11.1.18: God I really dislike two-years-ago me. Why is this chapter only 800 words?
They trained until sundown, when they returned to camp, soaked to the skin but cool and tired. When Featherpaw and Skypaw emerged into the camp, they found Flamepaw sharing a fat trout with Amberpaw—the fattest fish they had seen in ages.
"Where did you find that?" Featherpaw asked, breaking into a run and dashing toward her brother. Skypaw followed more slowly. They both looked up and a spark of jealousy spiked their gazes as they took in the she-cats' soaked pelts.
"You got to go swimming?" Amberpaw cried. "Lucky! I had to clear out the elder's den and the nursery, and it was so hot!" She rolled her eyes. Skypaw fought the urge to mock her. She did not like Amberpaw.
"Not for us," Featherpaw purred teasingly.
"Don't rub it in! I thought you were going to explore the territory!" Flamepaw meowed, beckoning the she-cats over on the shady ground under the maple tree where the apprentices ate. Skypaw sat down with a relieved sigh, settling beside her brother so their pelts brushed.
"It got too hot," Featherpaw explained, sitting down and beginning to groom herself. "Back to my question—where did you find that huge fish?"
"Salmonpaw caught it," Amberpaw meowed, her eyes sparkling with pride as she praised her brother. "He fished it right out of the lake! Of course, it almost pulled him into the water too!" She purred in amusement. "Troutstream was going to just let him go in—said it would be a good lesson."
Skypaw tore a bite out of the trout and relished in the fatty flavor that fell across her tongue. Chewing slowly, she swallowed before asking, "Where is Salmonpaw? He should be helping eat his own fish." And maybe him being here will stop you bragging about him.
Salmonpaw, like his sister, often came off as high-and-mighty toward the younger apprentices. They were four moons older than the youngest kits, and never hesitated to let them forget it.
"He's taking care of Duskfur and Pouncetail's ticks," Amberpaw mewed, gnawing on the tail of the trout. "Troutstream said he can check on them since he was hunting all morning. He's been at it a while, though—StarClan knows, Troutstream had probably got him on moss patrol too!"
The four apprentices purred. Featherpaw, satisfied with her nearly dry fur, padded over and began picking at what was left of the trout.
"It's been a while since there's been a fish big enough to feed more than one or two cats," Flamepaw commented, sitting up and swiping his tongue around his jaws. "This fed all of us." He turned to licking Skypaw's shoulders, smoothing the rumpled fur that sat there. Mouth full of fatty fish, Skypaw purred at the gesture. Amberpaw flicked her ears but said nothing, staring at the she-cat. Skypaw met her gaze coolly.
"Salmonpaw's turning into quite the fine hunter," a new voice meowed from behind them. They turned around. Sparklesong, a thick-furred white and orange she-cat, was coming forward, looking appreciatively at the trout, which only the head and tail of remained, the latter of which Amberpaw was still gnawing on. Flamepaw grabbed the end she didn't have in her teeth, and they began a fierce tug-of-war, snarling and growling playfully.
"His hunting skills will be well appreciated when he becomes a warrior," she continued, flicking a leaf off of Skypaw's flank that had stuck to her drying fur. "Speaking of warriors, how are you all coming along in your training?"
"Rushsplash and Tawnytalon had us swimming all day," Skypaw said excitedly. "I swam faster than Featherpaw."
"Only because I kept swallowing water!" her sister retorted. Flamepaw screeched in surprise and tumbled backwards as Amberpaw suddenly let go of her end of the trout tail, sending him flying. She snickered. He landed hard on his back at Sparklesong's paws, still gripping the trout tail.
The ginger and cream warrior bent down and snatched the tail away, her eyes sparkling. "You can have this back when you catch me!" she purred, taking off across the clearing.
"After her!" Skypaw yowled, charging after the deputy. Featherpaw, Flamepaw, and Skypaw dashed off, hard on her heels. Amberpaw wrinkled her nose delicately and shifted her attention to the head of the fish instead.
Too old for games? Skypaw mocked inwardly. Sparklesong turned lightly on a paw and sprinted in the other direction, flicking her tail across Skypaw's cheek. The three younger cats scrabbled to turn in the dirt, tangling each other in legs and tails. With a yowl, Amberpaw forgotten, Skypaw found her footing first and took off after the deputy.
Is this what being a warrior feels like? Skypaw thought as she leapt with her strong back legs and slammed into Sparklesong, sending them both tumbling over. This exhilaration, this amazing feeling of being one with my Clanmates… I can't get enough!
Sorry for the filler chapter guys but it had to be done!
11.1.18: more like sorry for the short-ass chapter...
~Feathers