FicWad

CHAPTER 1
______________________________________________________________________________________
Waterpaw
I sighed as I rolled around again, bumping into Firepaw. Enough. I got up and padded to the end of the den. I was tired; but I couldn't sleep. Ever since my apprentice ceremony, all Liontail's been teaching me was showing me around the clan and whatnot. If a battle was to break out right now, I wouldn't be able to fight! But I needed my sleep.

"So much for getting that," I muttered and sneaked out of the den. I sighed and started walking. Wherever I went, I would certainly find my way home. I've already spent about 5 sunrises walking around the same place that it had it memorized in my head.

Now a days, it felt like life in Riverclan was as boring as ever; doing the same things every day, only switching for some parts. I wanted to do something different; attend a gathering, see what other clans were doing. I purred and jumped instinctively over a boulder. Good thing the gathering was tomorrow. My first one, even though I've been an apprentice for a long time. Right before the last gathering, Shinningstar had announced me an apprentice. So I had to wait another moon to go to the gathering.

I've been an apprentice for a whole moon and all I've been doing is looking at the territory.

I looked up realizing were I was. I sat down and looked in the water: big green eyes and a silver-grey pelt. Little blue lines ran across my pelts but they were so faint that you could only see the stripes in the day. I closed my eyes and laid down by the river. This was the perfect way to fall asleep. My ears twitched as the heard a rustle. Probably the wind, I thought lazily, until I heard padding of paws on the ground. I jumped up and crouched instantly. It's not like I can fight, though.

"Relax, fish-breath," a gruff tom's voice came out of the darkness, "If I wanted to attack, I would have moons ago."

Now, the moon was over the river that it reflected. I saw a dark tom, so dark that he blended in with the shadows and realized he's been there the whole time. What an mouse-brain I was?

"How long have you been there?" I asked, my voice steady. Good. I wasn't scared. Even though I knew he was probably an apprentice, he looked big enough to be a warrior. His appearance gave no reassurance and his eyes…they were piercing dark brown. He narrowed them. I'm not scared, I thought again.

"You didn't know?"

I shook my head. Then I realized I probably should have lied. He barked a laugh, "Wow. Riverclan huh? Doesn't sound so high and mighty to me."

"We're more high and mighty than Thunderclan at least," I shot back. Who did he think he was? Just because he looked big didn't mean he could go around shooting rude remarks about my clan.

He sneered, "What?"

"I said-." He was on top of me before I could finish. I didn't know how to fight at all. I tried pushing him off, but he was too heavy. He looked surprised.

"You don't know how to fight," he got off me and laughed.

I glared at him, "So?"

He laughed some more. I was getting annoyed, "You're in my territory," I reminded him.

"What are you going to do about it?" he taunted and darted from side to side in my face. I couldn't fight but I wasn't completely helpless. I batted his head and he flinched. But that was all.

He raised his paw and swiped my hind leg. I slipped and fell, "Don't get to cocky. Remember, you can't fight."

He jumped back to the other side in one single leap and stopped. I tried to stand but my leg only collapsed on me.

"Uhg," I groaned in frustration and glared after him, "I'll get you."

He turned around, "Do you want me to help you or not?" I was now confused.

"What?"

He ignored me and went into the bushes, coming back with some herbs in his mouth. He jumped back onto my side and in a second, he patched up the cut.

"You're a medicine cat too huh?" I joked and stood slightly.

He slience me with a glare, "Just thank me and leave."

He thought it was that easy? I wasn't leaving yet, "Why did you cut me, only to patch it up. Isn't that a waste?"

He shot me a smirk, "I thought you knew how to do SOMETHING so you could at least block," he shrugged and turned around snickering, "But I guess you don't know how to do that one either."

"Okay," I said, "I get it. You can stop now."

"And if I don't you'll bat me with your puny paw again?"

I hadn't realized it until it came out of my throat. A growl. He stared at me curiously. I thought he was going to say something but his expression turned serious again and he shut his mouth. Smart thing to do, I thought. He turned and jumped to the other side, lapping water.

Fine. Ignore me. Whatever. I fixed the patch and muttered, "This is the most exciting thing that's happened in a whole moon."

I hadn't realized he'd heard until he responded, "Me too."

I thought I finally popped a vain, "Was I talking to you? Noo. I don't want to talk to someone so arrogant and stupid like you. So, I'd rather be a crazy cat and talk to myself."

He met my eyes for a minute and opened his mouth. A series of laughter came out of him as he rolled on the ground laughing his tail off. I was done with this guy. If this was how every cat in Thunderclan was, I wonder how the other clans dealt with it.

"Wait, hold on," the tom chuckled, "Who exactly are you?"

"Why would I tell you? So you can laugh at me again?"

He shook his head and looked at me seriously, "No no. You got it all wrong. I'm laughing with you. Not at you. Except you just weren't laughing."

My eyes twitched in annoyance, "Well, sorry I made you go solo."

"Okay, I want to know because I haven't heard of someone like you," he explained. So this guy could be serious, "Most cats are strong and want to be fearful. You're somehow different."

I growled, "I know I'm not strong. But when I do get strong, I'll-."

"I've heard it all before," he looked behind him, "Trust me, I've provoked a lot of cats they'll want to rip me apart when they see me."

"Oh, like I don't know how they feel," I hissed.

His eyes turned soft, "Sorry, I try to push others to see where they can go. Looks like it didn't work on you."

"Because I can't fight?" I retorted again. I should get going. I could just walk away from him. But I didn't.

"No, because you don't want to," he looked back at me. The moon made it look like the blue in his eyes were moving, "Tell you what. I'll teach you how to fight."

I scoffed, "I could find a million things wrong with that idea."

"Like?" he asked.

Was he really stupid? "If you teach me, you're betraying your clan."

"Don't show anyone else what I show you," he shrugged.

"You trust me enough?" I asked incredulously. What was going on?

"Sure. I go with my instinct and if you-."

"Well, I can't some here every night," I gave another reason. I didn't know if training other clan cats was part of the warrior code, "And why? What's in it for me?"

"I've got things to do too," he flickered his tail, "Because, I want you to make me laugh. I haven't laughed like this since I was a little kit."

It's none of my business, I thought. But I still asked, "Why?"

His eyes flickered up to mine fiercely, "Even as an apprentice, I have a lot of responsibility."

"Oh," that wasn't a lot of information.

"Do you want to do this or not?"

My mind was saying: "NO NO NO! DON'T DO IT!" and my instincts were saying: "If something's goes wrong it won't be that bad. Plus, I kind of trust this tom."

I pushed the last sentence away, "Okay," Liontail always told me to trust my instincts.

"Good," the tom cocked his head, "Make me laugh."

"What?" my eyes widened.

"Make me laugh," he said again.

"Um… I don't know how," I finally spilled what's been bugging me like ticks in my fur, "Who are you?"

"Shadowpaw," he answered impatiently.

I glared, "I can't make you laugh whenever you want to you know. And I never really intended to be funny in the first place."

He let out a low yawn, "Then you better have some jokes next time."

He didn't say tomorrow.

"Whatever," I turned around and started to walk back to camp. I was sleepy now. He jumped and crouched in front of me.

"I answered your question, now answer mine," he didn't speak menacingly anymore but his tone wasn't exactly friendly, "Who are you?"

I met his eyes and tried to stare him down. He didn't budge, "Waterpaw."

He nodded and repeated it, "Waterpaw," I ignored the pick-up of my heart beat.

"I can do this all night," I didn't back down as we continued to stare at each other. There was the breaking of twigs and we both broke out contact and turned toward the crunching of the twig. Shadowpaw was on his territory before I could even blink. Another dark pelted cat strode towards Shadowpaw. They looked almost exactly alike, except for a half crest below his right eye. It didn't look scary or intimidating, honestly.

The second cats turned his head to me. I matched his gaze squarely until he turned back to Shadowpaw.

"What have you been doing?"

Shadow waved the question away, "This is Waterpaw," he nodded towards me, "My brother, Halfpaw."

I nodded halfpaw. What was going on? Halfpaw glared at his brother, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to teach Waterpaw how to fight," Shadowpaw yawned again letting out a little growl.

I expected Halfpaw to say something against it but all he said was, "Why?"

"I want her to make me laugh," Shadowpaw said honestly. I suddenly wondered when he became the loving little brother, "She's weird but funny."

"Hey," I protested and took a step forward and limped to a stop, "I'm right here."

The limping was a huge problem. I would have to find an excuse for what happened and unless I could get Firepaw to help me lie, Liontail would have my other leg.

Halfpaw's eyes were on my leg. He leaped to my side instantly, Shadowpaw behind him. Halfpaw sighed.

"I can't believe you, Shadowpaw," Halfpaw scolded.

I looked between them both and took a step back limping again. Halfpaw caught me and set me down on the river bank.

"Great. How is she going to get back?" he challeneged Shadowpaw.

"I'm not weak," I stood on my three legs, "I can get back without any help."

I didn't like both of them at all. Treating me like some kittypet. I growled and turned around, limping back into the trees. I was fine walking until I got to the boulder. Either I jumped or walked around it, which would've been more walk than I liked.

I hissed and set my foot down, crouching to jump. I was lifted into the air and set gently on the other side of the boulder instantly.

Halfpaw stood in front of me, licking his paws, "Shadowpaw wanted to come, but of he got caught his position would be ruined."

"I said I could do it," I hissed at him. I was full blown angry now. I wasn't weak!

Halfpaw stared at me for a second and his eyes flickered back to the trees, "He was right. You are funny."

I pushed past him without a word.

That night, my dreams were filled with three things. The moon, the river, and a shadow. The shadow was in a shape of a cat and it turned into Shadowpaw. Only for a second. It was turning into something else when I woke up. And no matter how much I tried to deny it, the shadow had half a crest below his left eye.

His point of view

That night, in my den next to my brother, I had a dream filled with three things: Green eyes, silver pelts, and blue strips. And right when I woke up, they turned into a figure. And no matter how much I tried to deny it the next morning, the figure was a cat looking soft and beautiful. Her emerald eyes scorching me.
_____________________________________________________________________________
I just realized I have a huge problem with switching point of views so if you see that problem later, please tell me! Oh and don't forget to review!^^