Kion and Rani: Warriors

~Chapter 6~

Pytrostar nudged Hailpaw and Dawnpaw toward the fresh kill pile. The little cubs could hardly even talk yet. Anandaclaw wailed and tried to reason with Pytrostar, but he didn't care.

The Pride didn't want to watch this, so they just organized their own patrols.

Kionpaw and Ranipaw stayed behind in the hollow.

Pytrostar picked up a gazelle and ripped a piece off and handed it to Dawnpaw. Her wailing stopped and she sniffed it. Her eyes widened and she started chowing it down.

Dawncub's body and jaws weren't able to digest the food. Dawnpaw choked. Anandaclaw screamed and tried to run and save her adoptive daughter, but Pytrostar held her back.

Dawnpaw couldn't breath. Her eyes widened. Dawnpaw choked again and tried to spit out the piece of gazelle, but she couldn't.

Anandaclaw screamed again. Pytrostar growled in annoyance and held Anandaclaw down to the ground by the throat. Sahasistripe was instantly at her side and knocked Pytrostar off her. Pytrostar shook the sand off his fur and looked at Dawnpaw.

Dawnpaw stood still, her body frozen on place. She fell forward and her jaw landed hard on the ground. After a second, blood pooled out of her mouth. "No!" Anandaclaw cried.

Hailpaw was stunned and nudged his sister, "Dawnpaw?" Dawnpaw was unresponsive.

Ranipaw backed away and folded her ears down, "K...Kionpaw...I don't feel safe." Kionpaw nuzzled her, "It will be all right." He said, trying to convince her and himself.

Pytrostar stared at Dawnpaw's dead body and shrugged, "She wasn't strong enough to be a warrior."

"How could you say that! You monster!" Anandaclaw screamed. Sahasistripe pulled her away. He didn't want to lose his mate.

Pytrostar looked at Hailpaw, "Ready to start training?" Hailpaw trembled, but nodded. Pytrostar roared, "Shinetail!" The yellow lioness walked out of the nursery. Kionpaw could tell her cubs were due any day and that she most certainly shouldn't be walking. She should have either Dapplepaw or Wishbounce checking on her.

Shinetail glared at him, "What." "Take Hailpaw out for training," Pytrostar said firmly. "Wishbounce said I had to stay in the nursery. Would you really go against a medicine lion?" Shinetail raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yes. Speaking of medicine lions, Dapplepaw! Wishbounce!" Pytrostar roared. The two medicine lions emerged from their den and walked over to Pytrostar.

"Yes Pytrostar?" Wishbounce asked. "You two, are exiled," Pytrostar growled. Dapplepaw's eyes widened in shock. "What! Why!"

"Because you're medicine lions! That speaks for itself," Pytrostar explained. "Now leave!"

Wishbounce put her head down and walked out of camp, followed by Dapplepaw.

Ranipaw gasped, "He can't do that!" "Yes he can," Mapleshade said walking up to them. "He's leader after all."

"He doesn't deserve it!" Kionpaw snarled. "You're right, he doesn't, but StarPride gave him his lives. They accepted him, so we must as well," Mapleshade sighed.

Kionpaw unsheathed his claws. "Anyway, now it's time for training," Mapleshade flicked her tail and Kionpaw followed. Ranipaw watched him sadly.

Mapleshade kept trying to teach Kionpaw some basic battle moves, but Kionpaw was in another world. Well, at least in his mind was anyways. He couldn't focus.

Mapleshade growled in frustration. Kionpaw spoke, "How...How can you act like everything is normal? After all the deaths?"

Mapleshade sighed, letting her anger go, "It's hard. It's always hard to move on from a loss. And we've lost so many friends and family throughout the past moon. But I believe with Pytrostar as leader, we will be great again. We just have to do as he asks and we'll be fine."

"But thats not how a leader is supposed to act!" Kionpaw protested. "I agree, it's not. But I'd rather keep my life than be exiled," Mapleshade stated.

Kionpaw was silent.

"After everyone has settled down and we forget about the teaching ways of Pytrostar, we'll be okay. That's a promise," Mapleshade touched her muzzle to Kionpaw's small mane.

Kionpaw sighed and nodded. "Why don't you get rest. You can't seem to focus. Maybe tomorrow after everything has passed, you'll be in better shape for training," Mapleshade suggested.

"Okay. Bye Mapleshade," Kionpaw waved his tail and walked back to the hollow.

As Kionpaw arrived in camp, he just saw Brookpaw's tail. She had walked into Pytrostar's den. Kionpaw didn't like her being alone with him. Pytrostar was her mentor, but Kionpaw was starting to think the scratches on her body came from him, and why she never talked anymore.

Zinepaw, Honeypaw, Beepaw, Ranipaw, and Eelpaw ran up to Kionpaw. "Kionpaw! You want to play a game! Just so that we can get our minds off of everything?" Beepaw asked, his eyes sparkling with hope. Kionpaw looked at Ranipaw, and nodded, "Sure."

The apprentices ran out of camp.

They went under a bunch of Acacia Trees and sat down.

"What are we playing?" Kionpaw asked. "I was thinking we should play, Hide-and-seek," Honeypaw suggested.

"That's a cub game! Why don't we play Friend, Or Future Mate?" Eelpaw suggested. "I'm down for that!" Beepaw smiled.

The lionesses looked at each other, and agreed.

"What's that?" Kionpaw asked. "Oh right! You're new," Eelpaw chuckled. "It's basically testing whether you and someone else are just friends, or could possibly be future mates."

"Sure. I'll play," Kionpaw shrugged.

"I'll question first," Beepaw offered. "Wait! Shouldn't Brookpaw be here? And if any of you are thinking to bring is Hailpaw, don't. He's still a cub," Zinepaw said.

"I saw Brookpaw going into Pytrostar's den. I haven't seen her since," Kionpaw replied. "Oh he's just giving her a mentor lesson. Okay let's start!" Beepaw smiled.

Beepaw looked at each of the apprentices, "Eelpaw and Zinepaw. I'll quiz you two."

Eelpaw and Zinepaw both stepped forward.

"All right. Eelpaw, have you ever had feelings for Zinepaw?" Beepaw asked. "Yes, but only for about a moon a couple seasons ago," Eelpaw admitted.

Beepaw looked at Zinepaw, "No. I never have had feelings for Eelpaw." "Okay, Zinepaw, when you're older. Do you think you would have feelings for Eelpaw?" Beepaw asked.

Zinepaw looked at Eelpaw, "Maybe. I'm not really sure." "Would you want cubs with him. When you're older of course. Like, a lot older," Beepaw said, quickly fixing his sentence. The other apprentices chuckled.

"Maybe."

Beepaw looked at Eelpaw.

"I've already got eyes set for a lioness I plan to have cubs with in the future. Probably a few seasons after mine and her warrior name ceremony. But only if she wants me as a mate," Eelpaw explained.

"Ooh! Who is it!" Honeypaw asked. "Err..." Eelpaw's fur grew hot. "All right, you don't have to share. Okay next, Kionpaw and Ranipaw!" Beepaw smiled.

Kionpaw and Ranipaw sat next to each other infront of Beepaw.

"Okay. Same questions, Kionpaw, have you ever had feelings for Ranipaw?" Beepaw asked. "Err...yes...I have," Kionpaw admitted. "Do you still?" Beepaw raised an eyebrow.

"I don't feel comfortable answering that," Kionpaw tucked his ears down. "So you do!" Honeypaw shot up, a huge smile on her face.

"Ranipaw? What about you?" Beepaw asked. Ranipaw wasn't afraid, "I've liked Kionpaw since we became apprentices. And, I still do."

Kionpaw felt his fur growing hot with embarrassment.

"Definitely future mates," Zinepaw giggled.

They were about to transfer to Honeypaw and Beepaw, when a scream rang through the air.