THE DARK MATTER | Book One: Stained Trails

chapter three

SWIFTWIND THE NEXT MORNING WAS QUICK TO ASSIGN GALETOOTH on a hunting patrol with Lightpaw and Hollynose, though Frostspider insisted he accompany them as well. The white and brown tom grumbled to himself at Rainstar's antics, the silver leader standing next to Swiftwind as he assigned the patrols with a beam directed to Galetooth. He knew she only wanted to look out for him, but in all honesty he'd rather spend his day cooped up in camp than hunting and sharing tongues.

Lightpaw was excited about the event, bouncing up and down next to Galetooth. When she was severely ill alongside her mother, Galetooth and Frostspider were constantly taking care of them when the Starlinked's paws were full. Frostspider was terrified he'd lose either of them and Galetooth felt the need to assist. If Galetooth's mate and kit were sick like that as well he knew his brother would help, and perhaps that was what persuaded him to be there for Frostspider. Being around such ill cats though kept him away from his mate in case of contagion, so he was away from her for the whole two moons they were sick.

He returned to a love with no breath left. He wished he could have those two moons back.

Lightpaw grew to really enjoy Galetooth's company though. She liked the stories he would tell to her while she was nest-ridden and ill. He would cheer her up with jokes and tales of how her father was as an apprentice. Now she tended to try and be around Galetooth as much as possible, but he only felt a twinge of jealousy and sorrow crawling eerily under his skin when she and Frostspider were around. He had tried to actively avoid them since the loss of his mate, and whether it was because of the resentment of what they got to have or the selfishly placed blame he held he couldn't even pinpoint himself.

"Can I show Galetooth my stalking!? I've improved so much," Lightpaw chirped to Hollynose.

She nodded and glanced to Galetooth. "Of course you can."

Lightpaw was behind on her apprenticeship in comparison to Snowpaw. Lightpaw's illness even after it ended left her body weak for two moons and closer to the end of that time, Snowpaw had become an apprentice whilst Lightpaw had to wait until her full recovery. Now another two moons later, Lightpaw found herself a moon behind, but she was dedicated to catch up.

Hollynose shared a dip of her head to Swiftwind and her sister before she took lead of the patrol, tail flicking rhythmically to and fro. Lightpaw was her first apprentice and in all truthfulness if she had an apprentice ever before her sister, she would be leader instead of Rainstar. Their brother, Darkcloud, was too stubborn and arrogant to ever be considered for the position by Violetstar when Bearbelly passed, and with the leader being on her last life she needed a quick recovery to the deputy role. Hollynose was an astounding warrior but Rainstar was a close second and the only one with an apprentice at the time, leaving the Starlinked due to Violetstar's illness to eventually select her. Rainstar only got to be deputy for a few moons before suddenly she was leading all of ValeClan.

Frostspider strolled to Hollynose's side as they padded outside of camp, glancing the she-cat over from toes to ears. It was no rumor that Frostspider was the gossiper of the Clan. Galetooth's brother loved to shove his muzzle in every cat's business and make it his own. He had rather solid advice though, so whilst some cats snapped at him some didn't entirely mind the warrior's pestering.

"So you and Sunsong, eh?" He nagged, earning an eye roll and huff from Hollynose. "What!? I think it's cute. At least you're finding some cat unlike Darkcloud and Rainstar. I also find it endearing that you're both bonding through training my daughters."

Lightpaw puffed out her chest from beside Galetooth. "What can I say, father raised me to be an excellent mate-matcher."

"Well, you two can go play mate-matcher elsewhere," Hollynose dismissed. "Like with Galetooth, your brother, for example."