A new kind of love

Chapter 5

Silverstar's eyes faintly glowed in the moonlight as they widened to look at Maddie with a shocked expression.
"You want to do what?" He asked with a slightly shocked gasp.
"No we-" Ivy tried to explain but Maddie put her tail on her mouth to keep her quiet. "I'm sure it's a fair deal." Maddie cut Ivy off while glaring up hopefully at Silverstar.
Swiftspark whispered something in Silverstar's ear and Silverstar nodded, Sunpaw wondered what they were saying to each other.
"We can't have some random kittypet join the Clan!" Someone yowled, and Sunpaw looked around all the BirchClan cats to see who the yowl came from.
It was Larchfang! He bared his teeth as he slowly stepped forward towards the middle of the clearing right in front of the Pointed Stone, it's shadow was covering his entire body from the moonlight.
"Larchfang don't-" Jayflight tried to tell her former apprentice but their leader Silverstar cut her off, "Larchfang, are you implying you want to challenge these new cats?" He asked as he looked curiously at the pale yellow warrior who was lashing his tail around.
"If it means teaching these kittypets a lesson about how real warriors fight then yes." Larchfang taunted. Silverstar sighed, "This is the way of the Clan after all. Swiftspark you should probably explain to the newcomers what this challenge implies." He said as he turned his head towards his deputy who nodded once before heading back down from the Pointed Stone towards Maddie and Ivy. He whispered something to them but Sunpaw couldn't make out what, she headed towards Larchfang who was impatiently waiting under the Pointed Stone for either Maddie or Ivy. Sunpaw knew how strong Larchfang was from their Dark Forest training so she knew how this battle would go. Sunpaw suddenly heard a growl coming from Ivy.
"Larchfang are you sure about this? Remember, don't kill them..." Sunpaw whispered towards him. He just twitched his ear and continued to stare at the two kittypets. Sunpaw then backed off back into the crowd of BirchClan cats.

Silverstar was still on top of the Pointed Stone, patiently waiting for Swiftspark to finish telling Ivy and Maddie about the Clans, as he did, he glared at Larchfang. Sunpaw saw in his eyes that he thought he would win easily and Sunpaw couldn't deny it. How could Larchfang not win after all of his Dark Forest training?
"All cats move out to give our newcomers some space!" Silverstar yowled and all the BirchClan cats backed away, forming a big circle in the middle of the clearing. Larchfang stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with a hunger for battle. Ivy would lunge forward, unsheathing her claws as she locked her gaze on the tabby. Sunpaw would catch Maddie glaring down at her only friend with intense worry, and she slowly lowered herself towards the ground. "I'll rip you to shreds housecat!" He'd snarl, unsheathing his long talons. Many of the cats around them began to chant Larchfang's name, but Sunpaw didn't bother cheering him on. She just, nervously watched Ivy, who remained completely still. Larchfang went on, well aware that he had the support of his audience. "You'd be wasting your life if you actually fought against me!" Ivy flattened her ears, narrowed her eyes and while hissing, leaped through the air and flung herself onto Larchfang.

It was on.

Sunpaw arched her neck upward to get a good view of the fight. Ivy grasped the tabby with her claws, but was shaken loose. She tumbled over and the BirchClan warrior turned on her and gripped her with claws as sharp as thorns. With her forepaws, Ivy began to swipe furiously at his face, causing flecks of blood to go flying everywhere. The warrior's yowl told her she had found a tender spot, and so she kept slashing harder and harder. Larchfang reared upwards, slicing through Ivy's shoulders before he was ultimately pushed off.
"Your not winning this!" Ivy spat furiously at the tom, ruffling up her blood stained pelt.
"Say that again.." The tom snarled as he heaved to his paws, crouching down.
"Your no-"
Before his opponent could finish, Larchfang leaped on her and dug his claws into Ivy's shoulders. Maddie gasped when she saw the amount of blood welling up in her blue fur. Ivy yowled, scrabbling at the ground, trying to get a grip, but Larchfang heaved her onto his back and kicked her churning hind paws away. Sunpaw's breath stopped as Larchfang lunged for Ivy's neck. Opening his jaws wide, he gripped the blue she-cat's neck in his teeth. Now was when he was letting his strength and skill that he had learned in the Dark Forest shine through.

Larchfang you foxheart! Your not supposed to murder her!

"Larchfang! Stop that! Your going to kill her!" Sunpaw shouted desperately, dashing over to the scene. Before she could get to them however, Silverstar leaped down from the Pointed Stone and silenced the noisy crowd with a yowl before walking towards Larchfang. With a flick of his tail, he ordered that he let the she-cat go, and he tossed her aside. Ivy slowly scrambled to her paws, and Maddie ran towards her, fretting over her injured companion. Upon realizing that the blue she-cat was fine, Sunpaw quietly sighed in relief, and looked towards her leader as he stepped forward and meowed; "I must congratulate Larchfang for his skills, yet also do the same to his opponent, for she has managed to prove her strength in battle. She is now free to join our clan as an apprentice."
Sunpaw noted how shocked Ivy was to hear this. Many cats were. But her new clanmate just nodded. "Eh... I'll take it I guess..." She quietly hissed this at Maddie, who nuzzled Ivy's cheek happily before she padded towards Silverstar. Larchfang began to purr with satisfaction, puffing his chest fur up as Ivy solemnly nodded her acceptance again as she panted, but the two wouldn't stop glaring at one another, their hostility still not spent. With a sigh, Ivy lifted her head proudly and looked at the cats that surrounded them. This time, barely any cats spoke out against this. It was as if they were slowly starting to accept her. With a smirk and chuckle, she looked up at Sunpaw, who welcomed her in with a slow nod.

"Oh come on! Why would father let her in just like that?" Ashpaw protested, meeting Ivy's gaze with anger. But Sunpaw merely ignored his comment as her leader went on.

"Now, from this moment on, until your recieve your warrior name, you shall be known as Ivypaw, and I will be mentoring you."

No cat argued or jeered. Rather, they seemed quite shocked about the fact that Silverstar wanted to mentor this kittypet. Ivypaw looked back at him, but remained quiet, and slowly stalked back towards Maddie, blood dripping down her shoulders and onto the earth.

Is this really it?

"Now let me deal with the other one!" Larchfang would shout, and Sunpaw then remembered that Maddie also had to fight him. The frighten kittypet seemed to hate the idea, and Sunpaw quickly guessed it was because she had no battle experience, and unlike her friend, even if she did loose, every one of her clanmates would notice how soft she was. Larchfang didn't even look exhausted. He was still up for more. He gazed down at the nervous she-cat, and charged straight at her.
"Your not going to claw of a single hair from her pelt!" Ivy would growl, running in between the two.
"I dare you to try and fight me again kittypet! You'd only loose again!"
"You think?! I'll prove ya wrong, cause she isn't going to fight you!"

"Then how else can she prove to the entire clan that she's actually useful eh?

"That's enough you two." Growled the voice of a tom cat. Every cat's gaze flicked towards where the meow had come from.

Bumbleflight..?

The small, yellow colored tom padded into the center of the clearing, eyeing Maddie the entire time. Ivy would hiss at him, but he payed no attention to this. He touched her ear gently with his nose. Sunpaw couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. Maddie remained completely still as he did this, and Ivy wouldn't stop glaring at the medicine cat. But then, he said:
"I would happily take this she-cat in as my newest apprentice."
Sunpaw's fur prickled. There was silence for a moment. Sunpaw was sure that every cat could hear Maddie's heart pulsing and smell her fear-scent. Silverstar looked at them both, intrigued by the idea. He then looked back at his deputy, who nodded in agreement before he also looked at the two.
"But he already has an apprentice!" Shouted someone amongst the crowd. Bumbleflight shook his head. "Ashlight has already completed his training Lionfang. As I stated before, I'd be happy to take this kittypet in and teach her how to be a medicine cat."
"Only if she's up fo-" The BirchClan leader began, but was cut off by Maddie as she yowled,
"Y-yes! I'll d-do it!"
With a smile, Bumbleflight nodded, then calmly led Maddie towards his den as he spoke with her. All cats made way for the two, eyeing Maddie as she looked back at Ivy. Then, Silverstar leapt back up onto The Pointed Stone, and finished the clan meeting, and the cats around them gathered in groups to discuss what had just occurred before them. Ivy would waste no time in trying to follow after Maddie, but Ashpaw ran up in front of her, hissing: "You can't spend every second of the day with her! Your sleeping with us now." He spat, and later trotted into the apprentices den. Sunpaw ran up to Ivy's side, placing a paw on her shoulder, yet the blue cat pushed her away. She shook her head, and limped inside the apprentices den. Sunpaw quietly followed after her.

Welcome to the Clan I suppose...