then bury the rest." She said, then the four cats grabbed two pieces of prey each and passed it out. Then they buried the rest of the prey. Turtlepaw grabbed a vole and a mouse for Woolfur. "Good thinking." Bramblestar said, grabbing the blackbird she'd caught and taking it to Sparrowfeather's den. Turtlepaw finished burying the prey then took the vole and mouse to Woolfur who purred a thanks and began to eat.
Lionpaw and Briarpaw stood outside the den while she laid next to Woolfur. "I remember my last battle. The great battle at Fourtrees." He whispered. "Bramblestar said you fought on Cedarstar's side." Turtlepaw mewed. "Fear. Fear driven. Cedarstar drove his cats out of fear. I wanted to leave, especially when he made Willowrush kill Palecrash. Your mother set that up but she didn't mean for it to happen. Turtlepaw, your mother is a hero of Starclan." He rasped. She flicked her ear. "I don't know how I'll do it. She is such a hard cat to live up to." Woolfur shrugged. "Perhaps you'll find your place soon."
Turtlepaw leapt to her paws, hearing a screech. Haresprints screech. He had volunteered to wait at outlook rock and watch. He was the fastest and had great sightseeing skills. "Riverclan on the moor!" He yowled. Bramblestar leapt to her paws from her place next to Hawkgrowl. "Places everyone! Form a line in front of camp outside and a line inside!" She yowled orders. Cats moved to their places, claws extended.