Warrior Cats 1: Into the Storm

Chapter 5

"Are you sure this is what you really want, Bravepaw?"

"Yes, it is. I can't be a warrior. It's not where my path lies." The flame-orange tom straightened up before his leader, who hesitated.

"Well, if it's what you want-"

"Need."

"-then I can't change that. Very well," she sighed. "I'll tell Stormflake."

Suddenly, Bravepaw bowed his head slightly. He remembered how he had heard the young injured warrior's knees collapse and how he had felt the salty tear on the ground. He padded off towards the young warrior's scent to have a talk face-to-face.

"I'm sorry, Stormflake," Bravepaw mewed, his head bowed. Stormflake was surprised; Bravepaw could feel it.

"For... what?"

"I've decided to become a medicine cat apprentice."

"Oh... That's good." Stormflake's mew was enthusiastic, but Bravepaw noticed the hurt in his voice.

"It's nothing against you," he mewed hurriedly, feeling the hurt that pulsed off the warrior ebb away. "I went to the Moonpool and Mapleoak told me that I would never be a warrior due to not being able to see, but she had given me the gift of knowing many herbs."

"Have you told Moonheart?"

"No."

"Well, come on! Let's tell her together."

The two cats bounded to the medicine den to greet her. Stormflake stepped forward after Moonheart had finished fussing over them. "Are you ready for an apprentice?"

Moonheart nodded. "Why? There's no kits," she fretted.

"No." Bravepaw stepped forward. "I went to the Moonpool. StarClan helped me. I would like to be a medicine cat."

"Have you told Silverstar?" Bravepaw noticed wariness in her voice.

"Yes, Moonheart. She understood. But she won't have a Clan meeting about it." Bravepaw's ears and whiskered drooped - he couldn't help it.

"Then I shall call a meeting myself!" Before Bravepaw could stop her, she marched out of the den. Bravepaw winced as he padded out of the den and heard Moonheart's rasping, tired yowled echo through the clearing.

Cats muttered suspiciously as they saw the unusually older-looking young cat standing defiantly on the Highledge. Bravepaw sighed. At least Silverstar was in a patrol, so Moonheart wouldn't be so punished. "My new apprentice is Bravepaw." She jumped from the Highledge as cats yowled his name. "Bravepaw! Bravepaw!" The chant was led by Bluestorm, the deputy.

Bravepaw padded back after his new mentor. "What shall I do today?" He asked, polite but brisk.

"Oh, nothing today, dear," she answered, sorting leaves. "Get some rest." Her white and grey tail flicked at a large, soft, warm pile of moss. Without arguing, he curled up and began to sleep.

~*~

Gempaw angled her ears toward the sound of scuffling, and maneuvered herself so that the prey couldn't smell her. She got into a quiet crouch, and began to shuffle her feet towards her target. She continued until she felt she was close enough, then suddenly; pounce! She landed with her forepaws on the brown-furred neck of the squirrel. Briskly, she penetrated the skin of its neck for a heartbeat, waiting for the taste of blood, then lifted it, using her strong neck muscles to carry the large creature. She dragged it to Crowstrike. The black warrior's violet eyes were impressed, and his voice was filled with jealousy and pride. "Well done! A warrior couldn't catch that!"

"I'm going to show Silverstar, then I'll bring it to Bravepaw!" she mewed with excitement. "Let me wait for Sunpaw first."

Suddenly, the bush rustled, and Sunpaw dragged a fat mouse. She dropped it hastily, and exclaimed, "Fox dung! Yours is huge!"

Gempaw licked her sister's ear comfortingly. "Take it to Willowbreeze. She's expecting Finchwing's kits now, and she needs her strength. Maybe she'll tell us a story of the time before Silverstar."

The two apprentices bounded towards camp. Gempaw showed Silverstar, who was very impressed with her catch, and then took to to Bravepaw. "Wow, Gempaw!" Gempaw could tell that he was proud by the look in his blind, unseeing eyes. "It's huge! Moonheart and I will share it. Thank you so much!" He turned to the dark store. "Moonheart! Gempaw had caught the hugest piece of prey ever! I'd like you to share it."

Gempaw sighed. The flame-coloured blinded tom was beginning to look so much happier since Moonheart had taken him as an apprentice. He knew all the herbs already. At this rate, he'd have his medicine cat name before she'd have her warrior name! Gempaw shook her head. She realised that she'd zoned out. Nightpaw was calling her from a few fox-lengths. She snapped back into reality.

"Let's go to the lake."

"Sure! I mean," Gempaw stopped sounding so confident, as she had realised that her mother was watching. She was worried that she would guess her affection for the older apprentice. "Whatever."

She raced into the forest, Nightpaw just a tail-length away. The brown leaves rustled in the leaf-fall breeze and the sun was warm in the late afternoon sky. Gempaw could sense  Nightpaw getting ready to pounce behind her, so Gempaw lunged to the side as Nightpaw flung himself into a tree.

He groaned.

Gempaw stopped purring and rushed to his side. His eyes were closed. She whispered into his ear, but was caught off guard. She was pinned to the ground. "Ha! You thought I, the great Nightstar, could be defeated?"

Gempaw pushed her friend up again. "Yeah. You're not Nightstar! You're Nightpaw!"

"Okay, okay." Nightpaw's eyes shined with teasing. "You can be Gemstar."

"No! None of us are leaders. We'll be training soon. I can hear our mentors coming."