Warriors: A Drop Of Rain

Chapter Ten

Sableoak glanced around and buried his catch under some earth. He trotted near the ThunderClan border where Heatherleaf sat waiting.

"Sableoak!" She called. Sableoak sat down in front of her, making sure he was well hidden by a nearby bush. He smiled at her and she returned the expression.

"How being a warrior?" She asked. He chuckled.

"Good." He glanced nervously around.

"No one's going to find you." She mewed. He bowed his head.

"Yeah, I just am nervous." He meowed. He changed the subject. "So, what did Clawstar say about the foxes? Have you been finding any in your territory?"

She nodded. "Yes. And I don't know what she said. She's very secretive, and doesn't want us to worry." Her eyes shimmered. "I'd assume our Clans will work together to fight off the foxes, so more time for us." Sableoak smiled. But are you sure, he thought, when Bluepaw's still in my Clan? Almost as if his thoughts had spawned her, Bluepaw called his name from a little bit away. Sableoak smiled, knowing she couldn't see him.

"Quick, leave. My Clanmate is coming." He rushed over to the WindClan apprentice. Fieldstripe was walking behind her.

"What were you doing?" She growled. He felt embarrassed that this apprentice was intimidating to him.

"Oh, Heatherleaf just said that she spotted a fox and told me to be careful." He lied. Bluepaw warily sniffed him.

"Seems it took her awhile to say that, since your smell is planted there." She hissed. Fieldstripe narrowed his eyes.

"She's right." He muttered. "Your scent shouldn't be so strong here if it was just a couple words." Sableoak panicked.

"Nevermind." Bluepaw meowed, still suspicious. She sat close to Sableoak, and he hoped Heatherleaf wasn't watching.

"Sunsetstar needs all warriors in camp. Now." Fieldstripe demanded. Sableoak obeyed. He rushed to the camp, picking up his catch on the way. He dropped it in the fresh-kill pile and sat near the TallRock. Sunsetstar called the gathering and the cats sat around.

"We are all journeying to ThunderClan's camp. Everyone follow." He announced with no context. Everyone did what he said and on the way, Sableoak stumbled into Heatherleaf.

"Hey." She said. He smiled and walked close to him. He noticed Bluepaw glaring at him from a little way away. She padded up to him until they were a mouse-length away. Heatherleaf tilted her head in confusion.

"Hi Bluepaw!" She meowed. Bluepaw pinned her ears.

"Hi, Heatherleaf. Why are you so close with an enemy warrior?" She hissed. Sableoak was ready for a fight. Bluepaw may have been an apprentice, but she could rip your head off just from someone speaking. Heatherleaf glanced down.

"Oh, he's just my friend." She murmered.

"Friends with someone from another Clan?" She growled.

"I'm a medicine cat! I don't have to hate other Clans like you do!" She hissed.

"Is Sableoak a medicine cat?" She spat.

"Are you a warrior? No, that's what I thought. Now go and play with your little friends." Heatherleaf retorted. Bluepaw stopped. She glanced at Sableoak.

"Wait! Bluepaw!" He cried as she walked away. "Why did you say that?" He hissed at Heatherleaf. The medicine cat backed away.

"I . . . I needed to defend myself!" She growled. He was torn between the ThunderClan medicine cat, and Bluepaw, the WindClan apprentice. He rushed over to Bluepaw and licked behind her ears.

"Are you ok?" He meowed. She looked up at him, her eyes full of emotion.

"Yes. It feels like you need her more than me." She mewed. He stared at the pretty blue she-cat.

"What do you mean?" He asked. She lowered her voice to the slightest whisper.

"I love you." She mewed. He sat, in awe at her. He shook his head, clearing his mind.

"I love you too," he said. "But she's my friend."

Bluepaw lowered her head. "I know." She muttered. Sableoak turned around to see Heatherleaf hearing the whole conversation.

"I . . ." She muttered. She rushed away. Sableoak collapsed on the ground, too stressed to move. Bluepaw crouched over him.

"Are you ok?" She meowed. He nodded, but before he could get up, a fox pounced on him.

"Look out!" A voice yowled. He howled in pain, then felt the pressure stop. Bluepaw was battling the fox with all her might. She ducked and stuck onto the fox's back, biting him in the neck. The fox had an evil glimmer in his eye as another fox attacked her from behind. She fell to the ground, blood pooling around her. Her flanks heaved, and as she tried to get up the fox scratched her, making her collapse. She gazed up, furious but weak. She got up one more time and pounced at the fox. The fox chomped at her front legs and she bit him. The fox rushed away, knowing he couldn't win, and the other fox followed him. She tried to run after them but fell face-first into the dirt. Sableoak screamed for Rivershine and Rainpaw, and they came at once. They felt her legs.

"One can heal," Rivershine meowed. "But the other is broken. Badly." Sableoak felt his heart sink. Sunsetstar walked towards her.

"She's losing a lot of blood. She deserves her warrior name." He muttered. "I, Sunsetstar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her as a warrior in her turn. Bluepaw, do you promise to always uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?" Bluepaw gazed up and meowed, "I do". "Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day on, this apprentice will be know as Blueleg, warrior of WindClan. StarClan honors you for determination and bravery, and welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan." Blueleg smiled as her leader as he touched his nose to her head. Blueleg lay in pain, and Sableoak lay next to her.

"It'll be ok." He murmured. "I promise."

***

Sableoak sat next to Blueleg as she sat in the medicine den in the ThunderClan camp. Heatherleaf, Rivershine, and Rainpaw started using herbs to save her. Blueleg looked up at Sableoak and whispered, "I'm a warrior, we can be together."

"You're right," he said, "we can."