:D :D :D :D :D Another upload! :D :D :D :D :D I'm so excited that I managed to get up another upload! :D :D :D :D :D
The Age of Awesomeness: Same here! We had an extra week of Winter Break due to snow (which is partially why I'm actually getting out another chapter this early). I can't wait for the next chapter of your story! It's really interesting! :)
Willowdream of ForestClan: Yeah! Rainpaw! I couldn't do an improv speech if someone paid me. XD I'm so proud of him and I'm the one who wrote the chapter. Huh, I'm not sure how that works...
catbooklover2004: Lucky! We got about a half a foot, but we might get more tomorrow! It might just be rain, though. :(
QLKwriter: I always forget what I have to say when I do public speaking. Even when I have notecards. I hope you also get today off school, but you probably don't! If so, have fun with your one-day week!
The Guardian of the Sky: Aw, that would be terrible! Personally, I love snow. :) My speeches are always better when I type them out. Maybe by the time I'm an adult written speeches will actually be a thing and I won't have to do public speaking...
EradrinSkyleaf: Here, so you won't have to look up and down the reviews three times! :3 Yes, I was trying to make a FoxxCinder pairing, but Cinder's not too pleased with me about it. *Cinderpaw: Snowfall, can you just kill off Foxtooth? He's so annoying!* *Me: Cinderpaw, you can deal with him for now. I have plans for later... (rubs hands together and laughs evilly)*
Guest: You forgot your name! Anyway, that sounds terrible! :( Some of the Northeast should send you snow. I know some people in Boston and they're getting about 4 feet of snow right now! It's piling up so people have to tunnel out of their own doorways and windows! I actually timed my writing this time. :) For the actual chapter, it took me 66 minutes to write 1752 words. No, I don't edit very much, but if I'm typing and something sounds really odd or is just hard to get out, I go back over and rearrange stuff. It's about as much editing as I do for the reviews! Speaking of which, it took me 19 minutes to do the reviews because there weren't as many today. (more frequent uploading for the win!)
Silvery: Yay, you logged in! :D Rainpaw will be happy you did not break your pinkie. :) *gives more chocolates to celebrate non-pinkie-breaking* Sorry, my username is full of cold and ice! Just pretend my username is Summerfall16 or something for the next review. That should warm you up. :) Just don't let your chocolates melt!
Sootpaw's POV
Patrols went out. Patrols came in. I hunted. I marked borders. I worried.
Rustpelt and Dawnpaw seemed to have struck a sort of peace after their "argument" of sorts. During the next day, they accompanied me on a hunting patrol and acted civilly to each other, Rustpelt even cracking a joke Dawnpaw laughed at. I didn't blame her—it was a pretty funny joke.
I kept my eye on Rustpelt. He seemed to be coping well with his brother's absence when he was around me. I didn't want to replace Foxtooth, but if Rustpelt needed a friend to talk to, I'd be sure to be there for him. It was almost like I had my brother back again, though Rustpelt's personality was a bit more like Cinderpaw and a lot more outgoing than Rainpaw could ever be.
All seemed well. But I didn't let that stop me from worrying. If I had my nine lives and my leader name, nothing would stop me from standing guard every night to keep my Clan safe, giving up as many lives to save LeopardClan as I had to. But as things stood, I didn't dare even leave my Clan for a single night. If NightClan attacked, I had to be here to help my Clan. We were short-pawed anyway, especially after Cherryfall's death. I still winced on the inside whenever I thought about her, but Ashthorn's message had helped immensely.
I sat on a tussock of moss just outside the camp, gazing in at the clearing. Amberwing had brought her kits outside for the first time and were keeping them within a few tail-lengths of the nursery. It wasn't much of a problem—the kits had barely opened their eyes and were stumbling around with oversized paws, blinking in the bright sunlight.
I'd done my best to leave Molewhisker off of patrols for the day so he could spend time with his mate and kits, but it was difficult. I'd already been forced to put him on a hunting patrol this morning and was considering putting him in the evening patrol as well. The only cats in the camp at the moment other than him and his kin were Goldenwing, who was pulling a thorn out of Crouchfoot's paw, Scorchblaze, and Shadepaw. Three cats wouldn't be enough for a border patrol.
Then again, if I set Molewhisker on duty guarding the camp instead of me, I would be free to patrol the border. I supposed if Amberwing would let them, her kits would be more than happy to join their father at the entrance. Then again, she probably wouldn't let her kits get anywhere near the entrance, what with the danger from NightClan and all.
I sighed. I supposed I'd just wait for one of the patrols to return to camp, then take out my border patrol. Turning, I called inside, "Crouchfoot! Scorchblaze! Shadepaw!" The cats turned to stare curiously at me. "Get some fresh-kill now. I want you on a border patrol with me later." They nodded and, immediately in the case of Shadepaw but much slower in the case of Crouchfoot, made their separate ways to the pile.
I remained stationed at the camp entrance for a little while longer. I'd started wondering if NightClan had grabbed both patrols when one came back.
Smiling in relief, I stood and stretched, nodding at Aspentail, Rustpelt, Sparrowtalon, and his new apprentice Twigpaw as they passed. All four cats had been scouting the territory, searching for signs of NightClan. As they hadn't told me anything while passing, I assumed that all was quiet and still.
Good.
"Molewhisker!" I called inside. Molewhisker turned, Birchkit hanging onto his ear and Sunkit onto his tail, one paw holding apart Maplekit and Lionkit. "Can you come guard the camp? I'm going on the sundown border patrol!"
I could see his regret, but he nodded all the same, disentangling himself from his kits. As he padded over to me, Lionkit sprang at Maplekit, knocking her into Sunkit as Birchkit leaped on Lionkit. All four kits dissolved into a massive play-fight.
Molewhisker took his place at the entrance and I beckoned behind me toward the three cats on my patrol, all of whom were finishing their fresh-kill. I saw with a pang of nervousness that only a few pieces of prey remained. We were so busy defending our territory against NightClan that we had little time to spend hunting for food. As I led my patrol out of camp, I sighed. I hoped Rainpaw and Cinderpaw would return soon, bringing with them Clan cats to help us hunt and fight for freedom.
The forest was quiet enough, the silence only disrupted by a slight breeze and the twittering of birds above in the branches of dry, crumbling leaves. Our paws crunched through the undergrowth to the first border marking, a wide, gray stone between two large oak trees.
We continued marking the border until, suddenly, I heard voices. I swept my tail behind me and the patrol halted, our ears straining. The sound of voices came from ahead.
"…stupid LeopardClanners…"
"…deserve the entire lake!..."
"…want to crush their bones…"
"…why?"
I winced as I heard a quickly muffled shriek of pain. The voices were clearer now.
"We deserve to take over the entire lake, and those stupid LeopardClanners won't stop us! If you don't agree, why don't you just go join them?"
A patrol rounded a thick clump of trees, the warriors all huge, muscular toms. Even the leader was there, as well as an orange tabby apprentice, who seemed to be limping slightly. I unsheathed my claws nervously, staring at Nightstar. No doubt he'd tried to put together an impressive-looking patrol. I doubted if any of these cats were really much good in battle; they looked slow, though their muscles were intimidating. I figured the patrol wouldn't be as impressive if Nightstar had brought sleek, agile cats rather than these bulky toms.
"Well, look what we have here," drawled Nightstar, the perfect imitation of a much more sarcastic, sassy Cinderpaw. "It's the Leopards. Too bad they'll soon be crushed by the overpowering force of darkness." He grinned. "Did you know darkness is faster than light? Because no matter how fast light is, it gets to its location only to find darkness there, waiting for it."
I growled, narrowing my eyes in case claws started flying. I certainly didn't want to lose my sight. "What do you want, Nightstar?"
"Only to speak to you, dear Sootpaw," Nightstar meowed, smirking. "Yes, you do look more like an apprentice now. Perhaps I should quit calling you Sootkit?"
"He's as old as a warrior, and should already be one!" Scorchblaze had stepped forward, her teeth bared as she snarled at the NightClan leader. "Do not show our leader disrespect!"
"Oh, so you're a leader now, are you?" Nightstar laughed. "An apprentice leading a Clan? You really are hilarious, Sootkit!"
I dug my claws into the soft leaf mulch, but motioned for Scorchblaze to back off anyway. "We don't need a fight right now," I hissed so only she could hear. Then I turned back to Nightstar. "What do you want to talk to me about?"
Nightstar prowled closer, almost crossing the border but not quite. "Well, I was just thinking how I haven't seen dear Cinderpaw in such a long time," he purred. My heart clenched all of a sudden—Nightstar couldn't find out where Cinderpaw and Rainpaw had gone. He'd probably attack then and there, killing me while he had the chance. For the first time, I wished for my nine lives, if only so that I could live again to protect my Clan. "I would have thought that she'd be on more border patrols, as she's such a good little fighter."
"She's needed back at camp more than on border patrols," I meowed bravely, making sure to keep my voice steady. "She's not only a good fighter, but she's very controlling and a great speaker. Somehow, the cats at camp listen to her the best. See, if you attacked me right now and Shadepaw was sent running back to camp for reinforcements, we'd need to get support right away. Cinderpaw is the fastest at getting the cats together and getting them where they need to go."
Nightstar nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly as he thought out my words. "Very well," he meowed. "And what about dear Rainpaw?"
I breathed deeply. "He… he's training to be a medicine cat."
This surprised Nightstar almost as much as my own patrol, I was sure. I stepped to the side to hide them from view, masking my intentions by fixing a deeper snarl on my face and widening my stance, as though I was actually trying to protect them.
"That's… interesting," Nightstar murmured. "I recall he had a sweetheart—Silverdapple, was her name?—who was, unfortunately, killed in the battle that killed your dear, dear father. I seem to remember Rainpaw was the one who avenged her death. Why would he want to stop now that he had a taste of NightClan blood?"
"Rainpaw's not a fighter," I growled, "not in your sense of the word. He's a healer. He cares for other cats more than himself. He wanted to train as a medicine cat so as not to spill any more unnecessary blood. Did you know Silverdapple died protecting him? He was heartbroken and vowed that no other cats would sacrifice themselves to save him. If anyone got hurt protecting him, he could make them well again." I suddenly ran out of reasons and stood there, staring at Nightstar. "That… was how he decided he wanted to be a medicine cat," I finished lamely.
Nightstar's eyebrows rose. "Indeed," he murmured. "Interesting." He stared at me for a few heartbeats longer before finally turning to his own patrol. "Let's get going!" he called, then leaped forward, racing along the border to the next marker.
I kept standing there all the same, my heart feeling like it had been pierced with a thorn like Crouchfoot's paw. All of a sudden, it rushed in, all at once. Rainpaw and Cinderpaw were out there, somewhere, and might not come back for a while. I was all alone here, at least for the time being. What if they didn't come back in time for NightClan's final, deciding attack?
"Sootpaw?" It was Crouchfoot.
I turned away, staring down along the border again. "Come on," I muttered. "Let's finish this patrol."
1752 words this time! I know it wasn't as many as yesterday, but as this upload is the day after the day after the last upload, I'm sure you'll love it anyway! :)
AOTD: I'm so happy-our school officials are terrified when it comes to snow and ice. I've had the entire week off school! :D We've only got about a half a foot, though, or at least we did before it started to melt. 0.o Yeah... we probably should have had school but some back roads were still icy or something. Oh well, it means more chapters for you! :)
QOTD: So let's say Cinderpaw and Foxtooth find a cure to the disease. What should it be made of?
QOTD2: So let's say Cinderpaw and Foxtooth DON'T find a cure to the disease. Should Rushstar die? If so, how should she die?