Warriors - A New Tale

Chapter ten

Nutpaw woke up feeling upset. Why didn't Longclaw ever tell her who her real mother was, or at least she wasn't really her own kit? Nutpaw stepped out of the den, she didn't want to go back to sleep even though it was early. She saw Stormclaw assigning patrols. She watched the courageous looking deputy talking, and admired her. All the cats of the clan respected her, and it made sense. Nutpaw didn't understand why anyone still respected Gloomstar, though. He barley had the spirit of a warrior, let alone a leader. Suddenly Stormclaw looked to Nutpaw. "Mudspeed," she meowed with dignity. "You may take your apprentice if you wish, it'll be a good experience for her." For some reason, Mudspeed looked a bit nervous. Nutpaw took no notice to him, she was going on a patrol! Stormclaw must have noticed her excited expression, because she started chuckling. "Okay, so it's decided. Sparrowwing, Leaffall, Mudspeed and Nutpaw are going on morning patrols." Stormclaw slipped away. Everyone started walking and Mudspeed gestured for Nutpaw to follow. She quickly caught up. She looked in awe at the warriors. Sparrowwing and Nutpaw's eyes met and Nutpaw broke the gaze quickly. "Is this your first patrol?" Nutpaw was glad Sparrowwing didn't feel awkward. "Yep!" Nutpaw mewed happily. Then Nutpaw noticed that Leaffall was drifting behind. "Are you doing okay, Leaffall?" Sparrowwing asked, looking worried. "Don't worry about me, Sparrowwing" he mewed, looking at her with a twinkle in his tired looking eyes. Sparrowing still looked worried but her eyes twinkled back at Leaffall. Nutpaw looked at Mudspeed. He was flicking his tail in annoyance. Nutpaw wondered why. She saw him mark the border. She suddenly picked up the smell of mouse. She dropped into a hunter's crouch and looked around for it. She couldn't see it, but she did see Leaffall help her by pointing with his tail. She spotted it. She crept up on it slowly. She pounced and killed it quickly. "I did it!" She mewed happily. "Good job, Nutpaw" Leaffall purred kindly. Nutpaw nodded her thanks. "Good" Mudspeed mumbled. Nutpaw felt a bit hurt at his tone. It was like at the beginning of her apprenticeship again. The group turned at the border that separated Greenclan from Dawnclan. Just as she had turned her back, she heard a loud yowl of pain. She turned around to see a Dawnclan cat on top of Mudspeed. Nutpaw raked the unknown cat's side with her claws. He yelped and got off of Nutpaw's mentor. "Attack!" The cat yelled. Nutpaw felt an awful feeling. Dawnclan was attacking her clan! She saw three other cats jump out. One of them was smaller than the rest, so she pounced on her. The little cat hissed and tried to flip Nutpaw off of her, but Nutpaw was bigger and stronger. She scratched her belly and she screeched. Nutpaw felt another cat digging it's claws into her side. She spat and got off the small cat. She saw her. It was a grey she-cat. Nutpaw grabbed the she-cat with her jaws, but she dashed away and Nutpaw lost her grip. The grey she-cat fled with the small brown cat. She looked around. Only the first tom they had seen was still there. He was reasonably scared, considered how outnumbered he was. "So, Whiteeye. Why is Dawnclan attacking Greenclan?" Mudspeed asked with an amused meow. "Greenclan hasn't returned the kit that was stolen moons ago!" He meowed, hostility in his tone. "The kit that was stolen moons ago" echoed Sparrowwing. Nutpaw piped in. "Why would you still want a kit from so long ago back?" She asked. "Wouldn't Gloomstar want his kit back?" Whiteeye hissed. Nutpaw backed up. Mudspeed suddenly seemed shocked, and he looked at Nutpaw. He seemed like he was about to say something, but Nutpaw interrupted. "Who is this kit anyways?" She asked, filled with curiosity. Suddenly Whiteeye shared the same expression as Mudspeed. "I... um..."
"Cats of Greenclan, we will leave now" Mudspeed hissed, turning around quickly. Leaffall, Sparrowing and Nutpaw followed hastily. As they were walking, Nutpaw whispered to Sparrowwing "is there something I don't know?" Sparrowwing shrugged. "Who knows."
They arrived at camp shortly. Nutpaw had collected her mouse, and was heading to the elder's den when she saw Mudspeed heading into Gloomstar's den. She wondered why. She saw him slip in and she continued to walk to the elder's den. She stepped in and was surprised to see Laketoes. "You're better!" Nutpaw mewed happily, dropping the mouse. "Of course!" Laketoes meowed cheerfully. "Did you bring that mouse for me?" She asked, looking at it. Nutpaw nodded and Laketoes immediately bit into it. She swallowed and said "I heard you went on a patrol today" she mewed kindly. "Yep. We got attacked by Dawnclan!" She said, trying to sound serious, but she was so filled with pride that she couldn't stop smiling. "I got scratched" she mewed, showing off her scarred side. "Woah!" Laketoes purred with a mouthful of mouse. She swallowed again. "It's about time you became a warrior." Nutpaw's eyes went wide. She remembered Mudspeed walking into Gloomstar's den. "You really think so?" The hazel she-cat asked Laketoes. She chuckled and nodded. "You and your brother." Nutpaw looked to the ground. "What's wrong?"
"Oh it's nothing... just-"
"No. It's not nothing. Recently whenever someone mentions Darkenedpaw you start looking really sad. Why is that?" Nutpaw fidgeted with her paws. "I... um... found something out..." Laketoes nodded. "Can you please tell me what it was?" She asked, softening her tone. Nutpaw explained how Longclaw wasn't her real mother. Laketoes looked down. "I see..." was all she responded with. Suddenly Spottedpelt walked into the elder's den. "Oh, Spottedpelt!" Nutpaw turned around to look at him. "What were you doing out of the elder's den?" Spottedpelt gave a purr. "I'm having grandkits." Laketoes jumped up. "Oh, Spottedpelt, how wonderful!" Spottedpelt nodded. "Yeah" he said. "Squirrelear is moving to the medicine cat den. I went to visit her." Nutpaw smiled. "That's so cool!" She mewed. Then she thought about having her own kits. If she were to become a warrior soon, she would be old enough. "Aren't kits just wonderful?" Laketoes sighed, purring. "Do you have any kits, Laketoes?" Nutpaw asked. Laketoes nodded. "Swiftsky and Darkfoot. You couldn't imagine how proud of them I am" she purred, a dreamy twinkle in her eyes. "It's getting late" Spottedpelt meowed. "You should get to sleep, Nutpaw." He slid down, tucking his paws under him. "Awe, okay..." Nutpaw mewed disappointedly. "See ya later!" She called to the elders, dashing off to the apprentice's den. Darkenedpaw and Smallpaw were sleeping. She snuggled in between them and soon fell asleep.