Warriors: Fear and Hope

Ravenfur stared at the river with disbelief. “Icyclaw no!” she yowled.

Applefur scrambled back until she was on safe ground.  She gasped and she breathed heavily. “I-I tried t-to save her! S-she slipped . . . a-and she fell!” The words stammered out of her mouth quickly and her eyes shook with fear. Dashfang leaped over to her, and she put her nose to Applefur’s.

The other cats bounded, limped, and ran away, but Ravenfur stayed. “This fight is not over.” She said. “However, we will give mercy, but just this once.” She yowled to her clan to wait for her, and they ran home.

Crystalfoot smiled and nodded at Dashfang and Applefur. “Thank you, we will be grateful to you for moons. We should get home though. Good-bye.” she leaped away with her friend and she disappeared into the forest.

Dashfang glanced at Lightningpaw staring at the ravine in front of her. He had thought the he had been so close to sharing the Lakeclan cat’s fate.

Setclaw growled in her throat, and yowled, “Follow me.”

Dashfang hesitated for a second. Applefur then pushed her. “C’mon, we don’t wanna be left behind.” She said and Dashfang flew into the air. She turned and saw Lightningpaw flying right behind her.

He snarled and she flew on.  They finally caught up to the patrol that had been waiting for her. “Dashfang, I told you to follow me!” yowled Setclaw.

Dashfang sighed; “Applefur was. . .” she began, but Setclaw cut her off when she was trying to break some branches.

“The sooner we get Applefur back in camp the better!” she yowled.

Applefur stood silently, but Dashfang was mad. “It wasn’t Applefur’s fault that Icyclaw fell!” she yowled.

Setclaw nodded in agreement. “I know, but now it is done. We need to get back to camp!” she meowed and she was off. “Keep up this time!” she yowled back.

Dashfang kept up, and accidently passed the deputy, but a cat held her to the ground.  The cats leaped over Lightningpath, and the rain started to calm down. Dashfang took a deep breath through her nose, and she could smell Sunstar, Twistfur, and Pinkiefur. They were waiting for them at the front of the clan.

“Did you find Breezeclan?” the creamy figure yowled.

“Are they safe?” asked Sunstar.

Dashfang rested her tired feet by lightly fly above the ground. “Yes we found them, and yes they’re safe at home.” She felt very tired, and she looked over at Applefur.

She looked up at Lunarclan and saw a new crater added to the group. A tear ran down her cheek as she saw this.

Setclaw yowled to them: “Come with me, you too Applefur!” They leapt to Sunstar’s den, and they saw the leader admiring Lunastar’s fur.

A welcoming mew escaped from her throat. “Welcome!” she purred and she smiled at the two warriors. “Breezeclan is safe at home?” she asked.

Dashfang nodded. “Yes ma’am,” she mewed. “Lunastar told me to thank you.” She mewed.

A shocked face came across Sunstar, but she went on. “G-good, good,” she mewed.

Setclaw growled: “Dashfang decided it was a good idea to go through Lakeclan territory.”

Applefur tried to protect her friend. “It wasn’t Dashfang. . .” Dashfang’s wing cut the orange cat off.

“They were found being attacked by Lakeclan patrol.” She shook her head sadly. “If we hadn’t found them in time, they might not have made it.”

Sunstar sighed in relief. “So you saved them?” she asked.

Setclaw nodded. “Yet, it’s not that simple. They were fighting beside the ravine. A Lakeclan warrior, who was fighting Applefur, fell off the edge.” She looked into Sunstar’s eyes.

“D-did he die?” asked the leader, terrified.

Dashfang accidently jumped in. “She didn’t mean to do it! She would never kill any kitty unless they were threatening our clan!” she yowled.

“Yes, Ravenfur will defiantly agree with you!” said Setclaw sarcastically. “What in the wide, wide world of Equestria were you thinking, going through Lakeclan territory?” she spat, her tail slashed back and fourth.  “And you even brought Breezeclan! Now you sent a message to Shadeclan and Lakeclan that we are allied!” she yowled.

Sunstar’s eyes turned from horrified to angry. “You brought Breezeclan?” she yowled.

“O-only two warriors! Lunastar escorted us with the-them!” she yowled.

Setclaw screamed, “You should have not brought them into Lakeclan!”

Dashfang was now angry. Fear shot through Applefur when her best friend was in the air. Her paws shook at Setclaw. “It was not an alliance; they were being polite and bringing us back home!” She yowled, and the lightning shot in the sky when she said it.

Setclaw huffed: “Does Lakeclan know that?”

“They knew that we were escorting Breezeclan home!” Dashfang yowled. “They all agreed at the Gathering!” Fear was in her eyes as she yowled it.

Sunstar stood and her wings spread. “You should not have gone through Lakeclan territory!” she yowled. “It was very dangerous. At the same time, you did well to find Breezeclan and bring them home.” She calmed down. “We need to get more kits trained. Dashfang, Applefur, Pinkiefur told me her kits are ready for training. I want you to take one of them for an apprentice.”

Dashfang was amazed!  She was going to have her own apprentice. She looked over at Setclaw. She was frozen on a rock.

“B-but none of Pinkiefur’s kits are six moons old!” Applefur yowled.

Sunstar nodded. “It won’t be long until they are. The Gathering yesterday troubled me.” She mewed nicely.

“Wouldn’t more experienced warriors be better to train two apprentices?” inquired Setclaw.

“I thought of that, but most of them are busy already.” the leader mewed.

“What about Fleetingwind?” the deputy asked.

“I thought of that.” Sunstar mewed. “But I really don’t think he will have time. Lightningclan needs his great hunting and loyalty.” She said.

“And you think these two have the time to do so?” Setclaw growled.

Dashfang flinched while she set a cold stare on her. Does she think that I am not fit to mentor a clanborn cat? she thought.

Sunstar set a cold glare on Setclaw. “We will find out. However, they did bring home Breezeclan.” She smiled. “And I am relying on you, Setclaw, to watch them.” She said to her deputy. “Now go and eat. You must be hungry.” She said to the two young warriors.

They both nodded and they ran out. “C’mon Applefur, aren’t you hungry?” she asked to her friend who was lagging behind.

Applefur shook her head, and she looked at her paws. “N-no, I just kinda want to sleep.” She said going to the warriors den.

Dashfang looked sympathetically at her friend. Her belly was full after she ate, and she pushed her way into the warriors den. She lay down and slept.

. . .

` Bluepelt came over to wake up Dashfang. “Time for your ceremony.”

Dashfang lifted her head, and she looked at Bluepelt thankfully. “Thank you, Bluepelt.” She said and she got up to stretch.

Applefur looked at Dashfang and nudged her. “Ha, ceremony,” she said, and she ran out of the den.

Dashfang quickly followed her, and she saw all the cats outside. “Nice job; nice bringing back Breezeclan; I’m glad their back!” they all cheered.

Dashfang’s fur bristled with excitement. She looked over at Applefur. “Aren’t you excited?” she asked.

She shrugged and looked at the sky.

He glared at Lightningpaw sitting next to Soarpaw. “I feel bad for Dashfang’s apprentice. Imagine being trained by a kitty-pet!” yowled Soarpaw and he laughed.

On the other hand, Lightningpaw did not laugh. He just glanced at Dashfang, and she stirred uncomfortably.

Dashfang turned to Applefur. “Sunstar doesn’t blame you. She knows you’re a good warrior.” She said, and she looked at her friend.

Applefur’s eyes met Dashfang’s eyes. “Yeah, she’s just doing this because the clan needs more apprentices. A-and why do we need them?! Because I was, dumb enough to kill a Lakeclan warrior!”

Dashfang was surprised by her tone. Dashfang was about to say something, but Sunstar interrupted.

“Tonight, we name two new apprentices! Come forward you guys.”

The brown kit ran from her mother’s side. He entered the clearing, his puffy tail held high. The red kit slowly went to Sunstar, and sat.

Dashfang felt her heart pound and she looked at both the kits. They were both earth kits, so she could not teach either to fly. She wondered which one she would get. She thought that the red kit would be easier to train. Yet, the brown one seemed like a younger her.

“From this day forward,” started Sunstar and she looked down at the brown kit. “This kit, until he has earned his warrior name, shall be named Browniepaw.” She said, and she patted the apprentices head.

“Browniepaw!” he yowled, but his mother hissed at him angrily.

“Dashfang, you are ready to have an apprentice. He will be yours,” she said, and pride was swelling in her heart. “Please teach everything that Sparkleheart and I had taught you.” She mewed and the cats cheered.

Dashfang nodded and she looked up at her new apprentice.

“And this young apprentice will be named Redpaw!” Redpaw did not move, or even make a sound.

“Applefur, you will be training Redpaw. Your lost mentor, Sparkleheart, had been great. I hope you are too.” She mewed to Applefur.

She slowly walked to the apprentice, and she touched her apprentice’s nose with hers. The gleam in the apprentice’s eyes showed he was as excited as his brother was.

Browniepaw ran to Dashfang and he smiled. He touched his nose to his mentors, and he smiled. I am a mentor. she thought, and she saw the gleam of pride in the apprentices eyes.

She looked around and she saw all the cats were nodding approvingly. Then she glared at Setclaw, on a cold rock, staring at her.

Dashfang looked back down at Browniepaw, whose eyes were gleaming with happiness. Dashfang then felt her fur beginning to prickle. She wanted to be a great mentor and a great warrior. She wanted to be a great influence to Browniepaw.