Warriors Twisted Shadows: Dangerous Fog

Chapter One

"Wake up! Wake up!" The squeal of excited kits rang around the apprentices den, and woke up most of the apprentices.

Tarpaw and Oakpaw were still asleep.
"Flea-brains," She thought. "They can sleep through anything."
Hollypaw rose to her feet, and the kits took advantage.

They leaped on Hollypaw's tail and pretended that her paws were fearsome Squirrelclan warriors.
Soon, Blitzpaw and Pepperpaw got to their feet, whispering in excited voices. Hollypaw watched the best friends, and padded over to Lilypaw, who was still halfway asleep. "Go away," she murmured. "I'm still sleepy." Hollypaw tugged and pulled at Lilypaw till she gave in and got up. "Lilypaw! Lilypaw!" Hollypaw shook her. "What?!" Lilypaw replied in a grumpy voice. Hollypaw rolled her eyes. "Don't you remember?" All the sudden, Lilypaw's face lit up. She bounced to her feet without a moment's hesitation. "I'm so excited!" She beamed. "I know, right?" Hollypaw cheered. "Well, what are we waiting for?!" Hollypaw dashed outside, bounding over to her mentor.
"Are we going to see the territory today?" She eagerly asked.
"You think we would do anything else on your first day being an apprentice?" He sprinted off, Hollypaw close behind.
As they walked, she noticed the lush greenery, tall trees, and stoney creek. "That's Pebble Creek, right?" Hollypaw pointed her tail over to the stone covered creek. "Yes, that's right." Lionclaw replied. "It's also the border between Squirrelclan and Leapclan." He added.
Soon they padded over to a small ditch covered with sand.

"That's our training grounds, called Shallow Ditch." Hollypaws mentor pointed his tail towards the sandy hole.

They padded along towards the front side of camp and came across a small pond, with a tree spread across, both sides touching one side of the pond.
"This is the heart of out territory, and over there is farther to Leechclan." He stated, pointing his tail further out towards what looked like a small glittery piece of the hard shiny things twolegs use. "And this place is called Cross Tree."
Lionclaw followed Hollypaw's gaze and figured out where she was looking.
"That's our last stop." He said, smiling.
"Okay!" She cheered. She had already started mapping out the territory in her head.
They came farther towards the other side of camp, where the trees narrowed out to marshy plains.
"This side is closer to Swiftclan." Lionclaw instructed.
"The border line is right here."
He pressed his paw on the first streak of marshy grass.
Hollypaw already knew.
She could smell the familiar scent of Swiftclan.
As they padded along the Swiftclan border, the tree line ended. As they padded throughout the last ramble bush blocking them from seeing the other side, it broke out into a wide mass of lush grass.
Beyond that, she could see what caught her eye over by Cross Tree, the tiny thing that looked like the hard pieces twolegs used.
It was a large lake, and it was shimmering with a silver trace around it.
"This is Clan Lake." Lionclaw mumbled.
Hollypaw could see the apprentices of the other clans exploring their territories for the first time.
"When's the next Gathering?" Hollypaw eagerly asked. "Tomorrow." Lionclaw said with a hint of excitement.
Hollypaw could barely contain her excitement.
She hoped she was chosen to go to the gathering.

***

Hollypaw padded back to camp, exhausted from all the new scents and walking around.
Hollypaw must not have covered her exhaustion very well, because Blitzpaw came walking up, with a bright gleam in his eyes.
He saw Hollypaw's exhausted face and ran to help her get in her nest.
"You're gonna need all the energy you can get for tomorrow." He said excitedly.
"W-what do you mean?" She said, opening her eyes.

"Thunderclaw just announced who will be going to the Gathering," he beamed. "And we're going!" He shouted.
She jumped up. "Seriously?!"
She couldn't believe her luck.
Hollypaw dashed out of the apprentices' den, sprawling moss and twigs everywhere.
"Lilypaw! Lilypaw!" Hollypaw dashed around camp, twisting and turning to try and find Lilypaw.
She finally spotted Lilypaw huddled in a group with Oakpaw and Pepperpaw.
"Lilypaw!"Hollypaw dashed over to Lilypaw. "I'm excited too!" Lilypaw licked her friend's ear to show her excitement.
"Who else is going?" Hollypaw asked curiously.
"Oakpaw, Blitzpaw, Pepperpaw, me, you, Darkpaw, Tarpaw, Thunderclaw, Tanstar, Springleaf, and Mossfur." Lilypaw recited.
"That's a pawful!" Hollypaw exclaimed. "I want to meet the other apprentices at the Gathering." Hollypaw whispered. "I do too!" The other apprentices said in unison.

***

As soon as it was sun down, the apprentices were ushered to their nests to get a good night's sleep.
"Lilypaw," Hollypaw whispered. "Are you awake?" She nudged her friend.
She was fast asleep.
"I'm awake." Hollypaw heard the familiar voice of Tarpaw.
"I can't sleep." Hollypaw whispered.
"Neither can I." Tarpaw shuffled over to lay beside Hollypaw.
She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she started blushing.
She was very grateful to Starclan that it was very dark already.
Tarpaw yawned and curled up next to her.
Hollypaw noticed his tail twined with hers as he fell asleep.
Soon, she too, yawned and she fell asleep.

***

Dawn broke out and before anybody could get up, the kits broke through the brambles and started jumping on everyone. Sunkit was just about to bounce on Hollypaw when she noticed Tarpaws tail twined with Hollypaws. "Moonkit, come look!" She whispered.
Her black pelted brother bounced over, his blue eyes shining.
He gasped quietly when he saw Tarpaws tail twined with Hollypaws.
The kits shared excited squeals as sunlight broke into the den.
The other apprentices started rising and the kits told them to come look quietly.
Most of the apprentices came straight away, all except Blitzpaw, Darkpaw, and Pepperpaw.
The shocked apprentices gathered around Hollypaw and Tarpaw.
Soon, it was too enticing.
Blitzpaw was the first to join the group, then Pepperpaw.
Finally, after the two shared gasps, Darkpaw came over.
He saw Blitzpaws shocked face and Pepperpaws hurt one.

As Darkpaw saw Tarpaws tail twined with Hollypaws, he growled and turned away, ashamed he didn't act sooner.

Soon enough, he apprentices group dissipated before Hollypaw and Tarpaw awoke.
When they did, they both blushed and quickly untwined their tails.
They both went separate ways to not be criticized by the others.
Hollypaw noticed that as she padded over to Lionclaw the other apprentices and the kits kept sharing knowing glances toward each other and giggling, especially when they saw Tarpaw and Hollypaw sharing tongues.
She felt really uncomfortable, and eventually after her apprentice duties, she headed back to her nest.
Her thoughts kept buzzing around her head how they could've seen Tarpaw and her with twined tails.
She did remember the other apprentices had left the den before she and Tarpaw woke up.
"There's no doubt about it," she thought. "They definitely saw us with twined tails. I'm completely mouse-brained."
She kept running through her mind how humiliating it would be to show her face again.
She kept imagining all her clanmates laughing at her and Tarpaw.
Now, she was humiliating herself and her crush.
"What have I done?!" She thought.
She wished she could just curl up into a ball and go to sleep.
Suddenly, she heard Oakpaws voice.
"Hollypaw! Come on! We're about to leave!" He shouted.

How could she have forgotten about the Gathering?!
"I really am mouse-brained." She thought.