Chapter 10

"Falling Petals."

3/18/17 - 3/19/17

Near the end of May, the air starts to become warmer. Thick coated cats such like Featherpaw and Goldflame were trying to ignore the sun beating down on their backs. Some even go to the lake to drink more frequently to keep cool.

Except for one cat.

Whitefur sent Petalpaw out to catch two mice, which she accomplished. When Whitefur excused her, he should have told her to stay inside the camp.

Petalpaw places her front paws on the tree, looking up, a beehive stirring with working bees, and a small drop of gold, delectable honey drips on her right paw.

Petalpaw licks the honey off and looks back up at the beehive. She remembers the honey in the far back of the medicine cat den before being chased out.

Hailstone probably has all the honey to feed a family of badgers.

The pale tortoiseshell decides to get to work. She climbs up the bark, and flattens her ears to the sound of buzzing. Petalpaw sees a small tiny hole on the outside of the hive, and honey dripping from it.

Bingo.

Petalpaw reaches her paw over the hole. The shiny, gold substance peeks out and falls on her paw. Petalpaw licks it and reaches out again. Her back foot slips.

Petalpaw impulsively unsheathes her claws and latches on the hive. The beehive gave way under her weight and breaks in half. Petalpaw quickly readjusts herself and lands on her paws, the broken beehive hits the ground and breaks open to reveal golden honey.

The sound of roar-like-buzzing made Petalpaw's fur stand on end. The swarm of bees quickly fell down on Petalpaw. The pale tortoiseshell did the first thing that comes to mind.

To the lake!

Petalpaw races through the angry swarm and jumps head first into the lake.

Pinepaw grooms her fur coat thoroughly behind the nursery. Her pelt shines in an almost dark amber color. She peeks out from her hiding spot and sees Mistpaw giggling while pressed against Hawkfeather's lean frame.

Just say hi. Wait for her to leave and say hi.

Pinepaw watches as Mistpaw leave Hawkfeather. She straightens up and pads toward Hawkfeather, mesmerized by his ice blue eyes and dark brown tabby pelt.

"Incoming!"

Pinepaw didn't have time to look at the source of the voice. She feels a blunt force hitting her head and knocking her down, and her world becomes blurry.

Petalpaw stares at Pinepaw laying on the ground. A small crowd of cats look at the two she-cats and drew attention from Hailstone and Duskshade.

"Pinepaw?" Petalpaw shook her cousin's shoulder to try and rouse her. The red-brown she cat groans, and Petalpaw sighs with relief. "Thank StarClan!"

Hailstone nudges Petalpaw and looks at Pinepaw, he unsheathes his claws and shows them to her. "Pinepaw, how many claws are on my paw?"

Pinepaw's green eyes focuses on his claws. "Uh… Three?"

Hailstone nods and glares at Petalpaw. "Of all the stupid pranks - you had to go too far!"

"But-!

"I don't want to hear anymore excuses! One of these days, Petalpaw, you're going to get someone killed from your stupid pranks!"

Hailstone nudges Pinepaw toward the medicine cat den and left Petalpaw standing in the center of attention. The pale tortoiseshell feels her fur heat up with shame as she flattens her ears to keep out the judgemental voices of her Clanmates.

Petalpaw tries to stay out of everyone's attention two days later. Pinepaw was already back to training, but Petalpaw felt too ashamed to face her after being humiliated by Hailstone.

I didn't do it on purpose, I'd never hurt a cat.

She approaches Whitefur with caution.

"Petalpaw, Windstorm is going to take you out for training."

Petalpaw sees Windstorm waiting for her near the thorn barrier.

Oh, crud.

Petalpaw and Windstorm pad to the tree near the lake, and in front of the tree she sees… a broken beehive.

"Uh, why am I back here?"

Windstorm nods. "I thought you broke this hive. It's very faint, but your scent is still fresh."

Petalpaw's father watches the pale tortoiseshell become tense with anxiety.

"You were trying to get away from the bees when you ran into Pinepaw by accident?"

"... Yes."

"Your mother and I knew it wasn't a prank. Hailstone didn't mean what he said, he's just being protective over Pinepaw because she's his niece."

Petalpaw curls her tail around her back legs. "Do you think she'll forgive me?"

"I just saw her yesterday. She wasn't mad at you at all, she just wants you to stop running into her from now on."

Windstorm brushes his tail on Petalpaw's back. "Let's take some honeycomb and go back home."

"... Hey, Dad."

Windstorm looks at Petalpaw, and is hit in the face with honey. Petalpaw snickers as she grabs a broken honeycomb and pads off to the camp. Windstorm wipes the golden mess from his face and picks up the piece of honeycomb and pads behind Petalpaw, pleased to have her return to her personality.

A/N: I just wanted a filler chapter of Petalpaw. Because once that big day comes, where the chosen four head off to the mountains, I'll need to write chapters about the cats left behind and make this book longer.

Why am I writing this note after all this time? Because I am about to reveal the identity of one of the chosen four's father, and it's not Owlpaw's father we're talking about. ;) ~ Kyubi