Fire Clan: Foxkit's Destiny

Chapter 8:

Foxpaw woke up shrieking and leaped to her paws, fur on end. She looked around quickly and saw that she was in the apprentices den and everyone was still sleeping however, Tornadopaw's nest was empty.

She took a shaky deep breath but then a voice behind her said, "Foxpaw, are you alright?"

She whipped around to find Nightpaw standing behind her, his face full on concern.

"Great Star Clan you scared me!" Foxpaw gasped as she forced her fur to lie flat.

Nightpaw chuckled. "I'm sorry. But it really was you who scared me. Are you alright? You were flailing your paws all around when you were asleep and was murmuring some weird things that I couldn't make out. And then you started to shriek and I prodded you awake," he explained.

"Oh! Well, um, thank you Nightpaw. I'm glad you did."

"Was it a nightmare?" He asked sympathetically padding closer and gave her a  comforting lick on her ear.

Foxpaw purred. "Yeah but it's nothing to worry about," she said reassuring him. She thought about the tornado grabbing her and tormenting her in its winds, but tried to shake away just another nightmare.

"Good."

But just then, Riversplash's head poked into the apprentices den. "Dawn Patrol," he said briskly before padding out.

Foxpaw nodded, suddenly feeling like all that struggling in her dream was somehow affecting her now. She padded out of the apprentices den sleepily and walking towards her mentor calling a good bye to Nightpaw over her shoulder and she heard a good bye call back from him. She smiled slightly.

"Why are we doing such an early dawn patrol? You can barely see the sun rising," Foxpaw asked Riversplash when she reached him.

Riversplash didn't get to respond because Breezeheart and her apprentice Tornadopaw padded over.

"Hello," Riversplash said in greeting dipping his head.

"Hello Riversplash and Foxpaw," Breezeheart said smiling warmly.

Tornadopaw only nodded.

"Are we ready to go?" Asked Riversplash.

Breezeheart nodded and walked towards the entrance tunnel with Tornadopaw padding beside her. Riversplash and Foxpaw followed close behind. But almost as soon as they entered the forest, it started to rain. Riversplash then went into very deep conversation as they continued towards the Clover Clan border.

Foxpaw groaned. Just what she needs. Rain.

Tornadopaw looked smug. "Can't take the rain Foxkit?" He sneered.

Foxpaw quickly faced him. "Excuse me?"

"Haha. You heard me right. You don't even look like an apprentice," Tornadopaw taunted.

Foxpaw growled and took a threatening step towards him. "Say that again," she challenged, her tiredness forgotten.

"Fine Foxkit. Let me say it sloooowly for you Foxkit. You-"

He did get to finish because Foxpaw launched herself at him, blowing him over. Unfortunately, Tornadopaw had the two advantages by one: having more experience, and two: he was heavier. However, Tornadopaw wasn't expecting Foxpaw to launch herself at him and he fell on his back in the mud.

"Ooph. You're gonna pay for that!" Tornadopaw threatened as he kicked her off his his hand paws and leaped up.

Foxpaw yelped as she got kicked up right in her stomach. But she somehow managed to flip on her paws and skidded in the mud. She hissed at Tornadopaw.

He hissed back, his tail sweeping menacingly. Then, they both leaped at the same time at each other and went paw to paw, but he used his weight to his advantage. Foxpaw gave way and fell on her back in the mud with Tornadopaw glaring at her triumphantly.

"Give up," he snarled.

Foxpaw hissed. "Never crow food!" She said as wriggle away.

"Why you little-" he said as Foxpaw saw the glint of unshelthed claws.

Foxpaw barely had time to gasp as his claws reached her flank. She shrieked as she whipped around and clawed him right on his cheek, his face moving with it in sync. He staggered back a little bit, blood was dripping from the claw line.

Ouch.

But just as Tornadopaw took a step forwards, his muscles bunched getting ready to spring and Foxpaw did the same, Riversplash grabbed Foxpaw's scruff and yanked her back. She yelped and fell into her side and hissed at her mentor. "What was that for?!" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Breezeheart do the same to Tornadopaw and started yelling at him which was surprising. She's usually a very soft and gentle cat.

Riversplash growled deeply, glaring down at her with his cold blue eyes. His glare was so intense that Foxpaw shrank back but held a whimper.

"What were you thinking Foxpaw?! He's your clan mate! You don't harm your clan mate no matter what!" He said angrily. He looked furious but was trying to hold in his temper.

"Well he called m-" began Foxpaw defendantly but was cut off.

"No excuses! Don't ever do that again, got it? You could have gotten into serious trouble and gotten hurt," Riversplash said firmly. "So for the rest of this moon, you will be cleaning out the elders den and searching for the elders pelt for ticks."

"I like that idea," Breezeheart said behind Riversplash. "Tornadopaw will do the same so that they both get a punishment and will have to work together."

Riversplash nodded his agreement but Foxpaw cut in, "Nonono pleeeeeease no! Anyone but him!"

Riversplash eyed Foxpaw. "Its settled. Now let's get moving before we all catch a cold," be said padding off with Breezeheart by his side.

Foxpaw sighed and padded after them, her tail dropping low. Tornadopaw was a little but behind her because he didn't want to walk next to her. And she liked it that way.

The patrol trudged through the forest towards the Clover Clan border in the rain. The ground was starting to get slippery. Foxpaw couldn't imagine how Clover Clan cats can deal with all of this rain and almost no trees to cover them.

They soon arrived at the border. While Riversplash and Breezeheart started to mark the borders a little ways away. Foxpaw headed the opposite way to mark the borders while Tornadopaw marked them away from her. He didn't look over at Foxpaw once. The patrol was soon finished and headed back to camp, having a hard time will all of the mud and the rain.

Foxpaw was exhausted and just wanted to curl up in a tight warm ball and sleep with her pelt all shinny and clean and forget that this day ever happened.