Sorry for the wait all you readers! School was bogging me down so I was stuck. Now I present…
Chapter 12
The fish was appreciated by the Clan. Stormflower took one and headed towards the nursery. "Mother, are you here?"
"Stormflower, is that you?", Evesong croaked.
"You're having a bad day, I take it?"
"Yeah. I've been tired all day, so I didn't want to walk to the pond and get water."
"I'll get some water for you, mother." Stormflower ran over to Mistyleaf's den. "Got some water?", Stormflower asked.
"Do I look like a pond?" , Mistyleaf snapped.
"No, but I was just thinking…" "Well, I don't have any water! I've been talking to Vixenstar all day about how he should do….." "Do what, Mistyleaf?"
"Never mind, Stormflower. I'm sorry, I'm just a tad high-strung today. Take the moss," said Mistyleaf, pointing to it with her tail, "and soak it thoroughly."
"Thanks!", Stormflower said. Stormflower took the moss out of camp, heading towards the pond. The little pond was behind the hill where the apprentices trained; it was under a slab of rock that jutted out over it. The ground wasn't marshy, as Stormflower had guessed, but it was hard and rocky.
Grass sprouted out of cracks in the rock, and the gray rocks were warmed by the sun's rays. Stormflower bent down and prodded the moss around in the shallow water until it was holding enough water to quench Evesong's thirst. When she was satisfied with her work, the she-cat warrior tucked the moss carefully under her chin, trying not to squeeze water out of it.
An emptiness in Stormflower's stomach grew. "I wish I'd gotten a vole or mouse to eat earlier, she thought. "And there still might be time for a tasty morsel. It's not like I have an apprentice to mentor."
The Clan was bustling about the camp when Stormflower returned. Poppyfire headed a border patrol out of camp and Ravenfeather was talking to Firepaw. Mousekit, Volekit, and Burrkit were play-fighting like any other young littermates would.
"Here's your moss!", Stormflower exclaimed.
"Wait a second," Evesong called.
"What, mother?"
"I know you've been stressed over your father being gone. Please accept that he's in StarClan." Truthfully, Stormflower hadn't been stressed over her father, Swiftfeather. She'd been stressed over another cat.
Rather than admit what she was really worrying about, Stormflower said, "Alright, mother. It gets so aggravating at times."
"I understand." Stormflower left feeling guilty. Why didn't she think of her father more? She shook the thought away, and went to bask in the sun. All of Stormflower's troubles melted away as she lay in the comforting sun. Slumber ensured, and so darkness came.
"Wake up, wake up, love! Look at TallPine!", Talonstorm exclaimed. Stormflower grunted. She walked over and fell a couple feet to the clay ground.
"Now, see what you've done! Why'd you do it Talonstorm? What is so important?" , Stormflower complained.
"I just wanted you to be by me at TallPine," Talonstorm said quietly.
"I'm sorry. I'll come with you." When the two sat down, Stormflower almost immediately knew what was happening. Now, she definitely wasn't hungry; she was worried.