Rainpaw was never asked if he wanted the task. No one gave him a choice in the matter. He wasn't even sure if he was the best cat for the job, and often had doubts as to just why exactly he was selected. But when the Clan needed something badly, they didn't ask, say, Mudstreak to do it. No, on that awful, foggy morning, the leader of RiverClan approached Rainpaw and solemnly told him of his appointed task: fetching fresh bedding for the elders.
Rainpaw was not a very young apprentice. He was a full eight moons old and was ready for much more difficult things in life. Spying on ShadowClan? Gladly! Patrolling the ThunderClan border to keep out invaders? Of course! Fetching heaps of moss and old leaves to shut up Halffoot? Eh, Mistpaw can do it.
But what could an apprentice do? He bobbed his head and said that he would be happy to collect more bedding.
The river was icy from melted snow, and even Rainpaw's thick grey coat wasn't enough to keep the chill from seeping into his bones during the short journey across the river. Once across, he would have been happy to sit for a few moments and let the sun warm his fur, but the thick mist that had settled in the night before blocked most of the sun's light. Giving himself a quick shake, Rainpaw made for the ThunderClan border where there were more trees to provide leaves and moss. Trotting briskly along the riverbank, he recognized silver Mistpaw catching fish as her mentor, Bluetail, looked on. Hurriedly, he tried to veer away into the fog, but it was too late.
"Hi! Hi, Rainpaw! Hi!" Mistpaw's shrill voice never failed to annoy him, and she was such a talkative cat.
Groaning, Rainpaw slowed his pace and turned to face her. "Hello, Mistpaw. Listen, I've got to gather b-I mean, patrol the ThunderClan border, so I'll see you later." Nodding to Bluetail, he ran full speed away from the pair before Mistpaw could pester him with questions or, even worse, offer to come with.
Rainpaw reached the border without further incident and began to rake up bundles of leaves and moss with his claws, keeping an eye out for ThunderClan patrols. He soon grew bored with this task and stopped to jog over to the river. Just one fish, he thought. I'll catch one fish and come right back.
Settling on the bank, he kept an eye out for the telltale glitter of scales beneath the water. He sat, unmoving, until his muscles began to stiffen and cramp. Just as he was about to give up and go back to gathering moss, he heard a splash from upriver. Turning, Rainpaw saw something big and grey in color, winding its way towards him about a foot under the water. He crouched in preparation to spring, keeping his eyes fixed on his prey. Rainpaw noted with some nervousness that the fish was almost as big as he was. He couldn't hope to scoop it out of the water the normal way. No matter…
As it glided past him, Rainpaw leaped with claws outstretched, hitting the water with a large splash. Shockingly cold water swirled around him, tugging at his fur, and as he gripped the fish with two paws, he realized that this was not, in fact, a fish, and was actually a very furry, very wet, very angry Mistpaw. He quickly released her and swam sheepishly back to the shore, where he shook himself off and allowed Mistpaw to whack him and subject him to a stream of profanities almost as fast and fierce as the river itself. Finally, as she paused for a breath, Rainpaw asked, "Done?"
Mistpaw considered, then shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose."
"You must have learned those from Stormpath. No one else even knows that many."
Her whiskers twitched. "Thanks. I've been waiting for a chance to use them. Bye the way, do you know what the last one means?"
"No, and I wouldn't tell you if I did."
"Oh, well. And why in StarClan's name did you do that?!"
Rainpaw sat down, embarrassed. "I thought you were a fish."
"And why would you think that?"
"Why were you swimming underwater?"
Mistpaw licked her tail thoughtfully. "It might be useful when I'm a warrior. Bluetail does it." The apprentice brightened. "Can I help you patrol around? Or are you done?"
Rainpaw subconsciously shuffled backwards. "Uh, I'm all done. I was just heading back to camp."
"Great! I'll come with you!"
"No, no, that's really fine! I mean…you probably have hunting to do."
"Nope! All done!"
Rainpaw deflated. He couldn't come up with another plausible-sounding excuse on the spot. A different idea occurred to him. "Wanna help me carry this moss back?"
"Sure! Where is it?"
After carefully stuffing Mistpaw's mouth with moss and leaves, Rainpaw scooped up his own pile and they walked quickly back the camp. Strangely, he didn't mind her presence nearly so much on the return journey.
When they got back to where Mistpaw had been fishing, Bluetail was waiting for them. "Oh, you've brought some moss? Wonderful. If I have to listen to Halffoot complain about his aching back one more time…" She shook her head. "Mistpaw, excellent swimming technique. On a dark night, ThunderClan will never see you coming."
Mistpaw puffed up her chest and said, "Mrzgr frffr!" through her moss. She and Rainpaw continued downstream with Bluetail following.
When they reached camp, the two apprentices took their burdens to the elder's den, then returned outside, where the medicine cat, Leaffoot, and Rainpaw's mentor, Jadefang, stood waiting for them.
"Ah, Rainpaw. And Mistpaw, too! Wonderful. Leaffoot here needs you to do something."
"Together?" asked Rainpaw, trying not to groan out loud.
"Sure!" said Leaffoot. "I need some more poppy seeds, and if you two would be willing to go find some…?"
"Of course!" said Mistpaw happily. "I know where some are!"
"Thank you. I also know of a patch on the far side of our territory, near the WindClan border, if you need those."
"Right," muttered Rainpaw. "We'll be back soon."
Rainpaw decided that it was the way half her sentences seemed to end in a question mark that would drive him mad first. Then, he would after he became mad, he would be driven to craziness by the way she pitched her E's to sound like a trilling bird. After that, he would succumb to insanity when he remembered that they hadn't even reached the poppies yet and still had an hour or so together.
"So, where's your patch of flowers?" asked Rainpaw, just to get Mistpaw to talk about something other than the Gathering she had gone to last moon.
"Well, they're not really flowers? It's just a pile of seeds?"
She was doing it again. Pitching the end of each statement to sound like a question. Rainpaw ground his teeth, then asked, "And where would we find this pile of poppy seeds?"
"I'm taking you there right now! Only, it's sort of across the border? A little?"
"What?! Why would-"
"It's in the WindClan camp! I thought it would be easier to-"
"No! We can't steal from WindClan!"
Mistpaw hung her head. "Okay…Where do we go now, though?"
"We go to the patch of poppies that Leaffoot told us about. We're going the right direction."
"Uh-huh. Okay."
They walked in silence for a little while, or, as Rainpaw thought of it, they walked inside a blessing from StarClan, who were rewarding him for his tolerance and helpfulness that day.
Soon, they could see a patch of red by the river. Mistpaw began to chatter excitedly again, and by the time they had reached the poppy plants, she wouldn't be quiet. Resigning himself to his fate, Rainpaw began to strip the flowers of their seeds and tried his best to ignore Mistpaw's chatter.
By the time they had a good pile of poppy seeds, the sun was nearing to the half-way mark of the day. Mistpaw said that they'd better go…squeak squeak squeak…Leaffoot would be mad if…squeak squeak squeak…Rainpaw, did he smell…squeak squeak squeak…Rainpaw? Rainpaw? Did he feel that?
"RAINPAW!"
"What?" he asked crossly, setting down his bundle of poppy seeds.
"Can you smell that?"
Mistpaw, he realized with a jolt, had her fur fluffed up and a very worried look in her eyes. "All I smell is poppies," Rainpaw said truthfully. "Is something wrong?"
"I smell ThunderClan," Mistpaw said, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"In WindClan territ-"
"No, on our side of the border! They're here!"
Rainpaw bit back one of Stormpath's favorite curses. Mistpaw might be annoying, but everyone trusted her nose. "Where? Here? Or in the camp?"
"The camp, I think."
"Let's go," Rainpaw growled. "If they attack-"
"But-"
"Come on! We're wasting time!" Rainpaw seized his poppy seeds and broke into an all-out sprint. They would be too late, he knew. If ThunderClan meant to attack (which seemed likely, given their present attitude towards RiverClan), the two apprentices would arrive in the middle of the battle if it was long, and just after the battle if not.
Mistpaw had dropped her bundle and was screeching at him, something about her training-?
"I've never been in a battle before!"
Ah. That would be a problem. Most apprentices were introduced to real combat through a border skirmish. This was something different entirely.
"Just don't die!" Rainpaw shouted over his shoulder, which was all the sympathy and advice he could spare right now.
As they approached the camp, Rainpaw could smell ThunderClan scent, overwhelming everything else. He prepared to leap into the river and swim to the island, but Mistpaw grabbed his scruff and dragged him away.
"What are you doing?!" he shouted.
"Shush!" hissed Mistpaw. "Can't you smell it? There are still ThunderClan cats in the camp!"
"Exactly! We need to help in the battle!"
"No, mouse brain! Listen to what I'm saying! There are still ThunderClan cats hanging around because we lost!"
Rainpaw stared at her, mouth agape. "But-" And then he could smell it, too. The fear-scent and blood-scent of RiverClan cats fleeing the island and river. It took him a moment, but he could start to make out the individual smells of his Clan mates: Runningpaw, Dapplebrook, -there was Jadefang- Stormpath, Leaffoot, Stoneclaw, Streampaw, Bluetail, Halffoot, Leopardspot and her kits, Rosethorn…the whole Clan, fleeing the warriors who had attacked them with no warning, prologue, or preamble.
The apprentice's vision turned red with anger. Mistpaw seemed to have a different reaction.
"Gone," she whispered, rocking back and forth. "All of them gone."