Chapter Five: The Lonely Toms Support Group
A/N: Your new chapter, as promised! Please review!
Owlclaw and Starpaw returned from their successful fishing expedition with mouthfuls of fish, and asked for spare warriors or apprentices to help them carry back their catch. Stormwave, Stonepaw, Alderpaw, Moonpaw, and Poolstar volunteered. The warriors and leader chatted idly on the way to the river. Stonepaw attempted to talk to Starpaw, but she only had eyes for Alderpaw, who was discussing his day's fighting lesson.
"And then I knocked Swiftpaw straight off her feet! She was totally confused!"
Stonepaw decided to talk to Moonpaw, and the conversation turned to she-cats. Moonpaw was blissfully unaware about Stonepaw's discomfort on this subject.
"So I go up to Icekit and I'm like 'Hi' and she doesn't say anything! And I'm standing there waiting for an answer and she's ignoring me and it's really, really awkward. Hey, are you there?"
Moonpaw broke off as he watched Stonepaw, who was staring at Starpaw and Alderpaw. Starpaw had just twined her tail around Alderpaw's. Alderpaw didn't seem to notice.
Stonepaw tore his eyes away with a slightly pained expression. "How do you get a she-cat to like you?" he asked abruptly.
"That's my problem too!" said an exasperated Moonpaw. "Whatever I try, Icekit just won't notice me!'
"Sounds like you're having some trouble, young apprentices," remarked Poolstar, who had been listening to the conversation with interest.
"Yeah, Icekit won't acknowledge me! She doesn't even know I exist!"
"Well, why don't you bring her something? A gift might just start a conversation, and she'll get to know you better. What about you?" asked Poolstar to Stonepaw.
"I accidentally insulted the she-cat I like, and now she hates me! Whenever I try to apologize, she glares at me and I don't know what to say. Now she likes some other cat that doesn't seem to like her back! At least, not in that way, just as a friend, y'know?"
"Hmm, this is a more difficult one," mused Owlclaw thoughtfully.
"Why don't you tell her how you feel?" suggested Stormwave.
"I don't think she would listen to me. And besides, even if she did, she'd probably think I was lying and claw one of my ears off," meowed Stonepaw sadly.
All five toms walked along and thought for a while. Eventually, Owlclaw had an idea.
"Make an excuse to talk to her. Sign up on the same patrols, arrange to help her with tasks, bring her some fresh fish when she's busy. She'll gradually start to warm to you, and then you can tell her how you feel."
"Are you turtle-bones going to help us or not?" asked Starpaw, her mouth filled with fish. "There's plenty more that needs to be taken back to camp."
Poolstar winked; he had already guessed who had won Stonepaw's affection. "Go on!" he whispered.
Starpaw sighed. Those lazy toms had offered to help and now they were sitting behind a bush gossiping. They were worse than elders! She took a mouthful of fish and started on the trail back to camp. "Are you turtle-bones going to help us or not?" she asked, indicating herself and Alderpaw. "There's plenty more that needs to be taken back to camp."
Poolstar muttered something and Stonepaw hurried over.
"Let me guess: they sent you over to do all the work?" Starpaw meant it as a rhetorical question, but got an answer anyway.
"No, I just wanted to help you out. You looked kind of busy."
'Well, you could have helped out a while ago,' thought Starpaw, but stayed silent for some reason. Stonepaw turned out to be a good helper, even faster than Alderpaw, and devised a new strategy for carrying fish by tucking it under his chin. The other toms quickly forgot what they were supposed to be doing and started fishing. Even Alderpaw got distracted and began showing off his fishing skills. Only Stonepaw remained, tirelessly bringing fish to the camp. The fresh-kill pile must be twenty tail-lengths tall by now! she thought. "Hey, Stonepaw! You can stop now," Starpaw called.
Starpaw sat near the river and watched Moonpaw, Alderpaw, Stormwave, Owlclaw, and Poolstar joking and bragging by the water. Alderpaw was pushed into the river by Moonpaw and popped up spluttering and laughing. He splashed Moonpaw, who was taken by surprise and fell in. The older warriors watched, suppressing snickers.
Stonepaw sat next to Starpaw, which surprised her, but she didn't say anything.
They sat and watched as the sky faded to black and the stars reflected on the water.
A/N: Here are the allegiances through Chapter 5, like I promised. Stonesky fluff! ;3
Did you like it? Please review! Was it gut-wrenchingly awful? Please review1 Was it as stale as sawdust? Please review!
Leader: Poolstar (M)
Deputy: Stormwave (M), apprentice Sunpaw
Medicine Cat: Troutfin (M)
Warriors
Owlclaw (M), apprentice Starpaw
Duskfeather (M)
Goldendawn (F), apprentice Moonpaw
Coalfoot (M), apprentice Stonepaw
Fishclaw (M), apprentice Alderpaw
Runningbrook (F), apprentice Swiftpaw
Rainfall (F), apprentice Stripepaw
Gleamingwater (F)
Fernflower (F)
Pinetail (M)
Queens
Maplefeather, mother of Nightkit(F), Leapkit(M), and Icekit (F)
Brightpetal, mother of Shellkit(F) and Tigerkit(F)
Apprentices
Starpaw (F)
Moonpaw (M)
Stonepaw (M)
Stripepaw (M)
Alderpaw (M)
Swiftpaw (F)
Sunpaw (M)
Elders
Patchwing (M)
Elderberry (F)
Greynose (F)
Flowersong (F)