Warriors: A Twisted Path

Chapter 2

  Gingerkit hovered over her brother, who was fast asleep in the nursery.
  "Wake up!" Gingerkit squeaked, playfully pawing the brown and white tabby. She and her brother, Fuzzykit, were two of the youngest kits in the nursery. Though Lightkit and Darkkit were not too much older than them.
  "Why..." Fuzzypelt groaned quietly, rolling over.
  "Because we're going to play with Lightkit and Darkkit!" Gingerkit replied quickly. "Now get up before I put a bug in your nest so it can wake you up instead!"
  Fuzzykit rolled his eyes then got to his paws, looking around with wary.
  "What's wrong?" Gingerkit demanded, looking around as well. "There's nothing here."
  Lightkit walked over to them and faced towards Gingerkit, her head lifted up high.
  "Give him a break," the blind kit said defensively. "He's just shy around other cats."
  Gingerkit shrugged. "I don't see what's so bad about our clanmates. Come on, let's go talk to some of the senior warriors! Oh, or the elders! I heard Onetail tells really good stories!"
  Fuzzykit crouched down low, his ears flat against his head and his tail tucked in between his back legs.
  "Now look what you did." Lightkit hissed, lashing her tail with anger. "You scared him."
  Gingerkit opened her mouth to protest but Lightkit spoke first. "Go play with Darkkit, I'll stay here with Fuzzykit."
  Gingerkit just frowned. "It's no fun playing with just Darkkit."
  "She can stay." Fuzzykit whispered, so quietly barely anyone could hear him.
  Lightkit turned to him. "Are you sure?"
Fuzzykit nodded and Gingerkit smiled again.
  Gingerkit turned to the nursery entrance as Wolfpaw poked his head inside. Darkkit and Lightkit immediately ran to their brother, jumping up and down.
  "Did you go hunting?" Lightkit asked, her yellow blind eyes shining with excitement.
  "I bet he fought rouges." Darkkit lifted his head up.
  Wolfpaw flicked his tail to Lightpaw. "I went hunting. But chasing rouges off our territory would've been fun."
  Drizzlestar walked over to her kits, licking Wolfpaw. "You're all going to grow up to be such fine warriors."
  Wolfpaw puffed out his chest. "I know."
  Gingerkit couldn't help but admire the young apprentice. She shook her head as Fuzzykit's voice broke her thoughts.
  "Uh... Gingerkit," Fuzzykit mewed. "You were purring. Are you okay?"
  Gingerkit licked her chest fur with embarrassment. "Yes, of course."
  Fuzzykit shrugged, crouching down again. Gingerkit nudged him up, walking over to Wolfpaw.
  Wolfpaw led the kits out of the nursery, his head held high. Gingerkit trotted beside him.
  Wolfpaw looked at Gingerkit, tilting his head. "You're Gingerkit, right?"
  Gingerkit's blue eyes shone brightly. "Yup! That's me!"
  "Are you excited to be an apprentice?" Wolfpaw asked.
  Gingerkit nodded. "I sure am! What's it like?"
  "It's great! But it honestly all depends on who you get as your mentor." Wolfpaw replied. "I got Pricklethorn, and she has taught me a lot of useful things!"
  "Then I hope I get you as my mentor!" Gingerkit said.
  Wolfpaw purred with amusement. "That is if I am a warrior by then!"
  "Come on Wolfpaw! You promised to show us the hunting crouch, not to talk to Gingerkit all day!" Darkkit growled.
  Wolfpaw laughed a little. "Okay, okay. I'm just trying to get to know the other kits."
  Fuzzykit hid behind Lightkit, looking at Wolfpaw with panic.
  "H-hunting crouch?" Fuzzykit whispered. "How am I supposed to do that!"
  "Don't worry Fuzzykit, Wolfpaw is a good teacher!" Lightkit promised.
  "But what if I fall?" Fuzzykit mumbled.
  "Then just try again! Everyone makes mistakes!" Lightkit replied.
  Fuzzykit nodded, his eyes filled with more determination.
  Gingerkit looked at Fuzzykit with confusion. She didn't get why he was so shy all the time.
  Wolfpaw showed them the hunting crouch, then turned to Gingerkit as she instantly did it.
  "That's great! You're going to be a natural hunter!" Wolfpaw purred.
  "Oh please, you're giving her more credit than she needs." Snorted Clawpaw as he watched from a rock. His tail swished from side to side, and he rolled onto his back as if he was bored.
  Wolfpaw's tail twitched as he looked up at the tabby. "I'm only telling her the truth."
  Clawpaw jumped down and walked over to the group. The kits were still practicing their crouches. He stopped and looked back a Gingerkit, grinning. With on paw, he shoved Gingerkit, making her stumble and fall.
  "Hey!" She yowled.
  Clawpaw just laughed. "See? If it was windy outside, you would fall right over and scare all the prey away!"
  "Why don't you just leave Gingerkit and the rest of us alone?" Wolfpaw hissed, lowering his head with frustration.
  "How about no. You can't tell me what to do, no one can. And guess what, if you attack me, you will only get in trouble too." Clawpaw sneered.
  Gingerkit growled as she faced Clawpaw. "I know why you treat others with so much disrespect. You just have nothing better to do in your sorry little life!"
  Wolfpaw laughed a little as Clawpaw hissed.
  "You take that back!" Clawpaw spat, unsheathing his claws.
  "'You can't tell me what to do, no one can.'" Gingerkit mocked. She met Clawpaw's gaze, showing no fear.
  Clawpaw growled one more time before turning away and storming off.
  Wolfpaw burst out laughing. "That was priceless!"
  Darkkit just grinned. "Yeah, it was pretty funny."
  Lightkit was laughing as well, but Fuzzykit just shrank away.
  Gingerkit smiled. "He only got what he deserved."
  "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Hightree for a clan meeting!"
  Drizzlestar's voice rang around the clearing, and Gingerkit looked up at the gray and white she-cat.
  "Hmm, I wonder what this is about." Wolfpaw said. "Come on, let's go sit."
  Gingerkit and the rest of the group followed Wolfpaw as he sat down in front of the giant tree. Gingerkit sat down beside him, looking up at her leader as she spoke.
  "Leapfrost and I have talked to the apprentice's mentors, and we believe that Wolfpaw, Falconpaw, and Bouncepaw are ready to become warriors." Drizzlestar began, her face full of pride. "Please step forward, all of you."
  Wolfpaw got to his paws, his eyes shining with excitement. He stepped forward, standing beside the other two apprentices.
  "I, Drizzlestar, call our warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have worked hard to understand your ways and are ready to become full warriors." She stopped and looked at Wolfpaw, Falconpaw, and Bouncepaw, each one at a time. "Wolfpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Wolfrunner. StarClan honors your speed and strength, and I'm proud to have you as a full warrior of FireClan."
  Wolfrunner puffed out his chest and lifted up his head as his named was cheered. Gingerkit cheered the loudest, making Wolfrunner look at her and smile.
  "Bouncepaw, from this moment on, you will be called Bouncefrost. You have worked twice as hard, considering that your leg is missing, but that didn't stop you from becoming the amazing young cat you are today."
  Bouncefrost dipped his head and the clan chanted his name.
  Finally, Drizzlestar looked at Falconpaw, smiling. "Falconpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Falconwing. StarClan honors your wisdom and pride, and we are all proud to have you as a warrior of FireClan."
  Falconwing smiled as the clan cheered her named. Once the yowls died down, Drizzlestar jumped down from the Hightree, meaning that the clan was dismissed.
  "Don't forget to sit vigil tonight, new warriors!" Leapfrost called out.
  The clan broke apart, and Gingerkit raced over to Wolfrunner to congratulate him.
  "Congratulations!" Gingerkit purred.
  "Thanks! Looks like I could be your mentor after all!" He mewed.
  "You're lucky to have been made a warrior at all." Clawpaw snorted as he passed by.
  Wolfrunner growled, watching Clawpaw go by.
  "Don't mind him, he's just jealous." Gingerkit said.
  Wolfrunner flicked his ears. "Thanks. I've tried so hard to put up with that furball, but now I'm just not even going to try."
  "Some cats are just like that, and there's nothing you can do to stop it." Gingerkit pointed out.
  "You know, you're wise for a kit." Wolfrunner purred, his whiskers twitching with amusement.
  "Maybe I'll become an elder instead of an apprentice." Gingerkit joked.
  "But wouldn't you miss going out in the forest?" Wolfrunner mewed.
  "Yes of course! I can't wait for my first time outside of the camp!" Gingerkit exclaimed.
  Wolfrunner narrowed his eyes, his expression thoughtful. "How about this, I'll bring you and the other kits out of camp, but you can't tell anyone. Okay?"
  Gingerkit's eyes widened with excitement. "Okay! When do we leave?"
  Wolfrunner looked around, then looked back to Gingerkit. "We leave now."