Did you like the first chapter? I myself like to think of it as exciting, that Briarpaw would have enough tongue to talk back to a Clan leader. Here's chapter two!
-Fernspirit
Chapter 2
Briarpaw woke with excitement. Rosepaw was snoring slightly on one side of her, and Blossompaw was shifting on the other. She sat up. Toadpaw was gone, but Bumblepaw was sliding into the den. "Good morning," he whispered.
"Where were you?" Briarpaw asked quietly as she started grooming.
"Dawn patrol." Bumblepaw circled a few times in his nest before collapsing. "Mousewhisker said I could get some rest before we see the territory." Oh, right. Briarpaw had forgotten that Bumblepaw had spent all of yesterday sorting herbs with Jayfeather.
"I get to hunt today," she bragged. Bumblepaw sat straight up.
"Sweet! You're so lucky! What did you see yesterday?"
"Thornclaw and I met Onestar, Crowfeather, and Nightcloud at the border and Onestar was angry."
"What? Why?" Bumblepaw demanded.
"I don't know, something about 'stay off our land, ThunderClan rascals!' He was pretty grumpy." Briarpaw shrugged. She leaned closer to Bumblepaw. "So, tell me about your day." Bumblepaw brightened.
"Well, despite the fact that I had to spend almost all day sorting herbs, I learned some pretty neat stuff!"
"Oh, yeah? Like what?" Briarpaw challenged. "I learned how to heal greencough, with catmint, by the way, and what to give queens to make their milk come."
"Well, you'll be a great medicine cat!" Briarpaw teased. Bumblepaw slashed at her lightly, claws sheathed, and she ducked, purring. "Hey!"
"Would you two please shut up?" Blossompaw grumbled. "Some cats are trying to sleep." Bumblepaw looked at Briarpaw, and she looked at him, and they burst out laughing.
"Sorry Blossompaw," Briarpaw whispered. "Maybe I'd better go out now," she told Bumblepaw. "Thornclaw might be expecting me."
"Go ahead," Bumblepaw yawned. "I'll think of you, hunting, while I'm sleeping."
"Thanks a lot," Briarpaw muttered. She stepped outside and glanced around, trying to find her mentor. "Hey, Briarpaw, over here," Toadpaw called. She located him, in a huddle with Cloudtail, Thornclaw, and Brambleclaw. "We need to step up patrols on the ShadowClan border, they're getting suspicious," the deputy was saying. "So, Thornclaw, how about you take Briarpaw over there and check it out?"
"I was going to take her hunting, but I suppose this is more important," Thornclaw mewed.
"Good morning, Briarpaw!" Toadpaw chirped. "I might be able to be in your patrol!"
"No, you're going to be cleaning the dens today," Cloudtail told him sternly. "After your little performance yesterday, you need to be punished."
"Sorry," Briarpaw whispered to him. She had heard what had happened. Toadpaw was being assessed and he stumbled into a fox den and got attacked. There was no scent, he claimed, but Cloudtail was furious.
"Thanks," Toadpaw mumbled. He headed over to the elders den, and Briarpaw returned her attention to Brambleclaw.
"Take Poppyfrost and Icecloud with you," Brambleclaw ordered Thornclaw, then turned back to Cloudtail. "I was thinking, since WindClan..."
Briarpaw followed Thornclaw to outside of the warriors den, where he ducked inside and returned a minute later leading Poppyfrost and Icecloud. The two she-cats were chatting quietly as Thornclaw led them into the forest, and Briarpaw dropped to the back of the patrol. "Keep your eyes and ears open," Thornclaw ordered. "After the incident with Toadpaw yesterday, we don't want to take any chances." Poppyfrost murmured agreement and Icecloud mewed,"Shouldn't we be watching out for ShadowClan, not foxes?"
"Quite right," Thornclaw agreed. "But now that we know there's a fox around here, we need to be careful. Got that Briarpaw?" He swung his head around to glare at her, and she muttered, "Yes, Thornclaw."
"Thank you." The golden tom kept his head high and his ears pricked as he walked, and Briarpaw felt a stab of admiration for her mentor. They had hardly made it to a small clearing, when Poppyfrost gasped, "Fox!"
So, chapter two is over. Did you like it? Any preferences? Would you prefer more cliffhangers, or less?
-Fernspirit