Chapter 13: How Can You Forget Her?
Thank you everyone for your positive feedback, it really makes us smile! And thank you Silverdream101 for your OC submit! We'll use Silverkit very soon! :D –Maj and Fox
It's been weeks since Mintpaw's death, and Blossompaw was still grieving. Training had been hard, and Maplefire was trying to hide her annoyance each time.
Blossompaw was sitting near the apprentices' den by the time her mentor walked up to her, an irritated smirk on her calico face. "Come on, enough moping. It's time to practice some battle moves. You're been an apprentice for almost four moons, and you've already almost wasted one this moon. Tell the younger three apprentices to join you," the calico ordered sternly.
Blossompaw nodded frantically, afraid to disobey Maplefire. "Hawkpaw, Lizardpaw, Icepaw! You're coming to the training hollow with me!" the ginger she-cat called out. Soon, Hawkpaw and the two toms, already bigger than Blossompaw despite their age, bounded out of the apprentices' den.
"Hello, Blossompaw!" Hawkpaw smiled. She returned the smile and walked out camp with them. Suddenly Blossompaw felt a tail wrap around her shoulders. She looked up to see Icepaw's piercing blue eyes and dazzling smirk. The cream and white tom was already quite muscular and tall and was growing into a handsome warrior.
"Oh-oh hi, Icepaw," she stammered. He chuckled and licked her ear, making Blossompaw's skin sizzle beneath her long ginger pelt.
"See you at the training hollow." He then turned his attention to his brother. "Race you there!" Then the two apprentices dashed off towards their mentors, leaving her with Hawkpaw.
The molten brown she-cat narrowed her eyes into amber slits as she glared at Blossompaw. "What?" Blossompaw asked, uncomfortable with the she-cat sudden change of mood. Hawkpaw didn't say a word until they were at the training hollow.
"We'll be working on a hooking your opponent's pelt and dragging them down even if they are above you," Maplefire said with a flick of her long tail. "Stonecloud and I will demonstrate." They got into a fighting stance and then Stonecloud leapt onto her. Maplefire then hooked her paws into the dappled gray tom's shoulder blades, flipping on top of him.
"Well done," Blazewhisker praised, Marigoldfall nodding in agreement. "Now…Lizardpaw and Icepaw practice and Blossompaw and Hawkpaw practice. We'll be there to monitor you and make sure you're not hurting each other."
With that said, the apprentices divided and faced each other. Blossompaw pretended to snarl at her opponent, only to met by a menacing hiss. Hawkpaw leapt for her, growling deeply and swung at Blossompaw, narrowly missing her whiskers. "Hey! Claws sheathed!" She hissed.
The brown she-cat cocked her head clueless and lunged again, this time landing on the ginger she-cat. "Icepaw likes me, not you!" she spat. Enraged by her assumption, Blossompaw hooked her paws into the younger she-cat's shoulder blades and flipped her over.
"I don't like him! He's my friend!" she fired back. "Even if I did, you should open your eyes and see that Lizardpaw is obviously trying to get your attention, dumb rabbit-brain!" Hawkpaw widened her eyes into huge amber moons.
"I-I'm sorry," she squeaked, wriggling away from Blossompaw's grasp. The ginger she-cat nodded and twitched her white tipped ears. Never get on her bad side!
After a while of training, the mentors and apprentices left the training hollow after a quick hunt and walked into camp. Blossompaw had caught a thrush with Icepaw and Stonecloud caught a rabbit with the help of Lizardpaw and Marigoldfall.
Blossompaw dropped off her thrush at the fresh-kill pile and stumbled over to the nursery, her muscles suddenly aching from the busy day. Her mother sat with Graysky, who was still recovering from her daughter's death. "Hello mama," she purred, rubbing her cheek against Breezefeather's
"My little flower," her mother purred, wrapping her tail with Graysky's. "We were just discussing that we believe that—" Suddenly Lynxstar's yowl cut them off.
"Already the full moon rises," the golden leader stated. "This night we will remember Mintpaw, the young she-cat that we tragically lost this night a moon ago. May she rest peacefully in StarClan." Graysky sniffled beside her, leaning on Breezefeather for support.
As Lynxstar started to list off the cats she was taking, Blossompaw realized two things: She wasn't going to the Gathering, and that her dreams occurred during the full moon. I need to speak with Vixenbreeze! I know she's staying this full moon!
As many WindClan cats followed Lynxstar out of camp, Blossompaw snuck into the medicince cat den. Inside, Vixenbreeze was snoozing lightly, Carefully, Blossompaw poked her flank until she woke up. "B-Blossompaw? What's going on?" the medicine cat mumbled.
"I-It's full moon…"
"I'm well aware of the state of the moon…" Suddenly her green eyes widened. "You might dream tonight…"
"I know!" Blossompaw cried. Last half moon, Vixenbreeze and Treeheart told me that StarClan said my dreams were for a reason, and that every full moon I might have one. "I-I-I don't want to dream! I hate this!" she wailed.
Vixenbreeze stroked her back with her tail. "It'll be ok…StarClan told us that you might dream every full moon, it doesn't mean you'll dream all the time! But…if you do, you'll need to tell me and Treeheart every detail. I believe StarClan gifted you this power so we can save the ones who are not yet destined to join our ancestors yet."
Blossompaw started at her baffled. It was too much information to take in. "T-then I won't sleep tonight…"
"No! What if we miss something important!" The gingery brown she-cat hissed. Blossompaw flinched and let out a tiny whine.
"I-I'm just scared…w-what it's…" She stopped herself, slowly walking out of the den. "I'll talk to you if I dream."
Later that night while the camp was still peaceful, Blossompaw snuck into her nest and laid down. Lizardpaw and Icepaw were the only apprentices to stay, but were already asleep. I would give anything to have my mother laying here with me, but she went to the Gathering…
Soon, Blossompaw slipped into a slow and peaceful dream. She looked around her surrounds. Nothing scary, no yowls, no blood…I'm not having "the dreams!" Blossompaw let out a shaky breath and walked up the moor, her paws enjoying the soft grass.
To her left, Hawkpaw was longing in the heather with Lizardpaw and Blazewhisker was chatting with Rainstep. To her right, Fernpaw and Stormpaw were wrestling…but something was off. Everyone looks a little older. Rainstep and Blazewhisker were the same, but Hawkpaw looked prettier and her still fluffy fur looked a little smoother. Lizardpaw had grown a little taller. But…Fernpaw and Stormpaw were the true difference.
Fernpaw's form was slenderer and her fur neatly groomed before she and her brother continued to tussle. Stormpaw's shoulder had also gotten broader and new muscles were visible through his healthy fur. His eyes also had a vibrant gleam to them.
Blossompaw then looked down at herself, shocked at the results. Her fur was longer, her form and legs were longer, and she looked more agile. Everyone is older…we must be warriors!
She lifted up her tail happily and bounded over to "dream" Stormpaw and Fernpaw. "I wonder what our names will be," she purred to herself, surprised to find her gaze glued on Stormpaw. He looked even more attractive.
Suddenly the wind seemed to get colder, and her heart started to pound in her chest. Stormpaw and Fernpaw didn't notice that they were nearing the bubbling river as they wrestled.
"WAIT!" Blossompaw shrieked. Too late… the two dream cats fell into the river with a cry, their heads disappearing under the water. "No!" Blossompaw ran to the river, only to pushed back by Blazewhisker and a she-cat she couldn't see before she jumped into the river after them. This is a dream! It's the full moon dream!