Our Random Warrior Cat Fanfic

Chapter 2

Swanpaw, Burnetpaw, and Gorsepaw spent a majority of the next day at the lake. They talked all about things, lots of things, gatherings, their mentors, even other clans at a point. 

Burnetpaw showed off some of his fancy new fighting moves. 

"Waxface teaches me all kinds of things," Burnetpaw told Swanpaw and Gorsepaw, "A lot of boring stuff too, you know how mentors are, but I also learned this!" He used his hind legs to kick the air behind him, his front paws spaced apart on the ground. 

"It looks easy but it's pretty hard to keep yourself balanced. The trick is to still be steady on your forelegs,'' he demonstrated it again and without skipping a beat Gorsepaw lunged at him, sending them both into the lake. Swanpaw laughed. 

"So much for being steady!" Gorsepaw called teasingly as she swam in the crystal clear water. 

Burnetpaw's head popped out of the lake and he shook the water off of it, "Says the cat who can't even balance on the fallen tree!" he retorted, "Makes me wonder what your whiskers are for!" 

Gorsepaw rolled her eyes then turned to Swanpaw, "Guess how long I can hold my breath for!" she stuck her head underwater and stayed there for a while before popping back up again and taking a big gulp of air. 

"Ha, beat that!" she challenged Burnetpaw. 

Burnetpaw stuck out his tongue at her, "I might not be able to hold my breath underwater but I can swim fast.'' 

Swanpaw laughed, "You think you can swim fast?" he dived into the water, "Race you to the fallen tree!" He swam off down the lake. 

"Hey! No fair!" Burnetpaw swam after him followed by Gorsepaw. 

Swanpaw made it there first, raking himself up the tree's dark bark onto the surface. The fallen tree used to be a scary thing for Swanpaw, back when he was a kit he overheard how Burnetpaw and Gorsepaw's parents were crushed by it. It always gave Swanpaw the chills, though Burnetpaw and Gorsepaw didn't seem to care much. 

The tree just barely touched the surface of the water, kept up by an island of rocks that it connected to the mainland. That was where the warriors died, they said it was an anomaly, Star Clan's judgment, for what was never clear. 

Swanpaw was scared of it before but Burnetpaw teased him enough for it to make him actually walk across it to reach the rock island. Ever since then Swanpaw knew it wasn't really a big deal. 

Gorsepaw climbed onto the fallen tree effortlessly and shook the water from her fur, spraying Swanpaw in the process. 

"Oh, sorry, Swanpaw-" 

"You know you wouldn't have won if you didn't get a head start!" Burnetpaw called, swimming onto the land, shaking the water out of his fur then climbing onto the tree. 

Swanpaw laughed a little, "Yeah, sure thing, Burnetpaw.'' He shook the water out of his fur as well, spraying Gorsepaw, "Now we're even.'' 

Gorsepaw rolled her eyes and Swanpaw could see she was suppressing a smile. 

"HELP!" 

Swanpaw nearly fell off the tree from surprise at the sudden yowl, only managing to stay on his paws by digging his claws into the bark. 

An unfamiliar blue she-cat charged through the surrounding forest. 

"HELP!" 

Gorsepaw reacted first, twisting around her brother, who stood closer to the mainland, and bounding toward the she-cat, "What's wrong, are you okay?" 

"M-My kit,'' the she-cat panted. 

Swanpaw followed Gorsepaw's lead to come toward the she-cat. 

"What's wrong with your kit?" Gorsepaw asked, concern thick in her voice.