Thanks to those who reviewed, as always. Here's the next chapter which is exciting I suppose. ^-^ Comments, as always, shall be at the end.
It had been so long since Echokit had been into the forest that she had to stop and take a moment for her eyes to adjust to all the colors around her. Bright greens of leaves, faded oranges and yellows of flowers, filtered sunlight dappling the ground…it was breathtaking. It looked, if possible, even more beautiful than at night. She couldn't understand how WindClan could live on those huge empty moors with no protection.
However, whether it was night or day, the rush of rebellion was ever the same. After absorbing as much as she could, Echokit continued onward and trekked deeper into the forest. She wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to where her paws were leading her. She was too busy trying to listen for any cat that might sneak up on her to really care where she was going. As long as it's away from the camp, it's okay.
She couldn't believe she still had two more months of waiting for her apprenticeship. She was glad that a cat only had to be a kit once. Echokit didn't know if she'd be patient enough to go through this again. I'm barely patient enough as it is! she thought, purring. A leaf settled itself on her whiskers, tickling her nose. Suddenly, the overwhelming urge hit her.
Don't do it! You can hold it in!
But she couldn't.
She sneezed loudly once, twice, three times. The leaf was still dangling from her muzzle and she swatted it away angrily. Great, now any cat around her would've heard that! Maybe she could just-
"Hello?" Anyone there?" a voice called close by. Echokit glanced around in alarm. She hadn't even scented any cat around! It didn't matter though; now she had to hide. Timing couldn't have been better because no sooner did she squash herself into a bush did Rowanpaw slipped through the trees.
Of all the cats in the forest! Echokit thought furiously, struggling to keep her anger under control. She couldn't give herself away so easily, no matter what she wanted to say to the arrogant tom in front of her.
The ginger apprentice sniffed but, by some miracle, couldn't seem to smell her. Maybe she could get out of this without being caught.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind did the dusty sand send a familiar urge through her. Oh great StarClan…
She couldn't help it. She sneezed, very loud and obvious. Rowanpaw's head swiveled around, his sharp eyes looking straight at her. "Alright, Echokit, come on out."
Echokit shoved her way out of the holly bush and scowled at the smug tom. "Don't talk to me like I'm a mouse-brain," she hissed, shaking her pelt to remove the humiliating dust from it.
He blinked calmly at her, sitting down to get comfortable. "Care to tell me what you're doing out here? You know kits aren't allowed out of the camp."
"Like that ever stopped you before!" she snapped, once again feeling the sting of his betrayal. "At least I never shunned my friend because of a little scolding by our leader."
Rowanpaw narrowed his eyes at her and got to his paws. "Me? Shun you? What about you?"
She looked at him in confusion. "What about me?"
"You're the one that stopped talking to me, not the other way around. I tried to still be friends with you but you wouldn't let me!" Echokit bristled at his accusations; her fur fluffed up like a creamy cloud, her claws slid out.
"I did no such thing," she growled, defending herself against the unfair situation. "I figured you thought you were too good for me after Hawkstar locked us in the nursery."
Rowanpaw scoffed, his blue eyes burning into her. "Like that's true. You're only saying that because you know that you're Hawkstar's favorite cat in the Clan."
"I am not!" Echokit spat. She knew her father; he'd never choose one cat over another. That's what made him a great leader! No one, especially not Rowanpaw, was going to talk that way about Hawkstar in front of her. "Don't assume stuff when you have no idea what you're talking about!"
"Admit it Echokit," the ginger tom hissed, pushing his face close to hers. She had to force herself not to flinch. "He always goes so easy on you just because you remind him so much of Brightfeather. The cat that died because of you!"
Brightfeather….she'd never known her mother, the cat who'd died from Greencough soon after the birth of her and Pinekit. It was cruel for Rowanpaw to use that against her, the one thing she had had no control over. It was a low blow, meant to attack her straight at the heart, which it did without fail. Pain welled up inside of her and her eyes clouded over. Rowanpaw must have seen how he'd gone too far because he immediately backtracked.
"Echokit, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that, I swear to StarClan," he stammered, reaching forward to touch her with his muzzle. The grief-stricken she-cat stumbled away from him, glaring and spitting out her rage.
"HOW COULD YOU?" she wailed, feeling his betrayal deep within her. "How dare you use that against me?"
"Please, Echokit I didn't mean it-"
"Fox-dung!" she silenced him with a glare from cold green eyes. "If you didn't mean it then you should have never said it in the first place! I hate you!" Echokit turned tail and fled from the cat she'd once called 'best friend'. Her vision grew hazy and she gasped for breath as her heart broke. She didn't care where she was going, so long as it was far, far away from Rowanpaw and the accusations he threw in her face. She came to a halt beside the river that bordered ThunderClan and RiverClan. The water was clam, reflecting the exact opposite of the emotions churning and raging inside her. She stared at the water, not really seeing any of it.
Oh StarClan, did I really kill my mother? Would that make me and Pinekit…murderers? The thought was too sickening so she shoved it away into the back of her mind. The sunlight was warm but Echokit found herself shivering, and not from the cool mist that coated her fur from the river. The river…she snapped her head up quickly to stare across at the territory on the other side. What had Hawkstar said that one time about RiverClan? That they were a huge threat? Hawkstar's words came back to her.
"Because they didn't have the threat of RiverClan hanging over their heads like branches from the trees!"
Echokit found herself coming up with a plan. If she could sneak into the RiverClan camp, maybe she could figure out what they were planning and why exactly Hawkstar seemed so anxious and apprehensive. And, she purred vengefully at the thought, she could show to Rowanpaw that he was wrong, that she was good enough to find out all the secrets of their enemy, and then she'd be the one to break his heart with words.
Comforted by this new plan of revenge, Echokit entered the peaceful water, feeling the cold of it wash over her paws. Suddenly, she was hit by a brand new circumstance that stood in her way.
She didn't know how to swim.
Echokit looked around the shore, trying to locate a branch to cling onto or something, but it was empty of anything helpful. She sighed and braced herself. She'd been in water before, in the lake. Of course, she'd been in very shallow water but how difficult could it be? Swimming couldn't be that hard, really. At least, that's what she told herself.
Echokit continued into the icy water until it was up to her shoulders. Her breath caught in her chest and she forced herself to relax. RiverClan does it all the time. Surely I can do it too.
She began to push through the currents that were tugging at her fur, struggling to keep her head above water. Her long fur absorbed so much water that it began to drag her down. She splashed, trying to keep afloat. The river was not so calm and peaceful as it had seemed from land. Water hit her in her face, making her splutter and cough.
"Help!" she wailed, hoping someone might hear her. She couldn't tell which way her territory was anymore, and that scared her most of all. If she couldn't see her lovely trees, what did that mean for her? How was she to get back home?
A huge wave covered her head and she tumbled down underwater. Her eyes opened and she saw blue all around her. Her lungs ached for air and she struggled to find her way to the surface. Forget about the trees, she just needed to find air!
The current banged Echokit against multiple rocks and she felt pain radiating from all over. She couldn't fight it anymore, she was too exhausted. She felt a deep sense of acceptance overcome her, along with the tug of sleep. Her vision grew dimmer as she flailed her paws uselessly once more. Oh StarClan, save me.
Suddenly, she felt sharp teeth sink into her scruff and she was pulled out of the water. She vaguely registered the feeling of swimming, which was strange because she herself was not moving. She turned her head limply to the side and saw a flash of silvery white fur. Petalstream had come to save her!
She was carried out of the water and laid gently on the shore. Paws rub her stomach and a gush of water emptied itself from her belly. She vomited the cold water until there was none left and could do nothing more than just lay on the bank of the river.
"Iceheart, why did you save it? This will just make Crowstar so much angrier at us and ThunderClan if they he figures out one of their kits crossed the border!" a shrill voice interrupted the haze that covered her mind.
"I couldn't just let it die, Sunleaf," a furious voice replied. "You and I are the only cats left in the Clan who have any sense of justice left at all! And you would just stand by and watch as an innocent kit drowned?"
Iceheart? Sunleaf? Those were not names of any warriors in ThunderClan. At least, Echokit didn't think so. Her mind was so fuzzy, she couldn't really remember. She groaned involuntarily, drawing the attention of the two cats.
A white head appeared in her vision, blue eyes narrowed with worry. "Are you okay, kit? That was a very mouse-brained thing to do, trying to swim!"
Echokit blinked her eyes and was finally able to focus. She realized that she was not on ThunderClan territory but on RiverClan's side of the stream. She saw two cats staring down at her; one was the white she-cat that had saved her life and the other was a bright yellow she-cat with white ears and amber eyes.
She shifted herself into a sitting position and tried to respond. Her throat felt rough and her voice cracked but she managed to get the words out. "F-fine," she rasped. ""Who are you?"
The pretty golden she-cat rolled her eyes up to the sky as the white cat answered, "My name is Iceheart, Medicine Cat of RiverClan, and this is Sunleaf. I rescued you from nearly drowning."
"Care to tell us why you suddenly wanted to go for a swim?" Sunleaf asked, not all too kindly.
Echokit shook her head to clear her muddled thoughts and meowed, "I-I just…" she desperately searched for an excuse. "I wanted to learn how to swim." She hoped they would take that as an answer.
Sunleaf snorted. "A ThunderClan cat wanting to swim? Great StarClan you are fish-brains!"
Iceheart shot her a warning glare but Echokit sprung unsteadily to her paws, furious at being insulted. "We are not fish-brains! I just wanted to swim!" Even to her own ears her excuse sounded lame.
Iceheart stepped between the two. "It doesn't matter why you are here, at the moment; it's the fact that we have to decide what to do with you is what the problem is." Are they going to keep me in their camp? Oh StarClan, please let me just go home! She prayed silently.
"Well, it's obvious what we have to do with her," Sunleaf growled, lashing her tail.
"What?" Echokit mewed, trembling from the cold and fear. She wouldn't let these RiverClan cats see her scared though. She stared right at the golden warrior, even though she knew the answer was not going to be good.
Iceheart turned to her Clanmate. She stepped protectively in front of Echokit. The ThunderClan kit glanced at her warily. "Yes, what do you plan on doing with this kit?"
Sunleaf shrugged. "We have to take her to Crowstar."
Crowstar? Must be the RiverClan leader. Echokit opened her mouth to say something but the Medicine Cat stopped her, the words she spoke sending shivers of fear through her fur.
"You know that is not an option. He will kill her without so much as asking for an explanation," Iceheart hissed quietly.
Echokit's heart almost stopped. Kill her? Surely no leader of any Clan could be so cold-hearted.
"Well, then what do you have in mind?" Sunleaf retorted. "If we can't tell Crowstar, then what do you suggest?" Just as Iceheart was about to reply, a deep deadly voice spoke from behind them.
"And what is it you two need to tell me exactly?"
Echokit whipped her head around and slowly her eyes traveled up the huge mountain of white and ginger fur. All the way up to meet the cold, bloodthirsty glare that could only belong to one cat.
Crowstar.
There you have it! Thank you to those who reviewed! And here are the replies:
tjtaterbug: Thank you so much, and here's the chapter you were waiting for! *throws you a cookie*
Mistyflower68: I love you so very much for doing so much for this story. I loved the latest chapter in your story, by the way. Great job!