Hello again! It's been a few days... We got a little out of this story, but I think after staying up late tonight writing we've pulled ourselves back into the story, so Chapter 7 should be out sooner rather then later in comparison to Chapter 6's slow publishing process.
Well, another nice review from Featherfall! Today I think we won't go any farther then a thank-you, because we/I may accidently spill a few plot pieces if I continue. So an extra big thanks instead for the review!
Reviews/Review noted, here is Chapter 6.
Chapter 6:
"Come on!" Cloverbreeze called. "Let's get that night exercise done, unless if you want to keep on sleeping on and on and on."
Finchpaw blinked, cracking open her sleep-crusted eyes. Had she really managed to fall asleep since Olivepetal and Tigerleap's warrior ceremony? She shrugged and rose to her feet, moving to join the medicine cat.
"Yeah, yeah," she answered dismissively.
They padded outside and the golden brown tabby apprentice caught sight of ThunderClan's two newest warriors as they started their silent vigil for the night.
Finchpaw waved her tail in hello as they looked her way, and Olivepetal gave a small smile before returning her steady gaze to the camp entrance. Tigerleap ruffled his brown tabby fur and looked away as well, nodding to her as he did so.
The apprentice jumped as Cloverbreeze exclaimed, "Stop!"
She looked back at the medicine cat as the brown-and-white tabby hurried forwards, plucking something off the ground and spitting it towards the edge of the clearing.
"What was it?" Finchpaw asked curiously, slightly annoyed. "A bug?"
"No, a thorn," the medicine cat answered. "We don't want you favoring two paws at once."
Was Finchpaw favoring her sprained leg?
Looking down at her legs, she supposed it was true that she wasn't putting quite as much weight on her injured paw in comparison to the others, but Finchpaw didn't think it was enough to count as favoring. She's just exaggerating, she told herself, pulling a face.
"Walk to the warrior's den and back," Cloverbreeze answered, interrupting her thoughts.
The golden brown tabby apprentice nodded sharply and started to hobble across the clearing. It wasn't too long a distance, but Finchpaw didn't argue for her leg felt a little strained by the time she returned to Cloverbreeze's side.
"Is that it?" she asked, disappointed.
"No." Cloverbreeze shook her head. "I want you to run, now, to the warrior's den and back."
Finchpaw widened her eyes. "Okay..."
Turning towards her target, she started into a sprint. Her leg felt a little wobbly under the extra pressure, and she worried about it buckling, before Finchpaw thought of how the medicine cat would baby her if it did and so she hurried on, determined not to let it buckle. By the time she made it back she not only panting from losing endurance but the muscles in her leg were stiff and strained from not being used for so long.
"Good job," Cloverbeeze mewed. After a moment she narrowed her eyes and flicked her tail, adding, "Now that's it. Let's get back to the medicine den. If you feel up to it, you can help me collect herbs tomorrow and that'll get you back into using that leg."
When Finchpaw frowned- she wasn't a medicine cat apprentice and never would be -the medicine cat added, "You're going to have to get plenty of exercise if you want to be able to go to the gathering."
"But the Gathering's in, what, nine days?" Finchpaw answered. "If there's four more days at most until I can return to duties, then how will my leg affect whether I can go or not?"
"Fine." Cloverbreeze sighed. "Help me collect herbs and you'll be able to return to apprentice training sooner rather then later- also, you'll have some brownie points to help get you onto the Gathering patrol, because you helped me out even though you're still recovering." The brown-and-white tabby medicine cat prodded Finchpaw gently. "And that's how your leg affects you being able to go to the Gathering."
Rolling her eyes, Finchpaw shrugged. "Fine, then. I'll go. But don't you get the idea that I'm going to fall in love with collecting herbs and become your apprentice!"
"No worries," Cloverbreeze answered. "You're making it more and more obvious you'd rather die then live in the medicine den."
Finchpaw nodded elaborately as they slipped into the medicine cat den. "Glad you understand," she retorted, curling into her nest. As Cloverbreeze did the same, she blinked, yawned, and mewed, "Good night," to the medicine cat.
. . .
"Rise and shine!" The medicine cat's cheerful mew woke Finchpaw.
Grumbling, the golden brown tabby apprentice opened her eyes. "Why are you waking me up so early?" she complained, ending her questing with a big yawn before adding, "I'm hungry! Did you bring me something to eat?"
"We're collecting herbs, remember?" Cloverbreeze answered. "You can get your own food today."
Finchpaw pushed herself up onto her feet. "But-"
"But this medicine cat is not here to provide you with food day after day after day," Cloverbreeze mewed sternly. "This medicine cat is here to help your leg recover, which won't happen if you don't start using it again."
Narrowing her eyes, the warrior apprentice stood up. "But I was up late exercising yesterday," she countered. "Doesn't that mean I get to sleep in late?"
"I thought warriors got up at dawn."
"I thought medicine cats didn't deprive their patients of sleep!"
Cloverbreeze rolled her eyes. "You had three whole days of sleep. Doesn't that work for you?"
"Too much sleep!" Finchpaw groaned. "And now too little!"
But, giving in, the apprentice trotted out of the medicine cat den and towards the fresh-kill pile, stretching her legs and navigating the crowd of warriors as Birdflight assigned the patrols for the day.
"Maplestorm, take Thrushsong, Sagepaw, and Ashbreeze out on a hunting patrol," Birdflight was ordering as Finchpaw crossed the clearing. "And Oakpoppy, grab Vixenheart, Ravencloud, and Twigbreeze, for a border patrol. Owlclaw, find yourself some cats for another border patrol, and divide the territory between Voletooth's patrol and yourself. Try and hunt on your way back if the prey seems promising."
Finchpaw flattened her ears slightly as she leaned down and grabbed a small squirrel from the fresh-kill pile, wishing she could go on one of the patrols. After all, her mentor was assigned to go hunting!
But with her leg, it wouldn't be unlikely for Finchpaw to be a little clumsy compared to her normal self, and she didn't want to embarrass herself... Best to stick with Cloverbreeze.
She crouched and began to nibble swiftly at the squirrel, eyes trained on the activity in camp; the patrols as they gathered and left the hollow, Fawnleap's three kits as they tumbled in a play fight, Quailflight, Rosepetal, and Robinwing as they sunned themselves on the flat stones in the corner of camp. Finchpaw relished the feeling of... well, normal activity as she observed her clanmates.
Finchpaw began to work to suppress a yawn as Emberpaw and Midnightpaw padded to a halt in front of Finchpaw, their eyes shining.
"What?" The apprentice mewed bluntly as she looked up, remembering her newly found grudge with her two friends.
A small part of Finchpaw's mind pricked as she realized that Emberpaw, too, carried RiverClan blood, being her brother. He sure doesn't look like it, she thought, nearly purring. We're loyal ThunderClan apprentices, no matter what our family might have once been.
Midnightpaw, looking somewhat confused, sat and titled her head slightly, ears twitching. "What's wrong with you?" she asked. "You're always more, well, calm and introverted, but not like that!"
Finchpaw frowned- was it really that obvious that she didn't care for Midnightpaw or Emberpaw at the moment.
"Just thinking," she responded lightly. The golden brown tabby she-cat didn't feel that now was the right time to explain why she felt so cold and distant towards the two, especially when her relations to her other friends were just as strong. Instead of leaving opportunity for them to pester her with questions, Finchpaw continued with a question for them. "What are you doing today? How have you guys been?"
Brightening, Midnightpaw ruffled her fur diligently. "We have a hunting assessment!" she announced, sounding excited.
Emberpaw purred in agreement, clearly sharing the optimism of Midnightpaw as he treaded the ground with his forepaws. "Yeah, Voletooth says my hunting has really been coming along really well in the past few days-"
"He learned how to catch prey in the trees!" Midnightpaw interrupted. "That was definitely, like, one of my favorite hunting skills to learn! I love climbing and doing stuff in the trees, because I think it's cool how you're, like, flying. Someday I'm going to climb to the top of the great sarcomere, just like Olivepetal did for her dare! But except of it being private, the whole clan will know, and I'll be famous!"
"Yeah, famous for being stupid." Finchpaw rolled her eyes. "If ThunderClan found out what you plan to do or what Olivepetal already did, you guys would be fresh-kill. And I mean fresh-kill."
The dark golden-ginger form of her brother flashed as he took a few steps away. "Finchpaw, you're acting a little crabby," he mewed, bewildered. "At least for you. What happened?"
Finchpaw, taking and swallowing the last bite of her squirrel, sat up sharply.
"It's nothing," she mewed breezily. "You guys get to your assessments, and good luck. I'll be collecting herbs with Cloverbreeze today, to help exercise my leg. I'll be training again in a few days, no worries!"
She brushed past Midnightpaw and Emberpaw as the apprentice headed rapidly back towards the medicine cat den, unusually relieved to be in the sweet-smelling cave in the hollow wall. The brown-and-white tabby medicine cat frowned at her as she collapsed into her nest and sat down, mewing, "Got a burr in your pelt?"
Guessing that Cloverbreeze would understand what she felt like saying, and not caring to elaborate if she didn't, Finchpaw muttered, "Midnightpaw and Emberpaw came over to me."
"Oh."
There was a moment of quiet as Cloverbreeze studied Finchpaw. "If you really feel that bad that they didn't tell you about the warrior assessments, you should tell them so that they make sure not to do the same sort of thing again in the future. You know what I mean?" The medicine cat hesitated to continue, but did after a few heartbeats. "Icepaw had a similar problem with one of his friends, named Thistlepaw. But when he talked to Thistlepaw, things cleared up for the two of them really quickly. All you need is a little communication."
Finchpaw stiffened, surprised that Cloverbreeze had related, and had been able to, relate her situation with her former apprentice.
"What was Icepaw like?" Finchpaw asked, realizing that the temporary surprise had helped clear some of her distemper. "I mean, like, in personality-wise."
"Icepaw was a calm and serious cat," Cloverbreeze answered slowly. "Somewhat like you, but more... purposeful, in a sense. He was very determined to do the best he could do, and no one doubted that he was strong despite him being a medicine cat instead of a warrior. Icepaw was a respectable cat."
A little disappointed, Finchpaw commented, "So... He was all hard work and no fun?"
"No," the brown-and-white tabby she-cat mewed sharply. "He loved hanging out with his friends, and make a point of walking or hunting with them at least once or twice every few days. Despite being serious, he was definitely social, and he had the compassion of a true medicine cat."
Finchpaw held back a somewhat bitter insult. Do you have the compassion of a true medicine cat?
She sighed. Cloverbreeze was a very compassionate cat, and she shouldn't be prepared to say that question so readily to anyone of her clanmates, yet she had been. The warrior apprentice held back a groan as she acknowledge that, despite her newfound 'friendship' or whatever with Cloverbreeze, being cooped up as she was still kept making her grumpier and bitter compared to her normal self.
"Let's get herb collecting?" Finchpaw suggested after a few heartbeats.
Cloverbreeze nodded, rising quickly to her feet. "Yes. We're going to be gathering juniper berries together, since it'll be easier for two cats to gather berries then it is for one cat. That, and the fact that Leaffall isn't too far away from coming upon us."
Finchpaw twitched one ear. "Aren't juniper berries blue or something like that?"
"More of a darker sky blue," the medicine cat clarified.
The golden brown tabby apprentice shrugged. "Both are basically the color blue," she pointed out. "Do the specifics really matter?"
"Well, not all blue berries are juniper berries," Cloverbreeze answered evenly, leading Finchpaw back out of the medicine cat den and into the ThunderClan hollow. "But, practically every juniper berry is blue."
To Finchpaw's relief, not only were Midnightpaw and Emberpaw gone, but Cloverbreeze and Finchpaw's discussion died away as they crossed the camp and ducked out the thorn barrier, careful not to get any thorns stuck in their pelts. Finchpaw was careful not to put too much pressure on her sprained leg when possible, not looking forward to the strained feeling that had accompanied her last night when she had been running to and from the warrior's den.
"Where are the juniper berries located?" Finchpaw asked as Cloverbreeze led her into the forest.
Looking back at her, the brown-and-white tabby she-cat answered, "I know of a few bushes closer to the lake shore on the far side of the territory, but there's also a juniper tree by the ShadowClan border as well that offers good berries. We'll be heading to the shore, however- I don't want you climbing trees quite yet."
"Isn't my leg pretty much healed, though?" Finchpaw asked.
"Well, yes, but no at the same time," Cloverbreeze mewed in response. "Sprained legs, amongst broken legs and twisted limbs, are harder to tell how close they are to normal. With your sprain, I think it's pretty much good, but if you use it too much you'll risk worsening it up again, so that's why I've been so careful about you resting for so long."
The golden brown tabby she-cat shrugged. "That makes some sense. Which is pretty good, considering I'm a warrior apprentice and not a medicine cat apprentice."
Cloverbreeze stiffened, clearly remembering how she had told Finchpaw about StarClan telling her she would have an apprentice again soon.
"Being a medicine cat apprentice isn't as terrible as you may think," she informed Finchpaw as she led them through the trees. "There's a lot more rest and fewer early mornings compared to a warrior apprentice, and you don't have to feed the elders or do their ticks before you get to eat. You still get some battle training, and you still learn how to hunt, but the weight of helping to feed and defend the clan isn't on your shoulders. You have the honor of communicating and talking with StarClan, our warrior ancestors, and-"
"I talked with StarClan and I'm a warrior apprentice," Finchpaw pointed out. She already knew Cloverbreeze had figured out her adventure, so there was no point holding in her comment.
The medicine cat seemed to let out a quiet groan and she paused in her walking, looking back at Finchpaw. "Look, if you're ever going to be my apprentice, you've got to-"
"I'm not ever going to be your apprentice!" Finchpaw snapped. "I want to be a warrior, and you know that? So why can't you accept it and start bothering one of the other apprentices about this? Because I'm not interested in living a stupid life of healing cats!"
Cloverbreeze narrowed her eyes. "As I was saying, if you're ever going to be my apprentice, you would have to start learning to think before you speak. You've proven to have a talent for snapping and growling, especially when it comes to insults and less friendly phrases and topics. Something which even warriors should be able to hold control over, but you don't seem to care."
Finchpaw stopped, mind whirling. Had the medicine cat just... well, taken a bite at her?
"Wait, you're saying I have temper issues or something like that?" she mewed, staring wide-eyed at the brown-and-white tabby she-cat.
"I'm saying that if you keep on like this, I'll consider it," Cloverbreeze clarified gruffly. She began to pick up her pace, forcing Finchpaw to start to trot to keep up with the medicine cat. "Either that, or I'll consider you not having a brain."
The tabby apprenticed snorted at the last one. "I'm tired of being stuck in camp, Cloverbreeze."
"We're in the forest, though," Cloverbreeze answered smoothly.
"I haven't had time to relax and take in lots of fresh air," Finchpaw retorted after a moment of silence.
Looking back at the golden brown tabby she-cat, Cloverbreeze frowned but didn't protest. "If you feel the need, you can take a walk and all and leave me to collect these juniper berries by myself," she mewed. "And please do so if that's really what's been making you such a grump lately."
Needing no more encouragement, Finchpaw darted away through the trees, weaving between them and dodging the undergrowth as she escaped Cloverbreeze and making herself alone with her thoughts at last. She paused after a while, her leg throbbing from all the effort of the long running, and leaned against an aspen, her eyes fluttering opened and closed.
I'm alone with my thoughts. Yay, she thought, grimacing. It wasn't hard for Finchpaw to think about Icepaw's message about mistakes whenever she was alone, as she had discovered over the past days. And yet she continued to make no promise, which only frustrated her.
She perked as a thought occurred to her. I could visit the moonpool tonight and Cloverbreeze can't stop me... She'll follow my scent trail to the moonpool and she'll see me, but she won't dare wake me up during a dream with StarClan. That would be disrespectful to our warrior ancestors. And at the moonpool I can ask the Rosepetal cat what Icepaw's words mean, and I'll have the answers I've been wanting!
Finchpaw bristled her fur, excited at the prospect, and pulled away from the tree. If she wanted to get to the moonpool and start sleeping before Cloverbreeze finished herb collecting and came to find her, she had best leave now.
Well... Another blockier chapter!
Thanks to it being blockier, we really managed to stretch out the day... Which may have meant that we're a little short of events, but we're satisfied with this in general. Cloverbreeze does show a little rougher side today, which seems to be unusual compared to her more normal attitude, but Finchpaw hasn't been great herself. However, getting outside is good for her, so hopefully that'll clear up soon enough.
Anyways, that's it from us for tonight.
~Q and T
