Warriors - Grace Mattox (top 100 novels of all time txt) 📗

she wrapped her tail around her paws. She swiped at the air.

 

"Farther." Blackhowl meowed. "You wont be fighting mice!"

 

Gritting her theeth, Marshkit swiped farther with her forepaws, realizing that she wasnt falling. With each swipe, she felt her blows getting more powerful.

 

"Unsheath your claws!" Blackhowl lashed his tail. "You want to hurt your enemy!"

 

Marshkit drew her claws out imagining a pretend warrior in front of her.

 

"Nice." Blackhowl nodded slightly. "Now try the move on me."

 

"On you?" Marshkit gasped, dropping onto her paws. "What if i hurt you?"

 

"You can try." Blackhowl snorted, facing Marshkit.

 

Marshkit reared again, wrapping her tail around her paws. She unsheathed her claws and swiped, but somehow Blackhowl had disappeared.

 

"What?" Marshkit gasped, dropping onto all fours, her eyes scanning the dark forest. Suddenly a white shape barreled into her, knocking her off her paws.

 

"You shouldnt be here!"

 

"Why not?" Marshkit reared, preparing to swipe.

 

The white cat stood. "Because you dont belong here!"

 

Marshkit bared her teeth. "Who are you?"

 

"Im Nightowl!" The white she-cat meowed.

 

Marshkit narrowed her eyes. "Are you from StarClan, too?"

 

"He is not from StarClan!" Nightowl meowed, and Marshkit guessed she was talking about Blackhowl. "But i am."

 

"If he's not from StarClan, wheres he from?" Marshkit asked.

 

"The Dark Forest." Nightowl meowed. "You shouldnt be here,"

 

Marshkit growled. "He said he'd help me with training! I want to be a good warrior!"

 

"Marshkit, listen to me!" Nightowl growled. "You cant ever be a warrior."

 

"Why not?" Marshkit demanded angrily.

 

Nightowl shook her head. "I cant tell you that now." She meowed. "All i can tell you is that you will never be a warrior."

 

"I dont believe you. Your just jealous!" Marshkit flattened her ears angrily.

 

"Believe what you want!" Nightowl hissed. "Im just trying to help."

 

And she was gone.

 

"Dont listen to her, Marshkit." Blackhowl appeared. "You still want be the best warrior you can, right?"

 

"Of course!" Marshkit fluffed out her fur.

 

"Good." Blackhowl nodded with dark satisfaction.

Chapter 3.

 Starkit watched as her sister stirred finally, blinking open her green eyes.

 

"Marshkit?" Starkit padded forward. "Did you train?"

 

"Yes." Marshkit nodded, her eyes distant, troubled.

 

"W-whats wrong?" Starkit asked, her eyes bright with concern for her sister.

 

"Nothing, just.." Marshkit stared at her paws uncomfortably.

 

Starkit was confused, but she padded forward to rest her tail tip reaussuringly on her sisters shoulder. "You can tell me, you know."

 

"Not right now, Starkit." Marshkit meowed, though she gave Starkit a brisk lick on the muzzle before padding away.

 

Starkit watched Marshkit as her sister padded into the nursery, her concern for her sister clear in her blue eyes. This wasnt like Marshkit at all; Marshkit told her everything. With a flick of her tail, she followed her sister.

 

"Marshkit?" Starkit entered to find Marshkit sitting up in her nest, staring into space. "What happened?"

 

Marshkit looked up, her eyes distressed, her pelt matted. "He's evil." she whispered.

 

"Who is?" Starkit crept into the nest and laid her tail across Marshkit's shoulder.

 

"The tom, Blackhowl." Marshkit shivered. "Another cat told me."

 

"What if that cat was evil, trying to lie on Blackhowl?" Starkit mewed.

 

Marshkit shook her head. "No, they'res something about Blackhowl that i just can't...trust."

 

"Did you trust the other cat?"

 

"Yes, a little." Starkit saw her sister shift.

 

"Well, then maybe the other cat is right." Starkit meowed.

 

Marshkit looked unsure. "She told me something else." She mewed at last.

 

Starkit nodded. "What?"

 

"She told me i could never be an apprentice."

 

"T-thats impossible!" Starkit gasped. "Marshki-"

 

"Whats going on?" Mistylake poked her head into the den, eyes wide.

 

"Nothing, Mistylake." Starkit smiled.

 

"Okay," Mistylake left the den.

 

Starkit glanced back at Marshkit. "Marshkit, i don't know what you should do, but remember one thing." She mewed. "Trust your heart."

 

As Marshkit thought that over, Starkit stood up and padded out of the den.

 

 

"Im. So. Bored!" Starkit rolled onto her back. "When will Snowtuft get back?"

 

"I dont know, dear." Mistylake meowed. She was sitting beside Starkit with Fireclaw on her other side.

 

Starkit stood. "I want to be a medicine cat." She meowed.

 

"Well, you can request that to Fishstar, since your apprentice ceremony is in three days." Mistylake purred.

 

Starkit nodded. "Can you tell him?"

 

"Of course, dear." Mistylake purred softly.

 

Starkit smiled. Quickly, the five moon old kit spotted Marshkit by the nursery, her eyes shining.

 

"guess what?" Marshkit mewed as Starkit approached.

 

"What?"

 

"I told Blackhowl i dont want to train anymore. He took it really well."

 

"Good," Starkit nodded.

 

She was pleased with her sisters choice, though as she thought more, she slowly realized that Blackhowl must be planning something.

Chapter 4.

Marshkit padded around the nursery. Her sister was asleep, her mother was too. She snuck out of the nursery.

 

As Marshkit exited the nursery, she saw Fishstar ahead. With a delighted yowl, she raced forward. "Fishstar!"

 

Fishstar turned to face her. "Marshkit, watch out!" He yowled. Marshkit saw a small rock ahead of her. Quickly she dodged around it and halted in front of Fishstar.

 

"Can i go out of camp?" She panted.

 

"No," Fishstar meowed. "Kits must stay in camp."

 

Marshkit pouted as she turned away. As Fishstar turned back around, Marshkit bounded out of camp defiantly.

 

As Marshkit padded through the forest, leaves crackled under her paws, but she enjoyed the sound. She padded on, then broke into a run. The young she-kit ran fast, her eyes closed, when suddenly she felt hard rock underpaw. She opened her eyes, pausing, and looked down.

 

Confused, she looked back up at a roar, and saw two bright lights coming straight for her. Marshkit fluffed her fur up and leaped back as the..thing..roared past. She sighed, until a sharp pain in her back paw made her hiss in agony. She looked down to find her leg twisted and bloody. How did that happen?  Confused now more than ever, MArshkit let her gaze travel back to the hard stone.

 

A hard piece of stone stuck out from the thunderpath, sharp as well. Marshkit growled. That must have hurt her.

 

"Marshkit?" The meow made her turn her head. Fireclaw was standing in fornt of her.

 

"Oh no! Your leg..you must have hurt it on that trap!" Fireclaw lifted up Marshkit by the scruff and carried her to camp.

 

 

Marshkit sighed. She was laying in the medicine cat den. Snowtuft had inspected her leg, and it was broken.

 

So it was true. Marshkit though dully. I will never be a warrior.

Chapter 5.

 Starkit padded to the medicine den, a small trout in her jaws. She padded inside.

 

"Marshkit?" She called around a mouthful of fish. A replying meow sounded in one of the small rooms and she padded inside.

 

"Are you hungry?" Starkit asked.

 

"A little." Marshkit admitted. Her head was layed on her paws, her eyes closed.

 

Starkit dropped the fish in front of Marshkit, who gobbled it down.

 

"The cat was right." Marshkit meowed. "I'll never be a warrior."

 

"Dont worry, you can be the medicine cat, ill be the warrior. I already told Fishstar and Snowtuft. They agreed." Starkit meowed.

 

"Really?" Marshkit looked at her sister. "You'd do that, for me?"

 

"I'd give my life for you, you know that." Starkit pressed her muzzle to Marshkit's head.

 

"Thank you." Marshkit whispered. "Maybe this is my destiny."

 

"Being a warrior is my destiny." Starkit nodded. "This wouldnt have happened if it wasnt. Come on, the ceremony is just in a few minutes."

 

Marshkit stood painfully.

 

"I'll help you." Starkit pressed against her sister and they entered the clearing.

 

"Marshkit, Starkit, step forward." Fishstar yowled. Starkit padded forward, still pressed against her sister gently.

 

Fishstar nodded to Snowtuft, who leaped ontop of the Stream Stone beside him.

 

"Starkit, from this moment on, you shall be known as Starpaw." He meowed, gazing at the young she-cat in wonder. Then he lifted his green eyes to the warriors below, his eyes scanning each of them before resting silently on Lillypad. "Lillypad," He continued. "You have had yet to become a mentor. Now you take on the responsibility. You will mentor Starpaw."

 

Starpaw raised her muzzle slightly, a smile curling at the ends of her lips. She let out a pleased purr and stretched up, touching her gray muzzle lightly to her mentors, before looking back up at the Stream Stone, glancing anxiously towards her sister.

 

"Marshkit," Fishstar had not finished. "Are you ready to take on the responsibility of a medicine cat?"

 

"I am." Marshkit replied, her eyes, filled with the tiniest bit of sorrow, pierced Starpaw.

 

Fishstar swallowed. "Then from now on, you shall be known as Marshpaw." He meowed. "Snowtuft will be your mentor."

 

Snowtuft leaped from the stone before padding on light paws over to Marshpaw, bending down to touch noses with her.

 

"Starpaw! Marshpaw! Starpaw! Marshpaw!" The crowd of cats cheering behind her startled Starpaw slightly. She spun around and watched with unwavering blue eyes.

 

Is this really my destiny?