Warriors: Retribution (Book 2)

Chapter 9

Do you know you have to teach Fang how to hunt and fight right Shredflash? Shred echoed.

"Yes, but-"

But what? She has to learn eventually, my friend. You won't always be by her side forever.

"I know! It's just that I'm worried that she'll get hurt by me..." Shredflash sighed.

But if she gets hurt, she'll learn from it, right? She'll learn that she needs to get better and she will get better in time.

Shredflash didn't respond as he clawed a rabbit's back and watched it fall over.

I know you don't like your daughter being hurt, but it's the only way you can train her for now, Shredflash.

Shredflash picked the dead rabbit up in his maw and quietly headed back to the small cave.

*

Shredflash padded into the cave to see Eclipse and Fang sleeping. He dropped the piece of prey and padded over to the two. Eclipse was the first to open her eyes and look up at her mate. "Welcome back, Shredflash." she yawned. A few heartbeats later, Fang yawned as she woke up and looked up at her father with tired eyes.

"Fang." he started with a stern mew.

Fang gained a worried look, as she didn't know what Shredflash would say next, but that look soon disappeared as she noticed her father smirking. "I will teach you how to hunt, fight, and whatever else needed for the future." he meowed.

Fang instantly hopped up on her paws and smiled brightly. "Really?!"

Shredflash nodded. "Yes, after some thinking, I've decided that training you would be best. Since I will not be around all the time to protect you and Eclipse."

She gave an excited squeal as Shredflash told her this.

I'm glad you came to your senses, friend! Shred echoed in Shredflash's head.

*

"Oh, don't worry Skystar, I'm sure you can do this! There may be a lot of apprentices to appoint, but I believe you can do it!" Buzzardgaze meowed to his leader.

"Thanks, Buzzardgaze... Maybe I'm worrying too much, but will we have enough warriors to mentor them?"

"I remember you told me that Nova is taking Marigoldkit as her apprentice. So that leaves us with..." Buzzardgaze thought for a second. "Four left! And we have four warriors at the moment, right?"

Skystar nodded.

"Well, that's great then! Let's get this going, shall we?" Buzzardgaze smiled and headed out of Skystar's den. He flicked his tail and beckoned for Skystar to follow him. Skystar smiled and followed his deputy. Once he got outside, he took a deep breath in, then out.

"Cats of Vertexclan!" he started. "Please gather around the Sharp Stone for a clan meeting!" He meowed loudly.

Scorchwatcher, Cloudthorn, and all of their kits appeared out of the Nursery. Crownight and Rockcreek peeked their heads out of the Warriors' den, Smokedream and Stagwhisper were already roaming around camp and then stopped when they heard Skystar's voice. Every cat padded on over to the Sharp Stone.

"I shall appoint four new apprentices!" He yelled to his clan. "First, Emberkit and Lionkit, please step forward."

Both kits excitedly padded up with smiles on their faces.

"You are both of age to become apprentices. From this day on, until you both are of age to become warriors, you will be known as Emberpaw and Lionpaw and your mentors will be Smokedream and Rockcreek." Skystar meowed.

Smokedream padded up next to Emberpaw, and Rockcreek padded up next to Lionpaw.

"Now, Lightningkit and Rainkit, please step forward."

The brothers did as they were told and padded up.

"You are both of age to become apprentices. From this day on, until you are of age to become warriors, you will be known as Lightningpaw and Rainpaw and your mentors will be Stagwhisper and Crownight."

Stagwhisper padded next to Lightningpaw and Crownight with Rainpaw.

Skystar smiled. "Your previous mentors have taught you well and I expect you all to pass down what you know to your apprentices." he meowed.

The warriors nodded as they touched noses with their apprentices.

"Emberpaw! Lionpaw! Lightningpaw! Rainpaw!" The clan cheered for their new apprentices.

"The clan meeting is now over." Skystar added and sighed relief as he headed back to his den. Buzzardgaze ran up to him.

"You did great!" He purred.

"Thanks, it wasn't so bad." the leader replied with a smile.

By the medicine den, Marigoldkit looked up at Nova.

"Don't worry, I'll take you to the Ocean Side to make you an apprentice soon!" Nova smiled at her.

Marigoldkit smiled back. She was excited to become Nova's apprentice.

*

Fang opened her eyes. It was dark in the small cave due to it being moonhigh. She got up slowly so she wouldn't wake up her parents. She then quietly left the cave so she could go to the Ocean Side.

It took her a little of time before she made it there. No other cat was around. Maybe I should wait? Fang thought to herself and got closer to the ocean. She sat down and stared off into the distance of the ocean. It was a nice and blue color under the moonlight and the stars. The ocean is so pretty! Fang smiled at the thought.

A few heartbeats later, she could hear pawsteps coming closer to her in the sand. She twisted her head to meet the gaze of what looked like a tawny tom with orange-red eyes.

"You're that cat I saw in my dream!" the tom exclaimed.

"I am?" Fang questioned.

He must be the one I meet with! She thought excitedly.

"Yeah! We were laying together or something... It's so vague now!" he mewed.

"I was told to meet you here by another cat. Were you told too?" Fang said.

"A voice in another dream told me to come here."

"Hmm... What's your name?"

"I'm Mistpaw! Future warrior of Driftclan!" He meowed proudly.

He's from the clans like Shredflash! "Nice to meet you Mistpaw, I'm Fang," she meowed back.

"Fang? Are you not from a clan?"

The she-cat shook her head. "No, I live with my father and mother, away from the clans. My father used to live in Vertexclan, though."

"Really? That's super cool!" Mistpaw smiled widely.

Fang giggled and blushed a little at the compliment. "Y-Yeah..."

Mistpaw padded next to Fang and sat down by her. "Why do you think we were told to meet here?"

Fang's fur felt hot as Mistpaw was next to her. Surely she couldn't have caught feelings for this clan cat already? They've just met!

"I don't know, but it might be important for the future," she mewed back.

"Yeah!" Mistpaw looked at her with a calm smile, which caused her to blush more.

"W-Well, I should get going now... Can we meet again soon? Maybe tomorrow night?" Fang asked.

"Yes, of course! I would love to see you again!" Mistpaw replied, and purred.

Fang's heart raced as he said that to him. "Great! Well, I'll see you till then." she mewed and padded back to the small cave.

"Goodbye!" Mistpaw ran back towards where he came from.

Fang turned around and watched as Mistpaw ran. She turned back around and sighed, but then she noticed brief splashes of blood on the sand.

She chose not to mind it at all.