Warrior Cats 1: Into the Storm

Chapter 10

Gempaw followed the yowling to the DarkClan border. She caught up to Nightpaw, who began to ask questions, which Gempaw ignored. She was led to a hole that led diagonally down to a black abyss. It smelt like badger, but stale. It was an old badger set.

Gempaw sensed the movement of a young she-cat. She peered down to see glowing amber eyes, and a hint of a white pelt. The she-cat yowled about her legs. Gempaw grabbed a sturdy stick with her jaws. She reached into the hole with it. "Take the end with your teeth and front leg," Gempaw instructed. To her surprise, the she-cat did as she was told. Nightpaw and Gempaw heaved the broken apprentice out of the hole, and carried her to a soft was of moss. One side of her glossy white fur was matted with blood, and one front and one hind leg were twisted in a funny shape.

Gempaw narrowed her eyes. One dislocated, one broken. The FireClan apprentices held the smaller apprentice on their backs comfortably, and began to wait for a patrol.

Thankfully, it was not long until Cloudysky and Burnfur pushed to the border. Gempaw dipped her head respectfully, carefully to keep the apprentice sturdy. "Greetings, Burnfur, Cloudysky. We were taking a walk when we heard wailing on the border. We found Whitepaw just on the border. She had fallen down an old badger set."

It was the white warrior, Cloudysky, that spoke next. "Are you blaming us for my daughter's injury?" She growled.

"Of course not, Cloudysky. It was a simple mistake any cat could make. It was a well hidden hole - even we didn't know it was on our territory." Gempaw nodded respectfully again. "Would you like us to carry your daughter back to your camp?"

Burnfur and Cloudysky glanced at each other through narrowed eyes, before the black tom answered. "If you wish. One less job for us. And," Burnfur's amber eyes became soft, and his voice low. "Be careful not to drop our daughter."

Nightpaw answered this time. " We won't, don't worry, Burnfur. We are just as concerned about the injury. As soon as we get home, I'll alert Silverstar. She'll see to it."

The slow journey to camp was almost silent, with the low painful moans of Whitepaw. When they got to camp, Shadowstar bounded straight over. Gempaw spoke first. "On our border, we heard yowling. Whitepaw had fallen down an old badger set, poor thing. It was almost invisible. She couldn't see it. None of us knew it was there."

Shadowstar nodded slowly. "And how did you get her out?" He asked.

"We found a very strong stick that we could use as a lever," Gempaw began. "We rested it into the hole and asked Whitepaw to climb on, using her strong teeth and undamaged front paw. We figured that, as Whitepaw was likely to be the same weight as one of us, so we used both of our weights to lift Whitepaw up and out of the hole."

Shadowstar's eyes darted from Whitepaw to the two FireClan apprentices. "And you were successful," Shadowstar murmured. He snapped back to reality. "Heronstrike, take her to your den." A white she-cat bounded over and placed Whitepaw on her strong shoulders. She hurried back to a gorse den.

The black leader turned again to face the FireClan cats. "Well done, young FireClan apprentices. DarkClan are grateful to you today; you saved a life."

"Will Heronstrike make her better?" Nightpaw's voice was was wary.

"Yes. She is a good medicine cat. The best we can do is keep her alive and make sure she's not in pain. Even if Heronstrike has to take an apprentice - so be it. She is waiting for an apprentice." Shadowstar's eyes glinted with hope. "We promise you any news at the Gatherings, or, if it may be urgent, then I will go to your camp myself."

Gempaw spoke up. "I wish your Clan the best, and I send all my hopes for Whitepaw to get better. May StarClan go with you."

Shadowstar spoke again. "Wait. I will go to see Silverstar myself. She needs to know of the recognition you need."

~*~

A yowl cut across the FireClan camp, calling Silverstar's name. Goldspark quickly ran on her three legs towards Silverstar's den. "Shadowstar is here, with two of our apprentices," she explained to her leader.

"Shadowstar," the silver leader mewed to the black tom, dipping her head respectfully. "May I ask why you have come to visit?"

By now, the entire Clan had formed a circle around the two leaders. "I must speak about your two apprentices, Nightpaw and Gempaw."

Silverstar tilted her head. "Oh? Did you find them trespassing?"

"No. Your apprentices have done something only a true warrior could do." Gempaw felt surprise circle around the Clan. "They saved the life of a DarkClan apprentice."

Silverstar nodded slowly. Shock rippled the pelts of the FireClan cats. Gempaw felt herself cringing at all this attention.

"Whitepaw fell down a hidden hole on the border and broke two legs, but, before anything got serious, Gempaw and Nightpaw heard her yowling and fished her out. They waited for a border patrol and brought her back to camp."

"Is Whitepaw alright?" It was Leafpaw, who had befriended Whitepaw at Gatherings.

Shadowstar turned to the brown apprentice and dipped his head. "Yes, Leafpaw, she will be fine. Heronstrike is treating her legs. If I have any more news, good or bad, I will visit or will mention at Gatherings."

Silverstar dipped her head and wished StarClan to heal Whitepaw, and for them to go with DarkClan. Shadowstar mewed his thanks again and began to head towards the DarkClan border, Briarsong and Echomist padding at his side. Silverstar began a ceremony.

"Cats of Fi

Gempaw padded to Goldspark and Stormflake. They were sharing tongues peacefully by the ivy patch. The golden she-cat looked up. "Hi, Gempaw!"

"Hi, Goldspark. Mind if I join you?"

"Of course not," she mewed, shifting her only foreleg and beckoning with her tail. "Come and join us. We have good news."