Chapter Six- Part Three

Anger rose in Acornpaw until he couldn’t stand it. He didn’t need any half-siblings in the Clan with him! Acornpaw had always been the only kit in his litter..... the only kit Dovecry had. And now this?

Gruffly, without love, Acornpaw snatched up the wiggly pair in his jaws. They were still wet, fresh to the world- how disgusting!
As the other three gazed at Hazelstar, he sneaked to the far side of the moor and threw them out of Clan territory. They’d die in the distance out there after moving further the other way. Then Acornpaw ran away from his terrible actions, away from the little pale ginger tom-kit, away from his whiny gray-and-white sister that looked identical to their mother.

Dovecry always wanted a daughter anyway, Acornpaw thought to himself. They’ll reunite in StarClan.

His lungs were screaming for air by the time he arrived back at the area. Acornpaw tried to hold back his gasps as Pebblefur comforted him. “It must be a terrible loss,” murmured the tabby. “I- I couldn’t imagine how I’d feel if I lost Beesting and Quailflight so... so suddenly like that,” he continued in a stammer.

Acornpaw nodded, sobbing and shuddering with pain and sadness. How come the older cat doesn’t have at least a sick parent yet?

***

Acornpaw’s life was not done being tragic yet. When the patrol came back to camp, ShadowClan was attacking.

Pebblefur released a battle cry just after settling the bodies in a shelter at the side of the bloody clearing.

Acornpaw shivered like a coward. Now he was old enough to fight, but his kit memory of dislocating his shoulder haunted him. ThunderClan blood still stains the packed earth in this expanse, Acornpaw thought. Now ShadowClan must come, too? Then RiverClan, and SkyClan....

“Too scared to battle, youngling?” spat a nasty voice that belonged to a ShadowClan warrior. Acornpaw cringed away from him.

“Who, who.... who are you?” he asked with a shiver.

The stranger’s eyes lit up. “Oakleaf’s mate,” he hissed. “True mate. And if she took on another one....” His voice trailed off as the dark cat walked away.

Acornpaw pushed back farther into the bush he found himself in. Remembrance struck him harshly that Oakleaf had fled from ShadowClan to be with two of her friends, Daisytail and Hawkfoot, in WindClan. She planned to retire very early and become an elder when she fell in love with Webbedpelt and had Morningkit.

As names and faces ran through Acornpaw’s mind, he wondered if this war was only to reclaim Oakleaf. An attack over a cat? Never heard of it.

Just then, a great pain seared his right flank. A ShadowClan cat was advancing on him!

Acornpaw kicked out his back legs, achingly recalling his mother doing just this to a ThunderClan tom.

The ShadowClan cat screeched and choked in surprise. It reared backward; Acornpaw got a chance to lean forward and inspect the cat.

It was small, probably a new apprentice, snarling at him. “Oakleaf belongs in ShadowClan!” the young cat derided fiercely.

“Are you her kit?” Acornpaw questioned only slightly fearfully.

Chapter Six- Part Two

“How about here?” Just then Pebblefur stopped and glanced down at Acornpaw. “Let’s see if we can spot any rabbits at this location.”

They had settled on a small clearing in the big moor with lots of bushes and brush. Acornpaw knew that all these plants made great hiding places for cowering rabbits.

The other three cats on the patrol calmed down, and Acornpaw dropped into the best hunting crouch ever done. Not even a rustle could be heard coming from any cat behind him.

Carefully Acornpaw edged forward, keeping his eyes locked on a bristly prickle bush in which he had seen a swish among the thorny branches.

It was almost perfect- no brittle stalks of bracken, no pine sticks- even the dead leaves had disappeared. Acornpaw tightened every one of his muscles as he neared the bush. He prepared to pounce...

SNAP! A loud noise emerged from under Acornpaw’s foot as he leaped, dislodging from the ground, disconnecting with the earth.

Acornpaw dove into the shrubs, madly searching for soft tawny fur that belonged to a rabbit. His claws dug into the first warm and furry thing he found, which was his own tail.

Holding back a yowl of pain, the brown tom pushed forward, ignoring the brambles that bit at his legs like an attacking warrior.

There had to be a rabbit somewhere! No, have I scared them all away until the next Gathering?

All of a sudden, Acornpaw froze. And he listened. A tiny little rustling could be heard barely ahead of him. He inched forward, feeling fur being pulled away by the sharp, thorny limbs. A rabbit, oh yes, a rabbit!

Excitement surged through Acornpaw as fastened his claws into a real, true rabbit. For a heartbeat he didn’t know what he was supposed to do with it, but then he recalled an example from Pebblefur.

Acornpaw killed his prey with a sharp swipe to the neck- he wasn’t quite ready for the tooth-kill yet. But he had done it!

“I did it!” announced Acornpaw proudly as he pranced out of the bush. Thorns decorated his fur and many patches of pink skin intruded through his light brown pelt. He may have labored a great mess, but Acornpaw had accomplished his achievement, his goal.

However, Pebblefur, Swiftsprint, or not even Fastpaw congratulated him. Not a tail flick came from them.

That was because the trio was staring at two dead bodies. One gray-and-white and the other ginger.

As if I couldn’t guess, thought Acornpaw, abandoning his rabbit and rushing over to see.

***

Dovecry’s still form stared up at the sky blankly as Acornpaw trudged up.

“How could this be?” murmured Pebblefur in astonishment. Swiftsprint shrugged with a frown on his face and Fastpaw looked on in horror.

A saddening ache swelled in Acornpaw’s chest. He was young to have lost both parents. His father as a kit, and now his mother as an apprentice....

Ducking his head, Acornpaw sniffed, devastated, and forced himself to glance up once more. Beside Dovecry, Hazelstar was stiff and frozen. Blood still spilled around his neck, making Acornpaw shiver. Who murdered him?

While the other three examined their leader in awe, Acornpaw noticed two squirming bundles mewling at his mother’s belly. Dovecry and Hazelstar had had kits!

Chapter Six- Part One

The next moon Acornpaw worked hard in his training. He was determined to become a warrior as soon as possible, because, as he believed, the sooner the better.

By the time he was a complete, solid seven and a half moons, Acornpaw had already mastered the hunting crouch and two battle moves. Pebblefur was a great mentor, although at times the brown apprentice still pondered of an alternation of Thornpad being his trainer.

However, something was still incomplete- and that was Acornpaw catching his first rabbit. It was what every young cat dreamed of, and Cloverpaw and Gorsepaw telling him their proud story of killing rabbit twins made Acornpaw feel even worse.

So, when Feathertickle assigned Acornpaw, the newly-named Fastpaw, and their mentors Pebblefur and Swiftsprint, on a patrol, Acornpaw decided to take charge.

***

Dead leaves crunched under Acornpaw’s paws as he and his Clanmates made their way around the moor.

Pebblefur was growling in annoyance. “These dumb leaves blow over from ThunderClan territory, and it’s not even leaf-fall,” he muttered angrily. “Oh, ThunderClan! I hate them.”

Swiftsprint wrinkled his black nose in distaste of the rival Clan.

Acornpaw tried not to look at  Fastpaw after the warriors’  short, silent conversation ended. Ever since his apprenticeship, Acornpaw and Fastpaw weren’t exactly close anymore.

But now that Fastkit was Fastpaw and Acornpaw’s older denmates would be warriors any day now, Acornpaw knew that’d he’d have to befriend Fastpaw, Littlepaw, Tinypaw, and Smallpaw sometime.

“Hey,” Fastpaw jumped into the discussion sooner than Acornpaw expected he would.

“Hi,” he quietly answered.

Fastpaw pursued. “Catch a rabbit yet?” the gray tom asked.

Acornpaw stiffened. How dare he inquire an older apprentice of their hunting successions? “No,” he mumbled.

The gray apprentice raised his pale eyebrows. “Really?” he questioned again. “Wow. You’re pretty experienced, Acornpaw. I thought you’d get one by now.”

This made the brown tom feel sick. “Yeah.....” Acornpaw swiftly concluded the chat by catching up to his mentor and Swiftsprint, who were talking faintly, as if their enemy was listening for their battle plans.

“.... and he’s focused on hunting down his first rabbit,” Pebblefur was meowing as Acornpaw pulled up. “preferably a small one.”

Swiftsprint only nodded, and Acornpaw was starting to get the impression that the black tomcat didn’t speak much.

Chapter Five- Part Five

***

Acornpaw approached the leader’s den, nervous and frustrated. How could Dovecry do this to him and the late Moorfur? Preposterous!

Murmurings sounded behind the lichen hanging in front of the cave entrance. “H- hello? Can I come in?” Acornpaw asked, stepping closer to the den to hear a reply.

The mutters quieted. Then the cheerful answer of “yes” interrupted the silence.

The brown tom pushed his way through the thick leaves. His heart skipped a beat at what he found inside.

Dovecry and Hazelstar were grooming each other. Hazelstar paused mid-lick and moved his broad head away from the she-cat’s shoulder. Their tails were twined together.

Acornpaw knew this was a clear sign of cat love. “Er, what’s going... on?” inquired the dark-tailed tom.

Hazelstar cleared his throat and responded, much apparently, “Your mother and I have fallen in love, Acornpaw.”

Dovecry bit her lip and added, “He asked me if I wanted to be mates with him, and I accepted.”

It felt as if Acornpaw’s whole world was turned upside down. “But what about Moorfur?” he demanded, whipping his tail angrily.

The two lovebirds exchanged a glance, and then Hazelstar evenly answered back, “Moorfur is in Dovecry’s past.”

Saltwater welled up in Acornpaw’s eyes. He tried to blink it away, but it was hard to believe that his father was being replaced... by the Clan leader!

Quickly Dovecry contributed to her mate’s statement. “I’m sure Moorfur would be flattered that I took on a new mate and didn’t sulk about his death. Please, Acornpaw-”

However, Acornpaw was already leaving the cool cave. He charged back through the lichen, glaring at his unsheathed claws.

Back in Hazelstar’s den, the ginger cat’s comeback to Dovecry’s worried gaze was a simple, “He’ll be used to it before long.”

Anxiety reflected in the gray-patched queen’s eyes. “I hope so.”

***

After an uneasy, unsettled nap, Acornpaw woke up again and marched out of the apprentices’ den. His paws led him to the fresh-kill pile, and Acornpaw realized how hungry he was.

He felt another pelt graze his, and he glanced to his right to see Cloverpaw standing next to him. She was breathing laboriously.

“Want to share this rabbit?” Acornpaw inquired the she-cat.

“Sure!” replied Cloverpaw enthusiastically. “Patrolling the ThunderClan border sure is a lot of work.” She sighed and chuckled at the same time.

Acornpaw lay down and dug into the small prey, savoring the wonderful taste of healthy, nutritious meat.

Cloverpaw ate lightly, and all the while was giggling with excitement.

Smiling slightly, Acornpaw canvassed her why she was laughing.

“I was just wondering if you feel what I feel,” she counterclaimed. “You know..... I kind of like you, Acornpaw. More than a friend, though.”

“What?” he coughed. “You mean you love me?”

Chapter Five- Part Four

“Thanks!” Acornpaw accepted the compliment, brightening up at it. “Now what?”

Pebblefur shook his head, the smile still plastered on his face. “We’re still on the hunting crouch. I want to see you stalk that chunk of onion grass over there.”

Acornpaw shuffled his paws and found himself staring at some long, sickly green moor grass that had been pulled up by an onion-hating warrior. The brown apprentice shrugged. He remembered Hazelstar ordering patrolling warriors to pull out any growing onion bulbs, as a cat could trip over them and get a sprained paw, which wasn’t good in battle.

“Go ahead, sneak up on that bulb like it’s an innocent rabbit kit,” Pebblefur licked his lips hungrily as he said this. “Yum! Speaking of that, hurry so we can get back and eat.”

Grinning to himself, Acornpaw commenced to inch forward. His mentor still had some apprentice in him.

Acornpaw, keeping a sharp eye out for any protruding sticks or leaves that would make noise if stepped on, made his way forward. It’s a rabbit kit, he thought to himself, repeating Pebblefur’s words. It’s a rabbit kit.

Suddenly, crackle! Flinching and cursing under his breath, Acornpaw pushed on. He had placed a wild paw on a dead maple leaf. Stupid leaf!

“Come on, you can do it,” Pebblefur’s encouragements refreshed Acornpaw, and the tomcat was just a paw-step away from the grass before long.

With a sly simper, Acornpaw pounced, feeling the rush of the wind through his fur as he leaped. This is what I was born for!

Acornpaw dug his claws into a blade of thick onion grass as if he were killing it, then jumped back proudly.

Pebblefur’s head bobbed up and down in support. “Wonderful, wonderful,” the gray tabby proclaimed as he trotted up. “By the way, don’t even think about smelling your claws. You’ll need to wash ahead of reentering the camp.”

However, when his mentor turned, Acornpaw cheated a sniff at his thorn-sharp talons and gagged silently. Tangy onion scent engulfed his nose.

As Acornpaw desperately tried to remove the gross odor from his head, Pebblefur apologized. “I’m sorry that I was lazy today. It’s just that I’ve... you know, never been a mentor before. I’ll try to get us on a patrol later, okay?”

Acornpaw nodded in an instinctive reply, but he answered “yes” when he realized that the gray tom, who was ahead of him, wouldn’t catch his signal of acknowledgement.

The two cats padded into the WindClan camp clearing and smiled widely at any passing Clanmates.

Towards the center of the assart, Acornpaw and Pebblefur parted, Pebblefur heading to the fresh-kill pile and Acornpaw to the apprentices’ den.

Poking his head inside, Acornpaw called for Cloverpaw or Gorsepaw, but the den was empty and deserted.

All of a sudden, Acornpaw was lonely. He felt his paws start to walk over to the nursery, but he stopped them quickly. Fastkit and Morningkit were in his past. He was an apprentice now.

Dovecry came to mind, and happily Acornpaw sprinted around the clearing, asking fellow Clan members if they had seen his mother.

Finally the friendly, kit-loving elder Daisytail answered his question and told him that she last glimpsed Dovecry walking into Hazelstar’s den. Acornpaw frowned. Not good at all.

Chapter Five- Part Three

***

The first thing Acornpaw saw the following morning was ginger fur. When he opened his eyes all the way, Acornpaw glimpsed Beesting, Addertooth, and Pebblefur in the den.

Beesting was dragging Cloverpaw out of the den by the scruff of her neck. “Nomph complaints-mph needed-mph!” the sharp-tongued tom growled as he left.

Addertooth was staring after Beesting, surprised, and gently prodded his apprentice, Gorsepaw, awake. The dark brown tabby tom shifted upwards and quickly groomed himself. “Where’s Cloverpaw?” he mumbled, then answering his own question, added, “As if I couldn’t guess... in the jaws of Beesting.” Addertooth nodded and grinned, then led Gorsepaw out.

Acornpaw was already washing himself by the time Pebblefur walked up. “My condolences to Cloverpaw,” he purred, rolling his eyes. “My father was always like that to my sister as well.”

“Hm?” Acornpaw pricked his ears. “Beesting is your dad?”

“Yup,” replied Pebblefur. “Quailflight, Beesting, Cherryfeather, me. That’s my family- feisty, mean, just plain annoying and rude.”

Acornpaw chuckled. “My condolences to you!”

Pebblefur smiled and exited the den with his tail raised high in the air. Once again, as he guided Acornpaw across the clearing, the gray tabby stuck his tongue out at Cherryfeather, who was sharing a dusty rabbit with Specklepatch.

Cherryfeather returned the tongue and then looked back at Specklepatch with a beam.

Pebblefur broke into a sprint, and Acornpaw was panting by the time he reached the older tom’s pace. “Cherryfeather and Specklepatch- the two night patrol friends.” Pebblefur informed Acornpaw.

The gray cat halted and stood catching his breath as he spoke. “Becoming awfully close. I wouldn’t be surprised to see kits sometime in the future.”

Acornpaw inaugurated his mouth to say something, but Pebblefur still continued. “Speaking of kits... your mother appears quite plump. She’s been mooning over Hazelstar lately, hasn’t she?”

Wow, Pebblefur sure likes to gossip. Hopefully it’s just today that he does this... thought Acornpaw.

“Yes, she has,” Acornpaw answered. However, he wanted to train. “What about the first assessment?”

A happy expression spread over Pebblefur’s face like an eagle opening its wings. “Of course, of course. Show me your best hunting crouch,” the tom ordered.

Anxiety poured over Acornpaw. His heart beat faster than usual. “Well, I- er, it’s not perfect yet,” Acornpaw stammered as he crouched down into the worst hunting stance he ever saw or did.

“Nervous?” Pebblefur chortled softly. “I was too, and it made my crouch deformed. But Feathertickle let it pass by, and soon I had it. Act like no other cat is around but you.”

Silently, Acornpaw closed his eyes and relaxed, letting all the muscles in his body go limp. Finally he straightened his position as best as he could, and wiped off the imaginary mud that sealed his eyelids shut with his mind.

“Well done!” praised Pebblefur. “Wow, you really have that down,” the gray tabby carried on. “Almost perfect!”

Those were exactly the words that Acornpaw wanted to hear, and he smiled.

Pebblefur fixed a few awkwardly angled limbs then simpered. “Great job,” he murmured.

Chapter Five- Part Two

Acornpaw’s stomach twisted, and he felt sick. Was there something special going on between Dovecry and Hazelstar?

***

That night, Acornpaw found it difficult to not enter the nursery. His mother stood beside him, sighing sadly. “Well, my acorn, tonight is a strange night for both of us. But now, we must go our separate ways.” With that, Dovecry trudged off to the warriors’ den.

Acornpaw tried to imagine Moorfur meeting her there, but his image of the brown tom faded and in his place was Hazelstar. Oh, StarClan!

“Hey, come on!” a voice startled Acornpaw from his thoughts. The new apprentice’s gaze rose and met with Gorsepaw’s. His sister, Cloverpaw, was right beside him, the white flash on her pink nose shining freshly groomed in the moonlight.

Reluctantly Acornpaw followed them toward the apprentices’ den. One last time that evening he turned and glanced back at the nursery. Fastkit and his siblings-now five moons old- were screwing around just outside. Inside the gorse bush Acornpaw glimpsed Morningkit being washed by her former ShadowClan mother, Oakleaf.

Thornpad was trotting into his den but then saw Acornpaw. With a swift wave of his tail, the tabby disappeared inside the shabby-roofed den.

“Acornpaw!” Cloverpaw called. Suddenly, a burst of energy and happiness flooded Acornpaw, and he raced after the pair into his new den.

He wasn’t a kit anymore. Now he was older. Now was the time for changes to happen.

***

“... and here is where your nest will be,” Gorsepaw finished the tour of the small apprentices’ bush.

Cloverpaw bounced forward, dragging moss along with her. “Our mentors told us to fetch you some moss so you’d be ready to sleep as soon as possible.” The she-cat then added, “Beesting made me look in each piece to ensure there weren’t any prickles or burrs in it.”

Gorsepaw started to snicker. “She actually did that to him once- left a few thorns in his nest!”

Acornpaw smiled. He had nice denmates, and lots of space since there were only three apprentices, including him.

“Thanks a ton,” Acornpaw said. He watched as Gorsepaw and Cloverpaw prepared his nest. Once it was finished, an even wider grin crept onto Acornpaw’s face.

His completed nest looked soft and fluffy, with smooth stones from the stream decorating the perimeter of the area. Better yet, this nest was just Acornpaw’s, and not Dovecry’s. Just mine, thought Acornpaw joyfully.

Gorsepaw nodded to him and Cloverpaw dipped her head. The two curled up on the opposite end of the den and soon were fast asleep.

Acornpaw lay in his nest awhile before sleep came to him. He just pondered over what a difference this was compared to resting in the nursery. More space, that was for sure... just him, and two other cats closer to his age.

No annoying little kits or snoring queens around. Just him, Gorsepaw, and Cloverpaw.