Gray Skies - Book One

Chapter Ten

Nightpaw sat beneath the Pinebranch, looking up at Spiderstar as he called Raccoonpaw and Nettlepaw forward. A quarter-moon had passed since Blackivy's death, and the night after that was the half-moon meeting for the medicine cats. Vineloop had spoken to Briarspots and Blackivy, but she said that they'd only repeated the prophecy to her. 

Willowear and Honeydrizzle were strong and recovering much more quickly than Briarspots and Blackivy had. Willowear currently sat outside of the medicine den, watching Spiderstar atop of the Pinebranch from where she sat.

Raccoonpaw and Nettlepaw had also taken their final assessments in that timeframe. The two littermates had both passed successfully and were now being made warriors. Nightpaw knew that two new warriors would make up for the two cats lost to ShadowClan.

Spiderstar leapt down from the Pinebranch to stand in front of Raccoonpaw and Nettlepaw. "I, Spiderstar, leader of ShadowClan, 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 turn. Raccoonpaw and Nettlepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Both apprentices meowed in unison.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names." Spiderstar looked at Raccoonpaw first. "Raccoonpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Raccoonclaw. StarClan honors your loyalty and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Spiderstar rested his muzzle on the golden-and-white warrior's head, and Raccoonclaw licked his shoulder in respect. He nodded to her before turning to Nettlepaw.

"Nettlepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Nettlesplash. StarClan honors your courage and skill in battle, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Spiderstar rested her muzzle on Nettlesplash's head who licked his leader's shoulder in return. Spiderstar stepped back and nodded to the two young warriors. ShadowClan chanted the new warrior's names in approval.

"Raccoonclaw! Nettlesplash! Raccoonclaw! Nettlesplash!" 

Nightpaw and Hazelpaw stood up when Raccoonclaw and Nettlesplash were surrounded by warriors congratulating them. The two sisters padded forward to go and congratulate their former denmates.

"Congratulations Raccoonclaw and Nettlesplash!" Hazelpaw purred once they got to the two cats. Nightpaw repeated what her sister said to them.

"Thanks!" Raccoonclaw purred in response. Honeydrizzle was fussing over a tuft of fur sticking up between Nettlesplash's tiny ears. 

"Stop it Honeydrizzle!" Nettlesplash squirmed away from his mother with a hiss and drew a paw over his head. "I'm not a kit anymore."

Honeydrizzle's blue eyes sparkled when she looked at Raccoonclaw. "My kits are all grown up!" She purred proudly. "If only your father were here to see you."

Nightpaw had heard of how Raccoonclaw and Nettlesplash's father, Cinderfrost, had died from greencough when the two warriors were just two moon old kits. Raccoonclaw nodded and pressed her nose to her mother's shoulder.

"He's watching us from above, don't worry," she reassured Honeydrizzle.

Honeydrizzle nodded in response, but almost jumped out of her fur when Eaglefeather yowled from where he stood underneath the Pinebranch.

"Time to organize patrols!" He called, gathering the warriors and other two apprentices. Nightpaw and Hazelpaw hurried to stand beside their mentors.

"Aren't you going to train me in hunting today?" Nightpaw whispered to Creekfeather.

"After a patrol," he mewed. Nightpaw's fur spiked up in excitement. She'd be going on her first patrol!

"Alright," Eaglefeather meowed loudly. "Maggotspring, Fadingfire, and Riverpaw will make up one hunting patrol, and Sparkclaw, Redbright, Talonswipe, and Muddyrun will make up a second hunting patrol. Minnowcall, Creekfeather, and Nightpaw will be the dawn patrol-"

"I thought the patrol leader chose the other members of the patrol?" Minnowcall called out from where she sat at the back of the cats crowded around the new deputy.

Eaglefeather hesitated before replying. "Not today. Shortleaf, Wolfpaw, Sharpbright, and Crowbark will make up the sunset patrol. We'll need another hunting patrol later, so that'll consist of Honeydrizzle, Nettlesplash, and me." He waved his tail in a signal saying for the cats to get in their patrols. 

Nightpaw followed Creekfeather over to Minnowcall. The pale golden-and-white she-cat was sitting by the thorn tunnel, waiting for her Clanmates to join her on patrol.

"Alright, let's go to ThunderClan first." She stood up and quickly walked out of camp with Creekfeather following and Nightpaw trotting to keep up. They steered towards the stream that marked the border with ThunderClan, crossing Twoleg paths to get to it. Nightpaw wasn't used to the weird dry and uncovered dirt that made up the Twoleg paths, so she tried getting across as quickly as she could.

"Nightpaw, follow me." Creekfeather veered off toward one part of the border when they approached it and rubbed his face on a pine tree. "To mark borders, we have to renew scent markers. See how I'm rubbing my cheek against the tree trunk? I'm leaving ShadowClan's marker there."

Nightpaw nodded and stepped forward to renew the scent marker on the tree when Creekfeather stopped her. 

"Try renewing this marker over here," meowed Creekfeather as he walked toward a stone and nudged Nightpaw toward it. Nightpaw pushed her face against the cold surface of the rock and rubbed her cheek along it for a moment before stepping back.

"Good!" Creekfeather purred.

Nightpaw raised her head in pride. She'd actually learnt something other than the hunter's crouch, even if it was only useful for one thing. Nightpaw looked over at Minnowcall who was wading a kit-length into the stream for a drink. 

"Minnowcall!" Creekfeather seemed to notice her as well and hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Taking a drink," she replied. 

"Don't go so far into the stream next time!" Creekfeather snapped.

"What's that about the stream?"

Nightpaw heard a hiss come from ThunderClan's territory and turned to see three cats running toward the border. One of the cats, a stocky, battle-scarred golden tom, was carrying a squirrel in his jaws that swung back and forth when he ran. Nightpaw figured it was a hunting patrol that was hunting near the border. 

"Where in StarClan did you come from?" Creekfeather turned to the ThunderClan patrol, his brown and white fur bristling as Minnowcall scrambled backward out of the stream.

"We were hunting, nosey kit." hissed a yellow-and-white she-cat with green eyes. "Why was she crossing the stream?" The ThunderClan warrior swung her muzzle toward Minnowcall.

"I was just getting a drink," Minnowcall growled. "Calm down, kittypets."

The golden tom dropped his prey and began walking past the she-cat only to be stopped. "We aren't looking for a fight, Wildfrost."

Wildfrost nodded and backed away. "Sorry," he muttered.

The she-cat rolled her eyes and hissed at Minnowcall. "I don't want to see her across the stream again."

"I wasn't even halfway across it!" Minnowcall rolled her eyes and spat at the she-cat.

"Shrewleap, always causing trouble like usual." Creekfeather bared his teeth and Nightpaw hissed at the ThunderClan patrol.

"That's a feisty little one you've got there, Creekfeather," Shrewleap purred, looking at Nightpaw. "She must be a lot to put up with."

"I'm a ShadowClan apprentice," Nightpaw growled. "I'm feisty because of that."

Wildfrost purred in amusement as Shrewleap rolled her eyes. She turned around to lead her patrol away but stopped to glare over her shoulder at the ShadowClan cats. Minnowcall mimicked her by making a disgusted face and scrunching up her muzzle. Shrewleap scoffed and hurried away.