"I hope you saved one of those mice for me!" Bitterpaw called cheerily to his mentor, who was grooming himself. Pigeonwing looked up and flicked his tail, smiling. "I got some herbs to help with the stiffness. I think you're just supposed to eat them. Frostmouse didn't explain very well." Pigeonwing laughed.
"Frostmouse has never been that great at explaining. Perhaps that's why he doesn't have an apprentice," He chuckled. Bitterpaw smiled and set the leaves in front of him. Pigeonwing gave the leaves a tentative sniff before gobbling them up. He shivered. "Not the tastiest thing I've ever eaten, but if it'll help with my aching joints, whatever," He mewed.
"Can we go hunting now?" Bitterpaw begged. Pigeonwing hesitated, then sighed.
"I'm not sure. I have to talk to Smokestar now, Bitterpaw," He meowed, then padded off to Smokestar's den. Bitterpaw watched him go sadly. He padded miserably to the apprentices' den, where he found Darkpaw.
"I wish Birdeye would train with me or something," Darkpaw moaned, glancing up as Bitterpaw entered the den. "It's so empty in here without Rainpaw." Bitterpaw cocked his head.
"And Badgerpaw and Olivepaw," He meowed.
"Oh, they're gone, too?" Darkpaw looked surprised. He shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Bitterpaw, it's just I can't keep my mind off of Rainpaw these days." He sighed.
"It was you who took Rainpaw to the medicine den in the first place," Bitterpaw pointed out. Darkpaw nodded. Then his face lit up.
"I'll go ask Frostmouse if she's well enough that she can sleep in here!" He meowed, as though this were the smartest idea in the world. He jumped to his paws and raced out of the apprentices' den, not even saying goodbye to Bitterpaw. Bitterpaw rolled his eyes. She hasn't been attacked by a horde of dogs, he thought. Over-dramatic. But, then again, I might have been a bit over-dramatic with Badgerpaw… He remembered his dreams. They're only dreams, stop being so protective.
Bitterpaw padded after Darkpaw. Frostmouse's eyes glittered with amusement when he saw Bitterpaw enter the medicine den. "You might as well stay here if you're going to keep coming back," He purred. Bitterpaw smiled, then jumped as he felt a paw nudge him. He looked down and saw Badgerpaw stretching sleepily in his moss nest.
"Sorry," He muttered. He got to his paws, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He glanced questioningly at Darkpaw, who was fussing over Rainpaw. "What's up with him?"
"He's always liked Rainpaw," Bitterpaw mewed. "I guess he just went over the top love-crazy." This comment made Badgerpaw purr with amusement.
"I thought he seemed a bit fond of her," He meowed, sitting up straight and wrapping his tail neatly around his paws. "If they have kits when we're made warriors, I'm sure they'll be adorable!" Bitterpaw frowned, shuddering slightly. "What, you don't want to be warriors?" Badgerpaw meowed, glancing at him.
Bitterpaw shook his head. "I want to be a warrior, I just don't want to think about Rainpaw and Darkpaw having kits any time soon!" Badgerpaw laughed quietly.
"Sorry. You can't argue though, really. They are a cute couple!" He purred.
"I suppose I could agree with that…" Bitterpaw murmured. Darkpaw's ears pricked slightly at Badgerpaw and Bitterpaw's conversation, but he didn't stop what he was doing- which, by the looks of it, was grooming Rainpaw's fur. "He doesn't give up, does he?"