**OLD** Valley Cats: Of Sky and Stone 1- Daughters and Darkness

Chapter Twenty-Nine

 "Pumpkinpaw!" Twisterpaw called, springing to her feet. "I need to talk to you!"

 The fluffy apprentice bounced away from the rest of the returning dawn patrol. "Yes? What is it?" she asked brightly.

 "Why didn't you tell me Mango was trying to-"

 "You want to know about that? It's all in the past now, Twisterpaw. I'm not worrying about my kittypet life anymore. I just want to think about my new friends now, okay?" Pumpkinpaw cut her off, tilting her head sharply.

 "Oh. Sure." Twisterpaw backed up a few steps. Her tabby companion gave her a smile and sprang off, rejoining her mentor near the camp entrance. 

 The black-and-white apprentice sighed slightly, still conflicted about the events of the night before. She thought for a moment, considering asking Mousefall or Cardinalheart about her mixed feelings, but remembered that they were on the southern border patrol. Twisterpaw shook out her pelt in an attempt to fully wake up. Crowpelt would be asleep until at least midmorning, so she should use her free time wisely.

 She turned her paws towards the camp entrance. Maybe hunting would clear her name of all the confusion.

 "Hello? Gillpaw?" Twisterpaw whispered loudly. The island was small, so surely the pale gray tom would be able to hear her. "Are you there?"

 "You look... tired. Was the swim over too hard for you?" Gillpaw said plainly, startling Twisterpaw. He had been almost concealed by the lush grass, as only his head was slightly visible. His dark blue eyes glittered hauntingly in the light of the almost-full moon, staring at her intensely.

 "I made it here just fine, for your information." The she-cat snapped, but immediately regretted it. "I mean, yes. I managed."

 "That's good. Shall we?" Gillpaw edged towards the edge of the island, where the grass ended in a steep decline to the black water below. It had taken extra effort for Twisterpaw to drag herself up the sudden rise. Now, she stared at the water, which seemed even more unforgiving than usual. Except for a few reflections of moonlight, the surface was completely dark. 

 The small tom leaped far off into the water, making only the tiniest splash. Soon, his head poked out of the abyss. "Are you coming in?" he prodded.

 "Of course." Twisterpaw tried not to sound irritated at the thought of another cold swim. She sprang off the edge of the island, making a giant splash that seemed to echo around the valley.

 "Wow. I think you woke up Thistlestar all the way in RockClan." Gillpaw commented.

 "Oh, hush, you." Twisterpaw said through gritted teeth. The water felt infinitely more cold than it had been a few heartbeats ago, when she first swam away from the ForestClan shore. Now, as she followed the DeltaClan apprentice away from the island, the black water seemed to steal the warmth of her pelt. "Is is just me, or is it getting colder?" she asked.

 "It's definitely colder down at the bottom, but maybe it just feels like that because we're getting into open water." Gillpaw explained, not looking back.

 "So, you do this often? Doesn't it take practice to be able to swim for this long?" Twisterpaw felt uneasy. She had barely survived the swim to the island. How was she supposed to stay afloat for this long?

 "If you start drowning, I'll save you. Not in a romantic way, though. I don't do romance." Gillpaw said flatly as he halted in the water. "This should be far enough. Have you been diving before?"

 "Um... At sunhigh I go diving for shells to eat sometimes. I usually do it for Brightpaw, who hates the water. He can't swim." Twisterpaw recalled.

 "Can you hold your breath?"