Warriors: A New Beginning #1: The Beginning

Chapter 29

Wavepelt woke up angrily after the vigil, still mad at StarClan.

She trudged out of the warriors den.

"Wavepelt!" Ashpaw bounded up. "What are we doing today?"

Wavepelt's eyes widened. She had forgotten about her apprentice. She opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Thorntail.

"I'm taking out all the apprentices for a training session," the black warrior meowed. "Can you go wake them up?" he asked the apprentice.

"Yes!" exclaimed Ashpaw. She shot off toward the apprentices den.

Wavepelt padded over to where Spottedstripe was starting to organize patrols.

"Spottedstripe," she tried to keep her voice from exploding, "do you mind if I go hunting alone?"

"I don't mind," Spottedstripe answered, "since Ashpaw is going out battle training. Just come back in one piece." His whiskers twitched as he said that last sentence.

Wavepelt didn't reply as she left camp.

Where should I hunt? she thought. Somewhere, I guess. She started off in a random direction.

***

Wavepelt walked for a while, then stopped short. Was that Berrytail she could scent?

She shook her head. It's probably from the battle with Berrytail and Bloodclaw last moon.

She kept going, scenting the air for prey.

Wait. The Berrytail scent was fresh! I have to find that filthy rogue. A battle would brighten her spirits.

She immediately started following the scent line. He didn't bother to cover his scent... Weird. But I'm so mad right now that I don't even care.

The scent line weaved through trees, bushes, and even a bramble patch. It's almost as if something was chasing him, mused Wavepelt as she freed herself from the brambles.

She kept tracing the scent line, all the way to the Thunderpath. Why here?

She caught a whiff of ShadowClan. Yeah, sure, she was on the ShadowClan border. But there was something else...

Wavepelt backed away from the Thunderpath. It gave her the creeps, and besides, Berrytail's scent ended here... probably engulfed by Thunderpath smell.

She turned back and headed somewhere to hunt. Now, about that prey...

She arrived at the Great Sycamore and parted her jaws. Why can't StarClan choose someone else to pick on?

Not scenting anything, she closed her mouth and sighed. I guess I have to deal with it.

"You need to have courage. We offer you courage."

She remembered Nightshade's words. Courage for what, anyway? What my destiny holds? Why does StarClan have to be so unclear?

"Thinking about something?"

Wavepelt whipped around. "Haven't you caused trouble to me enough? What did I ever do to you?" she demanded when she saw the cat.

"It's a long story that you don't need to hear," Berrytail sneered. "Now let's get on with it, shall we?" He unsheathed his claws.

Wavepelt unsheathed hers as well. Why does this always have to happen when I'm alone in the forest?

She charged at Berrytail, swiveling past him at the last moment and raking his flank.

Berrytail made no sound of pain. Instead, he pinned Wavepelt's tail down with his hind leg and spun around, clawing the she-cat's back. Wavepelt reared up, and did a move that she had never done before.

She backflipped.

Using her front paws, she gripped Berrytail's head and landed on him after her flip, squashing Berrytail under her.

Berrytail roared and leapt up, thrusting Wavepelt off him and into the Great Sycamore itself. Wavepelt's head clonked against it and she felt dizzy with pain.

But she wouldn't abandon this fight. She stood up and hissed. Then she charged at Berrytail again, tucking her tail in this time. She clawed his ear and nose, and bit his tail with a speed she had never known before.

Wavepelt saw something astonishing: was that fear in Berrytail's eyes?

The mostly-cream with grey tom took off, with Wavepelt in hot pursuit.

I can't believe it! Wavepelt thought in satisfaction, I actually made Berrytail afraid of me.

She slowly caught up to Berrytail as they raced in between trees, through bushes, over fallen trees, and below low branches. Then suddenly, Berrytail veered off and disappeared.

I had him! Wavepelt thought angrily. I had him!

She looked around and realized hat she was at the Thunderpath again. It's weird. I keep coming back here...

She padded closer to the hard, black stone and closed her eyes. I can't believe that I'm actually this close to the Thunderpath! It just is... peaceful for some reason.

"It's Wavepelt, right?"

Wavepelt opened her eyes. A ShadowClan cat was staring at her from the other side of the Thunderpath. Tigerfang.

"Yes, that's my name." Wavepelt nodded, remembering the warrior's deafness. How can a cat be a warrior when he's deaf? she wondered. Sure, ShadowClan made up their own signals, but it would still be hard.

"How are things in ThunderClan?"

"They're good," replied Wavepelt, surprised by the black tabby's question. "Why?"

Tigerfang glanced to the side for a few heartbeats, then his gaze met Wavepelt's again.

"I heard that there's someone who isn't as they seem in your Clan," he meowed.

"What?!" Wavepelt's pelt bristled. "You dare say a traitor is in my Clan?"

"Also, maybe it also killed a couple Clanmates..."

"You... you!" Wavepelt leapt in fury right in front of him.

A monster roared in the distance and Wavepelt froze, out of her trance. SHe saw a bright red, shiny monster, heading straight toward her. She glanced at her paws and realized that she was standing on the Thunderpath.

Panicking, she turned to get off the other side of the Thunderpath, but Berrytail was blocking her way.

"You can't escape," he growled.

Horrified, Wavepelt saw the monster come closer and closer. Desperately, she tried to get past Berrytail, but the monster was quicker. It hit her, sending searing pain through her body along with a sickening 'crack'.

She flew through the air, thrust up by the monster, and landed on her other side, with another 'crack'.

This is the end... was the last thing she thought before the world turned black.