Warriors: Wounded Pride (Book 4)

Chapter 20

"Seapaw!" Oceanpaw got close to his sibling's face.

Seapaw sighed and stared at her brother with a tired look on her face. "Why am I part of this prophecy thing? Why are you part of it?" Oceanpaw meowed.

Seapaw only stared as she gave no response to her brother.

"Come on! Tell me something!" Oceanpaw said.

The fluffy white-furred she-cat didn't reply and stared.

"Please! I really don't understand any of this..." Oceanpaw mewed.

Seapaw sighed again and shook her head.

"Please, Seapaw! Why is it us and not any other cat?" the black-furred tom asked.

"I have had little time to think about it, Oceanpaw." Seapaw replied, then rose onto her paws.

Oceanpaw tilted his head to the side. "Huh? Why?"

"I'm focused on my training so I can become a warrior." she meowed. "And you should too."

Oceanpaw nodded, "I am! But this prophecy thing won't stay out of my mind..."

Seapaw padded to the entrance of the Driftclan Apprentices' den. "Well, that's fine, but let's focus more on that after we're warriors." Seapaw said.

"Maybe!" Oceanpaw meowed to her.

The white-furred she-cat sighed and padded out of the den. Oceanpaw spaced out for a few heartbeats before he shook his head. "Hey! Wait up!" the apprentice ran after his sister.

*

Tidepaw padded to the fresh-kill pile. She picked up a fish in her maw as she padded towards the Elders' den. The shadows of the shadow... She thought and padded inside the den. The shred's dying dream... Tidepaw padded up to the dark grey-furred tom, Eelspeck. She lied the fish in front of him. "Thanks, Tidepaw!" he purred happily.

"Mhm!" the apprentice replied, padding out of the den to get another piece of prey.

The shred must be Shredflash, right? But what would his dying dream be? The tortoiseshell she-cat thought and picked up another fish in her maw. She padded back into the elders' den and went over to Lionsplash. Tidepaw set the fish down in front of her and smiled. "Here you go!"

"Thank you, Tidepaw." Lionsplash replied with a smile.

"No problem, Lionsplash!" she replied and padded out of the den once more and over to the fresh-kill pile.

Tidepaw picked up a plump gull in her maw and padded back into the den. She set it in front of Sagethorn. "Thank you, Tidepaw!" she mewed. "How is being an apprentice?" she asked.

Tidepaw smiled. "It's been wonderful!"

"That's good... Have you had any trouble at all?" the elder mewed.

Tidepaw shook her head. "Nope! It's all been a breeze!"

Sagethorn chuckled, "Good!"

The apprentice gave a wide smile as she ran out of the den to get one last piece of prey for Hailpad. He nodded in thanks as she set the fish down in front of him. "You'll be an excellent warrior, Tidepaw! Just keep at it!" Eelspeck meowed.

"Thanks, Eelspeck!" Tidepaw replied, "I'll check on you all later!" she mewed, then padded out of the elders' den.

The apprentice then sighed. What would the shadow be...? Shadowblossom...?

Wait... Shadowblossom fought Shredflash... Shadowblossom would be the shadow, I think. Shredflash would be the shred... Maybe? Tidepaw sat down where she stood.

I'll have to speak to Oceanpaw and Seapaw about this...

*

Tidepaw and her siblings sat next to each other in the Apprentices' den. "Do you really think Shadowblossom is part of the prophecy?" Oceanpaw asked.

"Yeah! He's the shadow, remember?" Tidepaw replied.

Oceanpaw nodded. "Oh, right!"

"I just don't know who the shadows or the dying dream would be..." Tidepaw sighed.

"Well, if Shadowblossom is the shadow... Then it would have to be his shadows..." Oceanpaw mewed.

"How are we going to find out who the shadows are?" Tidepaw questioned.

"My dream..." Seapaw whispered.

"What?" Tidepaw and Oceanpaw mewed in unison.

"The cats in my dream might be the shadows and the dying dream..." The white-furred she-cat meowed.