Breezeleaf's Calling // A Warrior Cat Story

Chapter Four

Breezepaw was the first to see several pelts across the river. The apprentice sniffed the air, noticing an odd smell that she hadn't noticed earlier. Are those Thunderclan cats? She wondered, looking passed the cats to see the dense wood behind them.

One of the cats, a bright pale tom, glared at the Riverclan cats, his nose scrunched up. "It smells so bad!" He mewed. Breezepaw then realized that tom was an apprentice.

The dark brown tom beside him curled his lip, showing a line of sharp teeth. "Indeed," he hissed, his tail flicking upon the apprentice's back. "Dimpaw is quick to learn where he belongs."

The ginger she-cat at the edge of the river glared at Breezepaw and Blackpaw annoyingly. "Such puny apprentices!" she meowed. Breezepaw's ear flicked, recognizing that voice that called them out earlier. Blackpaw growled. "My Hawkpaw could pin them down in a flash!"

The golden tabby beside her stuck out his chest proudly.

"Oh yeah?" Blackpaw yowled. "I'd love to see you try!"

"Hush, Blackpaw," Ottersky hissed, glaring at her apprentice irritably. Blackpaw opened his mouth to object, then looked down in shame.

"Sorry," he muttered.

Ottersky then turned back to the Thunderclan cats across the river. "Real warriors wouldn't call themselves better than others!" she spat toward all five cats across the river. "Learn to respect other cats!"

Breezepaw saw a looming, black figure behind the four cats across the river. He was very lean and tall, his ears forward. The tom blinked, his amber eyes bright. "I apologize for Thunderclan's new warrior's actions," he meowed, his voice very, very dark. (A/N: Basically Alan Rickman's voice.)

The ginger she-cat hissed. "Did you forget what they did to Redfeather?" she spat, her tail lashing. "They must pay for what they did!"

Mottlescar's ears flicked forward. "What?" From where Breezepaw was, she could sense the surprise in his voice.

Darksoul's eyes fixated in the light. "You know what you did to my brother," he snarled. 

Ottersky stiffened. "We did nothing of the sort!" she snapped, her eyes wide with confusion. "None of our cats would stoop as low as you and attack meaninglessly. Your deputy, however, was the one that hurt our warrior, Honeybelly!"

Darksoul's ear flicked. The hollow grew very quiet as both cats of other clans stared down each other. Breezepaw and Blackpaw looked at each other warily.

Then, the black tom of Thunderclan turned around. "I think we've refreshed this border enough," he growled, padding off. The other cats in the patrol glanced at each other, then turned around to the senior warrior and followed. 

Dimpaw, just entering the bramble, turned around and sneered. "I'm coming for you, she-cat!" he snarled, then padded off.

Breezepaw's eyes were as wide as moons.

"Thunderclan has no pride," Ottersky growled, shaking her head. "Those new warriors need to understand that we don't have to be enemies."

"Ottersky," Mottlescar meowed, padding toward her. "You know the clans will never find peace with each other. We only think of our clan, not others."

Ottersky bit her tongue, her tail lashing crossly.

The mentors were talking in such a hushed voice, Blackpaw and Breezepaw didn't even realize. "That Dimpaw better stay back!" the brother snarled, flexing his small claws into the grass. "Once the Gathering comes around, I'll show him."