Warriors: Quailsong's Path [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 3

⠀⠀⠀"It happened again!"
⠀⠀⠀Quailkit looked up from where she'd been playing with Otterkit and Rubblekit. The three kits broke apart immediately and turned their attention towards the cat who had spoken. It was Cloverheart. The RiverClan deputy's green gaze was burning with anger.
⠀⠀⠀Sagestar leaped down from the large rock in the center of the clearing and faced Cloverheart. "They marked their scent on our territory again?" the black tom asked, his shoulder fur bristling.
⠀⠀⠀Two moons had passed since Quailkit, Otterkit, and Rubblekit had snuck out of camp. Thankfully, they hadn't been caught by anyone other than Redpaw. Pikekit and Eaglekit had been very interested as to what happened and were disappointed when they learned their journey to WindClan had failed. Eaglekit had scoffed at Quailkit and reminded her that he'd told her it wouldn't work.
⠀⠀⠀Lavenderpetal had given birth to four kits: Heatherkit, Reedkit, Firekit, and Shellkit. They were only two moons old, however, and were quite loud. Quailkit noticed she didn't play as much as she used to. She was even starting to realize her attempt to "save" RiverClan had been extremely foolish.
⠀⠀⠀Sagestar hissed, snapping Quailkit back to the present. He bunched the muscles in his legs and sprang back up onto the stone. "RiverClan needs more cats to fight for it," Sagestar announced, loud enough for everyone to hear. There was no need to call a Clan meeting. Everyone started paying attention as soon as Cloverheart's patrol had arrived in camp.
⠀⠀⠀"There are five kits who I wish to apprentice now," the RiverClan leader meowed.
⠀⠀⠀Quailkit felt her heart give a jolt of excitement. Rubblekit and Otterkit gasped.
⠀⠀⠀Quailkit looked over her shoulder and saw Eaglekit and Pikekit scamper over.
⠀⠀⠀Mistcloud and Alliumspark followed close behind, approaching their kits and quickly rasping their tongues over their pelts.
⠀⠀⠀"You need to look clean for the Clan," Mistcloud meowed sternly as she lapped at Quailkit's fur.
⠀⠀⠀"They look clean enough," came the amused purr of their father, Brokenwing. The gray tom was staring down at his kits with pride.
⠀⠀⠀"Quailkit, Eaglekit, Rubblekit, Otterkit, and Pikekit, please step forward," Sagestar called out.
⠀⠀⠀Quailkit felt her paws trembling suddenly and her heart banging against her rib cage. This was really happening! She was going to be an apprentice and fight for her Clan!
⠀⠀⠀She followed her denmates to the large rock and stood between Otterkit and Rubblekit.
⠀⠀⠀Sagestar flicked his tail. "Quailkit," he meowed. "Until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Quailpaw. Troutpelt will be your mentor."
⠀⠀⠀The gray tabby known as Troutpelt emerged from the assembled warriors. He approached Quailpaw with a gentle smile on his face and touched noses with her.
⠀⠀⠀"I trust you will pass on everything you know to Quailpaw," Sagestar said.
⠀⠀⠀Troutpelt glanced up at his leader and gave a curt nod. "I certainly will," he promised.
⠀⠀⠀Quailpaw couldn't stop fidgeting with excitement. They would see the whole territory soon! And now she'd be able to attend Gatherings.
⠀⠀⠀"Eaglekit," Sagestar went on. "Until you earn your warrior name, you shall be called Eaglepaw. Nightwhisker will mentor you. I trust she will teach you everything she's learned."
⠀⠀⠀Nightwhisker padded towards Eaglepaw and pressed her muzzle to his before pulling back. Quailpaw felt a flash of sympathy for her brother. Nightwhisker was a very strict she-cat.
⠀⠀⠀"Rubblekit," Sagestar meowed. "Until you earn your warrior name, you will be called Rubblepaw. I have decided that Brokenwing will be your mentor."
⠀⠀⠀Quailpaw perked up when she learned her father would be mentoring one of her best friends. Brokenwing limped towards Rubblepaw and touched noses with him as well.
⠀⠀⠀"Pikekit," Sagestar went on. "Until you become a warrior, you will be known as Pikepaw. Voletail will be your mentor."
⠀⠀⠀The brown she-cat padded over to Pikepaw and pressed her nose to his.
⠀⠀⠀"And finally, Otterkit," Sagestar smiled. "Before I apprentice Otterkit, I would like to say that Pikepaw and his sister have lived in RiverClan for a long time now, despite having a mother in WindClan. I appreciate all Alliumspark has done to raise these kits and I hope Eeltail is proud of how far his daughter and son have come." He glanced over at the silver warrior.
⠀⠀⠀Eeltail's expression was blank but he nodded in response. Quailpaw felt like he didn't seem to care about his kits becoming apprentices.
⠀⠀⠀"Anyways," Sagestar continued. "Until this she-cat has earned her warrior name, she will be known as Otterpaw. Frostfoot will be her mentor."
⠀⠀⠀When Frostfoot had touched noses with Otterpaw, the whole Clan burst out cheering.
⠀⠀⠀"Quailpaw! Eaglepaw! Rubblepaw! Pikepaw! Otterpaw!"
⠀⠀⠀Quailpaw felt herself beaming with pride. This was perfect. Everything was perfect. She was an apprentice now. When the cheering had died down, Quailpaw noticed Redpaw, Lakepaw, and Sleetpaw walking in their direction just as the meeting broke apart.
⠀⠀⠀"We've made nests for you," Lakepaw meowed.
⠀⠀⠀"Already?" Otterpaw mewed, surprised.
⠀⠀⠀"We made them a few days ago, actually," Lakepaw explained.
⠀⠀⠀"We knew you'd be apprentices any day now," Sleetpaw meowed.
⠀⠀⠀"Your new nests can wait," Nightwhisker said. "For now, we must tour the territory. That is the first thing every new apprentice does. Come along now."
⠀⠀⠀Quailpaw shot Eaglepaw a sympathetic look. Eaglepaw's face was full of anxiety as he followed his mentor and they all exited the RiverClan camp. The patch of trees was so breathtaking to Quailpaw. There was a mixture of beech, ash, and willow. The scent of the river was strong and clear just as it had been when they'd snuck out two moons before.
⠀⠀⠀Troutpelt came to walk at Quailpaw's side. "Are you excited to finally be an apprentice?" he asked.
⠀⠀⠀Quailpaw purred happily. "Of course," she replied.
⠀⠀⠀The gray tom sighed. "I remember when I first became an apprentice," he mewed.
⠀⠀⠀"You had dirt all over your fur, it's hard to forget it," Frostfoot purred from behind.
⠀⠀⠀Troutpelt looked over his shoulder at his sister and snorted. "Like you didn't," he meowed. "We had just rolled around in a patch of dirt. Sandflower was so mad." His whiskers quivered with laughter.
⠀⠀⠀"I think she had a right to be," Frostfoot told him.
⠀⠀⠀"Enough chit-chat," Nightwhisker called from the front of the patrol. "We have apprentices to train."
⠀⠀⠀"Okay, okay, keep your fur on," Troutpelt meowed. His eyes were still full of amusement.
⠀⠀⠀Suddenly, Nightwhisker halted very fast, causing Eaglepaw to bump into her.
⠀⠀⠀"What's the hold up?" Voletail asked.
⠀⠀⠀The fur along Nightwhisker's spine rose. She unsheathed her claws and glanced around the forest warily.
⠀⠀⠀"What is it?" Brokenwing mewed, his tail flicking anxiously.
⠀⠀⠀"WindClan scent," Nightwhisker murmured.
⠀⠀⠀Quailpaw felt her heart speed up. She parted her jaws and drew in the scents around her. She realized there was another scent besides the river. It smelled sort of like a fresh wind and prey...a prey she had never smelled before on the fresh-kill pile. That must be rabbit-scent, she thought.
⠀⠀⠀"We have to tell Sagestar," Nightwhisker said sharply. She turned and began stalking back towards the camp. Before she could take many more steps or the patrol could even start to follow, a cat launched themselves from the undergrowth and tackled her to the ground.
⠀⠀⠀Nightwhisker spat fury and kicked at her attacker's underbelly with sharp hind claws. But it barely did any good.
⠀⠀⠀It was a massive white tom with blazing yellow eyes. His claws were unsheathed and his grip on the RiverClan warrior was firm.
⠀⠀⠀Troutpelt leapt forward, barreling into the white tom's side and knocking him over. The two cats slashed at each other's faces, claws outstretched.
⠀⠀⠀Quailpaw gasped. A real fight! I should help, she thought. But she didn't know how. She'd had no training at all.
⠀⠀⠀"Apprentices, get back to camp!" Voletail yowled.
⠀⠀⠀Just as she spoke, two more cats flung themselves from the bracken. A yellow tom and a tortoiseshell and white she-cat.
⠀⠀⠀"These are WindClan cats," Otterpaw murmured.
⠀⠀⠀"GET BACK TO CAMP NOW!" Voletail yowled again, but this time much louder.
⠀⠀⠀Quailpaw began racing through the forest, heading in the direction of the camp entrance. She could hear the thrum of paws behind her as her fellow apprentices followed at her heels. They burst into the camp not too long after, out of breath and their fur spiking in panic.
⠀⠀⠀Sagestar and Cloverheart, who had been talking in the middle of the clearing, immediately looked over as the five apprentices exploded through the camp entrance. Sagestar rose to his paws and padded towards them, looking curious. The rest of the Clan was watching closely, their ears pricked.
⠀⠀⠀"What's happened? Where are your mentors?" Sagestar asked. Quailpaw could see his claws working anxiously at the grass.
⠀⠀⠀"W-WindClan!" Otterpaw gasped.
⠀⠀⠀"Three warriors came out of nowhere and attacked our patrol!" Rubblepaw meowed.
⠀⠀⠀Sagestar's yellow gaze rounded with worry. "O-okay," he mewed. "Stay in camp. It'll be fine."
⠀⠀⠀Quailpaw padded in the direction of the apprentices' den, following Eaglepaw. She felt shocked and confused.
⠀⠀⠀"Thornstep, Blueheart, Wolfsong, and Creekfall, come with me," Sagestar called. "Cloverheart, you're in charge. Thistleleaf, check over the apprentices and make sure they're okay."
⠀⠀⠀With that, the RiverClan leader and the cats he'd summoned all streamed out of camp.
⠀⠀⠀A long-furred pale gray she-cat known as Thistleleaf padded towards the five apprentices. She only had one eye, and it was bright green. The other one had been clawed away many moons ago, and all that was left was scars across that side of her face.
⠀⠀⠀She was the RiverClan medicine cat. She didn't say much. But she was very efficient in her work. She halted in front of the young cats and scanned her one eye over them. "Is anyone hurt?" she croaked.
⠀⠀⠀They all shook their heads.
⠀⠀⠀Thistleleaf nodded. "I'll get some thyme for the shock," she murmured before padding off.
⠀⠀⠀Quailpaw could not tear her gaze from the camp entrance. Whatever she'd said about the WindClan-RiverClan war as a kit felt very frog-brained now. War was not something to be excited about. After seeing Nightwhisker so viciously attacked, she didn't think she'd ever look forward to a real battle.