Book Three, A Fallen Warrior

Chapter Eleven

Juniperbrush's POV.

"Frostedwing! Fallensky! Juniperbrush!" After a long and difficult assessment, Batstar finally made us warriors.

We stuck our heads up high as the Clan called our names. Batstar then shushed everyone with a big meow.

"I've got two more things to announce." Batstar meowed. "From now on I will be monitoring every warrior assessment. I find it easier."

The Clan stayed silent as Batstar went on. "Now, the cats going to the Gathering are:"

StormClan spoke in hushed murmurs as Batstar paused to think for a moment.

"Meadowheart, Streampaw, Brambleheart, Moonwish, Stonefall, Rosepaw and Ivypaw." Batstar finished.

"That is all. Meeting dismissed." Batstar jumped from the Greatledge and went to the fresh-kill pile.

Frostedwing sighed. "Not this time.." she turned to me. "I guess its because of the vigil."

I nodded. "At least we're warriors." I responded to her. It felt just like yesterday that I was in the nursery with my siblings with not a care in the world.

I sighed. I admitted to myself that I missed those days. Now that I was a warrior I knew I'd have a lot of duties to attend to, with patrols, the pressure of having a mate and kits to keep the Clan alive, a future apprentice..

I realized I spaced out and was staring at my paws. I looked up, Frostedwing and Fallensky were now by the fresh-kill pile with Batstar.

I noticed that the fresh-kill pile was low so I decided to go hunting. I was going to go ask Oakleaf if I could leave but I remembered that I was a warrior now.

I shook my head. It's going to take me some time to get used to the fact that I'm a warrior.

I padded to the camp entrance and left. The cold wind hit me the second I exited camp.

Leaf-bare was almost here and the sky looked as it would snow any day now.

Sighing, I took the path that led me to Big Rocks. I decided to walk to the ShadowClan border, that place always caught the most prey because ShadowClan's carrion place stunk and drove all the prey from their territory to ours, ShadowClan would never admit it though.

I spotted a rabbit running at full speed across the border and decided to chase it.

I ran straight after it, hard on its paws. It doubled back toward the ShadowClan border, then out of nowhere, Leapordfrost and Rosewing of ShadowClan appeared and pounced on the rabbit, killing it instantly.

I stood up, shocked. "Hey!" I ran over to the patrol. "That was my prey. Hand it over!"

Leapordfrost and Rosewing looked to eachother and snorted. "But I killed it, therefore it's mine." Rosewing said in a snooty voice.

I bared my teeth in a growl. "It was on StormClan territory! According to the warrior code, that prey was StormClan's!"

Leapordfrost rolled her eyes. "StormClan isn't even a real Clan!"

I wanted to leap at the idiotic she-cat and tear her fur out but I held back because I knew I was out numbered.

I forced my fur to lie flat. "We've been accepted by StarClan. Yes, we are!" I glared at the two she-cats.

Rosewing huffed, turned tail and walked back across the border again with the rabbit in her jaws.

Every one of my instincts told me to chase after her but I ignored the temptation and just padded away.

I decided to go back to camp and report it to Batstar. I ran as fast as I could and entered the camp again. "Batstar!" I called.

Most of the Clan was out attending to their duties, so it was pretty empty. I went to Batstar's den and poked my head inside.

"Batstar?"

No answer.

Odd. She must be out with Rosepaw then. I figured.

I walked to the nursery. "Sweetwish?" I poked my head inside to see the queen watching her kits wrestling in the den.

"Yes, Juniperbrush?" She looked up.

"I was out hunting and two ShadowClan cats, Rosewing and Leapordfrost, chased a rabbit onto our territory and killed it, then insulted StormClan when I tried to get it back." I told her.

I saw a flicker of anger in Sweetwish's eyes. "I see. Is Batstar here?" Sweetwish asked.

I shook my head. "I'm assuming she's out with Rosepaw."

Sweetwish nodded. "Can you let me know when she gets back? I'll tell her myself what happened."

I dipped my head. "I will." I waved my tail in farewell as I exited the den. I then spotted Streampaw exiting her den with some herbs in her jaws.

I flashed her a stern look, she narrowed her eyes at me. Ever since Streampaw and I had a fight we've been avoiding each other.

I sighed and went to the fresh-kill pile, it was low, as usual, it was Leaf-bare. I took a small mouse and ate it swiftly, licking my lips to get the remains off.

I layed down in a sunny spot. I decided that I'd try hunting later on, but for now I decided to nap. I needed all my strength for tonight's vigil.

***

I woke up to the sound of the kits and pups playful squeals. I opened an eye and saw them wrestling around in a ball. Winnie and Sweetwish were watching them.

Yawning, I rose and stretched out my back. I looked up at the sky and the sun would be setting soon. I should probably hunt.

But before I would, I beckoned Sweetwish over with my tail. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you if Batstar was back or not, I dozed right off." I admitted shamefully to the deputy.

"That's alright, she actually came right to me anyway." Sweetwish responded.

I looked passed her to her kits. "They'll make fine warriors," I noted. Cinnamonkit tackled Drippup to the ground.

"I'm glad Winnie's pups are doing well with your kits." I said. Sweetwish nodded. "You know, at first I didn't like her but now I've grown fond of her. I've talked to Batstar about her moving into the nursery with me and my kits" Sweetwish told me.

"That's a good idea. I thought I'd hunt, would you like to join me?" I asked her.

Sweetwish looked back to her kits. "They'll be okay, they've got Winnie to look after them." I put in before she could reply.

Sweetwish then nodded. "I suppose you're right. Besides, it'd be good for me to leave camp for once. I'll tell them."

Sweetwish bounded off to her kits and let them know that she was going, then the two of us headed out.