Imprudent and Meek

This is a story for a contest on another wiki.

RiverClan

 * Fishstar - silver tabby tom
 * Dewstream - silver-pelted she-cat with a black-tipped tail; Deputy
 * Perchfin - black tom with green eyes and a graying muzzle; Medicine Cat
 * Voleblaze - brown tom; Finchpaw's Mentor
 * Brownoak - big, brown tom
 * Fallenpetal - gray-and-white she-cat; Lilyblossom's former Mentor
 * Shiningpelt - black she-cat with silver tipped fur; Frogstep's former Mentor
 * Lilacface - silver she-cat with amber eyes and a white mark on her head; Apprentice Medicine Cat, Formerly Lilacpaw
 * Frogstep - black and white tom with brown eyes; Formerly Frogpaw
 * Finchpaw - ginger-and-white she-cat
 * Lilyblossom - small, beautiful, tortoiseshell she-cat with big blue eyes; Formerly Lilypaw
 * Morningstream - gray tabby she-cat with beautiful green eyes and a torn ear; Mother to an unknown tom's kits
 * Brookkit - black tom with amber eyes; Morningstream's kit
 * Lightningkit - tabby she-cat with thick fur; Morningstream's kit
 * Darkberry - dark she-cat with a gray muzzle; Elder
 * Fawnleap - pale brown she-cat; Elder
 * Mintstep - gray tom; Elder

ShadowClan

 * Miststar - reddish she-cat
 * Featherspeck - brown tom with white specks that look like feathers; Medicine Cat
 * Darkflight - dark tom with a graying muzzle
 * Starlingpelt - red-brown tabby tom
 * Flamepaw - dark ginger tom with a torn ear
 * Wishfur - cream-colored she-cat; Formerly Wishpaw

WindClan

 * Grassstar - pale brown tom
 * Kestreltail - brown tabby tom; Medicine Cat
 * Dewpaw - pale gray tabby she-cat
 * Gustybreeze - very dark brown tom with gray stripes; Formerly Gustypaw
 * Frostpaw - gray she-cat with white-tipped fur; Apprentice Medicine Cat

ThunderClan

 * Stormstar - golden tabby tom with a scarred pelt
 * Petalspot - dark tortoiseshell she-cat with large white spots across her pelt; Medicine Cat
 * Sagepaw - white tom with a long tail and amber eyes
 * Marshpaw - brown tabby tom with small ears

Chapter 1
Frogpaw's brown eyes blazed as he lept at his opponent, his claws slashed through thin air, though, as Finchpaw rolled away.

"Use the time that Finchpaw takes to get back on her paws to attack!" Shiningpelt, Frogpaw's mentor, called across the training-area.

Frogpaw took his mentor's advice and as his littermate, Finchpaw, was regaining her balance, he lept, and pummeled her on the side of the head.

"That's enough for now," Finchpaw's mentor, Voleblaze, called, "very good, Frogpaw, you've improved greatly, and Finchpaw, as you stood you were more vunerable."

The apprentices nodded, and though Frogpaw tried to control himself, his chest puffed out with pride. Finchpaw noticed, and rolled her eyes, sometimes her brother could be so full-headed! Cats called him imprudent, somehow the name fit Frogpaw. He was bold, sometimes too bold, and he thought a lot about himself.

"Come on," Shiningpelt said, jarring Finchpaw from her thoughts, "Let's go back to camp."

Frogpaw and Finchpaw nodded and followed their mentors back to camp.

Chapter 2
Lilacpaw calmly set the borage leaves, oak leaves, and cobwebs down on the sandy floor of the medicine cat's den. Perchfin, her mentor gave her a wordless nod, a proud gleam in his eyes. His mouth was full of stinging nettle and chervil.

"Wonderful job!" Perchfin mewed, after he had set down his burden, he gave Lilacpaw's silver pelt a flick with his tail and told her where to deposit all of the herbs. Just as she was finishing, a big brown tom pushed his way into the den.

"Lilacpaw, did you hear?" the brown tom, Brownoak, mewed.

Lilacpaw shook her head, her amber eyes questioning her father, Brownoak.

"About the prophecy rumor?" Brownoak further elaborated.

Lilacpaw once again shook her beautiful? silver head, in the dim light of the den you could barely distinguish the large white mark on her forehead.

"Cats are saying that the prophecy has to do with Frogpaw and Lilypaw, you know he has been paying attention to her recently," he rambled on.

"Frogpaw pays attention to every she-cat," Lilacpaw mewed, rolling her amber eyes, her father could talk a cat's ears off. He was always rambling about how proud he was of Lilypaw, but he almost never encouraged Lilacpaw. She sighed, it must have been that she chose a path to be a medicine cat, instead of choosing a warrior's path. She loved her life, but everyone had expected her to be a great warrior and beautiful queen, instead of a medicine cat.

Chapter 3
Frogpaw heard the rumors, also, and he liked them, they made him feel important, and he always wanted to feel that way.

"Frogpaw!" Shiningpelt yowled, "We're joining Fallenpetal's hunting patrol."

Frogpaw yawned and sighed, ''Why did they have to hunt, training was so much more useful. ''He gave his black-and-white pelt one last lick before padding over to join his mentor at the entrance to camp.

Fallingpetal gave him a curt nod and Frogpaw raced, beside Lilypaw, out of camp. Once they slowed, Frogpaw allowed his pelt to brush against Lilypaw's.

"Frogpaw, come with me, Lilypaw go with Shiningpelt," Fallenpetal ordered.

Frogpaw sighed but had no choice other than follow Fallenpetal. Out of all of the cats in the Clan, Fallenpetal was Frogpaw's least favorite.

"Let's try the brook that runs over the hill down there," Fallenpetal mewed, pointing towards a hill with her tail a few fox-legnths away.

Frogpaw nodded, though he wasn't exited at the prospect of hunting, he hated hunting and had always had wondered why they bothered.

They came to the crest of the hill and Fallenpetal sat, very still, letting her shadow fall away from the small brook. Frogpaw still wasn't exited, but he did the same, waiting to catch sight of a fish, or more specifically a carp, he knew that Lilypaw adored carp, and he wanted to please her.

He saw the fat body of one come into the shallows of the brook, and his paw flashed out, and he hooked it under it's belly, yanking it onto the shore, and killing it with one swift blow.

Chapter 4
Lilacpaw was estatic, tonight she would go to the Moonpool! She'd been there countless times before but she never tired of it, it was a symbol of peace and security in her life and more importantly, it gave her a chance to get away from her parents raving about Lilypaw. Finally, tonight she was going to get her full name, something that she would get before Lilypaw, for once.

"Coming Lilacpaw?" Perchfin called.

"Yep," Lilacpaw mewed, trying to show Perchfin she was mature, she tried, and failed, to keep the exitement out of her voice.

"Wait," Perchfin mewed, putting his tail on her shoulder as she was leaving camp, "Fishstar wants to to something first."

Lilacpaw wondered what Fishstar could possibly want to do, but she sat next to Perchfin and curled her beautiful, thick-furred, silver tail around her paws, looking up at the rock where Fishstar usually stood to make Clan announcements. By the time Fishstar got onto the rock everyone was already gathered, Lilacpaw wondered why Finchpaw looked so angry, but decided to let it go, her thoughts were interrupted by Fishstar's words.

"I, Fishstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn," Fishstar took a deep breath and continued, by this time Lilacpaw knew why Finchpaw had looked angry and bitter. Why did Lilypaw have to ruin everything?

"Frogpaw, Lilypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" As Fishstar uttered those words, Lilacpaw could barely stand to look at the smug grin on Lilypaw's face.

"I do." The two cats answered.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Frogpaw, Lilypaw, from this moment you will two be known as Frogstep and Lilyblossom. StarClan honors your bravery and, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan," Fishstar finished, Lilacpaw was shocked, ''Why now, on the night that she was supposed to get her full? name and prove to everyone that she was just as good as Lilyblossom?''

Chapter 5
Lilacpaw had finally left camp. She followed Perchfin and ShadowClan's medicine cat, Featherspeck. As they neared the Moonpool, Petalspot, ThunderClan's medicine cat, Kestreltail, WindClan's medicine cat, and Frostpaw, WindClan's medicine cat apprentice joined them.

"Guess what?" Frostpaw mewed to Lilacpaw.

"What?" Lilacpaw replied.

"Gustybreeze got the top half of one of his ears torn off, and I helped treat it!" Frostpaw was estatic.

"That's awesome!" Lilacpaw mewed, she remembered the handsome tom from WindClan at Gatherings, she had always thought that he had been a strong, handsom tom and she his Clan had been lucky to have him.

"You must be so exited that you're getting you full name tonight, I know that I would be!" Frostpaw rambled on, she was such a chatterbox at times.

Once they entered the valley holding the Moonpool the medicine cats made a half-circle around Lilacpaw.

"Lilacpaw, do you promise to uphold the medicine cats' code and treat sickness for the rest of your able moons?" Perchfin asked.

"Yes," Lilacpaw solemly replied.

"Then by the powers invested in me, by StarClan, Lilacpaw you shall join me as a full medicine cat of River Clan, from this moment on you shall be named Lilacface, for the distinguishing mark on your forehead. Congratulaions Lilacface!"

"Lilacface, Lilacface," the cats yowled, showing their approval.

"Now," Perchfin mewed, once the chanting had died down, "May StarClan welcome you as a full medicine cat, good luck!"

Lilacface nodded and bent down, lapping a few drops of the cool, clear water, she settled into her dreams with StarClan.

Chapter 6
Frogstep yawned, stumbling into the clearing. He was on the dawn patrol, and wasn't happy with it.

"Coming Frogstep?" the deputy, Dewstream asked.

Frogstep nodded and padded across the clearing where Morningstream and Brownoak were waiting. Morningstream was a queen, but she had wanted to get out and stretch her legs for a while.

"Come on," Dewstream ordered, leading outside the camp, as they crossed the stream, they ran into Perchfin and Lilacpaw, now Lilacface, the patrol meowed their congratulations and continued through the territory.

Frogstep eyes the pine forest wearily as the cats approached the ShadowClan border, the dark green nettles of the pine trees made him shiver, he hated the prickly feel of the nettles, and when he was a kit he had gotten them stuck all over his pelt, he had itched for days, and only Perchfin had been able to help him.

"Is something wrong?" Morningstream whispered into his ear.

"Uh, uh no," Frogstep replied, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts, he realized that the patrol was a couple of fox-legnths in front of the patrol, and he sprinted, with Morningstream behind him, to catch up.

"Good," Dewstream nodded, aknoledging their return, "a patrol is approaching and we need to appear strong."

Frogstep gave a hasty, breathless nod, still breathing hard after his run. He looked up as he sensed the patrol approaching and curled his lip, the ShadowClan stink was stronger now, as the cats got closer.

"What do you want?" he heard Darkflight sneer to the RiverClan cats.

"We don't know yet," Morningstream called back.

"Do you want to say that again?" a beautiful cream furred warrior that Frogstep remembered was named Wishfur yowled.

"Sure," Morningstream replied, sneering at the ShadowClan patrol.

Frogstep could sense the anticipation of the battle in the air, and as Dewstream started to tell the patrol what to do, Darkflight lept at her and suddenly, yowls filled the air as the patrols crashed into each other.

Chapter 7
Lilacface counted the meager supplies they had left, after they had returned from the Moonpool Perchfin had insisted that Lilacface took a nap, while he went to collect marigold that they had spotted on their way back to camp. She sighed, it didn't take much time, sadly, the supplies were pitifully low.

When she was finished, she caught her mind wondering, Perchfin had been gone for a long time now, much more time than was needed to collect marigold, and as she thought about it she realized that the dawn patrol hadn't returned, either.

She wondered through the clearing and out of camp, taking a narrow trail that led through a wooded part of RiverClan's territory and came out across from the lake. She heard yowls coming from behind her and raced back into the forest to see what happened, as she got closer, she hears squeals of fear from one of the bushes. She approached the bush, and, peering through the branches, she caught a glimpse of Lightningkit and Brookkit, Morningstream's two kits.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Lilacface asked.

"We wanted to go with mommy, but-" Lightningkit began, but was cut off by Lilacface.

"But nothing, you shouldn't have been out here," Lilacface hissed, "Come on, we're going back to camp."

As the trio made their way back to camp, Lilacface shivered when she heard the screech of a cat in pain, but she had to get the kits back.

Chapter 8
Frogstep lost count of how many cats were fighting, there were many. He bit down hard on a ginger apprentice's tail, causing the cat to run back to ShadowClan's forest. As he was whirling around he saw Morningstream was clutched in Wishfur's jaws, and Wishfur kept biting farther and farther into Morningstream's throat. Frogstep was too far away to help.

He was a flash of black fur and he watched as Perchfin lept at Wishfur.

The cream-colored she-cat threw him off and diverted her attention to Perchfin, clawing him fiercly.

Perchfin let out a heart-rendering yowl and went silent. Frogstep rushed over to his body, but Morningstream was swifter.

"Perchfin, please don't abandon me...our kits," Frogstep heard Morningstream whimper.

"It's my time Morningstream, I couldn't be more proud of Brookkit and Lightningkit, I love them, and I love you, you are my only love, I-I'm glad that I broke the Warrior Code for you, you were worth it," Perchfin said, his voice barely audible now.

He took one last breath, and his body quivered with the effort, he turned himself to look at Morningstream and he went still.

Morningstream screeched in despair and grief, burying her muzzle into Perchfin's fur.

By now all of the cats had stopped fighting and Frogstep knew that they all now knew about Perchfin and Morningstream.

The patrols seperated and Frogstep took Perchfin on his back, carrying his weight back to camp.

Chapter 9
Lilacface placed her head on Perchfin's back. She was in the clearing, beside Morningstream, they were keeping vigil for Perchfin, and it was almost dawn.

The Clan had been shocked when they found that Morningstream and Perchfin were mates, some had refused to even look at Morningstream, other hissed openly at her. Lilacface felt quite bad for the queen, the two cats' love had carried across the warrior code. Love was one of the only things that could cut across boundaries, love and ambition.

Lilacface heard cats approaching and looked up to see the elders, coming to take the body.

"It's time," the oldest and most respected of the elders, Darkberry mewed.

Lilacface nodded and lightly touched her tail to Morningstream's shoulder, a signal for the she-cat to get up.

Morningstream slowly, stiffly backed away from the cold, limp body.

Lilacface helped Darkberry, Fawnleap and Mintstep carry Perchfin's body to the hole that the Finchpaw, Voleblaze, and Broanoak had dug earlier. She watched as they dropped Perchfin's unmoving body into the hole, and cringed as she heard a thud.

Chapter 10
It had been a half-moon since Perchfin had died. But his involvement with Morningstream still had the Clan shocked. Cats didn't know what to say to the grieving queen.

Frogstep cast away the pike he was eating, it suddenly didn't seem as appealing to him. Fishstar's voice jarred him from his thoughts.

"Let all cats gather around for a Clan meeting," Fishstar yowled.

Cats poured out of their dens and made themselves comfortable.

"I, Fishstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn," Fishstar took a small break, looking as Finchpaw quivered in exitement.

Frogpaw was estatic, his sister was finally getting her warrior name!

"Finchpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Fishstar mewed, his eyes twinkling in laughter.

"I do." Finchpaw mewed.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Finchpaw, from this moment you will two be known as Finchwing. StarClan honors your originality and truthfulness and, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan," Fishstar finished.

The Clan loudly cheered for Finchwing, and Frogstep pushed his way to her.

"Congratulations, you deserve this!" he mewed.

Just because the warrior code was broken does not mean that the Clan is dead, Frogstep mused, the Clan will go on.