Averiwing’s Legacy/Chapter 4

When Averipaw trotted back into camp, carrying her catch, more than a few of the cats looked surprised. Most of them then moved to congratulate her, however, she noticed Smokehawk and Blizzardhawk pointedly stayed away, shooting glares at her and Stormstar. Averipaw forced herself to focus on the cats in front of her, and away from them. Maybe I can do this after all!

Averipaw raced along branches and leapt from tree to tree, desperately trying not to fall. She had asked to go on a border patrol, and the FeatherClan cats had allowed it. If only she had known that they flew during the patrols. Ahead of her, Stormstar called advice over his feathery shoulder. Averipaw nimbly leapt after him, wishing once again that she had wings too. The patrol fluttered down and perched on a birch tree for a moment so she could catch up, and she bounded from branch to branch, ending in a leap onto the birch tree. She dug her claws into the bark and balanced there, panting. "You're doing well," Stormstar encouraged her.

"Yeah, for a kittypet," came Grasspaw's jeer. He was one of the other two cats on the patrol, and he didn't like having to patrol with Averipaw.

"She is not a kittypet," Stormstar snapped back. "She has no collar and was found on the ThunderClan border, with ShadowClan scent. She was a loner."

"Like that makes a difference," Grasspaw muttered when Stormstar had turned back around. He scowled at Averipaw, and Averipaw bared her teeth at him. Rainwing, Grasspaw's mentor, cuffed him over the ears.

"Stop that!" he ordered. "We should get going again. Are you ready, Averipaw?" Rainwing was much nicer than his apprentice, and he had warmed up to Averipaw after her successful first trial. Averipaw nodded and unlatched her claws from the wood. Stormstar stretched out his wings and rose into the air, followed by Grasspaw and Rainwing. Then a faint shriek rang out and all the cats turned towards the source. Without thinking, the three FeatherClan cats started flying off, leaving Averipaw on the branch. Averipaw called after them, but they didn't hear her, and she raced below them on the ground so she could run faster. She lost them when they flew over a bramble she had to go around, and she hissed in frustration.

Another screech rang out, this time followed by more caterwauling, and Averipaw sprinted with new energy, needing to help her new Clanmates in time. She burst through a bush and froze, taking in the scene. In the camp, angry WindClan warriors leapt at FeatherClan warriors while the elders, queens, and kits huddled in their dens. Averipaw promptly leapt into the battle, landing squarely on a WindClan warrior's back and yowling with rage. The cat bucked, trying to throw her off, before slamming his back into a tree, disorienting Averipaw and causing her to lose her grip.

Averipaw's vision blurred and she dizzily tried to dodge the tom's swipes. She turned and flung herself at the tree, digging her claws into the bark and scrabbling up it, out of reach. When the tom tried to follow, she batted at his nose with claws extended until he gave up and returned to the battle below. With him out of the way, Averipaw scanned the battle and saw Stormstar wrestling with a tabby she-cat. He rolled and ended up under her, with his wings pinned awkwardly, and he let out a yowl of pain as she slashed his muzzle. Averipaw screeched with rage and ran along the branch, dropping down onto the she-cat and making her legs collapse. Both Stormstar and the tabby let out little gasps as the wind was knocked out of them, and Averipaw swiped her claws across the she-cat's ears, then her back, causing her to squeal in pain and run, escaping Averipaw's claws.

"Thank you, Averipaw," Stormstar said, getting to his feet. "You'll make a fine warrior." Averipaw caught the implication, and she dipped her head in thanks before leaping back into the fray. Shinepelt and Pinepaw were defending the entrance to the nursery, and a few fox-hearted WindClan cats were slashing at them. Stormstar shot off that way, leaving Averipaw to help Larksong and Lakesplash defend the elders' den. The already outnumbered WindClan cats were quick to flee when Averipaw leapt on them from behind, her already quiet pawsteps muffled by the sounds of battle.

Soon the rest of the WindClan warriors were fleeing, and Stormstar sent a patrol of warriors to fly above them and pester them until they reached the border. Shinepelt and Pinepaw started checking wounds, and Briarrose, the retired medicine cat, was helping them, due to the number of injuries. While they were doing that, Stormstar called his senior warriors over, along with Larksong, and started discussing something with them. Averipaw heard her name, but whenever she got close, they'd pause and watch her until she left.

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