Warriors: Dissension By The Marsh

Chapter 5

  Redrunner sat with Clovermist in the clearing, basking in the warm sun rays that brightened their coats. Admittedly, it'd been a slow day, Redrunner already knew she would go on some sort of patrol today, so she tried to get as much relaxing in as possible beforehand. Clovermist purred lightly, talking at her while she closed her eyes and practically photosynthesized under the sun.

"I remember when I had just become an apprentice, Hornetclaw was so mad, she didn't understand I was older than her so I became one before her. She was jealous for moons until someone had to explain it! I still like teasing her about it, she gets so embarrassed now." He chuckled to himself.

Redrunner hummed in acknowledgement, almost falling asleep in the comforting heat.

"Ghostglare was upset too but...for other reasons. I remember when you became an apprentice too, you were so full of joy, I think I was just about to become a warrior then. I find it funny how even though we aren't all denmates, you, me, Hornetclaw and Ghostglare are still close." He purred louder as he reminisced.

Honestly, Redrunner wasn't completely listening to him, but he knew she wasn't listening either. They're both talkative cats, and sometimes it's nice to just talk at each other rather than with each other. As the orange cat was slowly drifting in and out of consciousness, she felt Clovermist's body shift.

"Oh, hello Birdbreeze!" He mewed.

Redrunner quickly perked her head up, meeting the gaze of the flame red and white warrior, Birdbreeze. His expression was calm, blank, staring almost as if he was looking through her.

"Redrunner. Maplepaw and I are going on hunting patrol, but mostly training. I'd like it if you came." His voice was flat and monotone.

"Oh, sure." She was a bit surprised.

"Maybe I should come along, bring Rubblepaw, make it one big training patrol."

"No." Birdbreeze huffed. "I just wanted this to be more of a private training session, no other apprentice, but Gravelpatch said I needed one other cat. If you came without Rubblepaw, he might feel a certain way. I just want Redrunner."

Clovermist shot Redrunner a glance, but ultimately brushed it off. The orange warrior stood up and stretched, her claws poking out as she yawned. Once she finished, she nodded to Birdbreeze and the two of them headed to the apprentice den. Daisypaw and Rubblepaw were outside wrestling, they playfully teased each other as they pounced and tackled one another. The two cats walked past them and entered the small burrow, where they found Maplepaw sitting in the corner, watching his siblings from inside. As soon as he saw Birdbreeze, he sprung up and approached the two of them. Without saying anything, the three cats ventured into the southern plains.

The tall but dry blades of grass swiped and pricked at Redrunner's fur as they searched for scents and prey. The leaves of the tall trees were making their transition from the lively greens to oranges as bright as Redrunner's coat. The heat was still a problem, but the brisk winds of Leaf-fall made it bearable. The patrol was awfully quiet, she couldn't stand it, yes they were usually quiet to hunt, but training patrols have more conversations and discussions than this.

"So how's your training so far Maplepaw?" She purred.

The small brown tabby didn't respond, almost shrinking as he came closer to Birdbreeze. Her ears pulled back, had she said something wrong? She knew he was quiet, but she didn't realize he was this quiet.

"You seem like a good tracker, like your mother." Redrunner tried once more, making sure her tone was polite and soft.

Again, Maplepaw held his head low, his tail dangling between his legs. The warm sun almost felt freezing cold, he was so easy to reject anything she said, even positive. Finally, Birdbreeze stopped and looked down at his apprentice.