Warriors: What Is There To Do?

Chapter 28- Come Back

Yes, Splitrain had been pretty mouse-brained to fall for Rapidpaw's... charmspeak. He had drawn her into following him to the border they shared and chatting until the sun was visible on the tips of the treetops. She had tried to stop, tried to tell him that she wanted to stop meeting him, but her attempts were half-hearted, and Rapidpaw knew it.

"Please, don't go, Splitpaw! It's just a meeting, and you're mostly Riverclan anyways... how much trouble could you get into?"

Well tonight she would end it, she thought as snow slowly collected on her still form; the night was determined to turn her to ice before she could see the sun as a warrior. Driftswipe beside her shivered, her huffs clouding in her face and making her breathe even more. Moongaze, the farthest away from Splitrain, was pawing the ground and growling as snow kept filling his naturally upturned ears.

The night was pitch black, the camp bleeding into shadows, so she couldn't see Sharpstar until she was right in front of them.

"It's unhealthy for you all to be out here in this weather. You can complete your vigil tomorrow night," she instructed, giving them a nod at their dumbstruck expressions and padding away back into the shadows.

Wait... what? Did Sharpstar really mean that? But that was breaking the Warrior Code! They couldn't end their vigil and take it up another night... could they? Thoughts of Rapidpaw leaked into her thoughts, how she could end things tonight so she could start the rest of her life without a secret hanging over her ears and weighting down her paws? She was determined to be the best she could be, and that couldn't be with a 'friend' from another clan. An enemy clan (to her), at any chance.

"Hey, Splitrain, let's go! We still have to make our nests and everything... ugh!" Driftswipe moaned and jumped around, trying to shake off snow and dreading making nests in the cold snow. Mouse-dung!

"Uh... I have a belly-ache... sorry. I'll be in the Dirtplace for a while... just sleep in our apprentice nests for tonight."

Please, please... don't question me! Splitrain prayed.

"Okay... do you need Mintbreeze to take a look at you?"

Oh, thank Starclan! "Uh... I don't think so, I just have to stop eating so much, I think!"

"Okay! I hope you feel better! I'll see you in the morning!"

Nodding, Splitrain padded rather quickly to the Dirtplace, trying to hide her embarrassment. Wrinkling her nose at the offensive smells, she crept out the back and raced towards the Riverclan border, hoping that Rapidpaw hadn't given up and left.

Trees racing past her, Splitrain heard the all-too-familiar sounds of streams lazily trickling past ice and moss-covered rocks. There! Rapidpaw was standing out near the stream, lapping up water and shivering in the cold.

"Splitpaw?" he called out, all of her stress dissipating at his worried gaze.

"I-It's Splitrain, now," she whispered. The cold made her voice tremble, but he heard her loud and clear.

"Congratulations! Splitrain... that's a beautiful name!"

Her mind flashing back to Moongaze's identical compliment earlier, she nodded and looked away. She was scared about how he would react to what she had to tell him.

"So, um, Rapidpaw—"

He purred. "Nuh uh, you're not the only cat here that got their warrior name!" he grinned at her stunned expression.

"You may address me as Rapidflame."

Splitrain mocked a bow, "How long until your name is Rapidstar, then?"

He grinned, "Not long, if I can help it! Oh! I have something to ask you!"

"Uh, so do I," she muttered.

"Me first, me first! Okay, so..." Rapidflame's eyes narrowed and he stood up in front of her with a serious expression.

"Will you be my mate? Come back to Riverclan, Splitrain, I need you."