Chapter 1
Windpaw's long fur ruffled as a chill breeze swept through Shadowclan's camp, shaking the trees. The young tom took a deep breath, feeling the cold air filling his lungs. He looked around for his mentor, the stern warrior Badgerfur, and spotted him at the far side of the clearing, speaking with Snailwater, Fishpaw's mentor.
Fishpaw was at the fresh-kill pile, looking over the small selection of prey. His long, dark fur was sticking out in all directions, though he didn't seem to mind. He picked out a frog, then turned and caught Windpaw's gaze with a purr. "Hi, Windpaw!" he called out cheerfully, his eyes lighting up. Fishpaw was a moon younger than Windpaw, and the two had been close since they were kits.
Windpaw made his way to Fishpaw's side, and gave him a friendly nudge. "Hi, Fishpaw," he greeted. "How's it going?"
"It's great!" Fishpaw said cheerfully. He nudged the frog toward Windpaw and looked at him hopefully. "Do you want to share this?"
"Sure," Windpaw replied warmly. He hadn't eaten yet, and the chance to share with his friend was a welcome one. The two apprentices settled down to eat near the edge of the clearing, their tails swishing in the cold morning air. The clan was just beginning to stir, with warriors returning from the night's patrols and other apprentices stumbling out of their dens to greet the day.
"Looks like we're going to be training together today," Fishpaw said, nodding toward where Badgerfur and Snailwater were heading. The two mentors had finished their conversation and were now approaching them with purposeful strides.
"Fishpaw, Windpaw," Badgerfur said, looking down at the two apprentices. "Toadstar would like to see how your battle training is progressing. Come along."
Windpaw and Fishpaw looked at each other. Fishpaw was clearly excited, his ice-blue eyes shining with enthusiasm. Windpaw was a little more tentative. His father clearly had high hopes for him, and he was afraid to disappoint. He swiped his tongue over his jaws to clear the last of the frog away, and followed Badgerfur and Snailwater to the training grounds. Toadstar was already waiting for them, nestled on a rock and watching with a sharp gaze.
Windpaw and Fishpaw were positioned at either side of the training ground. Snailwater bent down to mutter something to Fishpaw, though he was too far away for Windpaw to pick up what it was. Snailwater was Fishpaw's uncle, and they shared the same lanky build, the same trailing dark fur. Their eyes were different, with Snailwater's a pale green in contrast to Fishpaw's bright, clear blue.
Windpaw's thoughts were broken from his observations when Toadstar sat up and announced, "Windpaw, Fishpaw. Shadowclan is the fiercest clan in the forest. But that is only true because we work hard and keep our combat skills sharp. You are expected to follow that tradition. Today, we will assess your progress. Begin."
Windpaw took a deep breath and faced Fishpaw. His friend's eyes were gleaming with enthusiasm, and Windpaw felt his own spirits lifting a little in response to his friends upbeat attitude. The two apprentices circled each other, searching for an opening. Windpaw was bigger and bulkier, but Fishpaw was more agile. Windpaw knew he shouldn't underestimate the younger apprentice.
They began to spar under the watchful eyes of their mentors and leader. Windpaw opened with a swipe at Fishpaw. Fishpaw ducked it and darted forward to nip lightly at Windpaw's shoulder. Windpaw dropped forward and pinned Fishpaw under his weight, but Fishpaw nimbly wiggled free and batted at Windpaw's flank before darting out of range. The two continued to flash around the clearing, exchanging light blows.
Windpaw focused his attention, not wanting to be shown up by the younger apprentice. He bounded forward, expecting Fishpaw to try and back away, but Fishpaw was bolder than he'd expected. The smaller cat flashed toward his left side. Windpaw twisted to meet him, striking out with his paw. But Fishpaw thought as quickly as he moved and went low, shoving at Windpaw's feet. Windpaw was already off balance from having to turn suddenly, and he dropped easily, landing on his side. He felt a lance of pain as a sharp rock jabbed into his cheek. He hissed and rolled away, trying to ignore it.
Fishpaw took advantage of the opening and leapt onto Windpaw's back, hooking his claws into Windpaw's long fur. Windpaw grunted and tried to shake him, but Fishpaw held tight. Instead, Windpaw changed tactics and rolled, thudding Fishpaw hard against the ground. He remembered the way Fishpaw had wiggled clear of him before and anticipated it this time, managing to grab Fishpaw's scruff with his teeth and hold the younger cat in place. He managed to get his forepaws around Fishpaw's neck- in a real fight, he would be positioned in such a way that he could deliver a finishing blow, if he needed to. He felt Fishpaw tense in his grip.
"All right, that's enough," Badgerfur called. "You won, Windpaw, let him go."
Windpaw released his grip on Fishpaw, and the two apprentices stood breathing heavily for a few heartbeats. Fishpaw went over to Snailwater, but before Windpaw got to Badgerfur, Toadstar had stepped to his side. "Good thinking at the end," he began. "But it took you too long. You gave Fishpaw too many chances to hit you. In a real battle, you would have been seriously wounded by now. As it is..." He prodded Windpaw's cheek with his paw, and Windpaw winced, the cut from the rock stinging at the touch.
"You had better let the healers look at that," Toadstar instructed. "You can't risk it getting infected."
Windpaw didn't think it seemed all that serious, but he knew better than to argue with Toadstar. He nodded, and headed towards the healer's den, his tail flicking behind him. He was frustrated with himself- Toadstar's criticism of his performance rang true. He knew he had a responsibility to fight well, to support his clan no matter what came to pass.
Windpaw ducked under the boulders that sheltered the healer's den, his eyes adjusting to the dimmer light. Embersinge had her back turned to Windpaw, busy sorting a pile of dried herbs into little hollows dug into the ground. Windpaw's sister, Palepaw walked over to him, sniffing him before reaching up with her paw, turning his head to get a better look at his scratch. "Oh, Windpaw, what happened?" She asked, genuinely concerned.
Windpaw bristled with embarrassment that she was getting so worked up over a tiny scratch. He pulled away and told her, "It's fine, I just fell on a rock."
Palepaw had long fur, neater than Windpaw's own. It was a stormy, dappled grey color, and she had the same piercing blue eyes as their mother. "Let me see," she insisted, and her touch was surprisingly firm as she poked and prodded at the wound.
"Palepaw, cut it out," Windpaw muttered, pulling away from her touch. "It's just a scratch."
"Well, at least let me give you something to keep it from getting infected," Palepaw insisted firmly. She padded to where Embersinge was working. She glanced at Embersinge for approval, and Embersinge nodded, encouraging her to continue. Under Embersinge's watchful eye, Palepaw selected a few herbs and chewed them into a poultice. She transferred them to her paw before gently dabbing them at Windpaw's scratch. It stung, but not too badly.
"Thanks, Palepaw," Windpaw said, trying not to sound too gloomy about it. "Good luck with your... healer stuff."
Palepaw purred with amusement and nudged Windpaw affectionately. "Good luck with your warrior stuff," she replied in a gently teasing tone. "I'll see you later, Windpaw."
Windpaw left the healer's den, feeling a little better after being doted on by his sister. It was embarrassing, but it was a nice reminder that he could count on his family when he needed to. He yawned, and went off to look for Badgerfur.