Warriors: A Dawn Rising

Chapter Six

           Leafpaw padded carefully through the bush, crouching low to the ground, she saw the shape in front of her. Darting out, she pounded on the grass and tackled the tom.  "Very good, but I heard you a mile away." The tom meowed, Leafpaw sighed in frustration. What was the point of being small if she couldn't use it for stealth? "You're much better fighter than most apprentices in my Clan," he meowed, draping his tail over her shoulder. "I mean, considering you are an apprentice."

    "Tigerheart told me it'd be easier to fight when you're small. But it's harder." Leafpaw mewed, staring at her paws. The black tom huffed.

    "He's a ThornClan medicine cat. What does he know about fighting?" The tom snorted, then padded a few tail-lengths away. "Now, come and try the move out again."

    Leafpaw sighed and padded away through the ferns, she'd been practicing fighting with Crowfang from RockClan to try and show the other apprentices that she was more than just a medicine cat apprentice. Turning on her heels, she crouched down, flattening her spine and crawling through the undergrowth, she tried to keep still.

    Mossybriar fell into a fit of coughing, Leafpaw frowned. She didn't know what was wrong. "Has StarClan spoken to you? You don't have greencough." Leafpaw meowed, sorting herbs. She pulled the shriveled leaves from the herb store.

    "Nothing. Perhaps they're ready to take me." He rasped, alarm spread through Leafpaw then he purred in amusement. "They wouldn't take me until you've earned your name."

    "Has that happened before?" She asked, glancing back at the tom. He shrugged, then Leafpaw grabbed a poultice of herbs and went to take it to Ivylight. The tom was healing from a skirmish with RockClan. She applied the poultice to his shoulder, rubbing it in. "How bad was the fight?"

    "Not that bad. But you should check up on Cedarpaw, he got a bad scratch on his nose." Ivylight meowed, as soon as Leafpaw was finished applying the herbs, she turned and padded to where Cedarpaw was stretching.

          "Where are you hurt?" She asked, he looked at her in confusion. She began searching his pelt, he was silent, not fussing. This was surprising, usually he'd be disgusted about having to be treated by her, but he was perfectly fine.

            "I'm sorry." He meowed suddenly, Leafpaw looked at him in confusion. "For bullying you and Dawnpaw. I wish I hadn't scared you out of being a warrior."

             "That wasn't you. I just don't like the idea of fighting." She meowed, shrugging. He sighed and walked off as she finished, putting the herbs away Ivylight gathered the warriors together and began setting up patrols.

             "Icemask, take a patrol down to the water, take Doefrost, Lionflame, Sporrelpelt, and Cedarpaw." Ivylight meowed, the white tom nodded and gathered up his patrol. Spiderclaw led the other one with Sharpeye, Dawnpaw, Leopardpaw, and Thornfur. The two patrols headed out as Robinstar set Riverpelt and Honeybelly as a watch.

             Mossybriar was asleep in his nest, Leafpaw frowned. He slept so often now. Padding close, she carefully pressed her ear against his chest. It sounded as if fluid was filling it up so he could barely breathe. "Mossybriar," she whispered, nudging him. She pressed her nose against her fur as alarm spread through her. His fur was cold. "Mossybriar!" She shouted, pushing him over. He rolled out of his nest limply. "No! Mossybriar!"

         "Is there a problem?" Ivylight asked as he padded into the den. "What's wrong with Mossybriar?"

           "He's gone!" Leafpaw wailed, Ivylight padded over to inspect Mossybriar. "I should have noticed it."