Chapter three: The Power of Three
"That was a great training session, keep it up and you'll be incredible warriors," Brackenfur praised the sweating apprentices.
"I noticed you guys hunted rather well this morning," Ashfur added. "I haven't seen you hang out with your brother for a while, so why don't you take the afternoon off to do that? You deserve a break for working so hard the past moon."
"Okay!" Lionpaw said, dashing into the medicine den. Jaypaw didn't jump at his sudden appearance, for he didn't see it but heard it coming.
"What now? I have to finish sorting this thyme from rosemary," the gray tabby grumbled.
"Ashfur and Brackenfur said we could take the afternoon off so all of us could hang out," Hollypaw explained.
"They said you could take the afternoon off, but Leafpool didn't say I could. These herbs won't sort themselves," Jaypaw retorted.
"I can sort them, you've already worked a lot today," Leafpool said. "The herb store is looking full and organized, I can finish up. You haven't hung out with your littermates for a while."
"Fine," Jaypaw said, looking abashed that he was being forced from work.
"What should we do?" Hollypaw asked. "Hunt? Take a walk? Play by the lake?"
"No water," Jaypaw objected.
"Doze in the sun?" Hollypaw continued. Lionpaw's eyes gleamed.
"Let's play truth or dare," he whispered.
"But Sandstar forbid it!" Hollypaw gasped.
"And? What's life without some rule breaking? Besides, we're not going to run into the gathering wearing a collar," Lionpaw pointed out. "We'll just do simple things like jumping in the lake or climbing trees."
"Fiiiiine, but I'll blame it on you if we get in trouble," Hollypaw said. Lionpaw ignored her as he led the way out of camp.
"Why are we by the lake? I said no wet paws," Jaypaw growled when they sat down on the lakeshore.
"Okay, we'll hide among the roots of this tree," Lionpaw said brightly. "It's try and cozy here."
"So, who's going first?" Hollypaw asked.
"I will," Lionpaw said. "Jaypaw, truth or dare?"
"Dare, so long it's possible for me to do it," the blind tom said.
"I dare you to…" Lionpaw thought for a moment. "I dare you to roll in mud until none of your pelt is visible and then walk up to a lone cat who is hunting. Just growl and then walk away."
"Mud is just as bad as water," Jaypaw snarled unhappily as he smelled out a patch of mud. He went over and rolled in it. The effect was better than Lionpaw had anticipated, small clumps of grass clinging to Jaypaw made him look even scarier.
"I smell Cinderpaw over here, let's go," Jaypaw snapped. The blind mud monster led the way through the forest. Hollypaw and Lionpaw crouched in the undergrowth while Jaypaw lumbered up to Cinderpaw, growling. The gray she-ca whipped around and stared at the muddy cat in surprise. The mud hid Jaypaw's scent, so she slit her eyes and growled in return. She dropped into an attack crouch. She leaped at the medicine cat apprentice and bowled him over.
"Who are you? What do you want? Why are you on Thunderclan land?" She snarled, pinning him down.
"Cinderpaw stop!" Lionpaw yowled. "It's Jaypaw!"
"Jaypaw?" Cinderpaw sat back, confused. The muddy tom stood up and shook out his pelt, so that some brown smeared patches of gray tabby fur appeared. "Why was Jaypaw covered in mud and trying to scare me?"
"We, er, we were playing truth or dare," Lionpaw muttered.
"The forbidden game?" Cinderpaw gasped. "And you didn't tell me? Can I play?"
"Sure," Lionpas said, brightening.
"Cinderpaw, truth or dare?" Jaypaw asked.
"Dare," she said instantly.
"I dare you to go roll in the Windclan scent markers, walk along the lake shore, and rub against plants along the Shadowclan border to leave behind Windclan scent," Jaypaw said between laps of his tongue as he cleaned his fur.
"Yay, I get to smell like rabbits," Cinderpaw said, walking towards the Windclan border. She hopped the stream and began to roll on a patch of heather covered in Windclan scent. She hopped over the border again and raced along the lakeshore. The apprentices reached the stream that marked the border with Shadowclan. Cinderpaw leaped the stream and brushed against pine trees and ferns on the other side before leaping back over.
"Good enough?" She asked, and Jaypaw nodded. Suddenly, the gray tabby tom pricked his ears, alert.
"There's a Shadowclan patrol coming," he hissed. "We don't want to be caught here!"
Cinderpaw nodded and quickly rolled in a patch of wild garlic to get the Windclan scent off before following the apprentices into the brush. She ran into Lionpaw as he stopped abruptly.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"There's a big pile of fox dung," Lionpaw said, disgusted. "Shame, there's a great hiding spot near here, but I don't want to use it if it'll smell this bad."
"Lionpaw, truth or dare?" Cinderpaw asked.
"Dare me all day," the bold apprentice said.
"I dare you to roll in the fox dung, then truck that Shadowclan patrol by shuffling around in the undergrowth. Move in circles around the patrol and hopefully they'll think you're a fox," the gray she-cat said. Lionpaw flattened his ears at the idea, but he was too proud to back down from a dare.
Lionpaw let out a loud grunt, and Rowanclaw whipped around, staring at the trembling ferns where Lionpaw had just been. Lionpaw uttered a growl on the other side of the clearing, and the fur on Russetfur's neck rose. Lionpaw gave a small snarl behind the patrol, and the three of them spun around. Lionpaw silently dashed to the opposite side and brushed against some dry bracken, making the golden fronds rattle.
"I smell fox," Rowanclaw said fearfully.
"Should we drive it off?" Cedarheart asked hesitantly.
"Three of us against a fox? There might be more than one, the speed it's moving," Russetfur whispered. "And Tawnypelt won't thank me if the father of her kits gets killed on my watch."
"Then let's get going," Rowanclaw dashed away into the heart of Shadowclan territory. Lionpaw waited a moment before dashing back to his fellow apprentices.
"That was great!" Cinderpaw said when she was able to stop laughing.
"Shadowclan actually thought you were a fox!" Jaypaw exclaimed.
"That could have ended very badly," Hollypaw said sternly. "And you trespassed, it's against the code!"
"Hollypaw, truth or dare?" Lionpaw asked. Hollypaw hesitated.
"Don't be a scaredy paws," Cinderpaw teased.
"Dare," Hollypaw sighed.
"I dare you say these exact words: The Warrior Code is stupid, and it's okay to break it sometimes, especially if it's to have fun. Starclan cats are ancient mouse-brains and could care less,'" Lionpaw said devilishly. Hollypaw gaped at him.
"Never!" She said, sticking her nose in the air.
"Then you have to clean out the elders' den and the nursery for the next moon," Lionpaw sneered. Hollypaw glared at him furiously.
"It's just a game," Cinderpaw pointed out. "There's no harm in it."
"Do it, it'll be the funniest memory I'll have of you," Jaypaw snickered. Hollypaw let out a dramatic sigh and took a deep breath.
"The Warrior Code is stupid, and it's okay to break it sometimes, especially if it's to have fun. Starclan cats are ancient mouse-brains and could care less," Hollypaw squeaked. Horror filled her eyes, and she added "Any cat who thinks this is a piece of fox-dung. Speaking of fox-dung, Lionpaw, you still smell like fox-dung."
Lionpaw glared at her, while Jaypaw laughed with delight that she had actually done it.
"Yeah Lionpaw, don't come into the apprentices' den until you wash, like, five times!" Cinderpaw meowed.
"Then I'm going to take a dip in the lake so my tongue won't have a foul taste on it," Lionpaw grumbled.
"Maybe roll in some garlic to disguise the scent better," Jaypaw suggested.
"We'll see you back at camp!" Hollypaw said, recovered from the monstrosity of her dare.