CHAPTER 12
Hey guys, I'm so sorry I haven't updated sooner. We just moved, and the internet just got hooked back up. So from now on, no more delays!
Spottedpaw's fur burned with embarrassment as Minnowstar pushed through the reeds that made up the BrookClan entrance. Some cats bounded up to them to greet them, but most stared warily at the half-Clan cats, their long fur spiked up. She looked over at Icepaw, and understood the anger in his eyes; she had looked forward to fighting these cats, not living with them.
"Hey, Spottedpaw! Icepaw!" Spottedpaw looked away from her brother as Rainpaw and Dawnpaw bounded up to them.
"Can you believe it?" Rainpaw asked cheerfully. "We're Clanmates now!"
"Y-yeah," Spottedpaw said halfheartedly.
"We made you a den next to ours," Dawnpaw purred.
"Hey, stop crowding them!" Dawnpaw's brother, Reedpaw, mewed, pushing past them to greet Spottedpaw and Icepaw.
"Yeah, they might give you their StormClan stench!" Spottedpaw turned to see a dark gray she-cat sneer, not hiding her disdainful tone.
"Hush, Leopardpaw!" Ripplepelt scolded from behind her. "They're BrookClan, too!"
"Don't mind her," Dawnpaw leaned in to murmur in Spottedpaw's ear, " Leopardpaw's always looking for trouble."
Spottedpaw watched as Minnowstar leaped gracefully up onto a fallen ash tree, which reminded Spottedpaw painfully of StormClan. "I think our new Clanmates are getting along just fine." Minnowstar meowed after she called the meeting. "But they must not be lacking in any training. I will give these two cats new mentors.
"Tigerleap, you will mentor Spottedpaw." Spottedpaw watched as a pretty light tabby she-cat walked forward. "Pass on your loyalty and grace," Minnowstar mewed as Spottedpaw touched noses with the she-cat.
"Spottedpaw!" Rainpaw called, and Reedpaw and Dawnpaw echoed him, along with a few other cats. That's okay. By the time I get my warrior name, all these cats will be cheering!
"Icepaw," Minnowstar called, breaking the awkward silence. "I will be your mentor. I hope you grow into a formidable fighter, and a warrior I can be proud of." Icepaw padded boldly up to Minnowstar after she leapt off the tree, and touched noses with her, although Spottedpaw saw her brother's fur rise as he did so. As she cheered, she hoped his fear would wear off soon.
o.o
"Now you try," Tigerleap ordered.
Dawnpaw crouched, preparing to attack Spottedpaw. Spottedpaw dove under her, and went to roll into her legs, but the fluffy tortoiseshell plopped down on her.
"Fox dung!" Spottedpaw spat as Dawnpw backed off of her, humor in her eyes. "You've been eating too much fish!"
"Fox dung?" Dawnpaw purred, licking a black and brown paw. "And if you think I'm fat, try sharing with Reedpaw!"
"That was a good try," Tigerleap mewed, circling the she-cats with interest. "But Spottedpaw, you have to be faster, and Dawnpaw, if she had been on her back, that plan would have backfired on you."
Spottedpaw nodded briskly, and growled. "This cold is so annoying!" she said, kneading her claws into the frost-covered ground.
Tigerleap nodded. "True. We need to go back to camp, before all of us freeze like the river!"
"Great idea," Dawnpaw grunted. "Wish I'd thought of it!" Luckily, Tigerleap had already started walking toward the reed bed nearby, and they followed without hesitation.
Spottedpaw brushed through the reeds, and looked up to see Pineclaw, a sleek brown tabby. He nodded to her, and she nodded uncomfortably back; he was her father's brother. Spottedpaw hurriedly grabbed a fish and headed over to the thin tree stump near hers and Icepaw's reed den, which was connected to Reedpaw's, Rainpaw's, and Dawnpaw's. To her surprise, Silverwing, the medicine cat, walked over to her and sat down.
"How do you like BrookClan so far?" she asked.
Spottedpaw shrugged, tearing into her fish.
"I'm sorry."
Spottedpaw looked up. "For what?"
"For... everything, really. Brownleaf trusted me... a lot. He told me about his, er, mistake, and about the kitting. He couldn't find me the night of her kitting, and he left without me. I found his body, and you two in a hollow tree nearby. Your mother was nowhere around, so I assumed she had abandoned you." the pretty she-cat's blue eyes burned with anger for a moment, but it faded when she blinked. "You were born in a storm, so I assumed it was a sign from StarClan that you would go to StormClan. I disguised my scent, and hid you two outside the camp. Of course, Blackfoot found you, and..." Silverwing looked into Spottedpaw's eyes. "Look, I'm sorry. I told Minnowstar, and she immediately assumed you should go to us."
Spottedpaw, to her own surprise, licked the she-cat's nose. "It's okay." she blinked. "If not for you, we would have died."
"You're so much more forgiving than your brother. He knows I shouldn't have told Minnowstar. It wasn't my secret to tell."
Spottedpaw didn't reply, but took a bite out of her fish. Wish a sigh, Silverwing stood and padded away.
As she finished her meal , Rainpaw padded up to her. "Hey."
"Hey."
"What did Silverwing want?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing."
"Well, have you seen Mistflower's kits?"
"No, can I?" Rainpaw nodded, and Spottedpaw followed him across camp to the nursery, yet another reed den. But as she walked in, a black she-cat jumped out, snapping at her. "S-sorry!" Spottedpaw said, bewildered, as she backed back inside with an angry growl.
"It's okay," Rainpaw mewed, licking her forehead. "They'll warm up to you."
Spottedpaw shrugged. "I doubt it'll be anytime soon."
Rainpaw pressed against her as they walked towards her den. "Well, you have us."
Spottedpaw looked up at Silverpelt. The sun sure went down fast. "Yeah," she mewed, walking inside her den. "I guess I do."
Woo, long chapter! :D Well, I'm tired. Sorry for the dumb ending, it'll be better next time. :)
