Chapter Text
A mouse skittered across the leafy forest floor. It stopped to rise on its rear paws, sniffing at the air. Little whiskers twitched nervously and the little mouse squeaked likely. It stood holding that searching position for a moment but ultimately decided it was safe to continue on. White paws slammed down on the back of the poor mouse, dark claws sinking deep into its sides.
Newt picked up the mouse by its tail, releasing his grip on its torso. With a flick of his ears and a swish of his tail he headed back through the forest to camp. Trotting over leaves and pebbles, hopping over roots, and pushing through foliage. The large top slipped through a rocky tunnel and slid neatly down a rocky slope into the DarkClan camp. Newt was ready to leave his mouse in the prey pile but was stopped by a group of 4 moon old kits. Duck, Olive, Blue, and Tawny rushed up to Newt, nibbling at his paws and squeaking.
“Newt! Newt-” Olive flopped on his face as Duck shook Olive off his back. “Newt guess what we heard!” Blue pushed her little claws into Newt’s leg as she leaned into him. He didn’t show on his face as her tiny claws tingled his skin. “We hear-” Blue was cut off as Tawny rammed into her side. Tawny always played too rough with her siblings–no–every cat. “-Warrior name!” Duck called out from under Olive and Tawny. The kits were too rowdy for Newt to clearly hear what they were saying. He was ready to walk away from the conversation
“Warrior name?” Newt gently pushed the kits off each other with his nose, receiving a light scrape in the process. Duck shook himself off and gave a sneeze before continuing. “We hear LostPool talking about your warrior name-” Tawny cuts him off. “I think they're gonna name you BlackClaws.” Duck shoves a paw in her face. “NO! It’s gonna–it's gonna be TornEar.” Blue tackled Duck. “It's clearly g-gonna be LongFace.” LongFace? His face wasn’t that long. Sure his muzzle was a little longer than some of the other warriors but not nearly as close to some of the sleek BushClan warriors he’d seen.
The kits got distracted with arguing over Newt’s warrior name giving the dark tom a chance to slip away. He headed further down the gorge, acknowledging his clanmates as he passed, before finding a shaded spot to rest. An elevated platform shaded by the low hanging sun and the shape of the stone overhead. Newt closed his eyes and tuned out all the sounds around him. Slowly he drifted…off…to–“NEWT! Can’t you hear me?”
He’s startled awake by his fathers sharp voice. “Are you sleeping?” GrimSky asked such a stupid question, yes obviously he was sleeping. “Not anymore.’ Newt replied. “Good, I’m sending you out on a battle patrol. BushClan warriors have been spotted by the border and they have suspected RainClan warriors among them.” GrimSky’s yellow gaze seemed to be staring straight into Newt’s soul. But I guess he always looked at Newt that way. It made him wonder what GrimSky thought about his only son.
Did he secretly hate Newt and was denying him his warrior name because of it? Or did he actually like Newt and was such an emotionless tom that he couldn't show it? Was Newt just not good enough for him? I mean, he was almost 12 moons, the oldest of all the apprentices, and still had his kit name. What was his father still testing him? Hadn’t he done enough? Prove himself? It put Newt in a sour mood to speak to GrimSky. Thinking about his absence in his knighthood and GrimSky denying his son the right to his name. And most of all he's probably lying about–”Are you going or not?” GrimSky interrupted his thoughts.
“Oh–uh–yes I’m–yes I’m going.” Newt managed to say in a panic. GrimSky stared him down, being only slightly taller than Newt. “...Get your sister and join the patrol.” Newt did as he was told and searched the gorge for SpottedStream. Newt found his sister sharing prey with HollyBerry and invited her on the patrol. Newt and SpottedStream joined up with NightRump, StoneMask, LionSplash, BarkLily, Lynx, Chaffinch, and Falcon.
The patrol headed out of stone tunnels up into the forest. They headed North towards the last sighting of the BushClan patrol, the Flat Rocks. The patrol broke up into pairs to search the Flat Rocks and the nearby territory faster. Newt was with SpottedStream, of course. He should probably be with his mentor, NightRump, but recently both of them have been training less and less. There was a stale scent of what was definitely a BushClan warrior but there was something else too. The scent is familiar but hard to place.
“Smells like RainClan was here.” SpottedStream spoke up. Newt made a sound of acknowledgement and went back to investigating. He caught a trail of something leading away from the Flat Rocks, further from the group. Newt motion for SpottedStream to follow the trail with him and together they headed back from the forest towards the river. Some of the other warriors caught on too, SmokeMask and Falcon were the first to catch up. There, further up the bank, were seven BushClan warriors.
LionSplash was the first to rush in. He smashed into the warrior furthest back in the group, an apprentice most likely. The heavy size difference gave LionSplash a clear advantage and he clearly had the apprentice beat. But it wasn’t long till the group took notice, a black tom tried to rush LionSplash but was intercepted by Lynx. The battle had officially started. Newt fought with a short white marbled tom first. Newt was bigger but tom put up a fight. Scratching, biting, and spitting. Being honest Newt wasn’t fighting as hard as he had before. It was a casual trespassing battle, he’d fought plenty of these before. He was dragged away from fighting the tom as Lynx leapt at his opponent and someone scratched his flank.
A red she-cat jumped at Newt. He reared up to meet her, her paws nearly wrapping around his neck but she slipped backwards as the bigger tom slammed into her. She fell stunned on her back, a bite sized chunk of skin and fur ripped out her shoulder. Newt took the chance to pin her down and shred at her belly. The she-cat bunny kicked Newt’s belly, tearing at the fur. She squirmed to get out from Newt’s grip, exposing her neck and giving Newt an opportunity. But before he could something heavy slammed down on his back. Newt stumbled as claws raked into his side. The ginger she-cat slipped from under him and aimed at his face. Newt tried to doge to the side, rolling in the process and crushing the warrior on his back.
Now he was really fighting, something in him sparked a sudden motivation. Newt quickly clamped his jaws into the white warrior’s side, ripping a mouthful of fur. He winced at the new scratch on his leg and whipped around to hook the red she-cat across her head and face. Directing his attention back to the white she-cat he slammed into her, claws extended. The BushClan warrior fought back, getting a good scratch on Newt’s shoulder but Newt ultimately won the struggle. The tom got a good clamp on the warrior’s neck, as he was trained, and pulled. The warrior yowled in pain scratching and writhing, before she finally broke free. The she-cat pulled back, bleeding profusely from her neck. Newt spat out what was left in his mouth, not caring to watch as the warrior in front of him bled out. Where was that russet-furred apprentice? Is the battle still going?
The warriors around him from both clans had broken apart watching the scene in front of him. The russet apprentice he’d fought before rushed up to the dying warrior, trying to support her. “Chaffinch? Stay with me…” Newt almost stepped forward to attack the apprentice but was interrupted by a loud “RETREAT!” The BushClan warriors rushed past the DarkClan warriors, headed straight for the crossing rocks. “But…wha-” The red she-cat seemed torn between her deceased friend and her clan. The dead BushClan she flopped off the apprentice’s shoulder. It seemed to finally set in to her that the warrior was dead. “Get, or you’ll end up like her..” StoneMask brushed sand into the apprentice's face. The she-cat still seemed torn but chose her life over the carcass, she rushed down the bank after her clan mates, stirring up the sand behind her.
There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at the dead warrior who was staining the sand with their blood. “Good work, Newt.” LionSplash interrupted the silence. “You took that warrior head on.” StoneMask added his own congratulations. The other members of the patrol celebrated their victory too all the way back to camp. GrimSky, LostPool, MottleBranch, and BurnBee were waiting for the patrol near the camp entrance. LostPool and his Healers began to check and treat the warriors' injuries. GrimSky was more interested in hearing the results of the patrol. He went around to each of the warriors each of which remarked on Newt killing the BushClan warrior. Newt hoped GrimSky was impressed, if he was, he didn’t show it.
Soon after the healers had finished patching wounds, the worst of which being a long scratch on NightRump’s side. The warriors of the patrol were dismissed by the healers and went to tell about their recent battle. Newt and SpottedStream settled in the moonlight to share a rabbit. The usual chatter, today's battle, what does Newt think his warrior name will be, somehow they ended up talking about LionSplash and TallWater. “Have you seen TallWater and LionSplash lately?” SpottedStream commented. “She’s been hanging around LionSplash a lot lately. Seems like LionSplash finally got the hint.” Newt agreed with his sister with a trill of amusement.
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At moon high Newt was getting ready to retire back to his den when GrimSky’s voice rang out through the gorge. “All cats old enough to protect the gorge gather under the Dark Rock for a clan meeting.” All cats 6 moons and up gathered under the Dark Rock, named after the clan's founder, for the meeting. The kits snuck glances from behind the nursery entrance, doing their best not to be spotted.
“Today nine of our warriors and apprentices defeated an invading BushClan patrol near the Flat Rocks.” Many cats began to cheer at the news. BushClan and DarkClan were still at war, enemies since their clan’s creation. “Though each cat fought hard for their clan, one apprentice stood out to me.” Newt felt a paw prod at him on his side and he looked over to meet his sister’s happy face. “He’s talking about you!” She whispered.
“Newt, step forward.” Newt’s usually drooping ears perked up at the sound of his name. His clan mates cheered and made way for him, brushing tails or paws along his body as he passed. He took his spot below the Dark Rock, his father, his leader, staring down at him. “Today you have shown great courage and strength. You have proved yourself a warrior and earned your name.” Newt’s heart raced like a mouse trying to free itself from under his skin. He tried his best to calm himself, not to show any emotion, but he couldn’t help his nervous paw shuffle. “Welcome to the clan, WolfClaw.” LostPool said from beside GrimSky. WolfClaw! He was WolfClaw!
“WolfClaw! WolfClaw!” The clan’s cheering rang out through the gorge. SpottedStream, NightRump, and HollyBerry came up to congratulate Newt–no–WolfClaw personally. “WolfClaw, congratulations.” NightRump congratulated WolfClaw in his usual collected manner. His sister and mother seemed more excited. “It’s so nice seeing the two of you together, all grown up.” HollyBerry said. “We aren’t twelve moons yet.”
The crowd was starting to clear, noise settling, and cats returning to their dens. GrimSky and LostPool came down from the rock. “You have a spot waiting for you in the warriors den.” LostPool said as she passed. GrimSky stopped in front of WolfClaw. “Better late than never, good job.” That might have been the most affection GrimSky had ever shown to his son. WolfClaw followed his sister up the slope to the collection of dents and holes in the gorge walls that made up the warriors' den. Just like LostPool said a bed of moss was waiting for him right besides SpottedStream.