Warrior cats: Power of the Phoenix- Book One

Chapter 5 Shadow of the Night

"Just think about your Clan before you do something you can't undo." Maplewish warned before grabbing the fish she had caught and stalking off. Frogpaw started to back out of the bush until he stepped on a thorn.

Frogpaw yelped in pain, stumbling forward and out of the bush. Phoenixheart stared down at Frogpaw and sighed, "I wish I could be suprised by this.." Frogpaw scrambled up and winced as he put pressure on the thorn. "I was just- just.." Frogpaw trailed off, not sure what to say. "You were trying to become one with the bush?" Phoenixheart asked playfully, Frogpaw was caught off gaurd by her not being upset.

"You don't have to lie to me Frogpaw, I know you were listening." Frogpaw looked down at the sand and nodded, turning over a shell as he avoided his mentor's eye-contact. "Go back to camp," Phoenixheart ordered before turning around and heading towards a fallen tree that OceanClan uses to get to the VallyClan border.

"What about you?" I asked, catching up to her. "I have to leave for awhile, Maplewish will help you train until I get back." Phoenixheart explained. Frogpaw puffed put his chest, getting an idea. "Then I'll come with you!" Frogpaw declared, his mentor lost her footing as she leaped onto the fallen tree when he said that.

"No way!" She hissed, turning to me with slitted eyes. "Why not? I'm almost a warrior!" I exclaimed, Phoenixheart sighed. "Because the mountains are dangerous, Maplewish almost died there a long time ago." Frogpaw puffed out his fur and leaped onto the trunk of the tree to face his mentor. "I'll be careful, and I'll have you with me. What could happen-"

Phoenixheart growled, scrapping her claws against the bark in frustration. "You could die out there Frogpaw! And I won't lose someone I care about up there again," Frogpaw was curious about what she ment, but knew that this was no time to ask.

Frogpaw huffed, "then I'll just tell Heatherstar you leaving." He threatened, trying to look as serious as he could until a leaf blew into his face causing him to lose his balance and almost fall off the tree. Thankfully he was able to dig his claws into the bark just in time.

"You really are just like your father," Phoenixheart chuckled, a hint of amusement in her eyes as she dragged Frogpaw back onto the log by his scruff. Frogpaw was suprised to see sadness in his mentor's eyes once he regained his balance. "He was the bravest warrior y'know," Frogpaw sighed, "that's what every cat tells me."

Frogpaw's clanmates would rarely talk about his father Nightrain who had died in a battle with Vallyclan a few days before his mother Seawhisper found out that she was pregnant. Once Frogpaw had overheard some of the warriors gossiping about how Phoenixheart was jealous of Seawhisper as an apprentice.

"So, what's the plan?" Frogpaw asked, hoping to distract her from thinking about Nightrain. "You really aren't going to let this go huh?" Phoenixheart asked with amusement. "Nope!" Frogpaw announced, hopping in place happily.

"Fine" Phoenixheart said, giving in. "If that's the case then we need to go back to Tealstreak can look at your paw," she observed. Frogpaw sighed, he was hoping to hide it.

"We'll leave at moon high," Phoenixheart explained, Frogpaw tilted his head. "But what about the guard?" He questioned, Phoenixheart flicked one of her ears. "There's a tear in the reeds behind the elders den." "Wait, really?" Frogpaw asked, his eyes wide. He had never known about this.

"Yep, I found it when I was an apprentice," Phoenixheart explained, Frogpaw nodded, slightly amazed. Phoenixheart stifled a laugh, "come on, it's almost sun high. Cats are going to notice we're missing if we don't get back to camp." Frogpaw sighed, slightly disappointed that they couldn't go now but still nodded and followed Phoenixheart off the log.

"Frogpaw, Frogpaw wake up!" Phoenixheart whispered as she prodded Frogpaw's shoulder. Frogpaw groaned, "I'll get up eventually Minnow..." He murmured, Phoenixheart sighed and cuffed him on the ears. "Ow!" He yelped, jolting up. Phoenixheart shushed him. "We have to go," she explained, slightly annoyed. "oh- oh yeah." Frogpaw meowed, yawning as he sat up.

"Come on before I leave you here!" she hissed, through gritted teeth. "okay okay," Frogpaw meowed, stumbling of of the apprentices den with his mentor. Frogpaw turned to Phoenixheart, her pelt looking like embers in the dark. Phoenixheart flicked her tail and led Frogpaw to the side of the elders den, being careful not to be seen by Windtail who was on guard.

"Look," she said as she quickly shoved a pile of spare moss and brambles out of the way to reaveal a small hole in the bottom of the reeds. Frogpaw smiled, the excitement of this new mission finally setting in.