Cry of the River Book 1
The five Warrior Clans are going extinct. Gatherings and Moonpool visits are inacessable, with leaders falling left and right. The lake territories are being wiped out to the brink of extinction by new, large predators that h...
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"Oh, hush about the Twoleg trap thing. Can't you see that mouse has already fled, and there's worse things to worry about now?" Rowanpaw's words came into focus as Crescentpaw pricked her ears to listen. The white moon-shaped mark on her face was spiky and distorted from the thin rain that was falling.
"We'll never get our warrior names!" The brown she-cat complained loudly, flicking water droplets from her ear tips. "There's no deputy or leader to elect us as one, let alone a medicine cat to get us either one of those either!"
Crescentpaw could understand both sides, but she hadn't yet had a proper greeting with Rowanpaw. She attempted to nose-touch her kin but the other apprentice turned her face. She's too upset right now. She won't even say hello! Crescentpaw tried not to feel stung from such disregard.
"I don't want to be stuck as an apprentice forever, and die as one. Like Tidepaw did!" She snuck a look back over at them, her expression snide. As if she didn't expect them to understand a word of it.
But Crescentpaw did. She moved closer and pressed her tabby-and-white fur into her sister's smoother pelt. Rowanpaw, who had never been a fan of sharing tongues or any physical contact for that matter, moved away after a second.
It was mostly Tinypaw that noticed- but so far their cinnamon-brown relative had hardly even shown that she was glad they'd come back. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Crescentpaw tried to catch Rowanpaw's eye but she was avoiding their gazes again.
Their estranged sister had always been aloof from their kin-despite any other cat's attempts to let her in. But this was as strange as ever... like complete avoidance to them specifically.
"It's alright Rowanpaw. We aren't mad at you. And I'll figure out what to do to fix the clan."
Crescentpaw was startled when her sister laughed in her face and then grunted "You? Yeah, sure. Let me know when you figure something out." She twitched her long, dripping whiskers with amusement.
Stunned and offended, Crescentpaw's hackles flung up. Her tail flicked to-and-fro as she hung onto her patience. Which by the way, was not very characteristic of her.
"Oh, shut your breathing hole. Crescentpaw has the best chance of doing anything about this than any other cat does, and you know it." Tinypaw's eyes were beseeching as she arched her paw expressively, lecturing her arrogant chestnut sister.
That set Rowanpaw off even father. Her eyes blazed as her tail lashed before she bared her teeth in a snarl. Crescentpaw leaped into a defensive stance, expecting her to attack. But she didn't; she just lowered her head and stomped away. The brown she-cat's claws were ripping up wet tufts of grass as she left.
"Wow. It's like anything you say gets her going. I didn't even say anything about her!" Tinypaw exclaimed, clutching her chest with a paw innocently.
