The Rogue Traitor #1 - Beginning of the Curse

Chapter Twenty

"Come on," said Whiskerstar for about the billionth time, "try again. Remember is swipe then duck." Birdpaw nodded but the words just washed over her, not making any difference in her movements. She was still tired from the gathering last night and she couldn't stop thinking about Maplestar and Firekit. She took a deep breath and tried to push away the nagging thoughts before swiping at her mentor and trying to duck. She ducked too quickly and hit her chin hard on the ground, biting her tongue with the taste of blood filling her mouth. Birdpaw spat out the blood and shook her head, mentally scolding herself for not paying more attention. She needed to listen and learn, especially since a battle was looming.

"You do it like this," said her mentor, sighing, before demonstrating the move again. Birdpaw attempted again but lost her balance, landing with a hard thump of the ground. She stifled a yawn as her mentor gazed down at her, his blue eyes stern.

"I know you were up late last night," he said as she stood up, shaking out her now-dusty fur, "but that gives you no excuse to slacken off your training. Especially when Maplestar is threatening to attack us."

"I don't need to be reminded," replied the apprentice, unsuccessfully holding back her yawn this time.

"Then pay attention to what I am saying," Said the tabby tom, almost groaning, "so you are prepared for what comes." Birdpaw nodded, just resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Normally, she would be annoyed at her mentor for bringing up anything to do with Maplestar and her power, but she was just too tired to care about anything.

They kept practicing the move until just past sun high, with Birdpaw's legs aching and head throbbing from Whiskerstar's light but effective taps on her head. The two cats pushed through the camp entry and Birdpaw formed a quick plan in her head about what she was going to do for the rest of the day. She made a beeline for the fresh kill pile and picked up a still-warm sparrow, before settling down outside the apprentice den. Her thoughts wondered to old memories as she chewed on the sparrow, the feathers swirling gently in the breeze.

"Hey Birdpaw," came a voice and the apprentice looked up to see Flowerstem walking towards her with a mouse in her brown jaws, "how was your training this morning?"

"Exhausting," she replied, sighing, "how was your morning?" The brown and white medicine cat sat down next to the apprentice, biting down on her mouse with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"Pretty good," she said but she sounded out of it, like her mind was on something else. The apprentice took another bite out of her sparrow, the silence slightly awkward. Birdpaw looked up from her prey and followed the medicine cat's gaze, where it was rested on Whiskerstar. The apprentice sighed inwardly, she knew that medicine cats were not meant to have mates, and it was even worse that her mate was the leader.

"How it is going with Whiskerstar?" asked the apprentice cautiously, not sure how the medicine cat would react to her knowing about their 'relationship'. The brown and white medicine cat jumped at the apprentice's question and looked down at her with alarmed eyes.

"How did you know?" she whispered, anxiously looking around the camp to see if anybody else was listening to their conversation. Birdpaw looked down at her sparrow.

"I may have seen you and Whiskerstar when we were at the Moonpool," she said sheepishly, "I didn't mean to, I just came back from hunting... and saw you." The medicine cat sighed and looked back at her mate, who was talking to Stagleap on top of the Highrock.

"Well, I suppose there is no harm in telling you," she said, slightly talking to herself. She turned and looked down at Birdpaw. "I am expecting Whiskerstar's kits."