Warriors: Into the Forest

Chapter 3

Reedleap gathered up all the herbs that Sandears had instructed.  Sadly, Stormcloud and the older medicine cat would need the strengthening herbs for the journey to the Moonwood.

After gathering up the herbs, she began to chew them into two poultices.  She wrapped the traveling herbs into beech leaf wraps and set them next to the entrance to the hollow rock which was the herb storage.

"Great job, Reedleap."  Reedleap looked out of the rock and saw Sandears standing there.  Reedleap frowned inwardly.  She hated how Sandears always treated her like an apprentice, even if she technically was, but him giving her her name had meant she had moved up in the amount of respect she should have.

"We will definitely need those herbs by sunhigh." Sandears continued.

I know that. Reedleap thought

Reedleap padded past her mentor and leaped across the stepping stones in the slim river between the camp and the medicine den.  She looked around to see her sister, Pebbleslip, and padded towards her.

"Hi, Reedleap!" the silver she-cat mewed a greeting.  She bent down to the fresh-kill pile and pulled out a plump silver fish.  "Would you like to share?"

Reedleap licked her lips.  "Yes, please!"  She had been gathering herbs and preparing the poultices that Sandears and Stormcloud needed, and she had really worked up an appetite.

The two littermates bent down to eat.  "Who do you think Stormcloud will pick as deputy?" Pebbleslip asked, looking up from the fish.

"I don't know." Reedleap replied.  She realized that Stormcloud would most likely pick his mate and Reedleap's mother Cypresswish as deputy, but Quailstrike was a good choice as well.

As if Reedleap's thoughts had summoned him, Quailstrike padded over to the two she-cats.  "We have a patrol to do, Pebbleslip." the white tom mewed.

Pebbleslip nodded farewell before padding after the older warrior.  Reedleap felt sad and lonely as she often did.  Sandears had become busy with leafbare approaching, Cypresswish was helping Eaglefish prepare for her coming kits, Stormcloud was preparing for the journey to the Moonwood, and her siblings, Pebbleslip and Crowpond, were always busy with their warrior duties, and Crowpond had an apprentice.

Reedleap rose to her paws after finishing the fish and padded back to the stream.  She leaped across on the stepping stones.  She settled into her nest and decided to take a nap.

...

Falconpaw leaped on Larkpaw.  The yellow tom shook him off easily, as Falconpaw had not unsheathed his claws in fear of hurting his brother.

"Good job, Falconpaw!" Maplegaze called from the edge of the training hollow.  "Just try to dig your claws into his fur next time, that way he won't be able to shake you off as well as he did."

Sandyscar nodded before telling Larkpaw, "Great job shaking him off, by the way."

Larkpaw nodded his thanks.  Falconpaw tried again, this time sinking his claws into his littermate's yellow fur, making it harder for the tom to shake him off.  "Ha!  I got you!" he meowed.

Suddenly, Larkpaw shook more vigorously, managing to dislodge his brother from his back.  "Do you now?" he asked teasingly.

Falconpaw leaped at his brother, claws sheathed, and the apprentices play-wrestled on the ground until Maplegaze meowed, "Stop."  The apprentices split.  "That's enough training for today.  We'll head back to camp now."

"You go on ahead." Sandyscar mewed.  "I want to take Larkpaw hunting before sunhigh."

Maplegaze nodded.  "Come on, Falconpaw.  You can clean out the elders' bedding then get something to eat."

Falconpaw meowed his farewells to his father and brother then began to follow his mentor back to camp, when yowling came from the direction of the camp.

"Help!  Help!" someone was yowling.  "Cranestar's been attacked!"