"Good catch Larkpaw!" A sandy tabby meowed as she observed a young she-cat through the thick foliage. Embarrassment flooded the apprentice as she tripped over the rabbit as she dragged it over to her mentor.
Hawkfire's eyes shone proudly at her apprentice, although Larkpaw's brother, Darkpaw, eyes were dark with annoyance as he had only caught a scrawny robin. He was always competitive and could easily beat her in battle practice, but not even he could compete with her speed.
"Since this is just the dawn patrol, you two can share it," she meowed,"But unless a warrior says to, never hunt on border patrols without permission." Hawkfire reminded them, not for the first time.
Darkpaw just let out an obnoxious snort before beginning to devour the rabbit. Larkpaw bent beside her darker brother and inhaled the warm flesh.
Hawkfire hung back, waiting patiently for the apprentices to finish eating. The white she-cat leaned back, sitting on her hunches, Hawkfire sprang to her paws,"Now keep up!"
No fair! She thought to herself, taking off after her mentor. Darkpaw reacted moments later, speeding after Larkpaw and Hawkfire. The two apprentices were neck and neck, racing after the warrior, quickly catching up to her.
Overtaking Darkpaw was simple enough as Larkpaw lengthened her stride, propelling her lithe, scrawny body forwards with ease. She refused to give up as the energy began to drain from her limbs, but Larkpaw pushed on as she reached Hawkfire. The apprentice reached for the ground, claws extended, pushing herself forwards, launching herself ahead of the sandy she-cat.
"Larkp-" She heard Hawkfire warn, but it was too late, Larkpaw had realized what her mentor had done when her paws no longer touched ground. The apprentice stumbled down a short bank, flopping ungracefully down into a calm stream.
Larkpaw growled to herself, standing up in the shallow creek. "You tricked me!" She climbed her way up the bank, fur completely soaked. The white tabby stopped for a few heartbeats and gave herself a violent shake, sending water droplets spraying over Darkpaw and Hawkfire.
"No, I taught you a lesson. Control your strengths," Hawkfire flicked her tail,"I am well aware of your speed, Larkpaw. I ran as hard as I could just to be a challenge." Her sides heaved, hinting that she had strained herself testing Larkpaw.
"I can't wait for the day where I can be free of your lessons," Larkpaw mumbled as a shiver shook through her because of her soaked fur.
"That'll be sooner than you think." Hawkfire meowed, winking at Larkpaw. She pushed through the newly sprouted ferns, heading towards the FireClan border.
The two apprentices glanced at eachother, excitement sparked in their eyes. They started to follow Hawkfire, discussing their possible warrior names with delight and curiosity.
The small dawn patrol hadn't gotten far when a dappled she-cat bounded towards them, "Gorsestar is calling a meeting," she meowed,"Your dawn patrol is the only patrol out, he wanted to wait." Amusement sparked in the warrior's eyes when examining Larkpaw, although she didn't question as to why the apprentice was damp.
"Thank you Leopardflash," Hawkfire meowed,"Let us head back now." The sandy she-cat got to her paws, trotting on towards camp, with Darkpaw, Larkpaw, and Leopardflash following closely.
Between eating the rabbit, the morning run and her trip to the stream, Larkpaw felt queasy by the time they got back to camp. She trotted over to the medicine cat den, which was a dead, hollowed out tree.
Two she-cats were resting outside, sharing a mouse and chatting. The elder she-cat was a gray tortoiseshell, the other a red tabby. "Larkpaw," The younger of the two meowed, dipping her head in acknowledgement. Her mentor, Willowcreek, got to her paws and trotted onwards towards Gorsestar's ledge, knowing that the meeting was to start. A huge and realitvely young tom, at least for leader, stood on an outcropping ledge, his face grim. His head was held high, his dark eyes judging and blank. Thinking about it, she couldn't recall a time where Gorsestar was actually happy. This instance was no expection either. There was something in his face that was particularly sorrowful that she wasn't sure of its cause.
"What happened?" She whispered to her friend, who just shook her head in response. Redpaw made no attempt to hide the grief swimming in her eyes, leading Larkpaw to a mournful conclusion.
"All cats able to catch prey gather below the Rock Pillar!" Gorsestar yowled. He waited a moment as cats of all color and shape revealed themselves from the several dens within the camp.
"I have terrible news," Gorsestar stopped for a second, taking in his surroundings as the gray tortoiseshell stood next to him,"Sharpfang has died."
A shocked gasp echoed throughout the clan, but quieted rather quickly with a wave of the leader's tail. "He died honorably, chasing out a couple of rogues. He saved the life of Silverpaw, but didn't have enough strength left in him to fight against the brutal wounds." Gorsestar lowered his head, calling for a moment of silence to honor the senior warrior.
"No… it can't be…" A young black and white tom broke the silence, his voice shrill with pain. Redpaw left Larkpaw's side to nudge the apprentice, Drizzlepaw, to the medicine den.
"Who's the next deputy?" A scrawny tabby tom questioned with narcissistic authority. His comment was echoed by fellow warriors curious in who would take Sharpfang's place as deputy.
"Silence!" Gorsestar snarled, narrowing his eyes to the creamy tom,"Do you dare disrespect Sharpfang by assuming you get the place Spidernose?" Gorsestar had been Sharpfang's first apprentice after he joined IceClan, the first one to trust a former rogue, so naturally they grew close.
Spidernose shrank back, trying to escape the leaders rage. "That's what I thought," Gorsestar growled,"Many of you may not know this, but he was planning on retiring in a couple of moons. We discussed this choice together, and together had decided on Talonshadow." Surprised murmurs responded, but no one challenged Gorsestar this time. Talonshadow, while crippled with a weak shoulder, was certainly a good choice.
Larkpaw glanced over at her brother, whose coal brown eyes brightened with pride for his mentor. Beyond him, a couple of warriors muttered, their voices thick with uncertainty. Spidernose, as well as a she-cat similar in appearance had their backs turned, evidently not agreeing to this choice.
The clan dispersed and most of the warriors gathered around Talonshadow to both congratulate him and to recieve orders. The queens returned to their den, while the apprentices gathered excitedly.
"Poor Drizzlepaw…" A tortoiseshell she-cat murmured as Larkpaw joined the group,"I hope he's going to be okay…"
"I'm sure he will be, Flypaw." Darkpaw meowed, still glowing with pride after his mentor being announced as deputy.
"He lost his father! You wouldn't know what that's like, now would you? Tame-bloods!" Flypaw snapped in response, her tortoiseshell tail lashing angrily.
Both Larkpaw and her brother flinched, Flypaw had brought up a valid point. Tame-bloods often referred to the kits of rogues and kittypets, and always used as an insult. She never knew her parents, just that Gorsestar had brought her and Darkpaw to the clan with no answers at only a few days old. Many cats speculated their origin, but leader denied everything, refusing to just leave two kits on their own.
Darkpaw jumped to his paws, eyes narrowed,"You wanna find out how much clanblood I have in me? Fight me mouse-heart!" His claws unsheathed and he prepared to attack the snappy tortoiseshell. Larkpaw quickly stepped in front of her brother, knowing all too well he had no problem attacking Flypaw.
"Darkpaw! Quit it!" A growl silenced the group of apprentices as Talonshadow padded over,"Is that how a warrior should act, threatening a Clanmate? Or the deputy's apprentice?"
"I'm sorry Talonshadow…" He muttered, ears flat against his skull. Darkpaw shrank back to try and avoid his mentors rage.
"If you keep acting like this, Larkpaw will be a warrior before you," The marble tabby tom teased with a lighter tone,"Just go hunting with Leopardflash and Redpaw."
"Isn't Redpaw a medicine cat?" Darkpaw pointed out enthusiastically, keen to show
off his skills to anyone and everyone.
"All cats can hunt, and it can't hurt to have an extra paw. She isn't needed right now," Talonshadow meowed patiently,"Now, Larkpaw. You're going fishing with Lightfeather. She needs a distraction…" He trailed off, his point made clear. Lightfeather was already an introverted cat, but it certainly didn't help that her mate died.
Larkpaw nodded, leaving Darkpaw to mutter angrily to himself. She searched the camp for the gray tabby she-cat, whom had just emerged from the medicine cat den.
She trotted over to Lightfeather,"Talonshadow suggested for us to go fishing." Larkpaw meowed softly, "Are you up for it?"
"Of course," Lightfeather lifted her striped head, although her voice was thick with grief. She headed towards the camp entrance, despite her head being held high, her tail drug in the grass.
While it was true Larkpaw hadn't lost anyone close to her, she could still feel sympathy even if it wasn't to the same degree as those suffering. Larkpaw and never known her parents, no cat really raised her and Darkpaw. She fell into step behind Lightfeather, knowing that idle chit-chat wouldn't help her in anyway. Despite that conclusion, Larkpaw still tried to offer a distraction,"Where's the best place to fish?"
Lightfeather hesitated, as if considering carefully how to answer her question. "Just like you don't hunt in one area too long, you can't fish in mainly one area." Her clouded green gaze kept focused ahead as she picked her way cautiously through some loose thorn strands. "But…" She briefly went solemn,"My favorite area is Deer River." The river that Lightfeather spoke of was the border separating Iceclan and Fireclan.
"Oh okay," Larkpaw meowed, easily keeping pace with Lightfeather. She slowed for a brief second, a faint but foreign scent swirling around them, but the warrior didn't react or even seem to notice. Larkpaw, now on alert, walked close behind the gray tabby in silence.
"Here we are!" The gray tabby proclaimed, showing too much enthusiasm for simply fishing. They cautiously picked their way down to the bank,"Lucky for us, we haven't had heavy rain lately, so there's likely to be plentiful of fish."
Larkpaw nodded, but her thoughts were still focused on the strange scent. The gray tabby she-cat crouched over the water, putting her weight on her hindquarters. The apprentice stood several paw-steps away, watching Lightfeather demonstrate how to fish,"Make sure you're shadow doesn't reflect over the water, that tells the fish you're there…" She murmured distractedly, her gaze staring intently on the water.
Without warning, she jerked her paw into the water, revealing a slimy fish hooked in
her claws, "Bite the neck!" She requested, tossing the fish next to Larkpaw.
The apprentice, hesitating for a moment, bent down and bit hard on the fish's neck. "It's so… slimy." She complained, spitting out some of the gunk from the prey. Fish was uncommon prey, as few cats were comfortable in the water, and it was difficult enough to
find a decent and safe spot to fish.
"It is, but prey is prey." Lightfeather meowed, her gaze still intent on the water,"Besides, some cats do enjoy fish." She waded a couple of mouse lengths in, unbothered by the chilled water.
Larkpaw reluctantly waded into the low river to crouch next to Lightfeather,"How many warriors actually know how to do this?" She positioned herself in mimic of the gray tabby, putting her weight heavily on hunches. The cold water felt cool against her fur, relaxing the apprentice as she shifted her position slightly to get comfortable.
"Few," Lightfeather got to her paws, examining Larkpaw's stance. She nosed the apprentice forwards slightly,"Me, Drizzlepaw…" She hesitated, jaws open. Lightfeather shook her head, continuing,"Gorsestar, Stormytooth." The silver gray she-cat padded to where Larkpaw was to finish off the fish.
"Oh," Larkpaw murmured, her gaze intent on the water. She attempted to lash out at one of the silver flashes, but missed. The apprentice let out a hiss before repositioning herself to strike again.
"Fishing requires much patience," Lightfeather meowed quietly.
"That explains why no one fishes," She growled, flicking her tail impatiently. Larkpaw narrowed her eyes, quickly extending her unsheathed paw into the water. Surprise flashed through her as she realized that something cold, slimy was hooked onto her claws. She jerked her paw out of the water, caught in the grasp of her claw was a decent sized fish.
"Quick! Toss it towards me!" Lightfeather said,"Before it wiggles away!" The apprentice shook her paw to free herself of the fish towards the warrior, who snatched it in the air before it hit the ground.
"Great job!" The warrior meowed after setting the limb body on the other two fish,"We'll fish until sun-down."
Time flew by quickly, resulting in Larkpaw getting fairly wet again. As Lightfeather and Larkpaw began to collect their prey, a shout came from the top of the opposite bank,"Are those IceClan cats or fish?" The teasing came from an obviously arrogant tabby tom. Behind him stood a young brown and white tabby tom, and two ginger apprentices.
"Oh shut it Breezebeck!" Lightfeather growled, whisking her tail as she turned to return his glare.
"Like we're scared of two fish!" he retorted,"Ripplestreak and I can easily take you!" Breezebeck hadn't included the ginger she-cats, they seemed rather young to be jumping into a battle. Ripplestreak, the other tabby tom just stood there quietly and calmly, murmuring something in Breezebeck's ear.
Breezebeck responded with a thick sigh in response to whatever the other FireClan warrior had said before turning away without another word, a scowl heavy in his face.
"Just like Breezebeck, to throw around threats and to be calmed down by a new warrior!" Lightfeather muttered, loud enough for all the cats to hear. The tabby tom flinched, but Ripplestreak just nudged him on, away from the border.
"Ripplestreak seems a little young for a warrior," Larkpaw commented, gathering up some of the fish.
Lightfeather shrugged,"I think they found him wandering the territory at a couple moons old, no cat actually knows his actual age." She gathered up the remainder of the fish, leading the way back to camp.
