A warrior cats story: A Stone in the River of Life

Chapter 4

Stonepaw growled as Pine called over Tiger to look at the eagle he caught. "Is somecat interfering with your plans with your lady friend?" Lark sneered with fake sympathy. "Leave me alone," Stonepaw growled. "They are getting pretty close," Lark mewed, sliding her tail along his flank as she circled around him. "Yeah, so?" Stonepaw felt just about ready to sock that cat. "You know what I heard?" Lark leaned mischievously towards him. Well of course Stonepaw didn't want to hear a secret about Lark's perfect little brother, so he simply shook his head. "I heard-" she began. "Quiet," Stonepaw interrupted. "That-" "Shut your mouth!" "Pine-" "Lalalala! I'm not listening!" "Is going to-" "Throw himself off a cliff!" "Tell Tiger-" "That they're just friends." "That he-" "STOP!!!!!!!!" "Loves her," Lark finished calmly. Stonepaw was bristling with rage and fury. His pale gray fur and darker gray stripes were spiked up on his back. Without looking back, Stonepaw ran. He had nowhere to go but back to the tribe's cave, so he decided to head over there. With great rage, Stonepaw stomped into the cave and straight past Stoneteller. "Stone, your back early," he meowed in surprise. Stonepaw continued for his den. "This is what I get for the first time I send to-bes on their own outside the cave," Stonepaw could hear Stoneteller mutter.  Stonepaw tromped over to his nest full of feathers.  He liked to collect them when he had free time.  "You are Pine," he growled, scratching out a thrush feather from his nest.  "You are Lark," he hissed, sinking his teeth into a magpie feather.  "You are the strong and brave Stonepaw," he meowed, pulling an eagle feather out of his nest.  "And you are Tiger," he purred, sliding his paw over his one and only swan feather. "Oh no, Pine is dead. Nobody cares because he was just a mouse-brained piece or fox-dung!" Stonepaw growled, snapping the Pine feather, picking up a random feather, and waving it around. "We need someone new to lead us. Someone like...Stonepaw!" Tiger feather announced. "Oh no, I couldn't," the modest Stonepaw feather meowed. "Oh, but we insist. You are the only one strong enough to lead us," Stonepaw picked up a falcon feather and used it as Stormfur. "Ah, very well. If you insist," Stonepaw feather sat in his mossy nest and was fed moss by Tiger feather. "Stonestar, you have visitors," Stormfur feather meowed. "Let them in," Stonepaw feather dipped his head. Three ugly feathers came in along with the treacherous Lark feather. "Tisk, tisk. Have you come to apologize Firepaw feather, Scratchpaw feather, and Scalepaw feather?" the patient Stonepaw feather asked. "Yes," Scratchpaw feather meowed. "We are sorry for what we have done to you and mom and dad have sent their apologies also," Scratchpaw feather added. "We wish to be your slaves," Lark feather meowed. "Let me think..." the fare and kind Stonepaw feather thought. "Very well, you will a-" Stonepaw was cut off from his play by a voice at the entrance to the den. Without even thinking, Stonepaw shoved the feathers messily on top of his nest. "Lost in fantasy land, eh?" Tiger cocked her head to one side. "Yeah," Stonepaw mumbled, looking away to hide his red face. Tiger went over to him and sat by him. "Where's Pine and Lark?" Stonepaw asked, though he couldn't care less. "They're sharing a water vole," Tiger replied awkwardly. "My stomach aches have gone away," she tried with fake enthusiasm. Stonepaw just shrugged. "Look Stone, I'm tired of your lousy attitude. It's not my fault that your always grumpy these days," Tiger started in a harsh tone. Stonepaw pricked his ears in surprise and looked down at her. "I don't know what you wouldn't love about this land, it's perfect. And besides, you came here to be stronger, right? Well, you got your wish," Tiger finished. "I have?" Stonepaw questioned. "Well, duh. When was the last time you have looked at your reflection?" Tiger looked at him strangely. "When Scratchpaw pushed me in the lake." "Oh boy, you need to see yourself now. Follow me and I'll find you a puddle," Tiger purred, getting up and exiting the den.

Tiger's POV

Tiger glanced back to see if Stonepaw was catching up. He was a little ways behind her jumping off jagged stones in the mountain. "Stop showing off, slow poke!" she called. Stonepaw let out a purr of amusement and ran straight past her. Tiger kicked out her powerful hind legs and flew into the air, right past Stonepaw. He looked surprised and tried to catch up to her, but he tripped on his own paws. "The winner!" Tiger announced. Stonepaw rolled his eyes and heaved himself up from the stony ground. "Oh Stone, look over there!" Tiger sped off to a puddle in a small rocky hollow. She led Stonepaw to the side and he peered into his reflection. "What? Is that me!" he exclaimed, circling the pond with great interest. Tiger looked at the handsome gray tabby's reflection. His sleek coat that covered his powerful frame had darker stripes and a more solid gray color. Also, his baby blue eyes had become darker and had developed flecks of amber in them. "No words, huh?" Tiger asked. Stonepaw looked down at Tiger, "No words at all."