Post by reedfoot on Apr 13, 2006 9:26:59 GMT -5
Chapter One
Cherrypaw stalked through the underbrush of Thunderclan’s territory. She was looking for fresh-kill. Today, she and three other apprentices, Smokepaw, Gingerpaw, and Shellpaw, were taking their assessment. She wondered if her mentor, Brownheart, was watching her right then.
Cherrypaw was a dark ginger she-cat of about ten moons. Her eyes were the color of the leaves in Leafgreen. She could be a handful at times, but she was really sweet and fun to be around.
Cherrypaw stopped walking as she scented mouse. She dropped into a hunter’s crouch and tried to pinpoint the mouse. She crept forward, paw by paw, until she spotted the small, gray creature. She pounced and killed off the mouse. The ginger apprentice buried the kill and went off to find more prey.
Quite a while after sunhigh, all the apprentices met back at the Sand Hollow. Cherrypaw had caught three mice, a thrush, two squirrels and a rabbit. She looked over at Smokepaw and his little amount of prey. He looked discouraged.
“It’s alright, Smokepaw. It’s hard to find prey and run away from adders at the same time.” Gingerpaw said mockingly.
The smoky gray apprentices kneaded the ground uncomfortably. “I didn’t run…” he grumbled.
“Gingerpaw, leave him alone. How would you have liked to go to Snakerocks instead?” Cherrypaw piped up.
It wasn’t very easy to tell that the two ginger apprentices were sisters. For one thing, Gingerpaw’s pelt was very pale while Cherrypaw’s was much darker. Gingerpaw had the looks of a fox and the attitude of a badger. In contrast, Cherrypaw was as sweet as a mouse. The only things they had in common was kin and eye color.
“Yes, Gingerpaw. Would you like to go back to hunting, this time at Snakerocks?” asked a tabby tom named Whitestorm as he walked into view, followed by Brownheart.
Gingerpaw looked down at her paws, embarrassed. “Sorry, Whitestorm.” she mewed.
“It’s not me you should be apologizing to. It’s Smokepaw.”
“That little fleabag?!”
“Yes. And for that comment, you will be taking care of the elders until Leafstar thinks you’ve learned not to talk back to senior warriors!” Whitestorm spat. “Now pick up your fresh-kill and to go back to camp!”
Gingerpaw picked up her fresh-kill and stalked away. Whitestorm sighed. “What am I going to do with her?”
Brownheart licked him comfortingly. “She’ll learn eventually.”
Cherrypaw felt sorry for the tabby warrior. Whitestorm was not just a warrior. He was the deputy as well. ~It must be hard to be him…having all those duties along with having to be Gingerpaw’s mentor.~ she thought.
Whitestorm and Brownheart led the three remaining apprentices back to camp. The tabby deputy went to go report to Leafstar.
“Go put your fresh-kill in the pile.” Brownheart instructed, watching Whitestorm leave.
Shellpaw, Smokepaw, and Cherrypaw padded over to the fresh-kill pile and dropped off their catches. Cherrypaw looked over at the apprentice’s den and saw Gingerpaw sharing tongues with a black apprentice named Shadowpaw. She sighed irritably and took one step towards them, before Smokepaw stopped her.
“Don’t.” he said. “She won’t listen to you.”
Cherrypaw looked at him, then back at Gingerpaw. Her sister had obviously heard him, for she had a look of triumph on her face. Cherrypaw growled, seeing the look on her sister’s face. She charged past Smokepaw and tackled Gingerpaw.
Gingerpaw yowled in surprise. Her sister had her pinned to the ground. Cherrypaw growled, lowering her head to dig her fangs into her sister’s neck. Gingerpaw didn’t give up that easily.
The clearing was filled with the yowling and hissing of the two apprentices. Out of the corner of her eye, Cherrypaw saw Smokepaw run off to find Leafstar. ~Uh oh…~ she thought. Leafstar wasn’t going to take this well. Especially since they were kin.
Chapter Two
Two warriors pulled the apprentices apart. One was Whitestorm while the other was a ginger and white she-cat named Suntail. Suntail glared at the two apprentices. She was right to be mad. She was their mother.
“What is this about?” Leafstar growled.
Gingerpaw and Cherrypaw started explaining at the same time. Leafstar silence them with a yowl.
“Cherrypaw, start explaining.” she ordered. Cherrypaw started explaining. “She was being all cocky and she was taunting Smokepaw and –“
“What does Smokepaw have to do with this?”
“He didn’t catch as much prey as Gingerpaw, so she mocked him.”
“Why didn’t he do anything?”
“Well….”
“Did you have to attack your sister?”
“No….”
“Then why did you?” Without letting her answer, Leafstar turned to Gingerpaw. Cherrypaw stayed quiet as her sister started explaining.
Leafstar growled, shaking her head. “Gingerpaw, you will not be able to attend the next to Gatherings.”
“The next two?!”
“You were already going to miss this one. Cherrypaw, you will miss the next Gathering and help Gingerpaw take care of the elders. There will be no fighting. Understood?”
“Yes Leafstar.” they both mewed. Leafstar grunted and stalked back to her den. Suntail watched her sister leave.
Cherrypaw winced with guilt when she saw the glare Suntail gave her. She turned and slowly walked into the apprentices’ den. Smokepaw followed her.
Cherrypaw sighed and curled up in one of the nests. “I’ve really messed up this time.” she meowed with a sigh.
Smokepaw laid down next to her and gently licked her ear.
“So you’re going to miss a Gathering. Who cares? It won’t be as much fun without you, but there’ll be others.” Cherrypaw rubbed her muzzle against his neck.
“Thanks Smokepaw. You always know just what to say.”
***
The next night was the night of the Gathering. Cherrypaw sighed as she watched Shellpaw and Smokepaw follow their leader out of the camp. Smokepaw gave Cherrypaw a sympathetic glance before following Leafstar. Cherrypaw sighed and looked around. Suntail walked up to her daughter.
“You and your sister have to go care for the elders.” she meowed firmly.
“Yes, Suntail. I’ll get right to that.”
***
Gingerpaw, Shadowpaw and Cherrypaw were talking outside the apprentices’ den when Leafstar and the other cats emerged into the clearing. Smokepaw and Shellpaw dashed happily over to Cherrypaw. They exchanged words before Leafstar called everyone over to High Rock.
The three apprentices sat next to each other, looking up at Leafstar.
“Cats of Thunderclan, if you didn’t already know that Riverclan’s leader, Reedstar, died…you know now. His deputy, Graycloud, took the journey to Highstones. He is now Graystar and his deputy is Lionstep.”
Cherrypaw saw Suntail tense up at Lionstep’s name. She wondered why that name made her mother anxious. She turned her attention back to Leafstar.
“…Riverclan lost many kits during Leaf-bare.” she was saying. “Twolegs have been poisoning the river. Quickstar sees this as a time to conquer or to help. Unfortunately, he chose to try and conquer Riverclan.”
Angered murmurs went through the crowd of Thunderclan cats.
“Shadowclan can’t do that!!”
“What’re we to do?”
“We have to help Lio-..er…Riverclan!” Suntail yowled.
Cherrypaw was the only one who caught her mistake. Was she going to say “Lionstep”? If so, what was so important about him? It wasn’t like they were mates….right?
~Please give me some feedback! I'm not really sure how good it is. ~
Cherrypaw stalked through the underbrush of Thunderclan’s territory. She was looking for fresh-kill. Today, she and three other apprentices, Smokepaw, Gingerpaw, and Shellpaw, were taking their assessment. She wondered if her mentor, Brownheart, was watching her right then.
Cherrypaw was a dark ginger she-cat of about ten moons. Her eyes were the color of the leaves in Leafgreen. She could be a handful at times, but she was really sweet and fun to be around.
Cherrypaw stopped walking as she scented mouse. She dropped into a hunter’s crouch and tried to pinpoint the mouse. She crept forward, paw by paw, until she spotted the small, gray creature. She pounced and killed off the mouse. The ginger apprentice buried the kill and went off to find more prey.
Quite a while after sunhigh, all the apprentices met back at the Sand Hollow. Cherrypaw had caught three mice, a thrush, two squirrels and a rabbit. She looked over at Smokepaw and his little amount of prey. He looked discouraged.
“It’s alright, Smokepaw. It’s hard to find prey and run away from adders at the same time.” Gingerpaw said mockingly.
The smoky gray apprentices kneaded the ground uncomfortably. “I didn’t run…” he grumbled.
“Gingerpaw, leave him alone. How would you have liked to go to Snakerocks instead?” Cherrypaw piped up.
It wasn’t very easy to tell that the two ginger apprentices were sisters. For one thing, Gingerpaw’s pelt was very pale while Cherrypaw’s was much darker. Gingerpaw had the looks of a fox and the attitude of a badger. In contrast, Cherrypaw was as sweet as a mouse. The only things they had in common was kin and eye color.
“Yes, Gingerpaw. Would you like to go back to hunting, this time at Snakerocks?” asked a tabby tom named Whitestorm as he walked into view, followed by Brownheart.
Gingerpaw looked down at her paws, embarrassed. “Sorry, Whitestorm.” she mewed.
“It’s not me you should be apologizing to. It’s Smokepaw.”
“That little fleabag?!”
“Yes. And for that comment, you will be taking care of the elders until Leafstar thinks you’ve learned not to talk back to senior warriors!” Whitestorm spat. “Now pick up your fresh-kill and to go back to camp!”
Gingerpaw picked up her fresh-kill and stalked away. Whitestorm sighed. “What am I going to do with her?”
Brownheart licked him comfortingly. “She’ll learn eventually.”
Cherrypaw felt sorry for the tabby warrior. Whitestorm was not just a warrior. He was the deputy as well. ~It must be hard to be him…having all those duties along with having to be Gingerpaw’s mentor.~ she thought.
Whitestorm and Brownheart led the three remaining apprentices back to camp. The tabby deputy went to go report to Leafstar.
“Go put your fresh-kill in the pile.” Brownheart instructed, watching Whitestorm leave.
Shellpaw, Smokepaw, and Cherrypaw padded over to the fresh-kill pile and dropped off their catches. Cherrypaw looked over at the apprentice’s den and saw Gingerpaw sharing tongues with a black apprentice named Shadowpaw. She sighed irritably and took one step towards them, before Smokepaw stopped her.
“Don’t.” he said. “She won’t listen to you.”
Cherrypaw looked at him, then back at Gingerpaw. Her sister had obviously heard him, for she had a look of triumph on her face. Cherrypaw growled, seeing the look on her sister’s face. She charged past Smokepaw and tackled Gingerpaw.
Gingerpaw yowled in surprise. Her sister had her pinned to the ground. Cherrypaw growled, lowering her head to dig her fangs into her sister’s neck. Gingerpaw didn’t give up that easily.
The clearing was filled with the yowling and hissing of the two apprentices. Out of the corner of her eye, Cherrypaw saw Smokepaw run off to find Leafstar. ~Uh oh…~ she thought. Leafstar wasn’t going to take this well. Especially since they were kin.
Chapter Two
Two warriors pulled the apprentices apart. One was Whitestorm while the other was a ginger and white she-cat named Suntail. Suntail glared at the two apprentices. She was right to be mad. She was their mother.
“What is this about?” Leafstar growled.
Gingerpaw and Cherrypaw started explaining at the same time. Leafstar silence them with a yowl.
“Cherrypaw, start explaining.” she ordered. Cherrypaw started explaining. “She was being all cocky and she was taunting Smokepaw and –“
“What does Smokepaw have to do with this?”
“He didn’t catch as much prey as Gingerpaw, so she mocked him.”
“Why didn’t he do anything?”
“Well….”
“Did you have to attack your sister?”
“No….”
“Then why did you?” Without letting her answer, Leafstar turned to Gingerpaw. Cherrypaw stayed quiet as her sister started explaining.
Leafstar growled, shaking her head. “Gingerpaw, you will not be able to attend the next to Gatherings.”
“The next two?!”
“You were already going to miss this one. Cherrypaw, you will miss the next Gathering and help Gingerpaw take care of the elders. There will be no fighting. Understood?”
“Yes Leafstar.” they both mewed. Leafstar grunted and stalked back to her den. Suntail watched her sister leave.
Cherrypaw winced with guilt when she saw the glare Suntail gave her. She turned and slowly walked into the apprentices’ den. Smokepaw followed her.
Cherrypaw sighed and curled up in one of the nests. “I’ve really messed up this time.” she meowed with a sigh.
Smokepaw laid down next to her and gently licked her ear.
“So you’re going to miss a Gathering. Who cares? It won’t be as much fun without you, but there’ll be others.” Cherrypaw rubbed her muzzle against his neck.
“Thanks Smokepaw. You always know just what to say.”
***
The next night was the night of the Gathering. Cherrypaw sighed as she watched Shellpaw and Smokepaw follow their leader out of the camp. Smokepaw gave Cherrypaw a sympathetic glance before following Leafstar. Cherrypaw sighed and looked around. Suntail walked up to her daughter.
“You and your sister have to go care for the elders.” she meowed firmly.
“Yes, Suntail. I’ll get right to that.”
***
Gingerpaw, Shadowpaw and Cherrypaw were talking outside the apprentices’ den when Leafstar and the other cats emerged into the clearing. Smokepaw and Shellpaw dashed happily over to Cherrypaw. They exchanged words before Leafstar called everyone over to High Rock.
The three apprentices sat next to each other, looking up at Leafstar.
“Cats of Thunderclan, if you didn’t already know that Riverclan’s leader, Reedstar, died…you know now. His deputy, Graycloud, took the journey to Highstones. He is now Graystar and his deputy is Lionstep.”
Cherrypaw saw Suntail tense up at Lionstep’s name. She wondered why that name made her mother anxious. She turned her attention back to Leafstar.
“…Riverclan lost many kits during Leaf-bare.” she was saying. “Twolegs have been poisoning the river. Quickstar sees this as a time to conquer or to help. Unfortunately, he chose to try and conquer Riverclan.”
Angered murmurs went through the crowd of Thunderclan cats.
“Shadowclan can’t do that!!”
“What’re we to do?”
“We have to help Lio-..er…Riverclan!” Suntail yowled.
Cherrypaw was the only one who caught her mistake. Was she going to say “Lionstep”? If so, what was so important about him? It wasn’t like they were mates….right?
~Please give me some feedback! I'm not really sure how good it is. ~