Eh! -hits self- Bad me! Bad me! Late update. T.T -mutters about school- Luckily, I get out next week, and I'll have plenty of new chappies coming! I hope...
Oh, on a lighter note, this is going to be a saga now! -o- You can look in my profile for more info.
Through the River
Salmonpaw poked his head into the apprentice's den. "Hey, Brownpaw! Do you want to come out on a hunt with Flounderpaw and I?" The reddish apprentice had been trying to get Brownpaw out of the apprentice's den since her foster parents died two moons ago. The brown tabby had practically been living in the den. The only time she left was for training and to get fresh-kill. She didn't even attend Clan meetings anymore, and she purposefully missed the Gathering a moon ago.
Brownpaw lifted her head from where she was curled up in her nest. Salmonpaw's heart went out to her when he saw how hollow and tear-filled they were. "I'll pass," she said, her voice cracking. head as he left the den. As he slumped over his mouse, he saw Orioleflight go in to try to comfort his daughter. Salmonpaw couldn't help but feel surprised. After all, Orioleflight was Brownpaw's real father, and the fact that he tried to help his daughter get over the deaths of parents she thought were her real parents seemed surprising.
Salmonpaw opened his mouth to ask Orioleflight about that, but no words came out.
But then Salmonpaw recalled something Brownpaw had said. When she was insisting to come along on the patrol. "Real parents or not, Vortexheart and Lilypetal are like family to me. Some of the only family I have."
Just then, Orioleflight came out of the apprentice's den, a look of sorrow clearly etched across his face. Clearly, his attempt to comfort Brownpaw had failed.
Closing his golden eyes, the apprentice put the mouse back into the fresh-kill pile. He couldn't eat. Picking out a magpie, the tom padded into the apprentice's den. "Brownpaw? I brought a magpie for you…" He set it down on the ground.
Brownpaw looked up, and smiled weakly. "Thanks, Salmonpaw. But…" her voice wavered, "You really didn't have to do that for me."
Salmonpaw shook his head. "I know you haven't been yourself lately, Brownpaw. It's the least I can do."
The brown tabby opened her mouth to protest. "I'm fi—"
But the reddish tom put his tail tip to her muzzle. "You're not fine. You've been so depressed ever since Vortexheart and Lilypetal died. And I don't blame you. I'd be depressed, too, if Diamondstone died." He didn't even say anything about his father, who left the Clan when he found out Diamondstone, was carrying his kits. I can't believe he would do such a thing. The tom narrowed his golden eyes.
Just then, Brownpaw snapped him back to reality by saying, "Are you okay?" She'd noticed him narrowing his eyes.
Salmonpaw blinked, and his eyes returned to normal. "Oh, y-yeah." He turned to leave. "I guess I should get going. I have a dusk patrol soon." He began out of the den.
"Wait," Brownpaw said, rising to her paws.
Salmonpaw halted in his tracks and turned around again. "Yes?"
Brownpaw padded up to him and sat down, curling her tail around her paws.
Salmonpaw quickly sat down, too, wondering what she was going to say.
The brown tabby looked up at him with her copper gaze. "You've done so much for me. Flounderpaw, too. You're both the best friends a cat could ask for." She laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm really grateful for what you've done for me, and now, I feel an awful lot better about what happened to Vortexheart and Lilypetal." She looked up at him. "Thanks."
Salmonpaw was at a loss for words. But, a warm feeling swept through him when Brownpaw laid her head on his shoulder. "Y-You're welcome. It's what friends do," he stammered.
Brownpaw smiled up him, then stood up and straightened. "You don't want to be late for your dusk patrol."
The reddish tom nodded. "Yeah. See you later." Then he turned and left the den, wondering what the warm feeling was.
Sorry for slow, boring-ness! Once they become warriors, things will get very much more exciting!
Next chappie's warrior ceremonies! Things will be moving from there on after that! .