Chapter 1 Claws raked Palefur’s pelt. As he struggled he realized the weight of multiple Thunderclan intruders were knocked away. His head shot up and he noticed plenty of Riverclan warriors had woken up and began to push the Thunderclan cats out of camp. He felt fur press against his muzzle and instinctively clawed the cat's tail. He heard yowling and he was pinned by a Riverclan warrior! He recognized Quailchime, a lanky she-cat who had been friendly to him when he first joined the clan, now she had pinned him down— and during a battle! “Traitor!” He hissed and rolled over, knocking the breath out of her. Then he noticed a pile of grayish blue fur, with white paws and a red tail, and that tail had even darker crimson trickling down. Then the realization came to him like the boulder that had crushed the Windclan leader many moons ago, Glorysong was the one he clawed. Everything slowed down— at least for Palefur, he was aware of every claw, every tooth, every piece of fur, everything. How could he be so blind? Why would Quailchime be a traitor? Out of all cats, Quailchime? The time went back to normal and suddenly Palefur was being outnumbered, three to one. The Thunderclan warriors hissed and clawed, bit and pinned down. Then, when all hope seemed lost for Riverclan, a dog came running in, howling and barking. Immediately Palefur recognized this dog, it had been with him since he was a kittypet. Though Palefur could not speak dog, he found ways to communicate with this dog, and eventually the dog could speak cat. After the Thunderclan warriors fled the dog bounded toward Palefur— to Palefur’s horror, after all he had been in a clan for so long he learned to fear dogs. “Bucky!” The dog called. Palefur hissed but then remembered who this dog was, “It’s Palefur now.” He mewed, shuffling his paws. The dog blinked at him, “Well I found your wings! You forgot them at home!” he barked. “Home?” A new voice hissed, “Oh right! In the shelter of your twoleg nest! Isn't that right,” they paused. “Bucky?” Palefur recognized the rumbly voice of Dappledleg, and he couldn’t help unsheathing his claws. “Enough!” He snapped, whipping his head toward the tortoiseshell warrior. “Or,” Palefur narrowed his eyes. “Should I tell doggy here how horrible you’ve been to me— since I walked into camp!” The dog tilted his head, “My name isn’t Doggy— and wait! He's been horrible to you?” Dappledleg took a step back, and Palefur grinned. Once Dappledleg fled, Palefur addressed the beast. “What are you doing here Sammy?” His voice was low— almost a hiss. “Well,” Sammy began, his thick black and bronze coat glowing in the rising sunlight. “As I said I found your wings and,” Palefur suddenly could not hold back, he pounced on Sammy, hissing like the dog was a fat fish that he had just caught. “Hey—!” Sammy knocked him over, now trying to growl, but he didn't want to hurt Palefur at all, so the growl sounded weak. “Fight me! Like the—” Palefur’s eyes clouded with regret as he finished his sentence, “Like the beast you are!” Sammy’s eyes opened wide with shock as he whined, surrendering to his friend. “What is going on here?” A silvery gray cat yowled, and they both whipped around. “Plumstar!” Palefur meowed and dipped his head, while Plumstar was not pleased. “Why is there a dog in camp?” The silver cat hissed. Palefur began to say “This is Sammy—” but Sammy interrupted him, “You must be the— what was it again? Oh yes! The leader! I heard leaders are important!” Surprisingly, Plumstar looked interested in Sammy. “Yes, and you were just leaving right Sammy?” Palefur prompted, though Sammy looked angry. “No, no, please. This dog saved us from a Thunderclan invasion! We must invite him to camp!” Plumstar mewed happily. What!? Palefur thought. I wasn’t welcomed like this! Plus, he is a dog!
Palefur angrily gazed up at Plumstar as he was about to give Sammy his apprentice name. All of a sudden Palefur realized, would Plumstar make him Sammy’s mentor? He’d better not, he thought bitterly. Plumstar began to speak the ritual words, but Palefur was just thinking about how none of the clan would trust Sammy, therefore Sammy’s mentor, therefore— His thoughts were interrupted by the important words of who the mentor would be, “Quailchime, you show great agility and skill, you will be the new mentor of Houndpaw.” Plumstar formally dipped his head toward Quailchime for Houndpaw to see, and he went bounding toward his mentor. “Pass these traits onto your new apprentice,” Plumstar blinked at Quailchime, then went to speak with the deputy Fallensnarl. Quailchime touched noses with Houndpaw, as a mentor would to any cat. Palefur snorted and stalked away, and as he began thinking again he realized his paws took him to the medicine den. “Scarletpaw!” he called out to the young, soon to be medicine cat. She came padding toward him with a bundle of herbs in her mouth. As she dropped them she began to speak, “What is it Palefur? Make it quick because Livewish needs me!” Palefur thought she spoke sharply, but then noticed the humor in her eyes. “Well,” He said, his voice nothing more than a whisper. “Remember Sammy? He’s in the camp now and—” Suddenly Scarletpaw glared at him and hissed “Call him Houndpaw! No one called you Bucky when you joined the clan! And yes I know he is an apprentice now! Start acting like a warrior! I know you’re the same age as me but come on! I know more on how to be a warrior than you do!” Palefur flinched, but then he realized Scarletpaw was right. He was jealous of his old friend— to the point where it seemed like he hated him! I am so selfish! He thought bitterly. How could I attack Sammy! No wait, Houndpaw! He's my best friend! “You’re right! You’re always right!” He called over his shoulder as he bounded away. “Houndpaw!” He mewed to the dog as he skidded to a halt. Houndpaw did not look at him for a second, but then he whipped his head around. “Sorry! Still getting used to the new name!” He said, his words dripping with amusement. “Still the same Sammy I remembered!” Palefur teased. Exactly the same! #All #Art #Tutorials #Story #Chapter 1 #Cats #Comic #Book
