Okay, so I am so sorry for not updating sooner. School has been really busy with end of year tests and projects, I didn't find any time to write until yesterday. That aside, here's chapter 3! Thanks to VitaniXKopa for reviewing. *Hands whole cake since they were the only person who reviewed*. For the rest of you who read and did not review... *pulls out blowgun and blows. Dart bounces off of wall and hits Wild in the arm.* Oooh boy... I really need to learn how to use this thing. Um... enjo- zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
Chapter 3
Robinpaw couldn't seem to get the image out of her mind. It was so odd to see her sister so weak and helpless, and not be able to do anything about it. It was also strange to not have Wildpaw by her side, constantly whispering into her ear. Since kithood two sisters had been really close, and had become even closer after the passing of their father. The two sisters filled a gap in each other's live not other cat could. Robinpaw gave Wildpaw a spark of fun and adventure, and Wildpaw provided Robinpaw with a sense of security and strength.
Although most cats didn't seem surprised about how close the sisters were, they did seem a bit amused about how different they were, both in looks and personality. Both sisters shared the same green eyes, but while Robinpaw's pelt was white with brown spots, Wildpaw's was a very light brown with white paws and chest. Wildpaw was patient, smart, and calm, while Robinpaw was energetic, excited, and eager.
Robinpaw quickly snapped out of her thoughts, bringing her focus back to the matter at hand. Oakshine had just shown her and Swiftpaw the most effective way to lure you're enemy into a tree, giving them minimum amount of room to move in. She gazed through narrow eyes as the black tom swiftly worked his way through the branches while his mentor and Mapleleaf cheered him on.
Robinpaw stifled a sigh. Mapleleaf had offered to help mentor Robinpaw until Wildpaw was out of the medicine cat den. Robinpaw's real mentor was Marshfoot, but the clan deputy was always so busy, he didn't have much time to actually teach.
Swiftpaw scrambled up the last few branches, and then bounded down with equal grace, landing smoothly at the bottom. If Robinpaw could have rolled her eyes, she would have. He could be such a show-off sometimes!
"Robinpaw!"
Robinpaw looked up to see her clanmates gazing at her expectantly. "Uh… I'm sorry. What?"
Mapleleaf gazed at her with worried amber eyes. "Are you okay? You don't seem as talkative as usual". Robinpaw nodded. "Okay, then. It's your turn".
Robinpaw sprung to her paws, anticipation boiling through her. She bounced over to the bottom of the tree, eyes scanning a path before she leapt. Then, at Oakshine's signal, she sprung onto the lowest branch.
Small green buds were starting to grow on the limbs, and Robinpaw felt relief that she didn't have to force her way through a thick clumps of leaves. The first few branches were easiest, but soon the branches started to space themselves farther apart and became thinner. Robinpaw was about halfway up when she made a fatal mistake.
She looked down.
The faces seemed to swirl beneath her as she clung to the trunk, claws digging deep into the rough bark. The forest seemed like a brown smudge, nothing really taking on any shape.
"You're almost there, Robinpaw!" Oakshine mewed, trying to meet her gaze with his green eyes. "Don't focus on how far up you are".
Robinpaw gulped. Now that he mentioned it, that was exactly what she was thinking!
Mapleleaf walked up beside her father. "You can come down if you need to. Not cat will think less of you if you do!"
Swiftpaw's voice joined the others of encouragement. "Just a few more branches, and then it gets really easy. Even I could do it."
Robinpaw closed her eyes, legs starting to tremble with effort. What kind of cat am I, if I can't even climb a tree? Robinpaw didn't know how long she was there, but it felt like seasons. It was only when a deep, calming mew pierced her thoughts that she was able to look back down.
A dark tabby tom with one black foot was below her. Marshfoot. "Robinpaw, don't look at me, just look up and keep climbing."
"I-I can't!", she wailed. "I can't go any farther. What if I fall? I don't even think I can make it down." She didn't care if the clan made fun of her later- the playful apprentice who was afraid of trees- she just wanted to get down and feel solid ground beneath her paws.
Marshfoot purred with amusement "I have never heard of a cat that was afraid of trees. It's you're first time; it will take some practice getting use to. I was just like you as an apprentice."
Robinpaw gulped. "Really?"
Marshfoot nodded. "Really. Think about the bird you are named after. Robin's thrive in trees. Just focus on a branch above you and work your way up to it. Then find the next branch and work your way to that one."
Filled with new determination, Robinpaw took a deep breath and surged upward. Surprisingly, it did get easier as Swiftpaw had said. And a few heartbeats later, Robinpaw found herself back on solid ground.
"I did it!" she mewed triumphantly.
Marshfoot nodded. "So you did".
Swiftpaw bounded up Marshfoot. "Did you see me? I did it even faster then her!". The small sliver of humility he had shown when Robinpaw was stuck seemed to have disappeared. Probably, though Robinpaw, because of the want to impress his father.
Marshfoot shook his head. "I did, but next time I would suggest using your tail more. And speed isn't the only thing that matters." He gave his son a stern look. "If you rush too much, then all it takes is one slip of the paw and you find yourself dropping a few unexpected tail lengths." He seemed to notice the fearful look creeping back into Robinpaw's eyes. "But that rarely happens. You just need to concentrate on climbing, not falling, and you should be just fine". He added hastily.
Swiftpaw's face fell. Robinpaw felt a pang of sympathy. It was hard enough not having her mentor spend enough time with her. She could imagine how much harder it would be to have you're father not be there.
But at least his is alive. She thought longingly. The same surge of pain and anger rushed through her. Once again she found herself wondering how her father could have left her.
Robinpaw pushed the feelings away. She didn't like the way she felt about her father, and deep down she knew it wasn't his fault. If only I hadn't been so weak… maybe then I could have done something.
The soft thud of pawsteps on frozen ground sounded behind Robinpaw, and she turned around to see Redthorn and Thrushfur, mouths filled with prey.
Redthorn's pelt was just like her daughters, Antpaw's, except she had a white chest and her eyes were more of a hazel color then green. Despite her daughter's peaceful nature, however, Redthorn's eyes glittered with stubbornness. That's probably where Swiftpaw got his annoyingly determined nature from.
Thrushfur was a tan and white tom with blue eyes. As a kit Robinpaw had had a small crush on him, but that quickly faded when Larkflight went to the nursery expecting his kits. Robinpaw still felt embarrassed thinking about it.
Redthorn dropped her prey and turned to her mate, eyes flashing. "I suppose you thought we could just haul all of this prey by ourselves?" she inquired. Robinpaw thought she saw Marshfoot flinch. Satisfied, Redthorn continued. "Well, I'll have you know that you're share of prey is still back there, feel free to bring it back when you're done chatting." The red-brown she-cat then picked up her prey and stalked away through the trees.
Thrushfur purred, dropping his own prey. "By the way she talks; you would think she was clan deputy!"
Marshfoot purred. "That's why I love her so much. Oakshine, Mapleleaf, if you'll excuse me…" He gave a parting not and padded through the undergrowth the hunting patrol had just emerged through.
The rest of the afternoon was spent perfecting more tree fighting skills. Swiftpaw and Robinpaw took turns sparring with Oakshine and Mapleleaf. Robinpaw was even able to knock Mapleleaf off the low branch they were practicing on- much to her delight.
The sun had risen high in the sky by the time Oakshine called for the training to stop. Robinpaw gasped, feeling sore and successful after the long day of practice. Swiftpaw panted next to her, looking just as worn out and tired.
"You both did great today", Oakshine praised. "Especially you, Swiftpaw. I'll talk to Snowstar about you're warriors ceremony when we get back."
Swiftpaw's eyes brightened and Robinpaw could feel a pang of envy. Don't think like that, she chided herself, Swiftpaw's older then you, he deserves it. You'll be there in another three moons…
When the four cats entered camp, Robinpaw was surprised to see cats rushing everywhere, calling frantically. In the center of camp stood Larkflight, Thrushfur, and Snowstar. Larkflight was leaning against Thrushfur, tail trembling and her pale blue eyes open with shock.
Mapleleaf streaked her way past Oakshine and over to her sister, stroking the pale silver queen gently with her tail.
Robinpaw made her way over to the cluster of cats, wondering what had happened. Snowstar was talking, her voice soothing but filled with authority. "Don't worry, we will find them…"
Robinpaw had reached the group of her clanmates. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Thrushfur and Larkflight looked at her with sorrow-filled eyes, and Snowstar gave her a tired glance "Lightkit and Brushkit are-"
"-I told them not to go!" A little voice wailed, cutting off the leader's words. Robinpaw looked down to see a gray tabby she-cat, curled in a ball with her paws covering her eyes. "I told them we weren't supposed to, but they didn't listen! It's all my fault!"
Snowstar stroked the kit gently with her tail. "It's not you're fault Mistkit. All that matters is that you stayed. Marshfoot and Beechsplash are both leading patrols, they'll be found."
"I wanted to help," Wildpaw added, joining in moodily. "But Beechsplash wouldn't let me."
"And for good reason. The last thing we need is a sick apprentice running around."
Wildpaw started to bristle at the leader's words, but then her fur fell flat and she sighed. "I know… Blackfeather knows what he's doing. But if he makes me each another one of those vile flowers, then I'll personally take the time to stuff some herbs down his throat."
Robinpaw purred, and then turned to her sister. "Don't worry; you'll get better in no time. Do mind if I…"
Wildpaw nodded "Go ahead. The more cats out there, the sooner they can be found. And the sooner I can stop feeling so useless".
Robinpaw bounced back to Snowstar. "Snowstar, can I join a patrol to search for the kits? I want to help."
The white and gray she-cat nodded. "Thrushfur was just about to go. You may go with him."
Robinpaw grinned. "Thanks, Snowstar", she exclaimed as she hurried to catch up with her clanmate. The two cats were just exiting the thorn tunnel when a hoarse cry rose up behind them.
"I'm going with you!" Larkflight gasped, skidding to a halt beside the warrior and apprentice. "They're my kits; I should be able to find them".
Thrushfur shook his head and gently led her back through the tunnel. "Mistkit needs you just as much as the other two. She's even more scared then we are. She needs your comfort."
Larkflight sighed "I guess you're right…"
A minute later Thrushfur reemerged from the tunnel, and both cats set off. "See if you can scent a trail." The tom instructed "They couldn't have gone off too far".
After a few heartbeats of scenting, Robinpaw was able to scent a thin trace of the two kits. "They've headed to the Harehill", she moaned, thinking about all the patches of grass the kits could hide in. "I am never going to have kits".
Thrushfur twitched his whiskers in amusement. "Wait until you're a few moons older, you may find you're wrong."
Robinpaw wrinkled her nose in distaste "They just seem like too much trouble… you have to worry about them constantly."
"Yes, that is true. But kits are also some of the most rewarding things in life. I can't wait until I see their faces when they become apprentices and warriors. Besides, it's not Brushkit and Lightkit I worry about- it's Mistkit. A kit that actually follows rules? That's something you should worry about!"
Robinpaw laughed, but quickly stopped once they reached the Harehill. She strained her ears, listening for even the faintest mew, but could hear none. The grass to the Harehill was yellow and dried after the long leaf-bare, and was wet with water from the recently melted snow. Robinpaw grimaced as the water gushed from under her paws. I can't believe cats use to actually swim! She thought. Out of all the clans of old, Riverclan was the one she had taken the most interest in.
Thrushfur didn't look like he was enjoying the water either. At first, after every step, he would stop and shake the water off his paw. He soon gave up once he realized his feeble efforts did no good.
Robinpaw's paws felt heavy and tired after the long day of training, and with the added burden of the water-laden grass, each step seemed to take twice the effort. "I don't know how the kits could get around in here." She grumbled, a bit desperate to get her paws on dry ground. "Perhaps they're not h- eeek!"
With a splash, Robinpaw was flung into the muddy grass. "Yuck!" she exclaimed, staring at her now mud-covered pelt. "This is going to take me forever to clean off!"
But Thrushfur wasn't listening. Instead he was studying something half-hidden in the grass, and Robinpaw noticed what had tripped her. A rotting log was half-buried, half floating in the swampy moor. Robinpaw momentarily forgot about her dirty pelt and studied the pile of wood with interest- curled up in a small dent were two soggy balls of fluff.
One of the balls lifted its head and stared with wide blue eyes. "Robinpaw! Thrushfur!" he exclaimed, leaping to his paws. The little tom's pelt was tan like his father's, but it carried no white.
The other kit lifted her head at her brother's cry. When she saw the two cats looking down on her she hastily stumbled to her paws. Her excited squeal faded when she saw the murderous look her father gave her.
"What where you two thinking!" Thrushfur hissed in annoyance. "Do you know how easily you two could become a snack to a fox, or even badger?"
Brushkit fluffed her tortoiseshell and white fur with indignation. "We were just hunting. And we were being really careful too, nothing caught us!"
Thrushfur sighed. "But out of all places to go hunting, why the moor? Especially in this flooded state! Kits as small as you can not catch rabbits twice your size. I thought you had more sense then that."
"We were originally hunting in the forest- we're not that stupid", Lightkit protested. "But then we saw that tom and thought he was an invader. So we followed him here and kind of got… stuck".
The warrior frowned "What tom? Was it one of our clanmates?"
Brushkit shook her head "We didn't recognize him, he was carrying a squirrel. That's why we thought he was an invader. I think he may have seen us… he went through here and then we lost him."
"We wouldn't have if you hadn't stopped to study that rabbit hole", Lightkit muttered.
"You were just as interested as me! Besides, you're the one who wouldn't stop complaining how cold you were. That's probably why he noticed us in the first place!", Brushkit retorted.
"Enough! Both of you!" Thrushfur lashed his tail. "Robinpaw is going to take both of you back to camp, and both of you are going to have a talk with Snowstar."
Robinpaw's eyes narrowed in interest "Where are you going?" She mewed.
"I'm going to go see if I can hunt down that tom. If it's another one of those rogues, then we'll have to let Snowstar know."
Once the warrior had disappeared, Robinpaw picked Brushkit up by the scruff of her neck and herded Lightkit ahead of her using her paws. Both kits were unusually silent, until they reached camp.
Lightkit gave Robinpaw a worried glance. "Do you think Snowstar will still make us apprentices?"
Robinpaw placed Brushkit down and made her way through the thorn tunnel. "Of course she will. If she denied every kit that got in trouble, then I would definitely not be here right now. Don't worry- you'll be made an apprentices in no time".
And Starclan help me when you are.
So, I'm awake from my little snooze (I am never using a blowgun again). This chapter gave us a break from Wildpaw, but she'll be back next chapter. The plot may not seem very clear right now, but next chapter will be totally epic (or the ending will, at least). So don't give up on me yet, PLEASE review and tell me what you think!
Until next time,
~Wild