Warriors: A Twisted Path

Chapter 21

"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 Gingerpaw immediately woke up.
She walked out of the den, followed by Fuzzypaw, Lightpaw, and Darkpaw.
They all sat together with Wolfrunner and a few other warriors.
"Two kits are ready to become apprentices," Drizzlestar began. "Leopardkit and Silverkit, please step forward."
A golden, spotted she-cat bounced forward, her eyes round with excitement. The other kit, a more grayish-brown color, followed her sister more shyly.
"Leopardkit, from this moment on until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Leopardpaw." Her eyes turned to a dark blue-gray tom. "Bluestripe, you have proven to be a great warrior, and I want you to pass all of your skill to your new apprentice."
Leopardpaw touched noses with her new mentor as the clan cheered her name.
Leopardpaw pressed her nose to her sister's shoulder before sitting with the rest of her clanmates.
"Silverkit, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be called Silverpaw." Drizzlestar said. "Mapleleaf will be your mentor."
Silverpaw touched noses with the brown and white she-cat, still looking nervous as the clan yelled her name. Gingerpaw saw Mapleleaf whisper something to Silverpaw, and whatever she said seemed to have calmed the new apprentice down.
"Meeting dismissed!" Drizzlestar yowled, jumping down from the Hightree.
Gingerpaw walked over to the new apprentices. "Congratulations! Make sure to collect some moss to make your new nests in the apprentices den!"
Leopardpaw looked at Gingerpaw, her amber eyes round. "We will! And thanks Gingerpaw!"
Silverpaw nodded. "Yeah, thanks!"
Gingerpaw smiled and watched them race away to their mentors.
"I remember how excited you were when you first became an apprentice." Wolfrunner said from behind her.
She turned around and purred. "Yeah! Now I can't wait to be a warrior!"
"Don't worry, you'll be one soon." He said with a smile.
Lightpaw and Darkpaw went over to Wolfrunner, Falconwing and Bouncefrost behind them.
"Did you ask her?" Lightpaw mewed.
"No, not yet." Wolfrunner said. He tilted his head. "Is this everyone?"
"No, Mudsplash and Fallshadow are joining too." Lightpaw reported. "I asked Fuzzypaw but..." She looked away with disappointment.
"It's okay." Wolfrunner meowed. "Fuzzypaw isn't a real friend if he won't follow you through everything."
"What's going on?" Gingerpaw asked.
Wolfrunner looked at her. "Well... remember that place that looks like a huge camp?" Gingerpaw nodded and he continued. "We're going to be making our own clan, WolfClan! I'll be leader and... I'm going to need a deputy. And I want that deputy to be you."
Gingerpaw's eyes widened. "You're joking right?"
Wolfrunner shook his head. "It's not a joke. It would be so much better if there was a clan without so many rules to follow, where everyone can be what they want without someone else judging them."
"Wolfrunner stop!" Gingerpaw growled. "You can't! We're loyal to FireClan, I'm loyal to FireClan!"
"Well you can be loyal to WolfClan now." Wolfrunner said. "Listen Gingerpaw, we both want to be together right? If you don't join then we won't be."
"If you did care about me then you would listen to what I'm saying!" Gingerpaw hissed. "Please just stay! FireClan is our home, not some clan you just came up with on the spot!"
"Come on Wolfrunner! If she doesn't want to join then that's her problem!" Darkpaw growled. "You can just choose a different deputy."
Wolfrunner turned to Gingerpaw. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you're going to have to choose between me and FireClan."
Gingerpaw backed up. "You can't ask me to do that. My family and my clanmates need me."
"Well I need you too, haven't you thought about that?" Wolfrunner growled.
"I can't choose, okay!?" Gingerpaw snapped. She turned around and raced out of camp, ignoring Wolfrunner as he called to her.
If he really did love me, then why would he make me choose between two things that matter the most to me? Gingerpaw thought with frustration.
She jumped over the river and glanced at the cave nearby. She knew she wasn't allowed to go inside, but she needed somewhere to get away and think, so she took one paw step closer and closer until she disappeared into the darkness.