Beyond the Mountains | A Warrior Cats Fanfiction

꧁ ✧ Chapter 36 ✧ ꧂

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A leaf scraped against the ground softly, but loud enough to tickle the hairs on the inside of Willowpaw's ears. She slowly opened her eyes, just a peek. A shaft of light filtered through heavy boulders, and a gentle breeze swept the leaf up, and it twirled in the air for a moment, before whipping out of the small cave.

She sighed as her eyes adjusted, and turned her head to look around at where she was. She winced in alarm as pain throbbed everywhere. She was reminded of the dreadful storm, and she looked in alarm to her side, finding a dark grey and white bundle of fur. She pushed her nose into him, praying that he was alive.

Please, please..

Wolfkit's tired orange eyes peeked up at her sleepily. She sighed with relief, closing her eyes for a moment. She jerked her head up, and looked attentively to the entrance to the cave. She widened her eyes, her ears twitching back and forth.

''What is it?'' Wolfkit asked quietly.

She didn't reply, listening intently. Faint calls drifted towards her, and she stood, her lips twitching at the pain.

Wolfkit let out an oomph as he rolled over, and scrambled to his paws, wincing at his own wounds, though he hadn't many. She stepped outside, closely followed by Wolfkit. The calls were getting louder, and she pricked her ears and called out hoarsely.

''Hello!?'' Her voice cracked until her voice was a sore whisper. She coughed, trying again to no avail. Wolfkit, who was watching her, tilted his head back and let out a yowl.

''Louder.'' Willowpaw encouraged him. He cried out again, his high-pitched voice ringing throughout the forest. They waited a moment, and heard a shout.

''Over here!'' She collapsed with relief, she wouldn't let Wolfkit see how weak she was. One side of her face was coated in blood, and deep cuts adorned her muzzle. Her body felt bruised terribly, including a bloody graze on her shoulder, where a sharp rock had caught it while she was falling down the slope created from the landslide. She heard the voices growing louder, and looked towards the sound with pricked ears, and tired eyes. A patrol burst through the bushes, consisting of almost the entire clan, lead by an extremely worried Dawnheart, who yowled and bolted towards them, stumbling in her anxiousness to reach her kit. She trips, tumbles and works herself to her feet, and speed-trotted forward, her ears and head low.

''Dawnheart!'' Wolfkit cried out, whining. He had been so brave, but after seeing his mother, he couldn't hold it in any longer.

The rest of the patrol rushed forward, seeing her state.

''Is it really you?'' Dawnheart gasped, sniffing her kit tenderly, before pulling him close and licking him all over. Dawnheart turned to her, and looked at her with moist eyes.

''Thank you, thank you Willowpaw. You saved my kit's life. He owes you his life, I can never thank you enough for this.'' She trembled, looking over her pelt, embellished in bruises and cuts.

''Oh Willowpaw.. how can I ever repay you, he would be dead without you.'' She gasped at the thought, and tears streamed down her face.

''Yes. He would be.'' Said Hazelstar, with a proud gaze, and sorrowful glint in her lenses. Willowpaw was too tired to wonder why she looked so dishevelled. Tansyleap ran to her side, and Willowpaw tried to purr a greeting to her best friend. They touched noses.

''Oh Willowpaw.. look at you...'' Tansyleap exclaimed, very upset with her state. ''And Wolfkit's hardly got a scratch on him!''

''No.'' Spoke Hazelstar, staring intently at Willowpaw. The small patrol behind her looked at her expectantly. Willowpaw tilted her head while Tansyleap responded.

''No.. Hazelstar?'' She asked.

''Not Willowpaw.'' The warriors looked at eachother, shrugging.

Hazelstar stood tall, her eyes shining and turned and stood beside her, facing the small patrol. They waited.

''I, Hazelstar, leader of Thunderclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has worked hard to earn this name, and I should have seen earlier that she deserved it from the moment she walked into camp as a loner.'' She looked at Willowpaw with a soft gaze as she stared brightly up at the leader, unbelieving.

''She has trained constantly to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Willowpaw, do you promise to protect this clan and uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?''

Willowpaw looked around with owl-wide eyes, first looking to Tansyleap, her best friend. Then to Stormclaw, who beamed at her, and nodded warmly, his blue fur bedraggled from the storm. She turned back to Hazelstar, whom was watching her expectantly. Willowpaw breathed in, feeling a sparkle trickle through her veins.

''I do.''

''Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your name. Willowpaw, from this point on, you shall be called Willowdawn. For the dawn we found you, protecting a small kit with your life, and to keep a part of your old self, who made you who you are today. It is important to not forget those who made you. Willow, shining in her own blood she had spilt to protect a life other than her own.'' Willowdawn gasped. Willow that shines at dawn. My name.. was a prophecy? All along? She grinned widely at the revelation. And Ravenshade's prophecy.. ''When sand is carried on by the blue storm, the sand will become the rainwater, and at dawn, Willow will catch the breath of wolf.''

I'm Willow. And the breath of wolf.. Wolfkit! And I saved his life.. so.. what's Sand, and Storm?

''Starclan honors your courage, kindness and selflessness. We welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan. Hazelstar leaned forward, and rested her muzzle on top of Willowdawn's. Willowdawn turned her head to lick her shoulder. Hazelstar stepped back, and raised her head, and shouted.

''Willowdawn!''

Tansyleap, Stormclaw and Ravenshade joined next. It was custom for those closest to begin shouting first. Each cat would decide when to join in.

''Willowdawn! Willowdawn!'' A few by few, the rest of the clan joined in until the entire clan was chanting her name. Her heart swelled, and she beamed at the clan, full of the most incomprehensible joy she had ever felt.

''Willowdawn! Willowdawn! Willowdawn! Willowdawn!''