Yo! It's been a while since I sat down and wrote stuff. Sorry about that. I haven't really had the chance to since write something. School exams, swim season and other stuff (like my Xbox 360,) have cut into my writing time. Now that school's out I might be able to write some more stuff; after I get back from my vacation that starts on the 10th and spans the next 9 or so days.
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Dawnpaw continued to breathe in the fresh night air. Her sighs rippled the water gently and her eye lids flickered down over top of her dark gaze. Sleep threatening to wash over her like a wave. Quickly, the silvery apprentice opened her eyes. Not wanting to fall asleep just yet, Dawnpaw stood up. She let her paws take her deeper into her territory, past the camp and towards the pines.
The strong ShadowClan scent alarmed Dawnpaw at first, but then soothed her when she thought of Alphapaw and Emberpaw. She hadn't seen them in while so briefly the silvery apprentice wondered how they were doing. Dawnpaw padded past the short undergrowth, closer to the border. Winds blew the threatening Clan scent through the apprentice's nose. Unphased by this warning, Dawnpaw put one paw into ShadowClan territory. Defiantly she wondered how easy it would be to catch a frog or two without any patrols finding her.
With a playful smirk, the grey and white she cat slid her whole body past the border. Stepping onto unfamiliar territory, she started scenting for prey. More threatening warrior scent plagued her nose but Dawnpaw ignored it. Tonight she would break the Warrior Code just once. Just to break the rules for once in her life.
Maybe Thunderpaw will be impressed that I stole from ShadowClan.
A few more pawsteps forward, Dawnpaw spotted a frog. Oblivious to its stalker, the frog hopped about the mud puddles happily. Then the frog croaked and stood still to bath in the moister. The silvery she cat watched and waited for the frog to move again. She let a few heartbeats pass by before she was satisfied with the conclusion that the frog wasn't going to hop away.
Then, with one swift flick of her haunches, Dawnpaw launched herself on the frog with claws outstretched! Before the frog could let out a croak of surprise, Dawnpaw's claws sliced its throat, killing it instantly. Wordlessly, the apprentice thanked StarClan for the prey, even if it was stolen, out of habit.
Maybe I can catch one more. No patrols have noticed me yet.
Pushing her frog into a nearby bush, Dawnpaw scented the air again. A croak of another frog sounded in the distance. The silvery apprentice followed her prey's sounds. The croak led Dawnpaw past rows of pine trees and marshy ground. The trees thinned the more Dawnpaw ran and soon the frog led the she cat into a stream that fed into the lake.
Dawnpaw growled to herself in frustration when she noticed the frog had escaped into the safety of the muddy stream banks and into some pond weed. Refusing to give up, Dawnpaw trudged through the soupy waters by the stream and used her paw to try to force the frog into moving closer to her. But instantly her claws caught on thick weeds that jutted out of the mud. Dawnpaw panicked and frantically shook her paw to release it. The frog hopped out in front of the silvery she cat and croaked again.
"I'll get you, you filthy piece of fresh kill." Dawnpaw hissed at the frog, whose only response was another mocking croak. Forgetting about her stuck paw, Dawnpaw used her free forepaw to slice at her prey, but fell short when it too, got caught in the weeds. The frog remained where it stood, unharmed by the cat's antics. With a hop, the frog escaped back into the stream. Dawnpaw almost felt the urge to yowl in frustration as she watched helplessly when her prey ran away from her grasp. Then, she remembered that both of her paws were caught in the stream's plants. The she cat struggled and pulled at the pond weeds, but to no avail. Dawnpaw stretched her claws, hoping to slice open some of the tendrils. A few vines snapped and Dawnpaw felt one of her paws come loose. With her other paw, the apprentice sliced at muddy roots with her free paw. Eagerly she tugged at the vines more when she felt her paw give way to her freedom.
But at the last swipe her foot slipped! The silvery apprentice let out a muffled "oof!" when her face hit the softy, watery ground. Now Dawnpaw was utterly humiliated, first by the frog and now by her own fault.
At least I caught one frog. I better back track and get it before I get stuck again.
Dawnpaw wiped the mud of her face with her paws before retracing her steps. Surprisingly fast she found the frog she caught before. The grey she cat uncovered the bush and claimed her prize. Spinning back around, she padded back the way she arrived. Then, the grass and brush rustled behind her. The sounds gave way to paw steps, the heavy pawsteps of warriors.
Too terrified to look back, Dawnpaw gripped her frog in her jaws and sped towards the RiverClan border. But claws hooked onto her pelt and dragged her back. Dawnpaw looked up and found herself face to face with a burly ShadowClan tom and tortoiseshell she cat with equal build.
"Two bits of prey," The she cat mewed with frightening interest, "What do you say we take both of them back with us, Badgerclaw?" The tom smirked, his black and white pelt fluffing out.
"Of course, Mosswing! Falconstar would love to have two instead of just one." As if on cue, Mosswing scooped Dawnpaw up with her claws and teeth. In self-defense, the silvery apprentice dealt a blow to the ShadowClan warrior's forelegs. Hissing in Dawnpaw's face, Mosswing dropped her opponent with a heavy thud.
Dawnpaw's head spun for a heartbeat before she noticed Badgerclaw rushing forward to bash her away from his clanmate. The black and white tom slammed into Dawnpaw, causing her to slam into a nearby bush. The apprentice's frog skidded out of her jaws and landed a fox length away from her. Laughing, Badgerclaw clawed the side of Dawnpaw's ear.
"This is what happens when you break the Warrior Code, fish face!"
Both enemy warriors scratched and bit the apprentice in a fury! In a desperate attempt to free herself from the escalating fray, Dawnpaw nipped at the enemy warriors. But Mosswing just cut the side of her jaw.
"You'll have to do better than that," She growled. Amusement shone in her grassy colored eyes. Dawnpaw clawed the she cat's flank in her anger. Growling in pain, Mosswing aimed a blow at Dawnpaw's muzzle, which the silvery apprentice barely dodged. Badgerclaw took his opportunity to sink his teeth into Dawnpaw's shoulder. Holding in a yowl, Dawnpaw bit down into the fur near his ears. With fur and flesh ripped from him, Badgerclaw barreled into the grey she cat, pinning her to the ground.
Dawnpaw then used her back claws to cut her opponent's soft belly fur. With hiss, Badgerclaw tumbled backwards into the grass. Dawnpaw leapt on him and landed several blows on his chest and belly. The apprentice's dark gaze held Badgerclaw's yellow eyes. But instead of pain, Dawnpaw saw a furious smirk.
"You really think a flea like you could hurt me? You may have had a lucky hit with my ears, but those things you call slashes feel like wet leaves." The ShadowClan tom mocked. Yowling in fury, Dawnpaw bit her fangs into Badgerclaw's throat. Blood started to well from the wound and the tom gagged. Mosswing acted quickly and ripped Dawnpaw off of her clanmate.
"A little tougher now, huh? Well this fight is still ours." She hissed. Dawnpaw rushed forward, the haze of her own anger and adrenaline controlling her moves. The silvery apprentice skillfully dodged and jumped over claw swipes and landed slices to Mosswing's muzzle and chest. The tortoiseshell she cat flinched under the barrage of blows, but Mosswing was still faster than Dawnpaw. With one swift flick of the paw, the ShadowClan warrior pinned Dawnpaw's chest to the forest floor. Retaliating, Dawnpaw bit Mosswing's paw and slashed at her foreleg. Yowling in surprise and staggering backward, Mosswing released her opponent. Dawnpaw noticed the chance and tackled the ShadowClan she cat. Once on top of the enemy warrior, Dawnpaw used her back claws to cut Mosswing's belly and her front claws to slice her ears. With a powerful kick, Mosswing sent Dawnpaw flying off of her body. Hissing in frustration and humiliation from being defeated by an apprentice, the ShadowClan she cat escaped into the pines.
Dawnpaw puffed out her fur with pride.
"I beat a warrior!" She meowed. But behind her, Badgerclaw recovered and stood over like a tower.
"Forget about me?" He growled. His neck wound no longer bled and his yellow eyes leaked rage. "You'll pay after what you did to my mate."
Like a rock fall full of boulders, Badgerclaw smashed down onto the silvery she cat. Dawnpaw let out a small yelp as her spine and head painfully hit the forest floor. The tom then sliced at Dawnpaw's flanks and belly. The silvery she cat could feel blood coming out of the wounds. Badgerclaw aimed a blow at Dawnpaw's throat, moonlight glinting off his long claws. Instinctively, Dawnpaw cringed and squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the pain that was about to explode in body. Then suddenly, the weight of Badgerclaw was lifted from her.
"Get off of her you stinking piece of crowfood!" A familiar yowl sounded in Dawnpaw's ears.
"Timberclaw!" Dawnpaw mewed hopefully. Her mentor shot a small grin at her before jumping at Badgerclaw again. Dawnpaw watched as she saw her mentor tear at his opponent's muzzle and chest. Fur was missing in several spots on Badgerclaw's pelt where Timberclaw sent hits.
Unable to stand and watch her mentor do all the work, Dawnpaw leapt up and pummeled Badgerclaw's flanks. Timberclaw eased around Dawnpaw and clawed the ShadowClan warrior's shoulder. Badgerclaw collapsed from exhaustion for a few heartbeats and then opened his eyes and glared at his two opponents.
"Mosswing and I won't say a word about this to Falconstar if you let me take your kit's frog back with me." Badgerclaw said evenly. Timberclaw thought for a moment before responding.
"Fine," the brown tabby mewed, "take it. We don't need extra food anyway." Badgerclaw curtly nodded and picked up the frog. Without a second glance back he bounded back deeper into ShadowClan territory. As soon as Badgerclaw's tail was out of sight in the pines, Timberclaw herded Dawnpaw across the RiverClan border.
Dawnpaw was surprised at her mentor's silence as they stalked through their own territory and down to the lake's edge. She didn't dare say anything in fear that she would make Timberclaw angry. The two stopped by a gentle slope. The waves softly lapped at the pebbles and the stars still shone on the water, despite all the time that passed. Finally after what seemed like several lifetimes of silence Timberclaw meowed something.
"I'm not mad at you, Dawnpaw." Timberclaw said slowly, his emerald gaze cutting through Dawnpaw like a claw. "But I am very disappointed in you. Not only did you break the Warrior Code and get yourself hurt, you had me worried sick looking for you. I even made up a cover story and lied to Waterstar and your father when they noticed you were gone."
Dawnpaw almost shivered in shame. She was sure that Timberclaw would burst out at her at any moment. Unable to reply to her mentor, Dawnpaw dropped her gaze. Timberclaw continued to stare at her.
"Wash up in the lake." He ordered. Dawnpaw obeyed. She splashed the cool lake water onto her wounds and licked claws of any blood that remained. When she was finished, Dawnpaw stepped out of the lake and looked up at Timberclaw expectantly. His green eye still shone with lingering anger and disappointment. Dawnpaw let out a whimper.
"I'm sorry," She whispered, "I didn't know what I was doing."
"You sure didn't." The tabby warrior said flatly. Timberclaw stepped closer to his apprentice. Dawnpaw flinched, expecting her mentor to punish her. But much to the grey she cat's surprise, Timberclaw lapped at Dawnpaw's wet pelt.
"I know you're sorry," Timberclaw's emerald gaze softened, "I was just worried about you, ok." The brown tabby nuzzled Dawnpaw comfortingly. Relief flooded Dawnpaw's mind.
"I won't scare you again." Dawnpaw promised quietly. She licked her mentor's cheek and he smiled at her.
"I believe you."
The two cats padded back to the mainland and settled down under the cover of some thick reeds.
"You can't go back to camp." Timberclaw said soberly. Dawnpaw flicked an ear in confusion.
"Why not?" She asked.
"Embersoul is on guard duty tonight and he can't see you comeback until morning." Timberclaw replied flatly. Dawnpaw's heart sunk. Was her mentor going to abandon her in the middle of the territory at night?
"Are you going to leave me here?" Dawnpaw mewed, slightly horrified. Timberclaw shook his head and licked his apprentice between the ears.
"No, I'll stay out her with you. We might as well get some sleep. No use staying up all night after that battle."
Dawnpaw nodded and curled herself into a ball under the reeds. Timberclaw settled beside her and wrapped his broad body around her. Dawnpaw found herself falling asleep quickly when she listened to the silence of the night and her mentor's breathing.
"I'll take care of the explaining in the morning." Timberclaw whispered as Dawnpaw's eyelids drooped. He gave her one last lick on the cheek before she dozed off.
"I'll take care of you too." The tabby whispered into Dawnpaw's sleeping ears.