Challenge for Warriors of the Sea.

Prompt: Write a story based on the song 'Renegades.'

"Come on," Birdpaw called, scrambling through the thick undergrowth. "If you keep moving at this pace, we'll reach the Sun Drown place when we're as old as Morningdew!"

The gray-and-white apprentice grumbled to himself. "If you keep yapping, the four clans are going to know where we've gone!" Cloudpaw pointed out, though his voice held no scorn. He darted around a tree, and narrowly avoided a bush.

"From the noise you're making, I think they already do," she teased back, stopping to wait for him with a grin. Once he caught up, she continued moving through the brush, and quickly left the clumsier apprentice behind.

Cloudpaw rolled his eyes. "At least tell me we're almost there."

"It's a day away, Cloudpaw," she laughed, "We'll get there by tomorrow at the earliest." He sighed, silently saying goodbye to a warm nest and a goodnight's sleep.

"Can I ask how you persuaded me into this again?" he muttered, climbing over a fallen tree with who-knows-what in the rotten wood.

"You suggested it-"

"As a joke!"

"Besides, you wanted to do it as much as I did." Birdpaw breezed, completely indifferent to his struggles. Cloudpaw blinked. He most certainly did not want to come, as far as he could recall. He was pretty sure the only reason he agreed was to spend more time with Birdpaw, but as always, she was bounding around as if she were born in the forest, not the moor they called home. He smiled, shaking his head. He would never be able to imagine her as a warrior, and as a leader even less! Yes, Cloudpaw thought, humoured, if Birdpaw was leader, we'd be finding reasons to have a party every other day.

"Are you going to come, or what?" Birdpaw asked, dropping back and waving a paw in his face to snap him out of his daze. He blinked at her, startled.

"Huh?"

"You've been standing here for about a minute," she commented, eyes wide and the faintest bit concerned. "Do you want to rest? Are you sick or something?"

He blushed beneath his fur, before shaking out his head and trotting forward pridefully. "Are you serious?" he responded lightly, a grin tugging at his lips. "I bet I'll reach the Sun Drown place before you will!"

"Not a chance, birdbrain!"