Warrior Cats 1: Into the Storm

Chapter 6

Moments later, a brown she-cat and a black tom pushed through the ferns surrounding the training clearing. "What are you doing?" Crowstrike was seething and his voice was sharp, but Rowanfur rubbed her cheek against his.

"Relax, Crowstrike! Their friends. They're just like us, but we're kin."

Crowstrike grunted at his sister. He turned his gaze towards her. Gempaw could still see the jealousy in his eyes at the fact that his training had been delayed due to an injury. "Alright, apprentices, let's get on with it."

The two apprentices faced each other. Crowstrike whispered instructions into Gempaw's ear, and the apprentice did as she was told. She got into a crouch, eyeing up Nightpaw, who was standing, waiting. Gempaw leaped.

She landed almost on her belly and she swiped with sheathed claws across Nightpaw's paws, dragging them from underneath him. He fell to the ground with an almighty crash. Gempaw, quick as a flick, clambered from underneath him and pressed and unsheathed paw on his neck. Nightpaw struggled, and shot up when Gempaw let go. The little she-cat giggled lightly, before looking up at her mentor, her eyes glimmering. To her surprise, Crowstrike's mouth stretched into a proud smile. "You did well. Now, Let Nightpaw try." He nodded to his sister, who nodded back.

Rowanfur did the same as her brother: whispered into her apprentice's ear as he crouched. Gempaw angled her ears, reading every move. She was ready when Nightpaw attacked. She crouched as he landed on her, but she flipped over, and pummeled his belly with her sheathed paws. Nightpaw threw himself off her, and her screech of triumph transformed into a yowl of surprise. Nightpaw landed on top of her, smirking.

"Get - off - me!"Gempaw growled through gritted teeth. She struggled, but soon after went limp. Nightpaw relaxed, but Gempaw flipped him, pinning him. Rowanfur called them off.

"Good moves, Gempaw. Your senses are sharp and your reflexes are neat. Nightpaw, stay here, and I'll battle you. I'll get you strong enough for next time." The brown she-cat purred in amusement. "Go on. Crowstrike, go and take Gempaw and join Bluestorm and Leafpaw." Gempaw saw Crowstrike's eyes light up. "They're waiting."

Gempaw pushed out of the ferns and nodded to Bluestorm. The blue-grey she-cat nodded back. "I heard that you are a good fighter, thanks to your senses. Maybe you'll be better still at hunting." Her eyes flashed at Gempaw as Crowstrike pushed through the undergrowth, pausing only to nuzzle at Leafpaw, before padding on, mewing curtly.

"Let's hunt."

~*~

Gempaw crouched low. She crept forward slowly, angling her ears and opening her mouth slightly to track the large hare's pawsteps. She was lucky to find a hare at all; hares don't usually shelter in the forest. Suddenly, her haunches lifted and her back legs pushed upwards. She landed, sinking her claws slowly into flesh. She snapped the rabbit's neck with a satisfying crack and dragged it to her mentor. His eyes glowed again.

"Let's take it to camp," he mewed. "You go ahead. I'll let Bluestorm know." He padded off, and Gempaw turned away, carrying her large catch. When she got back to camp, she flung it onto the pile. Silverstar padded over. Her eyes filled with pride when she saw the catch.

"Take it," she mewed. "You deserve it." Gempaw felt that she should have been grateful, but she couldn't help the shock pulsing off her.

"N-no," Gempaw stammered. "The elders!"

"We have eaten, young one!" Gempaw swing her head to see Harvestfeather and Midnightclaw basking on an elevated basking rock, and Gempaw's mother, Frostglitter, was with them. She was old but didn't want to be an Elder yet. It was Midnightclaw who spoke. Harvestfeather was nodding. "Don't worry. You've worked hard today," he rasped.

Gempaw slowly picked it up. "Th-Thank you..." She mewed cautiously, before padding away to meet Sunpaw. She was sulking in the corner.

"How was your fighting?" Gempaw asked.

Sunpaw's eyes lit up. "I had no scratches! I beat Mudpaw! But that's not the point. All I caught was a mouse."

"Cheer up!" Gempaw told her fire coloured sister. "Share with me."

The two she-cats shared the fresh-kill quietly, without speaking, as the leaf-fall sun beat down upon them, warming their pelts. After an eerie silence between them, Sunpaw stood and glared at Gempaw. She just curtly nodded, cold hatred shimmering in her eyes.

Gempaw's heart stopped. Did Sunpaw hate her? Was it because of the little catch? Or Gempaw's skills? What went wrong? Her heart sank. She got up, and, with her head and tail drooping, walked to the apprentice's den, dragging her paws. She curled up in her little moss nest, going over what had happened in the last half moon. She and Sunpaw had hunted together, fought together, for their entire lives. How could it go wrong now?

She angled her ears and narrowed her eyes. She heard the pattering of wide paws and teeth snapping at prey. She saw flashes of red pelts and blood. She leaped up from her nest, and padded quietly outside. Silverstar and a few warriors were discussing a scent of fox on the LightClan border. "We should attack it right now!" Greyheart growled, grey tabby pelt bristling.

"We should protect the camp," Goldenmask reasoned.

"I agree with Goldenmask," Echomist mewed quietly, nodding.

"Yes, we should wait," Silverstar mewed, ignoring Greyheart and Finchwing's bristling.

"Silverstar!" Gempaw called. Now is the right time. "There's a fox in our territory."

"This isn't a game, kit," Greyheart growled. "You can't say things like that."

More cats began to pad over, intrigued. Frostglitter bent her head and whispered in her daughter's ear, "Cut out the game, dear, you can't joke about things like that."

"It's not a game and I'm not joking!" Gempaw wailed. "Can't you hear them? They're killing all the prey!"

Finally, Silverstar realised that this was not a tone that even a kit would use as a joke. Gempaw's eyes were so wide that a ring of white could be seen around the blue. "Greyheart, Echomist, Crowstrike! Take Gempaw to find the fox. She can run for help if need be."

Gempaw closed her eyes for a heartbeat. My first warrior mission!