Warriors: Path Of Storms Book One: Sunset

Chapter Four

Petalpaw padded up to Sagepelt.

         "My ceremony is going to be in a a moment." she reminded the old white she-cat. Sagepelt nodded.

        "I'll be there."

        "So will I." Shellwish dragged his one badly ingured hind leg and limped on the other. Petalpaw dipped her head to him. Leaping out of the den, she padded into the clearing. Frogstar was outside of his den, on High Rock.

        "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around High Rock for a clan meeting." Petalpaw saw Nettlepaw slip out of the apprenice den.

        "Good job." He purred. Shellwish dragged himself acrross the den, his hind leg useless behind him. Petalpaw winced. She wanted for him to be her mentor.

         "Nettlepaw, who's your mentor?" asked Petalpaw, embarrassed she had to ask.

         "Leapfur." Nettlepaw mewed. "She's okay, I guess." Petalpaw wondered who her mentor would be.

        "Petalpaw," Frogstar meowed, "It is not often I have to give a apprentice a new mentor, and we grieve for Shellwish's wounds."

        "Shellwish! Shellwish! Shellwish!" chanted the clan. Shellwish dipped his head.

        "Petalpaw," Frogstar annonced, "Your new mentor shall be Icemist. Icemist, share your lolalty and courage with this apprentice." Icemist nodded and pressed he nose to Petalpaw. Petalpaw felt joy rising in her chest like a bird.

         "I'll do my best." She whispered. Icemist licked her shoulder and the two cats padded to join their clanmates as their clanmates called her name. Nettlepaw bounded up to Petalpaw, his tail waving.

        "I'm going to battle train," He mewed. "Will you come?" Petalpaw shot a hopeful look at her mentor. Icemist thought for a moment.

        "Okay." the gray she-cat agreed.

        "Yes!" Petalpaw leapt into the air and came down quickly. She's going to think I'm behaving like a kit! Petalpaw thought, feeling heat rise under her fur. Icemist followed Nettlepaw Leapfur, who was by the camp wall.

        "You're coming!"

        "Yes." Icemist replied. Following the two she-cats out of camp, Petalpaw began to talk to Nettlepaw.

        "I bet you can't pin me down!"

        "Bet I can!"

        "Can't" 

        "Can!"

        "Can't!"

        "Can, I mean it!"

        "I mean it too, and you can't."

        "Stop being a mouse-brain."  Nettlepaw growled.

        "Mouse-brain yourself!"

        "If you two will stop bickering," Icemist said, "I think you'll notice that we are there."

        "Oops." Nettlepaw shot a guilty glance at Petalpaw.

         "Apprentices," called Leapfur, "This is the easiest battle move." Flicking her tail to Icemist, she crouched down, her eyes flickering back and forth. Suddenly she leaped forward, landing on Icemist. Icemist crouched as though defeated, but she reared up as if on a signal and Icemist threw her off. Leapfur landed on her side. Icemist rushed foward and pinned the tawny she-cat down.

        "Let me try!" Nettlepaw rushed to the edge of the clearing. Crouching, he narrowed his eyes. Then, tensing himself, he leaped. Petalpaw saw it coming and flipped over on her back, then put her claws in front of her belly. Nettlepaw's eyes widened in suprise as she grasped him in her paws and rolled him over on his back, pinning him. His eyes were furious. "That wasn't the battle move." he hissed, pushing her off.

        "That's a kit move!"

        "It works." Petalpaw mewed.

        "But-"

        "A warrior should be prepared for anything, Nettlepaw." Mewed Leapfur. Nettlepaw glowered at the two cats and finally hung his head.

        "I guess." he muttered. Icemist sniffed.

        "Now, try again." Petalpaw crouched, and this time she leaped. Aiming for his shoulders, she gripped them. Nettlepaw flung up, but Petalpaw didn't fly off. She had warning. Nettlepaw looked confused and stopped, and with a sigh, Petalpaw slid off him.

        "You needed to go limp, Nettlepaw. Petalpaw would have loosened her grip. Petalpaw, try it on me, and Nettlepaw, try it on Leapfur." instructed Petalpaw's mentor. Crouching down, Petalpaw focased on Icemist. Icemist watched her with narrowed eyes. Petalpaw made up her mind to go for the she-cat's tail base, so she wouldn't be thrown so easily. Lunging, Petalpaw was suprised as her mentor reared up and batted her away. Petalpaw landed on her side, the breath knocked out of her. Icemist rushed up to her to pin her, her blue eyes triumphant. Petalpaw growled. She wouldn't be beat this easily. Crouching, she scrambled quickly under the che-cat's legs and arched her back, standing. The unbalanced warrior staggered, and Petalpaw rushed out knocking her over. The gray she-cat stared up at her as Petalpaw pinned her down. Nettlepaw watched.

        "Wow." He gasped. Leapfur barreled into him, pinning him down.

        "A good warrior is never distracted." she hissed in his ear. Nettlepaw struggled, and Leapfur allowed him to his paws. Petalpaw realized she was holding the ice colored warrior down, and she quickly let go.

        "That was good, Petalpaw. Let me teach you another move, on of what to do when you get pinned down."

        "Okay." Petalpaw nodded, puffing up her ginger and white fur in pride. "Okay, so you start like this..."

Petalpaw felt relived when Leapfur annonced they were going back to camp. It was sunset, and every bone in her ached. Her wrenched paw was throbbing, but it had been worth it. Nettlepaw had tricked her with a hard move and managed to pin her, so he had some triumph. Icemist sighed as they reached camp.

        "Go on." she urged the other apprentices to go ahead. Petalpaw bounded into the clearing.

        "Hello." purred Shellwish.

        "Hi!" Petalpaw went to see him.

        "Lets go eat fresh kill." he mewed. Suddenly a thought struck Petalpaw. My dream said to beware of a gray cat! Icemist's gray! Great StarClan, is my mentor evil?