Warrior Cats; Smokeskull's Revenge [ 1 ]

Chapter 20

Smokepaw was awoken by a light touch of Sandpaw's nose. "Wake up." She whispered to the grey sleeping apprentice. Her nudging paw gave a forceful push and Smokepaw fell out of the warm moss bed.
"Hey!" Smokepaw growled. Her paws fell flat on the ground as she caught herself. She looked sleepily at the warrior who stood next to Sandpaw. It was Halfwind, her mentor and deputy. Smokepaw blinked again. She shook her head. "You know, I have never had a mentor before. Except for Lionstripe, but he never taught me anything." Smokepaw sighed.
Halfwind shook her head. "You're not going to run away from me too, are you?" She pretended to make a joke out of it to spoil the awkward moment.
Smokepaw's fell silent. She gave a small chuckle, then padded up the fern tunnel. The brambles scratched at her thick fur on her way up. "You coming?" She called, almost reaching the top.
Hopping over a root, Sandpaw quickly follows behind. "Of course, you don't think you're going to train alone, do you?" She says, trotting up the tunnel.
Halfwind also follows behind. She watches the two hop out of the hole and landing on the ground. "Nice leap, Smokepaw." She purrs, marching onwards. "We're going to Snakerocks today, and Firepaw is going with Blackfoot." Halfwind reports, galloping slowly down the Mapleway.
Smokepaw sniffs in, smelling the borderlines to CloudClan. She shakes her head and trots through the brambles. They cut against her fur, reminding her of the apprentice tunnel. "Almost there?" Smokepaw looks up at the sunny escape.
Halfwind slows her pace. "Almost." She replies.
"Where are Snowstream, Firepaw, and Blackfoot?" asked Sandpaw with steaming eyes. She was clearly feeling impatient. "I've seen them being late, but we're almost there!" She complains, rolling her eyes and looking back at the Mapleway trail from the camp clearing.
Smokepaw looks back as well. Her green eyes beaming back as she flicked her tail, convincing Sandpaw to come ahead. "They'll probably come sooner or later." She looks at the deputy.
"Blackfoot told me him, Foxlight, and Silverclaw were taking Firepaw, Snakepaw, and Owlpaw down to the OwlTree to look for mice. But that defiantly doesn't explain why Snowstream is late." explains Halfwind. She looks back as well, curiosity twitched in her whiskers.
The white patched deputy led them out of the brambles into Snackrocks. It was sunny and hot. Multiple voles scrambled in the cracks and adders swam quietly in the rocks. Sandpaw padded silently out. Followed by Smokepaw, who was prancing along. She had never been here before. Excitement ran through the grey apprentice.
Halfwind sat down, she glanced down the Mapleway and stared amusingly. "Well, Snowstream, I'm glad you decided to show up." mocked the deputy.
A white she-cat came bursting through the ferns. Her sides were heaving with gasps of air. "I was... coming back from..." The cat catches her breath in between heaves. "Dawn Patrol... when I saw you... leaving." Snowstream finishes, blowing out a heap of air.
Sandpaw and Smokepaw smirked in pleasure at Snowstream while she gets put down by Halfwind. "She always does this," says Sandpaw as she leans over to Smokepaw. "Always late for apprentice training, hehe." She giggles with delight.
Smokepaw smiled and laughed at the entertainment show put out for them. Halfwind was standing over the white she-cat, accusing her of not being able to take on an apprentice. "I am able to, but if you leave without me, I can't really be on time!" Snowstream stuck up for herself.
The deputy sighed long and hard. "Very well, Snowstream." She turned and flicked her tail. Sitting in front of Smokepaw, Halfwind started, "We are going to learn fighting skills today." She says, "I know you're very strong already, so I want you to keep your claws sheathed." explains Halfwind. Suddenly, the white patched cat leaps into the air, over Smokepaw and lands on a rock. She landed silently as she looks at her apprentice. Her tail flicks, making Smokepaw want to jump at her.
The apprentice glares, not moving at all. She knew she was going to have to fight Halfwind no matter what. This was just practice. Smokepaw starts running for the deputy. Claws unsheathed quietly, her head down to block the view. Then, she screeched to a halt as Halfwind leapt for safety. "You really thought I would ram into you?" Smokepaw shakes her head.
But Halfwind didn't give up. She landed on her paws and swiftly ran to face Smokepaw's tail. Halfwind charges silently and Smokepaw leapt up a tail length in the air. The apprentice landed on Halftail's back and raked her claws in half way, to give Halfwind a scar to remember.
The white patched she-cat growled harshly at the apprentice's disobedience. Her eyes shunk into slits and she raced towards Smokepaw, claws now unsheathed.
Smokepaw saw the flare of anger in her eyes. She smirked to herself and charged back at her. When they met, Smokepaw's ducked down, sliding underneath the great warrior.
Halfwind came to a stop. She turned to face her apprentice. "I'm surprised you're so good. Tell me, when did you begin apprenticing?" asked the patched she-cat. She ran and flipped Smokepaw over. The two both landed on their paws.
"About three sunrises ago." replies Smokepaw. She sheathed her claws when she saw her mentor wasn't angry. The grey apprentice shook her glossy fur. Sunlight beamed down on it silently and breathtakingly. The warmth soothed her. Smokepaw sat and looked at her mentor with her emerald eyes.
The patched cat stopped. "Really?" She spun around to face her apprentice. Her head turned to Snowstream and Sandpaw. Smokepaw copied her. The two pale cats tumbled over each other. Claws sheathed, but teeth bared. Sandpaw was almost the same size as Snowstream. Her bright fur reflected the sunlight and it shook as the her mentor scrambled to her feet. Snowstream rolled over, trying to get her apprentice off. But the pale tabby hung on tight. Growls and hisses came from the furry ball Smokepaw giggled at them. She shook her head with a smile. Memories of her and Willowpaw came back into her mind. Strength was the only word that is brought to her mind when she thought of her sister. But when she remembers when she couldn't protect her sister properly, doubt clouds her eyes and she groans out loud. The image of the slit in Willowpaw's throat echoed in her thoughts.
Suddenly, Halfwind wraps her tail around the grey apprentice. "What's the matter, Smokepaw?" her golden eyes filled with worry. When Smokepaw didn't reply, Halfwind licked her head comfortingly.
Wind gusted in the sunny air. Snowstream realized the two had been watching. Her focus turned to them and Sandpaw tackled her, pinning her mentor to the ground. "Play dead for me, Snowstream!" growled Sandpaw playfully.
Snowstream went limp. Her body completely rested against the hot rock floor. When Sandpaw adjusted her grip, her mentor pushed up and the pale tabby went flying.
Sandpaw flipped in the air. Her back twisted and she fell to the ground, surprisingly landing on her paws. She takes a deep breath in, letting out with a glare at her mentor. Sandpaw ran back at her and used Smokepaw's trick by sliding underneath Snowstream. Her claws pulled the sandy ground on the way under. Sandpaw's back pushed up quickly and she ran out from under where she wanted Snowstream to land. She galloped over to Smokepaw and high-pawed her.
Smokepaw watched Snowstream land on her stomach. She let out a small yowl as she hit the solid ground. Smokepaw noticed Sandpaw's whiskers twitch in amusement. She copied her with a purr of enjoyment.
Snowstream growled at the two. "You're pretty strong for a couple of new apprentices." She sneered.
"You might even get your names early if you keep up this work!" added Halfwind as she stomped her paws repeatedly in applause.
Sandpaw and Smokepaw both purred happily.

When they arrived through the entrance, brambles greeted Smokepaw by scratching her pelt roughly.
Onestar rushed over to them. "Smokepaw, warriors have been coming into our territory from CloudClan, looking for you and the black queen." She explained as Smokepaw galloped to her side. They turned to her den. "I'm sorry, but you must go back with them." She pointed her paw to two cats who stood by her den walls. They must have scented her, because their focus was now on the apprentice.
Lionstripe and Sunpool! Smokepaw let out a nervous growl when she noticed the two easily. Their scent covered the camp now. No cats dared to pass through them. Queens, kits, and elders hid in their dens, frightened of the powerful scent they had. Smokepaw padded angrily over to them.
She sat in front of Lionstripe and he hissed at her right away, "Where in StarClan have you been?!" He growled and got up.
But Onestar stepped in front of Smokepaw. Her front leg blocked him from shredding her to pieces. "Remember, this is not your territory. Do not cause any problems or blood will be shed." She threatened him with beaming eyes. Her long dark pelt hung by Smokepaw's face.
The apprentice pushed her leader off at once. "I'm not a kit, I can protect myself. I beat Tigerfrost," -a dark tabby gave her a dirty look but she ignored him.- "I'm sure Lionstripe will be no problem at all." hissed Smokepaw. She arched her back enough to tell him to back off.
But Lionstripe huffed back and sunk his teeth into her scruff in a second.
Smokepaw didn't take this as a friendly -nor helpful- move. She growled furiously and unsheathed her claws. As she gabbed them into his chest, her neck lifts and her razor sharp teeth sink into his throat.
The warrior choked and leg go, but Smokepaw didn't. When he's teeth set her scruff free, her body pulled down harder on his pale-furred neck. Smokepaw growls muffledly through clumps of fur and shakes hard. Lionstripe swings his head back and forth, but it was no use. Smokepaw didn't let go. Her teeth sunk deep into his neck and he dropped to the sandy floor. The warrior's sides gasped for air when the grey she-cat let go of her tight grip.
She breathed in and blew it out quickly. Her beating eyes glared angrily. "Do not cause problems or blood will be shed." Smokepaw repeats her leaders words exactly. Psychoses clouded her eyes and she felt rage against her old mentor and friend. "You're blood will be shed, Lionstripe." She scoffed, suddenly inhaling deep, heavy breaths of air.
Lionstripe coughed again. He gulped with mixed fear and anger.
To Smokepaw's surprise, Sunpool stepped in. Her glossy tortoiseshell fur glinted in the sunlight as she stomped her foot down between the two. "You," she glared at Smokepaw with beaming green eyes. "I will discuss this incident with Skystar. For now, you will be known as a MapleClan apprentice, since that is what you have proven to be."
Smokepaw noticed Onestar's frustration. Her claws were unnoticeably unsheathed and her golden eyes seemed angry too. Smokepaw guessed she was mad that the deputy, of another clan, was making the choices in her clan territory.
CloudClan's scent scattered the territory when a drop of Lionstripe's blood dripped onto the dust floor. He breathed deeply and heavily. The three cats turned their hard to glance at him. Sunpool's eyes were worried. Onestar's eyes showed satisfaction in the strong grip Smokepaw used to hold. Smokepaw's eyes were shining brightly at the sight of revenge.
The grey she-cat padded over to him. A smirk was well covered on her dark furred face. She bent down and pressed her nose against his ear. "Don't bite off more than you can chew, Lionstripe." whispered Smokepaw. "You got lucky. Next time, you'll be more than blood dripping." She turned and padded off, back to Onestar's side. Their pelts pressed together and Smokepaw purred in mocking amusement.
Sunpool growled. The apprentice glanced up at her. Would she hurt me? Smokepaw thought to herself. She tilted her head, confused for a moment.
"You're crowfood!" The CloudClan deputy yowled and ran around. Her powerful white paw stamped down on Smokepaw's tail.
Smokepaw squealed at the pain that shot up her spine. She instantly fell on her side and rolled around. As she kept her legs together, her two hind legs pushed upwards. Her hind claws tore at Sunpool's underbelly and as she let go, the deputy went flying across the clearing. Smokepaw leapt up, only to see Sunpool crash into the sand.
Meows and cheers came from cats that gathered around the sides of the clearing. Sandpaw purred along with them. She gazed at Smokepaw with a satisfied look.
The grey apprentice got up and lifted her tail high. She absolutely adored the exciting meows of the crowding cats. Smokepaw bowed proudly. Now this was definently a Clan who appreciated their cats, and it was so worth being praised by!