Warriors; Shadows of the Forest

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"I look fine, Mintfoot!" Emberkit struggled away from the she-cat. "You don't have to groom me."

Mintfoot sighed, straightening up. "Fine with me." She meowed. Emberkit followed her brothers into the clearing, where an apprentice, Palepaw, was receiving her warrior name.

"Palepaw, you will now be known as Paleleaf. May StarClan guide you throughout the life of a warrior."

The small pale gray she-cat's eyes gleamed as a few cats cheered her new name. She padded over to Maplefur and Cherryheart, her old denmates, and they congratulated her happily.

"Now I will give the kits in the nursery their apprentice names and mentors." Darkstar mewed.

Emberkit watched as Shadekit recieved his name and mentor, a warrior named Longclaw. Blackkit went next, getting Maplefur as his mentor.

Now Emberkit stood up and padded over to Darkstar.

"Emberkit, you will now be known as Emberpaw. Your mentor will be Cherryheart."

Emberpaw dipped her head to her leader and looked up at her new mentor. The she-cat was laughing and chattering like a blackbird with Maplefur, and barely even looked at Emberpaw when they touched noses.

Emberpaw felt excitement rush through her when her clanmates cheered her new name, along with Shadepaw and Blackpaw. The sun was still high in the sky; plenty of time to explore the territory.

The cats parted and went into dens, or other places in the clearing. A patrol left the camp, and the other kits ran from the nursery excitedly, racing around the clearing. The elders reassembled themselves at the foot of their den, with Molefoot crouched inside against a blast of icy air.

Cherryheart allowed Emberpaw to eat before touring the territory. Emberpaw picked a plump mouse and scarfed it down fast, impatiently waiting to leave the camp without having to sneak out for the first time.

Cherryheart led the way from the clearing and out into the forest. She sat down under a pine tree in the shadow and began to groom herself.

"Aren't you going to give me a tour?" Emberpaw meowed.

Cherryheart flexed her claws. "You're perfectly capable of touring yourself."

Emberpaw laid her ears back. "Right. Remind me to tell Darkstar about this later."

Cherryheart looked up from the fur she was grooming. "You play a dangerous game, but you are no more than a kit, and I'm not scared of you."

Emberpaw sighed loudly and spun around. "Okay." She meowed. She moved away, through the pine trees. There was nothing great about the forest. It was cold, and the sun was going to set in the sky soon. Emberpaw made her way through the trees, tasting the air.

After a long walk, she came across a strong, weird scent. She kept walking, cautiously. She glanced around every few seconds, her steps a bit confident but her legs trembling.

A bush rustled. She turned, her ears perked. The rush of a nearby river drowned out the noise of more leaves rustling closer to the river, but she could see the fern moving.

Too late, she realized that she'd left the pine forest behind. So this must be RiverClan...

She started padding closer to the river, claws unsheathed. The fern was swaying in the wind, she noticed. That was it.

She sighed in relief and started toward the border.

She got a tail-length before something crashed into her side. There was an icy shock as she landed in the river. Her bones felt frozen, and her heart pounded.

Have to find the surface...

Emberpaw paddled up toward the light of the sun. Already sinking. It stained the surface of the water red like blood.

Emberpaw's head broke the surface. For some reason, swimming felt natural.

Clutching a wet stone, a young tom with amber eyes and silver fur stared at her. "You can swim?" He hissed over the roar of the river.

Emberpaw lunged for the surface, her body shaking with cold. She bounded along the pebbly shore, toward ShadowClan territory. But the cat stopped her, leaping at her and taking her down onto the stones.

"What are you doing on my territory?" He hissed.

"I didn't realize I crossed the border." She responded, panting.

He stared at her before backing away. "Okay. Well, get out of here."

Emberpaw dipped her head. She spun and crashed over the ground, back to the forest.

Once in the shadows of the trees, she sat and calmed down.

"Worst tour ever." She muttered, shaking water droplets from her fur and grooming herself before returning to where Cherryheart had been sitting.

The she-cat was snoozing there, her head on her paws. Emberpaw rolled her eyes and left her there, making her way down into camp.

When she got there, Mintfoot was sitting in the clearing with Shadepaw and Blackpaw. She padded over, and Mintfoot glanced up. "How was it?"

Emberpaw shrugged. "It was okay, thanks." She mewed, padding to the apprentices' den.

Sparrowpaw met her at the entrance. "Ravenpaw and I made your nest!" He meowed excitedly.

"Thank you." Emberpaw purred. She glanced up at him. Sparrowpaw had grown taller and larger, almost completed his apprentice training. It disappointed her, to think that they'd only be denmates for a short time.

Ravenpaw curled up in one of the nests. "We also did Shadepaw's nest, and Blackpaw's." She mewed. "Sparrowpaw's on your left, and Blackpaw on your right. It's a bit crowded now, so..."

"That's okay." Emberpaw mewed, lying down in her nest. Feathers protruded from layers of moss. She lied her head down on it, and felt as though she immediately fell asleep.

When she awoke, she was lying by a river. A cold spray hit her fur, startling her. She stood up and stood back from the river.

Across it, stood a tall russet-furred she-cat, with light blue eyes.

"Greetings, Emberpaw." She meowed.

"Where am I? Who are you?" Emberpaw glanced at the she-cat, stars twined in her fur, eyes bright.

"My name is Dawnshadow. And, you know where you are. RiverClan. You must be wondering why you can swim so well." She mewed, sounding almost hasty.

"Yeah. I have blood from all of the clans. I know." She snorted.

"Yes. But do you know what that means?"

"Well, I don't know, maybe," She started.

"It means that you can do things that your clanmates can't, and beyond. You possess power that-"

"Dawnshadow."

An older tom, white with black feet, appeared from a thick mist that Emberpaw hadn't noticed was wreathing around them.

Dawnshadow's eyes blazed as the tom led her away.

"Wait, what? Come back here! I don't understand!" She called, but the area around her was fading, and the two cats were gone.