Holy cow! Chapter 10 already, this particular chapter is pretty happy in general. We are still going through Rosepaw's depression over Brightpaw at first though. Poor Brightpaw. This chapter is pretty much Rosepaw trying to get over Brightpaw. This chapter and the next aren't too depressing, but there is no say for Chapter 12…
Pengirl: Oh, well try and think of a way to contact me, maybe put your two chapters under the reviews for my fanfic Mistyflower's Story. Nobody looks at it, so I think that would be good. I will give you full credit for your story.
zestia240: Haha you pretty much summed it up there!
Starbomb: Yes, Rosepaw has got a very tragic life. But this chapter is a happy one, I figured we needed a break from the suspense and death going on.
Story Time!
Chapter 10: Living with Regrets
Rosepaw's eyes met the morning sun as it rose. It bled in red and gold, beautifully. However, the beauty of the sun did not match Rosepaw's mood. Not at all. She felt like a mouse. A cold wet mouse killed by a cat, eaten, and then hacked up to be left for the foxes.
She looked down to see the body of Brightpaw stretched out below her. She was sitting vigil for her along with Morningfeather, Grayblaze, Shinepaw, and Lionpaw. She cast a glance at her family. Their eyes were closed, but she knew they had gone through the whole vigil.
She sighed and looked at Brightpaw again. All of her wounds were cleaned and her eyes closed to make her look just asleep. I didn't match the brutality of her death. Her ginger fur would never ruffle in the breeze again. Her paws would never move, her tail never twitch. But what hurt the most was that her eyes would never open.
Rosepaw felt her soul collapse in her heart again. Was this another death because of her? Blacktail wouldn't have died if she hadn't started the battle with ShadowClan; Leopardheart wouldn't have died if she hadn't of tried to escape WindClan. And Brightpaw wouldn't have died if Rosepaw hadn't rushed in to save her.
"The vigil is over." Rosepaw looked up to see Oakstar watching them before Brightpaw. Morningfeather nodded her eyes as dull as a pool in the shadows. Grayblaze laid his tail on her flank, and they walked off to the warrior's den.
Rosepaw looked over at her remaining littermates. Shinepaw and Lionpaw looked as hollow and depressed as she was. She noticed Troutclaw and Squirrelfang walked out of the Elder's Den. They're going to take her away. Rosepaw thought. And then I'll never see her again… ever.
Troutclaw gave Rosepaw a sympathetic glance. Rosepaw dipped her head to him before pressing her nose into Brightpaw's fur again. You'll be forever missed Brightpaw. Your death shouldn't have happened. If I ever see another badger I can promise you, it will be crow-food! I'll always remember you for the way you always managed to cheer our Clanmates up. You were nothing but a good and brave soul. Rest in peace.
Rosepaw raised her muzzle. Lionpaw and Shinepaw were heading for the apprentice den; Shinepaw flicked her tail for Rosepaw to follow. Rosepaw got up and walked to them. Looking back at Brightpaw for one last time before she entered the den.
She looked up to see all the apprentices sitting in a circle. Even Petalpaw, the medicine cat apprentice was there. "What's going on?" Rosepaw asked. "We figured we needed a way to cheer you, Shinepaw, and Lionpaw up!" Dawnpaw meowed
"How do you plan on doing that?" "We're going to have contests tonight." Stonepaw meowed. "Like for racing, fighting, hunting, it'll be fun!" "Sounds great!" Lionpaw yowled. "But how will we sneak out?" Shinepaw asked, looking a little uncertain. "We're a little stuck on that part." Petalpaw admitted, giving her white and brown pelt a few embarrassed licks.
Rosepaw looked at Stonepaw. "You know how to get out." Rosepaw meowed to him. Stonepaw looked around nervously. "Well, there is one in the nursery. But we are a lot bigger now, I don't know if we'd be able to sneak through."
"Only Flightbreeze and Flamekit are there." Shinepaw meowed. "It wouldn't be too hard." "Actually," Petalpaw broke in. "Today Iceblossom and I diagnosed Swanwhisker expecting Forestclaw's kits." She mewed. "She is a moon in, so she needs to stay in the nursery as well."
"Only one more cat!" Lionpaw mewed. "We can do it! It will be fun." "Okay," Shinepaw meowed, though looking a little nervous. "I'm in." "Me too." Rosepaw meowed. "Great!" Dawnpaw's eyes shone.
"Great!" She flicked her tail at Rosepaw, Lionpaw, and Shinepaw. "You guys had better get some sleep, you were up all night sitting vigil for you sister." Rosepaw shook her head. "I'm fine." She meowed, though exhaustion pushed her down, she didn't want to seem weak to her Clan.
Stonepaw blinked at her sympathetically. "No cat will think of you less for resting." He meowed, but Rosepaw shook her head. "No, I have to help my Clan, it's leaf-bare. First snow is expected soon." She explained. Lionpaw gazed at her and shrugged. "Suit yourself!" he meowed, settling in his own nest. Rosepaw headed out of the apprentice den with Stonepaw, to be met by Hailwhisker and Rockheart.
"Good to see you're awake." Rockheart meowed. "We're going to take you hunting again today." Hailwhisker meowed. "Up by the old two-leg nest." Rosepaw felt something stab her heart. The old two-leg nest. She tensed. That's where Brightpaw was killed. Hailwhisker seemed to notice her hostility.
"Or we could go hunting by the WindClan border?" she suggested. Rosepaw nodded. "Sounds good." She meowed. Hailwhisker nodded. "Right then," she mewed. "Thornbird and Lilyfrost will come with us." Rockheart added, looking over to the bramble entrance where the two cats waited.
The patrol walked to them. Rosepaw felt another stab in her heart when she saw Lilyfrost. Her mate had been Blacktail. It was her fault Blacktail was dead. That Petalpaw and Featherfoot's father would never come home from the battle.
Stonepaw glanced at her, seeing her bristle and laid his tail comfortingly on her flank. Rosepaw sighed, looking down at her paws. "Alright," Thornbird meowed. "Let's go." The patrol headed out of the camp, Rosepaw was surprised at the chill that bit at her pelt.
"It's a little cold isn't it?" Lilyfrost mewed with a laugh, her own cream fur buffeted back by the wind. Rosepaw nodded blankly. The grass was yellow and frosted beneath her paws. A few dried leaves left after leaf-fall. The small sun was hidden by large white clouds. Rosepaw noticed darker clouds coming in after them. Maybe it will snow later.
She followed Hailwhisker and Rockheart walking along side Stonepaw. "Sure is cold out." He meowed, fluffing his fur out. Rosepaw laughed, unlike most cats that, when they fluffed out their fur, made them look braver, Stonepaw made him look like a fluffy gray cloud.
"What's funny?" Stonepaw's pelt grew hot with embarrassment. Stonepaw? Embarrassed? I must be guessing wrong. Rosepaw just shook her head in response. "Nothing," she mewed. They padded down to the lake to walk alongside its shoreline.
"So," Hailwhisker turned around to face the apprentices. "What do you two smell?" Rosepaw inhaled deeply. "A rabbit," she mewed, flicking her tail near the WindClan border. "Good," Hailwhisker praised. "What else?"
"A shrew and a mouse." Rosepaw answered. "There is a blue jay too, up in that tree." Stonepaw added, looking up at the bird. "Stonepaw, go after the jay, Rosepaw get the rabbit, Thornbird, the mouse, Lilyfrost; shrew." Rockheart gave out the orders easily, and Rosepaw felt obliged to follow them. The dark gray tabby tom seemed like the calm, kind cat who you would want to have with you.
Lilyfrost and Thornbird split out in different directions while Stonepaw and Rockheart headed for the tree that the bird was resting on. Rosepaw padded up to her mentor. "So, how do you catch a rabbit?" she asked. "Well, you still want to use the stalking technique, as well as pouncing. Though, rabbits will most likely hear you coming and run, which is the tricky part, you have to run after them."
Rosepaw smiled, excited for the exhilaration of the chase. "Alright." She meowed. "Let me see your crouch." Hailwhisker meowed. Rosepaw was surprised at how authoritative Hailwhisker sounded, like a master of this. Rosepaw crouched down, ensuring to keep on her toes so that her paws were light. Her belly fur nearly brushing the grass.
Hailwhisker inspected her skeptically. "You actually look great." She meowed. "Good form, now go bring us back a rabbit." Rosepaw grinned. She crept forward, her eyes soon fixing on the gray and brown rabbit before her.
Rosepaw leapt for it. Of course, the rabbit noticed her and ran. Rosepaw raced after it, her paws like lightning as she neared. Just a step further. One more. Was she close enough? She would just have to risk it. Summoning all the strength in her hind quarters she jumped again.
Her paws hit the rabbit hard, smashing it against the ground. Rosepaw's feet flew underneath her, sending her into a tumbling ball of fur forward. Rosepaw hissed in frustration as she hit a rock with her leg. The pain returned to it. The leg that the badger had mangled. Rosepaw had refused to let Iceblossom inspect it.
She opened her jaws to screech in pain as the blood pooled out again. She came to a stop, the rabbit still in her paws. She looked up to peer into a small rabbit hole by the lake-side. The pain in her leg subsided for a moment. We could inspect this burrow tonight. She thought.
"Rosepaw!" The creamy brown she-cat glanced up to see Hailwhisker bounding towards her. "Are you okay?" She asked, eyeing her bleeding leg. Rosepaw nodded. "I'm fine," she meowed, though she was gritting her teeth to keep from letting her voice change show her pain.
"You better go see Iceblossom!" Hailwhisker fretted. Rosepaw smiled. "I caught the rabbit though." She meowed. Hailwhisker rolled her eyes. "Come on, can you get up well." "I can get up just fine." Rosepaw meowed, feeling a little defensive over her injury.
"Alright then," Hailwhisker meowed, taking the rabbit from Rosepaw's jaws. "Let's go," Rosepaw nodded, rising to her paws, ensuring to keep of off her leg. She limped after Hailwhisker as the she-cat returned to where the patrol had split apart.
Everybody else was waiting for them there. Stonepaw sat triumphantly over his blue jay. Thornbird had returned with two mice, Lilyfrost with a shrew and a thrush. Hailwhisker dropped the rabbit at Rockheart's paws. "Take this rabbit with you when you go back to camp." She meowed. "Rosepaw's wound reopened.
Rosepaw looked at her paws in embarrassment. She noted Stonepaw looking at her with worry in his eyes. Rockheart nodded. "We will." He meowed. Hailwhisker nodded, walking back towards camp with Rosepaw limping behind her.
I hate not being able to use all of my legs! Rosepaw thought angrily, looking back at her torn and bloody leg. I just need to help my Clan! After Brightpaw's death all of us are shaken. All the more reason that I need to help out my Clan more!
They arrived at camp shortly. It seemed to be a very lazy day for ThunderClan. Forestclaw and Swanwhisker were sharing tongues near the nursery. Flamekit was playing with a ball of moss under his mother's watchful eye. And Firestripe and Featherfoot supervised Dawnpaw and Shinepaw cleaned out the Elder's den.
"Let's go." Hailwhisker meowed, heading towards the medicine cat den, her gray and white fur blowing in the breeze within the camp. Rosepaw limped after her, only to be stopped by Flamekit.
"How did you do that?" Flamekit asked, staring wide-eyed at her leg with his fiery amber eyes. "A badger." Rosepaw answered plainly. "Will I ever see a badger? I'll be an apprentice in just two more moons!" he meowed eagerly. Rosepaw purred in amusement. "You'll get there soon enough." She meowed. "But for now, the best thing you can do is brighten everyone's day."
"How do I do that?" Flamekit asked, cocking his head. "Don't think too much on it." Rosepaw meowed. "You already brightened mine." "Rosepaw! Come on!" Rosepaw looked up to see Hailwhisker flicking her tail impatiently for Rosepaw.
The brown apprentice sighed and padded over. Iceblossom walked out of her den, closely followed by Petalpaw. "Inspect it for me," the white she-cat asked her apprentice. Petalpaw nodded. "Sure," she meowed.
She walked up to Rosepaw's leg, giving it a sniff and examining it with her eyes. "First we need to clean it up." She meowed. Rosepaw nodded, stretching to clean the blood from her leg. "Good," Petalpaw meowed. "Then we need a poultice to plaster on it to keep from infection." Iceblossom nodded. "Very good Petalpaw." She meowed.
"Why don't you go make the poultice while I speak with Rosepaw?" Petalpaw nodded. "Okay," she meowed, her white and brown pelt disappearing into the medicine cat den. "Now Rosepaw," Iceblossom began. "I will refrain you from doing anything serious."
Oh great! How am I supposed to go on my night out? "No battle-training for sure." Iceblossom meowed. "I'd prefer if you stuck to pounce-and-kill prey, and border patrols." "Okay Iceblossom." Rosepaw meowed.
Petalpaw reappeared with a poultice. She splattered it on Rosepaw's leg. Rosepaw winced. The pain was excruciating. Iceblossom brought out several cobwebs, plastering them on Rosepaw. "Now why don't you get some sleep?" Iceblossom suggested. Rosepaw nodded gratefully.
She walked to the apprentice's den and padded inside. She noticed that Lionpaw and Shinepaw were still curled up in their own nests. Rosepaw sighed, sadness stung her heart again. How could she live with all the mistakes she had made? She regretted them for sure.
She curled up in her messy nest, covering her nose with her long fluffy tail to fall into a deep, relaxing sleep.
Okay, sort of a boring chapter, but the next one has a little more action. Thanks for the reviews everyone! And if you read this please do review! Seeya next time!