Warriors: The Blood Moon Rises

Chapter Three

"Hey! Wake up Sunsetpaw!" Zipperpaw nudged. The sun glinted off of Zipperpaw's sand-colored fur. New-leaf had come, and at the perfect time. It was only yesterday that Sunsetpaw and her friends advanced from the nursery to the apprentice den. The nests had been plucked and she had slept like a rock. Sunsetpaw was especially exited since her new mentor was none other than the deputy of WindClan. During leaf-bare, a terrible case of greencough spread throughout the camp. It took many warriors, and there were a lot of apprentices in the den. Even Ravenstar himself had to mentor an apprentice due to the shortage of mentors.
"You ready to start training?" Zipperpaw gave an exited squeal.
"Absolutely! I'm going to get none other than the best to train be to become the best warrior!" Sunsetpaw declared, lifting her head high with pride. She scanned the camp for her mentor. Her eyes landed upon the large golden tom, padding toward the high rock. She trotted dutifully to him. "Good morning, Sandshredder! Are we going to train today? Or maybe go hunting?" Sunsetpaw inquired, trying to be as polite as possible. Sunsetpaw had seen so many warriors coming home with prey for their clan. She wanted to be just like them; she wanted to be a loyal warrior who helped her clan.
"I'll tell you in a minute, Sunsetpaw. I need to organize the dawn patrol first, then we'll get straight to training," Sandshredder promised, hopping on the rock. Sunsetpaw respectfully nodded and stepped aside.
"All warriors! Gather under the high rock for patrols!" Sandshredder yelled in a deep, powerful voice. All of the warriors padded under the high rock and sat down, their ears pinned for instructions. "Before we start, I just wanted to acknowledge everyone's hard work. Greencough took many warriors from us, but the remaining have worked very hard to feed the clan. Ravenstar and I wanted to say thank you," Sandshredder appreciatively bowed his head. A few warriors gave a yowl of encouragement. "Anyways, Crowtalon, Mintbreeze, and Meadowfall, you are on dawn patrol. I will lead the evening patrol with whoever is available. Dawn patrol, if you don't mind, do a quick sweep of the border." The three warriors nodded and headed to the exit of the camp. Sandshredder hopped down from the rock and walked over to Sunsetpaw.
Sunsetpaw tapped her tail excitedly as she anticipated what she and her mentor would be doing.
"Sunsetpaw, today is your first day of many to train to become the best warrior you can be," Sandshredder said, looking at Sunsetpaw. "A warrior's duties aren't just hunting and battling. We have many other responsibilities. Today, you will learn how to be helpful around camp, starting with the elders den. You will learn how to pick thorns out of their den and help search their coats for ticks."
Sunsetpaw tried not to give a sigh of disappointment as Sandshredder continued. She wanted to learn to feed and defend her clan, not flick thorns out of a den!
"I understand you want to hunt and fight, but there isn't a more respectful thing to do for you clan than take care of the elders who have spent their whole life devoting themselves to their clan," Sandshredder gestured to the elder's den.
"That's alright! I like hearing Nettlebush's stories," Sunsetpaw chirped, trying to be optimistic.
"That's the sprit! Now, first we need to go to the medicine den. Can you fetch some mouse bile? It helps get the ticks out."
Sunsetpaw nodded and dashed to the medicine den. She knew today wouldn't be very eventful, but if Sandshredder said it would help the clan, then that's what she would do! Sunsetpaw was greeted by Lilacpool at the entrance of the den.
"Hello there, Sunsetpaw! What can I do for you? Are you feeling alright?" Lilacpool asked in her sweet voice.
"I need some mouse bile. I'm supposed to help out in the elders den today," Sunsetpaw meowed, looking up at Lilacpool happily.
"Not many apprentices are very happy when they have to help out in the elder's den. You're quite a good sport, Sunsetpaw," Lilacpool  complimented, making Sunsetpaw's fur ruffle with pride. "Come here, Beigepaw!"
Beigepaw came trotting over, her skinny legs moving quickly to hear what her mentor wanted her to do. "Oh, hi Sunsetpaw! What are you doing here? Are you ill or hurt?" Beigepaw inquired, her soft, melodic voice bouncing off the walls of the den.
"No, she needs mouse bile. Do you remember where that is?" Lilacpool quizzed. Beigepaw immediately went to the medicine stores, squinting her eyes as she scanned through the many items. Sunsetpaw could tell she was thinking hard as Beigepaw's eyes darted from left to right. Beigepaw quickly raised her paw and pointed.
"Here!" She declared, picking it up with her teeth.
"Great job! You're learning quickly," Lilacpool encouraged. Beigepaw beamed with pride as she sat the rolled up leaves in front of Sunsetpaw.
"Fanksh, Veigepaw!" Sunsetpaw thanked her, the leaf-wrapped mouse bile between her teeth. "Shandshredder!" Sunsetpaw called. "I've got the moushe vile!" Sandshredder looked up from chatting, or as Sunsetpaw suspected, flirting with Peachleaf. Zipperfur padded up to her, looking annoyed.
"I haven't even started training! Peachleaf has been flirting all morning! She's smitten for him to! She'll give a sigh and say something like 'He's so romantic'" Zipperfur mocked and rolled her eyes. "Anyways, what are you up to?"
"I have to clean ticks from the elder's pelts," Sunsetpaw replied, placing the mouse bile down.
"And you're happy about that?" Zipperfur widened her eyes a bit.
"Sandshredder said I was helping the clan by taking care of them since they devoted their lives to serving the clan."
"Oh. That's cool I guess. Did you see Beigepaw?"
"Yep! She knew immediately where the mouse bile was when Luckyleap asked her. She's already really good at her job!"
"Are you two done?" Sandshredder pressed.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Sandshredder! I didn't want to interrupt your," Sunsetpaw's whiskers twitched as she stifled a giggle. "...conversation with Peachleaf."
"Oh. Right, um, anyways, have you got that mouse bile?" Sandshredder blushed and tried to change the subject.
"Yes! Let's go to the elders den now!" Sunsetpaw bounced excitedly. They made their way over to the elder's den, where all four elders were chatting about who caught a finch moons ago.
"Who's this? Why is there a kit in my den?" Deerfur snapped, darting his sightless eyes back and forth.
"It's Sunsetpaw, you squirrel-head!" Nettlebush snapped back at him. "You here to do our ticks?"
"Mhm!" Sunsetpaw nodded, shuffling her paws. "I'll do you first Nettlebush!"
"How delightful!" The elder exclaimed.
"Spread some of the mouse bile in her fur and then pick the ticks out," Sandshredder instructed. "I don't think you'll need my help with the rest, but if you need something and I'm not there, ask another warrior!" Sunsetpaw was a bit disappointed that her mentor was such an important cat. She knew she'd be getting great training, but he was so important that he would be too busy for her. She followed Sandshredder's instructions and spread the mouse bile through Nettlebush's fur.
"Cheer up, little one! I can tell you a story!" Nettlebush purred. "Want to hear a story? My mother told me this one when I was a-" she was cut off as a spasm of coughs shook her body.
"Luckyleap told you to quit that storytelling! Save your voice so we don't have to hear you coughing all night!" Shatteredmercury rasped. "I can tell you a story, if you'd like." Sunsetpaw nodded her head. "I wasn't always half blind. A dog did this to me."
"Are you babbling to the kits again about your adventurous lies?" Deerfur demanded.
"Oh hush, Deerfur! None of the kits like you because of how mean and snappy you are!" Shatteredmercury retorted. "Anyways, me and Carmellapelt were on hunting patrol. Suddenly, I caught the scent of a dog! It was a huge dog; it was taller than if you stacked three foxes on each other! It ran straight after Carmellepelt and she went right up a tree. My paw was injured at the time, so I couldn't climb up a tree. The dog turned to me, and without hesitation, I pounced onto its face!"
Sunsetpaw cracked a tick, her eyes wide and intrigued.
"I bit its eye until it bled, but it pawed me straight against a tree. It clawed right over my eye," Shatteredmercury ran her paw along where the scar was over her blind eye.
"Woah," Sunsetpaw breathed, in awe of the elder's bravery. She finished removing all of Nettlebush's ticks and did all the other elders. It was about sunhigh by the time she was finished in the elders den.
"Thanks again, Sunsetpaw! Good luck with training!" Glaciernose meowed as Sunsetpaw exited. She gave a smile and a flick of her tail as she looked for her mentor. She spotted him eating some fresh kill and trotted to him.
"Hey Sandshredder! I took all the ticks out of the elders and they said I did a good job!" Sunsetpaw reported, hoping he would be proud of her.
"Great job! You're already becoming quite a responsible apprentice," Sandshredder commented, swallowing his fresh kill.
"Have you got anything else for me to do?"
"I suppose we have time to show you around the territory. I'll just have to let Ravenstar know we'll be gone," He replied. They walked over to Ravenstar's den. "It's me, Ravenstar. May I come in?"
"Of course." Ravenstar's sleek voice responded from inside. One of the apprentices, Yochapaw, was sitting across from the leader. Yochapaw smiled and twitched her ear. "Oh. Hello there Sunsetpaw. How has your training been going?" Ravenstar asked nicely.
"Good. I cleaned out the ticks from the elders," Sunsetpaw responded a bit nervously. "What about you, Yochapaw?" Sunsetpaw wanted to include her in the conversation.
"Ravenstar is telling me all about StarClan and the warrior code. There is a lot more than one would think!" She replied in her odd accent.
"Cool!" Sunsetpaw smiled at her. Yochapaw didn't have many friends because she wasn't clanborn. Sunsetpaw didn't really know where she was from, but she knew it had something to do with the strange way she talked.
"Is there a problem, Sandshredder?" Ravenstar calmly inquired.
"No, I just wanted to let you know that I'll be out showing Sunsetpaw the territory," Sandshredder replied.
"Thank you for letting me know."
"Alright, let's go Sunsetpaw!" They headed to the exit of the camp and into the moorland. Her eyes widened as she stepped onto the open grassland. It was like an ocean of long, green grass. The air tasted nice and fresh. Sunsetpaw had never seen outside camp. before. It was a beautiful collage of different shades of green and earthy brown. The sun was shining on the open grass and glinted off the dew that cling to each blade. She could hear the birds chirping, but other than that, all was silent. The newleaf grass was soft on her paws as she stared into the beautiful blue sky.
"Can you tell me what you smell?" Sandshredder asked. Sunsetpaw sniffed the air. A flurry of new scents flooded her nose. It was so amazing to finally
"I can smell the grass, and birds... and cats."
"Cats? That's the WindClan scent."
"Are you sure? It doesn't smell like the cats at camp."
Sandshredder gave Sunsetpaw a quizzical look, which suddenly turned very serious. He sniffed the air, and then gasped.
"Intruders!"