"Bluepaw and Sandpaw, step forwards." The two nervous toms, side by side, stepped forward. The eyes of the whole clan fell upon them.
"Bluepaw, Sandpaw, do you promise to protect your clan and uphold the warrior code at all costs?"
"I do." Sandpaw meowed.
"I do as well." Bluepaw added in.
"By the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Bluepaw, for your agility and devotion, I name you Bluewing. Sandpaw, for your cleverness and bravery, I name you Sandclaw. Rise now as warriors of DragonClan!"
The entire clan yowled together, "Bluewing! Sandclaw! Bluewing! Sandclaw!" Even though the two were not littermates, they stood together as proudly as if they had been. Sandclaw's parents were Clawpelt and Saberheart, a she-cat who had died of old age recently. Bluewing had come to the camp as a homeless, mewling kit. Saberheart had taken him in and cared for him like her own.
Phoenixpaw glanced over towards Starheart, who was purring the names of the two warriors. Will she be excited for my ceremony, when it comes? Phoenixpaw pondered. She was the closest thing that Phoenixpaw had to a mother, but it had always seemed like so little.
At least... I know who my parents were. She concluded. Snowfrost hadn't nursed her for long, and she had never known her father, who was a rogue named Sharp, but they were still her parents, and they had gone down fighting.
Phoenixpaw shook it off. No, the fox isn't real, just a nursery tale. My parents... died fighting... something else.
"To more pressing matters, RainClan has taken to stealing our prey. It's time to teach them a lesson." Moonstar yowled. Many others meowed in agreement.
"Bluewing and Sandclaw will lead a patrol to the RainClan border with Phoenixpaw, Riverpaw, Growlpaw, Lightningstrike, Nightsky, Clawpelt, Darkshadow, and I. We will not only remark the territories but a little further into RainClan ground. If you see a RainClan cat... attack at once." Moonstar unsheathed her claws with a snarl, emphasizing the point.
"Anyone I missed will be on hunting duty. For DragonClan!"
Cats thundered out of the clearing, eleven cats working at one, powerful unit.
Phoenixpaw panted in and out, keeping pace with the stronger warriors. Regretfully, she wished that Petaldust had come with them on the patrol.
The ground felt wetter beneath Phoenixpaw's feet, the ground marshy and squishy beneath her paws as they continued down the long, sloping hill that lead to RainClan. The rush of the river nearby gurgled a battle song. Phoenixpaw's legs ached, having ran all the way at top speed, but she kept staggering forwards. Riverpaw padded up to her as the group began to disperse.
"What do you want, Riverpaw?"
"You looked really, really tired so I thought I could help you."
Phoenixpaw sighed. As much as she didn't want to accept help from him, of all cats, she was too sluggish to deny him. "What should I do."
"Put your paws in the river."
Phoenixpaw walked over to the river and sunk her paws in. The icy water ran up her spine, giving her chills, but she felt awake again. Greedily, she lapped up the cold, clean river water, every sip making her feel fresh.
The scent was overwhelming, every bit screaming, "Get away!" Phoenixpaw's eyes were wide as she approached the boundary, and then, as if there was something in the way, she leaped over.
The swish swish of wet undergrowth resounded as DragonClan cats patrolled through the marsh, rubbing their scent along the trees and marsh grass. Nighsky patrolled ahead, dipping back and forth between reeds, when she saw another cat, a familiar face. The grey face of Jayclaw snarled down at her, nostrils flaring. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Traitor." hissed Nightsky defiantly.
Jayclaw's eyes opened wide, and he hissed slowly, "WHAT did you just call me?"
"Traitor! DragonClan, attack!" She lept at Jayclaw, but the water kept her from landing a perfect strike. Jayclaw hopped between beds of grass, just out of her reach at all times.
Moonstar advanced, only to be pinned down by a blue-gray tabby. Her fur flew up in an arc around her as she submerged. "NO!" yelled Lightningstrike, hurtling towards her.
Phoenixpaw ran after the cat, biting her leg, but the cat shook her off and Phoenixpaw flew into the reeds. A cat with green eyes stood over her, smiling. His claws swiped her face and she yowled and struck back, the two diving into each other, claws flashing.
Growlpaw and Riverpaw, working side by side, pushed the tom off her and into the water, but the cat jumped up like a dolphin and rolled Growlpaw on his side. The shocked apprentice had little time to react as another cat, obviously a much older warrior, joined the apprentice in battle. Phoenixpaw and Riverpaw were cornered, and hopelessly outmatched.
Of all the cats to die with, it had to be him.
Just at that moment, Clawpelt snarled past them, tackling the other cat. Phoenixpaw and Riverpaw, working as a team for once, ran past him into the battlefield. Red blood stained the swampy ground and cats thrashed wildly. "RainClan, retreat!" called the blue cat, taking off faster than any cat should reasonably be able to run in water.
Her clanmates followed, disappearing like smoke into the inky darkness of the marsh.
Phoenixpaw's feet were hurting again, her ear was nicked, she had a huge scratch on her left flank, and had she not left her lucky feather at camp, it would've been gone. Walking was painful. So why did she feel so alive?
