Warrior Cats SERIES 1: North and South (Book 1)

Chapter 13

Trees rustled overhead and the long grass covered their appearance. The cats rushed around, some pouncing stray prey and some punishing those misbehaving. Fur brushed her light grey flank and Cottonpaw turned her head to face a familiar dark grey tomcat.
          "Are you sure this will work?" She queried in a whisper.
          "I'm sure," He smiled then it died away. "don't ye' trust me, after everything we've been through?"
          "That's not true and you know it, Disk." Her pixie-blue eyes narrowed in annoyance. Disk always jumped to conclusions, but he was a rather humorous cat, Cottonpaw would give him that. "What do we do now, anyway? We can't just run: they'll catch us."
          "Is that so?" Disk raised a brow. "I have some friends that'll help us durin' our journey. First, I'll grab South. If he's not 'ere, then I won't travel. He's my best friend!"
          "Then shoo - get him now!" Cottonpaw hissed quietly. Sometimes Disk was a bit mouse-brained, if she would say so herself.
          Her blue eyes flitted back to movement in WeatheredClan camp as the dark grey tomcat crawled away to find South. Cottonpaw continued to watch Teddy, the leader of all of WeatheredClan. Suddenly she started to wonder about RiverClan. Were they okay? No cat had talked about invading RiverClan yet, but knowing Teddy, Tigerstripe and Frontstar, they might have already. What about Northpaw? Was he okay? And Runningpaw?
          Jealousy prickled in her paws. Runningpaw was probably spending more time with Northpaw now that she had been taken hostage by WeatheredClan. It isn't fair! He was my friend first! She growled silently.
          "Hey, Frontstar!" Teddy called from across the clearing outside WeatheredClan camp, holding two pawfuls of brambles in his mouth. The mackeral tabby blinked as he waited for the WindClan leader's response.
          "Yes, Teddy?" A black tomcat with white paws bounded toward Teddy, holding some brambles and bracken. They must be rebuilding something, she confirmed. "Is there an issue?" Cottonpaw strained to hear as he continued to ask the clear leader of WeatheredClan.
          "Can you order some patrols around RiverClan border? I want them to know that we are strong. I've been thinking of our plan." He answered.
          "What is it?"
          "Imagine this: we send a small patrol heading straight for RiverClan camp-"
          "That's mouse-brained! We are not doing that." Frontstar hissed. Teddy lashed his tail and growled, dropping his brambles and letting his hackles rise. "Okay. Sorry. Continue." The WindClan leader dipped his head submissively.
          "Heading straight for RiverClan camp and pretend that is our full plan. That sounds foolish, and RiverClan would fall for the trap. Then we could send out two large patrols until we only have a few cats in camp and attack RiverClan's camp from behind, joining the small patrol. What about that?" The mackeral tabby tomcat suggested, though he seemed to only want one answer.
          "That sounds fantastic," Frontstar nodded. "when shall this take place?"
          "Fool!" Teddy yowled with a growl in his throat. "Tonight after we have marked the borders! They'll have their medicine cats going to wherever they go to meet StarClan! No cat to heal their cats, then their cats are easy meat." He laughed chaotically.
          "But Teddy, our medicine cat needs to go with them, alongside ThunderClan's and ShadowClan's." The black tomcat with white paws tipped his head to one side. "Mothchaser won't be happy with this plan."
          "Mothchaser was never happy with this plan."
          "She knew?" Frontstar sounded confused. "Why would tell her first instead of me?"
          "She is wiser than you. I tried compromising many times, but she refused. So I decided she was not allowed to go with the other medicine cats." Teddy shrugged.
          Frontstar growled. Cottonpaw watched intently. The WindClan leader was brutal, cruel and horrible, but he was reasonable. It seemed as though the two tomcats disagreed. Thankfully, it didn't look like they were about to fight. If they were, she might be caught while they were in their tussle.
          A pleasant scent hit her nose, and she opened her mouth to let it float to her scent glands. Rabbit! Cottonpaw had learnt how to hunt rabbit back in RiverClan territory. This was a secret her Clan held from all others. RiverClan could catch rabbit! Although not often, the prey did hop into their territory sometimes. Especially in leaf-bare, all cats took the chance to hunt every piece of prey, including rabbits.
          Cottonpaw dipped her head down and stayed crouched, before slithering forward like a snake, her paws sliding on the grass. She made sure to not let her shadow fall on the long, green strands, or it would scare the prey away. Hunting gave her time to think, at least. To think about her past training and how much she loved her clan - why was she being separated from it? Did StarClan hate her because she said she didn't believe in them, and thought they were a joke? Was that the true reason? She shook the thought from her head and focused. The rabbit sniffed the air. Cottonpaw smiled. She had originally forgotten she was supposed to be downwind to hunt rabbits, but only then she realised she was already downwind.
          Steadily, she adjusted her weight to her haunches and balanced herself with her tail low. Her forepaws barely touched the ground as she prepared to attack. The rabbit sensed the movement, and a heartbeat later Cottonpaw was leaping into the air. She growled as her claws landed where the prey had been, and she pounced again, catching it. In another moment she killed it. No time to gloat on successfully getting prey - there was a plan to complete.
          She prayed she would be back to RiverClan in time for the Gathering.
          "Cottonpaw, what are ye' doin'? They're bound to find us with ye' catching prey so noisily!" A meow sounded. Cottonpaw glanced up to see three tomcats. Disk was speaking to her, and was leading the other two. His shaggy, dark grey fur wiggled around in the wind. Beside him a slim, tortoiseshell cat stood, his pretty blue eyes watching her every move. She flicked an ear as his scent reminded her of Northpaw, her best friend. On the other side of Disk stood an unfamiliar tomcat with a kit in his mouth. She blinked. He had a dark brown pelt with a cream back, white paws and tail. Clearly the cat was a WindClan apprentice. He was too young to be a warrior, and was too small to be from any other clan.
          "Who are you?" Cottonpaw queried to him. "And that kit?"
          "I'm Xavierpaw from WindClan, and this is Briarkit. We want to escape to RiverClan, like you." He calmly responded, voice quiet. Uncertainty flickered in her eyes and he added on. "RiverClan has always amazed us, unlike our clanmates. We want to become a part of your clan, and Briarkit is injured."
          "Where?" The tortoiseshell pricked his ears. "I didn't know she was hurt."
          "Don't worry, South, it's not fatal." Xavierpaw reassured the rogue. "I'm sure she'll make it to RiverClan camp."
          "Enough chatter," Disk growled, letting his impatient temper flare. "we needa start this plan now, or it'll never work. It's already midday."
          "Your words are weird to me, Disk, but I shall try." South's gentle voice made Cottonpaw feel light and bubbly. A strange feeling, even more than the jealousy throbbing in her toes at the thought of Runningpaw alone with Northpaw. But the pretty tomcat had a point - Disk used to be a kittypet, though he didn't know what that meant. Cottonpaw had spent enough time with him to know that "midday" meant sunhigh.
          "What is the plan?" She flicked her tail as she took a bite out of the rabbit, hunger being chased away. South slowly blinked and she nodded as he smiled gratefully and took a few mouthfuls from the prey.
          "We go to the woodlands and small hills until we find the Twoleg Nest an' Horseplace. After that, we can travel along the Thunderpath to get in to RiverClan territory. Cottonpaw can lead from there, as she knows the area the best." Disk replied, glancing at Cottonpaw. She dipped her head in respect for the old tomcat.
          "The woodlands? I can't think of anything worse than being under those trees!" Xavierpaw exclaimed, but silenced as Disk flicked his tail and wandered off quietly, keeping his head low.
          Cottonpaw felt a jab in her side and turned to see South.
          "What's up?" She started following Disk.
          "Are you from RiverClan, then?" He asked innocently, though she could guess he wanted to know something desperately, like a raccoon clawing at her insides.
          "Yeah."
          "Oh," South responded. "do you know North?" He must mean Northpaw, she guessed.
          "You mean Northpaw?" Her light blue eyes looked at him then to where she was headed.
          "Is that his full name? Sorry, I usually only call him North." He sounded slightly humorous, though his energy made it seem like the tone was forced. "Anyway, how well do you know him?"
          Cottonpaw considered the question. Why was South so eager to find things out about her and Northpaw's relationship? Did he suspect something going on? She shook her head, ears burning as she felt ashamed of herself. The thought was ridiculous.
          "Mouse dung!" Without warning, the ground below her paws dipped into a hole, and pain shot up her leg as she stumbled. South quickly nudged her and supported her weight as she steadied herself, even though it was moments later before she attempted to walk on her paw.
          "Are you alright?" He released her and looked down, as if he were guilty. What did he have to be guilty about?
          "I'm fine." Cottonpaw stifled a hiss as embarrassment singed her whole body. Xavierpaw glanced back, his whiskers twitching in amusement. For a moment, she thought she had said something by accident before South flicked something off her ear.
          "Just a burr." He gestured to the clump of weeds sitting by the hole. She glanced down. What was that feeling?
          "What are ye' all doin' back there?" Disk beckoned. "We're gonna be late! By midday?" He snorted. "Get over 'ere!"
          Cottonpaw bounded over to him, Xavierpaw with Briarkit and South behind her. She skidded a little to halt as he sharply stopped in front of her. He crouched down and the two apprentices copied. She flicked her tail at South and he suddenly imitated her movements, slamming his tail against the ground.
          She inspected ahead of them, spotting a group of cats. Please don't be the patrol now! She begged, glancing up at the blue sky. Would StarClan help her, even though she didn't believe in them? Would they still guide her paws when she asked, though she didn't believe in them?
          The leader appeared to be a shecat with a black pelt, though Cottonpaw didn't recognise any details from the distance. She leant over to Xavierpaw.
          "Does she look familiar to you?" She asked.
          "Yes," He let Briarkit down and she squirmed against the long grass. "that's Hollydust. She's a warrior, but doesn't care about anyone, really. She's rather foxhearted, if I do say so myself." The light grey apprentice nodded. Knowing your enemy is important. If you know how they think, you've already won half the battle, Brokenbranch's words pierced her mind like thorns. After a moment Xavierpaw spoke again. "Can you take Briarkit? My jaw is beginning to ache. She's heavier than she looks."
          Cottonpaw inspected the dark brown bundle before carefully sinking her teeth into the kit's scruff, making sure not to be too harsh. It was only a kit, after all. WindClan scent irritated her nose, but she ignored it. There was no time to think about why she was with a different clan's apprentice when they were in such danger. Then something confused her. Was that...
          ShadowClan scent?
          She turned her head and spotted a massive clump of fur in the distance. Her voice muffled, she warned her companions.
          "ShadowClan is attackin' WeatheredClan camp! We'd better get out o' 'ere, before we get caught." Disk spun around on her and nodded, eyes calm though his fur stood on end.