Warriors OC The Power of the Flower #1 The Rise

Chapter 4

It has been a month since Flowerpaw became an apprentice. She enjoyed being a warrior apprentice. She and Snowpaw became really good friends. However, she still couldn't forget the Starclan cat that visited her when she was a kit, which troubled her.

In addition, Dragonpaw was a pain in the tail. He kept boasting to the other apprentices and bullied them when their mentors were not around.

Flowerpaw was eating with Snowpaw when Stemclaw called, "Flowerpaw! We're going hunting!"

"Who's coming with us?" she asked. Stemclaw replied, "Just the two of us. I want to show you how to hunt rabbits."

"Cool!" Flowerkit smiled. Then she turned to Snowpaw, "You can finish the mouse. I'm full."

"Sure!" mewed Snowpaw, "Have fun hunting!"

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When they arrived at Silverplain, the best place for hunting rabbits, Stemclaw mewed, "Now, I'm going to teach you how to catch a rabbit. A rabbit will smell you before it sees you so approach it with the wind blowing in your direction. Pounce as soon as you're close enough and kill it with one swift bite to the neck." Flowerpaw nodded. "To stalk a rabbit, you must tread carefully so the rabbits won't hear you." Stemclaw continued.

"Like stalking other prey!" Flowerpaw cut in and then lowered her head in embarrassment for cutting off her mentor.

Stemclaw chuckled and explained, "Yes, but unlike other prey, rabbits can run really fast so we must be very careful. A misplaced paw will give you away. If the rabbit does run away, run after it and try to catch up with it. You can also try to drive it into your partner's paws. There's another technique for catching rabbits that I'm going to teach you some other day. Let's see if you can scent a rabbit first."

"Sure!" Flowerpaw sniffed the air and caught the scent of a rabbit nearby. She quietly stalked the rabbit but it must have heard her and ran away. Flowerpaw chased after it and drove it into Stemclaw's paws. Stemclaw bit the rabbit and it became lifeless.

"Your first rabbit! Congratulations!" Stemclaw exclaimed. "Let's go back to camp now, and you can tell your denmates all about the rabbit, you might as well share it with them."

As they walked back to camp, Flowerpaw sighed, "Well, it's not really mine. You caught it." "Nonsense," Stemclaw meowed, "Hunting is all about teamwork. You helped drive the rabbit to me. Without you, I might not even have caught the rabbit. I'm proud of you, Flowerpaw. You should be proud of yourself too." Flowerpaw felt relieved by Stemclaw's words and thanked him.

Suddenly, she felt a bit insecure. Something is about to happen but I don't know what it is. Then, it came to her. "Stemclaw, I think there's a fox nearby." Flowerpaw stammered. Stemclaw paused and sniffed the air, "You're right. It's a bit stale but it's been here a while ago. I'll tell the patrol to be careful around here."

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When Flowerpaw got back to camp, she saw Pinepaw and Dragonpaw staring at each other, with their pelts bristling. What's happening? Flowerpaw thought. She walked over to Pinepaw and asked, "What's going on?"

"Ask that mouse-brained apprentice," Dragonpaw growled and stalked off to the medicine den.

Pinepaw said, "Dragonpaw was bullying all of us and also said you are just a mouse-brained kittypet. He even boasted about his mentor being Heatherstar. That's when I went to find Heatherstar and told her Dragonkit was being mean to us so Heatherstar ordered Dragonpaw to clean the elder's ticks."

Flowerpaw buried her nose into his muzzle, then said "Hey! At least Dragonpaw is stuck cleaning the elder's ticks. Come on! Let's share the rabbit that Stemclaw helped me catch, that's got to make you feel better.'"

"Wait, you caught a rabbit?" Pinepaw asked and rubbed his muzzle against Flowerpaw, "That's great!"

"I told you. Stemclaw helped me but he told me I could share it with my friends. Come on! Let's get Snowpaw and Dewpaw." Flowerpaw replied and Pinepaw nodded.

"Today was great!" Dewpaw exclaimed, "I caught a crow. Not as good as your rabbit though, Flowerkit."

"It's delicious, Dewpaw. And so is the rabbit. I'm so full now." Pinepaw mewed.

"Pinepaw and I have to go on the dawn patrol tomorrow. We better go to sleep now." Flowerkit mewed and they went to the apprentice den.

"Don't come anywhere near me, mouse brains." Dragonpaw growled, "I hate you both."

"Don't mind him." Pinepaw whispered in Flowerpaw's ear, "He's just angry that he had to do the elder's ticks. He's the biggest mouse brain I have ever seen"

"Yeah!" Flowerpaw giggled, "Goodnight!"

As she settled in her nest, Dragonpaw growled in her ear, "You're going to pay for turning my brother against me, kittypet."

"Like you can do anything to me." Flowerpaw retorted quietly so Dragonpaw wouldn't have heard her.

Flowerpaw suddenly remembered what the Starclan cat had told her, "From the mist a dragon and flower arise, with power strong enough to destroy and save the Clans. They will meet in battle and the fate of the clans lies in their paws." Dragon must mean Dragonpaw and flower must mean me. She thought. Oh, Starclan, I can't do this alone.

"You're not alone in this battle." a voice mewed. "Redsong?" Flowerpaw wondered. The voice continued, "I'll always be by your side. So will your warrior ancestors. We have faith in you."

''Thank you," Flowerpaw replied and fell asleep.