|Warriors| Hunted [Hiatus]

Chapter 2: Concerned Clanmate

"How's she doing, Robinpelt," a tom asks, I recognize his voice. "She's doing quite well, I'm happy you came to check on her, Troutpaw."

Troutpaw, he became an apprentice a quarter-moon ago. Along with his greatest friend Ferretpaw. I open my eyes, weak sunlight shines into the medicine cat den. I see Troutpaw, he's a light gray tom with bronze colored eyes. He's sitting beside Robinpelt, who's sorting through herbs.

Robinpelt stands up looking down at Troutpaw. "I'm going out to fetch more herbs, would you mind watching Echokit for me?" The gray tom dips his head to the medicine cat.

"I'd be happy to, Robinpelt. Take your time." Robinpelt purrs before padding out of the den. I sit up and stretch my hindquarters. Troutpaw spots my movement and perks up.

"You're awake! How're you feeling?" He asks padding up to me.

"My shoulder aches but otherwise I feel fine."

"That's good, we were all worried about you. Mistytail most of all."

"Where is she?"

"In the nursery waiting to smother you as soon as you come in." Troutpaw's whiskers twitch with amusement. I stare into his bronze colored eyes. I shake my head, ears twitching. "Thanks for checking on me."

"Hey, you're my Clanmate. It seems like just yesterday that I was playing in the nursery with you guys. I was. . . concerned. . . just like everyone else." I shake bits of moss from my pelt.

"Come on, I'm sure Stormkit would like to see you." He comes to my side as I stand up, helping me when I stumble. I duck through the thorns surrounding the entrance to the medicine cat's den. I look around and see the camp just beginning to buzz with activity.

"Echokit!" A brown red ginger she-kit rushes over to me. Her belly is white and she has brown and black stripes. "Dawnkit," I purr as she touches her nose to my ear. "You really scared us, you know that?!"

I flatten my ears, guilt flooding me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Dawnkit's eyes soften and she bumps my shoulder with her head. "Never mind, let's get you back to the nursery." Dawnkit leads the way, before entering the nursery I look back at Troutpaw.

His bronze eyes are unreadable, he dips his head before padding away. I wave goodbye with my tail before entering the nursery. I'm suddenly scooped up by my scruff and placed into my nest.

My mother's sandy tongue vigorously licking the top of my head. "Ugh, Mistytail! Stop!" I shake my head, ducking away from her tongue. But instead of running away I pad closer and press myself against her silver belly.

"I'm sorry for sneaking out of camp and worrying everyone." My mother looks down at me with her hazel eyes. She licks my head one last time, purring quietly. I look over at Lilyfeather's nest and see Stormkit curled up, his mother watching him with sad eyes. I look at him sadly, does he think my father was correct? That it was his fault that I got hurt? No, don't be a mouse-brain.

I was playing with Dawnkit, Onyxkit, Emberkit, and Bonekit when I hear the familiar yowl from the clearing, signaling a Clan meeting. Stormkit lifts his head up and his mother noses him out of the nest. I leave the nursery with my denmates, our mothers behind us.

We pad across the clearing, the rest of the Clan is already gathered. Dapplestar, stands on top of the meeting rock. She looks down, scanning all the cats faces before purring.

"It is time for the kits to step out of the nursery and become apprentices. Dawnkit, Echokit, Stormkit, Onyxkit, Emberkit, and Bonekit please step forward." My whiskers twitch with excitement. I share looks with my friends and we all step forward.

Dapplestar looks down proudly. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code during your apprenticeship?"

"I do," we all answer with barely contained excitement. "Then until you have received your warrior name you will be known as Dawnpaw, Echopaw, Emberpaw, Stormpaw, Onyxpaw, and Bonepaw. You are the most kits we have had at one time and I believe you will all become fine warriors."

I feel pride fill my chest. "Bonepaw, your mentor will be Blizzardstep." I picked out the large black tom from the surrounding cats. Bonepaw pads over to him and touches noses.

"Dawnpaw, your mentor will be Bluesky." My friend turns after her mother announces her mentor and approaches the russian blue she-cat. They look into each others eyes before touching noses.

"Echopaw, your mentor will be Flintwhisker." I'm happy to know that my mentor will be the smoky gray she-cat. She's patient and fair.

I rush over to Flintwhisker and touch noses with her. I sit down beside her, curling my tail around my paws. Flintwhisker purrs before looking back up at Dapplestar.

"Emberpaw, your mentor will be Coaldust." Emberpaw runs over to the small black tom, touching noses.

"Onyxpaw, your mentor will be Frostflower." She turns and shyly walks up to the pretty cream colored she-cat. "Finally, Stormpaw, your mentor will be Coolpelt." He goes and touches noses with the dark tom. With that the whole Clan erupted into cheers.

"Dawnpaw, Echopaw, Emberpaw, Bonepaw, Onyxpaw, Stormpaw!!!" Ferretpaw rushed over to his sister to congratulate her. Emberpaw purrs pressing her nose to his brown ear.

Once the meeting was over our mentors gathered around us. "Alright, since there is so many of you we'll be doing most of your training together. You can help each other. But every once in awhile you'll be doing something on your own so don't get too dependent on each other," Blizzardstep says sternly looking at each of us.

We all nod and our mentors head for the entrance to give us the tour of the territory. It's nearing the end of greenleaf but the weather isn't too bad. I listen carefully to my mentor as she explains certain landmarks or best places to hunt.

We come to a small thunderpath, to the right is the half-bridge, stopping a couple fox lengths away. "Now listen very carefully, you aren't allowed to cross this thunderpath, on the other side is the start of ShadowClan territory." I stare into the large pine forest, in the stories I've been told ShadowClan aren't very friendly cats.

Just as Flintwhisker is talking a small group of cats slip out of the brush on their side of the path. The leader of the patrol is a ginger-and-white she-cat with a bright orange tail.

With her are two warriors and two apprentices. One warrior is a dark she-cat with a white underbelly. The other is a black and white tom with golden eyes.

"Sunnytail, how is your patrol going so far?" Flintwhisker asks politely and I look up at her. The ginger and white she-cat dips her head respectfully. "Very well, thank you Flintwhisker."

The dark she-cat speaks looking at all of us in turn. "That's a lot of apprentices you have, are they all newly appointed?" Blizzardstep steps forward and nods.

"Yes they are, Fernshade. I see you've brought your apprentices as well Brightpaw and Toadpaw how is their training going?"

The black and white tom speaks up. "Toadpaw, is doing excellent. He'll be a warrior in no time." The dark brown apprentice looks up at his mentor with pride. Brightpaw is staring at all of us.

"Well we should carry on with our patrol," Sunnytail meows and the warriors turn and continue walking, Toadpaw following. But Brightpaw is still starting at us. "Brightpaw, I don't wish to wait for you. Come along."

"Coming, Sunnytail." She says before chasing after her mentor. I watch her leave and I notice so does Stormpaw.