CHAPTER FIVE
Hi, again! I know, another bit of fluff, but things will get a lot more interesting soon. *evil grin*
Also, a shoutout to my three reviewers, so far. Thank you for keeping with me! ^^
"Spottedpaw!" Cherrypaw hissed.
Spottedpaw woke with a start. "Wha?" she asked groggily.
"Robinsong had her kits!" the she-cat mewed excitedly. "
Spottedpaw hopped up. "Really?" She bounded to the nursery, Cherrypaw following. Their father, Spiderclaw, sat in front of it. "May we meet them?"
The black tom nodded, and stepped out of the way. Spottedpaw ducked in. It's much smaller than the last time I was here. Then she realized she had grown.
Spottedpaw purred. The three kits were nestled against their mother, who looked exhausted. The brown she-cat looked up at them.
"What are their names?" Spottedpaw whispered into her friend's ear.
The young she-cat blinked. "The brown one in the middle is Mousekit. The other brown tabby on the left is Runningkit. And the one that looks like Robinsong is-"
"Rosekit." Robinsong helped.
"They're so cute!" Spottedpaw purred.
"Thank you, but their mother is very sleepy, and would like to rest." Robinsong responded.
Cherrypaw nodded, and led Spottedpaw out. "I hope I have kits one day."
Spottedpaw nudged her friend. "With who?" she joked. "Anyways, I'd rather be fighting for my Clan!"
"It's just for a little while!" Cherrypaw responded.
"Spottedpaw!" Spottedpaw looked up to see Sprucepaw at the camp entrance. "Do you want to hunt? Swiftfoot said it was okay."
Spottedpaw hesitated, and looked at Cherrypaw. The she-cat had amusement in her eyes. She nodded.
"Uh, sure!" Spottedpaw responded, following the tom out of camp.
They walked for a little while, then Sprucepaw sat down on a tree root. "So..."
"I thought we were hunting?" Spottedpaw asked, bewildered.
"We have time. Did you see Robinsong's kits?"
Spottedpaw nodded.
"They're really cute. I miss being a kit. No worries, no cares, you know?"
"Yeah, but at least we're closer to becoming warriors!" she paused. "Did you hear that?"
Sprucepaw pricked his ears, and his eyes lit up. "Yeah, a squirrel!" He backed up, and raced up the tree, onto a branch. "Chase it up here!"
"I know!" Spottedpaw called. She rounded the tree, then chased the bushy-tailed creature up the thing. Sprucepaw took a great leap, and landed facing the squirrel on the tree. It whirled around, back down, straight in to Spottedpaw's claws.
"Nice!" Sprucepaw purred, landing nimbly beside her.
"You too!" Spottedpaw mewed, dropping the squirrel. "I thought you'd fall!"
"It might help to be named after a tree. What do you think my warrior name will be, Sprucebranch?" he joked.
"We should keep going, Sprucetwig."
"Okay, Spottednose!" Sprucepaw scuffed up dirt, making sure it covered Spottedpaw's nose.
Spottedpaw sneezed, and his eyes softened. "Sorry." he hesitated, then reached out and licked Spottedpaw's nose. She froze for a moment, but came to her senses.
Let's go!"
Spottedpaw and Sprucepaw came back with two squirrels and a mouse.
"Good job, for leaf-bare hunting!" Swiftfoot purred. "You two should rest; the Gathering is tonight, and all the apprentices are going."
Spottedpaw's pelt prickled with excitement. Her first Gathering! What would it be like? Would she meet the Clan leaders?
But for now, she lay in the chilly leaf-bare sun. She saw Icepaw leave the elders' den, and called him over. He sat beside her. "Do you get to go to the Gathering?" he asked, and Spottedpaw nodded.
"We should eat." she suggested.
Icepaw nodded, and grabbed a scrawny squirrel.
"I can't wait until we can eat real fresh-kill." Spottedpaw muttered, dabbing at the thing.
"I know. A kit could eat two of these."
"Be grateful for what you get." Hailstar growled as he passed.
"Yes, Hailstar." Spottedpaw replied, taking a bite out of the squirrel.
Soon enough, the sun started sinking, and Hailstar gathered the cats leaving. Spottedpaw stood between Cherrypaw and Icepaw.
As they entered the clearing, Spottedpaw gasped. The Boulders were gleaming with moonlight, unlike anything she had ever seen. Cloudspot nudged her, and she jumped. "Go on."
The clearing was filled with different cats. Spottedpaw watched as Blackfoot went to sit beside the other medicine cats. Spottedpaw bounded down the moor, slowing as she spotted a small cluster of apprentices showing off battle moves. Cherrypaw sat down, and Spottedpaw sat beside her.
"Hi, Dawnpaw." Cherrypaw greeted a pretty tortoiseshell.
The black cat showing a forepaw strike paused, paw still out. "Who's this?" he asked.
"Our newest apprentice. Her and her brother just became 'paws a little while ago." Cherrypaw boasted.
"She looks like Brownleaf!" a light grey tom blurted out. Dawnpaw sshed him.
A yowl rang through the clearing, and Spottedpaw looked up to see four cats on the Boulders, one of them Hailstar.
"Who's the she-cat?" she whispered to Cherrypaw.
"The BrookClan leader, Minnowstar." she murmured back. "Now hush, Birchstar is speaking!"
Sure enough, a black tom stood at the front of his rock.
"DarkClan chased away a fox this moon." he called. "We assume it left the territories, but keep an eye out for it."
Hailstar dipped his head. "Thank you." he mewed, stepping up and talking about their abundance of prey, which confused Spottedpaw.
"What's he talking about?" she asked.
Cherrypaw looked back at her. "Telling the Clans we are hungry will do no good."
Spottedpaw nodded to a small grey she-cat on another Boulder. "That's Smallstar, right?"
Cherrypaw nodded.
"And we have two new apprentices." Hailstar went on. "Spottedpaw and Icepaw."
"Spottedpaw! Icepaw!" the cats called. Spottedpaw looked around to find Icepaw sitting beside Dewpelt. Her excitement was reflected in his eyes.
Spottedpaw kept looking at the cats as Smallstar and Minnowstar spoke. The tom from the river sat beside his mentor. He met her gaze, but looked away quickly.
After the Gathering, he approached her. "Hi." he said. "I saw you at the river, right?"
Spottedpaw nodded.
"Well, I'm Rainpaw."
"Hi, I'm sure you know my name." she joked.
"Spottedpaw!" Icepaw's call got her attention. "We're leaving!"
Spottedpaw dipped her head to her new friend, then turned around and followed her Clan up the hill.
Haha, as you keep reading, you'll find out that I'm addicted to the cats catching squirrels. Not even on purpose, it's just a habit.
Oh! And I forgot to make an Allegiances chapter. I'll make one soon, don't worry! :D
