Shafts of sun broke through the cloud cover, illuminating the pollen and dust particles that hung in the air and warming Grasspaw's fur as he crouched beside a rabbit warren, waiting for one of the creatures to emerge. His tail twitched in frustration as the minutes crept by with no sign of movement within the hole he'd been watching for what felt like all day.
"Are you sure there are still rabbits living here?" he whispered to Spikeear. "None of them have come out yet."
"Don't ask me," the white warrior grumbled. "It was Runningfoot's idea to hunt here today, remember?"
Nearby, Runningfoot flicked his ears irritably. "Hey, keep quiet," he ordered. "If you want to catch any rabbits here, you'll have to stop making so much noise."
Finally, just when Grasspaw was about to give up and suggest they move on to a different location, something moved inside the burrow. A moment later, a small brown rabbit poked its head out, its nose twitching as it sniffed the air. Spikeear's eyes gleamed as he watched the rabbit; Grasspaw recognized that he was waiting for it to get close enough. Beside him, Applepaw looked like she was having trouble holding herself back from pouncing right away.
The rabbit took a few cautious hops forward, standing up and sniffing the air again. Grasspaw prayed the wind wouldn't shift directions; they'd never catch the rabbit if it detected their scent. It would disappear back into the safety of its burrow before any of them could move a muscle.
Runningfoot waited a moment and then moved his tail- a signal. It was time to put the plan in action. He and Spikeear inched forward, closing in on the rabbit from either side, while Grasspaw and Applepaw shuffled backward, receding further back into the gorse patch right next to the entrance to the burrow. As per the plan, the rabbit noticed Runningfoot headed toward it on its left and ran to the right until it saw Spikeear in that direction. In that time, Applepaw crept out of hiding behind the gorse patch and moved in front of the hole so that when the rabbit turned to run back inside the burrow, it was blocked off.
Now it was finally time for Grasspaw to take over. With a surge of adrenaline, he burst out of hiding and lunged at the rabbit. With a terrified squeak, it dashed away, running right between Spikeear and Runningfoot. The warriors closed in on the rabbit, with Runningfoot grabbing it and cutting off its squeal with a bite to the back.
"That was fun!" Applepaw declared while her mentor scraped earth over the rabbit's body so they could come back for it later. "Next time can I be the one to catch it, though?"
"Or me," Grasspaw added. "I mean, I'm sure I could have caught it myself if I'd just chased it down."
"I think you furballs are missing the point," Spikeear muttered. "This is an exercise in teamwork- a skill that you two don't seem to give a piece of mouse-dung about. Didn't I tell you on your first or second day that rabbits are too fast for cats your age to outrun?"
Grasspaw knew his mentor was right, but it was still annoying. How come the adults always got all the glory? Even when he and Waterpaw had gotten home after being abducted by the owl, it was the patrol that had found them passed out near the horseplace that had received praise from Sandstar. It wasn't thanks to the patrol that they'd gotten home alive! Besides, he didn't see why he had to learn how to work with Applepaw. Once they were warriors, he intended on working with his littermates as little as possible.
"Now, I know another rabbit warren further down by the lake," Runningfoot meowed. "Why don't we try that technique again there- but this time the mentors and apprentices can switch roles," he added, giving Applepaw a look that said, are you happy now?
Applepaw did indeed seem happy, and Grasspaw had to admit he was happy as well that he'd get the chance to kill the prey this time. He just wished that the technique didn't involve so many cats. Either you just blocked the rabbit off, pointed it in the right direction, or it just ran into your paws! Grasspaw just wanted to run after prey sometimes, like he used to try when Spikeear had taken him hunting on his own. He'd never caught anything that way, but the attempt had always been much more exhilarating than the teamwork method.
But after the incident with the owl, Grasspaw and his littermates never got taken out hunting individually. Today he and Applepaw were out hunting while Berrypaw stayed behind in the camp; yesterday he and Berrypaw had been partnered up for battle training and Applepaw had stayed in the camp; the day before that his sisters had gone out together with their mentors to the abandoned twoleg den to replenish Podtail's catmint supply while Grasspaw (thankfully) had stayed behind. He knew why Sandstar had made the decision, of course, but that didn't mean he had to like it. They already had their mentors with them! Why did they need another apprentice and mentor as well? It was especially infuriating since the new rule didn't even apply to warriors. Seedpelt had gone hunting by himself a couple days ago and no cat had stopped him. How did that make sense?!
As the hunting party walked along, Grasspaw's thoughts shifted from frustration to bewilderment. The ground beneath his paws was turning soft and spongy, and the grass was being replaced by reeds. "Where are we going again?" he asked Runningfoot.
"I told you; we're going to another rabbit warren," the gray warrior explained. "This is just a shortcut."
"He's taken me there before," Applepaw mewed. "I think you'll like it, Grasspaw," she added, her tone sending an unexpected chill down Grasspaw's spine. "It's by the RiverClan border."
Waterpaw had been sitting in the shade daydreaming about her bright future when she'd been jerked back to reality by screeches coming from the nursery. Cats flocked around the entrance to the den, held back by Mossnose's commands as she pushed her way through the mob. It didn't take Waterpaw long to realize, even as she hung back, that Lakesplash was having her kits. And judging by the way things were sounding, it wasn't going very well.
Foxfang emerged from the nursery, his usually well-kempt fur ruffled and bedraggled and his amber eyes wide. "We need a stick," he cried, looking around the camp. "Somebody get us a stick!" His eyes landed on Waterpaw. "Waterpaw! Go fetch us a stick- a sturdy one."
"I'm happy to help," Waterpaw mewed. She scanned the camp for something suitable, but the closest thing she could find were roots and waterlogged branches in the stream. She was just thinking that maybe she'd have to go out of camp for this when she remembered the patched-up hole in the apprentices' den.
Waterpaw scrambled on top of the den, almost slipping on the rocks that comprised most of the den even though they weren't wet at all; it hadn't even rained in days. She found the spot where Oakpaw had woven sticks together to cover the hole, and she bit down on the end of a sturdy-looking one and carefully pried it out. Once she had the stick, Waterpaw hopped down, running over to the nursery to hand the stick to Foxfang.
Her mentor passed the stick to his mate without even a thank-you. Watersplash tried not to look at Lakesplash as she convulsed in the nest she'd made for herself. She hoped she'd never have kits. Maybe it was wrong of her to think that- Minnowleap had often remarked that she hoped to have grandkits one day- but Watersplash could hardly even imagine finding a tom in her Clan that she'd want as a mate, let alone having his kits. The whole process just looked way too painful.
But that didn't mean she didn't want to help Lakesplash out. "Is there anything else I can do?" she asked Mossnose.
"The best thing you can do is stay out of the way," Foxfang answered gruffly, but Mossnose didn't seem so sure.
"Actually," the medicine cat murmured, "I do have another task for you. Waterpaw, do you know where you can find chervil?"
"I think so," Waterpaw muttered. She didn't know much about herbs, but she remembered Mallowpaw pointing some out to her once while they'd been on a patrol together. "It grows down by the lake, right?"
Mossnose nodded. "The best clump is near the WindClan border," she told her. "It's got a sweet scent and fern-like leaves with white flowers. You'll know when you see it."
Waterpaw kept the description in mind as she took off, trotting off toward the lake. She tried not to concentrate on the herb's location too much, but as she drew closer to the WindClan border, her thoughts inevitably shifted back to Grasspaw. Waterpaw told herself to focus on getting the chervil, but it seemed like so long since she'd seen him that she couldn't help but think about him, even though she knew she probably wouldn't see him there.
A sweet scent drifted into Waterpaw's open mouth when she tasted the air, and she spotted a plant that match Mossnose's description poking up from the marshy ground. She tugged a few of the leaves off while marvelling at the medicine cat's knowledge- if it weren't for the smell, she would have definitely mistaken the plant for an ordinary fern clump. The white flowers were so small she could barely see them, and most of them were still only buds. It was still newleaf, after all.
Once Waterpaw was sure she had enough, she was about to turn around and head back to camp. However, something caught her attention- a rustling in the long grass a few fox-lengths away, followed by a high-pitched squeal. Waterpaw ran forward to see what was happening, only to have a rabbit run almost directly into her paws.
"Whoa," Waterpaw exclaimed, taken too much by surprise to kill the animal. Luckily, she didn't have to; a greenish-gray flash flew from the grass and knocked Waterpaw off her paws, landing on the rabbit and cutting off its shrill cries.
"Haha! Gotcha!" a familiar voice yowled victoriously. Waterpaw's stomach sank when she saw the cat she'd been trying not to think about for the past two moons. Grasspaw looked quite pleased with himself as he picked up the dead rabbit by its ears and began to drag it back the way he'd come from.
Waterpaw lay still amongst the tall grass, hoping he wouldn't spot her. She held her breath as she watched him sniff the air, curiosity coming over his face for a moment before it was replaced with dreadful realization.
Grasspaw pushed a stand of long grass aside and stared down at Waterpaw, the expression on his face making her nervous. She'd expected him to be happier than this. After all, it was the first time they'd seen each other in two moons.
Waterpaw rolled over onto her back, putting her paws up in the air playfully in an attempt to look cute. "Hi," she mewed, giving him a nervous giggle. Grasspaw didn't look amused, so she straightened up and got to her paws. "Um, hi, Grasspaw," she mumbled, staring at her paws and hoping he'd respond. "It's been a while."
"Not long enough, if you ask me," the WindClan apprentice replied curtly. Waterpaw shrunk back in dismay, pressing her ears back. Grasspaw blinked apologetically at her as she did so, but he remained stern. "You shouldn't be here," he told her, looking more worried than unkind now. "Go back to your own territory."
"Why don't you follow your own advice, fish-brain?" Waterpaw challenged, her fur beginning to bristle. She really didn't feel like starting a fight- especially not with Grasspaw- but her friend's behaviour was irritating her. "You caught that rabbit on RiverClan territory. That means you have to give it up."
Grasspaw glared at Waterpaw, but he sniffed at the air, a scowl settling over his face. "Mouse-dung," he muttered. "You're right." He gave Waterpaw a cool stare, and held it as he slowly laid his rabbit on the ground. "I guess I'd better give this fresh-kill up- not that you fish-eaters will care for it."
Was he just trying to provoke her?! Waterpaw wanted to reach out and give Grasspaw a good swipe across the nose, but she knew she'd get in so much trouble for it. Instead, she decided to throw him off by giving him what he wanted- other than the satisfaction of a fight, of course.
She prodded at the rabbit; it did smell pretty good, but she'd never cared much for land prey. "You can keep your stupid rabbit, Grasspaw," she muttered, not letting him tear his deep green eyes away from her gaze. "No cat has to know exactly where you made the kill. Just…" She paused, flexing her claws as she struggled to put her confusion into words. "…Just talk to me like you did before! Why are you acting like this?!"
For a long moment, Grasspaw didn't respond. He bent down to pick up his rabbit, and Waterpaw thought for a moment that he was simply going to trudge off without replying at all. From the way he hesitated, maybe Grasspaw thought so too. But he finally set down his prey again and gave Waterpaw his explanation- although it wasn't one she was entirely satisfied with.
"I don't like you, Waterpaw," Grasspaw began simply. She took a step back, astounded that he could even say such a thing with such a serious face. "I don't hate you, either," he continued before she could react too strongly. "You're just… you're just another cat to me- a RiverClan cat. We can't keep going the way we were before, Waterpaw. You know that as well as I do."
"Of course I know that!" Waterpaw hissed, surprised at the fury in her own mew. "I know that we could never be… be mates or anything! But I don't want to be anything like that. Grasspaw! Can't you see?! I just want us to be friends!"
Grasspaw blinked at Waterpaw, clearly taken aback. He almost looked distraught as he mewed, "I know you know that. And I'm saying even that's too much. Cats always say they're friends with cats from other Clans," he continued, a tinge of bitterness seeping into his tone, "but none of them are really close to each other. In a fight, we all know whose side they'd be on: their own. And that's how it has to be with us, too."
Without giving Waterpaw the chance to respond, Grasspaw grabbed his rabbit and stalked off. At least, that's how Waterpaw would go on to replay the scenario inside her head. In reality, she'd had plenty of time to respond- to give Grasspaw some snappy retort that would send him away with his ego bruised, if no other part of him.
She just hadn't seen the point.
By the time Waterpaw got back to camp with the chervil, it was too late to help. Lakesplash had finished kitting, and now three kits were suckling at the exhausted queen's belly. Mossnose gave her an inquisitive glance as she poked her head into the nursery, but she didn't follow up on it with any questions, which Waterpaw was grateful for. The last thing she wanted to do was be interrogated.
Why was Grasspaw acting like such a furball?!
"Great catch, brother," Applepaw mewed as the hunting party headed back to camp. "I was pretty sure you were going to lose it, but you sure proved me wrong!"
"Thanks," Grasspaw mumbled around the rabbit. "You did pretty well too."
"Yeah, I was doing great until you knocked me over so you could run after the rabbit yourself and live out your rabbit-brained fantasies," she purred. Then she flicked her tail across Grasspaw's ear playfully. "Just kidding; I don't hold it against you."
Grasspaw stayed silent the rest of the way home, listening to Applepaw chatter about how she couldn't wait to become a warrior so she could have a mate. Normally he'd peg any cat who talked like that as tom-crazy, but in Applepaw's case she was clearly she-cat-crazy. He honestly didn't get why his sister liked Barkstripe so much; sure, she was pretty enough, but there was nothing too special about her. Then he realized that it probably had something to do with her being the only other she-cat in Applepaw's age group who wasn't related to her.
Once Applepaw's ramblings grew boring, Grasspaw tuned her out and instead listened in on Spikeear and Runningfoot's conversation. The brothers seemed to be comparing hunting methods, and sharing a laugh at Grasspaw's little stunt that had led to him running into Waterpaw- not that they knew anything about that part.
In a lot of ways, it was that run-in with Waterpaw that kept Grasspaw so silent. Even once they got back to camp and he dropped his rabbit on the fresh-kill pile along with the one Runningfoot had killed earlier, he kept turning the encounter over in his mind, unable to pry his thoughts away from the look of utter dismay on the blue-gray she-cat's face when he'd snapped at her. Should he have been so harsh with her? Probably not, but it was what he had to do. She probably hated him now, and that had been Grasspaw's intention- to get Waterpaw to stop trying to find him; to stop looking for him at Gatherings; to stop wishing he'd talk to her again.
Yes; Grasspaw had accomplished his goal. So why did he feel as though there were a pit in his stomach?