Ivypool's Heart || Warriors ✔

Chapter 1

Birds chirp all throughout the prey-rich forest. It's currently Greenleaf and the prey is running free out in the forest, instead of hidden away from the cold in their burrows. The more prey out and about means there's plenty of food for the cats in all four Clans - which is always a good thing.

Ivypool slowly makes her way out of the warriors den, and pads out into the clearing. Bramblestar sits out on the Highledge watching the Clan move around among themselves in the clearing, while Squirrelflight sits below the Highledge organizing the patrols for the day. And by the looks of things, the dawn patrol has already left.

A few cats pads through the thorn barrier entrance, carrying prey in their jaws as they went over to the fresh kill pile. Depositing their catch on to the pile and grabbing something for themselves before retreating over to somewhere in the camp to eat.

"Ivypool!"

She turns at the sound of her name being called to find her apprentice, Snowpaw running over to her.

"Ivypool!" He mews as he stands in front of her. "What are we doing today?" He asks, kneading the ground with his front paws.

"I thought we could do some battle training." She says, sitting down in front of her hyper apprentice.

Ivypool remembers being just as excited as Snowpaw to go out for battle training. "Go get Seedpaw and I'll find Bumblestripe. We'll meet at the training hollow." She says, before the small fluffy white apprentice runs off to find his denmate, while she goes off in search of the pale gray tom.

"Bumblestripe!" She calls out, as she approaches the tom, who's sharing a rabbit with his mate, Dovewing. "You ready?" She asks, as she sits down in front of her two Clanmates. "We're going to be doing some training with our apprentices together, remember?"

"Yeah, just about." Bumblestripe nods.

Ivypool nods, before looking over at Dovewing, her gray littermate, to see her looking a little dull, and upset. Ever since the Clan's won against the Dark Forest in the great battle moons ago now, Dovewing, along with Lionblaze and Jayfeather had lost their powers, rendering them useless to the Clan according to Dovewing. But in actual fact, the three of them could never be useless.

They're all important assets to ThunderClan and without them, the Clans would never have won against the Dark Forest in the great battle. Just because they've lost their powers, doesn't mean they're any less important to the Clan as anyone else.

Though, with the cats, including Ivypool herself, that had trained in the Dark Forest, it's taken the Clan awhile to trust them again like they once did. They've had to prove themselves that they're loyal to their Clan.

"Okay, I'm ready." Bumblestripe stands up, licking the top of Dovewing's head. Before following Ivypool out of the thorn barrier and out to the training hollow where their apprentice's are waiting and ready for training.

The white tom - Snowpaw, and the golden-brown she-cat - Seedpaw, stop what they were doing and run over to their mentors. "What are we doing today?" Seedpaw asks, jumping on the spot a little.

As Bumblestripe informs the apprentices on what they will be training today, Ivypool's gaze lingers onto the hunting patrol as they pass the clearing. More specifically, her gaze lingers on the tortoiseshell and white she cat - Blossomfall.

Blossomfall had trained alongside Ivypool in the Dark Forest, and she along with Mousewhisker and Birchfall had to prove themselves loyal to ThunderClan. They were the cats from ThunderClan that had trained in the Dark Forest.

Blossomfall and Ivypool had grown rather close while their Clanmates were a little skeptical of the cats who has trained in the Dark Forest. Now the two of them are like best friends. Blossomfall had even helped Ivypool cope after Foxleap - the cat who she believed that her heart belonged to - had died from the wounds he had sustained from the great battle.

Now, Ivypool isn't sure if she even wants a mate. None of the toms in the Clan have caught her eye. Maybe it's just her destiny to be alone? Or maybe she's independent enough to not need a mate.

But, something stirs in her heart whenever she sees or is near Blossomfall, and she doesn't know what she wants.

"Ivypool?" She's brought out of her thoughts by Bumblestripe, as he taps her shoulder with his tail. "You okay?" He asks. "You, kinda zoned out there for awhile."

Shaking her head, she turns to Bumblestripe. "I'm fine. Just thinking is all." She says, before turning to the two apprentices that are currently awaiting an order. "Alright you two. Let's begin. Bumblestripe has informed you on what you're to be working on, so let's get to it."

The two apprentices get to work on their training, while their mentors watch them, and give them tips and advise them on what they need to work on.

But all the while, Ivypool can't shake the thoughts from her mind. That she may be forever alone. She's never really wanted a mate or to have kits, though if she ever was to have a mate and kits, she had believed that cat would've been Foxleap. But he's gone now.

And now, Ivypool isn't sure what she desires most. Especially not when her heart begins to flutter whenever she sees Blossomfall....