Hello, everyone. It's been a bit, ain't it? I do so apologize, life has kinda been a little annoying lately, and I haven't had time or motivation to do any writing whatsoever. I apologize, though there's not much I can do beyond that. I wouldn't want to force myself to write through a block and deliver a subpar product any more than I already do. I do hope this chapter is what to your standards, and I hope you enjoy.
Waspkit darted from the nursery, buzzing with excitement. After what had felt like forever, it was finally time for him to become an apprentice. Brownkit followed him out, much more reserved though no less excited. They'd both sat through their mothers grooming them to look nice for the ceremony with only minimal fuss.
Jackdawwing licked a paw and ran it over his ear, Lionheart sitting beside him. Jackdawwing had become a warrior a few days prior, which had left the apprentice den empty. Empty until today, at least. Fernpelt and Lionheart had been made warriors two moons prior, and Fernpelt was already padding around Foxear like he was the second coming of Thunderstar himself. The tod seemed to enjoy the attention, even if it did earn him some glares from a select few clanmates, especially Lakesplash and Sagepatch.
Jaystar sat atop Highledge, waiting for the dawn patrol to return. She eyed the two kits, chuckling softly to herself. She remembered being that young, that excited. Sometimes she missed it, but only sometimes. Starclan knew there were countless things she would change if she had the opportunity to do it all again. The one thing she'd keep was Brackenfur. For all he did to annoy her, she loved the tom deeply, and he had been an invaluable help both during her time as deputy, and even more so as her own deputy after she'd become leader. She was certainly young for the role, but he'd never let her doubt herself. She'd only been leader since the moon after Cloverfoot's warrior ceremony, but already she felt the weight of responsibility. She doubted she'd be able to handle it if not for the tom's unwavering support and presence.
As if summoning him, the tom shouldered through the camp entrance at the head of the dawn patrol, followed by Deertail, Tigerstripe, and Spruceflower. Waspkit's excitement seemed to grow, if that were possible, and Brackenfur made his way up to Highledge to whisper his report. Everything normal. A Windclan patrol had greeted them at the border consisting of Rabbitleap, Gorsefur, and Harepaw. Jaystar hummed in amusement at that, unable to recall another time a patrol had consisted of two cats and their kit. It was odd Harepaw wasn't with her mentor, Darkpelt, but not worth worrying over.
Shaking her pelt, Jaystar stood up and stepped to the end of Highledge. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highledge for a clan meeting," she called, Sorrelstripe and Tigerstripe sticking their heads out of the warrior's den before exiting. The she-cat was showing, though still more than capable of her duties, and she should have been confined to the nursery by now, but Jaystar had put it off for the time being. Her initial decision had been hasty. If she confined Sorrelstripe so early, it would be clear there was something wrong. And if there was one thing she couldn't afford, it was cats asking questions.
Waspkit forced himself to walk forward, Brownkit at his side. The rest of the clan gathered around as the two kits came to sit in the front. Their mothers joined them, though sat a foxlength apart on either side of the kits. Jaystar noticed Cloverfoot was beaming, and she couldn't help but smile herself. As angry as she could get over her sister's refusal to tell her the truth, Jaystar still loved her deeply, and she loved Waspkit almost as much as her own kits. The she-cat glanced towards Tigerstripe, and a part of her wondered why he had been given the misfortune of falling for Sorrelstripe. Her heart ached with the fear and pain of knowing the secret she kept from him, but it was for the good of the clan. It had to be.
Shaking her head, Jaystar took a breath to center herself.
"Brownkit," she said, and the tom stepped forward. "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Brownpaw. Your mentor will be Foxear."
The orange tom blinked, unable to hide his shock, and Fernpelt exchanged a glance before he slowly padded forward. He hesitated, Brownpaw looking up at him with excitement, before slowly lowering his head and the two toms touched noses.
"Waspkit," Jaystar called, and the tom stepped forward as Brownpaw and Foxear retreated to the front of the crowd. "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Wasppaw. Your mentor will be Lakesplash."
Lakesplash was just as surprised, though he seemed visibly grateful as he padded forward. He'd put in a lot of work to become a Thunderclan cat, and it had paid off more than Jaystar had initially imagined. The former Riverclan cat still got teased from time to time by some of the cats his age and older, but it was friendly, warm. Not like it had used to be. Now the only indicator of his former clan was his name.
The young tom's excitement and eagerness got the better of him finally as Lakesplash leaned down, their noses crashing together. Both of them jerked back, wincing in pain, and Lakesplash laughed. "You're going to make a wonderful apprentice," he said, and his words seemed to erase any embarrassment Wasppaw had initially felt. His eyes widened, beaming excitedly, as Lakesplash looked at him with warmth.
The clan began to call their names, Brownpaw and Wasppaw looking around at everyone in a mix of awe and excitement.
As it died down, Lakesplash rested his tail on Wasppaw's back and gestured for the younger tom to follow. Wasppaw hesitated, looking at Cloverfoot, but she simply gave a nod and a warm, proud smile, and the tod returned it before following. Brownpaw looked to Foxear, only to falter when he saw the older tom had walked away and was walking beside Fernpelt, the two cats whispering to each other as they made their way to the camp wall for some privacy.
The brown-pelted tom stared after his friend, ears lowering sadly. Just before they exited the camp boundary, Wasppaw turned and noticed Brownpaw. He stopped, getting Lakesplash's attention. The older tom turned, and the two conversed for a moment before Lakesplash looked to Brownpaw and jerked his head. Brownpaw blinked, glancing towards Foxear. His desire to make a good first impression battled with his urge to experience the forest for the first time with Wasppaw. Eventually the latter won, and he hurried to meet them at the tunnel. The three toms exited, and a quick glance back showed that Foxear hadn't even noticed, and Jaystar staring intently at the orange tom with barely-disguised annoyance.
"I'll introduce you two to the borders first," Lakesplash said as they walked, and he turned towards the Windclan border first since it was closest. "While we walk, the two of you may ask me any question you think needs answered."
"Are you really from Riverclan?" Wasppaw asked almost immediately. Lakesplash let out a quiet mrow of laughter as Brownpaw puffed up nervously, not expecting his friend to ask it so outright.
"Now, what makes you doubt that?" Lakesplash asked with an amused look in his eyes.
Wasppaw was silent a moment. "Well, your name isn't Thunderclan-like, but everything else about you feels right," he eventually answered.
"Well, I have been part of Thunderclan over half my life," the older tom pointed out. "Sagepatch and I took things slow, when I joined. We agreed that any kits should wait until I was acclimated and certain that I could actually make it as a Thunderclan warrior. So that's what we did. Believe me, it was...it was difficult. We were so madly in love, and I kept thinking that we should just have them anyway, but I also knew it wouldn't be fair if we did. If I couldn't handle life in the forest, if I couldn't relearn everything I knew as a warrior, then the family we wanted would be torn apart. I could never ask her to leave her clan for me, and I wouldn't dream of taking any of our kits even if she asked me to. She has family here that I didn't have in Riverclan. I still get to see my friends during gatherings, and the lake is the most peaceful it's ever been, so I haven't needed to worry about fighting them. And I pray to Starclan every night that I never will. I could do it, if it came down to it, but I'd rather avoid it if I could."
Sensing any further probing might be unwelcome, at least for the time being, Brownpaw opened his muzzle before Wasppaw could. He did have one related question, though.
"Can you teach us to swim?"
"Excuse me?" Lakesplash asked, turning his head quickly. Brownpaw, thinking he'd made a mistake, shrunk back slightly. The older tom quickly made an effort to soothe him. "I could, if that's what you want. Apologies. Nobody's ever asked me that before."
"Not even Sagepatch?" Wasppaw asked with a head tilt of his own.
"Sagepatch is a dry land cat if ever there was one," Lakesplash replied mirthfully. "She hates the rain, and avoids puddles whenever she can. I'd probably lose my pelt if I tried getting her into the lake."
The two young 'paws couldn't help but chuckle.
Wasppaw hummed as a thought struck him, the trio coming upon the stream that acted as the border with Windclan. "So, is it-"
His question was interrupted by a yowl from across the stream, all three of them whipping their heads up towards the sound. A patrol of four cats approached the stream, and despite the yowl they appeared friendly. Wasppaw assumed it had just been to get their attention without suddenly appearing in front of them. The patrol consisted of a gray tom with amber eyes, a black tom with green eyes, a dark gray she-cat with blue eyes, and a dark gray she-cat with green eyes.
"How goes life in Thunderclan, Lakesplash?" the gray tom asked with a playful grin.
"It goes well, Kestrelheart," the older tom replied, then looked to the black tom. "What about you, Darkpelt? Missing Shadowclan yet?"
"Not in a dozen lifetimes," he replied with a chuckle. "Rosestar always makes the most logical choices, but...well, she always makes the most logical choices."
The distinction was a little too complicated for Wasppaw, and a glance revealed Brownpaw seemed to understand it even less.
"And who are these little kittens?" asked the green-eyed she-cat. Wasppaw and Brownpaw both frowned at the same time, which got a short chuckle from the entire patrol.
"Featherfern, these little ones are Wasppaw and Brownpaw," Lakesplash explained. "Today was their apprentice ceremony. Wasppaw in my apprentice, and Brownpaw...well, his mentor was needed elsewhere, so I volunteered to take him with Wasppaw and I."
"Oh, the half rogue?" the blue-eyed she-cat said innocently, getting a cuff over the ears from Featherfern as Wasppaw's ears lowered.
"Moorpaw!" the older she-cat exclaimed admonishingly.
"Ow, what?" Moorpaw questioned, not seeming to understand the reaction. "He is, isn't he?"
"That's inappropriate, Moorpaw," Darkpelt said. "I don't care if you're still young. You should know better by now."
"It's okay," Wasppaw said, and they could hear the hurt in his voice. "She's right."
"That doesn't matter," Darkpelt said so sternly that it shocked the young tom into attention. "You're a clan cat at heart. The decisions of your ancestors do not and should not reflect upon you. Mistake or not, you never asked for these circumstances. You do not deserve to be punished for them."
The young tom stared at him in surprise, a moment passing in silence.
"Apologize," Darkpelt said as he turned to Moorpaw. She opened her mouth to object, and got a glare in response. She swallowed nervously.
"I, uh...I'm sorry," the she-cat slowly whispered. Darkpelt growled, dissatisfied. "I'm sorry, Wasppaw. It was insensitive, and Darkpelt is right, I should have known better."
The young tom was silent a moment, thinking his response over, then nodded to himself and approached. He stopped at the edge of the stream. "Don't be sorry, Moorpaw," he said, "be better." His words made her blink in surprise.
Darkpelt hummed. "Six moons old, and already he speaks wiser words than a seasoned medicine cat," he said with a teasing look to Featherfern. The she-cat glared in response. Moorpaw glanced between them, then nudged Featherfern.
"Can I speak with Wasppaw a moment?" the younger she-cat asked politely, and it was the red and black tom's turn to blink in surprise.
"If he wishes," Lakesplash replied, and all eyes were suddenly on Wasppaw. He suddenly felt smaller than he could remember ever feeling before.
It took him a moment to get out the meager "Y-yeah," and accompanying nod. He swallowed, then nodded again. "Yeah, yeah, that's alright."
"Brownpaw, let us go to the lake," Lakesplash said, tail resting on the younger tom's back and guiding him away. Featherfern, Darkpelt, and Kestrelheart followed them on the Windclan side of the stream, Moorpaw waiting until they were gone before looking down to the water. Wasppaw looked down too, curious, and when he looked up she was already a tail length from the Thunderclan side, jumping the last little distance with ease. Wasppaw drew back as the jump brought them in close proximity, Moorpaw sitting down. He took a couple steps back to give her space.
They sat there in awkward silence for a long moment, Wasppaw unsure what she wanted to talk about and Moorpaw unsure where to begin.
Finally she sighed. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know I already apologized, and I know you forgave me...I think, but I just wanted to apologize again. In case you hadn't. I wasn't thinking, and I said something hurtful. Cruel. Darkpelt was right, you don't deserve to be punished just because of things you can't control." A moment passed. "I'll bring some catmint to your camp, to make up for it. We have plenty, and there's still a lot to pick left. We won't notice or miss it."
Wasppaw blinked, shocked. "N-no, Moorpaw, I can't let you do that," he said, shaking his head. "I won't let you put your clan in danger over some words. An apology is enough."
"This is an apology," Moorpaw replied, visibly surprised by his refusal. "I shouldn't have said it. But when you say something hurtful like that, words aren't always enough."
"They are this time," Wasppaw insisted. "I appreciate the intent, but things happen. If you run out and greencough infects your clan, I would never forgive myself if someone died."
"Then I can-"
"Moorpaw, your apology is enough. Drop it, please," Wasppaw said, shaking his head. "There's no need to risk trouble. Owning up to your mistake is good enough for me."
The she-cat sat there in silence for a moment, as if wanting to argue, then sighed. "Okay," she said. Moorpaw stood. "Let's go down to the lake, save the others from each other."
Wasppaw laughed softly. "Yeah, that seems like a good idea," he said, offering a smile. She returned it, then paused briefly before nudging him with her shoulder and walking away. Wasppaw tilted his head, confused, then assumed she was being playful and followed. He gave her shoulder a gentle nudge of his own, missing the small smile as he looked into the trees to his right.
They found the five cats sitting in a group, conversing happily as the two young apprentices approached. Darkpelt noticed them first, humming.
"How'd it go?" he asked, everyone else turning curiously.
"Fine," Wasppaw said. "What were you talking about?"
"Oh, Featherfern was just telling us about a fox the warriors scared off a few days ago," Lakesplash said, which made Wasppaw curious.
"Is that why you're here at the border?" he asked the two medicine cats. "I remember Ivytail mentioning that herbs for injuries grow around the stream."
"It is," Featherfern answered with a nod. "A few minor scratches, nothing to worry about, but with how cold it's getting lately we need to pick as much as we can while it's still around. Speaking of, I think we should go. I'd like to be back as close to sunhigh as possible."
"Yes, I believe Featherfern is right," Darkpelt said, standing up. "It was great seeing you again, Lakesplash, and it's a pleasure to meet you two." He looked to Brownpaw and Wasppaw as he said this.
"It was nice meeting you as well," Wasppaw said, Brownpaw dipping his head in agreement. The Windclan cats left a moment later, leaving Wasppaw, Brownpaw, and Lakesplash alone.
"So, what did the two of you talk about?" Lakesplash asked curiously, looking to Wasppaw.
"Oh, she just wanted to apologize a bit more. Tried to offer herbs, but I refused. I wouldn't want any of her clanmates to go without over such a simple mistake," the young tom explained. Lakesplash blinked in surprise.
"Well, that's mighty thoughtful of you, Wasppaw," the older tom said. "I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised. Cats your age don't typically think of that or that far ahead." He chuckled. "I get the feeling you're going to make a wonderful warrior. The both of you will, if Brownpaw can think things through even half as well as you."
Brownpaw smiled at that.
"So, what next?" Wasppaw asked, excited to see more of the territory.
Lakesplash chuckled. "Now, we go to the other border. Would you like to follow the lake, or go through the forest?"
The two young 'paws looked at each other. "The lake!" they both answered excitedly.
"Oh, you want me to teach you to swim while we walk, don't you?" the older tom asked teasingly. They both nodded enthusiastically, making him chuckle. "Well, alright. But I don't want to hear any complaints about being cold."
The two young toms exchanged a glance, as if only then realizing it, but to Lakesplash's surprise they simply walked towards the lake, stopping at where the waves ended and looking to him. He dipped his head, and they trusted the tom to tell them when to stop, so they took a slow, nervous step forward. Brownpaw let out a noise as the cold water washed over their paw, though Wasppaw didn't react beyond a twitch of his tail.
"Oh, this is cold," Brownpaw whispered as they came up to their legs in the water. Wasppaw nodded in agreement, focused on keeping his footing. They went deeper.
"Stop there," Lakesplash called as the water lapped at their chests. "Turn away from the border. The water should be deep enough to walk or swim both. You decide which."
The two young toms did as instructed, and Lakesplash began to take slow, measured steps along the bank. The two apprentices did their best to match him, and after a moment Wasppaw took a breath and let his paws leave the bottom. There was a moment where he dipped down slightly and the water came up to his head that he felt a flash of fear, paws churning yet forcing himself not to stand just yet, before it gave way to relief as he managed to stay above the surface. He looked towards the bank and found Lakesplash looking at him in surprise. Wasppaw supposed it would be a shock to see a cat swimming successfully on their first attempt, especially one from Thunderclan.
"You're swimming!' Brownpaw exclaimed in shock, smiling excitedly. He tried to do the same, but he didn't expect to drop and his head went under. Lakesplash tensed, preparing to run into the water. Before he could, however, the brown tom surfaced with a gasp, flailing wildly towards the bank and hauling himself onto it. Wasppaw watched him, hesitating a moment before following.
Brownpaw shook himself off, shivering, and Wasppaw did the same.
"Are you okay?" Lakesplash asked worriedly, leaning down slightly. Wasppaw nodded quickly, Brownpaw doing the same after a moment.
"Fine," the brown tom said. "Just...didn't think I'd go under."
"I know how scary that can be your first time," the older tom said reassuringly. "Trust me, I remember my first swimming lessons like it was yesterday. There are few moments scarier than going under unexpectedly, even now."
"Do you swim much?" Brownpaw asked as he lowered down to the ground, taking a moment to relax and dry off some.
Lakesplash shook his head. "Not since I joined Thunderclan. I try to at least once a moon, just in case I ever need to, but the opportunity doesn't exactly come up as often as it did in Riverclan." The older tom was silent a moment. "The two of you rest a moment. I'm going to see if I can find a squirrel or mouse. Dry each other off and warm up together. I won't take long."
Wasppaw opened his mouth to object, certain that continuing the walk around the territory would keep them warm, but the older tom had walked into the forest before he could get the first word out. He sighed, looking to Brownpaw a moment before moving to lay beside him. The two toms began to lick each other dry, or at least dryer, as they waited for Lakesplash to return.
Brownpaw rolled onto his back suddenly. "Let's fight," he said with an excited gleam in his eyes. Wasppaw blinked, having quite enjoyed the closeness, but he had to admit the tom's suggestion did sound fun. They both scrambled to their paws, taking a few steps back to have a bit of space.
The two young toms drew upon all the times they'd watched the apprentices practice their fighting moves in camp when their mentors were busy with other things, Wasppaw's tail flicking excitedly as they crouched down.
They launched at each other, colliding in the air and falling to the ground in a tangle of limbs. The two young toms wrestled, and after a few heartbeats Wasppaw found himself pinned down on his back, both of them panting softly. He stared up at Brownpaw with a smile, the brown tom returning it. A warmth spread unexpectedly in the red and black tom's chest, which made his expression falter, which in turn made Brownpaw tilt his head in confusion. Wasppaw forced it away and decided to use it to his advantage, shifting to one side and throwing Brownpaw off balance. They wrestled for control for a few more heartbeats, then Wasppaw pinned his friend down in a reversal. His head hung slightly, their breathing a little harder now, and the warmth returned even stronger.
Wasppaw started to laugh to distract himself, which made Brownpaw start to laugh, and the red and black tom let himself drop down beside his friend once more, both of them on their back as they laughed happily and freely.
Lakesplash returned a few moments later just as their laughter died down naturally, visibly amused as he carried a pair of mice by their tails.
"Well, at least you managed to find some enjoyment in laying in on the wet ground, freezing your paws off," he said playfully.
"We were fighting like warriors!" Brownpaw exclaimed eagerly.
"Yeah!" Wasppaw added.
"Oh, and I'm sure you were just the fiercest warriors this lake has ever seen," Lakesplash replied warmly, then nudged the mice. "Here. Eat, then we'll continue our tour of the territory."
"Do you want one?" Wasppaw asked, more than happy to share a mouse with Brownpaw if the older tom was hungry. He had caught them, after all.
"No, thank you," Lakesplash answered with a shake of his head. "I appreciate it, though. Those are for you."
Wasppaw and Brownpaw nodded, then each began to eat.
When they were done, Lakesplash nudged the remains into the lake. "The fish will eat the rest," he explained. "If we're lucky, I might be able to catch one before the snow comes."
"What do fish taste like?" Wasppaw asked curiously.
"You know, not even Sagepatch asked me that question before assuming it was gross," the older tom said with a chuckle. "You little ones are always so surprising. To answer your question, however, it's...well, it's different than forest prey, of course. And some fish taste differently than others. Most of them are also a little larger than any forest prey you'll find besides maybe a large rabbit, and the method of catching them is closest to a rabbit in the open. You pick a spot, and you wait for it to come as close as possible before springing. Sometimes you can hook them with your claws, sometimes you have to go under and use your jaws. It depends on how big the fish is."
Just from the two young apprentices' expressions he could tell they hadn't expected that detailed of a response.
"I think they taste good," he said. "But no forest prey I've ever tasted is similar."
"I see," Brownpaw said to himself, both 'paws nodding slowly.
Lakesplash looked up towards the sun, which was already high in the sky, then hummed and gestured for them to follow. He lead them to the Skyclan border, though they didn't run into any cats there, only running into an evening hunting patrol consisting of Jackdawwing, Lionheart, Tigerstripe, and Brackenfur on their way back to camp.
The sun was approaching the treetops by the time they shouldered through the barrier into camp, where Lakesplash was almost immediately approached by Foxear.
"Who do you think you are, stealing my apprentice away on his first day?" the orange and white tom demanded, catching Lakesplash off guard with his intensity and anger.
"I figured it might be good to let the two of them experience the forest together," he said with a flick of his tail towards the two 'paws. "Wasppaw, Brownpaw, go see if Ivytail has any moss to spare for your new nests."
"Don't order my apprentice around," Foxear snapped, the two younger toms staring in shock. Lakesplash huffed dismissively, then walked around him. Fernpelt stared at Foxear from nearby, stepping closer.
"Are you gonna let him turn his back on you like that?" she asked, and Wasppaw felt his chest tighten in fear as he realized the two warriors might actually fight.
Foxear didn't answer, simply walking after Lakesplash with anger in his eyes. His vocality had drawn the eyes of a few other clanmates, and Lakesplash noted the looks. He stopped mid step, then turned quickly. Foxear growled, then reared up.
Wasppaw couldn't make out what happened next, all he knew was that Foxear was thrown hard onto the ground, Lakesplash had a paw on his chest to pin him down, and the orange and white tom had yowled in pain. Fernpelt gasped.
"Lakesplash!" shouted the voice of Jaystar, standing next to the fresh-kill pile with a squirrel at her paws. The gray tom looked up at her, then wordlessly moved his paw off of Foxear's chest. The smaller tom stood up, and Wasppaw noticed a small piece of his ear was missing that hadn't been before, and his nose was bleeding.
"Apologies, Jaystar," he said, dipping his head respectfully. "I should not have assumed his intentions."
"The mouse-brain's intentions were obvious," she said sternly. "But you should still not have unsheathed your claws."
"You're gonna take an outsider's side over Foxear's?" Echofoot questioned incredulously.
"That's enough!" Graypelt snapped. "Lakesplash has been part of Thunderclan longer than you've been alive, so show him the respect he deserves. Foxear was the one who started the fight because he's too busy puffing himself up with Fernpelt's adoration to bother training the apprentice that Jaystar entrusted to him." The older tom shot an apologetic glance to Lakesplash, knowing he was protective of his daughter.
"Graypelt is right," Jaystar said. "Foxear, go see Ivytail. After that, you're restricted to camp duties for three days for trying to attack a clanmate. Brownpaw, your new mentor will be Brackenfur. I'll tell him the news when he returns." It was said almost like an afterthought. Foxear clearly hadn't made a very good impression as to his readiness for an apprentice.
Foxear blinked in shock. "You can't-"
"I can, and I will," Jaystar said simply and with authority, and the orange and white tom shut his mouth, eyes smoldering.
"You didn't even notice he was gone until right before they returned," Cherrytail said suddenly. Wasppaw hadn't noticed her approach. "He was your responsibility, and you didn't realize he was missing all day. You did this to yourself." Foxear scoffed dismissively, then turned and walked towards Ivytail's den.
Wasppaw understood the decision now. If Cherrytail was telling the truth, and he had no reason to believe otherwise, the things Brownpaw could have gotten into if he'd snuck out instead of coming with them could have seriously hurt or even killed him. Wasppaw didn't believe his friend would have done that, but that didn't mean the brown tom was incapable of it. Even if he'd stayed in camp with Foxear, he would have been upset over being stuck in camp all day and being ignored.
All in all, a joyful day had taken a sour turn, and he just wanted to sleep and get a fresh start tomorrow. With a flick of his tail for the brown tom to follow, Wasppaw did as Lakesplash had initially instructed and went to get moss from Ivytail. Foxear ignored them, and they did the same.
It didn't take them too long to make their nests, thankfully, and they approached the fresh-kill pile to get something to eat. They decided to share a fat squirrel, and Brackenfur approached them as they sat to eat near the apprentice den.
"You okay, Brownpaw?" he asked, the younger tom silent a moment before shrugging. He swallowed the bite of squirrel.
"I had a good time with Lakesplash and Wasppaw," he said. "Just gotta think about that more, right?"
"Yeah." Brackenfur sighed. "Still, I'm sorry things turned out that way. I'd hoped an apprentice would have made him mellow out a bit, and Fernpelt would in turn. He was never like that as a 'paw, or even before him and Fernpelt started getting along."
"I'd prefer not to talk about him," Brownpaw said simply, and the older tom nodded in understanding. Wasppaw had simply eaten in silence, not wanting to interject unless he was spoken to.
"We'll see if Lakesplash feels up to doing some hunting practice together tomorrow," Brackenfur promised, and that brought a small smile to Brownpaw's muzzle.
"I'd like that. Thank you, Brackenfur," he replied, then finished off his half of the squirrel. Wasppaw did the same.
"You two get some rest, I'll take care of this," Brackenfur said, and the two young toms dipped their heads in thanks as he picked up the carcass and went to dispose of it. They slipped into the apprentice den together, curling into their nests.
Wasppaw lay in silence some time later, rolling onto his back and looking up at the den roof. He sighed softly.
"Can't sleep either?" Brownpaw asked suddenly, and the red and black tom turned his head in surprise. He'd thought his friend was asleep.
"Just...different," he said after a moment. "Not as warm."
"Yeah," the brown tom whispered in agreement. A moment passed. "Come here. Put your nest against mine."
"You sure?" Wasppaw asked, not wanting to inconvenience his friend. Brownpaw nodded, which Wasppaw only just made out. He hesitated a moment, then slowly stood up and moved his nest so that it overlapped with Brownpaw's slightly, then lay back down. Their bodies pressed together, sharing warmth, and Wasppaw found himself drifting off only a few heartbeats later.
"I got you, Wasppaw," Brownpaw whispered, and that strange warmth returned.
Wasppaw smiled, welcoming it, and slept.
I'm currently working on an Allegiances page, though it is still unfinished. Once complete, it will be put into the spot of the prologue and will display the characters as they are during the prologue, and altering the chapter numbers on the drop down menu. There will be another one in the middle of the story as well as after the final chapter to update the names and amount of cats simply because not everyone will be mentioned or shown, but it lets the world feel more full than just who appears.