WarriorsintotheWild
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“Yeah! Look at his orange fur!” mewed the black one. “They say he’s a good hunter,” the tortoiseshell added. “He looks a bit like Lionheart. Do you suppose he’s as good as him?” “I can’t wait to start my training,” mewed the tabby. “I’m going to be the best warrior ThunderClan has ever seen!” Firepaw lifted his chin, feeling proud at the kits’ admiring comments. He followed his two friends into the center of the clearing. “An adder!” Graypaw mewed again, as the apprentices dropped their catch for the other cats to share. “What shall I do with it?” asked Ravenpaw, sniffing the snake’s long body as it lay beside the heap. “Can you eat adders?” asked Graypaw. “Trust you to think of your stomach!” Firepaw joked, butting Graypaw with his head. “Well, I wouldn’t want to eat it,” murmured Ravenpaw. “I mean, my mouth tastes pretty foul after carrying it back.” “Let’s put it on the tree stump, then,” suggested Graypaw, “so that Dustpaw and Sandpaw can see it when they get back.” They each carried a piece of their fresh-kill, and the adder, back to their den. Graypaw carefully placed the adder on the stump, arranging the snake so that it could be seen clearly from all sides. Then they ate. When they had finished they sat close together to groom one another and talk. “I wonder who Bluestar will choose to go to the Gathering?” Firepaw meowed. “It’ll be full moon tomorrow.” “Sandpaw and Dustpaw have been twice already,” replied Graypaw. “Perhaps Bluestar will choose one of us this time,” mewed Firepaw. “After all, we’ve been training for almost three moons now.” “But Sandpaw and Dustpaw are still the eldest apprentices,” Ravenpaw pointed out. Firepaw nodded. “And this Gathering will be an important one. It’ll be the first time the Clans have met since WindClan disappeared. No cat knows what ShadowClan is going to say about it.” Tigerclaw’s low meow interrupted them. “You are right, youngster.” The warrior had strolled up to them unnoticed. “By the way, Firepaw,” he added smoothly, “Bluestar wants to see you.” Firepaw looked up, startled. Why would Bluestar want to see him? “Now—if you can spare the time,” Tigerclaw meowed. Firepaw jumped up immediately and bounded off across the clearing toward Bluestar’s den. Bluestar was sitting outside, her tail flicking restlessly back and forth. When she saw Firepaw she stood up and looked steadily down at him. “Tigerclaw has told me that he saw you talking with a cat from the Twolegplace today,” she meowed quietly.
6/26/2009 3:13 PM