In the First chapter, she thinks Minnowfoot died saving her. I didn't mean to put she thought Ripplingminnow saved her. Another one of my typos and I can't figure out how to change it. lol? I have gotten questions about the clans hate for her, and figured this would be a fun chapter for you guys to read. I am also not bolding the quotations because of all the cats speaking in it, it will get confusing.
Webstream sighed, her pale gold eyes glittering with excitement as she looked at Ripplingminnow. It was her 4th walk in the woods with him, one every day. He had happily taken her after he finished Dewpaw's lessons, and never hesitated to come and get her if she wasn't waiting on him. He flicked his black tipped tail at her, and said something. Recently, Webstream had noticed her hearing was steadily decreasing. "Speak up! I can't hear you." She told him, receiving a chuckle from Ripplingminnow.
"I said, I think it is time you swim again!" He called back to her, his voice slightly raised more.
Webstream smiled, limping towards him. Her wound wasn't healed yet, so it hurt when she moved her shoulder's too much. She limped so that she wouldn't stretch her muscles and hurt herself. She walked next to him, the tom slowing down so that she could walk easier. She just nodded in appreciation, brute determination in her eyes as she looked forward at the river. It sloped down steadily, meaning she could easily step over where she could reach if she started to sink.
She stopped at the water's edge, her memories flooded with Minnowfoot. The tom had brought her here before every gathering and they had a competition to see who caught the most minnows. They couldn't eat them, but they were perfect for the kits to play with.
She smiled at the memory, missing her friend once again. Everywhere, she felt as though he had been there with her. It wasn't like that before Snowfury had killed him though. She couldn't care less about things like this, and just thought of that as apprentice fun. They had the mentality of apprentices.
Webstream looked at Ripplingminnow, the tom watching her kindly. "Ripplingminnow, next time we come out here, can we bring Dewpaw? I miss her rude remarks, as funny as it may sound." She mewed, practically begging the tom to bring his apprentice next time. The walks were fun and she felt as though she was getting stronger, but it wasn't right. She needed to be with more clan cats.
Ripplingminnow sat down. "I'll tell you what. If you can swim across the river by the end of the day, I will bring Dewpaw, Cricketsong, and Whisperwinds." He told the she-cat.
She beamed with excitement, fear not being one of her things. She turned to the river. "You better start making plans!" She told him, jumping forward into the river. The coldness on her wound knocked the breath out of her, and she gasped. It was ice cold! She forgot what the water felt like after being away from it for over a moon.
Bravery and being stubborn aided the she-cat for once. She stuck her claws into the ground, wincing at the pain caused by doing so. She looked across the river, knowing it was only a moon ago when she could swim across it in seconds. She kicked off the ground and surged forward, noticing something wrong immediately.
Her stride was choppy. She couldn't stretch her front legs, but she could her back legs. She was propelling her face into the water. She needed to relax her front legs, and let her hind legs push her out of the current so she could figure out how to swim. The current hit her, and she did what most cats did when they swam. They pushed forward more with their front legs and back legs. She did it instinctively, and plowed her face under the water. She gargled water, choking on it.
She paddled helplessly against the current, wishing she could swim properly. For once since the accident, she wanted something to be normal. Everything was flop. She was best friends with Ripplingminnow instead of Minnowfoot. She had no apprentice, but Ripplingminnow did. She was hated by her clan, instead of respected and loved. Confidence destroyed everything she had worked for her entire life!
The she-cat gasped at the sudden realization, taking water in instead of air. She struggled, to no avail. She felt a firm grip on her scruff though, and knew Ripplingminnow was pulling her out of the water. She felt air hit her pelt, and she was lifted out of the water, like a kit. She gasped in breath, flopping herself out on the shore. "Thank you! So I guess we won't be bringing along friends tomorrow?" She asked, looking up and nearly yowling in terror. Turtleheart was standing over here, the brown tom soaked.
"Don't freak! And please just continue to lay looking the other way. I can't look at your wound." He said, disgust all over his voice.
Webstream suddenly realized something else. The clan didn't hate her, they couldn't stand her. The wound! It must be what keeps them away. Webstream purred to herself, still gasping for air on occasion. "Nice to see a friendly face on you again." She purred to the larger tom.
He just smiled at her. "Nice to see my friend back." He purred back, looking at the river. "What were you doing out there anyways?" He mewed, looking at the current rather strangely.
"Ripplingminnow wanted me to try swimming again. I didn't realize my wound limited my movement. I don't think the realizes where I am." She said, suddenly becoming worried.
"Sagewhisper told him this morning that you wouldn't be able to swim yet, so when Sedgetalon told me he was still going to take you swimming, I couldn't help but follow. He is down there yelling at him now." He told her, sitting down beside her. He let his purr match hers as he looked out at the river.
"Well thank you again. I hate to say this, but I need to stand up again. Run away if you have to, just please don't stay hidden from me forever. You know I will hate you forever if you do." She said, lifting herself into a sitting position. She nearly fell as she felt Turtleheart's head against her shoulder. It was there momentarily, but enough to warm the spot. She looked at the tom, and realized he was looking the other way. "What was that for?" She asked.
He grunted and stood up. "Walk in front of me, I want to see you, but I can't see your wound. I am sorry. And I was giving you some reassurance that I won't leave you forever." He said, purring at her confusion. He never really was much of one to show kindness. He was just loyal and honorable.
"Fine Turtlestar!" She teased, standing up so that he was behind her. "You do realize I don't know where we are going, and me walking in front will slow us down. You can walk beside me on my right side and not see the wounds on my face." She told him, smiling as Turtleheart was walking beside her, just slightly infront of her to help guide her.
"At least you aren't blind. I would drown you if you were." He told her, causing Webstream to smile.
"You still remember that?" She asked, remembering when they were kits, the she-cat being 3 moons older than him. Just before she became an apprentice. They had discussed what would happen to them now that they were leaving the protection of the nursery. If Webstream ever went blind, Turtleheart was to kill her. If Turtleheart was to go deaf, she was to kill him.
"Why would I not? I don't want to live deaf, so I figured you wouldn't want to live blind." He told her, gently pushing her toward the river.
Webstream head butted his side, hurting herself a little in the process. She looked forward, smiling as she spotted Ripplingminnow. Sedgetalon immediately looked the other way, his pelt ruffled.
Ripplingminnow looked both angry and sad. "I'm sorry Webstream, I should have listened to my sister." He mewed, his voice low and scared. What did Sedgetalon tell him?
"Don't worry." She said, starting to move forward when she felt Turtleheart's breath on her ripped ear.
"Don't forget what I said earlier. I will adjust to your sight, please just give me time. Don't forget how great of a friend I am to you, and you to me. I will understand if you hate me, but please let me adapt." He mewed, his voice pleading and rather hurt.
Webstream didn't know what to say, so she just leaned towards him and licked his shoulder kindly. "Move along little kit. Don't want you missing your nap." She teased, the tom immediately smiling and glaring at Ripplingminnow briefly before moving into the woods, Sedgetalon shooting a quick apologetic look at Webstream before disappearing, disgust on his face.
"You aren't going to kill me, are you?" Ripplingminnow asked, his voice guarded.
"I can't say just yet." She teased, flicking her tail at him in a mock claw swipe. She was in too much pain to really try batting at him.
