Warriors the Clans Reborn: Enemies Within

Chapter 8

Frostpaw wriggled her haunches as she stared intently at the three kits before her. Lunging, Sootkit leapt onto Frostpaws tail and clamped it in between her tiny jaws. Icekit snarled and leapt for the grey she-kit but missed as Frostpaw swiped her tail to the side, causing him to fall into Sunkit. She hissed in annoyance then started pawing him. Sootkit bounced off Frostpaw's tail and joined.
"Hey, stop!" Icekit cried. "We're supposed to be climbing Frostpaw, not playing!"
Frostpaw rolled her eyes and let out a mrrow of laughter. The kits went on fighting nonetheless.
Half of a moon had passed since Wolfpaw and Angelkit had disappeared but Frostpaw would not lose hope. The Clan still issued patrols to see if they had returned but no scents were just stale enough to track them. There scents had faded altogether.
"Frostpaw! Frostpaw!" Dapplepelt was calling her. "C'mon!"
Frostpaw lowered her head in dismay. She knew what was coming. It was her final assessment, her warrior assessment. And Wolfpaw was absent. Dragging her paws as she went, Frostpaw padded up to Dapplepelt's side.
"I know your scared and upset for Wolfpaw, but this I your warrior assessment. This is a great honor." Dapplepelt said. "Wolfpaw would be proud of you."
"But she's going to miss it! She's not going to become a warrior!" Frostpaw insisted.
"If she doesn't come back, remember that." Dapplepelt added. "Just focus on the assessment, and make your clan proud."

~

Wolfpaw hissed as a piece of fence stuck into her paw pad. Remembering what Rainspot had done for her when she got a thorn into her pad, she licked until it was loose enough for her to pull it out with her teeth.
Angelkit poked her head from the top of the hole Wolfpaw was digging. "What happened?" She asked.
"A piece of fence stuck into one of my paws, but I got it out." Wolfpaw reassured her, then went on digging. She had been digging the hole for half a moon and was very close to getting on the other side. Wolfpaw was eager to escape after what seemed like too long. It had only been half a moon.
At last, Wolfpaw saw sunlight filtering through the dirt as the outside world came into view through the crumbling soil.
"You did it!" Angelkit exclaimed and jumped into the air.
"I did it." Wolfpaw whispered. "Angelkit, c'mon! We're free!" Wolfpaw was ready to taste real prey, not hard, brown pellets the Twoleg'a had fed her. She scrambled through the hole and pulled herself out from under the fence. Angelkit wriggled out beside her.
They were free, at last.
Wolfpaw looked around, taking in her surroundings. Twoleg dens as far as the eye could see. Wolfpaw gulped. Angelkit licked her cheek reassuringly.
"We'll be alright, I promise." She whispered. Wolfpaw nodded. They set off across the patch of grass as Wolfpaw noticed they were in another Twoleg's yard. Wolfpaw looked ahead and noticed something that looked like a grey Thunderpath. It reeked of monsters. Wolfpaw stopped at its edge. She glanced to the right and gasped. A small compartment had what seemed like a baby monster in its midst. Its eyes were closed. Angelkit calmly walked across the Thundetpath as if there was no danger, not seeing the crouching monster.
"Angelkit!" Wolfpaw hissed. "Stop!"
Angelkit stopped and looked at her. "Theres nothing to worry about." She mewed warmly. Angelkit padded back to her side.
"It's safe, I promise." She took a step onto the small piece of Thuderpath. "See?" Wolfpaw hurrumphed and took a shaky step forward. Angelkit was halfway across the Thunderpath when a loud growl ripped through the air. Angelkit froze midstep, glancing at the small, red monster as it's eyes flashed. It started crawling towards her. Its yellow eyes were blaring right at her, dead on target.
"Angelkit, run!" Wolfpaw yowled. The kit stood frozen in fear, the whites of her eyes showing extremely. Wolfpaw glanced at the baby monster and was shocked to see a Twoleg on its back, holding its ears, not seeming to notice the two scared cats.
"Angelkit!" Wolfpaw cried over the noise of the monster. "Move!" But Angelkit wouldn't break her gaze from the monsters glaring eyes. Gritting her teeth, Wolfpaw leapt onto the path and lowered her head. Tucking her muzzle underneath Angelkit's fluffy belly, she threw up her head. Angelkit let out a cry as she flew through the air then collapsed in the grass in a heap.
Wolfpaw kept running.
Seeing the black and white cat, the Twoleg let out a yelp and swiveled the monsters black, pointed ears to the right. The monster made an abrupt turn, heading straight in front of Wolfpaw. Bunching her muscles, she leaped, but was pulled down to the ground as the monster's trapped one of her hind legs beneath its huge black paw. Pain exploded throughout her crushed leg. Wolfpaw let out a long and loud, bloodcurdling cry, feeling something crunch. The monster turned sharply the other way and lumbered off, as if Wolfpaw was nothing but crowfood.
"Wolfpaw!" Angelkit shouted. Wolfpaw lifted her head as Angelkit came to her side. "Wolfpaw, are you alright?" She asked. Wolfpaw gasped as more pain blossomed throughout her leg again when she tried to move it. "Don't move, I'm going to get help!" She said hastily then bounded away. Wolfpaw slumped back on the ground, the pain clouding her thoughts and vision. What would happen now? She didn't want to know. Deep sorrow took a hold as she realised how harder she had just made their escape.
"We were so close . . ." She croaked, then slipped into unconsciousness as a creamy pelt came romping her way.

~

Frostpaw pressed against Dapplepelt as Ashstar appeared at the top of the Glowingrock. Dewsplash - having recently been made a warrior two moons ago - sided up to her and purred.
"Don't worry you'll do great." She meowed. Birdflight nodded his agreement. Frostpaw smiled and faced the glowing rock.
"Cats of LightClan, it is time for another warrior ceremony." Ashstar meowed. Purring could be heard. The leader looked down at Frostpaw. "Frostpaw, come forward."  Walking on shaky legs, Frostpaw stumbled into the center of cats. "Dapplepelt, would you say Frostpaw has come far enough to earn the title of a warrior?" She asked the calico cat.
She dipped her head. "I do, Ashstar."
Ashstar returned the gesture then tilted her head up towards the sky. "I, Ashstar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand your noble code, and I commend her to you in her turn." Ashstar looked down at Frostpaw. "Frostpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Frostpaw tentatively nodded. "I do." She said.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Frostpaw, from this point on, you will be known as Frostheart. LightClan honors you for your skills in hunting and battle." Ashstar leapt down from the Glowingrock and placed her head onto Frostheart's. She licked her leaders shoulder.
"Frostheart! Frostheart!" Whistlepelt yowled. Whitefoot joined in. "Frostheart!"
"Frostheart! Frostheart!" Brownpelt cried as well. The rest of the clan followed, cheering her name. Frostheart glanced around the clan with a warm feeling in her belly.
I'm a warrior! Then sadness overwhelmed her. But Wolfpaw's not here to receive her name . . .
"Now," Ashstar began again. "I know Wolfpaw is not present to receive her name, but when she returns, we will give it to her as well." A small flame of hope flared in Frostheart's chest.
"Congratulations." Brownpelt said, padding up to her side. She dipped her head. "thank you, Brownpelt."
When you come home Wolfpaw, this will be you too.