Warrior Cats: SkyClan Returns #2

Chapter Twenty-One

"I'll get you!"

Ringpaw roared, chasing Hazelpaw through the trees. She purred. Ringpaw's paw steps sounded closer. This will impress him! Hazelpaw thought. She leapt onto an oak branch in a single bound. Ringpaw looked up at her, gobsmacked. Hazelpaw grinned, waving her tail teasingly above his head.

"Come on then. Get me,"

She teased. Ringpaw sprung upwards, missing Hazelpaw's tail by a mouse-length. Mothpaw trotted up to them and rolled his eyes.

"Are we finding a camp for SkyClan or not?"

He hissed.

"We're on an important mission, and you two are acting like kits!"

Hazelpaw leapt down from the tree annoyed. Why is Mothpaw such an irritating flea-pelt? We were just having fun.

"Mouse-dung!"

A voice came from behind them. Hazelpaw looked back just in time to see Fernpelt stumble sideways into a bush. Featherwing helped her out, and there didn't seem to be any scratches on her mentor, but Hazelpaw was still concerned for Fernpelt's health. Ringpaw's breath stirred Hazelpaw's whiskers.

"Is that your mentor?"

He asked. Hazelpaw nodded, eyes fixed on her mentor.

"Is she okay?"

Ringpaw continued, noticing the worry in Hazelpaw's eyes. Hazelpaw nodded again.

"I'm sure she'll be fine,"

She meowed uneasily. Ringpaw pressed his pelt closer to hers. Hazelpaw felt suddenly at ease.

"If you like, I can ask Fallowhop to bring her some herbs,"

Ringpaw offered. Hazelpaw blinked at him.

"Thanks. But I'm sure Suntail can help her,"

"Suntail might not have any herbs yet,"

He pointed out. Hazelpaw nodded. She looked up from her paws, seeing that they had fallen slightly behind the of the group. The cats stopped in front of them. Hazelpaw noticed that the ground dropped abruptly before them. She squeezed in between Fernpelt and Ashleaf. The cliff face they stood above wasn't too high, and a cave was scooped out, like the ones in the gorge camp. A clearing stretched out, dotted with bushes. A tall oak with a low-hanging branch sat near the edge of the clearing.

"This could be the perfect place for a camp,"

Sandystar breathed. Hazelpaw was taken aback by their luck.

"Let's check it out,"

Ashleaf suggested. The cats padded down the slope around the cliff face.

"There are two caves here!"

Mothpaw announced. Hazelpaw noticed that he was right. One was wider, but the other looked much deeper.

"Stoneclaw and I will look in this one,"

Sandystar meowed, flicking her tail toward the narrower tunnel.

"It might be dangerous,"

Stoneclaw and Sandystar disappeared into the dark cave. Her fur brushed Ringpaw's.

"Let's check out the other cave,"

Hazelpaw suggested. Ringpaw's eyes glimmered with excitement. They skipped into the cave.

"It's massive! This is even bigger than our old warriors den!"

She exclaimed. Ringpaw's whiskers twitched in amusement.

"When have you ever been in the warrior's den?"

Ringpaw teased. Hazelpaw batted him across the ear playfully. Fernpelt's voice sounded from behind them, making Hazelpaw jump.

"This would make a great warrior's den!"

She meowed excitedly. Hazelpaw swung around to see the rest of the cats.

"Great! And with the other cave as the medicine den, we only have to find the apprentice, nursery, elders and leader's den,"

Sandystar meowed proudly. Mintstar looked over to the oak.

"I don't mean to intrude, but its hollow under that tree. It would make a good leader's den,"

He said. Sandystar nodded.

"And the branch can be like the Rockpile! Thanks, Mintstar!"

Mintstar dipped his head.

The group soon found a dense bush to be used to be used for the elder's den, a large bush for the nursery, and a smaller one to become the apprentice's den.

"Great!"

Ashleaf let out a satisfied purr.

"Lets go and get the others!"