Warriors: Salmonstar's Fate

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

                Sandfur was staring at a small, uneaten fish in front of her. Her eyes were distant and her fur was matted, looking as if it was in desperate need of grooming. She looked up momentarily when Mosspool led Salmonkit and Rain into camp. “Great,” she muttered. “Just what RiverClan needs. More rogues joining.”

                I thought my own mother would recognize me!

                “Troutstar!” Mosspool shouted.

                Troutstar emerged from the large bramble thicket that now belonged to her. “Who are you?” she asked them.

                “My name is Rain,” Salmonkit’s friend answered.

                Troutstar’s eyes turned towards Salmonkit. “Your friend seems familiar for some reason,” the RiverClan leader commented. “What is her name?”

                Before Rain could answer, she replied, “Salmonkit.”

                Sandfur’s eyes widened and her face brightened. Before Salmonkit could back away, her mother rushed over and was covering her fur with happy licks.  

                As soon as Sandfur finally decided to step back, Breezetail marched over and glared at her. “Why did you come back?” he hissed.

                The Clan gasped in shock but Salmonkit had been prepared for this. She’d expected Sandfur to give her the same welcome though. “Because I realized the rest of my Clan is better than you,” she snarled, meeting his angry blue eyes.

                “Breezetail, how could you talk to your kit that way?” Troutstar spat. “Get away from her! If you say another word to her that sounds anything like that, you’re back on apprentice duties for a moon! And you’ll be lucky if I still let you come to the Gathering with us tonight!”

                “I’m a senior warrior! You can’t…” Breezetail started to protest.

                “I’m leader and I can do anything I like as long as it’s within the boundaries of the warrior code!” she growled.

                Breezetail spun around furiously and padded out of camp.

                Hailpaw, who was probably a warrior by now, dashed over. “I can’t believe you missed my naming ceremony!” he shouted, but Salmonkit could tell he was teasing.

                “Hailcloud, stop it,” Troutstar ordered. “I highly doubt that Salmonkit is in the mood for jokes.”

                “No, it’s fine,” she purred. “Troutstar, I’m sorry for leaving. I promise that…”

                “I don’t think any cat blames you, not when your parents treat you like that,” Troutstar interrupted, glaring at Breezetail, who had just re-entered the camp.  “We’ll most certainly let you stay, but who is…”

                Salmonkit stiffened. “A friend. If she leaves, I leave,” she growled.

                “Calm down! I have to ask. For all I know, she could be a hostile rogue! What’s her name?” Troutstar asked.

                “Rain,” Salmonkit responded.

                “Rain, do you want to become an apprentice by the name of Rainpaw and join RiverClan? Do you promise to be loyal to this Clan and to learn our ways?” Troutstar meowed.

                Rain nodded. Troutstar padded across the island and leapt onto one of the lower branches of the RiverTree. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the RiverTree for a Clan meeting!” she yowled.

                “Follow me,” Salmonkit whispered, leading Rain to sit directly under the giant tree.

                “Rain, from this moment on, you will be known as Rainpaw. Your mentor will be Flashfur,” Troutstar began. “I expect Flashfur to pass on…”

                “Flashfur?” Salmonkit couldn’t help but blurt out. “Since when has Flash been called Flashfur?”

                “I’ll explain it to her later,” Hailcloud meowed before Troutstar spoke.

                Troutstar nodded. “Please, no more interruptions, Salmonkit. Anyhow, I hope Flashfur passes on all that he knows to Rainpaw just as he did with Silvershine.”

                It’s my turn now!

                “Salmonkit, from this moment on, you will be known as Salmonpaw. Icewhisker, you have not yet had an apprentice. I believe that my deputy, Mosspool, taught you a lot and I expect you to share it with Salmonpaw,” Troutstar finished.

                Icewhisker briefly touched noses with her and he looked almost as excited as she was. “Get some rest, as I assume you and Rainpaw had a long journey, and we can train tomorrow,” the white-furred tom told her.

                Hailcloud walked over as the rest of RiverClan called their names. “I wish I was your mentor. I bet you’d be the best apprentice ever,” he sighed. “But anyways, Troutstar insisted that Flash and Blizzard needed warrior names. Flash is Flashfur and Blizzard is Blizzardfrost.”

                “What is a blizzard?” Salmonpaw wondered.

                “It’s a Twoleg word for a massive snowstorm. At least I think that’s what Cinnamon said,” Hailcloud replied.

                “And what’s Lightning’s new name?” she asked.

                Hailcloud’s eyes darkened with sadness. “Lightning was killed by the same dog that took Smallstar’s last life,” he answered.

                “Is the dog gone?” Salmonpaw meowed nervously.

                Hailcloud nodded. “A patrol sent it running back to its Twolegs,” he responded as he started walking towards the warriors den.

                So much has happened since I left. But I’m just excited to be back and relieved that Troutstar accepted me back into the Clan.