Warriors: Rising Tide

Chapter 22: Puddlesplash

"There ya go Forestpaw! That was great foot work" I complemented my apprentice. She looked at me and smiled as she got off Firepaw. Firepaw looked disappointed as he looked sadly at his white paws. I felt sympathy for the dull red tabby. He hadn't been able to get the move right in all of training today.

"Firepaw, you did great too. Next time you should try placing your feet wider" Branchtail advises gently. Firepaw put on a weak smile.

"Oh! Puddlesplash! When will my assessment be?"Forestpaw said over confidently. I looked at her to stop and she did with small flinch at her own stupidity.

"You guys still have a bit of training to do before you become warriors"

"Puddlesplash is right, so let's continue training!" Branchtail added.

"Actually, you four should head back to camp. Applestar is gonna be doing a lot of ceremonies today" I heard a friendly mew. Skyleaf entered the clearing and his two kits went to greet him quickly.

"Skyleaf! Dad! Wanna see the cool move they taught us!" Forestpaw asked happily.

"Yeah, it is tough but we got it down" Firepaw sounded more confident talking to his father.

"Maybe later, anyway come on!" the deputy nodded his head back to camp.

"Looks like training is over for today, but will come back tomorrow and practice it some more" I said. Branchtail nodded approvingly. Forestpaw groaned out of impatience but didn't say anything. I laughed a little and Firepaw rolled his purple eyes at his older littermate.

"Forestpaw that is rude"

"But I want to train more! I want to prove I am the best warrior!"

"There is more than hunting and fighting to the life of a Warrior" Skyleaf advises his daughter with a gentle purr. I smiled and we followed the deputy back to camp. Oddly this leaf-fall was very rainy and cloudy, more like new-leaf. The ground was wet and squished heavily under my paws. Entire tail length of dirt shifted with each step.

Gotta be careful about landslides up past the stone hallow now. As we walked Skyleaf piped up ahead.

"Hey Puddlesplash, could you take Darkclouds spot on the hunting patrol later? I am kicking him off because he needs rest"

"Sure!"

"I am surprised that Foxhop isn't making you stay in camp, with Sagelight due in the next moon"

"Yeah, I am so tempted to ask Applestar to give me one as an apprentice when they are born and older" Skyleaf said jokingly.

"I bet by the time they are six moons I'll be warrior, maybe I could train one!" Forestpaw said excitedly.

"You would be a bad teacher" Firepaw teased. His sister smacked him upside the head with her paw.

"Mouse brain!"

"Bird droppings!"

"Badger breath!"

"Fu-"

"Stop it you two!" Their dad warned. I laughed as the two apprentices mumbled incoherent words out of embarrassment.

***

"Cardinalpaw! Mothpaw! Please step forward!" Applestar called out. The two older apprentices stepped forward. "I, Applestar, leader of Thunderclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentice. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn" I watched my cream tabby leader looked at Cardinalpaw first. "Cardinalpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"