Banditpaw walked across the clearing over to Fogstorm, it was quite early, but she knew that she'd have to get used to it.
She eventually reached the tom, but immediately got up to grab prey. But before she even had a chance to grab anything she heard a loud voice shout "Banditpaw! Elders and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders!" The voice hissed, she turned around to see Fogstorm shouting this at her, but obviously not trying to sound rude, knowing that he hadn't taught her much about the warrior code yet.
"Oh... uh, okay..." She meowed, embarrassed and slightly frustrated. Why was this even a rule? Who decided upon this? Probably some selfish Elder. She thought.
"Ready to start your training today, Banditki~ uhh.. paw?" He meowed.
"I was going to ask you!" she replied enthusiastically.
"Welp, let's go ahead" Fogstorm lead Banditpaw out of the camp.
"I can't wait to train, what'll we do first? Exploring, learning stuff about the warrior code, fighting, hunting, or what?!" She meowed enthusiastically
Fogstorm chuckled, taking a moment before speaking "I suppose the warrior code and exploring!" He meowed in reply, happy about his apprentice's enthusiasm.
"Can we explore first? I wanna learn everything about Windclan!" She meowed
"I'd rather teach you some of the more simple rules of the warrior code before exploring, but we should be able to do so soon!" Fogstorm replied
"No fun~!" Banditpaw meowed teasingly in a sarcastic tone
"Come, Banditki~ oh, I forgot already... Banditpaw" Fogstorm directed, Banditpaw following.
"Now, I want to teach you these rules over time, not just in one chunk. It would be easier for you to learn. But I will do a simple runover of the code.
~
Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from the other Clans, but your loyalty must remain to your Clan, as one day you may meet them in battle.
~
Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan's territory.
~
Elders and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders.
~
Prey is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for its life.
~
A gathering of all four Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting among Clans at this time.
~
Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.
~
No warrior may neglect a kit in pain or in danger, even if that kit is from a different Clan.
~
The word of the Clan leader is the warrior code.
~
An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win his battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or it is necessary for self-defense.
~
A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet.
~
I don't expect to to remember all of these, and that's not even everything." Fogstorm said, occasionally pausing to remember parts of the code, yet he spoke relatively fast.
"That's a lot! I can't wait to learn more of it!" Banditpaw mewed excitedly.
"Anywaysss... Ready to explore?" Fogstorm asked, almost as though he was tired of teaching her the warrior code too.
"Y-Yeah!" Banditpaw was quite hesitant but eventually ended up eagerly following behind the tom.
"Well, this is the thunderpath. I should probably teach you how to cross it safely." Fogstorm meowed
A big hunk of metal came zooming by, emitting a foul scent, it smelled like burnt rubber, eugghh, disgusting.
"Did you see that? That's a monster. We don't know exactly why they're here, but many cats have been their victim, brutally killed by them" Fogstorm meowed.
"So that's what they're called, I've seen a few before. And eeugh~ they stink!" Banditpaw held her paw up to her nose, disgusted "Could we go now, this stinks real bad!" She gagged dramatically.
"If you say so!" Fogstorm meowed enthusiastically.
"What's next?" Banditpaw asked.
"You'll have to see!" Fogstorm purred.
They trotted over to the gorge, Banditpaw backed up nervously, remembering her traumatic experience, and it's only been what.. 2 or 3 moons?
"And Banditpaw, this is the gorge! Isn't it pretty?" Fogstorm meowed, turning his head over to his side, noticing that Banditpaw was gone.
He frantically looked around, the young apprentice not in sight. He perked his ears up to hear a faint noise, almost like... sobbing? He looked over to where the noise was coming from to spot Banditpaw sitting on a rock, crying.
"Wh-What's wrong?" Fogstorm mewed.
"This is where Fogleap was killed right in front of me! And where I nearly lost my life!" Banditpaw sniffled, sounding almost... angry?
"I-I'm so, so sorry..." Fogstorm meowed softly, gently licking his apprentice's head.
"Don't touch me!" Banditpaw hissed, lashing out at her mentor, lightly clawing at him. "I hate this!" Banditpaw yowled, shooting up and dashing off before Fogstorm could even think of what to say.
She hid in a den, grooming her muddy fur before dashing off, eventually approaching the Thunderpath, dashing across it without even thinking, she paused. A bright light illuminating her fur, paralyzed from fear.
"Duck! I SAID DUCK!!!" A voice screeched, sounding terrified.
Banditpaw, still paralyzed from fear didn't budge. "BANDITPAW, I SAID DUCKKK!!!" The voice yowled.
Banditpaw remained frozen, the monster slowed down, swerving side to side. Hitting Banditpaw's side and knocking her to the ground, not causing any major injury, however. Directly after that was a loud crashing noise, nothing like she's ever heard before.
But before she could do anything else, Fogstorm rushed to her side. She felt so fatigued, she could feel a small wound on her side, and the all-too-familiar feeling of blood trickling down her fur.
Fogstorm grabbed Banditpaw by the scruff, as Banditpaw was dragged into the grass she could hear more monsters on the thunderpath, but these were different. They made this loud screeching noises with flashing lights and were bigger than most others. The twolegs hauled out a giant object with smaller, black paws of its own and hauled it across the thunderpath over to two monsters that seemed to collide into each other, a orange flame coming from them.
"Banditpaw, I told you to duck!" Fogstorm hissed "What were you thinking, do you have a deathwish?" Fogstorm began to hyperventilate "I should be worried about bringing you back to camp. Are you okay Banditpaw?"
"I d-don't know" Banditpaw's words were slurred and she could barely speak, she had a terrible headache. She should've expected this, this was her own fault.
They eventually wheeled back the tool, which carried a twoleg on it, eventually the giant monster rushed off. Meanwhile Fogstorm tried to pull her back to camp. But eventually she ended up falling unconscious.
(Chapter end)
YOU ARE READING
Banditfoot's sorrow (WIP)
FantasyWho'd ever suspect that a simple secret could ruin a warriors life and whole reputation so easily? Banditfoot was a good cat, but once she figured out the who other cat who carried this secret was, it was too late. She had made the biggest mistake o...
