Fun Fact: Timberstrike and Wolfspring are gay mates and SullenClan is very accepting of them and Quilcloud is nursing Timberstrike's kits for them, Wasppaw and Flintpaw are gay for eachother but don't realize it, Beefrost is agender/gender-neutral (because I forgot to list his gender), Fidgetpaw is a trangender (listed him as a she-cat when he's a tom) and Zuzie is a lesbian, she just doesn't have an attraction to anyone in her clan and still wants kits. plenty o' cats are bi/pan/poly/demi/ace
A Tale of Seven: The Way of the Apprentices: Winding Path
Chapter 10
Sorrelpaw rolled, a small bundle of white chasing after her. She gave a laugh as she was tackled by the white tom-kit with a black spot on his head and tail tip. The tom-kit gave a squeal of enjoyment as he bounced on her chest. Sorrelpaw nudged him off.
"Ouph!" Sorrelpaw cried. "You're so heavy!"
The yellow-eyed tom-kit zipped around her, prodding her.
"C'mon, get up!" He chattered. "Up, up, up, you lazy badger!"
Sorrelpaw gave a purr as she pulled herself up. The tom-kit's brother, a silver tabby tom-kit with darker yellow eyes, clawed playfully at the orange-ginger she-cat's white-tipped tail. Sorrelpaw swiped her paw at the white tom-kit and he tumbled over with a squeak. The silver tom-kit hopped about, jumping over Sorrelpaw's tail and getting under his paws. Sorrelpaw crouched down and pretend to pounce at the kits like they were prey. They squealed happily and ran around, giggling and tripping over their own paws.
"I'm an evil badger and I'm here to gobble you up!" Sorrelpaw fake roared. She swiped a paw at the silver tom-kit. "Rawr! I'm going to eat your guts, Minnowkit!" Minnowkit let out a fearful giggle and ducked under her paw, scrambling around.
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Minnowkit's brother mewed. He launched at the apprentice. "Paws off my brother, badger!"
"Oh no, Havenkit, be careful!" Minnowkit squeaked, standing on his hind legs as Havenkit nuzzle-attacked Sorrelpaw. Sorrelpaw pretended to fall, pitifully swiping at the absolutely vicious tom-kit.
"Ah!" Sorrelpaw yowled, throwing her head to the side as Havenkit avenged his brother. She lolled her tongue out. "I am defeated! I am no match for the powerful and mighty Havenkit!"
"And his faithful brother Minnowkit," Havenkit added. Minnowkit sprinted up and head-butted Sorrelpaw. Sorrelpaw went limp under Havenkit's claws and Minnowkit's nudging, closing her eyes.
"Sorrelpaw?" Minnowkit squeaked out after a couple of moments of prodding the orange-ginger cat. Sorrelpaw remained still and unmoving. Havenkit slipped off of her side. He glanced worriedly at the she-cat.
"Sorrelpaw?" Havenkit tried. He nudged her with his cold nose. "You're not dead are you?"
"We didn't kill her did we?" Minnowkit whispered anxiously.
"I hope not," Havenkit murmured hurriedly. "If we did, do you think Spiderstar will delay our apprentice ceremonies?"
Minnowkit let out a rumble of indistinguishable noises and a low whine. Havenkit remained silent, paws pressed into Sorrelpaw's side. Sorrelpaw made sure not to breath to obviously.
"Sorrelpaw, please stop being dead," Minnowkit pleaded. Sorrelpaw had to stop herself from chuckling.
"Alright, so here's the plan," Havenkit suddenly began. "I say we go steal Beefrost's herbs and make it seem like she was eating stuff she shouldn't, and if anyone asks, we tell Goldenpaw and convince her to frame someone for us and then-"
Sorrelpaw lurched up and Minnowkit and Havenkit let out kit-screams, jumping away in terror.
"Alright, alright, you little murderers," Sorrelpaw teased. "Planning my death already, are you?"
"We're sorry!" Minnowkit wailed. Havenkit fluffed out his fur.
"You scared us!" Havenkit blurted. The two kits swarmed her, licking her pelt and poking her, trying to win her mercy and mewing things like "Don't tell Spiderstar!" and "We didn't mean it!"
Sorrelpaw swiped her tail at them, settling them down. "Don't worry, kits, Spiderstar isn't going to delay your apprenticeship or anything. You're fine."
Havenkit rubbed against her paws. "I hope so. I promise not to frame someone else again."
Sorrelpaw licked the black spot on his head.
"Kits!" A voice called out warmly. Havenkit and Minnowkit turned around, eyes lighting up as they spotted the spikey-furred Wolfspring. His mate, Timberstrike, stood proudly beside him while their birth mother, Quilcloud, a fat gray she-cat with dark stripes and light green eyes, looked on fondly from where she crouched beside Wolfspring.
"How are you doing today?" Wolfspring asked, nuzzling them. The two tom-kits pounced cheerfully on their parents.
"Good!" They squealed. Sorrelpaw watched on with affection brimming in her eyes. The three cats were popular among the clan, and very good parents to the two kits.
Wolfspring covered them with affection, Quilcloud cared for them and taught them what they needed to know, and Timberstrike was always looking out and watching over them. Sorrelpaw felt a wistful twist in her heart. She wished she had a family like that. At least she could see Tornspots and his kits at gatherings, but Stormwing... She would forever be wandering the land, without seeing her kin ever again. Sorrelpaw supposed she should be more thankful for the older sibling and littermates in her own clan, and stop thinking about her MoonClan kin.
A cheery, low voice with an awkward voice crack that popped up every once and awhile shouted at Sorrelpaw. Sorrelpaw looked over her shoulder to see the large-eared pale golden tabby medicine cat tom with equally pale golden eye bounding toward her, a brighter tabby she-cat with white paws beside him with every step and herbs dangling from her mouth in typical medicine cat fashion.
Sorrelpaw dipped her head to Beefrost, and his apprentice, Goldenpaw.
"Hi Beefrost, whatdya need?" Sorrelpaw chirped. She tried to catch Goldenpaw's gaze but she seemed more concerned with blankly staring ahead.
"I was wondering if you could accompany Goldenpaw while she goes out to collect herbs down by the river?" Beefrost asked just as chirpily as Sorrelpaw had.
Sorrelpaw tilted her head confusedly. "Why?" Goldenpaw never needed assistance before.
"Because Marigoldflight's informed us that RushingClan hasn't been very eager in marking their borders, which is suspicious. Usually they jump at a chance to over-mark their borders," Beefrost explained.
Sorrelpaw scrunched up her nose. "That's not really anything bad. They probably just got caught up with something."
"Yes, perhaps, but any danger for RushingClan is danger for us," Beefrost stated wisely. Sorrelpaw nodded out of respect and hopped over to Goldenpaw.
"Alright sis, ready to rumble?" Sorrelpaw purred energetically. Her golden sister merely blinked calmly. Sorrelpaw felt a prickle of waspishness. She knew Fennelpaw was also silent, but she had more interest in Sorrelpaw than Goldenpaw, who was just more distant than anything.
Beefrost left them with a tail wag and Goldenpaw turned around, setting the herbs down beside Dappleburr, a bright but pale tortoiseshell with one blue eye and one brown eye, who was known as the camp-fixer-upper. She was often in camp, organizing everything, dispatching fights and keeping the walls secure. Sorrelpaw was a little surprised she was up right now as she was more of a night-warrior. Dappleburr snatched up the herbs carefully and whisked off to the medicine cat den.
Sorrelpaw looked at Goldenpaw wearily, unsure what to do. Her sister walked to the camp entrance and exited, so Sorrelpaw followed her. About halfway through their trek, in which they were heading down to the small lake with a smaller island in the middle of it. The last cat to attempt to swim to the island was Shiningscar, who had failed miserably. Sorrelpaw was tempted to, but knew better. While it wasn't impossible, no cat in SullenClan was a PondClan cat, so swimming wasn't exactly in their nature.
"Sooooo," Sorrelpaw gulped, nervous. "What herbs are we lookin' for?"
"Medicinal," Goldenpaw said monotonously. Sorrelpaw dead-panned before giving an awkward, breathy chuckle.
"Um, what kind of medicinal herbs are we gathering?" Sorrelpaw tried.
"Medicinal," Goldenpaw said.
"What?" Sorrelpaw stumbled a bit with her footing as she turned to stare at her sister.
"Medicinal, not medicinal," Goldenpaw corrected.
"Um, okay?" Sorrelpaw wrinkled her nose in puzzlement. She didn't really care how words were pronounced. They were words after all. Only kits needed to learn words.
The two sisters walked in silence for the rest of the way. For one, it was awkward and tense, the other, unbothering and wanted. Sorrelpaw focused on looking at each passing plant, trying to see if she could tell if any where herbs. A few looked suspiciously like horsetail or other herbs, but since Goldenpaw didn't react, she supposed they weren't, or that Goldenpaw didn't need them. Sorrelpaw followed her sister with light steps. She took the time to notice how Goldenpaw's pawsteps were heavy and unconcerned, something that a warrior wouldn't have. Sorrelpaw wondered what it would be like if Goldenpaw was a warrior. She had expressed no want to be a medicine cat as a kit, but at the ceremony, Beefrost had been announced her mentor. Sorrelpaw had been shocked, but then congratulated her sister happily. Her sister had been eager, but slowly the eager, curious kit became subdued and humorless in the moon of her apprenticeship. At least she still held her well-manners.
Sorrelpaw breathed in the air. She scented nothing of medicinal herbs, but she could scent a patrol consisting of Darkpaw, Heatherheart, Wetcloud and Twigstripe had just passed by. The light scent of mouse blood tinged the air, so she assumed the patrol was one of the hunting caliber.
Sorrelpaw glanced at Goldenpaw. Would she also be thinking of this? Just because she was a medicine cat apprentice didn't mean she couldn't scent out her clanmates and what they were doing. Or perhaps she would be more focused on tracking herbs?
As they continued on walking, Sorrelpaw caught the scent trail of a pigeon and her mouth watered and her whiskers twitched. Pigeon was so rare! She wish she could chase after it. But, glancing at her focused sister, she supposed she ought to wait until she was sent on a hunting patrol. Sorrelpaw was ansty, and she hopped on her paws, wanting to run about and sniff around. Was this what being a medicine cat was like? Casually strolling along, no cares in the world, looking around for herbs? Sorrelpaw couldn't handle it. She wanted to jump, to burst, to do something! How could someone stand not moving about?
Goldenpaw stopped, walking over to a clump of plants. Sorrelpaw hopped over. She nosed at the herbs.
"What are these? Are these watermint?" Sorrelpaw pestered. The herbs were long stemmed with pale purple tiny balls scattered about.
"It's purple," Goldenpaw mewed sharply, but not waspishly.
"So?" Sorrelpaw said, standing on her toes and bouncing up and down excitingly.
"Lavender is purple and grows on long stems," Goldenpaw recited.
"What does it do?" Sorrelpaw asked, trying to hold onto conversation, though it was hard when everything Goldenpaw said seemed to be a conversation end.
"Lavender subdues colds and cures fevers," Goldenpaw explained simply. She pulled at the stems, twisted her claws, and sliced it clean. She gently tossed the lavender at Sorrelpaw's paws and Sorrelpaw inspected it with a curious gave and a strong sniff. Sorrelpaw gingerly picked it up between her fangs, whiskers raising. She lashed her tail as the little lavender balls tickled her nose. Goldenpaw dug up some dirt around the lavender patch to make the soil softer, before turning around and padding away. Sorrelpaw glanced back at the two lavender's left standing, before chasing after her sister.
Goldenpaw traveled around, dancing between herb patches, sniffing them and leaving without out pulling or collecting any. When Sorrelpaw asked why, Goldenpaw vaguely answered "Ripeness and over-stocking."
Sorrelpaw really tried to stay cheerful, she really did, but Goldenpaw's vague answers to well-meant questions and lack of response or sharp remarks were really starting to irritate her. Couldn't her sister at least try to be sociable? Fennelpaw, although similarly quiet, didn't deny conversations, and Darkpaw with his own hostility still spoke. It seemed like Heatherheart and Sorrelpaw were the only convivial kits of Stormwing and Tornspots, though for her half-siblings she could not say. Sorrelpaw briefly wondered if Maplebush or Darkpatch had any kits, which would be more of Sorrelpaw's kin. If they had, Sorrelpaw had heard no talk of it.
Goldenpaw took off, snapping a twig, to the direction of SullenClan's open border, which started where the cliffs smoothed out and a prey plentiful forest that no clan claimed due to PondClan being too meak, SullenClan not liking the low-hanging trees and overly-brightness of it and MoonClan only claiming what was directly on the cliffs. The MoonCave, holder of the Starstone, while still technically on the cliffs, bordered the west of the unclaimed forest, and then past that forest was the twolegplace.
Goldenpaw stopped to sniff the ground, her eyes suddenly taking a sharpness. Sorrelpaw didn't see any herbs or plants under her nose so she furrowed her eyebrows and began scenting the air for what her sister was smelling. Sorrelpaw couldn't smell anything odd, at first, until the scent of something musky and milky hit her nose. The fresh scent was unfamiliar to her. It smelled soft, in a way, tender, more friendly and open, but apart of it had left fear scent, as if the creature had been in a panic, and not just a short-lived panic. Scratch that, not a creature, this was the scent of a cat. A she-cat, Sorrelpaw believed.
"Kittypet," Goldenpaw murmured out with a light scowl. She waved her tail dismissively, though.
"What?" Sorrelpaw fluffed out her shoulder fur, shocked. "How do you know?"
"Smells like MoonClan, but muskier, more tainted, not as sweet," Goldenpaw described gently, before turning away to poke threw some green leaved plants. Sorrelpaw twitched her ear, the sound of the flowing river that bordered RushingClan reaching her ears in a sense of calm. The border there, touching open grounds, SullenClan, RushingClan and the cliffs, was not regularly marked since it was off pushed in a corner.
Sorrelpaw searched the scent up and down, trying to memorize it and both try to pick up any hostility from it. The scent was very fresh, it had probably just left. Maybe it had been spooked off when Goldenpaw had stepped on the twig? Or had it just been trying to get in and out as quick as possible? Had it stolen anything? The scent of squirrel was hidden underneath the loud scent of silky kittypet. Sorrelpaw couldn't tell if the kittypet had hunted the squirrel or if the squirrel had just been there before the kittypet had entered the scene.
"Sorrelpaw!" Goldenpaw's voice called out loudly, sounding irritated and onerous. Sorrelpaw jumped up, fur spiking out. Her sister angrily stamped back over to her and sent a glare to where Sorrelpaw had dropped her bundle of herbs.
"What are you doing?" Goldenpaw growled lowly, getting agitated for the first time. Her tail lashed about, fluffed out. Sorrelpaw frowned. Why was she suddenly angry with her?
"What do you mean?" Sorrelpaw whined, but in a motoric way. "There was a kittypet smell all over our territory! Of course I'm going to investigate it." What was there to not understand? Just because Goldenpaw was a medicine cat didn't mean she should ignore an invading cat.
Goldenpaw's bright amber eyes glowed. "It's a kittypet. What's it gonna do? It was probably just curious, is all, and then got scared and took flight. Wimpish. I doubt it's going to cause trouble," Goldenpaw spat direly.
"It could have taken prey!" Sorrelpaw argued helplessly. Her sister just didn't understand.
Goldenpaw rolled her eyes. "What patrol even comes here enough to catch anything? This is useless land. Only tansy and thyme grows here."
Sorrelpaw flexed her claws unhappily. "What if RushingClan decided this land was an easy take, then? Since it's so useless, we must not want it! It would be much more swifter to claim than Running Rocks."
Goldenpaw's muzzle began twisting into a snarl, fangs flashing. "RushingClan barely knows this land exists! They don't want it. They want Tall Rocks- Running Rocks, whatever." Goldenpaw straightened up, looming threatening, a dark gaze in her rich, vivid eyes. Sorrelpaw felt her gaze slipping away from Goldenpaw's and looking at the short-furred golden tabby's shoulders that rippled with muscles and bunched with strength. Sorrelpaw took a moment to wonder if medicine cat's had fighting practice. Surely they would, in case of an unexpected attack? They knew how to hunt, for the most part.
"Why don't you care about the possible threat?" Sorrelpaw murmured, challenging her sister, but still leaning down, gaze low.
Goldenpaw gave a huff. "'Possible threat'? A kittypet, a possible threat? You can tell by the scent that the kittypet is too soft because of it's easy life handed down to it by its twolegs. It couldn't lift a paw, I bet it's so fat. Overfed weakling."
Sorrelpaw flinched down. She'd never known this side to her sister. It was so heated, snarling and intense. She hadn't expected something so fierce from the small-eared apprentice.
"What's gotten into you?" Sorrelpaw accused quietly. Goldenpaw turned onto her with blazing eyes. Sorrelpaw had set her off into more wrath.
"What's gotten into me?" Goldenpaw repeated, smoldering in pent-up fury. "Look me in the eyes, Sorrelpaw, and ask me again, 'what's gotten into me', because I'll tell you now, it's not just 'gotten into me', Sorrelpaw, it's been there for awhile now, you're just too giddy, lost in your own world to see."
Sorrelpaw's eyes shined with emotion. Part of her was afraid, another was sympathetic and worried about her sister, but yet another was still irked.
"Was it me?" Sorrelpaw assumed. Before her sister could respond, she stormed on. "I'm sorry, it's just, I'm a warrior apprentice and you're a medicine cat apprentice, so we don't get a lot of time together, I just-"
"How thrush-brained can you be too assume that you're the problem? No, Sorrelpaw, I don't care much for you, or Darkpaw, or Fennelpaw, or even Heatherheart or Tornspots," Goldenpaw snapped, claws digging into the hard ground. "I have my own problems, and I doubt you have yours, in your perfect little world."
"That's not true!" Sorrelpaw interrupted. "Yesterday, I fell into the river during training!"
Goldenpaw rolled her eyes in vexation. "Aww, really? Did you catch a wittle cold? How cumbersome!"
Sorrelpaw jumped up and bristled at the mockery. "Why are you being so rude, Goldenpaw? You used to be so kind and eager!"
Goldenpaw snarled, eyes narrowing. "So I just have to conform and stay like that forever? I can't change or have feelings that aren't 'kind' and 'eager'?"
"What? No!" Sorrelpaw sputtered. "But- It's just, I mean- you-"
"Save it, Sorrelpaw," Goldenpaw hissed darkly. "This isn't helping both of us."
Sorrelpaw's pelt prickled, metaphorically and literally. "But I want to help you!" Sorrelpaw yowled desperately. "Is it because you didn't want to be a medicine cat?"
"StarClan, just stop! Stop assuming! If you just thought and stopped shouting out random things, if you weren't so focused on what's current, and start thinking about what's happened, what is and what isn't, maybe you'd figure it out," Goldenpaw said, shaking her head, fangs bared. "I'm not some specimen for you to dissect."
"You aren't!" Sorrelpaw whimpered woefully. "But what is it! Why can't you tell me?"
"Because you're annoying!" Goldenpaw spat, jerking a paw forward. "You'd just ramble over me and try to keep fixing everything, when it can't be fixed! It's every cat for themselves, Sorrelpaw."
Sorrelpaw opened and closed her mouth. Pique and displeasure pushed at her. Why couldn't her sister give her a chance? "I want to help. How can I help when you can't tell me anything?"
"Did you not just hear what I said?!" Goldenpaw suddenly shrieked, so vehemently. "This is why! This is why! You don't listen! No one cares! No one really cares! Pitying isn't caring! I know that! That's why!" Goldenpaw launched at Sorrelpaw, drawing her claws across Sorrelpaw's cheek. Sorrelpaw gave a indignant squeak, tumbling backwards in shock.
Goldenpaw gave her a snarl, before her eyes... softened? Sorrelpaw didn't know how else to describe it. It was more of... pity. And pitying wasn't caring.
Goldenpaw turned back to her green herb patch, roughly pulling the herbs from the ground- thyme, perhaps?- and, giving Sorrelpaw a glare, stalked off into the undergrowth.
"Hurry up, we don't have anything else of interest to stock up on," Goldenpaw mumbled from her mouthful of herbs.
Ah ah, seems like Goldenpaw's got some anger-issues? Not that this is too important ;) not right now, at least. It's a book or two away. guess you'll never know? Who do you like/support more, Goldenpaw or Sorrelpaw?
this chapter has a lot of words you don't understand, doesn't it?
Bonus Fact; Wasppaw was an only kit, Heatherheart had a sister named Cloverkit, and Fidgetpaw had two dead siblings, a kittypet sister and a rogue brother, Pearpaw- two unnamed siblings probably off at twolegplace
Leave a review or critique! :D
-Lolling
