I had a minor formatting error (I'm apparently an error magnet), and some things that were supposed to be italicized were not. So if you read this chapter before 6:56 Central Time on Dec 1, 2014, then if you have spare time, you can reread it and it will make a lot more sense.
Thanks! Kat C:
Chapter 3
Dawn light streams into the den as a tall silhouette parts the bramble curtain covering the entrance. "Wake up, apprentices," he growls, then disappears into the white brightness. Small cats stir in their half-asleep states, yawning widely and stretching luxuriously.
Flowpaw flexes each of her legs grandly, relishing the refreshing feeling. She nudges her sister, who is still slumbering peacefully. "Lightpaw!" She hisses. "Wake up, or we'll get in trouble!" The white she-cat stirs, but her eyes stay stubbornly shut. "Now, Lightpaw!" Flowpaw rolls her sister over and starts to tap her belly playfully. Finally, the tired she-cat opens one eye and realizes that today is her first day as an apprentice!
"Flowpaw, why didn't you tell me?" Lightpaw scrambles out of her nest and looks around excitedly. Then her smile disappears and is replaced by a gloomy frown. "Oh, right," she mumbles. "I have Morningdew." She quickly grooms herself and plods out into the main camp, steeling herself for the entire day with her rigid mentor.
Flowpaw watches on as her sister trails depression behind her. Sadness washes over her and she takes her time running her tongue along her disheveled fur. Why couldn't Lightpaw have Iceclaw, and I have Morningdew? I'd rather be bossed around all day than see my sister so sad. The white cat raises her head, ready to tackle another day. At least she can be strong for her sister.
Outside, Iceclaw is grooming himself quietly, lost in thought. He glances up at her as she nears him, and she bows her head respectfully. "Iceclaw," she says.
"Good morning, Flowpaw. Are you ready for a tour of our territory?" Iceclaw shakes his fur out and stretches contentedly. His light gray fur catches the sunlight and glints brilliantly as he stands up and beckons to Flowpaw to follow him out of camp.
"Wait," Flowpaw meows suddenly. Why did I say that? Well, it's too late now. "Uh, Iceclaw? Can we tour the territory with Lightpaw and Morningdew, too?" She cringes when he gives her a scalding glare.
His gaze softens as he realizes that she only wants to let her sister have fun under the strict watch of her mentor. "Alright, but only for today," Iceclaw relents. "Wait here, I'll go find them." As Iceclaw trots away, Flowpaw sits down on her haunches and watches the warriors' den for any sign of her mother. She has to say goodbye to her before she goes.
Finally, a black she-cat emerges from the warriors' den and glances around in the harsh light. "Blackmoon!" Flowpaw mews loudly. Her mother turns and tilts her head, puzzled.
"What is it, Flowpaw?" She asks.
"I just wanted to say goodbye before I go train," Flowpaw murmurs, and in an instant, a dark pelt curls over her, comforting her with soothing mews.
"I love you, daughter. And I'll see you at sunhigh or afterward. Tell Lightpaw that she'll do just fine with Morningdew." Blackmoon gives her daughter a smile and ambles back to the fresh-kill pile, looking for a morsel left over from last night.
"Flowpaw?" Iceclaw enters her field of view. "Ready to go?" Lightpaw and Morningdew stand behind him, and her sister gives her a quick affectionate blink.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Flowpaw replies and falls into step with her sister as the two warriors take the lead out of camp. "How's Morningdew?" Flowpaw whispers to Lightpaw.
"She hasn't really been that bad yet," Lightpaw answers, stepping lightly over a prickly bush. "I don't…." She trails off as the beauty of the forest stuns her into awe. The canopy of bare branches weave a design over her head, letting the sunlight fall to the forest floor in patches and patterns. Thorny shrubs litter the ground, making sections of snow-free ground. Tiny sounds rustle beneath the snow and leaves they trod on, hinting at the coming newleaf. Scents drift from the lake far away, and the path they follow reeks of hunting and patrolling warriors that have been on the track for countless moons. Even in leaf-bare, the trees and brambles take on a sort of frozen charm.
"Alright," Morningdew begins. "This is where we start paying attention. Over this hill," she gestures with her tail at a white mound in the near distance, "is the border we share with WindClan. Follow me," she bounds off, leaving puffs of snow flying in her wake.
The other three cats race after her, each secretly wanting to be the first to see the WindClan border. As they near the summit, Lightpaw slows down, out of breath. "Can we… can we take a little… break?" Her chest heaves as she plops onto the ground without waiting for an answer.
"No -" Morningdew begins, but Iceclaw cuts her off and leads her behind a clump of gorse. They exchange hushed words before reappearing, both glaring at the other. Tension crackles in the air between them, and the sisters' keen minds pick up the remnants of an argument. "I - we - have decided to let you take… a 'little break,'" Morningdew spits in the general direction of Iceclaw.
Flowpaw drops next to her sister and smiles a little as snowflakes are dislodged from the layer of white clinging to the earth. Puffs make kits sneeze, but they make apprentices chuckle maturely. Warriors… a whole different story. Her reverie is interrupted by the impatient stomp of her sister's mentor.
"Alright," the pale brown she-cat snaps, "if we ever want strong warriors, they need to gain some stamina. Let's go." Iceclaw shrugs helplessly at the two apprentices as he follows the stern Morningdew.
"Up here," Iceclaw announces, "is the Moonpool. We probably won't have enough time to journey all the way up there today, but perhaps another time, we'll go a little ways." He turns to his fellow warrior. "Twoleg nest next?" Morningdew nods and the two lead the weary Lightpaw and Flowpaw up and away from the lake.
Marching blindly, the white apprentices dodge hanging vines and spiny trees automatically, using their other senses to navigate. Their paws turn sore and cracked, even on the soft, snowy forest floor. Suddenly, the feeling beneath their pads changes. It turns hard and bumpy, icy and rough at the same time. "What -" Flowpaw starts.
"It's the old Thunderpath. Twolegs used to use it to move around, but we haven't seen any here in moons," Morningdew explains hurriedly. "We'll follow this up to the abandoned nest. It's just a little farther."
Sooner than she expected, an ominous, empty structure looms in front of Lightpaw, and she lets out a squeak of surprise. "Is that the Twoleg nest?" She inquires in wonder.
"Yes," Iceclaw responds and leads them closer. "It's, honestly, very creepy, but it's a great place to hunt and because of Jayfeather, there's a patch of catmint growing here. It'll cure greencough and whitecough. When almost the entire Clan had greencough, they sheltered here so that the rest of the Clan wouldn't catch the sickness. But that was a very, very long time ago, so there aren't any traces of greencough still here - don't worry."
Curiosity gets the better of the sisters and they venture into the dark nest. It smells like every warrior's dream - mice. Mice, mice, mice. Even in leaf-bare, the entire place reeks of fresh prey waiting to be caught. High above, there is no roof, so the clear sky shines down brightly through the criss-crossing logs spanning from one side of the walls to the other. Leftover snowflakes drift down through the cracks.
"Time to go," Morningdew scolds and nudges the apprentices roughly out of the nest. "Let's go back to camp," she suggests, gesturing with her tail at the sinking sun. Iceclaw blinks in surprise, shocked at how time had passes so quickly.
Relieved, Flowpaw and Lightpaw follow their mentors back down toward the lake and to their camp. Their paws don't protest as they register the hard texture of the Thunderpath, and the drone of Iceclaw's words about the other half of the territory don't sink in at all. Their eyes are heavy and almost frozen shut, exhausted.
"...Flowpaw? Lightpaw?" A voice drowns out the buzz of silence in Lightpaw's ear. She prods her sister rigidly and watches in amusement as her eyelids flutter slowly before opening.
"I was saying," Iceclaw meows, "that we're almost here and I don't want you to walk right over the cliff and fall into the dirtplace." Flowpaw smiles detachedly, but Lightpaw remains silent, weighted with fatigue. "Follow me."
Leisurely, the four cats trek through the bristly tunnel that is the entrance to the camp. Funny, Lightpaw thinks, I never noticed this before. Thorns threaten to dig into her skin, but they always remain just far enough away not to harm her.
Blackmoon waits in the center of the clearing, sharing tongues with a red warrior - Flamesmoke - peacefully. When she sees her daughters, she jumps up, apologizes to Flamesmoke, and dashes to the camp entrances, stealing the apprentices from their mentors. "Oh, my kits! How was it? Did you explore the entire territory?" Lightpaw and Flowpaw both shake their heads wearily, and their exhaustion becomes apparent to their mother. "Oh, StarClan. You mentors wore my kits down!" She shakes her head when Morningdew scowls at her from the fresh-kill pile. "Let's get you something to eat. Then you can go sleep."
After the sisters have filled their stomachs, they gratefully enter the apprentices' den, too tired to even notice the ever-annoying Weaselpaw circling them incessantly.
O O O
A tired Morningdew retires to her nest, curling up snugly and watching through the slits of her vision as more and more warriors file into the den, some excited, some bored, some practically sleeping. She rolls her eyes as best as she can with her eyes closed and tucks her tail under her body so some unruly new warrior doesn't step on it.
Sleep refuses to come to her, and as hard as she tries, her mind just won't quiet. Are these the kits? They can't be. She said they would be completely white, and they would be one. So, of course, two white apprentices with gray accents can't be completely white or one single thing. Why are you troubling yourself with this? Go to sleep!
