Warrior Cats: The Winding Path (Book 1)

Chapter 17 (Sagepaw)

Sagepaw had fallen asleep in the sick cats den once Sweetscent and Timberpaw had finished applying herbs to his aching wounds. He opened his eyes to find himself in a shadowy forest covered by the starless night sky. Not even the moon sliced through the blackness that loomed above.

"Greetings, young one," a shaggy ginger tom with a white muzzle padded from the shadows.

"Where am I?" Sagepaw looked around, confused.

But the ginger tom ignored his question, "Would you like to become the strongest warrior in all the forest?"

"Yes!" Sagepaw's whiskers twitched.

"Then I shall train you in the ways of a true warrior! No one would be able to defeat you in battle once you learn all that I can teach you. Do you want this?" the ginger tom's green eyes gleamed in the darkness.

Sagepaw nodded and again answered, "Yes!"

"Good, good, you already show signs of great potential," the ginger tom's lips curled back mischievously but Sagepaw was too excited to pay any mind to it.

"So when do we start? And what's your name?" Sagepaw asked.

"You may call me Leafclaw and we may start whenever you wish," the tom meowed.

Suddenly, Sagepaw was struck by the ominousness of the situation. "Wait, why are you training me?" Sagepaw's amber eyes narrowed to thin slits.

"Because I want ThunderClan to have the strongest warriors! I, myself, was a ThunderClan warrior but my days were cut short from a traitor," Leafclaw's tongue rolled menacingly as he spat the word traitor. 

"Does that mean you are a StarClan warrior?" Sagepaw's mouth gaped in awe.

Leafclaw hesitated and changed the subject once again, "Shall we begin?"

"Of course!" Sagepaw nodded enthusiastically.

"Then follow me," Leafclaw meowed. The ginger warrior turned away and padded into the long shadows. Sagepaw followed, his pawsteps light with excitement. This cat was going to train him to be a real warrior in his dreams while he learned from Cinderdapple during the day!

The two cats padded into a clearing and Leafclaw turned to face him, "We shall fight with claws unsheathed to portray the feel of a real battle, understand?" Sagepaw hesitated before nodding. "Attack me," the warrior hissed and bared his teeth. Sagepaw unsheathed his claws and launched himself at the ginger tom.

The two cats tussled for a while and Sagepaw felt a seering pain as the bigger cat scratched him along his shoulder. He clenched his jaws tight and kept up with the warrior. After the fight was finished Leafclaw presented Sagepaw with some moves of his own. Sagepaw had never seen such moves! They were advanced, witty, and sneaky!

"Charge me," Leafclaw ordered. Sagepaw darted toward him swiftly. The ginger tom sidestepped but Sagepaw was ready. He lashed out a paw at the warrior's feet and tripped him. "Good, good, but you must be more fierce than that! Once I'm done you must pin me or deal the battle winning blow."

"Do you mean... a death blow?" Sagepaw gulped. Suddenly training like this seemed to nauseate him.

"If it ever has to come down to it, yes," Leafclaw nodded sternly. Suddenly, the ginger warrior's image began to fade, "You are waking up now, I shall see you for more training tonight."

Sagepaw blinked open his eyes to find himself laying sprawled out on the moss bedding of the sick cats den. Nightpaw loomed above him and she was prodding him gently with a black paw.

"Oh, you're awake," Nightpaw mewed.

"Yeah, what's up?" he tried to lift his head but his muscles ached from training in the mysterious forest.

"Spiderstar has called a Clan meeting again," her whiskers were twitching with excitement.

"What for?" Sagepaw murmured.

"He has decided who will join him on the main patrol to WindClan and who will be backup if Mudstar orders his warriors to attack," Nightpaw meowed. Sagepaw mustered enough energy to pull himself onto his paws. "Are you okay?" Nightpaw narrowed her eyes in concern as he staggered to left.

"I'm fine, just stiff from sleep, that's all," Sagepaw shook his head. Nightpaw nodded in understanding and led the way out of the den. She sat down below the Highledge where the rest of the Clan had began to gather.

Spiderstar was standing on top of the highest rock with his deputy, Blacknose, beside him. "I have decided who shall accompany me on the main patrol to WindClan. This patrol will consist of the cats who I though truly deserved to walk alongside me as I go to speak with Mudstar. Blacknose and Nightpaw will be my escorts."

"Only those two? Why not take some warriors with you?" Rattail spoke up.

"Do not worry," Spiderstar flicked his tail for silence, "as you know there will be backup in case there is to be battle. Those who shall wait along the moorlands for my signal will be as follows: Runningfoot, Adderpaw, Sagepaw, Leopardtail, Cinderdapple, Swallowfern, Blazetail, Rattail, and  Maplefrost."

"But that's only leaving one warrior!" Tanglebush objected. Sagepaw couldn't decide whether the ThunderClan warrior was worried about being the only warrior in camp by himself or because he was the only warrior being left behind.

"Do you request one of the warriors stay behind with you?" Spiderstar blinked.

"Er, uh, no..." Tanglebush dipped his head and sat back down in his spot.

"Then it is settled, these are the cats that will be backup and the cats that will be my escorts. Make sure you refresh yourselves on battle training and Sweetscent, Timberpaw," the ThunderClan leader turned to the two medicine cats, "make sure you have your herb storage stocked up in case there is battle."

Sweetscent nodded, "We shall restock during the next three days before you execute the plan."

"Good. Clan dismissed!" Spiderstar yowled and leapt down from the Highledge.

Sagepaw turned to his sister in utter disbelief and shock, "Congratulations!"

Nightpaw ducked her head, embarrassed as looks were shot her way by her Clanmates, "Thanks." Sagepaw had to admit he was jealous, it seemed like Nightpaw got to do all the cool things because of her ideas and that she was the deputy's apprentice!

"I'm going to go sleep," Sagepaw meowed as he saw dusk falling across the forest.

He was just about to head over the medicine cat den when Nightpaw stepped him, "Timberpaw said we could return to the apprentice den since our wounds weren't too bad." Sagepaw nodded and changed direction. He slipped through the apprentice den entrance and was greeted by a challenging glare from Goldenpaw.

"I don't see why I have to stay at camp!" Goldenpaw was hissing to Adderpaw angrily, "I have more experience than Sagepaw and Nightpaw combined!"

"Don't worry about it too much, protecting the camp means a lot to Spiderstar and he's trusting you with that job," Adderpaw's words soothed the golden she-cats anger.

Sagepaw ignored the two apprentices and curled up on his moss nest. He shut his eyes and hoped he would dream about the ginger warrior named Leafclaw once again.