Flames At Night: Book 1: A Shattered Path

Chapter Seven

Patterpaw

Patterpaw peered through the rain at the swollen river. Her patrol had been caught out in the storm.

"Let's go back," Sparkstream said finally. "It's no use marking the border in this downpour. All the scent will just wash away."

"I can't wait to be back in my nest," Frecklepaw, her apprentice, sighed. "I wonder if the roof is leaking again. I hope not, because the leak was right over my nest."

Patterpaw shook the rain from her whiskers. In her mind, she agreed with Frecklepaw, since their nests were close together. She followed Crowflash back towards camp.

"I hope this storm clears up," she heard Brindlepaw mutter as she climbed into her nest. "I'm soaked."

Patterpaw listened to the rain pattering on the den roof. She remembered her mother saying that she and Echopaw had been born during a thunderstorm, and she was named for the sound of the raindrops. What was Echopaw named for? And Bluekit?

"Good night, Bluekit," she whispered, curling into a tight ball. Nobody heard her through the crack of thunder.

Patterpaw carefully stepped around the huge puddle in the middle of the camp. The rain had finally stopped, but there was still mud everywhere. She spotted a few of Briarheart's kits playing in a pool of water. They must be feeling better.

Crowflash was nowhere to be found, so she took a small thrush from the soggy fresh-kill pile and went to sit with Frecklepaw and Brindlepaw.

"Oh, hi, Patterpaw," Frecklepaw mewed, chewing on a bite of mouse. "We got the morning off. How about you?"

"Actually, I don't know where Crowflash is," said a perplexed Patterpaw. "Have you seen him?"

"I think-" Brindlepaw interrupted himself with a loud sneeze. Frecklepaw looked at him curiously.

"Are you okay? Did you catch some weird disease that no one knows about?"

"I'm fine," hummed Brindlepaw. "I was saying I think he went into the nursery to check on Ravenwillow." Patterpaw could see that his heterochromatic eyes were watering.

"You should go and have Rowanfoot check on you," she mewed. "Better safe than sorry."

"Fine," Brindlepaw huffed, standing up. "But I'm telling you, I'm okay." He would have been easier to believe if he hadn't sneezed again.

Frecklepaw and Patterpaw watched him go, then turned to each other, identical worried looks on their faces. "He didn't go to the Gathering, did he?" Patterpaw asked.

"Actually, he did," Frecklepaw replied, concern showing in her eyes. She quickly looked up. "I think Sparkstream is calling me. See you later." She swallowed the last bite of her mouse and hurried away.

Patterpaw finished her thrush and stood up. She was nearly bowled over by Dandelionkit and Bearkit, who were racing away fast. "Ruuuun!" Dandelionkit squealed.

The black and white apprentice looked to see what they were running from, when suddenly Swiftpaw leaped out at her from behind the warriors den, snarling. She gave out a small scream and fell back.

The fluffy red tom gasped and rushed forward. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to do that, I'm so sorry!"

"I-I'm fine." Patterpaw stood up again, shaking her head to clear the slight ringing. The ground is pretty hard considering all the mud.

"I was playing with Dandelionkit and Bearkit and I got a little carried away," Swiftpaw admitted, looking dejected. "I'm really sorry, Patterpaw."

Patterpaw smiled at him. "It's fine. Have you seen Crowflash anywhere?" she added, changing the subject.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dandelionkit peeking around the corner of the nursery. "Oh no! The badger caught Patterpaw!" the fluffy gray and white she-kit squeaked.

"I have to go," Swiftpaw said hurriedly. "Um, I think Rowanfoot wanted me to gather... borage? It might have been goldenrod. Bye, Patterpaw!"

Patterpaw rolled her eyes at his retreating form. Just then, Echopaw bounded up to her.

"Patterpaw, I got Hyacinthfrost to take me hunting, and she told me to ask if you want to come, because she doesn't know if Crowflash plans to do training with you, so do you want to come?" the bluish-white she-cat squealed in one breath.

"Um, okay," Patterpaw replied, following her sister out of the camp. I don't know where Crowflash even is...