Chapter 4: A discovery.
SwanPaw bounded happily beside OtterSplash, as they walked to the Gathering with their Clan. Her heart was full of hope and confidence knowing she'd see MarbledPaw. Even though they met last night, she couldn't help but wait to see him again. FoxPaw and CoralStep had stayed behind with OwlWing because FoxPaw had a small case of GreenCough that CoralStep might have caught. It felt nice to be here without FoxPaw, she thought she never went anywhere without her sister and this time it just felt pleasurable. The cats neared the meadow, and branched off into the different groups of cats. SwanPaw stopped for a moment scanning the clearing for the apprentices or MarbledPaw, she saw him on the other side of the meadow, her heart nearly stopped when she saw he was with another She-cat. She was a beautiful calico, her tail occasionally curling around MarbledPaw's flanks. Her ears flicked hurt. When MarbledPaw saw SwanPaw, he waved a tail friendly, she pretended she never saw him and padded to go sit next to OtterSplash. "Why don't you go with the other apprentices?" OtterSplash mewed to her apprentice. "Erm.. I like the view from here," She lied. Luckily, her mentor didn't pry.
After a few heartbeats, the leaders yowled for the attention of the Gathering Cats. All 4 leaders announced about how great the prey was running in their Clan after they had dismissed the cats, SwanPaw was hoping and praying to StarClan that she would be able to get out of there before MarbledPaw asked her. She walked swiftly beside OtterSplash, but even through all the voices of the cats', she could still hear MarbledPaw yelling her name. She half-expected OtterSplash to still be beside her, but she had veered off to talk to a ForestClan she. 'Thanks for having my back,' SwanPaw snorted. She pretended not to hear MarbledPaw, but she couldn't hide from him when he touched a paw to her flank. "What?!" SwanPaw hissed around, her eyes on fire with anger, she hadn't even realized she was crying until the small blobs of water rolled down her cheeks..
"Hey, what's wrong?" He mewed worriedly, his deep blue eyes pooling with concern. "Nothing, have fun with your future mate." SwanPaw snapped trying to leave again. This time he cut her off in front. "What do you mean? LichenPaw is just a friend!" He mewed. SwanPaw felt like FoxPaw when she was fighting with SiltPaw, only this time this fight would have a different ending. "I thought you loved me," She half whispered, half choked through her throat. "I do. And I still do." He looked at her. "Alright.." She looked to her paws shuffling them. "Meet me by the border tonight ok?" She mewed. The tom nodded, smiling warmly at her. They parted ways, relief washing over SwanPaw. "That was too close..." She murmured but it was drowned out by the excited chatters of her Clan.
When they arrived at camp, PebbleNose the medicine cat, was helping FoxPaw out of her den so that she wouldn't miss out on what had happened at the Gathering. "Hey! What did I miss?" FoxPaw paused briefly so that a hoarse cough escaped her throat. "Nothing much really.. all the Clans have good prey running in their Clans.." SwanPaw mewed. She ignored her sisters' hurt face, but in all honesty it was the truth. She padded up to her parents and her mentor who were conveniently all in the same place chattering. "May I go for a walk?" She mewed annoyed she still had to ask. "You've been taking a lot of 'walks' lately.." Her mother mewed worriedly. "It helps clear my head, and I don't like being cooped up in camp." She mewed. "Alright.." Her father nodded worriedly. Once she had padded off, the light returned to her eyes, and her strides grew longer. She bounded towards the MarshClan border. She dipped under her usual bush, now having a tiny trench underneath it from being used so many times. SwanPaw directed her ears forward, wondering what was keeping him. 'Maybe he stayed at the Gathering late?' 'Maybe he's having problems escaping camp?' "Or maybe he's too busy pampering LichenPaw..' Her claws slid out in anger. Suddenly, the bushes rustled and in a mere moments, all of her worries were gone.
"You made it!" SwanPaw breathed in relief. "Of course, I'd fight to see you," He murmured licking her cheek. SwanPaw blushed, running her forehead under his chin. She could feel a deep purr in the toms' throat, she had hardly noticed that their tails were twined. "I'm sorry about what I assumed at the Gathering..." SwanPaw broke the silence. "Yeah.. it's ok.." He looked slightly guilty for a moment. SwanPaw caught a glimpse of this. "Is there something you're not telling me?" She mewed looking up at him, her eyebrows furrowed. He sighed. "I-I can't tell you.." He looked away. "Yes you can.. come on, I promise it won't be mad.." She murmured. He closed his eyes bringing his head to his chest, "I..I licked LichenPaw.." His voice shook. "W-What?! You told me you were just 'friends'!" SwanPaw couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I-I thought we-" He stammered before he was cut off. "No! Save it! I don't want to hear it!" She spat ducking out from under the bush. "SwanPaw wait!" He bounded into LakeClan territory, pinning her down. "Get off of me!" She hissed. "It's not what you think!" He spat. "Oh really? Then why did you lick her?!" Tears streamed down her cheek. There was a brief pause of silence the lake rolling up onto the shores the only sound near them.
"I-I don't-" He started but was cut off again, this time by the weight of 3 cats. TidalFace, OtterSplash, and CoalNose had all jumped out from nowhere, knocking the tom and pinning him on the ground. "You're a little far from camp aren't you?" TidalFace spat. "This is a warning, don't ever trespass again." CoalNose snarled, his muzzle rippled with the muscles displaying his anger. "Are you ok?" OtterSplash asked, all three cats turned to her, worry clouding most of the gaze. "I-I don't know.." She sobbed more, her shoulders heaving and her body trembling with fright.
They brought her to camp, luckily, mostly everyone was asleep so she wasn't embraced the way she was last time. As if PebbleNose had already known what happened, she stepped out with a bundle of herbs dropping them at the apprentices' paws. While SwanPaw lapped up the thyme to help with her frayed nerves, PebbleNose felt along her body checking to see if anything was injured. Small tufts of fur hung loose, and her shoulders were sore from holding the weight of such a cat but other than that she was fine. "Here's a poppy seed, go rest.." PebbleNose mewed kindly. While SwanPaw dragged her paws back to the den, her tail swirling in the dust, OtterSplash went up to PebbleNose. "Is she ok?" She mewed concernedly for her apprentice. "She'll be fine.. but I think she needs a couple of days to let it sink in." PebbleNose mewed. OtterSplash merely nodded.
All day, SwanPaw stayed in her den, sobbing uncontrollably over MarbledPaw. Her Clan assumed it was from almost losing her life, or getting tackled by a strange tom which could've took advantage of her. Only SwanPaw knew the answer. The cat she once loved, had betrayed her. Occasionally, her mother or OtterSplash would drop a water vole beside the den, hoping she would eat. They had dropped by so many times, and she had refused so many times that a small pile formed outside the den. When FoxPaw came back from patrol, she paused to pick up one of the voles. "I wish this was how I was welcomed every time I go on patrol!" She purred. "That's for SwanPaw." Her mother mewed sternly. "Does she REALLY need 10 voles?!" FoxPaw protested. Her mothers' stern glare answered it for her. The two she-cats were interrupted by SwanPaw emerging from the den. Tear-streaks looked like rivers down her cheeks, her pelt almost a light grey from being inside all day. OwlWing groomed her pelt frantically as if she were still a kit. SwanPaw didn't care, her eyes were heavy and she felt like she didn't know herself anymore. FoxPaw dragged her aside away from the rest of the Clan..
"I know that look. That's the look a cat gets after a MASSIVE break-up." FoxPaw lashed her tail. "How would you know?" SwanPaw grumbled. FoxPaw cleared her throat, as if she half-expected her sister to forget her break-up with SiltPaw. "Oh.. right.. sorry.." SwanPaw mumbled. "So it is true.." FoxPaw breathed her eyes widening. "Who was it with?" She mewed. "If I tell you do you promise not to tell..?" SwanPaw looked around. Everyone had gone to their dens to sleep. "Of course, I promise on my life." FoxPaw vowed. "MarbledPaw of MarshClan.." She whispered. "No..." FoxPaw breathed her eyes widening. What she didn't expect to happen next almost knocked the wind out of her. It literally almost did. The next thing SwanPaw knew she was on the ground, blood trickling out of her mouth, and a gash across her shoulder. "I will not let you taint this Clan with half-blood pieces of crow-food!" FoxPaw hissed her eyes flaring with anger. "If you say anything about this I'll haunt you the rest of your life!" She spat, whirling around into the den. She lay on the ground, her wound stinging.
She must have fallen asleep, for when she woke up, she was still on the beach, the blood dried around her wound. She waded into the lake, although she couldn't get very far without her shoulder burning. 'Looks like I can't swim..' SwanPaw thought. She hauled herself onto the shore, but her fur was heavy and waterlogged it took up a lot of her energy. The sound of snapping twigs caught her attention. She knew she was moderately close to the border, so it could be MarbledPaw. A familiar face popped out of the dense cat-tails. "SwanPaw?! What happened!" HeronPaw mewed. A couple other cats apart of the patrol padding after him. "I uh.. don't remember.. I was by the lake, and then I forget.." She stammered. "You probably fell in and hit- that gash on your shoulder! It's huge!" His eyes widened. He nudged her to her paws, having support from both sides as the patrol helped her back to camp. When they were forced to swim, she clung onto HeronPaws' back, worried she'd hurt him with her thorn-sharp claws. While other cats of the patrol went to get PebbleNose, CoalNose and OwlWing stepped out, racing over to their daughter. CoalNose and HeronPaw talked off in the distance, while OwlWing and PebbleNose tended to her gash and made sure she was warm.
Across the camp, FoxPaw grinned, her tail tip twitching, and her paws neatly tucked in. A ghost appeared beside her, one that was cold and dark. 'I see you've succeeded..' It mewed in her head. 'Of course my love..' She mewed back, rubbing her chin under the toms' forehead even though he was transparent. 'Your reward shall soon enough come..' The grey and white tom mewed. 'I look forward to it.. MarbledPaw..' FoxPaw crooned.