Warriors - The Rising Sun (old draft)

Chapter 12

The moonlight shined her fur, Blazepaw was walking to the apprentices den with Featherpaw, leaving her behind walking in her thoughts.
Too much drama has happened. I wonder what Rattlesnake would think if I was extremely late for training because of the gathering.
Well, if I do get chosen, I'll go anyway. One missing day of training shouldn't hurt.
She ducked into the den, laying near Blazepaw but their pelts not touching.
It seemed like as soon as she closed her eyes, she was in the dark forest.
Rattlesnake sat before her, a few unfamiliar cats passing by.
"You're late." The yellow she cat said dryly, her unsettling eyes glaring at her.
"Sorry." She said, flicking her tail. She looked around the forest. It seemed busier than normal.
"Well, were going to meet the others and show you a new battlemove." Rattlesnake meowed briskly. She got up, whisking her large tail to beckon Blackpaw to follow her through the dark woods.
Hmmm. She didn't seem angry I was a little bit late. Just.. disappointed? Or irritated. But not angry.
She padded behind Rattlesnake as they jumped over logs, sidestepped mud puddles and crunched through long dead leaves.
I wonder if these leaves are how many have died and come here, or died here.
Or both.
What a horrifying thought. ALL these leaves being the symbol of all the dead cats.
It's just a thought, she reminded herself as she leapt over a puddle. A horrible thought. Why would I think that? Well, if my thought is true, Berrykit might be here.
No. She shook her head. I think the cats that have done really bad things, like murder, or ambush a single cat would come here.
Would I come here?
I wonder why Rattlesnake is here. She thought for a moment.
I don't feel like figuring out. But at the same time-
"We're here." Rattlesnake said.
She looked around, seeing cats big and small. Young and old.
A cat that looked old padded over, she was a tortoiseshell with a large cut on her neck. Or a scar.
"This is Mapleshade." Rattlesnake announced, flicking her gaze from Blackpaw to the tortoiseshell.
Mapleshade snorted and turned, walking around.
"Okay!" A large tom stood on a boulder, his voice booming.
Every cat turned to him, some of the apprentices squeaking in terror. Though Blackpaw slightly feared the tom, she kept her gaze cold and steady.
"That's Brokenfeather." Rattlesnake said to Blackpaw, as if she could care less about being scolded for talking when the tom was talking.
"One of our old warriors, like very old, showed us a new move. Thanks to her, we can defeat enemies within a few heartbeats. We will partner you up with cats that we think are the same skill as you are." The tom paced menacingly on the large rock, his claws tapping the stone.
"Of course, the cat was from Featherclan and I had to kill them as they were trying to kill me. I watched her skills as she fought me. Your mentors have all been taught the move and will show you." Brokenfeather mewed hastily, as if he was excited to see other cats fight under his command.
"Now fight, you useless earth worms." He sneered.
Rattlesnake led her towards another tom, large and compact, but slow, She realized.
She had already planned how to use her agility against him when Rattlesnake greeted them.
"This is Antpelt. He died a long time ago but he still remains eager to fight." Rattlesnake hissed.
"Wait, I'm going to fight a warrior?" She said, astounded. Was she that good?
"Yeah. So show us the move, Rattlefake." Antpelt snapped.
Rattlesnake lashed at his nose with her serrated claws.
Blood spewed onto her fur and she took a step back as Blackpaw watched in horror.
"Shut up!" The yellow she cat snapped.
Antpelt glared at Rattlesnake, but she soon demonstrated the move on Mapleshade.
Rattlesnake reared on her hind legs, using one forepaw to slam on Mapleshade's shoulder, and her other forepaw to claw at the side of her stomach as she reared up to fend off.
Mapleshade wobbled and fell.
"We changed it up a little." Rattlesnake said, grinning at her apprentice with bloodstained teeth.
She nodded to Blackpaw. "Try it on Antpelt."
Blackpaw nodded, and turned to Antpelt.
She reared up, at the same time he did.
She slammed her forepaw on his shoulder, but her forepaw soon slipped but she still clawed his side.
The tom fell to his paws, but not all the way down.
Rattlesnake flicked her tail while Mapleshade scoffed.
"Try to place your forepaw firmly on his shoulder, don't be afraid of you feel a sting through your forearm, it just means you hit your opponent hard enough to knock them down with that only. Try to get more momentum when you claw his side." Rattlesnake meowed briskly, her eyes crisp with approval.
"Now you try it, Antpelt." Mapleshade said.
The large tom reared, and she reared up with him.
She felt a stunning blow on her shoulder that made her wobble, and then a swift swipe to her side. She easily collapsed, numb from the pain.
She lay there stunned for a moment. She had thought he was too big to be quick, but oh was she wrong. She felt a stinging pain in her side, and saw blood ooze from several claw marks.
"Good job, Antpelt. Just try to hit harder when you knock onto her side." Rattlesnake praised.
"Blackpaw, keep trying on him until it's perfect." Hissed Mapleshade.
She got to her paws, feeling lively.
She reared up quickly, almost too fast for Antpelt to rear up with her.
She slammed her forepaw down his shoulder, accidentally cutting his fur open and blood pooled where she cut him.
Her arm stung and it took her a moment to get her feeling in her arm back, but by then Antpelt lunged at her and head butted her into her stomach, and she fell down with a gasp of pain.
"Blackpaw, good idea cutting his shoulder. Dont stop after you lost feeling in your arm. Keep going. Get used to the stun, and try again." Rattlesnake said.
And all night she had worked until she was panting and hurting all over. She had finally got it perfect and her forearm was pretty numb by the sun was rising.
She had earned another wound from Mapleshade when she accidentally shoved Antpelt into her.
She felt a tail rest on her shoulders. "Good work, Blackpaw. I'm proud in you. But it's time you left." Rattlesnake said.
She nodded, breathless. After a few moments, she managed to say, "is it okay if I'm late for training tonight? I want to attend to the gathering."
Rattlesnake thought for a moment. "I guess, but you have to learn a lot about other clans. Since you worked hard, this is the only time." The yellow she cat said.
Blackpaw buried her head in Rattlesnake's thick fur. "Thank you."
And she started to fade away, waking up in the apprentices den.
Featherpaw was staring at her, and she saw the wounds from the dark forest plastered on her and a pool of blood layered in her nest.
"Great Featherclan, what happened to you?" Featherpaw said.
"I got caught in a bramble..?" She tried.
Featherpaw nodded, but still looked worried.
They mustn't figure out that she was training with the dark forest cats.