Appledusk's Chance || UNDERGOING EDITING

Chapter 11》Comforting

      "I still can't believe that Beepaw left." Reedpaw blinked, walking beside Applepaw. Her head hung low, tail dragging behind her. "I always thought we'd become warriors together. I never imagined Beepaw never liked it here."

Applepaw was walking besides Reedpaw on border patrol with Sloefur taking lead, Shellskip beside her, Rainwhisker and Petalfoot walked beside each other. Rainwhisker was talking calmly, voice as smooth as honey as Petalfoot looked flushed, her tail high up as she padded as close as possible next to his mentor.

Applepaw nodded slowly, "I know. but, at least he's happy. Even if it isn't with you."
Reedpaw looked over at him, "I... I guess. But it hurts. Like a phantom pain." her blue eyes, normally bright, were clouded with a dark shadow of pain.
"Imagine if Spikepaw left you. But he was just in another clan, living his best life without you in it. With new people, your enemies now his friends. It hurts bad, Applepaw."
Applepaw twitched his ear, he looked down at his paws. The walked slowly to keep pace with Reedpaw.

"I have." He whispered back. 'And I know I can't properly sympathize.'

The two young apprentices walked together in silence as they neared the WindClan border.
The smell of heather and rabbit unbelievably strong. It reminded him of the gathering a couple days prior.
Rainwhisker looked up, "WindClan." He spat the name like sour prey. Petalfoot nodded from beside him, the pretty tan she-cat stood firmly, looking fierce. "Just let them try anything," she huffed. Icewhisker looked over at her, smiling kindly.
Sloefur flicked her tail, "we aren't here to attack." She hissed, "we're here to mark the border and then leave."
She pointed her tail at Shellskip, Icewhisker and Applepaw. "You three, mark the border down there, me, Petalfoot, and Reedpaw will mark further ahead."
They broke off in their separate groups and Rainwhisker didn't hesitate to mark. Shellskip did so just as well, Rainwhisker pointed with a white paw at a bush. "Applepaw, mark that."
Applepaw did as he was told when suddenly coming over the hillside was a patrol of WindClan warriors. They raced right up to the patrol.

A creamy white tom was in lead, a white she-cat with silver tabby stripes and amber colored she-cat- Amberpelt, he remembered her kits becoming apprentices being announced a few nights ago- behind him. Trailing behind the two she-cats was a strong looking blue tom with long front fangs, and golden brown molly. She looked like she would be an apprentice.

"Hello." The creamy white tom greeted skeptically.
Shellskip greeted the tom with a curt nod, "Greetings, Milkfur."
'Milkfur? But, we have a Milkfur in our clan! Isn't that confusing?'
"What are you doing so close to the border?" Milkfur meowed, his tail twitching. "You aren't thinking of crossing it, are you?"
Rainwhisker snorted, "like we would think about doing that."
Shellskip cast a swift glance at Rainwhisker before looking back at the large WindClan patrol. "No, we were just marking it. I promise we weren't going to cross."
Petalfoot and the rest of her small group returned, Petalfoot padded right up to the Rainwhisker, pressing herself into him.

They shared a few quick whispers, Petalfoot's face looking worried, her round ears twitching. Rainwhisker smirked at her before pulling away from the small tan she-cat, facing the rival clans patrol.

"Milkfur."

"Sloefur."

The two deputies greeted each other with still words. It make his paw pads prickle with unease.

Reedpaw walked close to him, if she moved a whisker length closer, their pelts would be brushing. He slowly inched away.
"We were just marking the border, I hope we didn't disturb you. I hope hunting has been good for you."
"Yes, it's doing lovely. Thank you. I smelt RiverClan and I wanted to make sure nothing was going on."