Warriors: Storm Coming - Rising Dawn

Chapter 7

Ivypaw stalked a thrush. She padded along the rain forest floor, careful not to make a loud noise. She rubbed her paws against the ground, creeping forward slowly. She tried her hardest not to think of Reedpaw, but thoughts of him filled her mind. Her tail twitching, hitting the underbrush and alerting the thrush.

The thrush took off, flapping its wings.

"Fox dung," Ivypaw muttered.

"Bad luck," Starlingfur meowed. "Let's try again,"

Ivypaw sniffed the air again, her nose twitching. She scented another thrush. Carefully, she stalked it. She slowly approached it, her paws rubbing against the ground. The thrush saw her and beat its wing, attempting to fly up. Ivypaw leaped up and grabbed its wings in her claws, dragging it down. Ivypaw killed it with a killing bite to the neck.

"Great catch," Starlingfur praised. "Let's take it back to camp,"

. . .

Ivypaw lay in her nest beside Perchpaw and Sootpaw. She slowly lifted herself up and padded out of the rain forest camp. She reached the stream dividing her clan and StormClan's territory. "Reedpaw," she whispered.

Suddenly, something landed on her back, sheathed paws dug into her pelt. Ivypaw decided to go limp and roll over, the weight of the cat on top of her back fell down with her and rolled with her.

"Ivypaw!" a voice meowed.

"Reedpaw?" Ivypaw saw Reedpaw on top of her. "I'm glad it's you," she purred, looking up to lick his ear.

Reedpaw let out a soft purr, leaning down to lick her cheek. "Let's go to RavenClan's camp, Ivystar," he meowed.

"Okay, Reedclaw," Ivypaw got up off him.

As they padded over to the badger set in AshClan's territory, Reedpaw got down into hunting crouch and slithered into the hole, followed by Ivypaw.

Ivypaw dropped down and followed behind him. Once inside the cave, Ivypaw leaped on him. Reedpaw fell to the ground limply underneath her paws. "What was that for?" he purred.

"A RavenClan warrior is always prepared," she meowed.

Reedpaw and her rolled together in a heap of fur. Ivypaw cuffed him over the ear as he pinned her down. "I got you!" Reedpaw meowed.

Ivypaw went limp in his paws and then rolled around, taking his weight in her paws and pinning him down. "Now, I got you," she purred. Reedpaw and Ivypaw both leaned in and touched noses.

Tired, Ivypaw rolled off Reedpaw and curled up by his side. She closed her eyes and wrapped her tail over her nose.

Ivypaw closed her eyes. She saw the shadow of a cat running. Behind him was another shadow, this time of a huge cat. The cat in front didn't notice.

"There's a cat behind you!" Ivypaw yowled, but the cat didn't move or say anything.

The cat slowed down, padding forward slowly. Then the big cat's jaws outstretched and snapped once it caught the cat's tail in its jaws. The cat let out a screech of pain and agony. The cat was thrown to the ground and pinned down under the big cat's claws. The big cat bended down and bit its neck. Blood splattered everywhere; the hot sticky crimson blood hit Ivypaw's pelt.

Ivypaw opened her eyes to see herself lying beside Reedpaw. Reedpaw's big body was wrapped around hers; her body curled up. Reedpaw's chin rest on Ivypaw's head. Their tails were twined together.

"Ivypaw? Are you okay?" Reedpaw meowed, concern growing in his voice.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" Ivypaw meowed, struggling to sound calm.