Five Creatures - Chapter Three
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Wolf walked behind his new clan, his steps quick and full of life. He tried his best to keep pace with them as they entered a more forested part of the territory. He was unfamiliar with the terrain but felt determined to keep up with those who so generously took him in.
As he walked down a slope, he was suddenly hit with a wave of new scents, a flood of unfamiliar cats. Wolf slowed his pace the moment he walked through a sharp thorn barrier, looking up and peering around what he presumed to be ThunderClan’s camp.
“Fawngaze, awaken the clan for me,” Squirrelstar, the bright ginger leader of this clan, ordered to a fellow she-cat. Wolf paused in the center of the camp, all of the sudden very aware of the sharp gazes locked on his pelt. He looked over his shoulder to see the large golden tom from before glaring daggers at him.
In mere moments cats of all different ages had walked into the clearing, surrounding Wolf. He felt a swarm of butterflies enter his stomach and he felt very afraid that they would escape his throat at any moment.
Squirrelstar bounded up a small rocky cliff and peered down upon the clan, “As many of you can see, we have brought someone new with us to the clan. This is Wolf. He was part of the loners we’ve been smelling in our territory. He and a group of four others have been searching for a place to live and so each clan has taken in one of those loners. Wolf is only six moons old and so he will become an apprentice of ThunderClan.”
Waves of shocked murmurs echoed around the clan, with some coming closer to Wolf as if to inspect him. “Harescar, for the time being, you shall mentor him until I say otherwise,” Squirrelstar flicked her tail towards a brown tom.
The warrior dipped his head in response, walking over to Wolf and touching his ear gently with his muzzle. Wolf fought back the instinct to shrink away from him.
“Wolf, as an apprentice in ThunderClan, you have sworn yourself to protect and serve your clan and your clan alone. From this moment forward you shall be known as Wolfpaw until you have completed your warrior training and earn your full warrior name,” Squirrelstar continued, her green eyes staring into Wolf’s soul.
“With all due respect Squirrelstar,” Wolf meowed, holding his head higher, “I would like to keep my original name for the time being. It is an honor to be welcomed into this clan and I’m sure that one day it will feel like home to me, but for now, I am an outsider and I know nothing of clan customs. For that reason, I would like to be known as Wolf, and Wolf alone,” the loner responded cooly.
Squirrelstar narrowed her eyes at the young tom and bent forward, “As you wish young one, but should you become a full member of this clan, I will require you to take on a warrior’s name.”
“Thank you,” Wolf said, bowing out of respect.
“That is all for now, all of you are to return to your nests and sleep. Wolf should be treated as one of us, not an outsider,” Squirrelstar finished. The ginger she-cat then disappeared into a small cave which Wolf presumed to be her den.
“You and I can go over the basics of living in a clan tomorrow, for now, go over to the apprentice’s den and sleep. I’m sure you’ve had a long day,” Harescar’s voice was deep and smooth, like a river running over a thick stone.
Wolf nodded and headed off in the direction Harescar had pointed towards. A black-and-white and tan-and-black tom sat outside the bramble covered den. Neither one of them offered any greeting other than the twitch of their ears. Wolf walked into the den and found a small nest at the far corner of the den, unscented by either of the toms who followed him. He curled up, wrapping his thick tail around his nose and taking a deep breath. He was a ThunderClan apprentice now.
Wolf felt a sharp claw prod him in the side. He opened one eye to see the black-and-white tom from last night standing over him, “Training begins at sunrise. I’d advise you to get up.”
Wolf watched as he left and felt a sudden chill of excitement run down his spine. Today was his first day of training! He stretched his long legs out in front of him, feeling the smooth muscles satisfyingly roll into place.
Wolf padded out of his den and saw Harescar sitting near the entrance to the camp. Now in the daylight, Wolf could see a thick scar in his foreleg, the flesh around it pale and pink. “Good morning Wolf, I trust you slept well.”
Wolf nodded in response, looking around the camp. A wave of unfamiliar faces stuck him out of the blue. He truly was an outsider here.
“Today I’ll show you around our territory and explain to you about the Warrior Code,” Harescar began, standing up and flexing his claws into the dirt.
“The Warrior Code?” Wolf asked.
Harescar’s whiskers twitched with amusement, “Follow me.”
Wolf followed after Harescar, trying his best to keep up with the seasoned warrior as they entered back into the woods. Thick oak trees were newly blossoming with life all around them. Bushes carried berries and nuts which brought about a familiar scent of mice in the area. “We can hunt later,” Harescar meowed.
“Now, the Warrior Code,” Harescar paused in his steps, turning to face his new apprentice, “The Warrior Code is what we live our lives by here in the clans. It is a set of sixteen rules we follow, they help keep all of us in check.”
“The first rule is the most obvious, defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from other Clans, but your loyalty must remain to your Clan, as one day you may meet them in battle. I know that you came from a group of loners but know now that those friends of yours chose a different clan, and therefore are your enemies. You can be friendly to them at gatherings, but only at gatherings,” Harescar continued.
“Do we kill our enemies in battle?” Wolf questioned.
“Not unless it is necessary. This is also part of the Warrior Code. Killing is a last resort, understand?” Harescar got closer to his apprentice, stressing this rule.
“I understand. Is it safe to assume that we should not trespass on other clan’s territories as well?”
“You’re keen,” Harescar praised. The brown warrior began walking again, leading Wolf to the edge of ThunderClan territory, “We do not trespass or hunt on anyone else’s territory. Only a medicine cat can cross over clan boundaries, but only for good reason.”
“Medicine cat?” Wolf’s head felt like it was spinning. The more Harescar talked, the more confused the young cat felt.
“They heal and protect our clan. From the smallest kit to the oldest elder. Which brings me to another part of the Warrior Code: Elders, queens, and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders. But, if any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the elders, queens, and kits are eating.”
“Warriors are fully trained members of the clan and apprentices are the ones in training?”
“Yes. A kit must reach the age of six moons before they can be apprentices and then the leader will decide who will mentor them,” Harescar answered. He paused near a thin dirt path, “Now tell me, what can you smell?”
Wolf opened his mouth to taste the air and shook his head when a foul stench flooded his senses, “Something gross.”
“That is SkyClan’s smell. We are at their border, where their scent will be the strongest,” Harescar explained. “Each clan is known for something in particular. SkyClan warriors are known to be the best jumpers out of all five clans.”
“What are we known for?” Wolf looked across the border but could see nothing but lines and lines of foliage.
“We are known for being the best hunters, keen and quick to strike even in the dense undergrowth,” Harescar puffed up his chest as he spoke.
By the time the pair returned back to the camp, Wolf’s paws felt like they were going to fall off, but he also felt a sense of pride. On their way back from the tour, Harescar had quizzed him on the Warrior Code and he had gotten almost every question right.
Wolf and Harescar walked through the thorn barrier and once again Wolf saw the golden tom looking directly at him. “Harescar, who is that?”
“That is Lionblaze,” Harescar began, waving his tail in greeting to the elder, “He is an elder and has seen many conflicts. Do not count him out because of his age though, he is a formidable fighter and a wise cat. You could learn many things from him.”
As Wolf opened his mouth to ask another question, a she-cat bumped into the pair. She backed away, her spotted tabby pelt shining in the lowering sunlight. “I’m sorry!” She meowed quickly.
“That’s alright Spotfur, where are you headed off to in a hurry?” Harescar asked, licking his chest fur back into place.
“The nursery! Hazelfeather just told me that I’m expecting kits,” the she-cat purred loudly.
“Stormcloud’s kits I presume?” Harescar asked, chuckling.
“Oh yes, he’s very excited,” Spotfur meowed, her tail curled high over her back, “And how’s our newest apprentice?”
“He learns quick,” Harescar said, speaking as though Wolf wasn’t standing there beside him, “He’ll make a fine warrior one day.”
Fine warrior? I’ll be one of the best in the clan! I just have to be! Wolf thought defiantly, flicking his tail.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Spotfur smiled warmly at the young tom.
Wolf sat outside the apprentice’s den, gnawing gently on a mouse. Hunger wasn’t really the first thing on his mind, but Harescar had insisted that he eat something after their tour today. Across the clearing Wolf could see one of his denmates approaching, a sparrow in his mouth.
The tan-and-black tom dropped the bird and looked down at Wolf, “I’m Adderpaw by the way.”
Wolf looked up from his lying position, noticing the sleek form of the other apprentice. “The other one is Badgerpaw,” Adderpaw continued, sitting down next to Wolf. “He’s out battle training with his mentor Blazejaw. He’s a large ginger tom with a black face, you can’t miss him.”
“Who’s your mentor?” Wolf asked absentmindedly.
“Honeyspeck, she’s the spotted ginger she-cat sitting by Fawngaze. She’s our deputy,” Adderpaw meowed as he ripped apart the sparrow. Wolf sneezed as a feather landed on his nose. “Oops, my bad.”
As the moon rose far above the camp, Wolf found himself stir-crazy within his nest. He lifted his head to see his denmates were fast asleep, their chests rising and falling in sync. Wolf stood up carefully and stepped over Badgerpaw, sneaking his way out of the apprentices’ den.
In the clearing, he could only see one cat sitting in the entrance. It was a thick-furred ginger tom. That must be Foxdust, Adderpaw’s father! Wolf realized as he spotted the distinctive white and black markings on the tom.
Wolf snuck closer to the tom, trying to see if he was even awake.
“You’re the new apprentice,” Foxdust observed, “Your stalking technique is a little off.”
Wolf froze in place. Would Foxdust send him back to his nest?
“A little pent up?” Foxdust asked, looking over his shoulder at the black apprentice.
Wolf nodded, swallowing his fear, “Just wanted to go for a walk.”
Foxdust flicked his tail, “Go for it. Just don’t cross any borders.”
Wolf shot the warrior an appreciative look and walked out into the woods. The cool breeze tugged at his fur as he picked up the pace. He soon was in a full-stride run, feeling his paws barely skim the ground with each bound he took. The apprentice looked up, seeing the moon shine brightly down onto the forest floor. Chase the moon. Wolf thought to himself, an old game that him and his friends used to play.
Still running at top speed, Wolf only had a few pawsteps to stop before he crossed over the WindClan border, a fact that hit him like a badger’s paw as he skidded to a stop. Dirt sprayed out in front of him and all over his own face. He paused right before the border, panting and sucking in deep breaths that reeked of WindClan’s scent.
“Couldn’t sleep either?” A voice asked.
Wolf knew that voice though and he purred, “Moose, I’m glad to see you’re still alive.”
“Moosepaw to you,” the brown tom joked as he stepped into Wolf’s view, “But yes, WindClan didn’t eat me alive. Glad to see that ThunderClan didn’t do the same to you.”
“Not at all. My mentor taught me all about the warrior code today!” Wolf boasted. He reached up with a paw to get the dirt off of his muzzle.
“Same,” Moosepaw disclosed. “Do you think we’re breaking it by talking to one another?”
“Not at all, we’re both on our own territories,” Wolf responded, noticing that his friend seemed more distant. Could them being in different clans for only one day already be causing a rift between them?
“Still, maybe it’s best if we aren’t seen hanging around each other,” Moosepaw gently prodded at the ground with one paw, avoiding Wolf’s eyes.
Wolf shrugged, he couldn’t see any problem with them talking, but he didn’t want to force his friend. “Good point. I should be getting back to my nest anyway, I’m sure I’ll have to be up early tomorrow.”
“Yeah, same. I wish you the best of luck Wolf,” Moosepaw added, stifling a yawn. “We’ll both be the best warriors in our clans. Even if WindClan is better,” the brown tom joked.
“In your dreams,” Wolf shot back, also in a joking tone. WindClan wishes they could be ThunderClan! Wolf then found himself surprised by his own defense of his new clan. Maybe he and his friends were changing more than he thought.