Warriors, The Next Chapter; Spiderpaw's Journey

Chapter 9

Spiderpaw rose at dawn the next morning, woken by the loud pounding of rain against the stone top of the cave. He groaned, his joints arguing as he began to get up after a long night of resting on hard, damp stone.

Mouse was already awake and padded over to Spiderpaw carrying a thrush and a squirrel between his jaws, "I already ate, these are for you and the kits."

"Thanks Mouse," Spiderpaw took the prey, dropping the thrush by the kits and settling to eat the squirrel alone.

He gulped down his share of the prey, preparing for a long day of travel. Pouncekit and Petalkit we're done with the thrush soon enough and got up. "Can we start traveling Spiderpaw?" Pouncekit asked.

Spiderpaw wiped his paw over his muzzle, turning to Pouncekit, "We need to thank Mouse for housing us first."

Mouse came back into the cave, his jaws wet from a trip to the stream.

"Hey, Mouse?" Spiderpaw mewed when the tom sat down.

"What is it Spiderpaw?" The gray tom asked.

Spiderpaw hesitated, "We need to keep traveling but it was great staying here with you for the night! And I was wondering if you wanted to come with us to meet the Clans?"

Mouse thought about it for a moment, "My home is here, in this cave, but if you ever do come this way again I hope I see you three. You're welcome to stay the night here when you pass on er' way home."

"Thank you Mouse, I hope we see you again," Spiderpaw mewed, ducking his head awkwardly to the older tom.

Pouncekit matched his gesture but Petalkit just swatted at Spiderpaw's tail as they said farewell to the tom. Mouse smiled, "Best luck on your journey! May StarClan... guide your pawsteps?"

"May StarClan light your path," Spiderpaw corrected gently with a final nod of his head, he, Pouncekit, and Petalkit, set off on their journey once more.

***

Spiderpaw's steps grew heavy as he and the kits walked down the remaining stretch of the hill. Petalkit was following her brother's tail as Pouncekit walked proudly next to Spiderpaw.

"Should we stop to hunt and rest for the night?" He asked the kits as the moon started to shine down.

"Sure! I'm starving!" Petalkit purred.

Pouncekit closed his eyes to think, "I think we should eat but keep walking, if we eat now and don't take anymore breaks we should be able to reach the bottom of the mountain by moonhigh."

"Sounds fine then," Spiderpaw agreed, "You two wait here, I'll find us something."

"Actually Spiderpaw, you've been doing so much for us, Petalkit and I will do the hunting for tonight," Pouncekit mewed with a stern glance at his sister.

Petalkit let out a squeak of agreeance and the two kits set off to hunt around some nearby stone ledges. Spiderpaw followed the sound of rushing water to a small stream and lapped up the water, clear beads of the liquid sliding off his chin fur.

Pouncekit and his sister burst from the bushes carrying a mouse and a blackbird. They tucked in to share the blackbird and Spiderpaw gratefully took the mouse. Once the three of them we're done with their meal, they got up and set off down the trail again.

Spiderpaw felt the sharp, stone ground change to grass coated by fallen pine needles. Petalkit would let out a little cry each time the crunchy needles sunk beneath her weight. Pouncekit had fun slinking under the ground cover until he was about a pawstep from where his sister's tail was before he leapt at it.