➸ coldclan: a warrior's tale

[Karma.]

Rolling onto her back as the morning light dawned into the apprentice den, Sunpaw found herself squashed in the center of Spiderpaw and Skypaw. The previous night she had slept in the apprentice den instead of the medicine cat den to keep her sister company. After yesterday's events of almost losing her, Sunpaw wanted to be as close as possible to her sister. Turning once more, she pushed herself into Skypaw's silky fur and started to drift back into a sleepy state.

Suddenly, there was a voice from the den entrance. "Rise and shine, sleepyheads!"

Although the call wasn't meant for her, the warm bodies around her were stirring and she had lost the comfortable sleep she'd been in. With a sigh, she got up and stretched her elegant body out. It had been the furry ginger cat Redflight, who was also Skypaw's mentor, who had woken them.

The tom saw that the cats were hesitant to completely raise from their death like sleep, so he rolled his eyes and added, "Mudstar announces who is going to the gathering today!" Instantly, there was a rush for the den entrance. Sunpaw was knocked to one side with a yelp. Crazy mousebrained fools!

The day was sharp and chillier than the previous ones, yet nonetheless bright as the sun was high in the sky. The crispness woke Sunpaw up fully, and she shivered slightly, before heading to where her mentor stood selecting some fresh-kill.

"Care to share?" Larkwing asked as she picked out a plump rabbit. Nodding, Sunpaw laid in front of her mentor and began to eat. The flesh filled and pleasured her mouth, as she hadn't eaten since the previous morning due to worrying for her sister.

As the clan filled with cats, Mudstar jumped onto the highrock and called a clan meeting. Sunpaw only moved a couple of fox-lengths so she could see the leader, and Spiderpaw appeared by her side. "Cats of ColdClan, I have gathered you beneath the highrock to tell you who will be going to the gathering."

Mumbles from the crowd filled the air, and Cloudmask shushed them from his place at the base of the rock. "I have chosen Riverdew, Owlfoot, Webfall, Silvernose, Mistheart, Magpiefur, Berrystep, Redflight, Larkwing, Skypaw, Sunpaw and Spiderpaw. Cloudmask wishes to remain here as he had bellyache earlier and doesn't want to give it to any other cat."

How coincidental is that? Thought Sunpaw, and when she glanced over to Skypaw, she saw that the she-cat was also frowning. It was good Skypaw was going to the gathering, as from what Sunpaw had heard, her sister had an inside source of information in HeatClan.

For the rest of the day, Sunpaw decided to go practice her defensive moves once more, in case the mountain lions attacked her. She had chosen the medicine cat life because she was pretty rubbish at the usual warrior stuff, but if she couldn't defend herself, any life would be ending pretty quickly. Following Skypaw and Redflight to the training hollow, Sunpaw felt anixety bubble up inside of her.

"Alright, you two. Defensive moves today." Redflight began. "Skypaw, care to show Sunpaw what we learnt in our previous lesson? Sunpaw, this is called the belly-rake."

Skypaw was always up for this kind of thing. She loved learning to fight and hunt, for she was active and couldn't sit still for more than a heartbeat! Redflight nodded to the she-cat, asking if she was ready. Skypaw flicked her tail in response, and instantly Redflight bowled her sister over, sending her flying. The tom then proceeded to stand over the top of her, and pretended to batter her belly. Using her back and hind legs, Skypaw shuffled downwards, raking Redflight's belly as she went. Rolling out from beneath him, the she-cat stood and smirked, happy to have done the move so well. "Good job." Redflight praised. "It was almost flawless. Sunpaw, it's all in the wriggle. Use your tail as you work your way down."

"Almost!?" Skypaw squeaked in annoyance.

Laughing, Sunpaw realised it was her turn. Preparing herself to be knocked over, she partly closed her eyes, and heard Skypaw snigger. Determined now to prove to her sister that she could do it, she mentally pictured what Skypaw had done when she had shown her the move. Wriggle and slide, she thought to herself. All about the wriggle.

Flying onto her side as Redflight knocked her over, Sunpaw opened her eyes wide and instinct took over. Wriggling with all of her might, she moved swiftly down Redflight's back. When she reached the end, she nipped at his tail, just for good measure. She huffed and puffed a little as she got up, for she wasn't used to so much exercise!

Redflight smiled proudly. "That was flawless, Sunpaw. I loved the tail nip at the end! Great job, both of you. You sisters would be unstoppable out there on the battle field." The three cats chuckled to each other. "We'll go back to camp now, but Sunpaw, if you ever want to join us again, we'd love to have you, wouldn't we Skypaw?"

Skypaw rolled her eyes but nodded anyway. Someone was better at her doing the belly-rake? She'd have to work harder on it!

[Karma.]

A deep navy blanket had covered the blue skies, as night had finally fallen. White dots scattered the dark blue, their lights shining brightly into the night. There was a gentle breeze which made the trees sway. The shadows danced around the camp as the few clouds moved over the full moon, which sat high and expectant for the cats of the gathering.

Skypaw had been preparing for a while. She'd been to a gathering once before, and it'd been exhilarating; so many different coloured pelts, so many different personalities... Truly, she thought that the gathering was the best thing a clan cat could visit. Sitting up as Mudstar appeared from his den, she waited patiently as he spoke to Larkwing, though her soul was bursting to go. Sunpaw appeared by her side, her eyes alight like the stars, for she was excited too.

"It's time to go." Mudstar stated.

Skypaw and Sunpaw glanced at each other, before bouncing over to Mudstar. As they left the clearing, Skypaw looked back to see if her father was there. He was, and he was watching them leave from the entrance of the warrior den. Although calm, his eyes looked partly lost and partly guilty. Shaking it off, Skypaw fell into line behind her sister.

The group of cats moved quickly, quietly and efficiently. If you couldn't keep up, you were left behind; it was simple. Skypaw attempted to speak to Sunpaw, but she obviously couldn't multitask very well and kept tripping over branches, so she gave up. Their path was lit by StarClan's moon. They were almost at the StarCave.

The StarCave was a massive gap in the rocks at the base of the mountain. The moon shone directly down on them through a sort of tunnel up the middle of the cave roof. In the centre there were two large stalagmites, flattened at the top. Perfect for the leaders to sit on. Cold and damp, the cave would not usually be inviting to any cat. Water trickled from the roof, and the floor was covered in puddles.

Approaching warily, Skypaw knew there was other cats inside instantly. Not only did her nose tell her so, but she could hear them. The HeatClan cats were loud, and it sounded like there were plenty of them.

Mudstar led the way in. The weird fluttery feeling she had when she was nervous had returned, and she was glad she was near the back of the group and didn't have to go in first.

Bright and beautiful, the moon was in the perfect position to start the gathering. "You're late, ColdClan. StarClan is waiting!" The cat who had spoken was Foxstar, who was impatiently pacing up and down at the bottom of his stalagmite.

"Foxstar, my old friend," Mudstar replied calmly. "We are not late, you're just incredibly early, as always. But enough with that. StarClan shines upon us now, and we should start the gathering, as we're all here." He leapt up onto the stalagmite and curled his tail around his body. Foxstar shrugged and did the same - the only difference being that he had his deputy, the beautiful Dovefeather, sat at the base.

Whilst the leaders sorted themselves out and talked to each other for a moment, Skypaw took the opportunity to find Marshfoot. She beckoned to Sunpaw to follow, and the ginger she-cat did so happily. Looking left then right, there was no sign of the medicine cat. A HeatClan warrior appeared in front of them, making Skypaw jump a little. The tom had black fur with white splashes, and was absolutely huge.

"Are you Skypaw?" He asked calmly, his gold eyes bore into her own.

"I am. Who wants to know?" She replied, also trying to keep her cool.

"My name is Sootsplash. I am Marshfoot's brother. He asked me to give you a message, as he has to stay at out camp and look after one of our sick elders, Twigjaw."

Yes, Skypaw could see the resemblance now. The brothers shared the same coloured and shaped eyes, and they both had that stare that enticed you. Apart from that, you wouldn't have said they were brothers just looking at them.

"Marshfoot says to meet him on the border a moon from now. Don't worry, I won't tell anybody. I'm more loyal to my brother than anything else." He bent his head in respect and then disappeared among the crowd.

Skypaw frowned momentarily, but she knew that if Marshfoot trusted his brother, she could too.

"We'd better go sit with our clan." Sunpaw muttered. The two she-cat moved through the shadows of the back of the cave, until they sat with their own clan. Perfectly on time, Mudstar and Foxstar decided to start.

"I shall speak first." Foxstar's bossy side shone through. The large ginger tom looked weak compared to Mudstar, as if he had been suffering "My clan are thriving. We have healthy kits and new apprentices. Unfortunately, our medicine cat Stonepool died from greencough. May StarClan accept him for the cat we all knew he was. Marshfoot is our new medicine cat, and his apprentice is Ivypaw."

There were murmurs of appreciation for the old medicine cat. You're not doing as well as you make out.. Skypaw thought. If a cat died from greencough, surely HeatClan was suffering?

Nearby, a HeatClan she-cat gossiped to another member of her clan. "I heard Foxstar lost a life due to that same greenhouse Stonepool died from." She whispered. "He isn't going to tell those ColdClan cats though, he's not a fool." Skypaw perked her ears. So Foxstar had lost a life? Why, she would tell Mudstar when they were home.

"We have three new apprentices. Applepaw, Cherrypaw and Reedpaw have all reached six moons. Their mentors are Coldfrost, Dustfire and Vinepuddle."
HeatClan cats called the apprentices' names. Some ColdClan cats joined in, but most just waited for Foxstar to finish so their own leader could speak.

"Finally, we have a new warrior. Sootsplash was a brilliant apprentice, and we know he will serve his clan as an amazing warrior now... There is one more thing I need to mention; my clan have been threatened for the past moon by dogs from the two-legs' camp. However, recently Marshfoot has been sent dreams from StarClan. In the dream, a sage bush was blowing in the breeze. He believes that our two kits, Sagekit and Breezekit are part of a prophecy and will save us from the dogs."

What!? Skypaw frowned. They'd had a prophecy too?

Surprised, Mudstar began to speak. "That is strange, Foxstar, for we have also been threatened by mountain lions and StarClan has sent us two prophecy cats as well - Stonekit and Fishkit."

Cats began to shout in agitation. Why was this happening to both the clans? Suddenly, Larkwing spoke above the noise. Both Mudstar and Foxstar hushed their clans to hear what she had to say.

"Clan leaders, if I may. I believe there is a reason for us both to have threats like these, and for us both to have prophecy kits. I think that StarClan may be preparing us for something bigger - something the clans may have to work together on."

Dipping her head, she moved back among the shadows once more.

"Perhaps Larkwing is right, but for now, my clan are my priority. I hope you solve your mountain lion problem." The tom let on no signs of actually caring about the ColdClan cats. Heartless fool, Skypaw thought.

"I shall continue." Mudstar said. "In my clan, we have a new elder. Gorseface was attacked by mountain lions and has lost all feeling in his back legs. He strongly opposed to being moved to the elders den, but there is no way he could hunt or fight in the condition he is in. He served us well as a warrior, and he shall rest till the end of his life."

Some cats of HeatClan looked upset, as Gorseface had been popular at gatherings for his jokes and his wit.

"We also have new warriors and apprentices. Mistheart and Magpiefur passed their tests with flying colours, and are now warriors. Echopaw, Lilypaw and Rosepaw are all now apprentices, mentored by Cloudmask, Clearwhisker and Berrystep. Plus, we have two new healthy kits, Robinkit and Heronkit. Their parents, Mousecloud and Webfall, are very happy. That is all."

The same she-cat who had been talking to her friend earlier spike again. "Nothing about them kicking out that poor Cloudmask. I bet they're feeling too guilty to even mention his name!"

So Marshfoot had been right. The clan cats believe that Cloudmask was exiled from ColdClan.

Skypaw had a lot to talk to Marshfoot about, and she wasn't sure if she could wait half a moon to do so. As the gathering dispersed into the night, Skypaw looked back into the StarCave. Her eyes fell upon Sootsplash, the huge warrior sat alone in the darkness. What was the tom doing? His clan mates had mostly gone...

Suddenly, a brown she-cat appeared by his side. Her mother! As she was pushed and shoved as the cats got ready to leave, the last thing she saw was her mother speaking with Sootsplash.

Skypaw's heart missed a beat. How many secrets could Berrystep and Cloudmask keep? What was their obsession with HeatClan? One thing was certain. Skypaw couldn't trust anyone except her sister.

[Karma.]

Sunpaw was vaguely aware of something sharp prodding her in the back. It did it once, then twice, then three times, each one more forcefully than the last. The gathering had made her so tired she had basically collapsed in the medicine cat den. Now, something was disturbing her slumber.

Eyes fluttering, she slowly awoke. The prodding stopped as she moved. Sunpaw opened her eyes and came face to face with her mentor, Larkwing. Grinning, the she-cat prodded her again.

"I'm awake, I'm awake, I yield!" Sunpaw joked, attempting to get up but falling over groggily.

"Oh, yes. Totally awake." The fluffy she-cat rolled her eyes and turned to pick up something. "I brought you some fresh-kill. I thought it may tempt you to wake up."

Mmh, Sunpaw sniffed the air. She's brought me rabbit. My favourite! Taking a bite out of the plump bunny, Sunpaw gulped the food down. It warmed her belly and woke her up enough so that she could stand up. "I'll finish this outside, Larkwing. Thank you for bringing me it."

"My pleasure," Larkwing began. "I need you to fetch me some herbs later. When you're ready, come back to me and I'll tell you what I need."

Sunpaw nodded in reply and picked up the rabbit. It was a dull day; the sun was covered by grey clouds. When it did get a chance to shine through, it only lasted for a few moments and it wasn't very warm due to the breeze. Spiderpaw appeared by her side, his long legs making him slightly taller than Sunpaw.

"Morning, Sunpaw." He said as he looked through the fresh-kill.

"Hey, Spiderpaw... Care to share this rabbit with me?" She pushed it towards him with her paws.

Nodding, the tom crouched next to her and they ate in silence. That wasn't a problem for Sunpaw. In fact, she enjoyed nothing more than sitting and just being together, unlike her fidgety sister.

"So did you and Skypaw find anything out at the gathering? Y'know... about Cloudmask?" He asked between bites.

Sunpaw checked her surroundings to make sure nobody was listening. The camp was quieter than usual, for the cats were either still asleep or hunting. "A cat named Sootsplash told us to meet his brother half a moon from now at the border, near the two-leg place I believe. We'll get answers then."

Contemplating what Sunpaw had said, Spiderpaw took a moment before replying. "You two she-cats going to be okay on your own? I mean, I could come for extra numbers an protection. It'd be mousebrained to go near the two-leg place with just the two of you." He paused, looking up at Sunpaw. Oh, that look got her every time. "Plus, you can trust me. I swear by StarClan I won't let anything happen to you or your sister." Cocking his head to one side, he waited for her reply.

Taking a moment to wipe the rabbit blood from her snout, Sunpaw stood up and looked once more at Spiderpaw. "You're right, we shouldn't travel in twos. I'd happily have you along. You've proved loyal so far. If you'll excuse me now, I have medicine cat duties to attend to." That last sentence almost made her heart break. It reminded her of her place in the clan society: she was not allowed kits, she was not allowed a mate, and now she was falling for an apprentice? Tears welling in her eyes, she ran to the medicine cat den and buried her face in her moss bed.

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

"So, I need you to get juniper, burdock roots, dandelions and fennel." Larkwing said as she looked through her herb supply. "Foxdung, that wind keeps blowing the cobwebs away! I'll wrap them in some leaves, it should weigh them down."

Sunpaw stood by Mistheart and Magpiefur, trying to absorb what Larkwing was saying. She had been an apprentice with the two pretty she-cats, and they were good friends of hers. Both had expressed an interest in coming with her to find herbs and maybe even hunt at the same time.

"We've got it, Larkwing." Magpiefur's gorgeous black and white fur looked amazing against Sunpaw's boring ginger tabby pelt. "We should go now, as the sunhigh patrol has just returned."

"Good luck!" Larkwing smiled, watching the cats leave.

Sunpaw followed in the shadows of the two warriors, looking around for the herbs Larkwing had asked for. In the distance, she could hear a dog barking. Two-legs often walked them around the base of the mountain, and sometimes in ColdClan's forest. She shivered at the thought of those viscous brutes; if HeatClan were threatened by them, they had every chance of being so too. As they reached the border, Magpiefur came to a halt. The black and white she-cat prized her sense of hearing. It was almost as good as Skypaw's, who had always boasted about her own listening skills. Sunpaw flinched as Magpiefur began to speak.

"Did you hear that?" She asked, her tail wavering from one side to the other.

Mistheart tilted her head. "I didn't hear anything. What was it?"

Sunpaw hadn't heard anything either, but listened more intently. Magpiefur, who had been leading their little group, had come to a dead stop. "I heard a cat yowl, I'm sure I did!"

The other two she-cats glanced at each other in doubt. "Mountain lions?" Sunpaw questioned, searching for an answer of Magpiefur's face.

"No," Magpiefur paused. "It sounded like a clan cat; not from our clan, though."

Trekking quickly through the dense undergrowth towards where Magpiefur could hear the sound, Sunpaw and Mistheart finally heard the cat yowls. It sounded as though the cats were in battle, and Sunpaw felt afraid that thr mountain lions were taking more lives.
A shock fell upon their eyes as they reached the epicentre of the noise. Standing there looked scared but relieved was two mangy cats. Both had unhealthy, muddy pelts and battle scars. The big mottle brown tom had a large scar on his back leg, and the dusty coloured she-cat looked shocked out of her skin. As Sunpaw took in her surroundings, she saw a massive mountain lion laying dead on the floor. Both it's eyes were gauged out and fatal wounds covered his flank.

The tom began to hiss at the clan cats, and instantly, Magpiefur and Mistheart got into defensive positions. Their fur was raised and they advanced with their tails raised.

"Why are you on our territory?" Magpiefur hissed through gritted teeth.

Mistheart was shoulder to shoulder with Magpiefur. "This part of the forest belongs to ColdClan! What are a pair of rogues like you doing here, can't you smell our borders?" Sunpaw noticed that both the ColdClan warriors had their claws sheathed. She glanced at the rogues to see their reactions.

Defensively, the huge tom was standing in front of the smaller she-cat. Sunpaw eyed them up. Although unhealthy, the cats were big and strong. The she-cat's belly was round, and that was the moment Sunpaw realised the she-cat was pregnant.

Bounding forward, she leapt between the two pairs of cats. "Stop!" She cried out, sheathing her own claws. "Mistheart, Magpiefur, we ColdClan cats don't just attack for no reason. Give them a chance to explain; they killed that mountain lion, can't you see? Plus, the she-cat is expecting kits." She turned to the rogues, allowing them to speak.

Not coming out of his defensive position, the tom began to speak. "My name is Buzz and this is my mate Fawn. Yes, she's expecting kits. That's why we're crossing the mountain range. Fawn wanted to have her kits near two-legs." He laid his tail gently on his mate's back. The she-cat was scared, but looked at Buzz with loving eyes.

Fawn spoke quietly and nervously. "Please, clan cats. We did not realise that we were crossing into your territory. Buzz has no sense of smell." The tom cat shot her a glare.

"You managed to take a mountain lion down just with two cats!?" Mistheart asked, obviously shocked.

Buzz nodded slowly.

"As it is custom of our ancestors, we must take you before our leader." Sunpaw recited what she had learnt from Larkwing. "Do not fear, he is a kind and fair leader. If you would kindly follow us?"

Looking deep into each other's eyes, the rogues seemed to come to the conclusion that there wasn't anything else they could do, and obediently followed Magpiefur. Sunpaw walked beside Fawn. Although dirty, Sunpaw could see the she-cat's beauty and loyalty shining through. This was a she-cat that wouldn't easily leave her mate, and would fight even when her own safety was at risk. Sunpaw respected her for that.

[Karma.]

Rounding the corner of the camp entrance, Skypaw spotted Rowanpaw sat talking with his mentor, Creekwillow. Recently, Skypaw had been so caught up with all the business about her father that she felt she had neglected their friendship, so trotted over to speak with the brown tom.

"Hey, you two!" Skypaw grinned, touching noses with them both.

Rowanpaw looked genuinely pleased to see her. "Skypaw, we haven't spoken in ages! I've just been in the training hollow with Creekwillow."

The older female seemed happy. "Yes, we have. Rowanpaw's so amazing, I can't believe it. He can do battle moves most of the other apprentices can't do! I have the right mind to ask Mudstar to make him a warrior now!" Her fluffy tail twitched in the air, waving around in pride.

Anxious, Rowanpaw glanced to the floor. "I'm not that good." He muttered under his breath.

"Nonsense," Creekwillow spoke again. "Mudstar will hopefully test you tomorrow. Now, I must visit my brother Lakeheart, he asked if I wanted to hunt with him. See you later!" With that, she walked away.

Skypaw laid a reassuring tail on Rowanpaw's shoulder blades. Poor Rowanpaw looked like a nervous wreck. With her own eyes, Skypaw had seen how good Rowanpaw was. Although she was slightly older than him, she wouldn't be surprised if Mudstar granted Rowanpaw his warrior name. "Don't worry about it. Creekwillow wouldn't be asking for your test if she didn't think you were up to it. She's an experienced mentor, you have nothing to fear."

Sad eyes met Skypaw's own. The tom was nervously flitting his ears from side to side. "I have a lot to fear. For one, I'd be a warrior before my brothers. Would they ever forgive me?" He paused to look over where Tallpaw and Spiderpaw were sharing tongues. "I would have to move into the warriors den. Who'd look after me in there!? Skypaw, you protect me, you should be the one becoming a warrior."

Frowning, Skypaw licked her paw. "Redflight doesn't think I'm ready yet. He's my mentor, he knows best. Honestly, Rowanpaw, you need to stop doubting yourself!"

Just as Rowanpaw was about to retaliate, Skypaw saw her sister walk back into camp, accompanied by four other cats. The whiff of rogue hit her and her fur prickled. Echopaw ran to her side, also noticing the foreign cats. She glanced at him, worried.

Mudstar appeared in front of Sunpaw's group, anger in his eyes. "Sunpaw, what is the meaning of this!? Why have you brought rogues into our camp?" Mudstar's lithe body reminded Skypaw of HeatClan cats, however his courage and strength always reminded her why he was their leader.

"Mudstar, please, before you jump to any conclusions." Her sister looked nervous, but spoke with as much confidence as she could find. Exactly why she's going to be a medicine cat one day, Skypaw thought. "These two rogues want to get to the two-legs' dens so that Fawn can have her kits. On their way over the mountain, they were attacked by a mountain lion. They managed to kill it, Mudstar!" Sunpaw said lightly, urging the cats to see that the rogues were not going to hurt them.

Their leader looked doubtful. "That's very impressive, but how did you manage to do it?" He addressed the cats directly.

Sunpaw nodded her head at Buzz encouragingly. "Go on Buzz, tell him."

Buzz spoke loud and clear. "Cats of this clan, you are wise and strong. But when fighting the mountain lions, you do not expose their weaknesses, as me and Fawn do. You see, you fight them on the mountain - which the lion knows like the back of it's paw. I killed the mountain lion by drowning it, and giving it a killing blow on the back of the neck."

Murmurs around camp stirred the breeze. Cats talked excitedly. The fact that there was a cat capable of killing the things that had taken so many lives already was daunting.

"Buzz, Fawn, if you did in fact manage to kill a mountain lion, my clan is in your debt. Let us speak in private; there are a few matters of which I wish to discuss." Mudstar pointed to his den with his tail. "Cloudmask, Larkwing, will you join us?"

Skypaw and Sunpaw stood side by side, watching their father's body disappear into the den. "Do you think Mudstar will let them go easily?" Skypaw asked.

Shaking her head, Sunpaw brushed her pelt against her sisters affectionately. "You know Mudstar; he likes to gain something from every event."

Nodding in agreement, Skypaw sat on the floor and began sharing tongues with Sunpaw. The two cats laid together until the sun set; sisters with a bond so magical they were bound by not only blood but emotion.

[Karma.]

It seemed as though it'd been a whole moon that the ColdClan cats had been waiting for the leader, deputy, medicine cat and rogues to finish their conversation in Mudstar's den. Sunpaw had been happily watching the kits of ColdClan play with their parents. They were so young and innocent, and had their whole lives ahead of them to choose what they wanted to do. Sunpaw felt slightly burdened by her father's betrayal. Sometimes she wondered that if the clan knew, she'd be judged and also have whatever punishment her father would have to endure. Skypaw sat next to Sunpaw, however she was not watching the kits. Her eyes were fixated on Rowanpaw, who was battle training with Tallpaw. The two cats moved swiftly and with power, though it was obvious that Rowanpaw was the one controlling the fight. Being so young but powerful must be strange for him, Sunpaw thought. She had always wanted to be strong, but she lacked muscle and that was one of the reasons she was a medicine cat.

Fishkit wobbled over to her, the young kit still unsteady on her feet. She had dark blue eyes that reminded Sunpaw of the night, and a silvery grey tabby pelt that floated gently in the wind. Her brother laid in between Mosspelt's paws, tired from tackling his sister.

"Sunpaw?" The young she-cat mewed, tilting her head to one side. Sunpaw looked down at the cat with a smile.

"Greetings, Fishkit. That was some pretty impressive fighting back there, for someone so young!" Licking her head affectionately, Sunpaw felt her tongue rasp against the cat's fur.

Beaming with pride, the she-cat twirled around. "Thank you, Sunpaw! One day, I'm going to be the leader, just like my father." Her ambitious mind reminded Sunpaw of her sister.

"Your father is a great cat!" Sadly, Sunpaw was reminded of her own father. "If you could be as amazing as him, you'd make a leader everyone respects. But you need to get through an apprenticeship first."

Fishkit sighed. "I know, Sunpaw. I'll train hard and carry out all my duties to the best standard!" The kit puffed out her chest.

"You sound like you know exactly what you want to do." Pausing, she looked at the den. Still no sign of the cats. "But remember, keep your options open. You never know what could happen."

Simply nodding, Fishkit ran in the direction of her mother. Skypaw pushed her head into Sunpaw's neck. "You would have made a great mother, if you'd been a warrior."

Quietly turning away, Sunpaw rested her head in her paws. "No regrets, Skypaw. No regrets."

After several more minutes, Larkwing and Cloudmask left the den. Springing to her feet, Sunpaw ran over to her mentor, almost knocking her over. "So, what's going on? What's happening!? Larkwing, tell me!"

Chuckling slightly, Larkwing pushed Sunpaw gently out of her path. She sat in the clearing facing the leaders rock, Sunpaw following behind. "Patience, my dear Sunpaw. Your father will be out any moment now."

Just as she finished her sentence, a lithe dark brown cat left the den. Mudstar! Following in his shadow, Buzz and Fawn looked nervous yet somewhat relieved. Sunpaw guessed Mudstar had decided to show them some kind of mercy; well, that's what she hoped.

Leaping onto his highrock, Mudstar began to speak. "ColdClan cats. You all have seen these rogues in our camp, and you must be wondering why they are here. Well, Sunpaw, Mistheart and Magpiefur did the right thing of bringing them here as prisoners." Prisoners? Sunpaw didn't see them in that way. The rogues were merely paying for their crimes against ColdClan. "Now, these two cats are no longer prisoners. I have an expressed an interest in Buzz and Fawn joining ColdClan, and spreading their knowledge of killing mountain lions to us all; especially to our prophecy kits, Fishkit and Stonekit. If they are to forever rid of us these mountain lions, then they will need to be trained to know how."

Alarmed cries arose from the group of cats. Clearly not trusting the rogues, Riverdew's voice rose above the rest. "Who knows who these cats are? They could be HeatClan spies, for all we know! I say we chase them out!"

"Chasing them out means they could come back. I'd say kill them!" Honeystrike, the pregnant queen, spat on the ground. Before her mate's early retirement to the elder's den, Honeystrike had been a kind cat. Now she was bitter, even though Gorseface had accepted the fact that he was no longer a warrior.

"Silence, all of you! Mudstar is speaking - he is our leader, and if he wishes for these two rogues to stay, then so be it!" Cloudmask shouted, aiming his anger in Riverdew and Honeystrike's direction. Although her father was now a traitor in Skypaw's and Sunpaw's eyes, there was no denying the respect that shrouded him. Instantly, the clan cats quietened, and Mudstar glanced at Cloudmask in thanks. He's so oblivious to his own deputy betraying him... But then, why would Cloudmask have any need to betray us?

Mudstar continued to speak. "This is my will. If StarClan do not accept Buzz and Fawn, then perhaps I shall listen to your words. But for now, they are to be a loyal part of this clan. I, Mudstar, leader of ColdClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these rogues. They may not have trained or learnt your ways, but I feel they shall serve the clan faithfully in the future. I commend them to you as a warrior in their turns."

He turned to Buzz and Fawn. The two cats seemed ready, probably because Mudstar had already discussed it with them. "Buzz, Fawn, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"

Looking at each other and then back to the leader, they both nodded and said "I do."

Smiling, Mudstar continued. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Buzz, from this moment you will be known as Stagfoot. Fawn, from this moment you will be known as Fawngaze. Starclan honours your bravery and your knowledge, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ColdClan."

There were mixed emotions amidst the clan. Mistheart and Magpiefur, who had found the rogues, were cheering their names. Riverdew sulked in a corner, and Honeystrike couldn't look anyone in the eye. Unsure of what to do, the two new warriors stepped down and were greeted by their clanmates. Sunpaw was proud to see her mother, her sister and her sister's mentor appearing to have taken the new warriors under their wing.

"That is not all." Mudstar called out, breaking the voices. "Skypaw, Rowanpaw, would you please come up here." Sunpaw's eyes flitted to her sister. What was going on!?

"Skypaw, Rowanpaw, you have trained well under Redflight and Creekwillow. I have seen you both train recently, and there I, Mudstar, leader of ColdClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turns." He paused to let Skypaw and Rowanpaw, who were both quite shocked, regain their confidence. Sunpaw looked proudly up at her sister, though she was upset that she wasn't being given her full name. Although Rowanpaw was so young, Sunpaw new it was time he became a warrior. Apprenticeship wasn't doing him any good.

"Rowanpaw, Skypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

The two young cats nodded enthusiastically. "We do!" They squeaked.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Rowanpaw, from this moment you will be known as Rowanwhisker. Skypaw, from this moment you will be known as Skyleap. StarClan honours your will and your confidence, and we welcome you as full warriors of ColdClan."

This time, every clan cat cheered. Redflight looked proudly up at Skyleap, and Creekwillow did the same. Sunpaw called her sister's name above the others. No matter where her sister went or what she became, she'd always love her. Nothing could break the bonds of siblings.

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[casimir]

wow! this is very well done. I am enjoying your characters very much and goodness the description is just priceless.
please keep up the good work! I can't wait to read more c:
& it's awesome that you already have plans for a sequel.
way to stay on top of it, comrade.

[Karma.]

wow! this is very well done. I am enjoying your characters very much and goodness the description is just priceless.
please keep up the good work! I can't wait to read more c:
& it's awesome that you already have plans for a sequel.
way to stay on top of it, comrade.

-saultes-
thank you so much! c:
your comment is inspiring to me.

[Karma.]

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[Karma.]

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