Thanks to everyone who have reviewed so far! Please review some more, it gives me inspiration. Tell me where you think the story will go, or if I got anything wrong. :D
The forest seemed to be much livelier three days later, many sounds coming from different places. Far away, a Twoleg dog could be heard howling. Everywhere was the scent and sound of fresh prey, rustling and skittering about in the underbrush. Above was the moon, shrouded by clouds. The ground underfoot was soft and loamy, with grass swaying in the wind. It really was newleaf.
Here, Warmpaw ran through the shadows of the forest, leaping past bushes and vines which were in his way. He swerved, avoiding a thornbush. This time, nothing could stop him. He was quick. He arrived at the WindClan border, skidding through some grass.
"Warmpaw, you arrived!" Thistlepaw was on the other side of the boundary, looking shocked.
Warmpaw was still gasping for breath; his throat was so dry. "I'm sorry… I couldn't meet you… a couple nights ago," he panted. "I got a little caught up."
"It's okay," she consoled him. "I can understand." She inhaled the warm breeze before continuing.
"The truth is, I wasn't really able to come a few days ago too." Thistlepaw said, shifting a little. "I really couldn't, and I was scared too, that you wouldn't understand."
Warmpaw blinked. "Really?"
"I've told you about Gorsestar, my father, right?"
"Yeah. Didn't you say last time that he was sick? He had something left over from leafbare, didn't he?"
Thistlepaw's mew seemed to catch in her throat. "He died four sunrises ago."
Warmpaw was shocked, speechless for a moment as he remembered the WindClan leader, who was also Thistlepaw's father. He looked so strong… I thought he had many more moons ahead of him. Meanwhile, Thistlepaw was crying, and he wanted nothing more than to simply cross the line and give her a reassuring nudge. Like what Archpaw did with him. But he couldn't. All he could do was to give her a sympathetic look, not really sure what to say. Thistlepaw…I…
"I've always thought that he was such a strong leader to our Clan." Thistlepaw meowed. "He was also a great father to me." She drew in a shaky breath. "I miss him so much already."
"It's… okay." Warmpaw consoled her. He pointed with his tail up to the sky. "I'm sure he's watching you up there now. Somewhere in StarClan. He still loves you, you know. It's not like he's gone forever. One day, you'll meet again."
Thistlepaw sighed, looking up at the cloudy night sky.
"Let me just be with you," said Warmpaw.
Thistlepaw didn't protest. She moved closer to Warmpaw from the border, and he moved closer to her. When they were close enough, they leaned their heads against each other. Warmpaw could feel her entire body shiver. His eyes softened.
They stayed like that for what felt like a heartbeat, or possibly a few moons. Suddenly, she jerked back, stepping away from the border. Warmpaw was surprised. He stepped back as well, tail curling. "Is there something wrong?"
Thistlepaw turned away. "I need to be alone," she said.
Warmpaw took a step forward. "But…"
"No." Thistlepaw interrupted him. Her eyes still refused to meet his.
"You need to be with someone, Thistlepaw," Warmpaw objected, his tail lashing.
Thistlepaw abruptly turned to face him. There was a fierce look in her eyes. "Not with you."
The words sunk into Warmpaw like claws, and he could almost feel himself bleeding. What he was about to say was stuck somewhere in his chest, unable to come out. "What?"
Thistlepaw's glare had softened slightly, turning into a sad light. "I had been meaning to tell you something for a few nights now." She closed her eyes. "I think it's best we stopped this entire thing."
The light in Warmpaw's eyes seemed to flicker out like a fire. It felt like he had just jumped off a cliff and got dashed against the rocks. "Why?" he asked. "Why do we need to? I'm your friend, right?"
Thistlepaw growled. "You're distracting me from more important things!" She lashed her tail at him. "Leave now, Warmpaw. Never come back here. It's what's best for all of us."
Warmpaw's heartbeat, which had earlier slowed to a badger's pace, was now rising. He felt the searing hot rage burn beneath his pelt. The sound of blood roared in his ears, claws unsheathing. That's all you thought I was? A distraction?
Warmpaw started to speak, voice dangerously soft. "I had skipped so much training and skipped so many pieces of prey. I made so many excuses and missed patrols. All those nights, I did all that, just to see you. And now you're telling me it's over?" He spat the last word out.
"Which is why—" Thistlepaw tried to reply before being silenced by a claw swipe, barely missing her nose. Warmpaw's eyes blazed, breathing heavily.
"I was so stupid to think that I could find a friend in you!" He yowled at her. "You foxhearted WindClanner!"
Thistlepaw had a shocked face, eyes wide at what he had just said. Warmpaw relished the pain in her eyes. He stepped forward lightly. Then, he stopped to smile at her snidely.
"Fine, then," he meowed snidely. "If that's what you want, I'll give it to you." He retreated, racing back into the shadows of the ThunderClan forest.
He leaped up a tree and travelled through the branches. He kept jumping, not stopping, not sure where to go. He finally settled down on a maple to catch his breath, thinking furiously about the dark-furred she-cat. She thinks she's so good! My clan to yours! I don't care for that cat! Not anymore!
"Not anymore!" He let loose a loud yowl, which echoed through the forest. A few songbirds took flight from nearby. He huffed.
I don't care for you.
Thornseed was at the entrance when he got back. "Hi," he greeted him with a smile and a friendly tail wave. Warmpaw barely raised his tail as he entered.
I don't care about what'll happen to you.
Most of the cats in the camp were already asleep, save for Thornseed and Cloudcover, who seemed to be busying herself in the medicine cat's den. Without a sound, Warmpaw snuck into the apprentices' den. He lay down on the moss, burying his face into it as he tried to close his eyes, wanting to forget this ever happened.
I don't like you anymore, but why can't I sleep?
. . .
"On your feet." Goldenfur called in from the den entrance. The sun was already bright and shining in the sky, which was empty in sharp contrast to the night before. Inside the den, Warmpaw groaned audibly, getting up and shaking his fur out.
"Huh?" Warmpaw walked out, squinting at the bright light outside.
"Late, as usual." Goldenfur's ears flicked. "Come on, you're hunting with me. Patrol, Redstep said."
Warmpaw was still looking around with a blank look, feeling as if he was feeling the camp floor for the first time. He sat down, gliding a paw across the packed earth. "Any others coming along with us?" he asked tonelessly.
Goldenfur used his tail to get his apprentice back on his feet. "Hawkeye… and possibly Redstep herself."
"Oh." Warmpaw mewed, blinking every so often. His tail dragged along as he walked with his mentor to the entrance, where Hawkeye was already positioned.
"Hey there, sport. You ready?" He winked at Warmpaw, bumping him a little with his shoulder. He didn't have an answer for him, still looking at empty space. The smoky tom looked down at his adopted son with worry. He glanced over at Goldenfur. "Is something wrong?"
Goldenfur shrugged at him. "Probably just woke up on the wrong side of the nest this morning." He waved a paw in front of the black-patched apprentice, still getting no response. He sighed. "Are you sure you can hunt today?"
"I think it's best you get a few more moments to settle down before we leave," added Hawkeye.
"I'm fine, you hear?" Warmpaw snapped, which shocked both of the two older cats.
Redstep came over, tail flowing behind her. She looked at the three cats. "Is something wrong?"
"Warmpaw's unusually out of himself this morning." Goldenfur rolled his eyes at Warmpaw, flicking his tail at him. "We were just wondering."
Hawkeye looked at Redstep pleadingly. Redstep licked her shoulder fur down, then started to examine Warmpaw. Afterwards, she cuffed his ears with a tail.
"Nothing some sun and fresh air can't fix," she commented. "Let's bring him along."
Goldenfur nodded. "You're right." Hawkeye agreed, and they all started exiting the camp. Goldenfur stepped next to his apprentice and guided him along with his tail.
The trees provided a comfortable shade against the striking sunlight, layering the ground with speckles of white and gold. It was a perfect time to walk. A little like what me and Thistlepaw used to do. Wait, what?
"We haven't hunted near the ShadowClan border for a while," commented Hawkeye.
"Good idea," Redstep said. "Let's head over that way."
The patrol shifted direction, going briskly deeper into the forest. They passed the old Thunderpath into the forest beyond. Here, the shade was thicker, and the ground slightly wetter. Warmpaw jumped at a rustle nearby.
Goldenfur stopped, raising a mucky paw. "I stepped on a puddle."
"Well, this is the border between ThunderClan and ShadowClan." Redstep glanced around. "Here, our territories kind of fade into each other. Stay attentive. We have to watch how far we go, lest we step into ShadowClan territory."
"Trust me, I'll know when we cross," Hawkeye grunted.
They continued on their way, more vigilant this time; scenting the air and glancing around every so often. Warmpaw gulped, trying to keep his eyes on his patrol. No matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't shake away that feeling. The feeling that was gnawing at him from the inside.
They stopped suddenly. Here, the air strongly reeked of ShadowClan, and scents of pine and soft earth wafted towards them. In front of them was a Twolegplace, but it seemed like it hadn't been used for quite some time.
Redstep sniffed the air a little. "Okay, let's stop here. The border's close by."
Hawkeye immediately went on his way to mark the border, and Warmpaw helped out. Meanwhile, Redstep was talking with Goldenfur about what seemed to be something serious, whispering urgently to one another. Are they looking at me? Warmpaw wondered.
"Is there something on your mind today, Warmpaw?" Hawkeye asked him, momentarily stopping.
Warmpaw's eyes widened, shaking his head wildly. "'Course not!" he meowed with a smile.
Hawkeye looked at him sadly. "You can tell me anything, you know. If you have something on your mind, it's best you tell someone about it. Otherwise, you'll just end up feeling bad."
Warmpaw quickly looked away. He hated to admit it, but Hawkeye was right. But… I can tell any cat about what happened. I'll get in trouble. Besides, if he wanted to tell somebody about it, it wouldn't be Hawkeye. He might not understand.
"You're done?" Goldenfur meowed.
Warmpaw exhaled loudly, trying to get himself to calm down. "Yeah," he replied. "I think we are." Hawkeye nodded in agreement, and they all headed back to camp.
They had walked just a few fox-lengths when Goldenfur spoke up. "Hold on a second, though." Goldenfur pulled Warmpaw to his side with a paw. "You can go ahead. We're going to go to the training clearing. It's close by anyway."
"Training?" Redstep asked.
"Well, it is morning." Goldenfur shrugged. "It's best we start early."
Redstep observed them for a moment before agreeing. Together with Hawkeye, she walked away until she was out of sight.
"The clearing's this way." Goldenfur beckoned his apprentice to follow him. "I hope whatever's on your mind doesn't affect training. We're going to practice that treetop ambush again."
Warmpaw lightened up when Goldenfur said that. Fighting using the forest trees had been no problem for him, thanks to his jumping. He was just going to breeze through this one.
"Later, I might teach you something new." When he saw Warmpaw's elated look, he swiftly changed his tone. "But that's a might, and I'm pretty sure you won't like it."
They finally reached the clearing, immediately getting straight to the point. "Up that tree," he ordered Warmpaw.
Warmpaw bunched himself up, and jumped up. He ended up being quite high up the tree.
"There. That branch." Goldenfur pointed with his ears. "Go over there."
Warmpaw looked up, seeing the branch Goldenfur was referring to. He cautiously climbed up, using his claws to keep himself firmly latched to the tree trunk. In a few moments, he was already on it, waiting for Goldenfur to say anything else.
"You are going to have to follow me through the branches." Goldenfur said. "I want you to use the trees and jump from branch to branch. We'll stop once we get to the Old Thunderpath."
"Sure," Warmpaw replied. He watched as Goldenfur left, tail waving behind him as he disappeared beneath the trees. Warmpaw smirked. This wasn't going to be hard. All he needed to do was just to follow him around through the trees.
He began stepping cautiously on the branch. Spotting another branch close by, he jumped. He landed himself quite well. This is no joke. Warmpaw thought with a gulp. He calmed himself down. You've done this before. You've done it well.
Now all he needed to do was just to find some kind of rhythm. He jumped across to another tree, then to another branch, then to another tree.
Pretty soon, he was already nimbly crossing from tree to tree effortlessly. The best thing was, he could already see Goldenfur, just below. He slowed, making sure not to cause too much noise. He stalked forward slowly on the branch. Just then, Goldenfur broke into a run. He quickly gave chase from the branches.
Goldenfur suddenly changed direction, taking Warmpaw by surprise. He landed awkwardly on the next branch. Warmpaw saw white flash through his vision, sharp pain coming from his paw.
He quickly used his tail for some balance and continued his pursuit. It was harder to use just one paw to land, and he didn't have time to recover. Thankfully, the Old Thunderpath was close by. Goldenfur stopped just as he reached it. Warmpaw halted, just as he had jumped the closest tree to his mentor. The apprentice was panting from exhaustion.
Goldenfur looked up and saw him. "Get down from there."
Warmpaw looked down, trying to think up ways to land safely with his bad paw. He wondered for a heartbeat. Goldenfur called for him to go down again. Here goes nothing.
He catapulted himself down, putting more power to his good front leg. It caused him to flip back, and he landed with his hind legs first. Still, his front paws still had to hit the ground too. His bad paw thumped down. He quickly pulled it back, pain shooting up his left front leg.
"You think I'm impressed?" Goldenfur asked him sarcastically. The way Warmpaw saw it, he really, really was not. Warmpaw shifted, holding the injured paw gingerly up against his chest. Goldenfur peered at it.
"Nothing much. I think you can still hold up for battle training." He turned away. "Come on, let's go back to the clearing." He started on his way, but stopped when he realized Warmpaw wasn't following him. The orange cat frowned. "What are you doing? I said let's go back to the clearing!"
"I really don't feel like training today." Warmpaw huffed at him, tail-tip flicking. He really didn't want to train right now. Not while he was still feeling like this. Right now, all he wanted to do was to lie down in his nest and think.
"You don't just say that," Goldenfur retorted. "You're an apprentice. You don't just say you want to skip training whenever you want to."
"My paw hurts! It's probably sprained or something." Warmpaw protested. "Isn't that reason enough?"
Goldenfur rolled his eyes mockingly. "I said earlier that it was fine. Isn't that reason enough?" He echoed Warmpaw. Warmpaw felt his claws slide out, and he was about to send back a stinging reply when they were suddenly interrupted.
It was Rainstorm, together with Flyingfeather. "Goldenfur, you are supposed to—" She saw the two, both looking on the verge of fighting. "Oh."
"Patrol?" Goldenfur queried.
Rainstorm nodded. "To the WindClan border." Warmpaw's ears perked. "But if you're training," she continued, "then it is fine. We will just find another cat to bring along."
Goldenfur sighed, stepping towards them. "No, I'm coming along. It's way too hard training this one here." He pointed at Warmpaw with his tail, and the apprentice felt strangely annoyed. Goldenfur turned to face him. "Looks like I will be busy. You can go back to camp now. After all, isn't that what you wanted?" The last word had a sarcastic curl to it.
Warmpaw's muzzle creased. "No," he replied, "I'm coming with the patrol."
Rainstorm looked Warmpaw over, noticing the paw he was favouring. "Doesn't it hurt?"
"No, it doesn't." Warmpaw insisted. He did not want to appear lazy in front of the two other warriors, and perhaps most importantly, he wanted to see if Thistlepaw was still around. He hissed at himself inwardly. You don't care about her anymore, remember?
In the end, they let him join the patrol. Goldenfur wasn't very happy about it, which didn't surprise the two other warriors in the least. By now, Goldenfur's dislike of Warmpaw was well known in the clan. Warmpaw hopped along beside them, making sure his paw didn't touch the ground. However, when he tried putting it against the ground, it didn't hurt as much as it did earlier. In a few heartbeats, he was already walking normally like all of them.
"So…" Flyingfeather was walking with a weird pace, almost like he had a shuffle in his step. "at what point do we start?"
"Stream, of course." Goldenfur mewed.
Flyingfeather cuffed him over the ears with a tail. "Well, obviously! I meant, what point at the stream?"
Stream… Warmpaw's eyes widened, as his mind began to process things.
There was a stream, which was pretty wide too. It bordered WindClan and ThunderClan. In that case, the border that he raced beside Thistlepaw on was not the actual border. Why did I think that anyway?
That also meant that Thistlepaw was a trespasser. But what kind of trespasser would cross the stream alone for no reason? Warmpaw was sure that WindClan cats in general hated water.
He inhaled sharply, holding his breath. Rainstorm looked back. "Is something wrong?"
Warmpaw quickly shook his head. "N-No!" he denied, smiling at her.
Rainstorm's eyes stared more intently into his. "You're acting weird." She turned away again.
Warmpaw's tail shook itself straight. From the very first day, all the way until five days ago, she chose to cross the cold stream, whether it was frozen or not. She decided to cross it, even though she knew how dangerous it was. She had to avoid getting swept away by the current, as well as keeping herself hidden from the eyes of both Clans' patrols. At times, she might have had to hide her scent.
All because… she wanted to race with me.