Rogue (Warriors)

T W O

Coalkit groaned as he sat up. At some point in the night he had fallen into a dreamless sleep.

Suddenly his heart swelled. Today he was being made an apprentice!

Sure enough, as he was washing up, BoneClan was gathered into the clearing.

"BoneClan! Any cat old enough to kill their enemies gather beneath the Bonehill for a clan meeting!" Houndstar's voice echoed around the clearing.

Coalkit looked over to Shadowkit and Ironkit with joy. His littermates' eyes reflected his excitement.

Suddenly a shadow fell over the entrance, and all three kits looked up to see Clawfoot. Of course. The deputy was supposed to escort the new apprentices out to the ceremony.

"Well?" Growled the white tom. "Let's go."

Shadowkit, Coalkit, and Ironkit followed Clawfoot out into the clearing, where the clan was waiting. Coalkit shook anxiously.

"Cloudkit. Step forward," Houndstar meowed. Coalkit obeyed.

"Do you promise to uphold your responsibilities and listen to your mentor?"

This is it. "I do."

"Then by the powers of Squirrelstar, founder of BoneClan, I give you the name Coalpaw. Nightscar, you will be mentor to Coalpaw."

Coalpaw grinned as he turned to his new mentor, but it soon fell when he saw the look on her face.

The ceremony went on. Shadowpaw was given to Snakeheart, and Ironpaw is mentored by Newtleg, a tortoiseshell tom.

"Can we go see the territory?" Coalpaw asked Nightscar as the clan dispersed.

The black shecat sneered at him. "Fine," she growled. The pair left through the thorn tunnel.

"You already know the story of how BoneClan came to be," Nightscar meowed as they walked. "After Squirrelstar took over, we made camp in a place the clan cats called the Gathering Island. Houndstar's den is what was once called the Great Oak."

Coalpaw took all this in. They crossed the tree bridge and went left towards the moor.

"WindClan, one of the four clans, made it's home on the moor. They were small, fast, and cowardly. They hunted rabbits, which were plenty."

As if to prove her point, a large hare raced in front of the cats. Nightscar looked down at Coalpaw.

"What?" He asked. Nightscar growled. He soon understood and chased after the hare.

His mind was racing as fast as the prey. This was the fatted rabbit he's ever seen!

I'll being it home, Coaloaw thought joyfully. Nightscar would be proud of me! She-

The last thought was cut off as he tripped. Coalpaw yowled as he flew through the air. His cry of pain was muffled as he landed in a heather bush. The branches cut into his skin, ripping at his fur.

"Help me!" Coalpaw cried as he thrashed around, attempting to free himself.

He was suddenly yanked up by his scruff and thrown onto the grass.

"Worthless piece of fox dung!" Nightscar yowled. Coalpaw cried out as she dug her claws into his flank.

"I'm sorry!" He whimpered. She snorted.

" 'Sorry' doesn't catch any prey."

And with that, the shecat turned and angrily walked back the way they came.

"Wait! You can't leave me here!" Coalpaw yowled.

"Of course I can! You're worthless and have no use to the clan!"

He watched in stunned silence as she disappeared over the hill. He staggered up.

A trig snapped in the distance. Coalpaw froze.

Great. Now I'm going to die here all alone, he thought. Nobody will know if I'm dead or not. My body will be left for the crows and-

"What are you doing here?"

Coalpaw turned slowly. Behind him stood a large russet tom, fur torn and unkept. His amber eyes glowed with anger and a trace of fear.

"I'm sorry," Coalpaw meowed. "Is this your territory?"

The tom narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Why would it be mine? It's obviously yours."

Coalpaw didn't know what to say.

By now the russet tom's expression had changed to confusion. "You are a BoneClan cat, right?"

Coalpaw nodded. The tom took a small step back.

"I won't hurt you, I promise!" Coalpaw meowed. "What's your name? I'm Coalpaw!"

The tom hesitated for a moment, until he finally answered with a quiet "Alder. I used to be a ThunderClan cat, but decided to change my name to a rogue name. Attracts more attention from your kind."

Coalpaw felt hurt. His kind? What was that supposed to mean?

Alder must have noticed the look on Coalpaw's face. "I'm sorry. But BoneClan... They would either kill us on sight, or take us to your camp and make it some sort of sport." His eyes grew sad and he looked away. "I saw what they did to Breezepelt."

Coalpaw bit his tongue. He hated how unfair the fight between the two toms had been. "I'm sorry."

Alder shook out his pelt. "I guess it's okay. I mean, you looked like you didn't exactly enjoy the fight."

Coalpaw looked up. Finally someone who understood! "I didn't! It was so unfair! Snakeheart was a fully trained warrior and Breezepelt was just an elder!"

The smallest hint of amusement danced in Alder's eyes.

Suddenly, something clicked in Coalpaw's brain. "Alder... Alder! The alder tree!"

Alder looked confused. "What in StarClan's name are you talking about?"

That only accelerated the young apprentice's excitement. "StarClan! You know StarClan!" Coalpaw looked up at Alder. "Do you know Sparkpelt? And Bramblestar?"

Alder's eyes grew sad. "Sparkpelt was my sister. Bramblestar was our father."

Coalpaw suddenly regretted asking. There was so nuch hurt and pain in Alder's eyes.

"I... I'm sorry. Was Squirrelstar your mother?"

"If you mean Squirrelflight, then yes. She killed Sparkpelt and attempted to kill me, but I got away. I vowed, along with the others, to one day get vengeance."

Coalpaw was confused. "Others?"

"Alder!"

He jumped at the yowl. Alder sighed and turned. "Coming!" He turned back to Coalpaw. "Listen. Tonight, at moonhigh, meet me at the river that borders the moor and the forest. Got that? I'll explain everything."

Coalpaw nodded and watched as Alder bounded off. In the distance, he saw two cats: a black tom and a smaller black and white shecat.

Alder met the two cats and together they disappeared in the trees.

Coalpaw turned and ran back to the island. Should he tell Shadowpaw? Probably not. She would want to attack imidiatly.

He sighed. Tonight would be a long night.