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Description
Firepaw carried a fish to the elder's den, took a deep breath, and went inside. "Hi, Bearclaw," he meowed, setting the fish before the brown elder. "Here's your breakfast. Mudsprout caught it not two minutes ago, so it should taste extra fresh."
The elder narrowed his eyes. "May I ask," he growled, "What poisonous berry you put in it?"
"None," replied Firepaw calmly, though his heart thudded. Since Ravenkit's arrival about half a moon ago, the cats in his own clan had been questioning him. In his own territory Firepaw was nipped and hissed at. He had transformed from a happy-go-lucky apprentice to an outcast that was more jumpy than even Ravenkit.
Dreamstar, Snakesteps, and his siblings were the only cats that had taken a stand for him. They'd explained to the clan that he'd had a strong bond with the missing kits- why would he ruin it by kidnapping them? But Bearclaw had reasoned that he grew close to the kits only to make them trust him too much. Firepaw felt awful. He hadn't taken the kits, but he still played with them whenever he visited the Pack of Falling Waters, and yet he couldn't tell Icedrop or Dreamstar of their whereabouts.
This saddened him. He'd been hoping to become a warrior, and he'd always wanted Dreamstar to name him Firetail.
The pack already called him Firetail. They said he was a warrior to them, and always told him this. So when a calico elder chased him away from Bearclaw that day, he ran toward the pack and didn't look back. First, though, he made a point to make a scent trail all the way to the river, and he rubbed against a bush until it was decorated with clumps of orange fur.
When his clan saw this, if they bothered to look for him, they would assume him drowned, and that would be that.
-
"This cat has proven his loyalty to us time and time again! There is one ritual left- to let the newcomer choose his new name." Neglect motioned towards Firepaw, who shifted nervously. The whole pack was larger than Rainclan, and every cat was watching him. He had to choose a perfect name, something dangerous but not too deadly; something that had nothing to do with his Rainclan origins.
"Rush," he meowed at last. "My name is Rush." Neglect looked at him and nodded approvingly, then somewhere below the cats began to wail. They didn't accuse him of stealing kits or poisoning elders. They treated him like he was at home, and so he was.
"Rush, wake up," growled a voice. Rush opened his eyes to see Shard hovering over him, feeling a shiver run down his spine as he heard his new name.
"Neglect wants you to start teaching the kits some battle techniques," growled Shard.
Rush's eyes grew wide in surprise. "Surely they're too young?" Icedrop's two kits would not have been made apprentices for at least four moons yet, and Neglect's had just opened their eyes. Shard's were the only ones that were old enough. "Surely... surely there are too many of them?"
"That's how it works in our pack. Kittens begin training as soon as they open their eyes, and the youngest soldiers each get a class of them of about ten or so. The older soldiers, like me, have more important things to do."
-
"This is called the Front Swipe," meowed Rush, whipping out a front paw and scoring his claws against an invisible enemy. "It isn't very useful in a fight, but if you are powerful enough, it could scare your enemy away." Rush swallowed hard, feeling sick. It was the first move Snakesteps had taught him.
In front of him sat seven kits, watching him with innocent eyes full of wonder. The biggest were Fang and Shatter, Shard's kits. Fang was a powerful brown tabby like his father, and Shatter was smaller, more delicate, and cream-colored. She looks like Creamtail, Rush thought with a pang. At least she would if her ear was standing up straight!
The next biggest kits were Icedrop's. They had pack names now, but they somehow still seemed like clan kits. Silverkit's new name was Strike, and Sunkit's was Blaze.
Neglect's three kits were tiny. Their eyes were cloudy, their paws clumsy. The biggest of them wasn't even as tall as Rush's knee. The two black toms were Scourge and Scowl, while a gray she-cat with black patches and icy blue eyes was Freeze. Like Frozenfire, Rush thought, then silently scowled at himself. Everything was reminding him of his former home!
-
"When will I see you again?" Frozenfire asked Liquidgaze, and the black tom purred, his liquid silver eyes soft and amused.
"You refused my proposal to be my mate, Frozenfire," he purred, "But yet you keep coming back. What is wrong with you?" He pushed her playfully with his muzzle, and Frozenfire fell back in the dirt, laughing.
She sat up again, and pain struck her like a blow from a badger. She would have liked to be Liquidgaze's mate, but this was wrong. She had met with the Beachclan warrior on the border of their territories a few times now, and they had always talked the day away. When she was with Liquidgaze, her deputy duties went away, and only her duties to her own feelings remained, but Liquidgaze was in Beachclan! Besides, female deputies didn't have kits.
"You are upset," meowed the Beachclan warrior, his eyes concerned.
"We can't do this," Frozenfire hissed under her breath. She knew that if she looked directly into his eyes she would lose her train of thought, so she fixed her eyes on a beetle crawling over a rock.
"It's okay," meowed Liquidgaze comfortingly. "We're only two cats, having a nice chat."
Frozenfire hoped he was right.
-
Frozenfire was setting up the evening patrol that night, wishing she were back on the Beachclan border. Liquidgaze was so nice to her, and how his eyes sparkled. . .
"Frozenfire!" The deputy reconized the wail of Fawnheart. "Firepaw's gone! He was so upset when the clan started accusing him of such nonsense... and he's gone! He's dead- or worse, and I didn't even defend him in front of the clan! I told some of the other warriors, but they don't care!" Frozenfire's heart pounded even harder. Firepaw had always been so cheerful, but even the happiest of cats could get pushed over the edge when rumors were spread about them.
Snakesteps leapt forward, a strange, uncharacteristically angry look in her golden eyes. "I care," she hissed. "He was my apprentice, so keen to learn! Berryfur and I will go search now." She turned around and nodded to the longhaired black tom that sat behind her, and he nodded back.
"We'll do all we can, Fawnheart," mewed Berryfur, his blue eyes sparkling with sorrow. Then he was gone, Snakesteps following him like a shadow.
They're perfect together.
-
Frozenfire sat with Fawnheart, Orangeblaze, and the apprentices. The young cats had been struck by thier brother's loss, and it looked as though they had given up. Whitepaw was laying on the ground, her head on her forepaws, nose touching the cold snow. Beepaw tried comforting her adopted sister, but Whitepaw did not budge.
Suddenly Snakesteps and Berryfur streaked into camp, and the she-cat yowled in anguish. She stepped up to the cats and dipped her head sadly. "I'm sorry, guys," she meowed, "But he's gone."
Fawnheart whimpered.
"We found traces of him by the river, but none of his scent on the other side. There was a hole in the ice; he must have drowned."
Fawnheart let out a long wail and buried her face in Orangeblaze's fur. Whitepaw pressed her face to the ground and whimpered. Beepaw, Lionpaw, and Nettlepaw huddled together, trying to comfort each other. Berryfur licked Snakesteps's ear. Frozenfire felt sick.
An innocent life had been lost because he had been pushed too far. He would have made a good warrior, and Frozenfire did not believe that he had stolen the kits. There was nothing she could do now but finish sorting patrols.
"Mudsprout can go, and Whitewillow? Take Skydance with you; he needs the exercise." The three cats nodded and walked off, seeming unaffected by the death of Firepaw.
Snakesteps came up to her, her eyes bright despite her grief.
"Snakesteps? Do you want to go on patrol with them?"
"I could," meowed the black warrior, "But that is not what I came to say."
"Well?" Frozenfire was growing impatient.
"I'm expecting kits!"

Description
Firepaw carried a fish to the elder's den, took a deep breath, and went inside. "Hi, Bearclaw," he meowed, setting the fish before the brown elder. "Here's your breakfast. Mudsprout caught it not two minutes ago, so it should taste extra fresh."
The elder narrowed his eyes. "May I ask," he growled, "What poisonous berry you put in it?"
"None," replied Firepaw calmly, though his heart thudded. Since Ravenkit's arrival about half a moon ago, the cats in his own clan had been questioning him. In his own territory Firepaw was nipped and hissed at. He had transformed from a happy-go-lucky apprentice to an outcast that was more jumpy than even Ravenkit.
Dreamstar, Snakesteps, and his siblings were the only cats that had taken a stand for him. They'd explained to the clan that he'd had a strong bond with the missing kits- why would he ruin it by kidnapping them? But Bearclaw had reasoned that he grew close to the kits only to make them trust him too much. Firepaw felt awful. He hadn't taken the kits, but he still played with them whenever he visited the Pack of Falling Waters, and yet he couldn't tell Icedrop or Dreamstar of their whereabouts.
This saddened him. He'd been hoping to become a warrior, and he'd always wanted Dreamstar to name him Firetail.
The pack already called him Firetail. They said he was a warrior to them, and always told him this. So when a calico elder chased him away from Bearclaw that day, he ran toward the pack and didn't look back. First, though, he made a point to make a scent trail all the way to the river, and he rubbed against a bush until it was decorated with clumps of orange fur.
When his clan saw this, if they bothered to look for him, they would assume him drowned, and that would be that.
-
"This cat has proven his loyalty to us time and time again! There is one ritual left- to let the newcomer choose his new name." Neglect motioned towards Firepaw, who shifted nervously. The whole pack was larger than Rainclan, and every cat was watching him. He had to choose a perfect name, something dangerous but not too deadly; something that had nothing to do with his Rainclan origins.
"Rush," he meowed at last. "My name is Rush." Neglect looked at him and nodded approvingly, then somewhere below the cats began to wail. They didn't accuse him of stealing kits or poisoning elders. They treated him like he was at home, and so he was.
"Rush, wake up," growled a voice. Rush opened his eyes to see Shard hovering over him, feeling a shiver run down his spine as he heard his new name.
"Neglect wants you to start teaching the kits some battle techniques," growled Shard.
Rush's eyes grew wide in surprise. "Surely they're too young?" Icedrop's two kits would not have been made apprentices for at least four moons yet, and Neglect's had just opened their eyes. Shard's were the only ones that were old enough. "Surely... surely there are too many of them?"
"That's how it works in our pack. Kittens begin training as soon as they open their eyes, and the youngest soldiers each get a class of them of about ten or so. The older soldiers, like me, have more important things to do."
-
"This is called the Front Swipe," meowed Rush, whipping out a front paw and scoring his claws against an invisible enemy. "It isn't very useful in a fight, but if you are powerful enough, it could scare your enemy away." Rush swallowed hard, feeling sick. It was the first move Snakesteps had taught him.
In front of him sat seven kits, watching him with innocent eyes full of wonder. The biggest were Fang and Shatter, Shard's kits. Fang was a powerful brown tabby like his father, and Shatter was smaller, more delicate, and cream-colored. She looks like Creamtail, Rush thought with a pang. At least she would if her ear was standing up straight!
The next biggest kits were Icedrop's. They had pack names now, but they somehow still seemed like clan kits. Silverkit's new name was Strike, and Sunkit's was Blaze.
Neglect's three kits were tiny. Their eyes were cloudy, their paws clumsy. The biggest of them wasn't even as tall as Rush's knee. The two black toms were Scourge and Scowl, while a gray she-cat with black patches and icy blue eyes was Freeze. Like Frozenfire, Rush thought, then silently scowled at himself. Everything was reminding him of his former home!
-
"When will I see you again?" Frozenfire asked Liquidgaze, and the black tom purred, his liquid silver eyes soft and amused.
"You refused my proposal to be my mate, Frozenfire," he purred, "But yet you keep coming back. What is wrong with you?" He pushed her playfully with his muzzle, and Frozenfire fell back in the dirt, laughing.
She sat up again, and pain struck her like a blow from a badger. She would have liked to be Liquidgaze's mate, but this was wrong. She had met with the Beachclan warrior on the border of their territories a few times now, and they had always talked the day away. When she was with Liquidgaze, her deputy duties went away, and only her duties to her own feelings remained, but Liquidgaze was in Beachclan! Besides, female deputies didn't have kits.
"You are upset," meowed the Beachclan warrior, his eyes concerned.
"We can't do this," Frozenfire hissed under her breath. She knew that if she looked directly into his eyes she would lose her train of thought, so she fixed her eyes on a beetle crawling over a rock.
"It's okay," meowed Liquidgaze comfortingly. "We're only two cats, having a nice chat."
Frozenfire hoped he was right.
-
Frozenfire was setting up the evening patrol that night, wishing she were back on the Beachclan border. Liquidgaze was so nice to her, and how his eyes sparkled. . .
"Frozenfire!" The deputy reconized the wail of Fawnheart. "Firepaw's gone! He was so upset when the clan started accusing him of such nonsense... and he's gone! He's dead- or worse, and I didn't even defend him in front of the clan! I told some of the other warriors, but they don't care!" Frozenfire's heart pounded even harder. Firepaw had always been so cheerful, but even the happiest of cats could get pushed over the edge when rumors were spread about them.
Snakesteps leapt forward, a strange, uncharacteristically angry look in her golden eyes. "I care," she hissed. "He was my apprentice, so keen to learn! Berryfur and I will go search now." She turned around and nodded to the longhaired black tom that sat behind her, and he nodded back.
"We'll do all we can, Fawnheart," mewed Berryfur, his blue eyes sparkling with sorrow. Then he was gone, Snakesteps following him like a shadow.
They're perfect together.
-
Frozenfire sat with Fawnheart, Orangeblaze, and the apprentices. The young cats had been struck by thier brother's loss, and it looked as though they had given up. Whitepaw was laying on the ground, her head on her forepaws, nose touching the cold snow. Beepaw tried comforting her adopted sister, but Whitepaw did not budge.
Suddenly Snakesteps and Berryfur streaked into camp, and the she-cat yowled in anguish. She stepped up to the cats and dipped her head sadly. "I'm sorry, guys," she meowed, "But he's gone."
Fawnheart whimpered.
"We found traces of him by the river, but none of his scent on the other side. There was a hole in the ice; he must have drowned."
Fawnheart let out a long wail and buried her face in Orangeblaze's fur. Whitepaw pressed her face to the ground and whimpered. Beepaw, Lionpaw, and Nettlepaw huddled together, trying to comfort each other. Berryfur licked Snakesteps's ear. Frozenfire felt sick.
An innocent life had been lost because he had been pushed too far. He would have made a good warrior, and Frozenfire did not believe that he had stolen the kits. There was nothing she could do now but finish sorting patrols.
"Mudsprout can go, and Whitewillow? Take Skydance with you; he needs the exercise." The three cats nodded and walked off, seeming unaffected by the death of Firepaw.
Snakesteps came up to her, her eyes bright despite her grief.
"Snakesteps? Do you want to go on patrol with them?"
"I could," meowed the black warrior, "But that is not what I came to say."
"Well?" Frozenfire was growing impatient.
"I'm expecting kits!"