“Try to lift your paws more,” Blackbird called out. His voice was distant and Gingerpaw knew without even turning around that the tom wasn’t paying attention again.
Stupid cat. Gingerpaw thought silently, dropping down to her paws. She had been stretching on one of the rocks, trying to strengthen the muscles in her legs as the warriors did, but it looked like her mentor was more interested in watching Wildstar. The leader was standing on a rock ledge below, instructing a pair of apprentices on how to fight.
Gingerpaw stared at the black tom for a long moment before turning and abruptly jumping down the edge of the rocks. I’ll just go hunting then. It would be nice to actually go out and do things rather than sit around and wait for Blackbird to actually get around to training her.
The sun was shining high in the sky like the eye of StarClan, watching over the mountains silently. Stoneskipper, are you there? Gingerpaw asked silently as she sniffed the air. I’m trying my best, just like you told me to, but it’s hard. She stilled as a breeze brushed across her back soothingly.
Taking a deep breath, Gingerpaw flexed her claws. That’s right. I’m PhantomClan now. I can do this. She quickly caught the scent of pika and perked up. Wildstar loved pika – she could bring it to the leader and explain that Blackbird wasn’t training her. It was a little sneaky, but… Gingerpaw needed a new mentor.
As Gingerpaw tracked the scent, she wandered up the rocks more and more until she had breached the cloud cover. The air was misty and wet, but the sent of the pika grew stronger and stronger until-
There was a cry of sheer fury as a golden eagle swooped down at Gingerpaw, talons outstretched!
Gingerpaw bit back a shriek and shrank against the stones, hissing at the bird. Just scare it away! She thought desperately, but it seemed like the eagle was intent on attacking. It craw craw’d at her and dove again. The talons cut into her shoulders, causing pain to lance down her back, but the wound wasn’t deep.
Terror surged through Gingerpaw’s body as she whirled around. What was it she was supposed to do? Hareskip had said it once… leap! The thought crashed into her mind and she sprang upwards on instinct. With a confused scree? the eagle beat its wings frantically, but it wasn’t fast enough.
Hooking her claws securely into the eagle’s back, Gingerpaw bit down as hard as the could on its neck. There was a startling crack and suddenly they were falling. Both cat and bird hit the ground heavily but, thanks to the eagle’s body cushioning her fall, Gingerpaw was unharmed.
Taking a shaky breath to regain her composure, Gingerpaw tried to understand what had just happened. Realization dawned on her: she’d taken down an entire eagle on her own! Stoneskipper, do you see me?! She thought, purring uncontrollably as she collected her prey. I’m strong like you!
The trek back to camp was significantly harder while dragging the eagle’s body, but elation made the exhaustion in Gingerpaw’s body disappear. She could imagine the warriors’ faces when she returned with her prize. They’re going to be so jealous!
Yet, as Gingerpaw entered the cave, she was met with silent indifference. A couple of cats glanced her way but said nothing. Only Wildstar reacted, but not in the way the apprentice had hoped.
“Where were you?” The leader hissed, her lips curling into a growl. “Do you know how worried Blackbird was?”
Not at all, probably. “I was just-”
“No excuses,” Wildstar said angrily. “You went out hunting eagles while your mentor searched for you since sunhigh? I-”
“I left just after dawn.” The terrible realization that no one cared or would praise her for her catch made Gingerpaw’s temper short. “Maybe if that harebrain were actually training me, he would have noticed I was gone way before then!”
Wildstar’s mouth gaped open and Gingerpaw would see the leader was frantically trying to process what she’d just said. After a moment, she she-cat composed herself. “So he got the time wrong. So what? You shouldn’t have left to go hunting eagles! You could have gotten seriously injured.”
Gingerpaw felt so utterly wronged that she wanted to wail like a kit. “I didn’t go hunting eagles. I just-”
“She probably found it already dead.” A snide voice crept from the entrance of the cave, making Gingerpaw’s fur prickle in annoyance. Dewpaw strode in, carrying a fat duck in his mouth.
“Nice catch!” Someone called from the darkness, which was met with a murmur of approval.
“Of course. I actually catch my prey. It’s the warrior way.” Dewpaw slid over, giving Gingerpaw a sneer. “You wouldn’t know about that, huh, kittypet?”
Rage exploded in Gingerpaw’s chest. “Excuse me?! I caught my eagle, fair and square!”
“Eagles are hard to catch.” To Gingerpaw’s growing horror, Blackbird slipped out of the darkness and actually argued against her! “I’ve never taught you something that complex.”
“See?” Dewpaw had a cruel look in his eye. “Wildstar, do you really believe her?”
Wildstar looked uncertain. “Gingerpaw, you can be honest if you already found it dead. Prey is prey, after all.”
Gingerpaw stared at her leader for a long moment, her fur heating up. “All of you are harebrained, wolfhearted, and flea-bitten!” She shouted the words before she could stop them, then whirled around and fled out of the cave. Urging her legs to run as fast as possible, she ignored Wildstar’s call for her to wait.
Frustration, injustice, and sadness welled up in Gingerpaw and mixed together to create a black haze of fury. How dare they? She thought, ignoring the way the stones cut into her paws as she ran. My father was a warrior. He died for this Clan. But they… they’re so cruel!
Gingerpaw ran for such a long time, blinded by her emotions, that it was nighttime before she realized her paws weren’t on stone anymore – they were on cold snow. The icy flakes were freezing where her bloody pads were torn, making her slow to a stop. Living in the alpines was hard, as the mountain sun could burn your skin while the wind could freezer you to the bone at the same time.
However, Gingerpaw had never been so cold in her life. It was a bone-deep pain that made her want to curl up and sleep forever. Her fur was thick, but this was ridiculously icy, to the point of being unbearable.
Breathing heavily, Gingerpaw turned and tried to figure out the way she came. It was no use – the world had turned into a whirlwind of white, obscuring her beloved mountains. Staggering against the increasing wind, Gingerpaw put one paw in front of the other and started walking. Step by step… I can do this.
With a thump, the she-cat fell unconscious. Exhaustion and pain had finally caught up to her.
Gingerpaw woke with a start. The world was suddenly a lot hotter and there was a tongue grooming the ice from her fur. Groggily, she looked around and found she was in a cave.
Yet, unlike the gentle slopping of PhantomClan’s home, this cave was eerily straight and angular, almost unnatural. And in the center of the room was a small sun!
Fire, Gingerpaw thought distantly. That’s what’s making the room all warm…
“You’re awake, good.” A voice like silken honey floated from the darkness and Gingerpaw looked up, her heart pounding.
Possibly the largest cat Gingerpaw had ever seen slipped from the shadows around her. He was twice the size of Blackbird, though upon closer inspection most of the cat’s size was thick fur.
“Where am I?” Gingerpaw asked, then stood up. She felt dizzy for a moment, but then the cat beside her grunted. She turned to see a particularly large tortoiseshell. A tooth curled from her bottom jaw and escaped her lips, giving her a brutish appearance.
“You’re in the Dark Den.” The massive tom said, padding closer. “You passed out in the snow.”
Gingerpaw flexed her claws, feeling embarrassed and juvenile under the piercing gaze. “I- I’m sorry. I was running and didn’t realize I was in the tundra…” Dread crept across her fur. “Oh! This is your territory, isn’t it?” She desperately tried to think of the tundra Clans, but none of the names crossed her mind.
The big tom just laughed, the sound alluring and frightening at the same time, like thunder. “Don’t worry about it. Snow shock happens to everyone. You smell like rock and wind – an alpine Clan if I’m not mistaken?”
He’s clever. Gingerpaw realized. Better not reveal anything important. “PhantomClan.” She said elusively.
Surprise flickered in the tom’s gaze and a gray tom shoved his way into Gingerpaw’s sight. “PhantomClan?! That’s where I’m headed!”
Gingerpaw gaped at this newcomer. “Who-?!”
“The name’s Ashes.” The tom puffed up in pride. He was fully grown but still had kitten fur, so he couldn’t have been much older than Gingerpaw. “I’m looking for a friend who ended up there.”
“There aren’t any rogues in our territory!” Gingerpaw blurted out, then immediately felt foolish. Every cat in PhantomClan had been a rogue at some point, with the exception of her generation. “I mean, not anymore. We’re a Clan now. Whoever your friend is, they won’t come back with you.”
“I’m gonna join you!” Ashes said without an ounce of hesitation. “My old… group, they kinda fell apart, you know? So I’m gonna join up with you guys.”
Gingerpaw’s tail twitched. Poor cat… my Clanmates are going to eat him alive. They could barely stand her and she was Clanborn!
“You have these cats,” the apprentice said slowly. “Perhaps you’d like to stay?”
“Are you kidding?” Ashes laughed and shook his head. “It’s freezing cold! I go outside and my tail almost falls off every time!”
He’s an idiot, then. “Well-”
“I’ll take both of you home tomorrow.” The big tom said suddenly, his voice leaving no room for complaint.
“Yes, Bee!” Ashes looked thrilled.
“I don’t think-” Gingerpaw was cut off as the big tortoiseshell cuffed her over the head.
“Don’t argue with Bee.” The snaggle-toothed cat murmured. “Just eat and rest tonight.”
Gingerpaw found she was powerless to argue. If she ran, she’d probably die in the snow. If she yelled at them, well, the big one alone could crush her with one paw.
Fine. The apprentice flexed her claws, gritting her teeth. Then we’ll go tomorrow and I can ditch them as soon as we reach the mountains!
As soon as they reached the mountains, Gingerpaw found that she absolutely could not lose them.
Ashes was a bundle of sheer energy and kept up with Gingerpaw no matter how fast she ran. Bee was even worse – despite his bulky figure, he was agile under all that fluff and could leap across the rocks with ease. He also had a dizzyingly accurate intuition as to where Gingerpaw would go, making it impossible to confuse him.
When sunhigh came, Gingerpaw was resigned. She led the two rogues with her, head low. Wildstar is going to kill me.
“Stop!” Blackbird’s voice struck through the air and made Gingerpaw halt immediately. Her heart lightened at once. Good! He’ll chase off the intruders!
However, when Blackbird and his patrol appeared from the rocks, they gave Gingerpaw glares. “I thought you ran away,” Blackbird said sternly. “Come crawling back?”
“Starling!” Ashes suddenly pushed past Gingerpaw, almost knocking her off her paws. “It’s you! I knew you’d be here. Ivory and Juniper said you’d come to the mountains to be a warrior.”
Blackbird narrowed his eyes at Ashes and Gingerpaw held her breath, waiting for the warrior to smack the rogue into next season. Yet, to her ever-growing shock, he just laughed lightly. “Ashes. Finally run away from old Wheezer, huh?”
Ashes’s enthusiasm faded slightly. “Well, not really.” He shifted on his paws. “Wheezer and the others are dead.”
Blackbird blinked once. “… I see. Why are you here, then?”
“I want to join!” Ashes said, looking at the patrol with bright eyes.
To Gingerpaw’s frustration, the warriors glanced at each other thoughtfully.
“He’s strong,” Sweetfeather said. “Look at those muscles.”
“Energetic as well!” Kinkear commented.
Gingerpaw felt her stomach heave. Of course. They’ll welcome him. He’s not part kittypet. A wave of irritation swept over her as her Clanmates seemed to forget all about her, focusing on Ashes.
A shadow moved over Gingerpaw, making her shrink away instinctively.
Bee had stepped forward, his imposing size and intimidating presence causing the patrol to stop chatting instantly.
“And who is this?” Blackbird glanced down at Ashes. “He’s not one of Wheezer’s.”
“Of course not.” Bee purred. “I killed the old rat. He was a nuisance.”
Blackbird tensed slightly. “Are you trying to tell me you beat the Terror of the Mountains?” His voice was half incredulous and half wary.
“He did!” Ashes spoke up. “I saw it. The rest of us split up and ran, those of us that didn’t die of course, and Bee came along and collected us. He’s kept us fed! I would stay with him of course, but it’s cold and-” his chatter was abruptly cut off by Bee pushing past Blackbird. The big tom had started walking straight towards the camp as if he knew where it was.
“Hey!” Sweetfeather moved to stand in Bee’s way, but his glare was sharp and it made the warrior cringe away.
“I have… business with your leader.” Bee looked more amused than angry. “Hurry along. I’m getting bored with you.”
Blackbird and the rest were stunned by the sheer audacity of the stranger and Gingerpaw felt a twinge of satisfaction, silently following after Bee.
The trek was silent if Gingerpaw didn’t include Ashes’s unfathomably ceaseless babble. The tom was slowly grating on her nerves, though she knew in her heart that it was because of her Clan’s bias.
“Gingerpaw, is that you?” Lilacfur’s voice pierced through the apprentice’s self-pity like a merciful claw. The medicine cat lept down from a rock and practically tackled her, covering her head with licks. “Are you hurt? Where were you?”
Lilacfur’s fierce motherly demeanor had always been a balm on Gingerpaw’s frayed nerves. She was the apprentice’s surrogate mother and loved her just as much as Stoneskipper had.
“Who did you bring with you?” Wildstar’s voice dampened Gingerpaw’s mood immediately, but as she looked at the leader she saw shock run through the she-cat’s body.
“… Bee?” The strangled word burst out of Wildstar ungracefully. Gingerpaw was shocked – she’d never seen the leader look so discomposed.
“Ah, so it is you!” Bee padded forward, towering over Wildstar despite the she-cat’s ample size. “I thought you were the one leading the ragtags up here.”
Wildstar seemed to get herself together quickly. “We’re PhantomClan, not ragtags. That’s not even a word- no, what are you doing here?!”
“I brought your apprentice back,” Bee said smoothly. “You should really treat them better.”
Wildstar met Gingerpaw’s gaze and, for a brief moment, the apprentice could see the remorse in her eyes. “I-”
“She’s not an apprentice, she’s a kittypet!” Dewpaw’s voice cut through the air then. “You should’ve gone back to the two-legs when you had a chance.”
Before Gingerpaw could hiss a response, Bee tilted his head to the side and fixed Dewpaw with a stare. “Kittypet? I see no collar.”
“Her mother was a kittypet.” Blackbird supplied as he moved over to stand beside Wildstar. The she-cat shuffled and sidestepped away, giving Bee an anxious look. The big tom didn’t seem to notice.
“Can she hunt?” Bee asked.
“Yes!” Gingerpaw interjected. “I caught an eagle yesterday!”
Bee seemed satisfied. “Sounds like a good cat to me.”
“She probably stole the kill from someone else.” Dewpaw snapped.
With a speed that belied his massive size, Bee suddenly darted out. His movements were so flawless and nimble that Gingerpaw didn’t even realize that he’d moved until the tom slammed Dewpaw to the ground, using one paw to pin the apprentice’s head down.
“Bee!” Wildstar hissed, her fur beginning to bristle. “What-”
“You’ve always been a bit short-sighted.” Bee sighed with exaggerated exasperation. “Let me explain. This punk,” he flexed his claws against Dewpaw’s head, “is treating your apprentice badly and I assume the rest of your warriors aren’t exactly fond of her either. Why is that?”
Wildstar opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated.
“Because my mother was a kittypet!” Gingerpaw exploded, feeling her pent-up emotions overflow. “It’s so stupid!”
“Sounds stupid to me.” Bee nodded once. “But Wildstar, the problem here is that you’re teaching your cats that there’s no consequence to bullying their comrades. What happens when they dislike you? They’ll turn that anger and hatred on you, and you’ll be treated no different than Gingerpaw.”
Wildstar flexed her claws against the stone. “My cats wouldn’t-”
“Wouldn’t? Or do you think they wouldn’t?” Bee’s eyes gleamed as if he was saying a joke only he understood. “You need to discipline your cats properly when they do something bad.”
Gingerpaw got a foreboding feeling in her chest. “What-”
Before Gingerpaw could finish, Bee’s claws raked down with merciless accuracy. Dewpaw’s face was laid open and blood began flooding down his muzzle.
Every cat stood in shocked silence, unable to stop Bee from brushing against Wildstar like an old friend before racing off. Even Gingerpaw was horrified. I don’t like Dewpaw, but… The scene was grotesque as Lilacfur frantically tried to stymie the bloodflow, the other cats watching in stunned horror.
Suddenly, Wildstar approached Gingerpaw. “I-” The leader hesitated, looking embarrassed. “This is a bad time, but I… I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve to be treated that way. I- I’ll do better.”
Gingerpaw stared at her leader and realized suddenly that Wildstar was only a year or so older than her. She doesn’t know any more than I do. Taking a deep breath, Gingerpaw dipped her head. “I shouldn’t have run away.” She glanced sideways at Dewpaw, who was now whimpering. “We could’ve avoided this.”
“I don’t think we could have.” Wildstar said with a sigh, then started walking away. “Take care, Gingerpaw. You should go hunting. Oh,” she paused and glanced back at Gingerpaw, “and nice catch. From yesterday. It was impressive.”