Warriors: What Is There To Do?

Chapter 6- The Shadow of RiverClan

Splitkit had just left the leader's den when Sharpstar called the clan meeting, and almost instantly every cat was gathered in the clearing. It was obvious that the meeting was about her, but she didn't know where to go. Was she supposed to go with Sharpstar up to the top of the rock slope, or just wait and sit down?

Her question was answered as she heard her name get called by one of the apprentices.

"Hey, Splitkit, come on! You're so slow!"

She scampered over to where they were all gathered, three toms and one other she-cat. The three toms, one pale grey, one ginger, and one white with black paws, were all looking at her, wary and looking like they weren't sure what to say to her now that she was right there in front of them.

"Why's your face like that?" the ginger tom asked bluntly after a moment's more of uneasy tension. Splitkit stiffened at the question about her face, looking down and struggling to come up with a good answer.

"Bravepaw! Don't be a mouse-brain! She probably doesn't know why, and you don't need to know! It's rude!" that was the pale grey tom. His amber eyes scorned at the ginger tom, shooting an apologetic glance at Splitkit.

"I'm sorry about my mouse-brained brother... I'm Moonpaw by the way. Oh and he's Bonepaw," he introduced, motioning to the black pawed tom.

"Do I not get an introduction too, Moonpaw?" that was the blue grey she-cat with a white muzzle, who had been watching them all with a distant gaze.

"Oh, sorry, Driftpaw. Well... she's Driftpaw, the apprentice that is so bossy that no one can stand her," Moonpaw didn't sound like he was being mean, more like just stating a fact.

"Will you 'paws be quiet? Sharpstar is speaking!" a warrior hissed from a few tail-lengths away, shooting a glare especially at Splitkit, like it was her fault.

"...and from this moment onward, she shall be Shadowclan. Now, since she is still technically a kit, I give her her apprentice name, Splitpaw, and... Coalfoot will be her mentor. Thank you."

Splitkit was really disappointed. Was that it? No touching noses, no cats calling her apprentice name to the skies? She didn't even know who Coalfoot was!

"Woah, you got Coalfoot? She's, like, the most laid-back warrior ever! Lucky! I have Smokefur-"

"Who is right behind you, and thinks that instead of battle practice you should search the elders for ticks." Finished a calico tom, with a white pelt and black splashes and smaller orange dots.

Moonpaw closed his eyes in a silent curse as he heard his mentor, who was behind him sporting a smirk on his completely white face.

"You better get to it, Moonpaw; you know how those elders catch those ticks like we catch prey!"

"We do, huh?" came another voice from behind Smokefur, a skinny tom with grey fur that seemed to be falling off in patches, leaving pink skin underneath in clear view.

"Barkfall! You... you heard that, huh?"

"Yes, I did, and I think I would like you personally to clear me of ticks. Moonpaw can cover Briarscrach."

The young calico tom ducked his head. "Yes, Barkfall." Moonpaw snickered to the rest of them behind Smokefur's back, where they had been watching with grins and smirks of their own.

"Splitpaw, there you are! Come, we will begin your training right now." From behind her came a small grey black she-cat, smaller that the rest of the cats around her, but still larger than her. Almost every cat was larger than Splitpaw, it seemed.

"Yes Coalfoot," she answered, following the she-cat to the steep slope lines with rocks and fine white sand, taking a huge leap and landing at the top, about three tail-lengths higher.

Splitpaw hesitated. Could she make it up at all? Forget one jump... she hadn't ever jumped up to anything before. Another thing to thank Riverclan for...

Taking a deep breath, she jumped about a tail-length upwards, scrabbling in the white sand for a place to jump off of again, and she did, sending up a spray of sand as she did. She landed just short of the top, and she clawed the rest of her way up, panting heavily.

"Don't worry, it gets easier," Coalfoot said, already being swallowed up by the ferns as Splitpaw struggled to keep up. She had to leap over several things that her mentor simply stepped over, and had to run just to keep up with the small warrior's trot.

Finally Coalfoot stopped at a sandy clearing, turning to see Splitpaw, who was panting on the ground, her chest heaving. She had never moved that much before, plus she was still not entirely recovered from last night's journey to the Gathering.

Her mentor looked at her heaped form and frowned.

"Did you not ever play as a kit?"

Splitpaw shook her head, knowing that spying from the cracks didn't count.

"Well, that explains a lot. Kits play because they're kits, sure, but we encourage it because they are moving and developing their muscles. Since you had none of that experience..."

Splitpaw frowned. Would the shadow of Riverclan's damage ever stop casting over her?