the flood // wc fanfiction

〖chapter three〗

When the moon was almost at its' peak, Mothpaw glanced across the den to Birdsnout. It was still raining, loud enough that she couldn't hear the breathing of the older, so she watched her mentor breathing for a few moments to make sure she was asleep. The apprentice slowly got out of her nest, shaking her fur out and glancing back again, then nosed her way out of the den and into the rain.

Mothpaw flinched as the rain landed on her nose, sneezing quietly as she padded out further. With a shaky breath, not loitering in the camp any longer for fear of being questioned. She knew that poor Flamefur was guarding the camp, so she wandered over to a section of the foliage wall that she remembered being thinner from when Mousepaw tried getting everyone to sneak out as kits. Being bigger now, wriggling out was a struggle, and Mothpaw hissed under her breath as her fur caught a few times, but eventually she made it out, padding away from the camp for a bit until she was sure she was out of earshot before breaking into a sprint.

Pelting across the territory, Mothpaw was almost blinded by the rain lashing her face, pinning her fur to her sides and leaving her shivering. She had no idea who to expect at the border; Beesnow, surely, though she wouldn't be a surprise. Flamefur obviously wasn't going to be there, and she had no idea who to suspect.

Surely not Sunpaw, she mused. That cat's too talkative with everyone for her own good. Mothpaw slowed as her legs started aching, shaking her head to try to see clearer.

The border came into view, and Mothpaw realised with a start that there were ShadowClan cats already there. She didn't recognise any of them, but their scent was undeniably ShadowClan. With an even bigger start, Mothpaw realised she was the only RiverClan cat currently there, and grew tense and fidgety.

The four cats across the border blinked at each other then at Mothpaw. "Are you a kit?" One of them blurted, a smoke tuxedo with hazel eyes to rival Mothpaw's own.

Mothpaw bristled. "No," she responded curtly. "I'm RiverClan's medicine cat apprentice." She immediately cursed herself for giving that away so easily, gaze darting between the three other cats.

"RiverClan has a medicine cat apprentice?" A dilute calico murmured, leafy green eyes trained on the 'paw across the border. "How recently were you named?"

"Half a moon ago."

"So you're essentially a kit," the tuxedo teased, yelping when a cream tom cuffed him over the ears. "Haytail!"

The tom — Haytail, as he had been named — rolled his eyes. "If she's here for the same reason as us, then you should be nicer."

"You're not my mentor," the shorter grumbled, staring at the floor. To Mothpaw's relief, there seemed to be a bit of embarrassment in his eyes, and satisfaction curled in her gut. They can't hurt me anyway, I'm a medicine cat and an apprentice. That's just asking to be exiled.

They waited in silence together for a few moments longer, and after the silence grew awkward, they shared names. Mothpaw learned the cats she was waiting with were the tuxedo Ferretpaw, Haytail, the calico Blossomwater, and Webpuddle. The deputy's name sparked some surprise in her, because she did recognise that name, and wondered what was going on the Clan to warrant the deputy to desire anything similar to her.

As the moon reached its' peak in the sky, the bushes on the RiverClan side of the border rustled, and out stepped Sunpaw. Mothpaw's brain short circuited as she stared at the ginger spotted molly, and it seemed that Sunpaw was having a similar reaction.

"What are you doing here?" Sunpaw squeaked, shifting her weight between her paws anxiously.

"I could ask the same of you," Mothpaw shot back, a warning tone in her voice as she lifted her head and stared at the older apprentice. Sunpaw shrank back a bit, mumbling an apology and moving over to sit with her.