A/N

I felt bad for leaving this story abandoned for so long, I wrote two chapters to try and make up for it!

Chapter 9: Guppy

Hawkpaw was bored out of her mind.

Vinepaw had left to go hunting with Bluewing. Hawkpaw layed on her stomach, limbs outstretched. Mintpaw had come and gone all day, racing between the elders and Toadkit and Cherrykit, who had gotten progressively sicker. Redbreeze had gone out to look for blooming catmint just in case it got to the point of greencough.

"Bored?" came a familiar voice. Hawkpaw always seemed to perk up when she heard him.

"Thornsnag!" Hawkpaw meowed happily. "Tell me a story, I'm so bored!" She cried, bouncing awkwardly on her three good legs.

"Sit still and maybe I will," Thornsnag quipped with a smirk. "I have one I know you'll like."

Hawkpaw sat down, ears twitching. Thornsnag sat beside her. "Okay, let's see…" he began.

"Once upon a time, there was a she-cat. She was different from all the other she-cats. They thought she was lowly because she was set apart from all the rest, for she had the most stunning pink eyes. The other cats were mean to her, and it made her cry. So she vowed to become strong, stronger than them so she could prove herself."

"She became the most valiant and bravest warrior in all the clans, but still no one acknowledged her," Thornsnag continued. "Feeling lost, she left the clans to seek higher purpose., so she could one day return to her clan with true meaning. There, she met a tom. He was plain and a little arrogant. He told her she was trespassing in his territory, so they fought. The she-cat beat him in battle, but she was much stronger than him, and she hurt him badly. Feeling guilty, the she-cat stayed with him."

"She nursed him back to health," Thornsnag went on. Hawkpaw was completely captivated. "She was worried the tom would too mock her for her eyes, but he did not. 'Why did you not kill me?' the tom asked. 'I have never killed, and I never will.' The she-cat answered. 'All life is valuable and has meaning.' The tom was swayed by her words. Over the time she spent treating his wound, the two grew closer. The tom fell in love with her."

"One day, a cat from the she-cat's clan found them. He had been sent to find her, for the clans were in danger from huge pack of dogs and they were in need of her glorious battle talent. The she-cat refused, not wanting to leave the tom to go back to a clan that did not appreciate her. However, the tom convinced her to return and help her former clan. She and the tom went to the clans, and she drove off the dogs. The clans cheered her name and celebrated her courage. But the she-cat was not happy. She knew their praise was not because they loved her, but because they needed her."

"What happened?" Hawkpaw asked.

"Let me finish, ya mouse-brain," Thornsnag teased.

"Overwhelmed with sadness, the she-cat ran off. But the tom found her sitting by a river, crying by herself. 'Why are do you cry?' the tom asked. 'They do not love me,' she sobbed. 'They only love what I did.' She stared at the tom with her pink eyes. 'They do not love my eyes.' The tom stepped forward. 'I do.' he said. 'I love your pink eyes. I love you.' The she-cat was surprised. He was the only one who cared about who she was. 'I love you, too." said the she-cat."

"Awww!" Hawkpaw cooed. "Thornsnag, I didn't take you for a romantic!"

Ah, shut up, I'm not," Thornsnag scoffed. "It's just a silly story I made up to entertain you."

"Well I loved it!" Hawkpaw exclaimed happily.

"Glad to hear that," Thornsnag grumbled, pursing his lips and looking away.

"Do you know any true stories?" Hawkpaw asked curiously. "Not to say your made-up ones are bad; they're not! I just wanna know something with some truth."

"How do you know my stories don't have some truth in them?" Thornsnag asked with an eyebrow raised.

"A cat with pink eyes?" Hawkpaw scoffed. "No way."

Thornsnag looked at Hawkpaw with a soft, unreadable expression. "Suit yourself," he shrugged. "The ones I know are the stories I was told as a kit. Oh- wait."

"What?" Hawkpaw asked.

"Hmm, I do know one," Thornsnag grumbled. "No, I'll tell you another time."

"What! No! You can't just say that and not tell me!" Hawkpaw whined.

"Yes, I can, and I will," Thornsnag said, sticking out his tongue. "You ready to go?"

"Go? Go where?" Hawkpaw asked, perking up.

"Mintpaw asked me to take you to the river today since she's too busy," Thornsnag said. "For your leg."

"Oh, swimming," Hawkpaw grumbled.

"I know, ThunderClan cats don't swim, but it can be relaxing," Thornsnag coaxed her.

Hawkpaw remained frowning. "No, that's not it."

"Then what?" Thornsnag pressed.

"No."

"No?"

"No," Hawkpaw confirmed. She pushed herself up on three wobbly legs.

"Fine, I won't push," Thornsnag sighed. "C'mon."

Thornsnag was much more steady to lean against they walked to the river. He smelled of lemons and catmint. It matched his bittersweet personality.

"I thought Mintpaw said I couldn't go swimming for a few days," Hawkpaw inquired.

"That was the idea, but your littermates have been advancing quicker than anticipated and she knows you want to become a warrior with them," Thornsnag pointed out.

Chills ran down Hawkpaw's spine. At this rate, they would become warriors before her. "O-oh," Hawkpaw managed.

"Don't stress," Thornsnag said. "Rushing through your apprentice will get you nowhere."

"Do you know how long until I can train again?" Hawkpaw asked, trying not to show the crushing inferiority she felt.

"Mintpaw said around a moon or so," Thornsnag answered.

Hawkpaw frowned. It hadn't even been a half-moon yet since she'd broken her leg.

As if he could read her thoughts, Thornsnag spoke. "Don't worry, the half-moon is just around the corner, and you'll be better before you know it."

"Thanks," Hawkpaw murmured dejectedly.

"Ready?" Thornsnag asked. The river was just a few pawsteps in front of them.

Hawkpaw wobbled up the edge and hesitated. She looked behind her shoulder. "Will you swim with me?" She asked quietly.

"Me?" Thornsnag asked. "Uh… okay."

Hawkpaw slipped into the water and instantly relaxed as the cool water hugged her body. She felt more coordinated in the water than on land, especially with her broken leg.

"Mintpaw told me you were a good swimmer," Thornsnag mewed with a grin.

Hawkpaw paddled lazily. "I guess."

"Remember to stretch your leg a lot," reminded Thornsnag.

"Right," Hawkpaw said, sticking out her left foreleg. It was a little stiff, and she groaned.

"So, what else did Mintpaw tell you?" Hawkpaw asked, eyeing him for a reaction. His mellow, narrow eyes did not change. He glanced over to her, and his pupils dilated.

"Just that Oakstar spoke with you," Thornsnag shrugged. "He tell you anything of importance?"

Hawkpaw froze up. "No," she lied. Her tail graced gently across the water behind her, and she forced it to keep sleek. Just as she felt the truth begin to crawl up her throat, her stomach rumbled.

Thornsnag sighed. "You didn't eat, did you?"

Hawkpaw smiled sheepishly, ducking down so low her chin touched the water. It was oddly pleasant.

Thornsnag rolled his eyes and flicked a few droplets of water off of his paws in her direction. He turned around and began crawling out of the water before she could stick her tongue out at him.

"What are you doing?" Hawkpaw asked.

Thornsnag sniffed the air, his ears perking forward. "No use heading back to camp when there's prey nearby," he stated. He glanced at her from over one of his powerful shoulders. The sunshine made his rich pelt a comfortable brown. "You coming?"

"I'll just stay here and wait for you to come back," Hawkpaw said.

Thornsnag rolled his eyes once more. "A runt like you'll drown with the tiniest current."

"I can handle myself!" Hawkpaw insisted.

"Whatever you say, little guppy," Thornsnag teased. He chuckled at the irked face she made.

Hawkpaw pulled herself out of the water and said in a fake, opulent voice, "Go and fetch me food post-haste!" She raised a paw daintily and then snorted with laughter.

"It was funny and then you ruined it," Thornsnag joked. Hawkpaw stuck out her tongue at him, and he did the same. He disappeared into the forest, and Hawkpaw dipped back into the water.

She swam circles lazily, holding her breath and diving to the bottom and then kicking off the ground and shooting back up to the surface. After she lost count of how many times she'd done so, she began to worry. Thornsnag had not yet returned.

Had he left her? Did he get hurt? Hawkpaw pulled herself out of the river and onto the shore. Her fur dripped with water and she looked around. "Thornsnag?" Hawkpaw called, heading into the dense undergrowth.

She wandered for a bit, calling his name. To her left, the bushes shook and Thornsnag appeared, looking the angriest she'd ever seen him.

"Thornsnag!" She exclaimed gleefully nevertheless. He carried no prey and his eyes were dark

"Uh, no luck?" Hawkpaw asked meekly.

"The dumb birds kept getting away from me!" He hissed. "I swear, they have a hive mind or something because it was like they knew I was coming!"

"Let's go back to the river, maybe?" Hawkpaw offered. "To cool off?"

"You have to eat something!" Thornsnag exclaimed incredulously. "Mintpaw specifically told me it's bad to swim on an empty stomach!"

"Maybe… we… can fish?" Hawkpaw suggested. "You know how."

"If RiverClan catches us, they'll kill us," Thornsnag scoffed.

"Keyword being 'if'," Hawkpaw smirked. "And you can teach me!" She held up her good forepaw. "I still have one good hunting paw."

"Alright, you've twisted my paw," Thornsnag sighed. "We'll fish. But let's go further away from RiverClan."

Hawkpaw nodded and followed him as they walked down the river, back towards the direction of camp. The river widened out as they went along and Hawkpaw could see fish jumping along with the current.

"Here is good," Thornsnag mewed, sitting down by the bank. Hawkpaw sat next to him.

"Watch closely," he said. Hawkpaw leaned down to watch him.

"Make sure your paw is angled just so," Thornsnag meowed. He glanced at Hawkpaw to see if she was watching, and he splashed her face with water.

She spluttered, and Thornsnag erupted into laughter. Hawkpaw shook out her face. "Very funny," she grumbled. Thornsnag was grinning widely. A small guppy was clutched in his paw.

"Oh!" She said. "Couldn't you have done that without splashing me?"

Thornsnag nodded. "Oh, yes, I could've. But it wouldn't have been that funny."

"You're a riot," Hawkpaw said in a dull voice. Thornsnag still wore a wide grin.

"Go on, you give it a try," Thornsnag urged. Hawkpaw turned her gaze to the river.

She dipped her paw in the water and unsheathed her claws, scooping out a fish. It flopped in the air and Hawkpaw fumbled in trying to catch it. Thornsnag darted forward and caught it.

Hawkpaw ducked her head in embarrassment. "Oh, stop," Thornsnag said. "That was good for a first try. You can't honestly expect to be good at something on the first try. I've been fishing since I was an apprentice."

Hawkpaw perked up a little. "Now, eat something," Thornsnag said.

"We're supposed to feed the clan first," Hawkpaw pointed out, surprised he'd suggest such a thing.

Thornsnag rolled his eyes. "I've been hunting today already and you can't hunt. It's fine."

Thornsnag darted his paw in the water and brought up a slippery, squirming guppy. It was barely the size of his thick paw. He smirked and looked at Hawkpaw. "Look, it's small like you, little guppy."

"And your fur looks like a pile of wet dirt," Hawkpaw retorted sassily. Thornsnag feigned a hurt gasp and he blew a raspberry at her. He released the tiny guppy and dove into the water, showering Hawkpaw in droplets.

Hawkpaw gasped and laughed. She furrowed her brows and leapt in after him, splashing him. Thornsnag reemerged, floating lazily on his back, eyes closed and a serene smile on his face. At the depth they were at, the water made it just up to Hawkpaw's chin. She could see shadows under the surface, and curiosity pierced her.

Hawkpaw took a deep breath and plunged underwater. She forced her eyes open and they adjusted within a moment. Stones and pebbles glimmered and bits of seagrass tickles her paws and legs as she swam further down. Fish swam away from her, and she giggled in her head.

Being underwater brought her a peace she couldn't dream of. Everything was so mellow and calm and subdued. Hawkpaw's mind wandered to her parents, and RiverClan. She'd grown close to Thornsnag during the time of her apprenticeship, and she didn't want to leave him, not to mention Vinepaw, Jaypaw, and her brothers.

Before she could stress herself out again, the pressure in her chest told her she needed to breathe. She pushed off the ground and popped out from underwater, exhaling heavily and panting. Thornsnag was swimming around, looking distressed.

"There you are!" Thornsnag breathed a sigh of relief. "You had me worried you drowned and I didn't even hear!"

Hawkpaw flattened her ears, dipping her head apologetically. "Sorry… it's just so pretty down there…."

Thornsnag stood up to his full height in surprise. "You can see underwater?"

Hawkpaw nodded enthusiastically. "Crystal clear!"

Thornsnag took a step forward, lowering his head down so his eyes were level with Hawkpaw's. He was at least twice her size. She took a wary step back, but Thornsnag's narrowed eyes bore intensely into hers. After a moment, he blinked and stepped away. "You have the same sheen to your eyes as Mintpaw and I."

Hawkpaw felt her heart skip a beat. "Wh-what?" She gulped. "Wha.. what do you mean?"

"I don't know yet," Thornsnag said slowly. He waded parallel to the shore, and Hawkpaw tredded after him.

Hawkpaw gazed ahead at the horizon as she caught up with Thornsnag. His expression had gone as soft as the dying sunset, and deeply introspective. She enjoyed seeing him calm, although he was quite entertaining when he was a playful mouse-brain.

They waded together in comfortable silence as the sunset turned to dusk. The dancing light over the water cooled into a soft pink, and then a calming purple.

Hawkpaw glanced back at Thornsnag. If the sunshine made his pelt appear comfortable, the dying day flattered his features. The shadows that would have accented his rippling muscles now curled over his eased posture. His blue-green eyes seemed to glow.

Hawkpaw inched closer to him until their soaked pelts were brushing together, which was a feat given the water seeping into her bones that stuck her fur to her scrawny form. Thornsnag leaned against her. Not enough that she could feel his crushing weight like Pinepaw did to keep her stuck under him, but enough to feel his presence.

A purr rose up in her throat, feeling warm and safe beside him. Hawkpaw rested the side of her head against him, and if she listened closely, she could hear him purring too.

"You didn't eat yet," Thornsnag pointed out. The fish he'd caught for her was still sitting there.

"Oh! I'm starving," Hawkpaw said, and reluctantly pulled away in favor of scarfing down the fish. Within a minute, it was gone. She licked her lips happily.

"Mmm! Thank you!" She exclaimed. "That was amazing!"

Thornsnag looked off to the side. "W-we should head back now. The sun is going down."

"Okay," Hawkpaw sighed. She took to leaning against him again, but this time for support as they walked.

"Uh- how's your leg feeling?" He asked, looking down at her.

She stretched out her foreleg. "Still hurts, but I think I can feel it getting better."

"That's really good," Thornsnag smiled faintly. "Hawkpaw, you know I… I care about you."

"Why do you say that?" Hawkpaw asked, a little taken aback.

"The other day, you said you were pathetic," he said. Hawkpaw's ears drooped. "I don't think you failed me as my apprentice just because you got hurt. I told you I care about you because I do, and because I think you need to hear it more often."

Hawkpaw's eyesight became blurry, and she felt hot tears run down her cheeks. She buried her face into his thick fur. Thornsnag licked her forehead and she exhaled shakily.

She looked up at him, and smiled. He smiled back.

They walked back into camp and Thornsnag walked her to the medicine den, touching their noses together before leaving. Hawkpaw hobbled into the den. Mintpaw looked dead on her paws.

"How was water therapy with Thornsnag?" Mintpaw asked. Her voice sounded just as tired.

"Uh- good!" Hawkpaw mewed, flushing. "It was fun."

Mintpaw raised an eyebrow. "Alright. How's your leg?"

"Kinda sore now," Hawkpaw grumbled.

"That'll happen," Mintpaw said. "You're keeping the muscle strong while letting the bone heal. It's not exactly a fun process."

"I didn't think it would be," Hawkpaw sighed.

"Get your sleep," Mintpaw advised. "I'll be taking you to collect herbs with me tomorrow or the day after."

Hawkpaw sighed again and laid down in her nest with a yawn. Part of her yearned for the nest she'd laid down in back in the RiverClan medicine den; it felt much comfier. She tossed and turned for a while, but finally managed to fall into a light sleep.

Hawkpaw opened her eyes. She wasn't in the usual area where she met Mist. She looked around curiously. The sun was shining bright, and the sky was void of any clouds. Rippling grass stretched out for as far as Hawkpaw could see.

"Hawkpaw," a familiar voice said.

Hawkpaw turned around, and faced a small kitten. She was a ginger she-kit with white splotches and dark blue eyes. Hawkpaw gasped as she recognized the kit.

"Fawnkit?!"

A/N

MWAHAHAHA I love ending on cliffhangers. This chapter was co-written by SuperBailey.

Review what you think Fawnkit is doing in Hawkpaw's dream! Or just your general thoughts about these two new chapters! Did you like Thornsnag's story? I thirst for reviews, they fuel me.