Breezepaw

Chapter 1: One Step Closer

Breezekit couldn't believe it was finally happening. He would finally be a warrior, well, one step closer at least.

"Bet you can't catch me!" Heatherkit meowed and charged out of the nursery.

Breezekit who had been practicing a battle move Owlwhisker showed him earlier that morning when Heatherkit batted him with a paw and ran out of the nursery. He landed awkwardly on his side and wanted to tell her off for ruining his battle move, but she was already gone.

"Warriors don't play," Breezekit grumbled.

Gorsetail approached him from behind, pushing him onward with her tail. Her tummy was heavily weighted with unborn kits. "Go on, Breezekit. Heatherkit is your friend, and when you are a warrior you won't have time to play like you can now. You need the fresh air," she insisted and went back to lay down in her nest.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine." He went out through the tangled branches and looked around the clearing for Heatherkit.

In the middle of the clearing Onestar was organizing a border patrol with his deputy, Ashfoot, and he saw Barkface in the medicine cat den, sorting out herbs with his new apprentice, Kestralpaw. Breezekit could smell the tang of herbs from here.

Where is she?

Breezekit emerged from the nursery and passed by the fresh-kill pile in search for Heatherkit. He ran over to the leader's den first, sneaking through the grass so as not to be seen. He came up to the mouth of Onestar's den, an abandoned badger hole and peered inside.

The den was freshly cleaned with bedding. It was slightly damp from the rain the day before, but the opening in the roof allowed the warm Greenleaf sunshine to spill in and dry it.

Breezekit passed by it without a second glance and scented for Heatherkit. There was no way she could hide in there.

He darted back across the clearing, and was just about to check the brambles behind the warriors den when he heard his name. He turned, and saw Onestar talking with Ashfoot about him. Breezekit didn't want to look like he was eavesdropping so he went over to the fresh-kill pile and began sniffing the different delicacies.

"Breezekit and Heatherkit are old enough to start their apprenticeship. We need some apprentices after Owlwhisker became a warrior especially since Kestralpaw gave up his warrior training to become a medicine cat. They need to start their training right away," Ashfoot told Onestar.

The WindClan leader nodded in agreement. "Yes, it is about time they had mentors to look after them. Do you have any good mentors in mind?"

Breezekit was about to burst with excitement.

Suddenly he heard the pounding of paws, and before he could react something furry crashed into his side, knocking him over. Heatherkit battered him with her back paws, and aimed a swipe for his ear.

Breezekit shoved her off hard and she tumbled off.

"Ow. Why did you do that? I was only playing!" Her blue eyes were smoldering.

"Be quiet," he hissed and tried once again to listen, but Ashfoot was already departing to the warriors den to gather cats for her hunting patrol. He missed it.

"I will not be quiet!" Heatherkit spat and lowered herself to attack him again.

"I just overheard Onestar and Ashfoot talking about making us apprentices," Breezekit explained. "I would have heard who are mentors are going to be, but thanks to you I missed it."

Heatherkit's anger was replaced by excitement. "Really? Onestar wants to make us warriors?" she squeaked, bouncing up and down. "That is great!"

"It is about time too," Breezekit meowed less enthusiastically. "I am big enough now to take on a fox. I have already been perfecting this battle move Owlwhisker showed me." He darted forward and leaped, scoring his claws down Heatherkit's spine, then twisting around and landing. It was a little awkward, but he regained his balance in time to avoid falling over.

Heatherkit was fascinated which only made Breezekit puff his chest out with pride. "What a cool move! Can you teach me that?" she pleaded.

Breezekit was just demonstrating to her how to get the twist right when he saw Ashfoot's patrol leaving camp.

"Make sure to check the border to ThunderClan well," Onestar told Ashfoot. "They always make up some excuse to come marching into our camp."

Those mouse-hearted cowards, Breezekit thought with disgust. WindClan can take care of itself.

"Breezekit, are you going to show me that move or not?" Heatherkit pressed.

"The patrol is going to the ThunderClan border."

"What if there is trouble?" Heatherkit suggested. "The patrol will find it."

"ThunderClan thinks they are so great," Breezekit hissed. "They think they can boss all the other Clans around and come barging into our camp whenever they want. It sickens me."

Heatherkit leaped forward and dived in the long grass, sliding forward without a sound out the entrance to the camp. "Exactly. That is why we are going out."

"Out where?"

Heatherkit rolled her eyes. "Let's go spy on the ThunderClan camp. We can report the information to Onestar and use it to lead a raid on the camp!"

Breezekit remembered Ashfoot talking to Onestar about his apprentice ceremony just minutes before. Doing such a dangerous stunt would put their ceremonies in jeopardy, but the benefits would be outstanding. And besides, maybe this would be the mission that would make Crowfeather proud of him; something he had been trying his whole life to do. That was a good enough reason. "Let's go before someone sees us."

The two kits made it out of the camp unnoticed, and followed the scent of Ashfoot's patrol that led uphill across the moorland.

"I see them. They are getting farther away," Heatherkit reported. "This way."

Breezekit made sure to stay out of sight. His night black fur wasn't helping him in a time like this. He felt a little nervous but also excited. This was the first time he had ever left camp before! He had no idea WindClan territory was so huge.

"I smell rabbit," Breezekit meowed and pointed with his tail toward a clump of weeds a few fox leaps away. Prey!

"We don't have time for that. We have to get to the ThunderClan border. We will lose Ashfoot's trail. After all, we have no idea where the border even is," Heatherkit protested.

Breezekit was already gone by the time she said that. He dashed after the rabbit as fast as he could, and he saw a flash of brown fur disappear in the weeds somewhere ahead of him. He ran onward, keeping his eyes on his prey, paws churning. The rabbit was fast!

He had it!

Breezekit was tired and gasping for breath, but he caught his prize. It was his first prey! It would be enough to feed half the Clan.

Heatherkit skidded to a halt beside him and her eyes looked like they were about to pop right out of her head. "Did you catch that?" she squeaked with disbelief.

He had never felt more proud. "Yes, I chased it all the way here. It didn't stand a chance."

"Let's take it back to camp. Everyone needs to see it!" she purred and began nudging it along.

"Just what do you think you are doing out here?" a voice demanded from behind them, making Breezekit spin around to defend his prey. It was Ashfoot and the rest of her patrol.

"Hunting," he answered. "I caught this all by myself."

Ashfoot pushed them along back toward camp with her tail. "I think you two need to go back to camp now."

Heatherkit sulked along on the way back to the camp, but Breezekit walked with his head held high. Why should he feel ashamed for hunting for his Clan? That wasn't a bad thing. Behind him, Weaselfur and Tornear were carrying his rabbit back to camp.

When they got in the clearing, Breezekit walked by his catch so that everyone could see it.

"Go put that on the fresh-kill pile, Weaselfur. Tornear, come with me. We didn't get the chance to check the ThunderClan border thanks to these two," Ashfoot ordered and Weaselfur left with Breezekit's rabbit. She then turned to the two kits. "You two can wait in Onestar's den. I am sure he would like to speak with you."

"What is going to happen to us? What if Onestar is furious with us? After all, we broke the warrior code," Heatherkit mewed miserably.

"Nothing is going to happen," he replied. "Is hunting for the Clan against the warrior code? If it is then cats break that one all the time."

"But we weren't even suppose to leave camp." She waited in the shadows of Onestar's den, kneading her paws on the ground.

Who cares? Breezekit thought to himself.

They didn't have to wait long. Onestar came, but not alone. Breezekit didn't feel anything at all when he padded past, but his cool edge melted when he realized Crowfeather was with him.

"Come inside," Onestar meowed and the two kits went inside, not sure if they would ever return. Crowfeather said nothing and sat down next to Onestar.

"I heard you two went on a little excursion," the WindClan leader commented. "Care to explain it?" He didn't sound mad or disappointed at all, just curious.

"We were just exploring," Heatherkit muttered in a tiny little whisper.

"We just wanted to follow Ashfoot's patrol and hunt," Breezekit explained, conveniently leaving the part about the raid on ThunderClan out.

Crowfeather's gaze passed over Heatherkit and rested on his kit. "You broke the warrior code. You could have got killed out there, and instead of that rabbit, we could have been dragging home your mangled bodies," he hissed. That is when the guilt came on. "I expect better of you, Breezekit."

And what about Heatherkit? This was her idea! He kept silent though.

"We should delay your apprenticeship until you learn how to follow the warrior code like a proper warrior should," Crowfeather continued, making his hopes fall like a stone.

"What? That isn't fair! You can't do that!" Breezekit yowled defensively and leaped to his paws defiantly.

Onestar broke the contest of stares between them. "I know what they did is against the warrior code, but we can't ignore the fact that Breezekit and Heatherkit are ready to start their apprenticeship immediately. They have proved they are more than ready."

Breezekit bounced with happiness. "Yes!"

Heatherkit's solemn look was replaced by relief.

"Go back to the nursery," Onestar ordered and they left the den, still alive. "I want you to know something. To be the best warriors you can be, you don't have to prove yourselves. We already know you two will be fantastic warriors."

Onestar was right.

Crowfeather still stared after his leader like he grew a second head. Breezekit expected that.

Nightcloud fussed over Breezekit before his ceremony, and he looked at all the gathered cats, feeling proud that all of them were here to witness his apprentice ceremony. After running his life, she did the same to Heatherkit who didn't have anyone to fuss over her like he did.

"Breezekit and Heatherkit, step forward please," Onestar announced.

Breezekit strolled toward the center of the crowd, feeling like he was merely floating across the ground. His won paws felt as light as feathers. Heatherkit came up beside him, her fur still half ruffled from her nap earlier.

"Heatherkit, it is time for you to learn the ways of the warrior code and take on your new name, Heatherpaw. Crowfeather, it is about time you had an apprentice, and I hope you pass everything you know to Heatherpaw."

He stepped forward from the crowd, coolly touching noses with Heatherpaw, either sustaining her excitement or neglecting to feel any at all.

"Heatherpaw! Heatherpaw!" the cats cheered, Nightcloud the loudest of all.

Come on! Come on!

"Breezekit, step forward," Onestar announced. "Whitetail, you will mentor Breezepaw. Teach him well. You will have your paws full with this one."

That last comment made Breezepaw shuffle with embarrassment, but he went forward to accept Whitetail anyway as his mentor.

"I am glad to have you as my apprentice," she said and he muttered something she couldn't hear.

"Breezepaw! Heatherpaw! Breezepaw! Heatherpaw!"

Breezepaw looked for Crowfeather's dark pelt in the crowd, and expected him to be cheering with the rest of them, but his heart sank with disappointment when he saw Crowfeather just standing there beside his mate. He was just staring into the distance!

No no no! Look up! Why was Crowfeather staring like that like his own kit didn't even exist? Breezepaw was not over there, and neither was his own apprentice, Heatherpaw.

Breezepaw's joy turned upside down and he just wanted to know what it took to make Crowfeather happy. If it wasn't becoming a warrior, what was it?