Redemption of Warriors (Warriors Novella)

Wolfspark's Mistake - Chapter 1

"What are those?" Wolfpaw asked, gazing up at the strange lights flitting around in the night air. They looked like flies, but why were they glowing? Their black bodies were lit up by the full moon, and their yellow light speckled the ShadowClan cat's pelts as they headed off to the gathering. Wolfpaw's brothers, Stempaw and Thunderpaw, also stopped to study the peculiar insects.

Wolfpaw's mentor, Cranepool, stopped in his tracks and let out a purr. "Those are fireflies," He told Wolfpaw. "They help light up the path for the gathering."

Thunderpaw crouched down, his haunches wraggling as he stared up at the "fireflies".

"Don't eat them," Cranepool warned. "They may look tempting to catch, but trust me, those things are not as good as fresh-kill."

Thunderpaw sighed and rose to his paws. The four cats hurried to catch up with her rest of the ShadowClan warriors, but Stempaw hung back and looked at Cranepool. "Has a warrior ever eaten a firefly?" He asked, his ginger and white pelt quivering with curiousity. "Did they like, start glowing?"

"No," Cranepool purred, sounding amused. "But a warrior must've eaten a firefly before. Perhaps you should ask the elders when you get a chance."

Stempaw shook out his pelt. "Ooo."

Wolfpaw purred with amusement. "A cat with glowing eyes would be cool," He said thoughtfully. "Maybe they could see better in the dark, and be the best night hunter ShadowClan would ever have!"

"Pfft," Thunderpaw mewed teasily. "Nobody can replace me."

The littermates snickered and bounded playfully ahead. Wolfpaw loved his life. He had great brothers, a great family, and good friends. What could go wrong? He thought. And now he was going to the gathering! He was a bit nervous- he was never a talkative cat. But maybe he could make a friend... he had heard from the warriors a few moons ago that a WindClan queen had had a kit.

***

Wolfpaw followed the ShadowClan warriors into the hollow. WindClan was the last of the Clans to get there. As the Clan slipped into their places in the hollow, Cranepool leaned down to speak to Wolfpaw. "You may go talk with cats from other Clans," He mewed. "And remember, give nothing about our Clan away."

"Yes, Cranepool."

Thunderpaw and Stempaw had already walked off, so Wolfpaw was left to find his own path. He spotted a group of apprentices by the RiverClan cats, and headed over there, trying not to show his disgust for the fishy smell.

He pushed his way through the crowd until he reached the apprentices. There were two RiverClan cats, one ThunderClan cat, and three WindClan apprentices. Wolfpaw sat down beside them and listened in to what they were saying.

"You guys... eat fish?" The ThunderClan apprentice asked. She was a white molly with darker flecks and pale green eyes.

One of the RiverClan cats- a brown tabby tom with a strangely twisted muzzle- lifted his chin. "Of course we eat fish! We don't have rivers for no reasons, just like you tree cats have forests." He licked a paw then wiped it over his face. "Unless... do you guys hunt somewhere else? Not in the forests?"

"Why else would we have forests, Twistedpaw?" The ThunderClan apprentice growled.

One of the WindClan apprentices, a brown tom with strangely shaded fur, spoke nervously up. "Well, uh, us WindClan cats hunt in the moor. Have you ever had rabbits?"

"Of course," The ThunderClan cat growled.

The other RiverClan cat, a dark brown tom, spoke up. "Sometimes, I guess."

"What about you, ShadowClan cat?"

Wolfpaw flinched as he realized the shaded WindClan apprentice was talking to him. "Oh, me?" He asked, despite knowing the apprentice was speaking to him. "I like rabbit, I guess. Frogs and mice are better, in my opinion, though."

"Mmm." Another RiverClan cat, a black she-cat that Wolfpaw hadn't noticed before, spoke up. "Who's that black and white she-cat? She's so pretty."

The strangely shaded brown tomcat looked away. "Oh, her?" He mumbled. "She's my denmate. Her names' Ravenpaw." His eyes seemed to be filled with grief and a small bit of anger. Wolfpaw tipped his head to one side. Was there something bad about this apprentice? He turned and scanned the crowd, and spotted the black and white she-cat. She looked slightly angry and very bored... and very pretty. Her eyes were strangely misty, like fog in a swamp.

"She is cute," The brown tabby RiverClan apprentice purred.

The ThunderClan she-cat purred. "Her eyes look strange, but so pretty!" She blushed lightly. "Great StarClan! I'd love to be her mate, but too bad were in different Clans."

"Sad," The black RiverClan cat sighed.

Wolfpaw backed away from the crushing apprentices, uncomfortable. He headed back into the crowd, towards his clanmates. He'd rather not gossip about how hot a random WindClan cat was... he would sure be uncomfortable if that was happening to him, and didn't want to take part in any of it.

As he was walking, something bumped into him. Wolfpaw staggered back and let his uncomfortablity turn into aggression. "Hey! Don't you bump in-" He turned and spotted cloudy eyes staring back at him. "What's up with your eyes?"

His heart dropped as he realized it was the WindClan apprentice, Ravenpaw. Great StarClan! I shouldn't have said that. He was about to apologize, when the she-cat snapped, "I was born blind, idiot."

Wolfpaw scoffed- not out of rudeness, more out of his dire need to not appear weak in front of this apprentice- and then relaxed. "I'm Wolfpaw," He mewed. Better to start some small talk before it escalated into an argument, right?

"I'm Ravenpaw."

Maybe a joke will lighten the mood. "Not Snappypaw?"

Ravenpaw snorted, and for a moment, Wolfpaw was worried he had offended her. Then she purred at him. "Very funny. I wish. I've eaten a raven before."

"I've never had a wolf," Wolfpaw joked.

"I'll never see one in my life," Ravenpaw purred.

Wolfpaw blinked. Wolves lived in the moor, didn't they? He wasn't sure if WindClan cats ate them. "But I heard they lived on the moor, so one day-" Then he realized Ravenpaw was joking, and managed to feel stupid, embarrassed, awkward, and annoying at the same time. "OOOOH. Haha."

"Let the gathering begin."

Wolfpaw looked up to see the leaders clearing their throats to speak. He sat down besides Ravenpaw, so close their pelts were touching. "May ThunderClan go first?" Asked Rottenstar, the ThunderClan leader.

"Of course, Rottenstar." The leaders mumbled.

"Everything is well in ThunderClan," Rottenstar purred. "Cherryheart gave birth to three kits. Prey is running well..."

As the leaders continued to speak, Wolfpaw was hardly paying attention. He kept eyeing Ravenpaw. She looked so calm, yet so... menacing, like she was hiding something. As he was staring at her, she turned, her misty gaze locking on him. Wolfpaw flinched and blinked. Ravenpaw wasn't looking at him... he had imagined it.

But why?

Wolfpaw shook the thoughts out of his head. He was a ShadowClan apprentice, he reminded himself. I can't spend time staring and mooning over a WindClan cat... no matter how beautiful she is.

But that wasn't all he was worrying about... why did he feel that Ravenpaw would be a big part of his future? He felt as if vines were wrapping around his heart, forcing him against a tree and making him bleed out onto the ground.