Chapter 11

Ivypool

Ivypool yawned, her eyes were still closed. She enjoyed lying here, relaxing…

"So, Softpaw, will you stand up by yourself, or should I help you?" a voice whispered to her.
"Leave me alone, Stoneheart, I want to sleep…" the she-cat moaned, turning to her other side. When she thought the owner of the voice would leave her alone, someone grabbed her scruff and tousled her.

Ivypool hissed. "Hawkfrost, stop it!"
"As you wish." he replied, letting her fall down. The she-cat quickly got to her paws and growled. The tom's unloving eyes examined her, then he shrugged like he didn't care.
"I warned you, so…"

Ivypool muttered something furiously, sheathing and unsheathing her claws. He really kept his promise. Ever since Mudfur had declared she was healthy enough to leave his den, he was annoying her. They also had a bigger argument than they ever had so far.

Hawkfrost touched her shoulder with his tail. "Oh, come on. If you slept for more time, you wouldn't have time to eat, and you would just complain to me." he growled, shoving a mouse to her paws.

"No fish?" she asked surprised. The tom's whiskers twitched. "Can you see a river here?" he retorted.

"Nevermind." Ivypool muttered. She took a bite, then handed the prey over to Hawkfrost, but he pushed it back. "I have already eaten. That's only for you." he told her.

"Clans, we are leaving!" one of the clan leaders yowled. Ivypool quickly swallowed the last part of the mouse, then followed the others outside.

"Hey Ivypool!" Stormfur mewed. He jumped to her, smiling embarrassed.
"Hello." the she-cat greeted him. Get lost.
"I only wanted to ask, if… I mean, would you like to travel with me?" he asked her.
"Are you kidding? I still remember what happened in Mudfur's den!" Ivypool growled.

"Yes, I know, and I'm really sorry…" he mewed awkwardly, and the she-cat wondered if he had an explanation for his behaviour.
"Sorry wins no battles." somebody snarled behind Ivypool. Hawkfrost appeared at her side, narrowing his icy eyes.

"And Ivypool is traveling with me, anyways." he added. The she-cat forced herself not to glare at the tom. I never said that! she spat mentally.
"Yes, I'm with Hawkfrost, sorry Stormfur." she mewed.

The brown-tabby tom pushed her gently away from Stormfur. "I never said I would travel with you." Ivypool mewed to him when Stormfur wasn't in sight anymore.
"But you didn't say you wouldn't, either." Hawkfrost answered.

"Well, then now-"
"Would you rather travel alone? Or with some ThunderClan cats?" he asked her. "I think I would be much better." he mewed expressionlessly.
"Why would you be? You tried to kill me…" she reminded him.

"Yeah, but… you know me better than Stormfur, or not? And you couldn't talk to him about… I don't know, about your sister, for example. And-"
"Okay, okay, okay! I'll travel with you. We are 'best friends', anyways." she mewed. Hawkfrost grinned at her, his gaze was triumphant and satisfied.

Hawkfrost

"That's a thunderpath" Hawkfrost mewed to Ivypool.

"I suggest, the cats who were sent by StarClan should lead their clans. I will lead ThunderClan, Stormfur will lead RiverClan, Tawnypelt will lead ShadowClan and Crowpaw will lead WindClan." Brambleclaw's voice sounded firm.

Hawkfrost repressed a loud comment on his half-brother. That flea-brained, crow-food eating-

"Halt!" he hissed when he saw that Ivypool jumped on the thunderpath. He grabbed her scruff and pulled her back violently. The monster's roaring made him flatten his ears.

"Are you blind? That monster almost hit you! Haven't you been taught to watch out?" he hissed. Ivypool's eyes were round like the full moon. "I-I-I… I'm s-sorry. Th-thank you for sa-saving me." she stammered. Her whole body was shaking with fear, and Hawkfrost sighed.

"Calm down. It's over now. Besides if you don't calm down and try again, then I will have to carry you. Do you want that?" he asked her. His voice was as unenthusiastic as possible.
"I-I'm okay now." she mewed embarrassed.
"Good."

Stormfur gave a sign, and the RiverClan cats ran fast across the thunderpath. Ivypool breathed heavily, Hawkfrost noticed. She will need some time to recover from the shock. he thought.

He spotted Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw nearby. The flame-colored apprentice was pointing at a twoleg-thing and telling something to her sister.

They already left the thunderpath, and Ivypool was now fresh and 'hyperactive' again. She jumped next to him, sat down, but then she stood up again, not being able to be still.

"Hey, Hawkfrost! When will we arrive? Will we have the next gathering in the new forest? Will Stormfur leave RiverClan? And-"
"Now, sit down and repeat your questions again so I can answer." he growled.

The she-cat skipped back and forth, not listening. Hawkfrost narrowed his eyes. So you have needless energy? Let me help you get rid of it! he thought, stalking her.

He kept his claws sheathed, making sure he wouldn't scar her. It would be too hard to explain her wounds, moreover the medicine cats would have to waste time searching for herbs.

She let out a surprised mew when he playfully nudged her side with his paw. Ivypool quickly turned around and leaped at him, striking his ear with a paw. Her bound was clumsy. She lost her balance and tilted against Hawkfrost's chest. Ivypool's fur was warm and silky, which distracted him for a heartbeat. But then he tackled her gingerly and pinned her down.

Because he was heavier and stronger, Ivypool couldn't free herself from his grip. She hissed frustrated. "I almost beat you!" she told him proudly.
"Almost isn't enough. But you can keep on trying."
"You should look out, because one day, I willbeat you!"
"Ha! In your dreams!" Hawkfrost sneered.

He gazed at her for a heartbeat, then he let her stand up. Ivypool did the same, and began to groom her pelt.

"We should go on, if we don't want to lose the clans." he mewed. The she-cat gave him a curt nod.

"Oh, you're here! I began to worry about you." Mothwing mewed when she noticed them. "We're going to sleep here." she said. "The leaders decided that every Clan will set two guards." she reported.

Ivypool nodded, and Hawkfrost guessed she was already tired. He found himself yawning too.

Ivypool

Ivypool turned to Hawkfrost. "I'll go and look for some material for a temporary nest." she told him.
"No need for that." Mothwing replied. "There's enough space for us all." she mewed and pointed at a nearby bush. She slipped throught a hole, Hawkfrost and Ivypool following her. There were two nests, a smaller and a bigger, that was big enough for two cats.

"I had time and made nests for us. I was lucky! That ShadowClan fox-breath almost stole the whole thing in front of my nose! If I didn't warn him, we would have to sleep on the cold forestfloor." Mothwing purred. Ivypool narrowed her eyes. Why is that big nest here? Did she make it for me and Hawkfrost? Or what...? she asked herself.

Before she could ask, she heard Hawfrost's whisper. "Don't even think I would share a nest with you! You'll use the small nest, and we will use the other one."

Ivypool rolled her eyes, but lay down in the small nest. A little time ago she had to swallow different herbs, because she had fever. Mothwing told her she wouldn't have any problems, but she shouldn't try to ignore if she felt cold.

She turned her head and saw Hawkfrost and Mothwing. The she-cat's breaths were slow and calm, she was already asleep. Her brother licked her between the ears and murmured something to her. Then he lay his head down too. Moments later he was asleep too. Why is it that he's nice to her, and in the same time he is mean to me? Ivypool wondered.

It was unusual, but again, Ivypool couldn't sleep. Her thoughts didn't want to shut up, and one was not letting her calm down.

When Hawkfrost 'attacked' me... The first strange thing is that his claws were sheathed. Okay, that's unusual, but if we scarred each other, we both would have bad wounds. And how could we explain that? We're clanmates, moreover no one has any herbs. And Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw were almost next to us!

And he was so cautius! He just... wasn't the same! He saved my life at the thunderpath. He came to help me when Stormfur asked me to travel with him. And that look he gave me when I agreed to travel with him instead of Stormfur! What's gotten into him? Alright, he is still unfriendly and grumpy, but he is different!

Ivypool closed her eyes, ignoring her thoughts. She needed sleep, and she had time to think about these things later too.