Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, only Flamepaw and the minor plot differences.
~Chapter Five~
It was a few minutes after Flamepaw dozed off when she smelled a familiar scent and opened up her eyes and lifted her head slightly to see Firepaw trotting through the fern tunnel. She slowly got to her feet then and yawned before hopping out of her nest and walking over to her brother, who was talking to Spottedleaf.
"I've got most of those in my den," Spottedleaf was saying. "I'll fetch some marigold leaves too. If she dresses her wound with that, it will keep off any infection. Wait here."
"Thanks," Firepaw mewed, as the young medicine cat slid past her with a greeting and disappeared back into her den.
"Hi, Firepaw," she murmured quietly and he looked up at her then.
"Hi, Flamepaw," he meowed then hesitantly asked, "what happened to you?"
She couldn't help but let out a huff. "I messed with the wrong bramble thicket while hunting for a mouse. That's what happened," she muttered good naturedly and Spottedleaf emerged once again from the gloom and dropped a bundle folded in leaves by Firepaw's feet.
"Tell Yellowfang to go easy on the poppy seeds. I don't want her to deaden the pain entirely. A little pain can be useful, as it will help us judge how well she is healing."
Firepaw nodded and picked up the herbs with his teeth. "Thanks, Spottedleaf!" he mewed through the mouthful of leaves, then headed back out the fern tunnel and into the main clearing.
The sun had risen three times since Yellowfang had entered the camp and that Flamepaw had gotten stuck in that bramble thicket. She herself had been in a very bad mood ever since and was still sore. The young medicine cat apprentice had woken quite early today and was grooming her now patchy coat. She couldn't help but wince every time her tongue rasped over a patchy tender spot. Flamepaw now satisfied that her pelt was as neatly groomed as she could get it, now stood up and slid out of the fern tunnel.
The morning was warm. She now looked up then at the deep blue sky. Today, however, there was heavy dew on the fern fronds and it sparkled on the grass. Flamepaw knew that Greenleaf was drawing to a close, and soon the air would start to become cooler and the days would become shorter.
She turned her head then and saw her brother, Firepaw, pad out of the apprentice den and sniff the air before lying down and rolling in the earth beside the tree stump. She watched then as he stretched out his legs and tipped his head back to rub it on the cool ground. Then he flipped over and looked in the direction of where Yellowfang was sleeping, no doubt looking to see if the old she-cat was awake.
Flamepaw shook her head then and winced as a stab of pain rushed through her. She turned her head then and caught sight of the other apprentices trotting out of the apprentice den with Ravenpaw appearing last, with a nervous glance around the clearing before emerging fully into the open.
She watched then as Dustpaw and Sandpaw started what looked like their usual taunts and insults towards the flame-coated apprentice. All she did was sigh and sat a few tail-lengths away from them as Sandpaw mewed rudely, "Perhaps she thinks a kittypet is better off staying in camp, tending to the sick." Tossing her sleek ginger head and throwing Firepaw a scornful look.
"And what's wrong with a kittypet staying in camp tending to the sick, Sandpaw, pray tell," she meowed catching her adopted sister's attention.
The pale ginger she-cat whipped around then and looked at her guiltily, "Sorry, Flamepaw," she replied guiltily.
The orange tabby and white she-cat nodded stiffly as her brother mewed, "What is Whitestorm teaching you today, Sandpaw?"
"We're doing battle training today. He's going to teach me how a real warrior fights," Sandpaw replied proudly.
"Lionheart's taking me to the Great Sycamore," mewed Graypaw, "to practice my climbing. I best go. He'll be waiting."
"I'll come with you to the top of the ravine," mewed Firepaw. "I have to catch breakfast for Yellowfang. Coming Ravenpaw? Tigerclaw must have something planned for you."
Then her brother turned to her, "What about you Flamepaw? Can you come?"
She couldn't help but purr at her brother's hopefulness. "Of course I'm coming you crazy furball. Besides, Spottedleaf said I could take the whole day off since I've been working hard for the past couple of days," she meowed.
Flamepaw now followed the three toms out of camp. Even though his injury was completely healed, Ravenpaw still seemed to have little enthusiasm for warrior training.
...
Flamepaw was literally hissing in fury as she tried to claw herself out of yet another bramble thicket. She couldn't believe how she quite literally walked straight into it without noticing it in the first place. She was started to wonder if Bluestar should have called her Bramblepelt. As she struggled the thorns started to dig deeper into what was left of her pelt from the last time and ended up letting out a screech of complete agony.
Suddenly she heard a loud crashing and thumping of something coming closer and fast. Flamepaw immediately started to whip from side to side trying to struggle her way out. Then out of nowhere she heard a loud battle cry and just as a dog appeared, Tigerclaw came flying out of the undergrowth and flung himself on the dog.
She watched then with wide shocked green eyes as the dark tabby warrior slashed at the dog's muzzle. Blood splattered onto the grass then and yelping, the dog turned and fled into the undergrowth from the direction it came from.
Flamepaw couldn't help but try to haul herself out of the brambles but they just simply dug in even deeper. Tigerclaw now turned towards her then and his amber eyes widened in disbelief.
"Before you say anything, yes I got caught in another bramble thicket. Only this time, I actually stumbled into it by accident," she muttered and felt her pelt heat up with embarrassment.
Tigerclaw purred with amusement then and walked forward, "You really need to be more careful of where you're going, Flamepaw," he replied before grabbing her neck fur and giving her a sharp tug they ended up flying backwards.
Flamepaw landed right on top Tigerclaw who let out a muffled, "Oomph!" and she quickly scrambled off him. The dark tabby then sat up and looked at her with worry in his eyes.
"Are you okay?" he demanded and stood up to sniff her pelt.
"I'm fine, Tigerclaw," she rasped and looked at her pelt to find it not only covered in mud but also in thorns. "Not again!" she groaned, before sitting down and starting to pull out thorns along with clumps of her fur.
"Here let me do it," Tigerclaw replied gently before sitting beside her and gently tugging out thorns with his teeth.
Flamepaw sat there then for a while, as the warrior tugged out the thorns tangled in her pelt. She still couldn't believe how mouse-brained she was for walking into another bramble thicket. Finally Tigerclaw managed to tug out the last of the thorns.
"There that's all I could see," he meowed looking over her pelt carefully.
"Thanks," she muttered before standing up and gasped out in pain.
"What is it?" Tigerclaw demanded immediately looking at her worriedly.
"I'm fine," she panted, "just sore."
"Let me carry you back to camp," he meowed gently and carefully picked her up by her scruff.
After some time they finally came to the top of the ravine before she told him to put her down and said she could walk the rest of the way. The dark warrior had nodded and meowed a farewell and said something about returning to his patrol and disappeared. Slowly she started to climb down the ravine and finally came to the bottom and walked through the gorse tunnel into the camp.
As she looked around she saw her clanmates carrying sticks and twigs in their teeth. The camp had been very active since Bluestar had announced WindClan's disappearance. She saw that the queens were weaving twigs and leaves into a dense green wall around the sides of the nursery, making sure that the narrow entrance was the only way in and out of the bramble patch. Others were working at the edges of the camp, filling in any spaces in the thick undergrowth.
Even the elders were busy, scraping out a whole in the ground. Warriors filed steadily past, piling pieces of fresh-kill inside them, ready to be stored inside the newly dug hole. Flamepaw could sense the air of quiet concentration, a determination to make the Clan as secure and supplied as possible.
She knew then that if ShadowClan made a move on their territory, ThunderClan would shelter inside the camp. Her clanmates would not let themselves be driven from their hunting grounds as easily as WindClan had been.
She now looked over at Darkstripe, Longtail, Willowpelt and Dustpaw for they were waiting at the camp entrance. Their eyes had been fixed on the gorse tunnel but when she appeared they were staring at her in amazement.
"Flamepaw what happened," Longtail meowed and looked at her in alarm.
"Don't worry, Longtail, I'm not hurt physically," she murmured before adding, "except my pride…or what's left of it from last time."
"You got stuck in a bramble thicket again, Flamepaw?" Darkstripe replied in amazement and she nodded sheepishly.
"Yeah. I wasn't looking where I was going and ended up walking into it," she muttered and looked at her paws in shame.
"Try looking up every once in a while, Flamepaw," Dustpaw replied his eyes glinting in amusement.
She couldn't help but glare at him and then started to limp heavily over to the medicine den, muttering under her breath and heard a meow of amusement and looked up and turned in the direction it came from. She now found herself looking at Yellowfang whose eyes were glowing with the old humor she used to show her.
"If it helps, Flamepaw, I did the same thing to," the old ShadowClan medicine cat meowed.
"Thanks Yellowfang," she replied and gave the old medicine cat a grateful look before pushing her way into the medicine den to see Firepaw walking out with a thin strip of bark clamped between his teeth with a piece of moss stinking of mouse bile at the end of it. He nodded towards her before brushing past her.
She now looked up at Spottedleaf who was staring at her even patchier mud-stained fur. "Let me guess," her mentor began, "you got stuck in a bramble patch again."
Flamepaw nodded glumly, "Yeah, but Tigerclaw was there again and got the thorns out this time," she meowed.
The tortoiseshell nodded and disappeared into her den before reappearing with dock leaves clamped in her jaws and started to chew the leaves and lap the juice into her fresh scratches. Flamepaw couldn't help but wince as it stung but also managed to soothe the scratches. Finally after tending to her wounds, Spottedleaf gave her some poppy seeds for the pain. Now she was curled up in her nest and managed to fall asleep.
Flamepaw had now woke up and was standing beside Tigerclaw as Firepaw, Ravenpaw and Graypaw brought back their prey from their afternoon hunt. The three apprentices had been welcomed back with high tails and friendly muzzles. It took them four journeys to carry their bumper catch to the storage hole the elders had dug.
Tigerclaw along with Lionheart had returned with their patrol as they carried their last load into the camp.
"Well done, you three," meowed Lionheart. "I hear you've been busy. The store is almost full. You might as well add that last lot to the pile of fresh-kill for tonight. And take some of it back to your den with you. You deserve a feast!"
The three apprentices flicked their tails with delight.
"I hope you've not been neglecting Yellowfang with all this hunting, Firepaw," Tigerclaw growled warningly.
Firepaw shook his head impatiently and she knew he was eager to get away. She watched then as the apprentices trotted away and dropped the last of their catch onto the fresh-kill pile that already lay at the center of the clearing. Then each of them took a piece and carried it back to their tree stump.
Flamepaw knew that Spottedleaf hadn't taken anything yet and quickly trotted over to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed a pair of plump mice and carried it back to the medicine den to find that the medicine cat was still going over herbs.
"Here, Spottedleaf," she meowed and tossed one of the mice over to her.
"Thanks, Flamepaw," her mentor replied and quickly started to eat.
Flamepaw now turned and walked out of the medicine den and started to eat in her favorite spot which was a few tail-lengths away from the fern tunnel and deep in the shadows. She now started to eat her meal hungrily in silence until she heard a loud yowl from the other side of the clearing. She recognized it to be coming from Yellowfang.
She looked over at the tree stump and saw Firepaw and Graypaw arguing. After a few moments her brother sat down looking relieved as he watched his friend trot away to the pile of fresh-kill.
Flamepaw watched then as the grey apprentice, as if he were carrying out orders, Graypaw confidently picked out two of the juiciest looking mice. Quickly he started to pad across the clearing toward Yellowfang.
"Stop, Graypaw!" A loud growl rumbled from the entrance to the warriors' den. Tigerclaw strode out and stalked over to Graypaw. "Where are you taking those mice?" he demanded.
Flamepaw felt uneasy and a little queasy and barely managed to hold back her meal as she watched from the shadows.
"Umm…" Graypaw dropped the mice and shuffled his paws uncomfortably.
"Not helping young Firepaw by feeding that greedy traitor over there, are you?"
She watched then as the young apprentice studied his paws for a moment. Finally he replied, "I, er, I was just feeling hungry. I was going to take them off and eat them by myself. If I let that pair get a look in,"—he glanced at Firepaw and Ravenpaw—"they'll leave me with nothing but bones and fur."
"Oh, really?" mewed Tigerclaw. "Well, if you're so hungry you might as well as eat them here and now!"
"But—" Graypaw began, looking up at the senior warrior in alarm.
"Now!" growled Tigerclaw.
Graypaw bent his head quickly and began to eat the mice. He demolished the first one in a couple of bites and swallowed quickly. The second mouse took longer to eat. Flamepaw felt herself become even queasier and felt her stomach throb and clench tightly and barely managed to swallow her mouse back, as she watched Graypaw eventually gave a final, difficult gulp and the last bit of mouse disappeared.
"Better, now?" asked Tigerclaw, his voice smooth with mock sympathy.
"Much," replied Graypaw, stifling a burp.
"Good." Tigerclaw stalked off again, in the direction of his den before he noticed her watching from the shadows and started to walk over to her.
"Are you alright?" he demanded in alarm.
She looked up at him; her eyes filled with pain as she whipped away from him and felt her stomach give a sharp uncomfortable lurch. Flamepaw struggled but found she no longer could hold back and her whole body started to jerk as her stomach gave a large heave as she vomited. Her eyes widened then in alarm but found her stomach heaving uncontrollably as she started to vomit the rest of her meal. Surprisingly her stomach kept on heaving and she vomited some more before collapsing onto her side gasping for air.
She felt even more sharp jabs of pain in her stomach. It was almost like it was being gripped by vicious jaws. She was shocked when the pain in her belly hardened, making her writhe. Jerking, she vomited once again before collapsing. Her mouth felt dry and parched. She felt so thirsty!
"Spottedleaf!" Tigerclaw yowled, his voice laced with panic.
A few moments later, the medicine cat appeared in her blurred vision. "Bring her to the medicine den. Now!" she ordered.
Flamepaw managed to stumble to her paws then and ended up leaning heavily against Tigerclaw as he helped into the den and into her nest, where she collapsed heavily.
"Water," she moaned.
"Tigerclaw go soak some moss with water for her to drink," Spottedleaf commanded.
Flamepaw felt weak and small as she laid there. A few moments later, the senior warrior returned and laid some wet moss near her muzzle. She lifted her head then and lapped at the water desperately, but as soon as the water hit her belly, another painful spasm seized her. She vomited again, unable to stop herself. But the tormenting thirst was still there, as if all the water in the world would not quench the fire inside her. Terrified, Flamepaw crouched in her nest and sank her claws into the moss lining her nest. StarClan, help me! She let out a long desperate moan.
"Flamepaw, eat these," her mentor ordered as she dropped some ragged-edged crinkled leaves at her paws.
"What is it?" she rasped and felt another sharp pain in her belly.
"Parsley," the medicine cat replied and nudged the herb closer, "it cures bellyache."
Flamepaw nodded weakly and lapped up the leaves. She struggled to keep them down but ended up throwing the leaves back up. She was shocked when her stomach gave another heave and she vomited again before collapsing. Flamepaw was now too weak to move. Her body twitched, helpless with pain; she now had no power to resist the spasms. Vomit dribbled from her mouth, jerked up by another convulsion.
She no longer had the strength to feel scared. Her eyes flicked around searching for someone familiar through the painful haze. She coughed up phlegm, her belly now empty. Suddenly, she felt someone lick the fur between her ears soothingly. She blinked and finally for a moment she could see clearly through the pain.
"Tigerclaw?" she rasped, barely getting the name out.
He gently hushed her then and his amber eyes became soft and gentle and something else she couldn't identify. He then looked up. "Will she be okay, Spottedleaf?" he asked his voice hesitant.
"I don't know, Tigerclaw, but she's young and strong. There's a possibility of her surviving, but there's also a strong possibility of her dying as well. That possibility is even stronger since she is unable to keep the herbs down. We'll have to wait and let StarClan decide," the medicine cat meowed, her voice filled with defeat.
The dark tabby nodded then and looked back down at her. Flamepaw stared back, her eyes glazed with pain as another spasm jerked her body. Tigerclaw then looked over at the tortoiseshell once more.
"Will it be alright if I stay with her tonight?" he meowed nervously and the medicine cat nodded before disappearing again.
The dark tabby now carefully climbed into her nest then and wrapped his body around her gently as he tried to soothe her by rasping his tongue over her patchy fur. A weak grateful purr managed its way through her throat then before being cut off by a moan of pain as another convulsion overcame her body. Her body now twitched and Flamepaw felt the last of her strength leave her. Pain twisted her belly tighter and tighter until she was blind to everything but agony.
Flamepaw was woken when she felt someone shift slightly before relaxing again. She felt surprisingly warm and comfortable. She then forced her eyes open. They were sticky with sleep and she had to blink to clear the fuzziness from her vision. Slowly she lifted her head and turned her head to see Tigerclaw fast asleep. His breathing was deep and even. Flamepaw then pushed herself to her paws. Her belly felt crushed and slightly cramped, but the jerking agony had gone and she didn't feel sick or thirsty anymore.
She now unsteadily climbed out of her nest and felt very shaky so she sat down with a soft thump. She heard Tigerclaw shift slightly before she heard a startled, almost panicked gasp behind her before it was followed with a sigh of relief. A moment later, she felt fur brush against her own.
"I thought you'd never wake up again," Tigerclaw meowed softly.
Flamepaw now looked up then to meet his gaze with her own. "So did I," she admitted before looking down at her paws.
"How are you feeling?" he asked hesitantly.
"A little shaky and weak, but besides that I don't feel sick or thirsty anymore," she mewed looking back at him once more.
"That's good," he murmured before adding, "Spottedleaf thinks you ate a poisoned mouse."
Flamepaw stared at him in alarm, "It tasted fine," she replied, confused.
"Well it was either that or you secretly ate crow-food," he meowed.
"I'd never eat crow-food," she objected immediately, leaping to her feet and teetered slightly on her paws.
"Alright," he murmured gently, "I believe you."
She relaxed slightly before she turned and started to limp across the medicine clearing towards the fern tunnel.
"Where are you going?" Tigerclaw demanded as he caught up with her.
"I'm going to the dirtplace," she mewed before brushing through the fern tunnel and into the camp with the dark tabby hard on her paws.
...
Flamepaw soon exited the dirtplace and Tigerclaw walked up to her then looking nervous.
"You should return to the medicine den and rest," the senior warrior meowed.
"I will not! My legs are cramped and I need to get some fresh air away from the camp. I will not become a prisoner in my own home," she snapped.
The dark tabby sighed heavily then. "Alright then you can do the hunting assessment with the other apprentices today," he replied and with a flick of his tail towards her to tell her to follow him, the senior warrior trotted over to the gorse tunnel.
...
She now followed Tigerclaw down into the sandy hollow then, where her brother, Graypaw, and Ravenpaw were waiting. Tigerclaw greeted them briskly and launched straight into the exercise details. "Lionheart and I have spent the last few weeks trying to teach you how to hunt decently," he meowed. "Today you'll have a chance to show me how much you have learned. Each of you will take a different route and hunt as much prey as possible. And whatever you catch will be added to the supplies in camp."
Flamepaw watched silently then as the three apprentices looked at one another, nervous and excited. She saw Firepaw's eye glow at the prospect of a challenge.
"Ravenpaw, you will follow the trail beyond the Great Sycamore as far as the Snakerocks. That should be easy enough for your pitiful skills. You, Graypaw," Tigerclaw continued, "will take the route along the stream, as far as the Thunderpath."
"Great," mewed Graypaw. "Wet paws for me!" Tigerclaw's stare silenced him.
"And finally you, Firepaw. What a shame your great mentor couldn't be here today to witness your performance for herself. You shall take the route through the Tallpines, past the Treecut place, to the woods beyond."
Then Tigerclaw turned to her. "You, Flamepaw, will take the route from Sunningrocks, to the Owl Tree, to as far as Fourtrees," he told her and she nodded.
"And remember," Tigerclaw finished, fixing them all with his pale-eyed stare, "I shall be watching all of you."
Ravenpaw was the first to sprint away toward the Snakerocks. Flamepaw then stood up and staggered slightly as she pushed herself to her paws and started to make her way toward Sunningrocks with Tigerclaw right behind her, leaving Firepaw and Graypaw alone in the hollow.
"Are you sure you don't want to go back to camp to rest?" the dark tabby mewed, earning a glare from her.
"I don't want to rest! That's all I've been doing since I got tangled in those bramble thickets," she growled.
Tigerclaw sighed heavily then and bowed his towards her, "I can see I can't change your mind," he replied before bounding off away from her and into the forest.
Flamepaw now continued her journey to Sunningrocks. She looked through the undergrowth with alert green eyes and stalked cautiously through the forest, being careful not to walk into another bramble thicket. She now turned her head and looked through a thick cluster of bushes, alert for the sight and sound of prey.
Suddenly, a movement caught her eye. It was a squirrel. Flamepaw quickly made sure the wind was blowing towards her before dropping into the hunter's crouch. Slowly, she stalked through the undergrowth making sure her weight was in her haunches and that her paws were light on the ground. She stalked forward then, keeping low to the ground and moved through the undergrowth like a shadow. The squirrel suddenly looked up from nibbling on the nut it had in its front paws, and Flamepaw froze.
The squirrel then dropped the nut it had been nibbling on and made a dash for the nearest tree. Flamepaw quickly shot out of the undergrowth in a blur and raced after the grey creature. She moved smoothly after it with complete control of her movements. The squirrel had climbed halfway up a nearby maple tree and Flamepaw lept up after it. She climbed up the tree as if she were a squirrel herself and was quick, as she lept up the tree and grabbed the squirrel by the tail with her claws.
The squirrel didn't have a chance to make a noise before her jaws closed around its throat in the killing bite. She then quickly buried it, so she could return for it later on the return journey and made her way towards Sunningrocks.
Soon, the familiar dark grey rocks appeared. Flamepaw then opened her jaws and scented rabbit. Quickly she followed the scent, until she came to a small clearing near Sunningrocks. The rabbit was nibbling on some long grass. Slowly and as silent as possible, she stalked the unaware creature. Suddenly its head snapped up as it sniffed the air. Flamepaw froze.
Then the rabbit's ears twitched before it started to run away. Flamepaw raced after it. Her paws light and quick as a WindClan warrior's as her body weaved through the rocks with blinding speed. She nimbly weaved through the mazelike paths through Sunningrocks and smoothly curved her spine with each stride. She easily tucked in her hind legs close before thrusting herself flat again. She made sure to reach out with her forepaws a little farther before they touched the ground.
She pushed harder with every stride until she was aware of nothing but the steady thrumming of her paws and the way her breath fell in time with her pace. She was suddenly moving with ease, as though the wind were carrying her while the ground slid beneath her like air beneath a swallow's wings.
Flamepaw could feel the thrill that running gave her and quickly caught up with the rabbit and leaped onto it. She then bit down on the back of its neck and felt it go limp. She then buried it and scented the air.
RiverClan!
She swiftly crouched down and crept forward toward the scent. The gurgled nearby. Flamepaw peered through a bush and down the leaf-strewn bank.
A familiar gray pelt moved in the shallows.
Flamepaw stared in astonishment as Stonefur padded out on the ThunderClan side of the river, barely three tail-lengths from her. He shook himself like a dog, and then stretched out on a smooth stone sloping up from the water. The sun glistened on his sleek pelt, which clung darkly to his well-muscled frame. He was going to sleep! On ThunderClan territory!
Flamepaw tensed, ready to spring out and confront the trespasser. Then she paused. He looked so peaceful. Caught in the moment, she found herself watching his flank rising and falling.
What am I doing?
She plunged through the bushes and skidded to a halt behind him, sending small stones rattling down to the water. "Get out!"
Stonefur lifted his head and glanced over his shoulder. "Flamepaw!"
He could at least act guilty! She'd caught him on ThunderClan territory.
"Just because you want Sunningrocks," she hissed, "doesn't mean you can help yourself to any piece of territory you want."
"Sorry." Stonefur got to his paws. "I couldn't resist such a sunny spot."
"You couldn't resist?" Rage choked her. "You arrogant fur-ball!" Without thinking, she launched herself at him, claws swiping his face.
He ducked and she missed.
Flamepaw stopped with her paws dug into the stones to stop her from falling over. Were his whiskers twitching? I'll teach him! She twisted and sharply nipped his hind leg.
"Ow!" Stonefur hopped out of the way and swung his broad head toward her, catching her shoulder as she reared for another lunge.
While she was scrabbling at the air, Flamepaw's hind paws skidded out of the stones. She lost her balance and flopped ungracefully into the river. As the water drenched her pelt, panic shot through her. I'm drowning!
"Help me!"
But Stonefur stayed on the bank, his eyes bright with amusement. "Try standing up," he suggested calmly.
Flamepaw thrust her paws downward, expecting to vanish underwater. Instead, her feet stubbed against the round stones on the bottom of the river. She stood up, surprised to find the water lapping just above her belly fur. Hot with embarrassment, she stalked onto the bank and shook herself, making sure Stonefur felt the spray.
"How was I supposed to know it was that shallow?" she snapped. "ThunderClan cats don't have to get wet to catch our prey."
Stonefur shrugged. "Sorry you got a bit damp." His gaze flitted over her pelt. "I was just defending myself."
His feeble apology only made Flamepaw angrier. "Why don't you shut up and get off my territory?"
He tipped his head to one side. "It seems a shame to leave at the start of such a promising friendship."
Friendship! This RiverClan cat was cheekier than the most upstart kit! "You'd better leave now, or I'll give you a scar you won't forget," Flamepaw growled.
Stonefur dipped his head, his gaze holding hers for an instant, then padded into the shallows and swam sleekly across the river. Flamepaw watched him slip onto the bank at the other side, water dripping from his thick pelt. Before he disappeared into the trees he looked back at her, his eyes gleaming.
"I won't forget you, scar or no scar," he called.
Flamepaw didn't dignify his dumb comment with a reply. Mouse-brain! Wet and cross, she stamped up the bank and headed into the trees.