New Flight - a warriors story, Book #1 in The Winding Fates

Chapter 11

It had been two moons since Hiddenkit had been found. Owlfeather and Sparrowflight yawned as the sun shown through the branch entrance to the warriors' den. Scrambling to his paws, Owlfeather stepped out into the sunlight, stretching and accidentally showing his wings. Hiding them, he padded over to the fresh-kill pile, where Featherfleck sat.

"Hey, Owlfeather. How have you been doing?" she asked, her eyes warming.

Owlfeather glanced at her and looked back down at a bird he picked out. "Fine. Just tired, that's all. Did you want something?"

Featherfleck's ears went down. "No. I-I just thought... nevermind." she padded away, holding a sparrow. Owlfeather shrugged, and the Clan began to get up for morning patrols.

"Owlfeather!" Sparrowflight's warm mew came from behind him, and he looked back at him. "Hello!"

Owlfeather pulled out a mountain rabbit for Sparrowflight, and they both sat, eating. Owlfeather noticed Featherfleck out of the edge of his vision, and she didn't look particularly happy.

"Owlfeather! Sparrowflight!" Scorchpelt's loud meow rang out around the hollow. "You're wanted for a patrol!"

Both toms got up and padded over to the deputy. "Who's leading it?"

The ginger tom flicked his tail towards Fallenhollow. "You're going with Snowleaf and Mothswipe."

Heading out of the tunnel, they met a SwoopClan patrol struggling to swim over to Nightglow Island.

"Hey!" Fallenhollow yowled. "That's ours! You can't even swim!"

A brown tom hissed from the edge. "Well, I can't tell who's it is! Can't it be both of ours?"

Snowleaf narrowed her eyes and leaped onto the bank of the river, snarling. "Challenge us!"

Fallenhollow tried to stop her, but before she could two SwoopClan warriors had crossed to their side and leaped on top of Snowleaf. Mothswipe had no choice but to claw one of the warriors on the ear, and soon enough the whole SwoopClan patrol was fighting.

Owlfeather leaped on top of a scrawny grey apprentice and the other cat flung him off onto the rock. He hissed and raked his claws across the apprentice's face, making him screech and reel back.

"Enough!" a tom's voice could be heard around all of the fighting. "Stop this now." he slid down where the Clan cats were tangled into a mess of claws, tail and teeth. He didn't smell like a Clan cat at all.

A twig snapped behind him and Snowleaf yowled, "Show yourself!" (reference...) 

A black tom with a short tail slid out from behind a small bush. "H-Hi,"

The tom hissed at the black cat and turned back to face the Clan cats. "I suggest you move away and go to your own territories." with that, he bounded back into the mountains.

"Did a loner just tell us what to do?" Mothswipe hissed, jumping off of a reddish tabby.

Fallenhollow shook her head. "I guess."

As they padded back to camp, the patrol could hear Cliffstar's meow. As soon as they stepped into the camp, they could see that there was a Clan meeting. Sliding into the crowd, Owlfeather flicked his newly-torn ear.

"We have two kits becoming apprentices today. Alderkit and Flamekit, step forward. Alderkit and Flamekit, you have both reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Alderpaw and Flamepaw. Your mentors will be Fallenhollow and Pinewatcher. I hope they will pass down all they know on to you."

Fallenhollow and Pinewatcher padded up to their apprentices and touched noses. "Alderpaw! Flamepaw!"

When the chanting went down, Cliffstar meowed, "I have yet to tell you this, but two moons ago Sparrowflight and Owlfeather found a kit in a bramble bush. Gingerlight took him as her kit, but I wanted to tell you that the new kits' name is Hiddenkit." the Clan glanced around, and somecat yowled, "Hiddenkit! Hiddenkit!"

The Clan joined in, chanting a bit uneasily at first. Owlfeather shook his head. He padded over to the fresh-kill pile, snatching a small vole.

"Owlfeather!" Cliffstar came stumbling down the ledge and yowled, "Pinewatcher and Flamekit found a tunnel, they don't want to go into it. I was... erm... hoping you and Sparrowflight would go." he gave a nervous smile.

Sparrowflight padded up. "Sure! We could go." Owlfeather opened his mouth to protest, but by then they were already being pushed out of the camp.

Opening their wings, they found the tunnel easily. Landing at the entrance, Sparrowflight whispered, "Ready to go into the unknown?" (I'm filled with references right now xD)

Owlfeather nodded, and they padded on.

(Sorry for such a long wait and such a short chapter! This one's only 700-something! I'm sorry, The Power of Three's tunnel idea was cool so I had to xD Comment if you know any of those references!)