Leah Huabing, "The Battle, The Warrior, and The Brother"
If you have read a "Warriors" book, you will understand this story. if not, I will explain.
The reason the animals in this story have weird names is, as the warriors go through their lives, their names may be changed at least three times.
For example, a young cat would be named something like, "Tawnykit," or anything that ended in "kit." When the young cat was six months old, the leader would give the cat their mentor and apprentice name. So, "Tawnykit" would become "Tawnypaw." During the cat's apprenticeship, she would be invited to gatherings by the leader. After another six months, if the cat had proven her abilities as an apprentice, her leader would rename the cat again. "Tawnypaw" would become "Tawnypelt," or any ending besides "paw" or "kit."
"Tawnypelt" would then provide for and protect his or her clan. If the previous deputy has died, and Tawnypelt has proven her loyalty to her clan, the leader could choose Tawnypelt as the next deputy. Once Tawnypelt is a deputy, she has new responsibilities. Now Tawnypelt must assign hunting patrols and give advice to the leader. Now, after two seasons, if Tawnypelt's leader dies in battle, Tawnypelt would immediately be made leader. She would now called, "Tawnystar." This sort of explains my story.
~Leah
"Hello skinny little mouse," I murmured. I pounces. "Yes, I caught it!" The clan will love to have this little addition to the prey pile. I picked up the little mouse. "This mouse sure is thin," I meowed. There was a rustle in the bushes next to me. Hmm, what's that noise? I turned around to look. I saw Goldenfur, my brother, hiding in the bushes.
"Garr!" Goldenfur yowled as he jumped out of the bushes. As he walked toward me, he asked me if he had scared me. I meowed, "Of course not; you're way too loud. So, what are you doing out here?"
Goldenfur answered, "Same as you; I'm out here hunting."
We walked back to camp together. As we walked, thoughts ran through my head. Alleyclan is leader, and Icestar is aging. Darkfoot will be leader after her. The thought troubled me. In my opinion, Darkfoot is always up to no good. I told Goldenfur my thoughts. He agreed with me.
Back at camp I saw my leader, Brightstar, choosing warriors to go to tonight's gathering. I hoped that I'd be picked to go to the gathering.
"Hi, Stonefur, got any prey for the prey pile?" asked Littlestripe, a warrior in my clan.
"Of course I do; what kind of a hunter do you think I am?" I teased her.
"Hey, Stonefur, when are you going to put that mouse down? My pups are starving!" Brownclaw meowed.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll be right theree," I meowed as I walked over to her den. When I got to her I dropped the prey in her nest. Her pups are so cute. It's hard to believe they're only two moths old. I left the den. "Thanks!" Brownclaw meowed.
Gingerleaf ran toward me. "Brightstar wants to know if you want to go to tonight's gather," he meowed, "What should I tell her?"
"Tell her yes, I will go," I answered. I thought I'd go hunting some more. When I got to the forest I saw Tawnypaw, an apprentice.
"What are you doing?" I asked her.
"I'm trying to please Grayfur," she told me.
"What did she ask you to do?" I meowed.
"She wants more moss for her nest, and I can't seen to find any!" she meowed. I told her, "There's some over by Vole Stream.
"Thankyou so much!" Tawnypaw meowed, then ran off toward Vole Stream. Now I can do some hunting.
"Wait, Stonefur, it's time to go!" Autumnleaf meowed.
Ok, I'll be rightthere!" I replied. The day was so demanding! We started traveling to the gathering. The scenery is always beautiful. Only Goldenfur, Autumnleaf, Gingerleaf, Littlestripe, and I were chosen to go. Goldenfur and I meowed about Brownclaw's kits on the way.
Kinzclan, my clan, reached the gathering. Before it started, I walked over and meowed with Snowpelt. She's an Alleyclan warrior, andI asked her about what was going on in her clan.
"Oh, nothing much," Snowpelt meowed. "How's your clan?" she asked.
"Kinzclan is fine, but Brownclaw's kits are having trouble, it being winter and all," I meowed.
"I hope it's not bad!" Snowpelt replied. The gathering was about to start. Brr, it's too cold; when will winter end? I thought.
"Icestar, may I speak first?" Brightstar asked.
"You may," Icestar replied.
"Although prey is scarce, Kinzclan is faring as well as any other clan during winter. Also, Gorsepaw is now an apprentice," Brightsar meowed. I saw Gorsepaw blush and knead her paws in the ground. I am guessing she's embarrassed by the sudden attention on her.
"Gorsepaw's mentor is Autumnleaf," Brightstar meowed.
"Pawsclan is suffering from no shortage of prey. Angel is now a warrior," Snowstar meowed, "Pawsclan is fine."
"Prey is hard to find in my clan's small territory," Fix announced. "Some of our elders were starving."
"What do you mean, 'were'?" Darkfoot, the Alleyclan deputy, asked.
"I mean that Snowstar was generous and has let Tyclan use a small part of her territory," Fix answered. She eyes Darkfoot with a suspicious look.
"Alleyclan is having no trouble finding prey," Icestar meowed. "Snowpelt is now a senior warrior..." Darkfoot cut Icestar off and meowed, "My clan is the strongest this winter!"
"What? You don't speak for Alleyclan," I hissed.
"I will soon!" he hissed back.
"But until then you will not!" Icestar mewoed, rebuking her deputy.
"As I was saying, my clan is also fine," Icestar finished. I noticed something funny about Darkfoot's eyes. That gathering was chaos.
As Kinzclan walked back to camp, Goldenfur meowed that Darkfoot was up to something. "Like, look at the way he challenged Icestorm!" Goldenfur meowed.
"He did have a funny look in his eyes," I meowed.
"Exactly!" he replied.
The next morning I awoke and walked over to Autumnleaf. Since she's deputy, she assigns hunting patrols. She assigned me the evening patrol. I can still remember my mentor's advice, "Do not eat before you hunt." My mentors name was Mistystripe. It was always tempting to eat prey when I was just an apprentice!
While I was thinking, Snowpelt, an Alleyclan warrior, came running into our camp. Littlestripe attempted to stop her, but was unsuccessful. She ran toward me. She meowed, "Take me to Brightstar, now!" I sensed that it was an emergency. I took her to Brightstar immediately.
Brightstar invited Snowpelt and, surprisingly, me, into her den. She asked Snowpelt what was wrong. Snowpelt murmured silently then answered, "Darkfoot has murdered Icestar. He allied himself with a group of strays; I forget the exact number of them, but I know it was around fifty." Snowpelt went on, "He plans to take over Kinzclan, Pawsclan, and Tyclan as well. If you want to keep your territory you will make an alliance with Pawsclan and Tyclan," she paused. "You will need three clans to defeat him."
After Snowpelt spoke, Brightstar ordered all Kinzclan warriors to come back to camp and prepare for battle. Then Brightstar told Snowpelt she could stay in Kinzclan until Alleyclan recovered. After that, Brightstar told me to go to Pawsclan and try to make an alliance with them. I was to tell my brother to do the same except he was to go to Tyclan.
"I'll be on my way," I replied. I ran to find my brother. As always, I found him playing with the apprentices. When I had his attention, I told him Brightstar's orders. He started to run to Tyclan. His job should be easy, I thought.
*
I cannot remember ever running that fast in my entire life! The ground was very slick and cold under my paws. After thirty minutes of running full speed I had finally reached the Pawsclan camp. Shadowheart, the Pawsclan deputy, stopped me. I told himt hat I needed to see Snowstar. He took me to her.
"Why are you here?" Snowstar asked, "What do you want?"
"Kinzclan is in need of an alliance with Pawsclan. Darkfoot has killed Icestar." I told her everything Snowpelt told Brightstar except for a few details.
"I see," Snowstar replied, "Yes, for the sake of my long friendship with Brightstar, my clan will battle alongside of Kinzclan."
"Thank you!" I replied.
Goldenfur and I both persuaded Pawsclan and Tyclan to battle with us. Brightstar and Autumnleaf held a meeting. It was only for senior warriors, though. I hoped Gingerleaf or Snowpelt would tell me about it, but it turned out that they couldn;t tell me. So, Goldenfur and I walked toward the sleeping den. Some warriors, like Littlestripe, were already asleep. There's my nest. "Good night, sleep here I come!" I murmured.
In the morning Goldenfur and I had evening duties assigned to us again. Autumnleaf told us to practice our battle moves on each other, claws sheathed, of course. She told us, "Be serious about practice; it may save your life." We traveled to the grazing fields to practice. Normally the grazing fields are for the herbivores in my clan. A few moments later our mini battle began.
"Garrr!" Goldenfur hissed as he tried to tackle me. I blocked, then took a mouthful of for off his leg. He pretended to be in pain and fell over backwards. Then he licked his perfectly fine leg like it was broken! My brother is such an actor! After he had finished his act we sat back and laughed our hearts out.
Gingerleaf came over and asked us what was wrong. Goldenfur purred, "We're just play-fighting."
"You toms made enough noise to scare prey for miles around," Gingerleaf meowed. "You loud cats are too silly!" With that she walked away, her tail stiff in the air. We laughed again.
Then Authumnleaf walked over. She told us that the battle would be tomorrow. "You'd better get serious about this," she told us for a second time, "Do your duties then go to bed."
I went back to camp and did what Autumnleaf told me. Tomorrow seems so soon. No dreams entered my sleep that night.
*
It was morning. Today is battle day. Mistystripe, my mentor, died in battle. Before that battle she told me, "Kinzclan does not kill unless for food."
All of Kinzclan's warriors and apprentices marched to Alleyclan's camp. We had heard rumors that Alleyclan is prisoner to their own camp. Along the way we met up with Pawsclan and Tyclan.
"Darkfoot will never know what hit him!" Icefur, a Tyclan warrior, barked.
"Quiet," ordered Snowstar, "We are getting close." There in front of me was Alleyclan's once beautiful camp. Now it looked like Darkfoot, evil and dirty. The camp was in ruin.
Brightstar gave the signal. I raced across the battlefield. Sound did not exist in my ears anymore, only the steady beat of my heart. We took the enemy by surprise. I know now why Snowpelt was so panicked; these strays are huge! I ran right into a huge cat, twice my size. He swiped his giant claws in my direction. I ducked, then gave him something to remember me by. I bit hard into the cat's shoulder. He yowled in pain and retreated.
I scanned the battlefield. I could see my brother in battle with a dog. I ran to help my brother. After running a few feet, I leapt over LIttlestripe who was fighting a giant tabby. Oh, no! I'm too late! I approached his body. The thought of Goldenfur being dead sent shivers down my spine. Then I saw him moving. Phew! I took him to Sunflower, the clan medicine cat, immediately.
When I got back to the battlefield I saw Snowpelt. She was struggling under two enemy cats. I ran over to help her. I took one by the scruff and dragged it off of Snowpelt. As I did, the cat attacked me! The cat tried to get a grip on my throat, but I blocked it's attack. I then tried to sink my claws into my opponent's side. The cat blocked, then pinned me to the ground. I squirmed helplessly under its weight. Only when I looked into the cat's eyes did I know who it was...it was Darkfoot! Then, out of nowhere, Goldenfur leapt into the scene. He ripped Darkfoot off of me by the ears. Together we battled Darkfoot. I landed a blow to Darkfoot's head. He fell to the ground. Goldenfur checked to see if he was dead.
Immediately Darkfoot leapt to his feet and scored his claws into my brother's neck. I leapt at Darkfoot, and I clawed his shoulder.
"Ouch!" Darkfoot hissed as he let go of Goldenfur.
I took Goldenfur to Sunflower. She looked him over. "It is too late," she told me. She paused, then meowed, "He's gone."
"No!" I cried.
I went back to the battlefield. I was going to avenge my brother's death if it was the last thing I ever did! I spotted Darkfoot battling Brightstar. I ran over and practically ripped him off of her. Then I ran my claws through his pelt. He tried to defend himself but was unprepared for my surprise attack. He tried desperately to claw me off. After that I shredded his evil ears to ribbons. Darkfoot shrieked in pain. He fell back and told hi strays to retreat.
"Yes!" I yowled, "This battle is over!"
Kinzclan, all the clans, needed time to recover and rebuild. I went back to the battlefield with Autumnleaf to pick up Kinzclan's dead. Autumnleaf and I carried their bodies back to camp. The clan gave their respects. I could not watch them bury Goldenfur. Instead, I want on a hunting patrol.
*
The next couple of months passed by quickly. I occupied myself with my daily duties. It's not the same as it was before the battle. Brownclaw's kits are growing up fast. Snowpelt has joined her clan again. Spring is very near.
*
Finally, spring came! No more prey shortages! Well, at least until next winter. Alleyclan is recovering from Darkfoot's evil reign of terror. Brownclaw's kits are to be apprenticed soon. I hope I get to mentor one of them. I am not saying that I do not miss my brother. I am only saying that I am a warrior of Kinzclan. The life of a warrior is a hard one, filled with losses and gains. As warriors it is our job to protect, defend, and provide for our clan. I have accepted that Goldenfur has died, But I know he has died a warrior's death.