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| Warriors; Dawning Posted by: Kasper Coei at 03-17-2015 04:16 AM, Last Modified 03-17-2015 04:16 AM |
Hook
“You’re telling me… did he really?”
“Yes. And now, she’s dead. Her kits are still alive, but they need a mother. They need you. You have plenty of milk, since your other kit didn’t make it.”
“…I’ll look after them. Were they given names?”
“Twigkit, and Cloudkit.”
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Prologue
Twigkit’s jaws parted wide, and he let out a huge yawn. He opened his eyes, and blinked away the tiredness in them. He sat up, and gave his side a few licks, to smooth the ruffled fur, and to get pieces of moss off.
He looked around the dimly lit nursery, and saw that Cloudkit and Blossomkit were still asleep next to him. Silverfur had already left the nursery.
Twigkit decided to try and follow her, so he stood up, and scampered to the nursery entrance, and out. As soon as he’d gone through the entrance to the nursery, and entered the camp’s clearing, he shut his eyes tightly. How bright it was had caught him off guard. He stood there for a moment, waiting for his eyes to adjust.
He slowly opened his eyes, and gazed around the camp to find Silverfur. He couldn’t see her anywhere in the camp, but he did see Leafstar, the leader of his clan. She told everyone what to do, so Twigkit figured that she must know where Silverfur was. He scampered across the clearing towards her. Leafstar was grooming herself.
“Leafstar!” He squeaked, his voice high from still being a kit.
She looked up from grooming, and watched him scamper towards her. Twigkit skidded to a halt. “Leafstar, do you know where Silverfur is?” He asked.
“She’s on a hunting patrol in the forest.” Leafstar replied.
“Thanks! I’ll go join her!” Twigkit began running towards the camp entrance, but was stopped by Leafstar grabbing him by his neck scruff.
“Oh no you don’t!” She mewed, although her voice was slightly muffled by fur.
“But-“
“But nothing. You’re too young to go out by yourself. Go back to the nursery, Silverfur should be back soon.” She spoke with a softness in her voice, and she gently set Twigkit down, nudging him towards the nursery with her paw.
“Alright…” Twigkit slowly padded back to the nursery, his tail down. When he’d gone in, his tail and ears perked up, and he called “Hey, Blossomkit, Cloudkit, wake up!”
Blossomkit sleepily lifted her head, and yawned. Twigkit noticed Cloudkit wasn’t next to her.
“Hey, where’d Cloudkit g-“ He was cut short by something knocking into him. He turned his head to see it was Cloudkit, and he began happily play-fighting with her.
Blossomkit laid her head back down, ignoring the scuffle.
After a short time of wrestling, Cloudkit finally pinned Twigkit down.
“I win!” She mewed, a triumphant glint in her eyes.
Twigkit went limp, not deciding to struggle anymore. “Hey Cloudkit,” He began. “Want to sneak out of camp with me? We can go find Silverfur!”
Cloudkit nodded. “That sounds like fun!” She exclaimed, and got off of him.
Together, they left the nursery. Leafstar had gone back to her den, and no other warriors were in sight, other than Tangsyclaw, who was on guard. Still together, right next to each other, they sneakily padded to the back of the nursery. There was a hole here, at this part of camp. Although it wasn’t very large, only large enough for an apprentice, they could still easily go in and out of it. Twigkit first, the two made their way through the hole, and appears out of the camp.
“Yay! We’re outside!” Cloudkit exclaimed.
Twigkit was happy, too, but in awe at the size of outside the camp. Although he and Cloudkit knew the hole was there, they had never used it. This was their first time out of the camp. Twigkit walked straight forward, staring at every little thing, and Cloudkit followed.
“Whoa… It’s huge... How are we ever going to find Silverfur?” Twigkit asked, not taking his eyes off the flower he was examining.
“I don’t know…” Cloudkit responded. “Hey... what are those?” She suddenly scampered off ahead, and stopped in front of a big bush. Twigkit followed, and looked at what was on the bush. There were small, red orbs on it.
“I don’t know what they are… but they smell yummy!” Twigkit replied, and licked his lips.
“Hey… I think these are those berry things that Silverfur said were yummy…” Cloudkit leaned forward, and took a better sniff at one.
“Yeah… but, didn’t Berrystorm say there were also yucky, bad ones?” Twigkit commented.
“But, they don’t look yucky… I’m gonna try one!” She exclaimed, and got onto her hind legs, plucking a berry off the bush. Not even after three chews, she fell over onto the ground, and she began shaking violently.
“C-Cloudkit!?” Twigkit didn’t know what was happening, but he knew who would. “W-Wait here!” He exclaimed, and darted off, back towards the camp. His paws feeling light as a feather, he raced through the main entrance of the camp, not caring who saw him. He ran straight to the Medicine Cat’s den, where Berrystorm was mixing herbs.
“B-Berrystorm! Help! Me and Cloudkit snuck out to find Silverfur, but then we found these berries, and Cloudkit tried one, but now she’s acting funny! Help!” He exclaimed, trying to explain as fast as he could. He darted straight out of the den, not waiting for Berrystorm, who came out a heartbeat later with a bundle of herbs, and he ran straight to the camp entrance and out. He wasted no time heading to Cloudkit, and she was quickly in sight. Berrystorm raced past him, straight to Cloudkit. Cloudkit lay on the floor, her body convulsing, and half of the berry she’d eaten lay on the ground, near her muzzle.
“Deathberries…!” He head Berrystorm exclaim.
With no delay, Berrystorm began chewing one of the herbs he’d brought to a paste. Twigkit caught up and stopped beside Cloudkit, staring at her in horror.
“I-Is she going to be ok?” He asked Berrystorm, afraid of what the answer might be.
Berrystorm nodded, and spat out the paste near Cloudkit’s muzzle. “Yes, but you need to get that paste as far into her throat as you can. My paws are too big.”
Twigkit obeyed without question, and picked up as much of the paste as he could, and began pushing it down into Cloudkit’s throat. As soon as he had gotten his paw out, Cloudkit threw up the half-berry she’d ingested.
“Good job, Twigkit!” Berrystorm praised him. “She’ll be fine, but she needs to go to my den immediately.” He then added. Berrystorm picked Cloudkit up by her scruff, and began briskly trotting back to the camp.
Twigkit followed, not taking his eyes off of Cloudkit. He had a concerned look in his eyes as he stared up at Cloudkit, who hung limply in Berrystorm’s jaws.
Don’t worry, Cloudkit… From now on, I’ll protect you, and make sure you never get as bad as this again… I promise this to Starclan.
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Chapter One
Twigpaw's body quivered with excitement as he ran. He was a black-and-white bicolor cat, and his fur pattern made it appear as though he were wearing a sleeveless tuxedo. Black fur ran from both sides of his head down to his neck, leaving a strip of white in-between. His left ear was white, while his right was black like the rest of the fur. The top of his tail was completely black, and the bottom of it white. His two front paws were black, and on his muzzle was a black dot that helped make him unique.
Running next to him was his sister, Cloudpaw, who was also a black-and-white bicolor cat, though her patterns weren't like her brothers’. She instead had patches of black spread out along her back, and on her right side, a patch of black that looked similar to a heart. All of her ankles had black rings on them, and she has black on her face similar to Twigpaw. But instead of a stripe of white, she has a single patch of white on her forehead. Her tail was white except for a patch of black on the bottom, near the base of the tail, and at its tip, on the top.
It was nearing moonhigh, and tonight, the full moon hung high in the sky. That meant it was time for a gathering, a time when all four clans--Springclan, led by Leafstar, Summerclan, led by Breezestar, Fallclan, led by Autumnstar, and Winterclan, led by Froststar--came together under a truce that lasted for only one night. At the gatherings, they normally shared news, such as Apprenticeships or Warrior Ceremonies, or troubles, such as Twolegs causing prey to scatter.
Beside him, he could feel his sister shaking as well. This was both their first gathering, and as they grew nearer and nearer to the gathering place, the Sky Plain, a flat plain on top of a hill many cat-lengths high, he could feel his excitement growing.
His clan, Springclan, pelted up the single steady pathway that led to the Sky Plain. They slowly came to a halt when they reached the flat top, and Twigpaw's heart skipped a beat when he saw how many cats there were. There were cats of all shapes, sizes, and patterns! From Tabbies to Tortoiseshells, Apprentices to Elders, there seemed to be endless combination. Then he remembered he wasn't going to be mingling with the larger group of cats. He was a Medicine Cat, and as such, he would be with the other Medicine Cats and their Apprentices.
Twigpaw turned his head and looked at his sister. She was staring ahead at the crowd of cats, probably as amazed at the sight as much as he was. Then he remembered something, and decided to remind her as well.
"Remember what Leafstar said. 'Use this truce as a time to learn about the other clans. Learn their habits, and see if you can get information from them. But don't give information yourself.'" He mewed to her. She nodded in response, to show she heard. Twigpaw let his gaze go to his leader, Leafstar. She signaled with her tail, and the patrol pounded forward onto the plain. Many cats turned their heads toward them, and the cats nodded greetings.
Just as soon as they had come, the patrol had scattered and begun mingling with the other cats. Only him, his sister, and his mentor Berrystorm, a cream pointed tom with a dark grey face and limbs, his muzzle turning light gray from age, remained.
"Twigpaw," his mentor mewed to him, "let me introduce you to the other medicine cats." Twigpaw looked around the crowd of cats, trying to scent which one might be a medicine cat from the herb scent on their pelt. He couldn't smell one. Berrystorm pointed with his nose towards the back of the plain. A large rock jutted upwards, out of the edge. Below it, there were four cats huddled together.
"They're over there, under the Sky Rock, Twigpaw." Berrystorm mewed.
Twigpaw lifted his paw and was about to begin walking towards the Sky Rock, but then froze. He turned his head and looked at his sister.
"I don't want to leave Cloudpaw alone." He told his mentor, but didn't look away from Cloudpaw.
Berrystorm was about to say something, but Cloudpaw spoke first.
"I'll be fine, Twigpaw. I'll go find Blossompaw, and be with her. She's probably nervous, too."
"But..." Twigpaw was about to say something to be able to stay with her, but decided against it. "Alright, then. I'll see you when the meeting starts, okay?"
"Some cats would think you're my father, Twigpaw!" Cloudpaw purred. Without another word, she turned around and padded off to find her den mate.
Twigpaw turned back to his mentor, and nodded. Silently, Berrystorm led the way over to Sky Rock.
"Greetings, Berrystorm!" Mewed a light gray tabby she-cat, who dipped her head to Berrystorm.
Berrystorm returned the gesture, mewing "Hello, Hazelfur!" They both lifted their heads, and Berrystorm continued speaking. "I trust all is fine in Fallclan?" He asked.
Hazelfur hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "Two of our apprentices are sick, but they are recovering quickly. They are well enough to get by without me tonight."
"That's good that they are recovering." Berrystorm replied.
Berrystorm looked at Twigpaw, and then looked at the other cats. "Fellow medicine cats," He began, "I would like you all to meet my new apprentice, Twigpaw." The other cats greeted him with purrs of acceptance. Twigpaw gave his chest fur a couple of quick licks to hide his embarrassment.
When he looked up again, he saw a pretty black she-cat with a white muzzle, neck, and chest fur, and her two front paws were white as well. She looked no older than him. As she spoke, her dark green eyes met his hazel. "Hello! I'm Petalpaw. I just got appre-" she was cut short by her mentor, who happened to be Hazelfur. "As well as Springclan, Fallclan has a new apprentice as well." Hazelfur looked happily at Petalpaw. "And this young she-cat is her. Petalpaw." she finished, and the cats purred as they had for Twigpaw. Twigpaw stood calmly as the other cats looked at her.
The other medicine cats broke up and began mingling in their own groups. Berrystorm with Hazelfur, and Coppertail with Yewwhisker, while Twigpaw and Petalpaw were left alone. “So, how long ago were you apprenticed?” Twigpaw asked, hoping to start a conversation. “Only a few sunrises ago, actually,” she replied. “I was apprenticed with my two siblings. The sick two sick cats that Hazelfur mentioned,” she finished. Twigpaw felt bad for her. Her siblings should be here with her. "I'm sorry about that, Petalpaw." He sympathetically meowed. "It's alright. Gorsepaw's too headstrong to let sickness keep him down for long." She purred. Twigpaw wanted to still feel bad, but Petalpaw's cheery attitude made him believe that he didn't have to. Suddenly, he heard a loud voice from above him. "Let all cats gather below Sky Rock for the gathering!" it yowled.
He looked up and saw Leafstar sitting with three other cats. The other leaders... Twigpaw thought. He looked through the cats that were gathering around the Sky Rock, and quickly spotted his sister at the front. He padded towards her, and when he turned around to sit next to her, he noticed Petalpaw had followed him. "Sorry for following you. I had a fight with one of the other apprentices, and I don't want to be near him." She explained, after she had settled next to him. Twigpaw replied with a nod, and then noticed Cloudpaw looking strangely at Petalpaw. "This is Petalpaw, Fallclan's medicine cat apprentice." He explained, and then looked up at Sky Rock. "Look, the leaders are beginning to speak!"
Cloudpaw and Petalpaw both looked up at the leaders. Leafstar was standing up, announcing her news. She was almost done with her report. "...and other than that, Springclan has only one other thing to share. Recently, we have had the pleasure of apprenticing three cats. And those three are Cloudpaw, Blossompaw, and Twigpaw!" She finished, and all the cats shouted their names as if at a naming ceremony. "Cloudpaw, Blossompaw, Twigpaw! Cloudpaw, Blossompaw, Twigpaw!" They shouted, and every cat turned their eyes to the three. Twigpaw held his head high this time, and his sister followed. Two cats away, though, he could see Blossompaw ducking shyly.
Leafstar bowed her head, signaling that she was finished, and sat back down. Breezestar spoke next, reporting nothing but good hunting and fair weather. Autumnstar spoke of some Twolegs at the edge of her territory, but nothing else was out of the ordinary. "She must not want to admit that some of her apprentices are sick..." thought Twigpaw. Lastly, Froststar was to speak. "Prey has been well," she began, "but we have a more important matter at hand." Twigpaw heard questioning whispers ripple through the crowd. Froststar waited until they died down to speak again. "Our medicine cat, Yewwhisker, has had a dream." All eyes turned to Yewwhisker, who looking like he was about to say something, but Froststar spoke before he could. "There came a leaf-bare, and the days began speeding up. Our clan thrived, while the other clans began to wither away. Eventually it was time for Newleaf, but the snow never left. The other clans' cats suffered slowly, and eventually Greenleaf came. Still, the snow stayed. It did this for many seasons, until only Winterclan was the sole survivor." Gasps erupted from the crowd immediately, and the cats began asking each other what it could mean. "My fellow clans, I believe that this can mean only one thing." Everyone grew quiet. "All the other clans will be killed off, and Winterclan will reign supreme!"
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Chapter Two
Twigpaw gasped. Did he really just hear what he thought he did? Did Froststar really just claim that her clan would rise above the others? “Now, I know this seems shocking,” Froststar continued, “but I believe what my medicine cat says. And, as I hate seeing others suffer, any cat wanting to avoid a slow and painful death from the snow is welcome to join Winterclan and thrive.” Shocked yowls surrounded Twigpaw. “That can’t be true!” “You’re lying!” “Something’s not right here!”
Mews of disagreement erupted from all of the clans, including Winterclan. Cloudpaw leaned a bit closer to him, and mewed “You don’t believe her, do you, Twigpaw?” “I don’t, at all.” He replied. “And besides, an endless Leafbare is impossible!” Twigpaw looked to his other side, and noticed that it was Petalpaw who had said that. He returned his attention to Sky Rock, and Leafstar was speaking. “Froststar, as much as I trust and respect you, I cannot believe that there will be an endless Leafbare.” She spoke boldly, and most cats nodded agreeing, but others looked unsure. Autumnstar stood up and took a step forward, addressing all the clans. “Fallclan does not believe this either, and will no longer be included in this discussion.” She spoke very clearly, and all Fallclan cats nodded their heads. “Nor will Springclan.” Leafstar added.
The two leaders took a step back, and sat down, curling their tails around their paws. They both looked at Froststar, and then Breezestar. “W-Well…” he stammered. “Summerclan… is undecided on the subject.” He said, his voice meek. Twigpaw noticed that no cat in Summerclan nodded their heads, nor said a word. Froststar jumped off Sky Rock, and as she padded her way towards and through the crowd of cats, he could hear her low growl. After small hesitation, her clan followed her.
Just as it seemed she was going to bound down the pathway to Sky Plain, she turned her head back towards the cats. “My offer still stands for those who wish to avoid suffering!” she yowled, and then led her clan away. No cat spoke as they watched Winterclan go. After what seemed like moons, Leafstar spoke. “This gathering is over!”
Most cats broke up into their clan groups, but few others stayed there, still letting their gaze go where Froststar had left, as if thinking whether to follow or not. Cloudpaw stood up, and before padding off to join Springclan’s patrol, meowed to Twigpaw “Come on, let’s go!” Twigpaw watched Cloudpaw walk off, and then turned his head to Petalpaw, who was getting up. “What are your thoughts on the dream, Petalpaw?” he asked, getting up himself. “I don’t believe a word.” She replied, her calm yet strong voice soothing him. “Nor do I.” he agreed.
“Petalpaw, it’s time to go!” Hazelfur called to her apprentice. Petalpaw dipped her head to Twigpaw, and he returned the gesture. “Goodbye, Twigpaw.” She said, lifting her head. She took a step toward Twigpaw, and gently licked his cheek. “I hope to see you soon.” She almost whispered, and then bounded off towards her clan mates, who were already leaving. Twigpaw watched her go, and then went to his own clan mates.
As soon as he had gotten to the group, Leafstar flicked her tail, and the patrol followed her as they left Sky Plain. Springclan was located south of Sky Plain. Springclan’s territory was unique, and best suited for its clan, as the other territories were theirs.
While running, even in the darkness, Twigpaw could still see some of the territory’s land marks. “There’s the catmint patch…” he thought, and he remembered what Catmint was used for.
“Catmint,” Berrystorm had said, “is used for curing Greencough and Whitecough.”
Greencough and Whitecough were both deadly illnesses. They could kill cats in as quickly as just a few sunrises.
The patrol also passed by the Death bush, which grew Deathberries. Deathberries were as the name implied. Any cat that ate them usually died, and even with treatment, not many cats survived.
Soon, they passed by the willow tree. Twigpaw couldn’t help but let out an amused purr as he remembered Berrystorm’s comment on what the Willow tree was for. “Willow tree leaves. Great for lying under to get some shade and sleep.”
Suddenly, he heard a thud behind him. He looked back to see what it was, and noticed that Cloudpaw had fallen. “Cloudpaw!” he exclaimed, and immediately halted. Berrystorm slowly came to a halt as well, as he was near the back of the patrol with them. “Are you okay?” Berrystorm asked Cloudpaw, staring at her. “F-fine Berrystorm. I just twisted my paw. You go on, I’ll have Twigpaw take a look at me, and we’ll be back at camp in a bit.” “Okay then. Twigpaw, see you two back at camp.” Berrystorm continued following the path of the patrol.
Twigpaw took a step towards Cloudpaw to make sure she was alright, but she stood up, no apparent injury. “Okay, Twigpaw, what’s up with Petalpaw? She’s a medicine cat apprentice, right?” “Right, but… Cloudpaw, your leg…” “It’s fine. I faked the fall so we could be alone and talk. Now, why was she mooning over you?” “W-what do you mean? She was not!” “It was plain on her face, Twigpaw! Aren’t medicine cats not allowed to have mates? You said that’s what you swore to at your apprentice ceremony!” What Cloudpaw said was true. Medicine cats couldn’t have mates. They had to swear to never have any, as it would distract them from their duties, which almost never ended as a medicine cat.
“Are you saying that me and her are in love? We’re not, I just met her! We’re new friends, is all!” “I think Petalpaw wishes it was more. Twigpaw, I saw her lick your cheek. New friends don’t do that, let alone cats from different clans.” Twigpaw didn’t respond for several long moments. “Well, it’s nothing more than a friendship.” He meowed, and then added “Let’s get home. They’re probably wondering where we are.”
He turned, and continued heading towards their camp. Cloudpaw followed closely behind. Neither said a word as they walked, and, eventually, they came to the camp’s entrance. It was w all that encircled the camp, laced with thorny branches to protect from intruders and other animals.
Even before walking into the camp, Twigpaw could remember the camp clearly. Just inside the entrance, to the left, was the warriors’ den, so that should any unwanted animal enter the camp, they could easily and quickly respond. The warriors’ den was a holly bush with an opening in the front made from generations of cats going in and out of it. On the left, farther into the camp, stood a single small tree. At the base of the trunk there was a hollow into it, and it was used as the Medicine Cat’s den. A bit higher in the tree was an old owl’s nest, which the leaders used as their dens. Just outside of the leader’s den was a branch that reached halfway across the clearing, and the leaders used the branch, known as High Branch, for clan meetings. Farther back in the clearing still, hidden from view by the tree, was the Elders’ den. Any cat who couldn’t serve the clan because of age, or permanent injury lived in it. Lastly, at the very back of the clearing, the Apprentice’ den and Nursery sat side-by-side. The nursery was where Queens, she-cats expecting or taking care of kits, lived so that they could care for their young. The apprentice’ job was to protect the nursery should there ever be an invasion.
Twigpaw didn’t expect to see any cats about, because of how late it was, and was looking forward to a peaceful sleep. As him and Cloudpaw padded through the thorn barrier’s opening, Twigpaw was surprised to see that almost every cat was up and gathered below High Branch. He could hear many of them talking about how Yewwhisker’s prophecy would never come true. Others were discussing how suspicious the prophecy was. Leafstar was standing on High Branch, waiting for the talking to die down.
“We will not let Froststar get to us. If we are to fall to an impossible endless Leafbare, we will fall with honor!” The clan yowled its approval, and Leafstar padded back to her den. The rest of the clan broke up, still murmuring to each other, and headed back to their own dens as well. Twigpaw looked for Berrystorm among the retreating cats, but couldn’t see him. He’s probably already asleep in his den. I doubt he even attended the meeting. Twigpaw thought, and added with a silent purr, The lazy old badger. He felt Cloudpaw nuzzle into his flank.
“Goodnight, Twigpaw.” “Goodnight, Cloudpaw. Get a good sleep.” Twigpaw watched her sleepily walk to the apprentice’ den, and not until after she entered the den did he turn and head to the Medicine cat’s den. As he entered, he noticed he was right. Berrystorm was asleep. Careful not to wake him, he tiptoed to his own nest, and made himself comfortable. But, though comfortable in his next, discomfort prickled inside him. Many thoughts buzzed around his head, but above all, “What if an endless Leafbare really comes?” He shrugged away the thought, and slowly drifted to sleep.
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Chapter Three
Twigpaw looked around him. He was in a flat clearing, and grass stretched far ahead of him, seemingly endlessly. A slight breeze blew, making the grass sway. To his left, though far off, he could see trees and bushes, which made out a forest. Not far behind him, water fell from the sky, landing and gathering in a large pool of water, spraying mist all about. Encircling the pool of water were large, black, soaked rocks. Moss grew on the rocks, pointing towards the center of the pool.
Where am I…? Twigpaw thought to himself.
He parted his jaws slightly, tasting the air for any other cat’s scent. He caught a whiff of another tom, and unsheathed his claws in case he should have to use them. Suddenly, a voice came from behind him.
“Hello there!”
Twigpaw spun around, prepared to fight, but then relaxed at the other cat’s friendly gaze.
“Who are you?” Twigpaw asked the new cat. He was larger than Twigpaw, but not by much. He was probably only two moons older. He was a tortoiseshell, his fur white with grey and orange blobs splashed over his pelt. Orange covered his left eye, stretching to the base of his ear. Grey stretched from behind his right ear to the base of his neck in an oval. The top of his right paw had orange, and both his flanks had orange streaking down them. From in-between his shoulders to his tail was white, the tip of it grey. His pelt shined, almost like stars were on it.
“I’m Pinepaw!” Pinepaw replied.
“I’m Twigpaw. Now, if you don’t mind telling-“
“You where we are?” Pinepaw had seemed to read his mind! “Why, we’re in Starclan… Starclan territory, at least.”
Twigpaw froze. Did he just say Starclan? Starclan was where all the warriors, apprentices, leaders, medicine cats, elders, and even kits who didn’t survive their kitting, went after they died.
Does that mean I…?
“And no, you’re not dead.”
Twigpaw had a puzzled look on his face. One again, Pinepaw had read his mind!
“Then why am I here?”
“Two important reasons.”
Twigpaw’s puzzled look faded.
“First,” Pinepaw began, and lifted his paw to lick it. He continued in-between licks. “This is the less important reason. I’m here to warn you. A false tale is being spread about, to scare other cats. You know the tale already, you just recently learned about it. Tragedy will befall the clans if these cats believe the tale. You don’t, but others do. If these cats continue to believe it, it will be bad. Cats will die, fighting will start, and many other problems will happen. You must find these cats, and convince them the tale is false, if the misfortune is to be avoided.”
A task that big? And if I fail, bad times will befall the clans??
“Now, here’s reason number two that you’re here. This is far more important.”
What in Starclan could be more important than that!?!? …oh wait, I’m in Starclan, meaning something can be more important…
Pinepaw drew his paw over his head before continuing, giving it a wash. Twigpaw almost grew impatient as Pinepaw washed his head. After a short time, he stopped, set his paw down, and stared straight into Twigpaw’s eyes, a serious look in his.
“I was lonely, and wanted some company.”
Twigpaw nearly fell over from both relief, and irritation. That’s more important than tragedy befalling the clans?
“Back to the actually important subject,” Twigpaw began. “Who are the cats who believe Yewwhisker’s prophecy?”
“I forgot to mention, I’m also bored, so if I told you who, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy watching you struggle to figure out who.”
At least he’s honest… “Can you give me a hint?”
“It depends on how much information is given out in said hint.”
“Are the cats who believe the prophecy inside Springclan?”
“Some are, some ar-“
“But everyone looked so sure when they nodded agreement to le-“
“Looked, Twigpaw.”
Twigpaw didn’t reply. Instead of asking another question for another hint, he decided to just try and figure out who the cats might be. I know it’s not Cloudpaw… it wouldn’t be Petalpaw… maybe it’s Blossompaw? And the Summerclan cats all were very hesitant…
“So,” Pinepaw broke Twigpaw’s thoughts by talking. “As I didn’t mention before, I’m in the mood for some fresh-kill. Want to hunt with me?”
“But I’ve got to get back and-“
“Relax, we have some time before you wake up.”
“Okay then…” Twigpaw gave in, and followed Pinepaw as he led the way to somewhere they could hunt. They were heading towards the forest Twigpaw had noticed before.
As they walked, Twigpaw couldn’t help but wonder why he’d seen so few cats. Shouldn’t there be more than just Pinepaw? He’d been the only cat he’d seen so far…
*****
Twigpaw purred as he ate the mouse he caught with Pinepaw, who had caught a finch. Both the prey were very plump-more so than the prey in Greenleaf-and delicious. He ate slowly, savoring the flavor of the plump mouse. After a bit, they both finished their prey, and buried the bones in the ground. Twigpaw gave a second silent thanks to Starclan-even though he was there-for the prey.
“It’s almost time for you to go back.” Pinepaw told him.
“Okay.” Twigpaw plainly responded.
“Now, don’t forget. First, the prophecy is fake.”
“I know.”
“Second, you need to make sure that the cats don’t believe it-“
“Or tragedy will fall. Got that too.”
“Third, I’m still bored, so don’t do too well on this so I can be entertained.”
Twigpaw almost rolled his eyes, but restrained himself, and replied “I’ll try.”
“And, in three…”
Twigpaw wondered how it was going to work. Would he suddenly wake up?
“Two…”
Twigpaw then began thinking what cats were the ones who believed the prophecy again.
“One…”
Twigpaw braced himself, should somehow the transfer back be rough. A few moments passed, and nothing happened. Twigpaw blinked.
“Well, my timing must have been off. Shall we do something unt-“
Pinepaw’s words were cut off as the world faded to darkness. Twigpaw could feel himself laying down, and he blinked open his eyes, letting them adjust to the morning light. He was back in the medicine cat den, and Berrystorm was still asleep. Twigpaw let out a silent purr at his mentor as he got up and stretched.
I should probably get to work on finding the cats who believe the prophecy… Twigpaw thought to himself, and padded to the entrance of the den. He stared out at all the cats moving about. Maybe some behavioral differences would show who. Every cat he saw seemed and acted normal.
Maybe none are in Springclan…maybe Pinepaw was wrong… but if not, how am I going to convince cats in the other clans?
|
Chapter Four
Twigpaw groaned silently to himself as he continued plucking borage leaves, an herb used for helping queens produce more milk for their kits and, occasionally, helping cure fevers.
It had been half a moon since the gathering, and since he had met Pinepaw, and he was no closer to figuring out which cats believed the fake prophecy. He’d tried slyly asking the cats that came into the medicine den with small injuries, but none of them had seemed to believe it. They said nothing interesting on the subject…
Twigpaw pushed the thought of it to the back of his mind, and returned his focus to collecting the herbs. He looked at his amount, and then at Berrystorm’s. They almost had enough.
Twigpaw plucked the last few leaves they needed, and then picked his pile of herbs up, careful not to bite into the leaves and puncture them. With a nod from Berrystorm, they began trekking back to their camp.
They returned to camp fairly quickly, as borage leaves grey close to the camp. Twigpaw went strait to the medicine cat’s den, and placed the borage leaves where they needed to go, in the herb store. After a short bit, Berrystorm followed him, his elder bones having had slowed him down.
“Thank you, Twigpaw, for helping me.” Berrystorm told Twigpaw, and he quickly responded.
“You’re welcome, but, you’re my mentor, so of course I helped.”
“But you didn’t have to.”
“But I did.” There was a small pause, and then Berrystorm broke the silence.
“But, Twigpaw, you didn’t. I cannot force you to do anything, although that’s what the warrior code says.”
Twigpaw was reminded of the warrior code. It was a set of rules and laws that warriors lived by. They followed the warrior code strictly, and only rarely did a warrior break it. It stated several things, including that a leader’s word is law, but Berrystorm was pointing out a specific part in it. ‘An apprentice will listen to their mentor, and obey orders without question’ was what it said.
“You help me on your own free will, and your own obedience.”
Twigpaw didn’t respond. Instead, he took a moment to think. He’s right…
Berrystorm purred at the silence. “Now, you’ve helped me enough for the day.”
These words almost surprised Twigpaw. It was barely after sunhigh, and yet Berrystorm was telling him he was done for the day.
“A-are you sure? No other herbs to be stored, or dried, or anything?”
“Everything’s fine for now. Go relax, and do whatever you need to do.”
Twigpaw gave a small, thankful nod, and trotted out of the den. I don’t know why he’s letting me go early, but… This gives me an opportunity to try and figure out whih are the cats. Pinepaw’s probably enjoyed the past half moon, watching me…
He had went straight to the center of the camp, and stared at the warrior’s den. Let’s see… It was Barkpelt, Honeytail, Antpelt, Kinktail, and Lizardclaw who went to the gathering… I doubt they believed any of Froststar’s words…but what about Stonepelt, Fernheart, Poppyfang, and Goldenheart? Stonepelt hardly believes the real prophecies and omens anyway… Poppyfang’s a smart she-cat, she’d see through it. But, He looked towards the antrane of the camp, where Fernheart was talking to Kinktail, who was on guard. Fernheart worries me… She’s always easily believed the stories she was told…
He then turned his head towards the apprentice’ den. The only apprentice I’m sure about is Cloudpaw…
His gaze then turned to the Nursery. Even if Sagetail did believe it, she’d fight against having to join other clans.
Lastly, Twigpaw turned his head towards the elder’s den. Silverfur and Tangsyclaw were sitting next to eachother, grooming themselves. They wouldn’t, I know.
“Shouldn’t you be helping Berrystorm?”
Cloudpaw’s sudden mew in Twigpaw’s ear startled him, and he nearly fell over from the startle. He hadn’t expected her to sneak up on him like that.
“N-no. Berrystorm said I could have the rest of today to relax, and do what I want.” He replied, and began licking his ruffled fur, to smooth it.
“That’s great! Goldenheart said I could too, because I went out hunting early, and brought back a few pieces of fresh-kill!” Cloudpaw purred.
Twigpaw looked towards the fresh-kill pile, and noticed a mouse and rabbit on top of it. He assumed that those were what Cloudpaw had caught.
“What should we do for the rest of the day, Twigpaw?” She asked him.
Twigpaw responded with a small shrug. After a moment’s silence, Cloudpaw turned her head to the camp entrance.
“Why don’t we take a walk?” She suggested.
Twigpaw nodded, and began heading towards the camp entrance.
A walk would be nice, come to think of it. It might help me think.
They passed by Kinktail, who nodded his approval of them leaving camp. They turned, and began heading towards the thicker part of the forest, where less flowers grew, and much more trees were. As they walked, Twigpaw noticed how the light was slowly fading, from the thickening canopy of leaves.
“So, how’s being Berrystorm’s apprentice?” Cloudpaw broke the silence with her question.
“It’s been good. It’s been almost slightly boring with so few injured cats to care for, but it’s also fun, because Berrystorm likes to joke. How’s being Goldenheart’s apprentice?” He returned the question.
“Tough! He constantly makes me push myself. He expects so much out of me, even though I’m a fairly new apprentice…”
“Has he pushed you too hard? Have you felt sick? He’s letting you rest, right?” Twigpaw bombarded Cloudpaw with these questions obvious concern in his voice. Cloudpaw purred at his concern.
“I’m fine, Twigpaw. In fact… I like the challenge. It’s made me stronger.”
“As if you weren’t strong enough before! You pinned every cat you wrestled with, back in the nursery!” Twigpaw teased, and Cloudpaw gave him a friendly gaze, but responded with a short silence.
“So,” she began, “What’s been on your mind lately?”
Twigpaw looked down at the ground. Did she know he’d been troubled lately? “What do you mean?”
“You’ve had this thoughtful look on your face since the gathering. So tell me. What’s wrong?”
Twigpaw continued gazing down at the ground. Can I tell her? Did Pinepaw say I could have help? I wish I knew…
“Sure you can have help!” Pinepaw’s voice startled Twigpaw, and he jumped back. Twigpaw looked towards where the voice came from, and was surprised to see the starry figure of Pinepaw.
“P-Pinepaw!” he exclaimed.
“What’s wrong? Why’d you jump? I don’t see anyone… who’s Pinepaw?” Cloudpaw’s voice sounded genuinely confused, and the way she stared straight towards Pinepaw but didn’t seem to notice him made Twigpaw wonder why she couldn’t see him. “W-what do you mean you can’t see anyone? You can’t see him?” Twigpaw was almost amazed that she couldn’t see his clear, starry form.
“Nope, she can’t see me.” Pinepaw responded for Cloudpaw.
“Why did you come here? … HOW did you come here?”
“Well, I came to answer your question.”
“You read my thoughts?”
“More-or-less… Hey, you do know you probably seem like a mouse-brain to her, right? She sees you talking to air.” Twigpaw didn’t respond, and Pinepaw purred.
“Really, who’s Pinepaw?” Cloudpaw’s mew had an obviously confused tone to it still.
“Pinepaw’s a cat from starclan,” Twigpaw explained. “He’s the one who put the thoughtful look on my face, I suppose.”
“Really? How’d he do that?”
“He told me that if I don’t convince some cats about something, then the clans will all suffer, and maybe die…”
“Painfully.” Pinepaw added.
“Painfully.” Twigpaw repeated.
Cloudpaw stared at Twigpaw in disbelief. ”What do you mean convince some cats?” She eventually broke the silence with her question.
“You might want to sit down, and get comfortable. It’s a bit long…”
Cloudpaw nodded, and sat down, wrapping her tail over her paws. Twigpaw followed her lead, and Pinepaw laid down. Twigpaw repeated to Cloudpaw what Pinepaw had told him, about how the omen was indeed fake as they had thought, and how some cats believed it. He told her about what the clans were doomed to if he didn’t find out who these cats were, and convince them otherwise. He also told her about the more detailed things Pinepaw had mentioned, when he had come to Twigpaw again three sunrises after he first came. The day went by slowly as he explained, but eventually he finished repeating Pinepaw.
Cloudpaw turned her head slightly. “Wait… why would he ask you, when you weren’t even an apprentice for a full moon? Why didn’t he ask a more experienced warrior, like Berrystorm?”
“Because I wouldn’t have had as much fun watching them!” Pinepaw answered.
“He says because he wouldn’t have had as much fun watching them.” Twigpaw repeated for Cloudpaw, since she couldn’t hear Pinepaw.
Cloudpaw rolled her eyes, doing exactly what Twigpaw wanted to. “But… how is he even here? Don’t cats from Starclan generally… I don’t know… stay there?”
“Excellent question! Well, you se-“
“Sh!” Pinepaw was cut off by Twigpaw, and his ears twitched.
“Do you hear that? A patrol… We can’t let them know about Pinepaw, Cloudpaw.”
Cloudpaw nodded, and focused her hearing so that she could hear the patrol, as Twigpaw had.
Twigpaw sniffed the air, to scent who it was. Silverfur, Lizardclaw, and Barkpelt… He recognized their scents.
Strange though… Normally an apprentice is with a hunting patrol.
He thought for a moment, and then what he said hit him. Are we really this close to the Winterclan border?
It wasn’t until now that he realized the trees above them were no longer filled with lush green leaves, but the leaves had turned brown, and a lot of them had fallen, and were on the ground. They were almost at the border.
Twigpaw tensed. He quickly scented the air again, to see if they had crossed the border. He was relieved when he learned that they hadn’t yet.
The bushes rustled behind them, and the patrol came into view. Both Cloudpaw and Twigpaw turned their heads towards the patrol. Pinepaw stayed laying down, ignoring the patrol, and began licking his forelegs, to wash them.
Silverfur was the first to notice them, and she rushed towards the three, unaware of Pinepaw, as she only looked at Twigpaw and Cloudpaw. “Twigpaw, Cloudpaw, what are you doing here? You’re not sneaking away again, like when you were kits, are you?” She asked them.
“No, Silverfur. We were told we did enough for the day.” Twigpaw responded.
“And we decided to take a walk.” Cloudpaw added.
Silverfur stayed silent, studying the two for a moment. She eventually responded. “Allright… I’ll take your word for it.” She told them, and then walked back to the patrol.
Twigpaw sighed relief. Normally, if he were found this far away from the camp without Berrystorm, or another warrior, he’d be scolded, or given a lecture.
“But, you really were put in this situation by Pinepaw?” Cloudpaw turned her gaze back to Twigpaw.
Twigpaw nodded. “Yep…”
“You know, if you need help, you can just ask me for it. If this needs to be kept as a secret, I can keep it.”
“Thanks, Cloudpaw… I appreciate it. I’ll ask for help if I need it, and I need it. Would you mind helping me find out which cats in Springclan believe Froststar’s fake prophecy? I have no ideas about the apprentices…”
“Well,” Pinepaw mewed, getting up. “I’ll be off now.”
“Of course I can find out.” Cloudpaw obviously hadn’t heard Pinepaw.
Twigpaw watched as Pinepaw’s starry form faded away, and he looked back at Cloudpaw. “It’s starting to get dark a bit. We should head back.”
Cloudpaw nodded. “I could do with some fresh-kill!” She replied, and stood up.
Twigpaw got up as well, and the two began heading back to the camp.
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Chapter Five
As the two entered the camp, Twigpaw noticed that all the cats who were in camp were reutrning to their dens. "There must have been a clan meeting." Twigpaw said outloud.
"We must have come right as it ended." Cloudpaw replied.
Twigpaw noticed that Blossompaw hadn't gone into the Apprentice' den yet. "Blossompaw! Come here!" Twigpaww called over to her.
Blossompaw quickly ran over, and asked the two, "Where were you two?"
"We took a walk. What was the meeting about?" Cloudpaw answered, and questioned.
"Other cats were on our territory!" Blossompaw exclaimed.
"What!? What cats?" It was Twigpaw who responded.
"They were from Winterclan! I was on the patrol who found them!"
"Found them? Not their scents?" Twigpaw asked, putting emphasis on 'Them'.
"Did you chase them out of our territory?" Cloudpaw added.
"They're being held as prisoners! They'd never make it back to their camp if we did chase them out. They're too badly injured. They're in Berrystorm's den right now."
"They are? Berrystorm probably needs my help!" Twigpaw exclaimed.
He darted towards the Medicine Cat's Den. When he'd went inside, he saw that Berrystorm was applying a paste to a large wound on one of the cats. Twigpaw inhaled deeply, trying to remember the names of the herbs Berrystorm was using. Horsetail, to help the cobwebs stop the bleeding... And it's mixed with marigold... Marigold helps stop infections. He thought to himself. Out loud, he said, "Berrystorm, how can I help?"
Berrystorm didn't look away from his patient when he replied. "Put some of this mix onto the other apprentice. Can you tell which I used?"
"Horsetail, and marigold? You turned them into a paste, and put them on the cobwebs to help them stick and the injuries heal."
"Good, Twigpaw, but I didn't put them on the cobwebs. Rub the paste lightly onto the wounds, and then apply the cobwebs."
Twigpaw went to the herb storage, and brought the two herbs he needed to his patient. Sitting in front of the other apprentice, who he noticed was female from her scent, he began chewing the herbs to a paste.
These are bad wounds for an apprentice... Twigpaw thought to himself. He quickly looked over at the other cat. He was an apprentice, too. What were these two doing to get such bad wounds? And why were they on our territory?
Twigpaw turned his attention back to his patient. It would be his first time dressing serious wounds. He spat the paste onto the open wounds, and gently rubbed it in, coating the injuries. The apprentice squirmed, but couldn't get up from where she lay. With the paste spread, Twigpaw pressed the cobwebs onto the wounds. Being satisfied with what he'd done, he went from working on the larger wounds to the smaller. He applied a marigold paste onto the scratches, and then left the apprentice to rest. He walked towards Berrystorm, who had already finished treating the other apprentice.
"Berrystorm, do you know who these two are?" He asked his mentor.
Berrystorm shook his head. "No, I've never seen them before, and they were too weak to talk. They're lucky they have no life-threatening injuries. Although their wounds are deep, they will surely heal."
"What do you think they were doing to get these wounds?"
"They were obviously in a fight. From the way they were when they were found, they must have been tried to be killed."
Twigpaw looked over at the two apprentices.
"We'll have to wait until they've recovered enough to talk, to know exactly what happened." Berrystorm added.
"I wonder if they maybe came across a fox?" Twigpaw asked.
Berrystorm didn't reply for a short while. "Or perhaps, some cat didn't want them around any longer."
"But why?" Twigpaw looked back towards his mentor.
"If that's true, then it could possibly be because they knew, or heard, something that they shouldn't have. That information might be dangerous to whoever it's about, and they didn't want others to know about it..."
Twigpaw returned his gaze to the apprentices.
Information that they shouldn't have known? And they're from Winderclan... Did they find out about Froststar's 'omen' being fake? Twigpaw thought to himself. He looked more closely at the apprentices' wounds again, and ran the thought through his head once more. But Froststar wouldn't attack her own clan members, would she? Even if they did learn of the omen being fake, she would try to think of some excuse or explanation... It didn't make sense to him. Could someone else have caused this? He sighed, giving up on thinking about it.
He took his gaze from the apprentices, and looked back in the direction that Berrystorm had been in, but Berrystorm was no longer there. He hadn't even noticed Berrystorm leave. He looked around the den to see if his mentor was still in the den, but he couldn't see Berrystorm.
Twigpaw, after another glance towards the apprentices, padded out of the den, assuming Berrystorm might be out there. He looked around the moonlit clearing, but could see no other cat. Above him, he heard faint mews in his Leader's den. He could make out the words "Trap," "Winterclan," and "Attack" but he couldn't tell who's voices they belonged to. He strained his ears to hear the conversation, but could make nothing else out. Sighing, he gave up on the effort.
Who could Leafstar be talking to? Twigpaw asked himself. Berrystorm? It was the only logical guess. But what could they be discussing? Do they plan on attacking Winterclan, pulling them into a trap? But don't leaders usually discuss that with their deputy? Nothing was making sense to him. He could hear that the whispering above him had stopped. Twigpaw looked up to the star-filled sky. It was nearly a full moon. Maybe the gathering tomorrow will clear some things. He thought to himself.
Suddenly, a figure landed gracefully next to him, while another, less-gracefully, landed on his other side. Twigpaw jumped in surprise. He noticed that it was both, Leafstar and Berrystorm. Leafstar looked at Twigpaw with a semi-serious expression.
"Good, you're awake." She mewed to him. "As you know, the gathering is tomorrow," she began, "and as you know, we have badly injured apprentices here from Winterclan." She continued.
Twigpaw nodded.
"Well," Berrystorm began, "we'll need a medicine cat to moniter them while we're gone."
Twigpaw had a puzzled look on his face. "So you'll be staying?" He asked his mentor.
Berrystorm shook his head. "You will be, Twigpaw." He responded.
"Although you're an apprentice, you're still a medicine cat." Leafstar commented.
"It's why you're in my den," Berrystorm agreed, and nodded his head towards the apprentice den, "and not in there."
"But why--"
"You, and not berrystorm?" Leafstar cut him off. "I need Berrystorm's friendships with the other medicine cats to get to the bottom of Yewwhisker's prophecy." She replied.
"But it's obviously a fake!" Twigpaw exclaimed, raising his voice above whispering level.
Leafstar nodded. "We know." She simply said.
"But we need definate evidence to fully calm our clan." Berrystorm commented, and Leafstar added "And also to be able to call it out in front of all the other clans."
Twigpaw began to understand. "Also," Leafstar continued, "I want to find out if Winterclan is just power-hungry, or if they had more motivation."
Twigpaw was still slightly confused with the situation, but he understood most of it.
"Now then, both of you," Leafstar addressed the two medicine cats, "you should get some sleep."
Berrystorm and Twigpaw nodded respectfully, and walked back into their den. Twigpaw noticed that the apprentices had fallen asleep. He quietly made his was towards his nest, and he could hear Berrystorm heading for his. As Twigpaw stepped onto his nest, he circled a few times to find a comfortable position. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep.
* * * * *
Twigpaw woke up early the next morning, despite his deep sleep. He set to his daily tasks, although Berrystorm was asleep and he could relax. The first thing above all else was to check the sick or wounded cats. Careful not to wake the apprentices, he checked over their wounds. They had stopped bleeding, and so Twigpaw re-applied some cobwebs to keep them protected. Moving on to the herb storage, he began sorting through the herbs, gathering and getting rid of the dead leaves, stems, or rotten roots, putting them in a pile. Twigpaw had nearly finished when Berrystorm got up. Twigpaw could hear him grunt when he got up, and stretched. Twigpaw didn't turn from his task when he greeted his mentor.
He let out a soft "Good morning!"
Berrystorm returned the greeting, and he padded out of the den, taking in the morning warmth. Twigpaw hadn't gone outside to warm his own fur, yet, and he longed to go quickly, but he had to finish his task first. It was only a few moments before he finished, and he swept the dead herbs out of the den. Now outside, the morning sun felt amazing on his fur. He found a nice, warm spot near the den's entrance, and he began grooming his fur. He spent a good portion of the morning thoroughly grooming himself, and when he'd finidhed, his fur shone in the sunlight. Many cats were up now, all busy, getting to work. The cats who were going to the gathering were relaxing around camp, excluding Berrystorm, who had returned to their den, and those who weren't were being told their tasks for the day by Leafstar.
Twigpaw took in a deep breath, and he could smell the crisp, early-leaffall air.It was going to be getting colder, and prey would begin to be more scarce.
It might be a good idea to pick plenty of greenleaf herbs, soon, before they die... Catmint is always good to have extra of. Twigpaw thought to himself. He sat for many more moments, soaking in the warmth of the sun, before getting up to return into his den. Cloudpaw didn't come out of her den, Twigpaw thought before turning back towards the den, She must be resting for the gathering. I'm glad she's going.
He walked back into his den, and was surprised at what he saw. One of the apprentices was awake. Berrystorm was checking over the unconcious apprentice's wounds.
"Hello, there." He mewed to the awak apprentice.
The apprentice was laying on his side still, but his head was raised. He looked towards Twigpaw for a brief moment, concern sharp in his eyes, and then looked back at the unconcious apprentice.
He's concerned for his clan mate. Twigpaw thought to himself. He padded over to the awake apprentice, and sat down next to him.
"What were you doing to get such bad wounds?" Twigpaw asked. He was responded with silence. "What's wong? Fox caught your tongue?" Still, the apprentice didn't respond. Twigpaw felt slightly discouraged. Why wouldn't he talk?
"Don't feel down, Twigpaw," Berrystorm spoke, but didn't look away from his patient. "he's refusing to talk." Berrystorm continued.
But why, I wonder? Twigpaw thought.
"I was only able to get him to say one thing, and that was it. 'Don't check on my wounds until you've checked on hers.' He told me." Berrystorm finished.
"Is there any way to get him to talk?" Twigpaw asked.
"No. He'll talk when he's ready to."
Twigpaw sighed silently, and watched Berrystorm work. He didn't want to upset the apprentice by treating him before the other was finished. He layed down, tucked his paws under his chext, and studied Berrystorm's actions closely.
...... |
Comments:
| Aria Auroralïs: I love it! Especially because I have an OC called Leafstar as well! Great story! w |
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