Chapter 3: An Encounter
"Push yourself SwanPaw!" OtterSplash yowled loudly. Both FoxPaw and SwanPaw were practicing battle moves, one of FoxPaw's special abilities. SwanPaw felt like she always had to compete with her older sister, when she did get her moment of glory, it just got taken away from her by her sister. SwanPaw tried to watch her sisters' movements. She caught at the corner of her eye, she was readying to whip around and pin her, luckily, SwanPaw had been born with long legs, she crouched waiting for the right moment, then soared upwards. Her sister ran head-first into a tree, she used the opportunity to pin down FoxPaw. She placed both her paws in the square centre of her sisters' shoulders, she used her hind legs to buckle FoxPaws' legs from underneath her. FoxPaw fell with a thud to the forest floor, her mentor looking down at her. "Best two out of three!" FoxPaw grumbled from under her sisters' weight. "No can do, sorry FoxPaw but SwanPaw has dawn patrol tomorrow," OtterSplash flicked her tail calmly. The two she-cats shook out their ruffled pelts, padding side by side with their mentors. On the way, they discussed what FoxPaw could've done, and praised SwanPaw. SwanPaw puffed out her chest in pride, a light bounce in her step.
When they arrived to camp, TroutPaw, HeronPaw, and SilverPaw were chatting noisily near the den, and CoalNose and OwlWing were sharing a vole together, when they caught sight of their daughters, they padded up towards them. "How was your first day of actual training?" OwlWing mewed smiling. "Really great! I pinned down FoxPaw!" SwanPaw piped up happily. "Only cause you cheated.." FoxPaw mumbled staring at her paws. "Did not!" SwanPaw protested. "Enough you two, go rest." CoalNose flicked his tail tip calmly. "Can I go for a walk?" SwanPaw mewed. "Alright, but don't go too far." OwlWing mewed calmly. Relieved, SwanPaw practically bounded out of camp, feeling the wind run through her fur. She breathed the clear air happily, her strides shortened as she noticed she was near the MarshClan border. She heard paw steps so she dove for cover in a nearby bush. She scented the air just as OtterSplash had taught her, she could scent the MarshClan deputy, she forgot the name.. and about 3 or 4 other warriors she didn't recognize. Lumbering behind them were two apprentices, one she didn't recognize but the other she could smell a mile away. 'MarbledPaw!' She thought happily. "Psst!" She hissed softly. She hoped he would hear her. Through the muffled voices she could hear MarbledPaws' clear as a bell. "Er.. SpeckledNose may I go make dirt?" He mewed shuffling his paws. "Oh alright," The she sighed irritably. A few moments later SwanPaw heard rustling, her heart raced. She recognized the distinct scent of his pelt, he crawled in beside her. "What are you doing here?" He half hissed-half murmured to keep his voice down. "A-A-Are you mad?" SwanPaw stammered. "Of course not, I'm assuming you couldn't wait until the Gathering?" He chuckled. "No.." She half-admiringly blushed. He licked her ear friendly. "Would you be able to meet here?" She mewed. "I-" the tom was cut off by his deputy' yowl. "Rats! I gotta go.." He hissed. "You might not wanna go under there.." He mewed looking concernedly at the bush. SwanPaw tried really hard not to laugh. The she looked at MarbledPaw worriedly. "Let's just... get back to camp.." She sighed. Once their paw steps faded, she ducked out of the bush, swimming back to camp so that she could get rid of the toms' scent.
She snuck into the apprentice den, and curled up falling asleep. It seemed as though she was only asleep for a little while before OtterSplash prodded her awake. She blinked groggily, slipping out leaving her sisters' sleeping body in the den with the other apprentices. SilverPaw, TroutPaw, HeronPaw, and SiltPaw were all 3 moons older than FoxPaw and SwanPaw. SwanPaw joined OtterSplash with FerretNose, WillowDrop, and TidalFace. Together, all 5 cats padded out to the MarshClan border, she was tracking a water-vole when she caught scent of another cat masking the one it had been with. She shrugged going back to her vole. She found it at the roots of a willow tree, she made sure the wind was blowing towards her. SwanPaw shifted her weight, keep her tail above the ground so as not to disturb any leaves. She slowly crept forward, then with her powerful long legs, she leaped, landing on her target perfectly. She bit into it's neck, killing it swiftly. 'Thank you StarClan for this meal.' She vowed silently. SwanPaw happily carried her prey to OtterSplash, who eyed it happily. "Nice Catch!" She mewed purring. "Thanks!" SwanPaw beamed feeling achievement. As soon as they met up with the rest of the patrol, they headed back their paws heavy from all the walking. "Alright SwanPaw go drop your prey in the prey pile and you may rest." OtterSplash mewed happily. SwanPaw dipped her head, padding into the empty apprentice den. 'The others must be out training..' She thought drowsily. As if almost instantly, she curled up in her nest and fell asleep. When she woke up at sun high, it was drizzling softly outside. She wasn't sure what to do, since OtterSplash clearly didn't have any plans for training today. She decided to go out for a walk. Just as she was leaving, she heard FoxPaw and SiltPaw arguing. She paused to listen. "SiltPaw don't lie to me! I know you were eyeing that she-cat at the Gathering!" FoxPaw hissed her red tail bristling and lashing from side to side. "What?! That's ridiculous! You know I love you!" SiltPaw protested. "How do I know that.." FoxPaw refused to meet his gaze, sadness clouding her eyes and her voice. "Hey.. I'll prove it to you.." He stepped forward closing the space between him, touching her muzzle softly. 'Aw that's disgusting!' SwanPaw moved on, worried things would escalate.
She padded to the MarshClan border, but by the way it scented, they had already come and gone. She froze. 'There's that scent again.. only this time it's alone..' She thought. SwanPaw noticed not only was it fresh, but it was headed straight into MarshClan territory. 'Do I dare..?' She asked herself. 'No. It's probably nothing..' She sighed turning back into her own territory. Before she could go far, a familiar voice called out to her. "SwanPaw? Is that you?" It called. She turned around, padding back. "MarbledPaw! What are you doing?" She mewed. "I didn't see on patrol this morning, so I continuously patrolled here hoping to see you.." He admitted blushing softly. "Oh sorry I was on a hunting patrol, not a border patrol." SwanPaw chuckled softly. "Ah that explains it" MarbledPaw nodded slowly. "So what was so important it couldn't wait till tomorrow?" SwanPaw smiled softly, remembering that the Gathering was tomorrow. "I just.. had to see you.. lately I've been thinking.. that we have something y'know..?" He stared at his paws.
SwanPaw blanked out for a moment. She had been standing there, then there was something missing in between then and where she was now. She was so close to him his warm breath warmed her cold ear tips. SwanPaw wasn't sure how fast she should move in, or if she should let him come to her, so she rather forcefully attempted to rub muzzle like her sister and SiltPaw, but instead she completely missed, and ended up bumping heads. "Ow.." He rubbed a paw smoothing the fur that had been ruffled. SwanPaw huffed embarrassedly. "I'm not very good at this.." She admitted shuffling her paws. "Here.." He slowly stepped forward, successfully rubbing muzzles. She blushed softly, licking his nose. "I'm glad it wasn't awkward that time.." She murmured softly. "Yeah.." He murmured back. "SwanPaw! SwanPaw where are you?" Her sisters' shrill voice could be heard a tree-length away. "Shoot!" SwanPaw hissed. MarbledPaw dashed off quickly, and as if a blessing, SwanPaw noticed a mud-hole, she sunk her paw in it before calling, "I'm over here!". FoxPaw suddenly burst through the cat-tails. "What happened? Everyones' been worried sick!" FoxPaw exclaimed. "I just went for a walk.. didn't realize there was such a crime to it.." SwanPaw murmured. "Are you stuck?" FoxPaw referred to her paw in the hole. "I think so, if I had extra force I could get it out.." She mewed sheepishly. FoxPaw grabbed hold of SwanPaws' stuck forepaw, and together they yanked, it popped out so easily that they both tumbled backwards. They chuckled as if they were still kits. "Ugh! You reek of MarshClan!" FoxPaw exclaimed suddenly. "There was probably a border patrol that 'over-marked' if you know what I mean." SwanPaw chuckled. To her luck, FoxPaw laughed too, and together, they padded back to camp.
As if on cue, SwanPaw was shoved into the embrace of her clan, her parents mostly, but also her mentor and a few other cats she didn't recognize. "From now on you tell us where you're going." CoalNose mewed sternly. "Sorry.. I was just bored, OtterSplash didn't have any training planned.." She shuffled her paws. "That's true actually, if anyone should be blamed, it should be me." OtterSplash hung her head. The cats then dissolved into their assigned tasks. By the time all the cats had finished worrying and fussing, there was so much LakeClan scent on her that no one could even tell she had been remotely close to the border. She sighed in relief, padding to the den to sleep, the stars slowly becoming more and more visible.