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Chapter 6. Bloodclan's apprentice

Shadowpool turned to see Scarheart. Scarheart purred happily to her and they padded away from Scourge's den. Shadowpool glanced Scourge defiantly. He glanced at her back and disappeared inside his den. " Stupid furball. ", Shadowpool thought. " Without Scarheart I could never be an elite warrior. Fortunately she made Scourge change his mind and let me train. " But Shadowpool was still happy and grateful that Scourge let her become an apprentice. Shadowpool padded away from Scarheart and Scourge's alley.
" See you soon! ", Scarheart mewed after Shadowpool. " Bye! ", she answered and sprinted away.

When Shadowpool arrived at her den it was already night. The sun had almost completely disappeared and the moon shone dimly behind clouds. Shadowpool curled up in her nest and enjoyed the beautiful night. She was truly happy and excited about her future but one thing bothered her. " Why is Scourge the way he is? How did he become so cold and harsh cat? ", Shadowpool thought. When she saw Scourge's gaze she didn't see just coldness. In his eyes were other emotions too. Maybe sadness? Or insecurity? Shadowpool wasn't sure but she knew that Scourge was more than just a cold and fearsome cat. Shadowpool felt sleepy after the long and busy day. Soon she fell asleep to a deep and peaceful sleep.

It was early morning when Shadowpool woke up. Her breath froze in cold air as she got up stretching. The sky was clear and hoarfrost covered the trees and bushes. When Shadowpool saw the rising sun she remembered what Scourge said to her yesterday. " You can train to become an elite warrior. " Scourge's words echoed inside her head. She sprinted quickly to the streets and turned towards Scourge's alley. When she arrived at Scourge's alley she slowed down to walk and padded to Scarheart's nest. Scarheart was already awake and was eating a chicken leg. " Good morning ", Shadowpool mewed and sat down. " Greetings. Why are you awake this early? ", Scarheart asked. " I'm going to be an apprentice today! Don't you remember? ", Shadowpool mewed. " Sorry, I forgot. Do you want a piece of my food? I bet you're hungry. ", Scarheart asked. " Thank you. I'm really hungry! ", Shadowpool said and took a bite from Scarheart's food. They ate their food and watched as Scourge's warriors woke up one by one. Shadowpool saw as Scourge padded towards her. " Shadowpool! You came early. Come with me so I can give you a collar. ", he mewed to Shadowpool. She got up and followed Scourge to his den. As Shadowpool waited outside the den Scourge picked a collar for her. The collar that Scourge gave to her was a gray-blue collar. " Here you are. Go back to Scarheart and wait for others to come. ", Scourge commanded. " Thank you. How many other apprentices are coming? ", Shadowpool asked curiously. " Three or four, I think. They should come anytime soon. ", he answered and jumped on his den's roof. Shadowpool padded to Scarheart's den proud of her new blue collar.
" That collar suits you very well! ", Scarheart mewed. " I like it too! ", Shadowpool mewed enthusiastically and sat down. They talked excitedly about Shadowpool's apprenticeship until they were interrupted by a group of cats. Four young cats with nervous looks on their faces padded slowly towards Scourge's den. Bone came after them with happiness in his eyes. " I've never seen Bone looking that happy. ", Scarheart mewed and glanced towards him. " Yeah, It's weird that he's that happy. What has happened? ", Shadowpool mewed curiously. " Maybe some of those young cats are his kits. ", Scarheart guessed.
Shadowpool got up quickly and said: " Scourge is waiting. I should go now. " She padded after Bone and sat near the four young cats. They whispered and muttered excitedly as they waited for Scourge to come. Shadowpool was nervous when she thought about those cats. She wanted to believe that she could be friends with those cats but memories about Wolfpelt haunted her mind. Wolfpelt. The cat who scarred her both physically and mentally. What if those cats were like her? " No. I don't want to think about her right now. I should be happy that she's no more part of my life. ", Shadowpool thought and shook her head to chase away her bad thoughts.

When Scourge came out of his den the young cats quieted down. Some of his older warriors sat near him as he glanced at his new apprentices. " Greetings, young cats. You wanted to become elite warriors, right? Have any of you changed your mind? You now have the last chance to turn back. ", Scourge mewed calmly. Everyone seemingly wanted to become elite warriors so Scourge continued: " I have chosen mentors for you. When I have told you who your mentor will be, come here and sit beside them. Understood? ", he commanded.
Then Scourge gave everyone a mentor. He chose Brick to be Shadowpool and Iron's mentor. Iron was a large, light gray tom with orange eyes. Shadowpool padded nervously besides him to Brick and sat down.
" Now, when everyone has a mentor I will tell you the rules that apply to all elite warriors, including you. Rule number one: All elite warriors make sure that intruders stay away from Bloodclan's territory. Rule number two: Only close relatives and friends are the ones to live and share food with. Everyone else fends for themselves. And rule number three: Show respect to the highest ranking warriors. I will not tolerate headstrong and disrespectful cats here. If you don't obey Bloodclan's rules you will be punished. ", Scourge explained with a serious look in his eyes. " Training begins today. Your mentors will tell you what to do. "

" Follow me. I will show you Bloodclan's borders. After it we will train some fighting moves. ", Brick mewed and padded out from Scourge's alley. Iron and Shadowpool followed her. While walking on the streets Brick asked many things from Shadowpool and Iron. Iron and Shadowpool told her about their families, friends and many other things. When listening to Iron Shadowpool found out that he was Bone's son and it surprised her. Would a cat like Bone have mate and kits? Bone seemed to be always so cold and grumpy, even more grumpy than Scourge. " But maybe he had a softer side too. ", Shadowpool thought.
" I have heard that you lived in Shadowclan before joining Bloodclan. Are you a clan cat? ", Brick asked Shadowpool. " I lived in Shadowclan for a couple of moons but I haven't been born as a clan cat. I was born as a rogue. ", Shadowpool explained. " That's interesting. Why didn't you stay in Shadowclan? ", Brick asked.
" Life was horrible in Shadowclan so I came to Twolegplace hoping to get a better life. ", Shadowpool answered. Brick listened interested when Iron and Shadowpool told her about their lives.

When Brick and her apprentices had circled Bloodclan's borders they stopped at a small green area near Scourge's alley to train fighting. It was already over midday and the sun shone brightly on the cloudless sky. Temperatures had risen and the little layer of snow that covered the ground started melting. Shadowpool and Iron listened carefully as Brick explained to them what to do.
" We will practice using front paws for fighting today. ", Brick said and showed her apprentices some moves. Shadowpool and Iron imitated her moves and practiced them together.
An hour had passed when Brick told them to stop. " You have practiced those moves enough today. You can spar a little before going back to your own dens. " Do you want to spar? ", Iron asked Shadowpool. " Of course I want to. ", she mewed. Sparring was fun and Shadowpool hadn't sparred in a long time.
Iron and Shadowpool started to circle each other. Shadowpool sprinted towards Iron and tackled him to the ground. Iron kicked her off of him and grabbed her front paw. Shadowpool struggled hard to get him off of her. Iron was strong and didn't let go very easily but Shadowpool was more experienced than him. Shadowpool hit him hard to the neck forcing him to let her go. Iron tried to tackle her but she was faster. She pinned him to the ground and kicked him with her hind legs. They struggled a while on the ground until Brick told them to stop. " That was a great fight! Well done both of you. Hunt something for yourselves and then come back to Scourge's alley. ", Brick commanded and padded away leaving her apprentices alone. " You're a great fighter! Where did you learn all those cool moves!? ", Iron mewed enthusiastically. '' In the forest's clans they teach all the young cats how to fight. You did well too. Has somebody taught you? ", Shadowpool asked as they started to pad towards Scourge's alley.
" Yes. Bone sometimes taught me and my sister Blue when we were kits. ", Iron told.
" Where is your sister now? Is she in Bloodclan? ", Shadowpool asked thoughtfully.
" As kittens we were kittypets. I joined Bloodclan but my sister wanted to stay with her mother and twolegs. Bone often visited us when we were small. ", Iron told.
" Are you hungry? We could hunt something together. ", Shadowpool asked.
" That would be nice! Let's hunt. ", Iron mewed.
They hunted in a bushy green area near Shadowpool's nest. They found a half- eaten steak and an old, dying rat. As they padded to Scourge's alley many things came to Shadowpool's mind. " My prejudices about Iron and Brick were totally false. They're nice and don't seem like Wolfpelt in any way. " Shadowpool thought happily. Her legs were sore after the long walk and training so after eating she would take a long nap.

Description
Chapter 6. Bloodclan's apprentice

Shadowpool turned to see Scarheart. Scarheart purred happily to her and they padded away from Scourge's den. Shadowpool glanced Scourge defiantly. He glanced at her back and disappeared inside his den. " Stupid furball. ", Shadowpool thought. " Without Scarheart I could never be an elite warrior. Fortunately she made Scourge change his mind and let me train. " But Shadowpool was still happy and grateful that Scourge let her become an apprentice. Shadowpool padded away from Scarheart and Scourge's alley.
" See you soon! ", Scarheart mewed after Shadowpool. " Bye! ", she answered and sprinted away.

When Shadowpool arrived at her den it was already night. The sun had almost completely disappeared and the moon shone dimly behind clouds. Shadowpool curled up in her nest and enjoyed the beautiful night. She was truly happy and excited about her future but one thing bothered her. " Why is Scourge the way he is? How did he become so cold and harsh cat? ", Shadowpool thought. When she saw Scourge's gaze she didn't see just coldness. In his eyes were other emotions too. Maybe sadness? Or insecurity? Shadowpool wasn't sure but she knew that Scourge was more than just a cold and fearsome cat. Shadowpool felt sleepy after the long and busy day. Soon she fell asleep to a deep and peaceful sleep.

It was early morning when Shadowpool woke up. Her breath froze in cold air as she got up stretching. The sky was clear and hoarfrost covered the trees and bushes. When Shadowpool saw the rising sun she remembered what Scourge said to her yesterday. " You can train to become an elite warrior. " Scourge's words echoed inside her head. She sprinted quickly to the streets and turned towards Scourge's alley. When she arrived at Scourge's alley she slowed down to walk and padded to Scarheart's nest. Scarheart was already awake and was eating a chicken leg. " Good morning ", Shadowpool mewed and sat down. " Greetings. Why are you awake this early? ", Scarheart asked. " I'm going to be an apprentice today! Don't you remember? ", Shadowpool mewed. " Sorry, I forgot. Do you want a piece of my food? I bet you're hungry. ", Scarheart asked. " Thank you. I'm really hungry! ", Shadowpool said and took a bite from Scarheart's food. They ate their food and watched as Scourge's warriors woke up one by one. Shadowpool saw as Scourge padded towards her. " Shadowpool! You came early. Come with me so I can give you a collar. ", he mewed to Shadowpool. She got up and followed Scourge to his den. As Shadowpool waited outside the den Scourge picked a collar for her. The collar that Scourge gave to her was a gray-blue collar. " Here you are. Go back to Scarheart and wait for others to come. ", Scourge commanded. " Thank you. How many other apprentices are coming? ", Shadowpool asked curiously. " Three or four, I think. They should come anytime soon. ", he answered and jumped on his den's roof. Shadowpool padded to Scarheart's den proud of her new blue collar.
" That collar suits you very well! ", Scarheart mewed. " I like it too! ", Shadowpool mewed enthusiastically and sat down. They talked excitedly about Shadowpool's apprenticeship until they were interrupted by a group of cats. Four young cats with nervous looks on their faces padded slowly towards Scourge's den. Bone came after them with happiness in his eyes. " I've never seen Bone looking that happy. ", Scarheart mewed and glanced towards him. " Yeah, It's weird that he's that happy. What has happened? ", Shadowpool mewed curiously. " Maybe some of those young cats are his kits. ", Scarheart guessed.
Shadowpool got up quickly and said: " Scourge is waiting. I should go now. " She padded after Bone and sat near the four young cats. They whispered and muttered excitedly as they waited for Scourge to come. Shadowpool was nervous when she thought about those cats. She wanted to believe that she could be friends with those cats but memories about Wolfpelt haunted her mind. Wolfpelt. The cat who scarred her both physically and mentally. What if those cats were like her? " No. I don't want to think about her right now. I should be happy that she's no more part of my life. ", Shadowpool thought and shook her head to chase away her bad thoughts.

When Scourge came out of his den the young cats quieted down. Some of his older warriors sat near him as he glanced at his new apprentices. " Greetings, young cats. You wanted to become elite warriors, right? Have any of you changed your mind? You now have the last chance to turn back. ", Scourge mewed calmly. Everyone seemingly wanted to become elite warriors so Scourge continued: " I have chosen mentors for you. When I have told you who your mentor will be, come here and sit beside them. Understood? ", he commanded.
Then Scourge gave everyone a mentor. He chose Brick to be Shadowpool and Iron's mentor. Iron was a large, light gray tom with orange eyes. Shadowpool padded nervously besides him to Brick and sat down.
" Now, when everyone has a mentor I will tell you the rules that apply to all elite warriors, including you. Rule number one: All elite warriors make sure that intruders stay away from Bloodclan's territory. Rule number two: Only close relatives and friends are the ones to live and share food with. Everyone else fends for themselves. And rule number three: Show respect to the highest ranking warriors. I will not tolerate headstrong and disrespectful cats here. If you don't obey Bloodclan's rules you will be punished. ", Scourge explained with a serious look in his eyes. " Training begins today. Your mentors will tell you what to do. "

" Follow me. I will show you Bloodclan's borders. After it we will train some fighting moves. ", Brick mewed and padded out from Scourge's alley. Iron and Shadowpool followed her. While walking on the streets Brick asked many things from Shadowpool and Iron. Iron and Shadowpool told her about their families, friends and many other things. When listening to Iron Shadowpool found out that he was Bone's son and it surprised her. Would a cat like Bone have mate and kits? Bone seemed to be always so cold and grumpy, even more grumpy than Scourge. " But maybe he had a softer side too. ", Shadowpool thought.
" I have heard that you lived in Shadowclan before joining Bloodclan. Are you a clan cat? ", Brick asked Shadowpool. " I lived in Shadowclan for a couple of moons but I haven't been born as a clan cat. I was born as a rogue. ", Shadowpool explained. " That's interesting. Why didn't you stay in Shadowclan? ", Brick asked.
" Life was horrible in Shadowclan so I came to Twolegplace hoping to get a better life. ", Shadowpool answered. Brick listened interested when Iron and Shadowpool told her about their lives.

When Brick and her apprentices had circled Bloodclan's borders they stopped at a small green area near Scourge's alley to train fighting. It was already over midday and the sun shone brightly on the cloudless sky. Temperatures had risen and the little layer of snow that covered the ground started melting. Shadowpool and Iron listened carefully as Brick explained to them what to do.
" We will practice using front paws for fighting today. ", Brick said and showed her apprentices some moves. Shadowpool and Iron imitated her moves and practiced them together.
An hour had passed when Brick told them to stop. " You have practiced those moves enough today. You can spar a little before going back to your own dens. " Do you want to spar? ", Iron asked Shadowpool. " Of course I want to. ", she mewed. Sparring was fun and Shadowpool hadn't sparred in a long time.
Iron and Shadowpool started to circle each other. Shadowpool sprinted towards Iron and tackled him to the ground. Iron kicked her off of him and grabbed her front paw. Shadowpool struggled hard to get him off of her. Iron was strong and didn't let go very easily but Shadowpool was more experienced than him. Shadowpool hit him hard to the neck forcing him to let her go. Iron tried to tackle her but she was faster. She pinned him to the ground and kicked him with her hind legs. They struggled a while on the ground until Brick told them to stop. " That was a great fight! Well done both of you. Hunt something for yourselves and then come back to Scourge's alley. ", Brick commanded and padded away leaving her apprentices alone. " You're a great fighter! Where did you learn all those cool moves!? ", Iron mewed enthusiastically. '' In the forest's clans they teach all the young cats how to fight. You did well too. Has somebody taught you? ", Shadowpool asked as they started to pad towards Scourge's alley.
" Yes. Bone sometimes taught me and my sister Blue when we were kits. ", Iron told.
" Where is your sister now? Is she in Bloodclan? ", Shadowpool asked thoughtfully.
" As kittens we were kittypets. I joined Bloodclan but my sister wanted to stay with her mother and twolegs. Bone often visited us when we were small. ", Iron told.
" Are you hungry? We could hunt something together. ", Shadowpool asked.
" That would be nice! Let's hunt. ", Iron mewed.
They hunted in a bushy green area near Shadowpool's nest. They found a half- eaten steak and an old, dying rat. As they padded to Scourge's alley many things came to Shadowpool's mind. " My prejudices about Iron and Brick were totally false. They're nice and don't seem like Wolfpelt in any way. " Shadowpool thought happily. Her legs were sore after the long walk and training so after eating she would take a long nap.