Spirits on the Wind

Chapter 6

"Oh come on, Minnowsplash! You should really try to get a mate." Wolfhaze meowed, taking a bite of a trout. Emberleaf sat beside her, sharing it.

"Yes, mother is right." Grayfeather added "What about Roseleaf. She seems nice." Emberleaf nodded in agreement with Grayfeather's statement.

"I love your support but I don't think I'll ever have a mate." Minnowsplash lied.

"Hey Minnowsplash!" An airy voice came from behind him. It was Quailswoop, a light gray she cat.

"Hey there Quailswoop." He nodded to her.

"So uh... I was wondering if you wanted to go hunting with me?" She smiled and blinked at him.

Emberleaf walked past Minnowsplash on purpose. "Go her her tiger! She likes you." He murmured in his ear.

Wolfhaze nodded and Grayfeather smiled, amused.

"Alright." He meowed. He thought that maybe he could trick the whole clan into thinking they are mates, then his family would stop bugging him about it.

"Okay. Let's go." She purred and they trotted out of camp together. They sat by the river and Quailswoop hooked up a silver fish. Then she grabbed a large salmon swimming last with her jaws.

"You are really good a fishing." He meowed while scooping up a trout. He killed it and set it with the other two.

"Yeah I learned from the best mentor." She smiled. She was referring to her old mentor, Hawkswoop.

"Yeah he is a fun cat. I bet he was an awesome mentor!" They fished some more then Quailswoop sat back.

"How about we take a break." She meowed. She swished her tail under his chin and he forced a purr to make it look like he liked her back. He followed her to the shrub edge and then she laid down. He laid down beside her, putting one forepaw over her for emphasis.

"Minnowsplash, I love you." Quailswoop purred.

"I-" he couldn't say it. "Me too." He resorted back to that. "Uh we should head back to camp to return the fresh kill."

She nodded and smiled.

They padded back to camp, Quailswoop pressing her pelt to his.

"Minnowsplash!" A voice called him. He looked to the medicine cat den to see Brookspring.

"What do you want?" He scowled at her.

"Oh I wanted to tell you that I'm expecting kits." She meowed boastingly.

"That's...great." He says unenthusiastically. "I suppose they are Rippletalon's?"

She nodded, a glint of something in her eyes. He couldn't tell if it was a 'your father is my mate now' look or it's a 'Wolfhaze never deserved him' look.

An awkward silence fell over them. "Well.... I should go find Rippletalon." Brookspring snarled and swished her tail.

Minnowsplash rolled his eyes. I should go visit Silvermoon! He thought.

He slipped out of camp. He started by walking along the river, upstream.

"Oh Minnnnnoooowsplaaash!" A she cat's voice yowled lightly.

Cherryfeather stood with her tail tip twitching and her paws together. Her long tortoiseshell fur laying lightly over her sleek, thin frame.

He tensed up. "Yes Cherryfeather...?"

"Where are you going? Because I want to come with you so you aren't alone." Cherryfeather purred.

"It's okay Cherryfeather. I'm alright. I should be going though." He said and started to back away. He darted through the marsh leaving her behind.

"Minnowsplash! Why did you leave?" Her voice was far behind him. But she didn't follow. He shook his fur and kept going towards Silvermoon's small shelter.

Silvermoon was sun bathing outside in a beam of sunlight when Minnowsplash approached. "Silvermoon! You shouldn't be out in the open." He warned and nudged her to her paws.

"But I want to be outside where I can sun! I really can watch for trouble trust me." She purred and nuzzled his shoulder reassuringly

"But what if a patrol spots you? You could be in danger." His gaze softened with hers. "You can't fight them."

"You're right. I won't but I have keen eyes. I'll be fine but I'll be on the look out for your sake." Silvermoon smiled at him, her blue eyes shimmering.

"I'm sure you will. Now what are we doing today?" He asked and smirked at her.

"I was thinking that we'd walk to Twolegplace for fun. Unless your scared of kittypets." She teased.

"Alright I give! Let's go." They padded through the marsh, sticking to the outside boundary of RiverClan territory.

Small leaves crunched under Minnowsplash's paws. He felt a cool wind ruffle his fur, knowing that it would be leaf-bare soon. Silvermoon pressed against him, her shorter silver pelt fluffed up to its extent.

"Okay so we have to make a dash over to steppingstones. From there, we will follow the river to Twolegplace." He explained.

"That sounds a little risky doesn't it?" Silvermoon's eyes were wide with a mix of fear and surprise.

"Yes, it is. We can also go all the way to the end of the territory and cross beyond the boundary. The water is much deeper and the current is strong though." Minnowsplash meowed.

"That sounds much safer but longer. My pads are already sore." She twitched her whiskers.

"Hey, you wanted to do this!" He teased, his eyes glinting with amusement as his muzzle pulled up into a small smile.

"Why didn't you refuse." She laughed, catching his humor. She butted her head into his shoulder lightly.

"Okay, we cross here." He nodded when they got to the spot they wanted to be at, further downstream from stepping stones.

"Great!" Silvermoon meowed. "There is a branch over there!" She said, triumphantly. she flicked her tail to a mass of tangled twigs with one central trunk laid halfway across the river. On the way back they would have to swim to it. Now, they just need to leap.

"Right. Let's go." Minnowsplash replied and watched her start to climb up. One of her paws slipped a little and he nudged her up. Then he too got up. "Let me leap first so that if you fall in, I can get you."

Silvermoon nodded and shifted aside for him to make way. With a mighty leap, using all the strength in his hind leg muscles, he leaned abruptly onto the other sandy shore.

"That was great!" Silvermoon called. "My turn!" Minnowsplash sat there ready, just in case she happened to leap short.

"Here I come!" She meowed. He watched as she bunched her muscles and leapt. Her back legs were in the water, scrabbling for a paw hold. Minnowsplash grabbed her scruff and pulled the rest of her out.

"That wasn't a bad jump." Minnowsplash commented.

"Thanks. I'm glad you were there. I think I was stuck."

The pair walked on a little. "Here we are!" Minnowsplash meowed, seeing the tall brick walls.