Brambleberry's Path

Chapter 6:

Blacktalon looked away when Bramblepaw passed him and the dark tabby glared down at his paws. He looked up and caught sight of Hawkpaw, who was tussling around with Rockpaw.

"No fair! You cheated!" The dark grey tom mewed when his sister pinned him down. She purred and flicked her tail at him.

"Well, don't blame me for having a great mentor! Reedfeather's the coolest!" She mewed happily. Rockpaw purred and head-butted his sister on the shoulder playfully.

"I'm sure he is." He mewed. There was a crack of thunder overhead, and every cat in the clearing looked up as tiny drops started to fall down from the dark grey sky. Queens ushered their kits back into the nursery and every cat fled to the nearest shelter.

The sky darkened and there were cracks of thunder and lightning. Brightpaw flinched beside Pebblepaw and Rockpaw yelped with shock when suddenly there was a burst of light. Bramblepaw glanced around at all the apprentices and saw Hawkpaw watching the sky curiously.

She stepped out of the den and he instantly moved towards her.

"Fish-brain! What do you think you're doing?!" He hissed, fur fluffing up. She turned to him and another crash of lightning was heard before everything was lit up again. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the dark tabby and her fur was getting soaked.

"I saw something up in that tree! Well, not something! Rather a someone!" She hissed before she sprinted off towards the entrance of the camp. Bramblepaw stepped forward to go after her but hissed with anger and stopped as he heard the distressed wail of Moonclaw as she watched her daughter leave the camp.

Hawkpaw weaved through the bushes as she flew past trees, her focus on one in particular. She stopped at the foot of the tree and stared up at the cat the was climbing up to the top.

"HEY FISH-BRAIN! GET DOWN BEFORE YOU GET HURT!" She yowled up at the cat. They turned around and spotted her and opened their mouth to call back.

And then lightning struck the cat.

Hawkpaw watched with wide eyes as they fell from the tree screeching with fear before hitting the ground before her. She jumped back and stared at the steaming tussle of dark ginger and white blotched fur before her with wide eyes.

Gingerly taking a step forward, she prodded the cat with her paw gently.

"Hey, are you dead?" She mewed softly. The cat twitched and her head jerked back before she sighed with relief. Taking the cat by the scruff, she dragged him back to camp slowly. When her clanmates saw her padding into camp, they all rushed towards her.

"What were you doing out there?!" Reedfeather demanded his apprentice. Everyone stopped when they heard a groan and Hawkpaw stepped aside to show the dark ginger and white blotched she had dragged back to camp.

"Dear Starclan, what happened to him?!" Pondfeather mewed as he weaved through the cats to examine the young cat.

"He was climbing a tree when lightning struck him and he fell out of it." Hawkpaw mewed. Every cat in the clan stared at the young apprentice with blank faces, trying to figure out if she was serious.

She was.

Pondfeather ordered Birdpaw to help him carry the small tom to the medicine cats' den. Hawkpaw stared at Brightpaw as she padded over to her and nudged her shoulder with her nose. Bramblepaw stormed over to her and glared at Hawkpaw with burning amber eyes.

"What in Starclan were you thinking! You could've gotten hurt! Or worse, killed!" He hissed at her angrily. Hawkpaw stared at him with dull emerald eyes.

"Why do you care? You wanted me to leave you alone, right? Well, I'm leaving you alone." She mewed before she padded away towards the medicine cats' den to see what Birdpaw was doing. Bramblepaw stood there in shock as Brightpaw passed him by.

"I told you that you would regret what you said later." She mewed as she padded after her friend.