Warriors: Rise of the Shadows (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Sweetscent stared at her paws as she laid in her nest in the warriors' den. Her eyes were dull and full of grief as she stared at her white paws. Springleap was gone, Starlingpaw was gone, Poppystar was gone. So many cats that the deputy loved were gone.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Tall Rock to hear my words!" Called Larchstar from outside the stuffy and warm den.

Forcing herself up, Sweetscent trudged outside and sat beside the Tall Rock where her leader hailed the meeting. "We have three kits among us who have reached their sixth moon and are ready to become apprentices."

Goosekit, Ryekit, and Graykit straightened under their leader's gaze as the black tom went on. "Goosekit, from this moment on until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Goosepaw. Your mentor will be Mosspatch." He meowed, nodding to the she-cat.

"Ryekit, from this moment on until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Ryepaw." The black tom meowed, looking around. "Your mentor will be Sunfur." Turning to the remaining kit, Larchstar mewed. "Graykit, from this moment on until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Graypaw. Your mentor will be Sparrowgorse."

"Goosepaw! Ryepaw! Graypaw!" Sweetscent cheered with her Clan. She was happy for her son because he got an apprentice so soon, but her heart told her she also wanted Starlingpaw to have an apprentice with her brother.

**********

Sweetscent stalked through the thick forest, ears pricked and mouth open to detect any sign of prey. The crunch of a seed caught the hunter's attention and the brown fur of a mouse came into the deputy's line of sight.

Licking her lips, Sweetscent crouched down and quietly made her way over to the unsuspecting prey. With her claws silently sliding out of their sheaths, Sweetscent leaped, landing squarely on it and finishing its life quickly and cleanly with a bite to the neck.

"Help!" A wail made Sweetscent stop from burying her catch and she pricked her ears. "Someone help me, please!" Abandoning her prey, Sweetscent raced to the calls of help.

A snarl told her that whoever was wailing like a kit for help, was nose to nose with a fox. Sweetscent emerged from a dense line of bushes to see IceClan's medicine cat, Icestrike, cornered by a fox.

With a yowl, Sweetscent leaped at the russet attacker, distracting the fox from the helpless medicine cat. The she-cat struck the fox's nose with her claws and sank her teeth into its' shoulder. The fox howled in pain and shook the warrior off, sending her rolling into the grass.

Scrambling to her paws, Sweetscent stood between the medicine cat and the fox. Snarling, she flung herself at the fox, her claws tearing the flesh of its shoulder. While it was turning to snap at her tail, Sweetscent leaped onto its back and sank her claws into its back.

Yowling in defeat, the fox shook her off one last time before racing away, its tail between its legs. Sweetscent panted, unharmed but tired. Ear flicking, she turned to Icestrike and looked him over.

"H-how did you fight it off?" He stuttered, staring at her in amazement. "I can't fight, but I would've been torn to shreds if I tried to fight it!"

Sweetscent forced a dry purr and shook out her fur. "The best part about being a warrior is defending those who can't defend themselves." She told him and looked to the sky, seeing the sun right over her head. "You better head home, your Clan will be wondering where you are."

Icestrike nodded, padding up to her and pressing his cheek against hers, making her breath hitch. "Thank you," he breathed in her ear and made his way towards the border a few tail-lengths away. He suddenly stopped and turned around to look at his savior. "What's your name?"

"Sweetscent," she replied, seeing his eyes widen. Sweetscent hid a purr of amusement and flicked her tail.

"I'll see you tomorrow night, deputy of FireClan." Icestrike meowed and padded away, leaving Sweetscent in shock.