HOME | DD

Description
"Firepaw should've been here," meowed Whitepaw sadly, and Beepaw nodded, still to choked up about her brother's death to say much. It was newleaf now, and Beepaw, Lionpaw, and Whitepaw were getting ready to have their final assessment. If this went well, they would be warriors before the next gathering.
"He was our brother," whispered Whitepaw. "I still can't believe he's gone!"
Beepaw felt a pang. She knew something that her 'sister' did not, and she couldn't stand it any longer. "Whitepaw..." she meowed, having no idea where to begin.
"Have you ever noticed how you and Nettlepaw look kind of like Fawnheart? And... f-Firepaw looked like Orangeblaze? You're obviously their kits, but where do Lionpaw and I come in?" Whitepaw backed up, her blue eyes pained and fearful.
"You.. What are you saying?!"
Beepaw shook her head. How could Whitepaw be upset? Whitepaw was not the one who had been lied to! Whitepaw was not the one who had been born in Dewclan! "What I'm trying to say- and don't repeat this to anyone- is that Lionpaw and I come from somewhere else. I didn't know it until recently, but," she sighed, "We're Dewclan."
Whitepaw licked Beepaw's ear sweetly, taking it better than the tabby apprentice thought she would. "You are loyal to Rainclan, Beepaw, and so is Lionpaw, though she doesn't show it. That's what really counts, and no matter who your parents are, you'll always be my sister. You miss Firepaw as much as I do though you weren't born here. You'll always belong."
-
"Lionpaw, what can you scent?" Dreamstar padded alongside the three she-cat apprentices. They were having a quick patrol to warm up for their assessment. It had been Beepaw's idea.
Lionpaw raised her nose into the air and inhaled deeply. A gust of wind blew her way, ruffling her beautiful golden and white tabby fur. Her amber eyes sparkled, and Beepaw felt a wave of jealousy. She'll get a mate as soon as she becomes a warrior. She's too pretty!
"The river," meowed Lionpaw. Well, duh! "New flowers, fresh Dewclan scent marker, and mouse," she recited promptly, and Dreamstar nodded. Beepaw closed her eyes, concentrating on the scent. Her sister had been right, but there was something else...
"Rouge!" she hissed, her green eyes flickering open, her claws unsheathing and fur rising all at once. Whitepaw and Dreamstar sniffed the air and looked alarmed. Lionpaw looked confused.
The bushes beside the river rustled, and out stepped a tomcat. He was a dark brown tabby with a black underbelly and legs. His icy blue eyes were set in a patch of black fur on his face. It made him look like he was wearing a mask. He was a young, strong tomcat, and though he was small for his age and outnumbered, he looked like he could win a fight against the clan cats. His eyes darted warily towards Dreamstar and the apprentices. Beepaw saw an open threat in his eyes.
He walked right past the clan cats as if they didn't even exist, flicking his tail as he went.
As if he had called her, a she-cat stepped out of the bushes. She was a soft gray tabby; nowhere near as magnificent as the tom. Her eyes were of a sea-foam green, and her belly was plump with unborn kits. She too gave strange looks to Dreamstar and the others, but hers were fearful, not threatening.
Beepaw watched as Dreamstar flicked his tail and rose to his paws. He paced toward the cats, and the apprentices quickly followed. Who are they? wondered Beepaw. They're too scarred up to be kittypets, but the female is too plump to be a rouge or loner, even with kits.
"Excuse me," meowed Dreamstar, standing before the tom. Lionpaw was by his side, Beepaw on the other, and Whitepaw next to her. "I am not sure if you are aware, but our territory starts on this side of the river. Once you set paw on these grounds you are considered invaders. If you do not turn back, we will have to chase you out." Dreamstar's voice was polite, but there was a threat in it too, as there should be.
The she-cat whimpered but said nothing. She got lower to the ground in a submissive posture, worried that the clan cats might hurt her. The tom kept walking as though Dreamstar did not exist. Dreamstar's claws unsheathed and his fur rose, but before he got a chance to do anything, the she-cat collapsed, revealing a long wound from her neck to her chest. Great Starclan, what happened?! We didn't even touch her! Help her, whoever she is!
Beepaw rushed to the she-cat's side, only half afraid that Dreamstar would tell her to keep back. She glanced over her shoulder, relieved to see Dreamstar and Whitepaw following her. Lionpaw remained in front of the tom, though he wasn't even looking at her. He was looking at the leader and two apprentices, his blue eyes finally showing a hint of emotion.
Beepaw's heart raced. This looked bad! The wound looked like it had been a part of an older injury that hadn't healed right, reopened now because of stress she had put on it while crossing the river. Do something, Dreamstar!
As if he'd heard her thoughts, her clan leader looked at the tom. "We have healing herbs back at our camp," he meowed. "We can take care of her and get you something to eat. You are welcome to come if you wish it."
The tom stared at him, then nodded. "Fix her," he growled, "And then we will be on our way."
-
"How's she doing?" Beepaw asked, walking into the medicine cat den for the fifth time since midnight. The cat's wound had been cleaned out, but she was still unconscious. Heartsong hadn't taken her eyes away from her new patient, but Nettlepaw was now resting in his nest a few tail-lengths away from the commotion.
"No better," he meowed. "Poor thing. She's fairly young and expecting kits, too! If this hadn't happened to her, she probably would have kitted right after Snakesteps. Which reminds me- I've got to take some borage to her. . ." The tan and white apprentice rose to his paws and sleepily walked towards his herb store.
"Oh, that's okay," meowed Beepaw, leading her adoptive brother back to his nest. "Berryfur already did it with Fogstorm's help."
"Kay," meowed Nettlepaw, lying down again. "And what about your ceremony? Your assessment was to be after the patrol, right?"
"Right," Beepaw mewed, but she shook her head. "It's okay. I don't mind waiting; I just want this cat to live." Please, Starclan let her be okay!
Nettlepaw nodded. "The whole clan hopes so, though we don't know who they are. Has the tom not given us any clues yet?"
"No, not yet." The strange tomcat had been as silent as a rock!
-
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet below the highstone for a clan meeting!"
Beepaw's fur prickled. It was the next morning, the she-cat had made it through the night, the tom hadn't ran away, and Beepaw was having her apprentice ceremony!
"I, Dreamstar, leader of Rainclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They've trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Do you three promise to protect the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do!" they all shouted, and Beepaw almost laughed, for they had said it at the exact same time.
"Then, Lionpaw, I name you Lionflight. Starclan honors your bravery. Welcome, my warrior." He touched his muzzle to her head.
"Whitepaw, by the name of Starclan, your new name is Whitedream. Starclan honors your honesty and trustworthiness, and we welcome you as a full warrior."
"Beepaw, you will now be known as Beestripes."

Description
"Firepaw should've been here," meowed Whitepaw sadly, and Beepaw nodded, still to choked up about her brother's death to say much. It was newleaf now, and Beepaw, Lionpaw, and Whitepaw were getting ready to have their final assessment. If this went well, they would be warriors before the next gathering.
"He was our brother," whispered Whitepaw. "I still can't believe he's gone!"
Beepaw felt a pang. She knew something that her 'sister' did not, and she couldn't stand it any longer. "Whitepaw..." she meowed, having no idea where to begin.
"Have you ever noticed how you and Nettlepaw look kind of like Fawnheart? And... f-Firepaw looked like Orangeblaze? You're obviously their kits, but where do Lionpaw and I come in?" Whitepaw backed up, her blue eyes pained and fearful.
"You.. What are you saying?!"
Beepaw shook her head. How could Whitepaw be upset? Whitepaw was not the one who had been lied to! Whitepaw was not the one who had been born in Dewclan! "What I'm trying to say- and don't repeat this to anyone- is that Lionpaw and I come from somewhere else. I didn't know it until recently, but," she sighed, "We're Dewclan."
Whitepaw licked Beepaw's ear sweetly, taking it better than the tabby apprentice thought she would. "You are loyal to Rainclan, Beepaw, and so is Lionpaw, though she doesn't show it. That's what really counts, and no matter who your parents are, you'll always be my sister. You miss Firepaw as much as I do though you weren't born here. You'll always belong."
-
"Lionpaw, what can you scent?" Dreamstar padded alongside the three she-cat apprentices. They were having a quick patrol to warm up for their assessment. It had been Beepaw's idea.
Lionpaw raised her nose into the air and inhaled deeply. A gust of wind blew her way, ruffling her beautiful golden and white tabby fur. Her amber eyes sparkled, and Beepaw felt a wave of jealousy. She'll get a mate as soon as she becomes a warrior. She's too pretty!
"The river," meowed Lionpaw. Well, duh! "New flowers, fresh Dewclan scent marker, and mouse," she recited promptly, and Dreamstar nodded. Beepaw closed her eyes, concentrating on the scent. Her sister had been right, but there was something else...
"Rouge!" she hissed, her green eyes flickering open, her claws unsheathing and fur rising all at once. Whitepaw and Dreamstar sniffed the air and looked alarmed. Lionpaw looked confused.
The bushes beside the river rustled, and out stepped a tomcat. He was a dark brown tabby with a black underbelly and legs. His icy blue eyes were set in a patch of black fur on his face. It made him look like he was wearing a mask. He was a young, strong tomcat, and though he was small for his age and outnumbered, he looked like he could win a fight against the clan cats. His eyes darted warily towards Dreamstar and the apprentices. Beepaw saw an open threat in his eyes.
He walked right past the clan cats as if they didn't even exist, flicking his tail as he went.
As if he had called her, a she-cat stepped out of the bushes. She was a soft gray tabby; nowhere near as magnificent as the tom. Her eyes were of a sea-foam green, and her belly was plump with unborn kits. She too gave strange looks to Dreamstar and the others, but hers were fearful, not threatening.
Beepaw watched as Dreamstar flicked his tail and rose to his paws. He paced toward the cats, and the apprentices quickly followed. Who are they? wondered Beepaw. They're too scarred up to be kittypets, but the female is too plump to be a rouge or loner, even with kits.
"Excuse me," meowed Dreamstar, standing before the tom. Lionpaw was by his side, Beepaw on the other, and Whitepaw next to her. "I am not sure if you are aware, but our territory starts on this side of the river. Once you set paw on these grounds you are considered invaders. If you do not turn back, we will have to chase you out." Dreamstar's voice was polite, but there was a threat in it too, as there should be.
The she-cat whimpered but said nothing. She got lower to the ground in a submissive posture, worried that the clan cats might hurt her. The tom kept walking as though Dreamstar did not exist. Dreamstar's claws unsheathed and his fur rose, but before he got a chance to do anything, the she-cat collapsed, revealing a long wound from her neck to her chest. Great Starclan, what happened?! We didn't even touch her! Help her, whoever she is!
Beepaw rushed to the she-cat's side, only half afraid that Dreamstar would tell her to keep back. She glanced over her shoulder, relieved to see Dreamstar and Whitepaw following her. Lionpaw remained in front of the tom, though he wasn't even looking at her. He was looking at the leader and two apprentices, his blue eyes finally showing a hint of emotion.
Beepaw's heart raced. This looked bad! The wound looked like it had been a part of an older injury that hadn't healed right, reopened now because of stress she had put on it while crossing the river. Do something, Dreamstar!
As if he'd heard her thoughts, her clan leader looked at the tom. "We have healing herbs back at our camp," he meowed. "We can take care of her and get you something to eat. You are welcome to come if you wish it."
The tom stared at him, then nodded. "Fix her," he growled, "And then we will be on our way."
-
"How's she doing?" Beepaw asked, walking into the medicine cat den for the fifth time since midnight. The cat's wound had been cleaned out, but she was still unconscious. Heartsong hadn't taken her eyes away from her new patient, but Nettlepaw was now resting in his nest a few tail-lengths away from the commotion.
"No better," he meowed. "Poor thing. She's fairly young and expecting kits, too! If this hadn't happened to her, she probably would have kitted right after Snakesteps. Which reminds me- I've got to take some borage to her. . ." The tan and white apprentice rose to his paws and sleepily walked towards his herb store.
"Oh, that's okay," meowed Beepaw, leading her adoptive brother back to his nest. "Berryfur already did it with Fogstorm's help."
"Kay," meowed Nettlepaw, lying down again. "And what about your ceremony? Your assessment was to be after the patrol, right?"
"Right," Beepaw mewed, but she shook her head. "It's okay. I don't mind waiting; I just want this cat to live." Please, Starclan let her be okay!
Nettlepaw nodded. "The whole clan hopes so, though we don't know who they are. Has the tom not given us any clues yet?"
"No, not yet." The strange tomcat had been as silent as a rock!
-
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet below the highstone for a clan meeting!"
Beepaw's fur prickled. It was the next morning, the she-cat had made it through the night, the tom hadn't ran away, and Beepaw was having her apprentice ceremony!
"I, Dreamstar, leader of Rainclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They've trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Do you three promise to protect the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do!" they all shouted, and Beepaw almost laughed, for they had said it at the exact same time.
"Then, Lionpaw, I name you Lionflight. Starclan honors your bravery. Welcome, my warrior." He touched his muzzle to her head.
"Whitepaw, by the name of Starclan, your new name is Whitedream. Starclan honors your honesty and trustworthiness, and we welcome you as a full warrior."
"Beepaw, you will now be known as Beestripes."