Happy Thanksgiving, and Excerpt #4

 Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Diamondpaw woke up, Frostpaw still lay next to him, He stood up and stretched, arching his back and yawning, Frostpaw blinked her eyes, “Is it morning already?” She mewed, Diamondpaw nodded, nobody else was in the den, they stood up and headed for the fresh-kill pile, Firestar padded over to join them, “Your mentor has been picked, we will have the ceremony in a little bit,” Firestar meowed, Diamondheart nodded and walked back to the apprentices den with a squirrel, Frostpaw padded over to join him with a starling, “Who do you think it is?” Frostpaw asked, “Who do I—Oh, I don’t know, maybe Goldenbrook,” Diamondpaw mewed upset, Frostpaw shook her head, “Its too obvious, Sandstorm is your new mentor,” She replied, Diamondpaw shrugged and shook himself, “Whoever it is I will do my best,” He meowed walking towards the rock.

“Let all those old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the high-rock for a clan meeting,” Firestar’s yowl brought all the cats to settle down, “Roseheart and I have discussed this thoroughly,” Firestar meowed after every cat had given him their full attention, “Sandstorm shall be Diamondpaw’s Mentor,” Yowls have agreement came from the cats below, Sandstorm walked over to Diamondpaw and touched her head to his, and he licked her shoulder.  Frostpaw nodded approvingly.

“Come on! No, no, like this,” Sandstorm shook her head showing Diamondpaw the right way to prepare for an attack, Diamondpaw nodded and switched his stance, ready for Sandstorms attack, She leaped at him, he rolled under her stomach, while extending his paw up and tripping her at the same moment.  “Very good! I never saw that coming!” Sandstorm said standing up and smiling.  “Now how about we do some hunting?” She said.  Diamondpaw nodded.

Sandstorm and Diamondpaw finished hunting, another storm blew in and they bunkered in the Warriors den again.  Diamondpaw slept.

Diamondpaw was jabbed in the ribs, glancing up he saw Willowkit “You’re late getting up,” She mewed, Diamondpaw smiled, “I know,” He said glancing up at the sky which had turned blue, “Yes, it was,” She mewed, “Firestar wanted me to wake you, he said for you to take the Dawn patrol,” The kit added her head nodding towards the entrance where Roseheart, Goldenbrook, and Frostpaw were waiting for him, nodding his thanks to the kit he padded swiftly towards the entrance, “You’re late kittypet,” Goldenbrook growled, “Leave it Goldenbrook,” Roseheart retorted back, Frostpaw pressed her muzzle into Diamondpaw’s warm fur, “Don’t worry about him, he’s just grumpy,” She said, Goldenbrook grunted and walked out the entrance, the rest of the patrol followed.  They followed the path towards Sunningrocks, taking the border between Riverclan and Thunderclan.  Riverclan had tried to take Sunningrocks from Thunderclan when their previous leader Bluestar was unable to take care of the clan as well as she could, due to a sickness that couldn’t be cured by Cinderpelt, Leafpool’s mentor and Thunderclan’s former medicine cat.  Passing Sunningrocks Diamondpaw stayed close behind Frostpaw, keeping as far away from Goldenbrook as possible.  Diamondpaw stopped and sniffed around, peering in bushes here and there. He looked up, glancing around, he shook his fur, it ruffled and tingled.  What was that smell? It was a scent that Diamondpaw had never smelt before, “Roseheart, Frostpaw, Whats th--” Frostpaw and Roseheart were no where to be seen.  Diamondpaw looked around frantically.  Nothing, he raised his head to see if he could find their scent, still nothing, not even Goldenbrook’s scent could be found.  A yowl from ahead made Diamondpaw look up, Frostpaw and Roseheart came running around a boulder, Frostpaw was bleeding from her side, she looked terribly frightened Roseheart was bleeding from her leg and limping. Diamondpaw ran towards them, “What’s wrong?” He asked padding up and pressing his muzzle into their shoulder and giving them a comforting lick, “Riv-- Riverclan...They killed,” She stopped, gasping for breath, “They killed Goldenbrook, Riverclan has claimed Sunningrocks,” Frostpaw trembled and fell.  Diamondpaw stared at her in disbelief, shaking his head he ran towards Sunningrocks.  They were right; Sunningrocks was no longer Thunderclan’s territory.  He ran back to Frostpaw and Roseheart, “Come on, we have to tell Firestar,” He helped up Frostpaw and they slowly limped back to the camp.