{NEW STORYLINE SOON} Frostflower's Return

Chapter Six 🐾

    "Oh, Summerpaw, Summerpaw. What am I going to do without you?" Riverpaw murmured, burying his muzzle into Summerpaw's cold fur. Sunpaw nudged Riverpaw and dropped some poppy seeds in front of him. Riverpaw licked them up and padded toward the apprentice den. It was the day after their vigil for Summerpaw. Frostpaw glanced around. Silverpaw was nowhere to be seen. Snowdrop was chatting with Oakstar, and most of her clanmates had left the camp, either hunting or the dawn patrol.

     "Frostpaw. Training." 

     Frostpaw whirled around. Her new mentor, Duskclaw, was standing behind her. Frostpaw sighed. She once thought Duskclaw was a great warrior, but once she had him as her mentor for a few hours, she regretted her thoughts. Duskclaw was instead a fox-heart. Frostpaw got up and padded after her mentor. She saw Cherrywind pick up Summerpaw's body and carry  her to her final resting place. A sudden blow hit her paws and she fell. Standing beside her was Duskclaw.

     "Do I have your attention?" Duskclaw asked angrily.

     "Yes, Duskclaw." Frostpaw said, scrabbling to her feet.

     "This is your first solo assignment. Hunt as much as you can and return at sunhigh." Duskclaw grumbled, "Go now!" Frostpaw started to pad toward Tallpines. Prey will be hiding in the bushes and it would be easier to hunt with all the undergrowth. As she stalked a mouse, she scented something she didn't recognize. The scent became stronger, and the ferns a fox-length away from her, parted, and a fox with a ugly snout came charging right at Frostpaw, scaring the life out of her. Frostpaw bolted, zigzagging through the trees, running toward the Riverclan border because she heard Morningwind send a patrol to the Riverclan border. Frostpaw shot a quick glance over her shoulder. The fox was gaining on her! It snapped its teeth at her tail.

     Suddenly, a sharp and sudden pain in her tail made her stumble and fall. The fox was on her immediately. Frostpaw yelped as the fox bit at her shoulder. Blood started pouring out the wound. Frostpaw snarled in defiance and kicked her hind legs at the fox's underbelly. Her claws scored a large, deep wound, in the fox's underbelly. The fox only snarled louder. 

     Suddenly, the fox disappeared and Frostpaw heard battling cats beside her. She scrambled to her feet to see Hazelpool, Moonstone, and Lakepetal battling the fox. She launched onto the fox's back, gripping onto its hoarse fur with her claws and biting its neck, trying to snap it. Soon, the fox gave up, shook Frostpaw off, and galumphed off into Riverclan territory.

     "Frostpaw, are you okay?" Hazelpool asked as Moonstone and Lakepetal spat insults at the fox.

     "I'm fine." Frostpaw said confidently.

     "Let's go back to camp. You would like Peachflame to look at that wound on your shoulder." said Moonstone as she padded back with Lakepetal on her tail. When they arrived back at camp, Hazelpool went to report to Morningwind about the fox, while Lakepetal went to grab a piece of fresh-kill from the fresh-kill pile and eat at the nettle patch. Moonstone went to Silverpaw to take her out training. Frostpaw limped into the medicine cat den and sat down when Sunpaw sniffed her wound.

     "You'll live." Sunpaw said and padded into the herb storage to grab some herbs. Peachflame, who was watching Sunpaw, came over to instruct Sunpaw on how to chew the herbs up. Sunpaw smeared the poultice into Frostpaw's shoulder wound. Frostpaw flinched as the wound stung. Sunpaw blinked in sympathy. 

     When Frostpaw was going to the fresh-kill pile, she heard Duskclaw yowl to her that she wasn't allowed to eat because she didn't bring any fresh-kill back. Frostpaw's tail and ears drooped as she walked away from the pile dejectedly.

     "Duskclaw! Don't be too harsh on Frostpaw!" Oakstar said, "Frostpaw, take something for the elders and yourself." Frostpaw, hearing Oakstar's words, took a big rabbit and dragged it into the elder's den. Cherrywind and Wintersoul purred their thanks as Frostpaw left the den. She saw Riverpaw beckon to Frostpaw with his tail, crouched over a piece of uneaten fresh-kill. Frostpaw wandered over.

     "Do you want to share?" Riverpaw asked, nudging the vole. 

     "Sure." Frostpaw said, sub-consciously. They crouched over the vole, happily eating into it and sharing stories they've heard from the elders.

     "Hey, did you hear about this one Thunderclan leader? Cherrywind said he was a legend." Riverpaw asked.

     "Firestar?" Frostpaw asked.

     "Yeah. That one." Riverpaw said, "I wanna be like him."

     "Well, first you need to be leader, then you need to save Thunderclan, then..." Frostpaw trailed off as Riverpaw snickered.

     "I get it." Riverpaw said, "You think it would be impossible. But it will be possible."

     "Anything's possible if you try."