Foxgaze's Haunting

Chapter 33

(^Drawing I did of Wolfpaw^
"No!", Foxgaze shrieked. Wolfpaw collapsed to the ground, his sides heaving as blood poured out of his face.

Foxgaze was about to rush over to him, terrified he was dead, when Wolfpaw suddenly did something nearly impossible. Groaning, he got to his paws and wrenched open his eyes. How is he able to get up? Foxgaze could feel her jaws starting to hang open, but snapped it shut.

Wolfpaw shrieked so loud, Foxgaze thought for a second he was the badger itself and launched himself at the badger. The black and white beast roared and swatted at Wolfpaw, missing by a hair.

Still shrieking, Wolfpaw dug his claws into the badgers neck and clung onto its greasy fur like a rat. The other cats watched in awe and perhaps horror as the badger bucked and snarled, blood leaking from its wounds. With a single swift swipe, Wolfpaw raked his claws across the badger's throat.

What had been a terrible and viscious creature, was now a pitiful and demeaning one. With blood pouring from its neck, the badger snarled and sauntered off, the blood of cats and badgers mixed in the dust.

The female badger grunted and followed her mate, blood leaking from a gash above her shoulder.

As the two beasts retreated, the clearing broke out into yowls of triumph. Wolfpaw blinked the blood out of his eyes while they congratulated him. "I've never seen an apprentice take down a badger", Rabbitpelt mewed exubriantly, one of her ears bleeding. The other cats murmmered in agreement.

Dawnstar lashed her tail from the top of the High Rock, "Clanmates! I think it is time."

Foxgaze felt a warm bubble of joy rise in her chest.

Wolfpaw gazed up at Dawnstar, his muzzle cracked by a smile. "You- you mean?"

"Yes Wolfpaw", Dawnstar dipped her head briefly. The black and white she-cat looked down at her clanmates with a powerful icey gaze. With a rumbling yowl, she announced.

"Cats of StarClan and IceClan! This apprentice has trained hard over many moons of training; it is my duty as leader to make this brave young tom a warrior of IceClan!", she blinked and took a deep breath before continuing, "Wolfpaw, do you promise to follow the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"

Wolfpaw nodded, "I do".

Dawnstar flicked her ears, her black tail sweeping through the air, "Then by the powers of StarClan, I grant you your warrior name. From this moment on, you shall be known as Wolfpath".

"Wolfpath! Wolfpath! Wolfpath!", the cats cheered the new warrior's name.

Eyes sparkling with excitement, Wolfpath looked over at Foxgaze, who was watching him warmly. Foxgaze purred and dipped her head. I thought I'd never be proud in my life for another cat, but here I am. My apprentice and my son is now a warrior! Speaking of son...

Foxgaze glanced over at the back of the crowd, and sure enough, sitting by Orangetail was Beechpaw; her yellow eyes burning with more hatred then all of the Dark Forest.

***

(Cherrypaw's POV)

"Aww, Wolfpath is a good name", Cherrypaw mewed as she nuzzled Wolfpaw's shoulder affectionately.

The IceClan tom shrugged, "Personally, I thought I would be a Wolffur or a Wolftail".

The two young cats lay in the patch of moonlight, the crescent moon at the top of the sky. Cherrypaw loved these nights, where the late-greenleaf moon was a pleasant grey color. It was second to meeting with Wolfpath of course, he had to be the most handsome and kind cat she had ever met.

They had been meeting like this for nearly two moons. Nobody knew about it except them of course. Cherrypaw licked her white chest fur, thinking about how good her life was right now. Wolfpath was such a good cat.

Wolfpath brushed her cheek fur gently with his muzzle, making Cherrypaw purr. He looked up at the stars with his lake blue eyes catching their light. He opened his white muzzle and spoke softly, "I wonder if StarClan approves of this".

Cherrypaw flicked her ears, "StarClan sees all, if they haven't said anything, what makes you think they disapprove?"

They were silent for a few long moments before Wolfpath looked down at his paws. His scar across his face was still fresh, but it didn't blind him, and it only added to his character.

He got to his paws, "Cherrpaw, I think I should leave. Leafshade will notice I'm gone if I'm out for too long".

Sadly, Cherrypaw sighed. "Yeah, you probably should". Whitestrike hates it when I'm tired in the morning.

Resting his head on top of Cherrypaw's for a moment, he stood motionless. Heart pounding, Cherrypaw breathed in his scent.

Wolfpath turned away, fluffy grey fur ruffled by a breeze. "Goodbye". The young warrior darted through the bracken. Cherrypaw let out a long sigh. Goodbye.

***

"Cherrypaw! Whitestrike wants you on the dawn patrol".

Groaning, Cherrypaw opened her eyes to see Fernpaw's white muzzle a kit-step before her nose.

"Ugh, I'm coming", Cherrypaw grunted and got to her paws. She knew better than to question Whitestrike. Her brown and white tabby sister purred and bounded outside.

Blinking in the dawn light, Cherrypaw took a step outside. She flinched as Whitestrike's sharp reprimand caught her unaware, "You're late!"

Stiffling a sigh, Cherrypaw turned around, only to be met with Whitestrike's slender muzzle in her face. His yellow glare was a framiliar sight to Cherrypaw.

"Well?", her white mentor snarled, "Where is my apology?".

"I'm sorry Whitestrike", the ginger and white she-cat apologized through gritted teeth. I'll be sorry when hedgehogs fly.

Seemingly happy with his apprentice's apology, Whitestrike padded away, beckoning her to follow.

Fernpaw, Dawnpaw, and Volepaw were waiting with their mentors. Volepaw, the only tom apprentice on the patrol seemed uninterested with the she-cats after he padded after his mentor.

Fernpaw purred, "You slept like a badger this morning! Where you awake a lot last night?"

Umm...yeah. Meeting with Wolfpath, the best cat in all of IceClan. "No, just some trouble falling asleep", Cherrypaw assured her sister. Fernpaw's green eyes reminded her of green-leaf ferns, her namesake.

Dawnpaw, a sandy tabby she-cat, was talking to Volepaw. Cherrypaw rolled her eyes, Dawnpaw was such a flirt with any tom, especially Volepaw, who's dusky brown fur bristled in happiness whenever she spoke to him.

"Skyflower's kit...what's his name....oh yeah! Flamekit, caught a minnow in the stream yesterday", Fernpaw meowed as they jumped over the fallen log. "Skyflower told me to watch him so...I taught him to fish".

Cherrypaw ducked under a holly bush, "When is he going to need to know how to fish? He isn't a SeaClan cat".

The brown and white tabby shrugged, "I don't know. He was bored".

"I think that kit's gonna be a great warrior, in my opinion", Fernpaw mewed, "I can't wait to be one too!"