(✓) Warriors ▸ Shadows of the Domestic [1]

Chapter 9

The following day, Harepaw was standing outside with her mentor, Lionheart, when she spotted Ravenpaw, Graypaw, and Firepaw nearby. Tilting her head, she swiftly sprinted over to join them. Lionheart called out, "Wait, Harepaw!" She skidded to a stop and turned to face her mentor. He bounded over to her, saying, "You still need to stay by my side. I understand your friends are there, but they have their own tasks now. Come along, we shall hunt."

Harepaw nodded and followed her mentor deeper into the forest, away from the river. Soon, they arrived at a wide clearing dotted with lilies and other beautiful flowers. Harepaw smiled, always loving this place with its summer greenery. It was close to the Firetree and actually near the great owl tree. The beauty of this spot led them to hunt here for a few hours before the sun began its descent towards the horizon, and Lionheart decided they had caught enough prey. They were on their way back with their spoils when Firepaw came running towards them, her tail waving.

"Harepaw, there you are!" he yelped and nuzzled his nose into her white chest fur, causing the young princess to startle, and Lionheart smiled broadly. He released his rabbit. "Now, now, Firepaw, you must not overwhelm my apprentice. Release her," he warmly admonished, and Firepaw felt her ears burn as he moved away from Harepaw, who avoided his gaze. Her blue eyes were filled with confusion, and warmth burned beneath her fur. What was this feeling? Was she truly falling for the house cat?

"Nevertheless," she shook her head and turned to face him directly, her blue eyes gleaming. "What do you desire?" she inquired, her voice hissing, before lowering it due to the prey she held between her jaws. Firepaw sighed and flicked his tail to suppress the purr that longed to escape his throat. "Yellowfang wishes for us to care for her, but Bluestar has mentioned that if we make it to the gathering tonight, we may not need to tend to her for more than just a month longer," he smiled. "Isn't that splendid?"

Is that all? she pondered, and Harepaw shook his head. "Yes, it is. Let us go, I am certain the clan is famished," she said, then surged past Firepaw and Lionheart, with them close on her heels. They then raced the rest of the way to the camp, passing the tunnel and entering the clearing where many of the cats awaited. Speckleleaf approached them with a smile. "Well done, you two," she purred, and Harepaw nodded before she headed towards the fresh-kill pile and laid down her starling and dove.

Graypaw came bounding over, followed closely by Ravenpaw. He purred and nuzzled his snout against Harepaw's side. What is it with toms and pressing against me these days? thought Harepaw, frustrated even as her fur tingled. She had fallen for Graypaw long ago, but when Firepaw arrived in the clan, she was unsure if her feelings truly remained. Ravenpaw was never much help; he was too quiet and passive to understand.

"Great catch," purred Graypaw, his tail curling around Harepaw and holding her close. Ravenpaw smiled shyly at her. "Yes, you are truly improving in hunting, Harepaw," he said softly, and Harepaw snorted before she withdrew her tail from Graypaw's grasp and nodded. "Indeed, with a mentor like Lionheart, I am bound to become a skilled hunter," she declared proudly, feeling a warm flank press against her own. She looked up to see Lionheart smiling down at her. "Thank you, my dear," he purred and licked behind her ear. Harepaw purred in response, love sparkling in her eyes.

Then Firepaw also approached and smiled. "Let's go see Yellowfang, I'm sure the old witch has something in mind as well," he said, grabbing a rabbit from the pile before darting off to where the old, tattered cat lay. Harepaw rolled her eyes and followed, a finch clamped between her teeth.

When Harepaw approached Yellowfang, she spoke with Firepaw. Her tone was harsh, and Firepaw growled: "You would feel humiliated if I were born a warrior. You would be ashamed whether I were a precious she-cat from your own clan or a despised Twoleg who picked you up off the ground. It is the fact that you have to rely on any cat you come across that is so humiliating! You must simply get used to being cared for until you are well enough to fend for yourself, you bitter old bag of bones!"

Harepaw blinked before releasing the two prey animals. "Now, now, you two, there is no need to tug at each other's fur," she said, and Firepaw turned his smiling, green eyes towards her, but soon he sighed and let his fur lie flat. Yellowfang, on the other hand, did not seem particularly pleased to see the young she-cat. "Do not meddle in this, young one, Firepaw and I can manage just fine on our own," she said, before catching sight of the finch, and her yellow ire dissipated. "But thank you for the food."

Harepote dipped her head and plopped down before she called Firepaw over with a swift flick of her tail. "Over here, pup," she said, and the young cat complied, sitting down next to her as Grassclaw dug into his meal. "I'm proud of you, you're no pushover, and that's great. You're not a wimpy little fluffball, but a promising apprentice. I.." 

She allowed the words to wither on her tongue before giving her head a slight shake. Firepaw's gaze was intense, penetrating, setting her heart to a rampant beat. But she stifled the tremor that threatened to reveal her inner tumult. Instead, she purposefully lowered her gaze, drawing upon the calm of the forest to ease her racing pulse. Then, with deliberate tenderness, she entwined her tail with Firepaw's. "I will always be here for you," she whispered, her voice a soft echo of the steadfast promise reflected in her blue eyes.

Firepaw's heart raced within him, and despite his efforts to conceal the purr of contentment, it slipped out all the same. Yellowfang glanced over at them with a mock scowl. "Oi, lovebirds, take it somewhere else. I'm trying to eat here," she grumbled, her words edged with mock severity, yet her tone warm with amusement, the yellow of her eyes glinting with mirth. Harepaw and Firepaw felt a blush of warmth spread beneath their fur, and Firepaw muttered a hasty "sorry" before shaking his head, trying to clear the embarrassment.

"Do you want to go hunting later tonight?" he asked, eager to regain composure. Harepaw nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I'd like that," she meowed, and there in the waning light, they leaned against each other, whispering softly while Yellowfang ate, and the sun dipped low behind clouds that embraced her warmly.

In that quiet moment, Harepaw realized that there was nothing she desired more than to spend her life with Firepaw. One day she would tell him just that. But not yet. Not now.