Enjoy your double upload!
He came to regret his wish.
Smallpaw yawned and arched his back in a stretch. Never was he so tired than when he first woke up. The apprentice's den was empty, with only Beetlepaw soundly sleeping beside him. With another yawn, Smallpaw looked outside to camp.
The river was moving very slowly. Snow crunched under his small paws as he walked out of the warm apprentice's den and into the cold. He tried to fluff out his fur, but to no avail. The wind continued to brush his pelt the wrong way so it ebbed into his skin.
As if on cue, Driftkit darted out of the nursery and turned towards Smallpaw. She tripped over her own paws and skidded on her chest with her hindlegs in the air until she came to the new apprentice's small paws.
"Hi, Driftkit," Smallpaw mewed flatly.
The energetic kitten bounced on her paws. "Did you see what I did there? That didn't even hurt!"
Smallpaw forced himself to not roll his eyes. Instead he ignored the kit and waltzed towards the fresh-kill pile. With a frown, he realized there was no fish. He opened his mouth to scent and tried to dig where he thought there was buried prey, but he just came up with a fallen heart and sore claws.
"Wow," Driftkit breathed. "What are you doing?"
She's still following me. Smallpaw drew himself up and showed the brown kit a dirty paw. "One day you'll dig for fish when you're starving, too."
Driftkit shook her head and stuck out her tongue in disgust. "No way! Olivecloud's always gonna feed me."
That's what I thought, too.
"Oh, Smallpaw!" Minnowleap leaped down from a low branch of an old maple tree located between the apprentice's and elder's den near the back of camp where she and Shellstar slept—and also where Clan meetings were held beneath.
"Yes?" Smallpaw wiped his paws on his flank and faced his mentor.
"We're going to fish today. Down by ThunderClan's territory." The small-framed she-cat flicked one of her ears. "And we're taking your brother with Dovefeather too."
Smallpaw nodded. "Okay. When?"
Minnowleap snorted in amusement. "Right now, silly! Wake Beetlepaw up and tell him our paws are freezing to the ground."
Driftkit gasped. "I wanna come! I wanna come!"
Minnowleap shook her head. "No, Driftkit. Why don't you ask Hawkfeather to make a moss ball for you and Splashkit to play with?"
"All right!" Driftkit, with a jump on all four paws, dashed to the warrior's den and disappeared behind a clump of snow.
Minnowleap chuckled. "Smallpaw, now who does she remind you of?"
"Huh?" Smallpaw was thinking of ways to wake up his brother without getting snapped at. "What? Who?"
"She's just like you are."
"I know." Smallpaw warily stared at Minnowleap. "Let's just hope she doesn't try to fish like I did."
When his mentor didn't reply, Smallpaw padded to the apprentice's den. Beetlepaw's thick black tail was covering his nose.
Smallpaw stalled. The Clan had been nicer to him since he became an apprentice. They had looked beyond his crooked jaw and clouded eye, just knowing Smallpaw for Smallpaw.
He was about to prod Beetlepaw's shoulder when the black apprentice suddenly jolted up. He shook his head and blinked a few times. "What's going on?"
"Minnowleap and Dovefeather are taking us fishing."
"Oh." Beetlepaw stretched his limbs in turn and followed Smallpaw out of the den. They soon reached the two gray she-cats who were their mentors.
"Slatenose is certainly worried—" Minnowleap broke off when she spotted the apprentices. "Ah, wonderful. Let's get going, huh?"
As Smallpaw fell into step beside Beetlepaw and the four of them set off, he wondered what Minnowleap was saying to Dovefeather. Something about the kits, he instantly thought. When Slatenose wasn't acting like a bold warrior, he sure was a frantic father.
"Minnowleap? I've got a question," Smallpaw mewed, not breaking stride.
"Yes?"
"How can we fish around ThunderClan's territory when that's all we're around?"
Beetlepaw scoffed.
Minnowleap turned around. "Well, I meant we'd fish near the part where ThunderClan is most… active, you could say."
"Which is?"
"Sunningrocks."
Smallpaw froze. He'd only heard tales of that place. Tales about… his father.
As they padded along the banks, Smallpaw was trembling. He didn't want to meet a snake. He didn't want to meet ThunderClan. He wanted to bolt back to camp. But with Beetlepaw by his side, he felt comforted. As rude as the apprentice could be, he had more strength than Smallpaw did.
"Ah, Sunningrocks." Dovefeather looked up. "Get a good look, apprentices. You'll be here a lot."
Smallpaw stared at the rocks. They were tan and large, piled upon one another. Bushes dotted the area below it and trees poked through gaps.
That was all he saw. One by one, they swam across the river and emerged on the other side. Shaking out his wet fur, Smallpaw looked in confusion at Minnowleap. "Aren't we supposed to be fishing?" he called.
"Yeah! But I want you to see Sunningrocks!"
With a sigh, Smallpaw followed them up the crest and towards the rocks. They reeked of ThunderClan—the whole place did.
Beetlepaw finally spoke. "Why do we fight so much over a bunch of rocks?"
Dovefeather turned on him. "RiverClan does not back down from fighting to reclaim what is rightfully ours. ThunderClan wanted to be haughty and take our territory. We said no. They said yes. It's gone on since the dawn of the Clans, Beetlepaw. We do it for honor."
"But we don't need them, do we?"
Dovefeather shook her head. "You'll learn one day."
"Alright, everyone," Minnowleap said as they padded towards Sunningrocks. "Luckily for you, the snakes won't be out since it's leaf-bare. But you can't sun, because there's none." She shrugged. "Kind of a lose-lose situation."
"I-I've had enough looking," Smallpaw stammered.
Minnowleap and Dovefeather looked at each other in understanding. "Oh, Smallpaw," Dovefeather started. "Your father was as brave as a badger, remember?"
Smallpaw started to breathe heavily. "But I'm not."
Beetlepaw looked in confusion at the two. Obviously, Quickfoot hadn't told him the stories.
"Okay. Are you all right to fish, then?" Minnowleap offered.
Smallpaw nodded. His nerves calmed. Beetlepaw continued to stare dubiously, but asked no questions. Something inside the small white apprentice told him that Sunningrocks was full of mystery and truth. There were things to be uncovered. Whatever it was, he was determined to find it. Even if it meant stepping in his father's large pawsteps.
So? Why does Smallpaw feel uncomfortable around Sunningrocks? Will he come to like the four rambunctious kits? Find out soon~!
Question!: Do you want to know Smallpaw's father's name? I wasn't sure whether to put it in or leave it out, so you decide.
woof
