Yay! I finally got a chapter out quickly! Thank you all for the lovely reviews:
Bilbz: Thanks so much for your support! I'm glad that I'm making Rowanpaw more realistic; this story wouldn't exist if it wasn't about how she couldn't be perfect. Also, for the kits, I tried to make them very separate, so I'm glad that you enjoyed reading them!
Songmistle: I love Volekit too! A HUGE thank you for submitting her, she's now my favorite character to write! And Vole is also Love- It's perfect!
Fourcherries: Yeah, Volekit is an interesting character. She's like a miniature Rowanpaw, just less self-conscious and more clear minded. Lots of props to Songmistle though for creating her character, now I can't imagine this story without her.
Cactopus: Nice prediction about Robinpaw! Yeah, it does seem that way, but maybe it will be different… or not. Again, I'm so glad you liked Volekit! I had no idea that she would be so popular!
Now, onto the story, and for all of you who celebrate it, Merry Christmas!
Almost a half moon had passed, and Rowanpaw still hadn't worked up the courage to talk to her sister. Everytime she thought about it, she was plagued with awful thoughts about what would happen, what Robinpaw would say. If the idea worked, it would be great, but if it didn't, it would be the biggest failure she had ever done.
"Rowanpaw, are you listening?" Her mentor called out again, pulling her back into reality. Rowanpaw looked up into her green eyes.
"Yes?" She asked, hoping that Flowerpool would just repeat herself.
"I said," Flowerpool enunciated dramatically, "That I want you to go over there and catch that squirrel. Make sure to be graceful while you're doing it." The older she-cat turned around with a little humph, and muttered something Rowanpaw knew wasn't flattering.
Well, I could say the same about you, seeing as you haven't even taught me how to catch squirrels, Rowanpaw snapped inwardly. Thankfully, lessons were getting more on track as greenleaf came and hunting conditions became better, but she still hadn't learned some of the key parts to being a warrior.
The squirrel was sitting on a stump, nibbling on a nut or something of the sort. Slowly, the russet apprentice padded forward, trying to make her steps as quiet as possible, and nearly avoided stepping on a branch. She paused, tense, then sighed with relief and continued making her way forward. The squirrel looked up suddenly, they both froze as they saw each other, and then the prey fled.
Rowanpaw raced after the gray squirrel, who had abandoned it's nut. She charged as fast as she could, but in the end the creature led her a while wild chase and then scampered up a tree. Coming so quickly to a halt, she banged into the three, though thankfully not too hard.
I guess I failed that test, Rowanpaw thought.
Nearby, the apprentice heard a loud groan. "Rowanpaw, darling, it simply isn't done like that," her mentor scolded, coming into view. "When coming forward, always come in a position where you can corner the creature. Don't make a noise, even a sigh or a hiss. Don't chase around it wildly, it's quicker than you, and will climb up a tree, chase it into a trap." Rowanpaw simply stared, taking in all the information she never thought Flowerpool of all cats would supply.
"Honestly, darling, I don't know how I can use you if you can't even catch a squirrel," the she-cat continued, and she muttered something where she caught the words 'disappointment' and 'imperfect'. Great, two times in a day I disappoint my mentor, Rowanpaw thought. How terrible an apprentice I must be.
She didn't say that, though, instead just a simple "Yes Flowerpool."
"Now, go back up to camp and stay there. I am busy." Rowanpaw didn't even bother to ask what her mentor would be busy with. Instead, she simply followed the instructions and tramped back through the woods till she found her way back to the LightClan camp.
At the time of day, it was so busy Rowanpaw could barely make out who was who amid all the blurs of white and brown and gray. Two hunting patrols had just come back, so everyone was feasting, and people moved so quickly you couldn't see one person for longer than a second.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a lone russet and brown cat slink into the apprentice den. Robinpaw. Now or never, she thought, before following her sister in.
The slim figure of Robinpaw was curled up in one of the moss nests in the very back, covered with ferns and lichen and ore moss, along with the cavewall that made a little curtain. Slowly, she approached her sister, and sat down on a bare patch of dirt next to her.
"Hey," Rowanpaw started uncertainly. Robinpaw didn't even blink.
"I just wanted to check how you were doing," she tried again. Still no response. "Um… that squirrel looks really nice," she complimented. It brought back sore memories of her earlier attempt at catching one. StarClan, she really was such a failure.
"I know." Rowanpaw jerked her head to see her sister speaking. "I caught it myself." Of course, Rowanpaw figured, of course she would only speak to boast. But she wasn't going to waste this opportunity, now that Robinpaw might actually be open minded.
Rowanpaw tried her best to look excited. "Really? That must've been really hard to do! I tried to catch one earlier today, but it ran up a tree."
Robinpaw snorted. "Seriously? You let it run up a tree?"
"Well, I'm sure I should've flown up into the tree and waited for it there," Rowanpaw joked, "But I didn't want to risk having no wings."
This got the correct reaction out of her sister. "A squirrel getting the better of a cat is a sight I'd like to see," Robinpaw said with a smirk. Inside, she felt a throb of pain but didn't think about it; as long as Robinpaw was talking, the plan was working.
"The tiny creature," Rowanpaw put in with a playful growl, but then subsided a bit. "Also, I just wanted to say… I know you were really hoping you could be Flowerpool's apprentice, and I'm sorry I took that opportunity away from you. I really am."
Her sister's gaze quickly hardened. Uh oh, Rowanpaw thought, did all my hard work go to nothing? She hesitantly got lighter on her feet, ready to dash if she was told to get out, but thankfully there was no sudden reaction. Instead, it felt like agony waiting for Robinpaw to tell her what she thought, to see how mad she really was.
Finally, she spoke. "It wasn't fair," the russet and brown she-cat said.
"I know," Rowanpaw replied softly.
Robinpaw didn't look in the mood to speak anymore, so Rowanpaw slowly backed out of the apprentice den til she was in the sun, and in the middle of camp. She sighed. Well, that didn't go very well.
Slowly she settled down and closed her eyes. She lay like that for a moment, before she felt the vibrations of bounding feet coming right towards her.
"Rowanpaw, Rowanpaw, Rowanpaw!" A cheerful voice squeaked. She opened her eyes to a blinding sight of her white and yellow sister standing right over her.
"My eyes!" Rowanpaw groaned, rolling over before rising to meet her sister. Lemonpaw didn't pay notice to her, instead continuing to speak at an impossibly fast pace.
"By StarClan, did you hear what's happening tomorrow night? I couldn't believe it when I heard it. It's ingenious, really, LightClan's best work, though it's a bit sudden, and there are so many things that could go wrong-"
Rowanpaw cut her off. "As far as I know, the only thing happening tomorrow night is the gathering." Her sister looked at her skeptically, but when Rowanpaw didn't say something else, she sighed.
"Really, I thought you'd know more than that, talking to Robinpaw and all, seeing as she's the one who first knew." The gossipy apprentice sounded very disappointed. How did she know I talked to Robinpaw? Rowanpaw thought incredulously.
"Ok, Lemonpaw, what is it?" Rowanpaw asked, humoring her.
"Only the biggest trick in LightClan history!" Her sister exclaimed, right back to talking. "Tomorrow night, when they're walking back from the gathering, a surprise attack is going to be launched for Swanpaw and her siblings, and if they pass it, they'll be made warriors!"
"What?" Rowanpaw replied blankly.
"A surprise attack is going to be launched for Swanpaw and her siblings, and if they pass it, they'll be made warriors!" Lemonpaw repeated.
"Yeah, I get that," the russet apprentice said, "Just… Why do it on the night of the gathering? It doesn't make sense."
Lemonpaw beamed. "That's the point! That way, there's no way they could expect it and it'll be a surprise!" She paused for a moment, in thought. "That reminds me, you probably shouldn't tell them it's happening. Otherwise it'll ruin the surprise!"
"Thanks, but I already got that," Rowanpaw said dryly.
After quickly excusing herself, Rowanpaw got up and went out of camp. Not too far, because she wasn't in the mood to be yelled at, but far enough that she could sit, shaded by leaves, with the early green-leaf sun shining through the gaps. She could hear the noises of the busy camp anymore, and it gave her time to reflect on her two most recent conversations.
With Robinpaw, she was sorely disappointed with the results. Almost nothing had changed, and the courage she had gained from that middle point in the conversation had drained almost completely. If anything had changed, it was that she had gotten in at least one friendly chat with her sister, though not at her own expense.
Will I ever have a talk with Robinpaw that isn't made of jabs at me? She wondered. It didn't seem likely.
Rowanpaw let her thoughts drift away from such serious matters and into the later conversation with Lemonpaw. It was cool, she thought, the way they got their assessment. Almost more like a game than a quiz. Of course, she had no doubt that they would all complete it. Riverpaw and Rainpaw and Sagepaw were all great apprentices and would certainly be great warriors. Bluepaw was a bit snooty at times but was very loyal, and for perfect Swanpaw, it would be impossible for her not to join the warrior ranks. Yeah, there was no question on the outcome.
Rowanpaw just wished she could be there to see it.
"From this moment on you will be known as Swanbreeze," Flashstar announced. "Swanbreeze, StarClan honors your dedication, independance, and perfectness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of LightClan."
"Swanbreeze! Swanbreeze!" LightClan roared. All the other siblings had already gotten their warrior names and were beaming proudly on the side, welcoming Swanbreeze as the final new warrior came to join them.
Rowanpaw let out a tired yawn. Honestly, she didn't understand why they couldn't hold off the ceremony till morning, and not be waking up all the innocent cats still at camp. At the same time, she also wondered how the vigil would work, seeing as they only had a few hours left of darkness.
She didn't bother joining all the cats cheering names, unlike her siblings. As she glanced to the side, she saw the yellow pelt of Sunpaw gawping at the creamy white new warrior, and suppressed a smirk. Oh, Sunpaw is so dead, she thought with an internal eye roll. Her brother was being an idiot, like usual.
Rowanpaw tried to slink back into the apprentice den, but the noise was way too loud. There's no way I can sleep like this, she thought, and promptly left, hesitating at the exit of camp. Finally, she made up her mind, and headed out through the perfect pathway, the blood-red flowers glowing in the remaining moonlight. Only once she was out she could breathe again.
The night was so overwhelming with all the cats back in camp, still reacting from news in the gathering she didn't know anything about, not to mention all the worry of the fake surprise attack, and then the warrior ceremony. She needed a nice break, and a long one.
Suddenly, something shifted in the dark trees to her side, and she whirled around to see. Everything was quiet for a moment, and then a scent wafted towards her–she knew that scent and she knew it wasn't LightClan. Another shadow shifted in the trees.
"Who's there?" She called out, piercing the quiet of the night. A rustle from the bushes was her only response.
"Come out!" She said, fixing her glare on where she thought it was. "You're on LightClan territory, you know, and I have every right to do whatever I need to to get you out." Her attempt to sound menacing wasn't working too well.
The creature dashed away, leaving Rowanpaw to follow the chase. She had to admit, it was pretty fast, though she had the upside, knowing the territory better than whatever it was. They ran around and around, turning sharp edges and jumping over fallen branches and roots, hurling themselves through bushes. Finally, she stopped, panting.
"Who- are- you," she asked, wheezing. A glint of green cat eyes showed through the trees, and she pounced, tumbling over another shape that was definitely another cat. Finally, they landed in a clearing, and Rowanpaw stared as the mystery cat was revealed by the moonlight.
Recognition flashed through her face, replaced with a fearsome glare, replaced with confusion as she stared at that dark ginger fur paired with the glowing green eyes.
"Applepaw?"
Well, now we know who our mystery cat is, but what does Applepaw have to say about all of this? Also, what thoughts/reactions did you have on the conversation with Robinpaw? What do you think will happen next between the two?
I purposely didn't put in the other new warrior's names because I've been having a hard time coming up with them, so I'm welcome to suggestions for Bluepaw, Sagepaw, Rainpaw, and Riverpaw!
Please review, and I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible!