WARRIORS: Snowdrift's Promise

Chapter 6

"Snowpaw wait up!!" Shadowstep called, his black fur on end. His red eyes gazed worriedly to his apprentice who kept running ahead of the group of mentors and apprentices. "Man, she's as swift as a windclan cat!" Sonicstep joked as he and his apprentice, Witherpaw raced after the deputy. "Indeed, come on, lets keep up with her." Shadowstep mewed, motioning, Raindancer, Rainpaw, Sonicstep, and Witherpaw to follow at his pace. Speeding up they caught up with the silver apprentice. Snowpaw was staring at a flat, black surface,"Shadowstep? what is this?" She mewed, looking at the large tom. Shadowstep swiftly pulled her away, after a few heartbeats, a monster flashed by, flinging its stink at the patrol. "Becareful! That monster could've killed you!" Shadowstep yowled. Snowpaw looked at the Thunderpath scared,"That was a monster?! I thought that was only a kits tale!" She mewled with shock. The deputy shook his head,"No, those monsters are real, and this is a Thunderpath." He mewed, pointing at the black surface with his tail. "Why is there a Thunderpath here??" The silver apprentice asked with wide, blue eyes. "Twolegs came and built it. Long ago, before the clans came to be." The deputy spoke. Shadowstep's black and red fur along his spine laid flat, relaxing after explaining to Snowpaw of the Thunderpath.

As the patrol headed back to camp, Snowpaw noticed one of the older apprentice's Moonpaw sitting near the Apprentice's Den, eating a plump mouse. A faint blush appeared on her muzzle, her tail twitched once before she felt a nudge against her shoulder,"Eek!" She squeaked, turning to notice Rainpaw. The she-cat smiled,"You have a crush on someone don't you?" She teased playfully, earning a cuff on her left ear,"N-no!" Snowpaw stammered, her pelt felt hot with embarrassment. Her silver fur brushed up, which caused Rainpaw to purr loudly,"You do! Is it Moonpaw??" She mewed with excitement, bouncing around Snowpaw. Snowpaw gasped and stopped Rainpaw from bouncing, putting her tail to the she-cats mouth,"Shhh!! I don't want him to know!" She squeaked, her muzzle slightly pink. Rainpaw moved from Snowpaw's tail and purred,"Your secret is safe with me!" She meowed with joy. Shadowstep padded over to the apprentices, his broad shoulders rippled under his thick coat,"Why don't you both get something to eat, then later, Snowpaw, we can start your official training with hunting practice." He meowed gently. "Ok!" Snowpaw mewed excitedly, jumping to her paws and went to the Fresh-kill Pile. She took two plump mice and a sparrow and took the sparrow to the Elder's Den,"Here, Ironwill. I brought you fresh-kill!" She mewed. The scrawny elder lifted his head and blinked sleep from his eyes,"Eh? Oh, hello youngster. Oh boy! I love sparrow. Thank you, Snowpaw." He purred shakily, before leaning forward to eat the bird. Snowpaw dipped her was and took one of the mouses to Winpelt,"Here, Windpelt." She mewed. Windpelt smiled,"Thank you Snowpaw." She purred and ate the plump rodent. Snowpaw swiftly left the Nursery and went to the Medicine Cat's Den,"Newmoon? Featherherb?" She called into the den. "Ye-- Ow!" A older voice meowed with a tiny yelp of pain,"Stupid low ceiling..." Muttered Newmoon,"Oh, hello Snowpaw, what can I do for you?" She asked smiling. "I brought you some prey! Is Featherherb here to eat too?" She asked politely. The black she-cat shook her head,"He's out looking for Tansy. We're running low." She mewed, her mouth watered at the scent of the mouse. Moving her gaze gently to look at the Silver she-cat apprentice and then back to the fresh kill. Closing her eyes briefly, she prayed to Starclan; giving thanks for the life of the mouse. Without anymore hesitation, Newmoon dipped her head as picked up the mouse, blinking a thank you to Snowpaw and then she padded to a deeper part of the Medicine Den. Happy to have fed her clan before herself, Snowpaw then picked up a few wads of moss and then called to Newmoon with a muffled mew,"I'm taking some moss to clean out the Nursery and Elder's Den! And I'll be back after that for Mouse Bile to search Ironwill for ticks." She announced before leaving the den and went to the Nursery. She noticed her mentor crouched as he ate a vole,"What are you doing with all that moss?" Shadowstep called to her, sitting up blinking. Snowpaw turned to her mentor,"I'm going to go change the bedding in the Elder's Den and the Nursery." She mewed back, continuing her small trek to the Nursery. Poking her head in with some of the moss, Windpelt looked up to meet the small cat's gaze. Knowing almost instantly, Windpelt rose from her best, her kits unlatching from her belly,"Come on, Stormkit and Shadowkit. Let's go out and play outside while Snowpaw makes our nest clean." She urged her complaining kits with a gentle sweep of her tail. Dipping her head to the silver cat as she past, she led her kits outside for the first time. Snowpaw then picked her small wad of moss and started cleaning out Windpelt's nest. Taking the stinky, soiled moss and setting it to the side, Snowpaw then picked the clean, fresh moss and began to spread it into the woven bracken and reeds. Once she was done, Snowpaw picked up the soiled bedding and left the nursery, putting it beside the Elder's Den while she went inside to clean Ironwill's bedding. Ironwill was pleased that the apprentice was this willing as he watched her clean his best as if her life depended on it, making sure the moss was secure and no drafts went through to make the elder's joints and old bones ache. She then took the soiled bedding from the Elder's Den and Nursery and took it to the Dirtplace. It was just passed Sunhigh when she had finished. Shadowstep padded over,"Good work. I'm surprised you did all that without being told. You left no duties for any of the other apprentices to do." Shadowstep stifled a purr of amusement. "I may keep you away from any of the apprentice duties and just reward you with hunting and battle training for a moon." He joked half-heartedly. Snowpaw giggled and then followed her mentor to the training hollow,"Alright, let's start working on your hunter's crouch. Let me see what you have down." He mewed. Snowpaw nodded and dropped until her paws were inward, tucked neatly underneath her, haunches raised and her tail still as a rock and kept low. Her ears were perked forward and her eyes narrowed in focus as she then pounced landing square on a leaf a few mouse-lengths away. Shadowstep's whiskers twitched in surprise,"Wow, that was perfect!! Your first day as an apprentice and your already a skilled Hunter. I guess, you can do some battle training." He mewed, standing,"We will start with the basics. Let's work on the Forepaw Slash. Come at me and try to get me with your forepaws." He mewed, he then narrowed his eyes,"And remember, sheathed claws." He warned. Snowpaw nodded and rushed in, moving to give a blow to Shadowstep's shoulder. Shadowstep dodged and then gave a blow to her side with his head, sending her staggering to the left. Snowpaw hissed with frustration but didn't give up, rushing back in and started to get better movement, landing a blow against Shadowstep's cheek. The deputy staggered back stunned, his red eyes widened and a deep purr rumbled in his throat,"Well done. Come on, let's go back." He mewed and walked beside her. By the time they returned to camp it was almost dusk. The clan was starting to go to their dens for the night. "Get something to eat, you must be hungry with all the things you did today. Not only a tour but you did your apprentice duties that were saved for a later date." He mewed and went to the Warriors Den. Snowpaw felt her paws itch with pride as she went to fresh-kill pile and took a scrawny lizard. After finishing her meal she padded to the Apprentice's Den and saw her den mates staring at her,"What?" She questioned. "You only just became an apprentice yet your more entitled to your duties then anyone else!" Witherpaw mewed with shock. Rainpaw nodded to her littermate in agreement,"Indeed, you act like your so happy!" She mewed with suspicion. Snowpaw felt hot with anger for being accused of liking her duties,"What if I like helping my clan so much!?" She hissed, her eyes blazing with anger. The den fell silent as the apprentices shifted and left her alone.