WARRIORS: THE HOPES

Chapters 15-17

Chapter 15

Spirepaw woke from her dream. It had been so strange. A starry cat, repeating the same words over and over again. Plunge into depths, or rise to greatness. It was nothing like she had seen before.
"Spirepaw! You're on the dawn patrol!" Woodclaw called to her from the camp entrance. Maybe Snakepaw is on the patrol. Her heart hummed. Honeysky, her mother, had said she couldn't have a mate until she was a warrior, but she had fallen for the black and white tom harder than she'd ever admit. Her mother would rip her ears and bite her tail if she ever found out.
"Spirepaw!" Whitefox screamed in her face. She hadn't even noticed the white she-cat approaching her.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry" she sighed as she got to her paws
"You're such a mindless kit! Always daydreaming!"
Spirepaw hissed quietly. How does Snakepaw ever put up with her? If she was my mentor, I'd become a rogue. Spirepaw walked out. The sun was rising, making the sky a beautiful blue-red color. The island was a silhouette against the sun. A warm breeze blew through her fur. Leaf-fall had started, the warmth would fade soon. She looked at the patrol, it was huge.
"Are all of us going?" Spirepaw questioned
Hailpaw spoke up, leaning on Snakepaw "Yeah this is totally weird! Are we attacking or something?"
Hailpaw's mentor, Sharpneedle, swatted his ears "Violence isn't the answer to our problems you mouse-brain." Hailpaw grunted.
"But what are our problems? You don't tell us apprentices anything!" Bluepaw spoke up. Back away from Snakepaw, he's mine! A hiss was stuck in her throat.
Whitefox gave Bluepaw a lick "I do suppose you're old enough to be involved in clan business, Woodclaw?"
Woodclaw's eyes Spirepaw angrily "Fine," he puffed his chest "Yellowstar died in his sleep last night and, well you know Stingtooth. She's inherited her late mother's anger and violence. I'm afraid she's become Stingstar."
Snakepaw looked at his sisters, Goldenpaw and Splashpaw. Fear made their paws tremble. Spirepaw tried to look as brave and fearless as possible in front of her mentor…and Snakepaw. Hailpaw was whispering something to Icepaw. There are too many apprentices in ShadowClan right now. Woodclaw should make me and Snakepaw warriors as soon as possible.
But she knew if anyone would be a warrior, it would be Hailpaw. His shining yellow eyes were sharper than any other apprentice and he would blend in with the snow during leaf-bare.
Splashpaw hissed "Well why are you taking all the apprentices on a patrol? You're not going to explain anything?"
The blue she-cat's mentor rested her tail on her shoulder "Alright, I'll ruin the surprise. You're all going to have your warrior assessment today!"
"All of us?" Hailpaw was staring at Spirepaw. Spirepaw felt offended. Sure, she was younger than Shellstar's kits, but she was just as courageous.
"To become a warrior, you don't need seasons of past, you just need experience. With that war with RiverClan? I think you have plenty." Sharpneedle meowed.
Goldenpaw sniffed "We're missing Lionpaw and Falconpaw" my brother is going to be a warrior. I'm going to be a warrior. I wish Daisypaw would come and watch.
Windwhisper was calling from the distance "I've got 'em, don't be fretting" the senior warrior moved slowly. He'd have to retire from his warrior duties soon. Brindleneck followed behind with Lionpaw. Brindleneck was a fat tom, like a ThunderClan cat. He was half clan, never really treated like anyone's kin. He too would retire soon.
"Alright, since there's so many of you, I want to take role" Woodclaw roared from the front. If anything happens to Ashtrail, Woodclaw would make a great deputy, even though he too is half clan.
"Moonpaw and Nightrise?"
"We're here"
"Snakepaw and Whitefox"
"Here"
"Hailpaw and Sharpneedle?"
"Ready"
"Goldenpaw and Silverglow?"
"We're all set"
"Lionpaw and Brindleneck?"
"We're all good"
"Falconpaw and Windwhisper"
"Here"
"Splashpaw and Thrushfeather?"
"We're good"
"Icepaw and Chillfeather?"
"We're both here"
"Pigeonpaw and Ashtrail?"
"Mhm, we're here Woodclaw"
Woodclaw looked down at Spirepaw. This was her time. She'd get her warrior name, rise up through the clan ranks and one day, maybe- no, definitely, she'd become the Great Spirestar.

Chapter 16

Rainscent hadn't seen ShadowClan before. It was less pungent as usual, and less dreary than Jaystar had described it to be. She stood at the border, staring at Coyotepelt and his bloody claws.
He fought a ThunderClan warrior, a descendant of Yellowstar, at the border. She was weary and weak and Coyotepelt took advantage. He drowned her in the river, sinking his claws into her fur as she struggled like a trout. Rainscent wanted her sight to leave her as she watched, but that was over.
Icefall and Snapfreeze were on the other side of the river
"Why did you do that, Coyotepelt?' Icefall was horrified.
Coyotepelt didn't speak, but pointed with a claw to a small cat's body.
"She killed Liamstar, and I can't find those kits anywhere."
"She killed the kits?"
"Probably"
No, Yellowweb was an honorable warrior, like Yellowstar, she wouldn't kill kits.
"Chili! Tostada! You can come out! It's RiverClan!" Rainscent called out, hoping the small kits would reveal themselves. Was Liamstar responsible for their deaths? He wasn't forcing them to fight, was he? Either way a warrior should never retaliate against a kit with unsheathed claws.
A familiar scent drifting on the wind passed Rainscent.
Frostflake?
She turned to hear the tom, hiding in the unruly grass that grew taller than a fox. She snuck away from the warriors.
"Frostflake?"
"Rah! Oh-Rainscent" He blinked "I thought it was Yellowweb"
"Coyotepelt killed her, we're looking for Chili and Tostada."
"The LiamClan kits?"
"Well, Liamstar is dead so I believe it'll disband-"
"Chili was named deputy, He'll become Chilist-"
"It's a fake clan, Frostflake! A kit can't be a leader!"
"Okay, okay, sorry" He sighed and broke eye contact. There was a pause before Rainscent spoke again "Shouldn't you be defending your clan?"
"I-I was going to ask RiverClan for help…Spirestar said something about Jaystar being an ally awhile ago. We couldn't take them on our own"
"Any dead?"
"I assume so"
"But none confirmed?"
"Maybe! I haven't been in camp!" He growled.
"What's going on, Rainscent?" Snapfreeze appeared behind her. Rainscent jumped, and looked back at her, trying to not look directly at her eyes to keep up her lie of being blind. "Oh-" she looked back at Frostflake, who was clearly visible to Snapfreeze.
"You're hanging out with your new best friend? Or even your mate?"
Rainscent's fur prickled with embarrassment and Frostflake jumped.
"No! He's come to ask for help! ShadowClan is losing"
Frostflake muttered something under his breath. Coyotepelt and Icefall appeared through the grass.
"They're distracted! Attack!" A tiny mew screeched with fur. A ginger shape raked thorn claws across Rainscent's back leg and a brown kit bit into her tail with needle teeth.
"Hey! Get off me!" She screeched, flinging the brown tom-kit off of her.
"Rainscent! It's Chili and Tostada! She didn't kill them!" Relief surged through her blue fur. Chili shook off his pelt "How do you know us!"
"It's RiverClan…and I brought you here" Coyotepelt hissed. He was obviously annoyed, but still pleased that the kits were okay.
"I'm so sorry, but Liamstar is dead. He uh…he walks with StarClan now." Snapfreeze tried to comfort with a lie. The kits were too young to understand death. Frostflake shuffled in the grass "I guess I could take them to their twolegs, but I'm not going alone"
Rainscent leaned on him by accident "You can't go near WindClan, they're getting invaded."
"ThunderClan's invading them too?" Frostflake was horrified. Rainscent had thought ShadowClan was aware of this double attack by now, but how would they know?