Warrior Cats Fanfiction: Whispers of the Shadows Book 1 Rivers Descending

Chapter Fourteen

"I wonder how many lives Emberstar has left," Silverpaw meowed to her sister, as they padded to the Horseplace with the rest of their training group.

Dawnpaw looked at her sister, mouth gaping. "Silverpaw!" she exclaimed. "Don't ask questions like that!"

"I'm just asking," her sister said, shrugging. Dawnpaw huffed and quickened her pace to be next to her mentor, Tanglebrook.

The white and black tom looked at his apprentice as she came closer. 
 "Dawnpaw," he growled. "I'm not going to punish you for breaking the warrior code, because you saved Aspencloud's life in the process. But if you ever do anything like that again, I will chase you out of RiverClan myself."

Dawnpaw ducked her head. "Yes, Tanglebrook."

Her mentor, done with rebuking for the day butted her on the shoulder as the Horseplace came into view. Tanglebrook stopped running and turned to face the panting group of cats. Dawnpaw sheathed and unsheathed her claws in the sticky ground, wishing that they could train in the solid ground nearer to ShadowClan territory.

"As a senior warrior," said Tanglebrook, nodding to all of the cats in his group. "I have been instructed to train you younger warriors." He stuck his tail in the air and it waved from side to side. "Everyone, get into pairs of two."

Dawnpaw turned to her sister, but Tanglebrook stuck a paw out to stop her.

"You're going to be my partner," he mewed.

Great! Thought Dawnpaw sarcastically. It will be just like our private training sessions, when he demonstrates how to do a move on me, and I end up all bruised.

When all of the other cats had grabbed partners, Tanglebrook stood across from Dawnpaw.

"This move that I'm going to show you," he explained,"is used when you are surrounded by many cats or after you jump over your enemy." He turned to his audience. "How many of you were jumped on by a ShadowClan cat yesterday after jumping over their heads?"

Foxleap, Rainleaf, and Troutpaw raised their tails, and Tanglebrook nodded. "Why were you jumped on?"

Rainleaf took a pace forward. "I was jumped on because in the time it took to turn, they were already in the air."

"Correct," the black and white cat said," This move however, will let you attack your enemy without even turning around. What I am going to do," he turned to Dawnpaw. "Is jump over your head. What would be your first reaction?"

"To turn and pounce on your back," she said.

"Do that," Tanglebrook said. He looked at the other RiverClan cats. "Watch closely," and without warning jumped in a soaring leap over his white and orange apprentice.

Startled, Dawnpaw spun on her hind legs and bent them slightly to spring. Before he even turned around, and before Dawnpaw could leap onto his back, both of Tanglebrook's hind paws smashed into her muzzle. She fell backwards, where her mentor than pinned down, with his teeth to her throat.

Once Tanglebrook let her up, Dawnpaw shook her head, still feel the pressure from where his explosive back kick had hit. Luckily his claws were sheathed, she thought. Or my face would be even more of a mess than it is now!

Tanglebrook walked closer the other cats. "One of you pounce, and the other do the back kick. Claws sheathed!" he called, as the partners began jumping on each other.

Dawnpaw rubbed her muzzle softly, wincing at the small pin picks of pain. She looked at her Clanmates, who were training as if their lives depended on it. Which, she realized, it did.

ShadowClan better watch out for us, she thought. We'll give them a real surprise in the next battle.

Dawnpaw and the rest of her patrol dashed into camp a little after sun high, panting from the long run from Horseplace to camp. The rest of the clan was already in the clearing, and relaxed as their clanmates returned. Dawnpaw stumbled as Troutpaw pushed past her. He trotted up to Bramblepaw, who stood with a shining pelt next to Emberstar.

Silverpaw and Dawnpaw sat in the back of the group, giving each other glances that revealed the jealousy they felt.

"Bramblepaw—" Emberstar said, but was interrupted by yowls from outside of the camp.

"For the sake of StarClan!" Bramblepaw hissed. "What is with all of these delays?"

Whiteear and Waterpelt dashed through the camp entrance, their pelts glistening from where they had swam across the rivers.

"Emberstar!" Whiteeaar said, dashing to the red tom. "WindClan won't help us."

Waterpelt skidded up beside his clanmate. "And neither will ThunderClan!"

The tip of Emberstar's tail twitched, and Dawnpaw could see that he was struggling to make the fur on his shoulders lie flat.

"Why not?" he growled.

"They both said that they had to take care of their own clans, now that leaf-bare is approaching," Whiteear hissed.

Silverpaw looked around the camp. "Leaf-bare?" she spat, drawing the eyes of the clan to her. "Are they mouse-brained? It's not even leaf-fall yet!"

"But they decided," Waterpelt growled. He looked at Emberstar. "We're all alone in this battle now."