𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓲𝓸𝓻𝓼: 𝓒𝓻𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓵 𝓦𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 (𝓐𝓹𝓹𝓵𝔂𝓕𝓲𝓬!)

•★★ Chapter 2 ★★•

Opalpaw's head began to cloud with horrible scenarios of what TideClan with their big, mighty warriors might do to them. "We've gotta get out of here!" She hissed. "Couldn't agree more, captain obvious!" Rosepaw snapped, anger blazing in her eyes. Opalpaw glared right back. "I saved our tails, don't you forget! We wouldn't be alive without me!" She snarled. "I could come up with a more logical and safer plan than that abomination!" Rosepaw spat the words out like it was mouse-bile. Opalpaw rolled her eyes. "Fine! I'd like to see you try! Get us out of here!" she snarled, ears flattening. Rosepaw narrowed her eyes. "Okay then. Follow me!" She said snappily. Opalpaw reluctantly followed the she-cat, but she could tell by her lashing tail and aeroplaned ears that she had no idea where she was going. 

During the walk, Opalpaw deliberately snapped twigs beneath her paws to annoy Rosepaw, stopped to scratch up piles of flowers, skid tree bark with her claws and bat at bugs buzzing in her face. "For StarClan's sake, will you stop that?! I'm trying to find a way out!" Rosepaw finally snarled, whipping around to face Opalpaw. "The whole sea will know that we're here with you making that racket!" 
Opalpaw tipped her head and gave a skeptical look. Rosepaw glared at her, hoping to melt her with her fierce, smoldering amber gaze. And it almost worked. Opalpaw began to feel a little intimidated, realizing how good of a companion Rosepaw would be, if she got along with other cats. "Fine. I'll stop." Opalpaw huffed. Rosepaw smirked. She turned around and continued padding along the weirdly shaped trail that Rosepaw seemed to be sure to lead them back to GlowClan territory. However, Opalpaw still was a little creeped out by the weird-smelling herbs and animals that lurked in the forest. Some may be watching them right now! Plus, the huge warriors that ruled this forest. Even if they didn't come out in the morning. 
Opalpaw quickened her pace, coming up beside Rosepaw. "What's wrong now?" Rosepaw sighed impatiently. "I think-" Opalpaw opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Rosepaw stopping dead in her tracks, causing Opalpaw to stop as well. Opalpaw shook her pelt, feeling super irritated by Rosepaw's sudden stop, but once she raised her head to see what exactly was disturbing her, she understood. 

Three large warriors- no, apprentices, of TideClan stood there, perched on a large, moss-covered boulder, watching them with narrowed eyes. One was patched, with dark blue eyes, one was white with countless black streaks and piercing golden eyes, and one was white with ginger tabby spots. The white and black striped one leaned forward to whisper in the patched one's ear, and he whispered back. "Uhm. Hi?" The striped one said. Well. That was unexpected. Opalpaw would have thought that they would pounce on them and rip them to shreds for daring to enter in their territory. Hey, didn't TideClan warriors usually sleep through the morning? 
Rosepaw stiffened. The patched one leaped down from his perch and studied them. Rosepaw recoiled farther back, flattening her ears. "Hey, I recognize you! You're Rosepaw, from the hunting competition. You won last gathering, didn't you?" He finally spoke, watching Rosepaw with shining eyes. Rosepaw nodded slowly. "And? What's it to you?" She snapped back. Opalpaw began to recognize these three toms. The one in front of her and Rosepaw was Pondpaw, a tom who often got in trouble and didn't get to attend many gatherings after many incidents involving deer, fish and borders. The striped one was Riptidepaw, a very friendly cat who Opalpaw had one conversation with at her first gathering. It was about training. The white and ginger tabby was Storkpaw, who loved to play at the gatherings, pretending with the other cats were his companions on trips, and they'd run around the tree searching for bugs and stuff, pretending to solve mysteries. Pondpaw turned his head to Opalpaw. Opalpaw felt hot under his dark, deep blue gaze, beginning to back up, slightly intimidated by him. "You're Opalpaw. You're Whitestrike's kit, eh?" Pondpaw said, padding up closer to her. Opalpaw glared hotly at him. "Yes. What about it?" She hissed. Riptidepaw ran up behind Pondpaw. "Hey, hey ladies. We're just on a morning patrol, now, nothing to get riled up about" He said with a friendly smile. Opalpaw snorted. "You guys don't even come out in the morning. What's that about?" She snapped. Rosepaw let out a snicker. Pondpaw blinked fast. "Alright. You got us. But what are you doing here? That's the real question" He said, weaving around them in a circle. "None of your business!" Rosepaw countered, however, Opalpaw began to fear what they were going to do to them. "Sorry, you two. We're going to have to take you back to camp with us" Pondpaw finally said, genuinely looking sorry. Rosepaw's ears perked up. "Not without a fight, no!" She snarled, claws unsheathing. "What are you doing?! We have no chance against them!" Opalpaw hissed at Rosepaw. Rosepaw glared at the three toms. "The small one's right." Storkpaw said. Opalpaw was taken aback. "What are you on about? I'm not small!" Opalpaw snapped. "You're just big and fat!" Rosepaw insulted. "You TideClan cats are always eating everything you catch at once. You would eat deer muck if you could!" 

Opalpaw gulped, watching Storkpaw's eyes widen in anger. "Excuse you?" He snarled. Rosepaw looked him up and down disdainfully. "I said what I said" she said breezily. Opalpaw stomped on Rosepaw's paw, but she was oblivious. "Hey now, let's calm down. Maybe we can make an agreement-" Pondpaw stepped in, but was too late. Storkpaw lunged at Rosepaw, teeth snapping right in front of her muzzle. Rosepaw swiped her good paw at his face, landing a fierce blow. However, it was only enough to daze him for a minute. Riptidepaw came to his friend's aid, leaping onto Rosepaw, knocking her off her paws. Opalpaw's heart dropped as she watching Rosepaw's sprained paw twist as the tom kicked her back. Rosepaw had stood up for Opalpaw. So Opalpaw would do the same. 
With a yowl of fury, she smacked Riptidepaw's face, sending him rolling off of Rosepaw. Rosepaw scrambled to her paws, holding one up as she examined it thoroughly. Opalpaw stood protectively around Rosepaw, curling her lip at the three toms. "Mouse-brain, you've hurt her!" Pondpaw hissed at Riptidepaw. The striped tom rubbed his face with a paw, grumbling, "She hit me, too! I was protecting Storkpaw!" Storkpaw glared at them. "I don't need protection! Especially not protection from a couple of she-cats!" He snarled. Opalpaw glared at them. "A couple of she-cats who will send you to StarClan themselves if you dare touch us again!" Opalpaw shouted, flattening her ears. Pondpaw looked from her to his buddies. He whispered in their ears, and they nodded, turning towards them. "Since you obviously can't make the trip yourselves, we'll have to bring you to the medicine den." Pondpaw said. Opalpaw opened her mouth to disagree, but was cut off by a strong kick to the back of her neck causing her to black out, hitting the floor chin-first. "Piperpaw, what are you doing here?" was all she heard before slipping into unconsciousness.