Rosethorn's Destiny

4

As Rosethorn looked over the side of the river, watching the ripples for any sign of prey that wasn't there, she heard a splash an instant before she was soaked. "Sorry Rosethorn!" Called her soaking-wet apprentice Flamepaw. She had been made an apprentice only a moon before, with Stormpaw becoming Icestep's appretice, seeing that Smokecloud had passed away in the last moon of leaf-bare. "It was hot, so I jumped in. I made sure there were no fish to hunt there first though." Rosethorn looked up into Flamepaw's curious grey eyes. "Rosethorn held down a purr and put on a mock snarl. "Well, now i'm all wet, so..." She leapt into the river, feeling the relief washing over her as she dove in, then happiness as she swam back to the surface. "I guess I'll have to join you!" She splashed Flamepaw then dove back under the water to avoid getting splashed back. She opened her eyes, always longing she could hold her breath longer, spotted the ginger and white haunches of Flamepaw, and pushed off the pebbles that made up the riverbed with all her might, sending Flamepaw into the air and landing back into the water with an enormous splash. Rosethorn searched the young tabby's eyes for any sign of hurt or madness, but all she found was amusement and joy. "What are you two doing?" Rosethorn heard a stern voice and saw Timberfang, her father, standing at the edge of the river. "Sorry Timberfang, we were hot and we made sure there weren't any fish here." Rosethorn mewed. She saw a silvery white cat behind him, and saw it was Icestep. He made a gesture she immeadietly understood. Rosethorn slowly and smoothly made a move with her legs that pushed Flamepaw back from the edge. Flamepaw understood what they were doing and acted like she was diving under to cool off. Right when she moved away, Icestep shoved Timberfang's haunches with his broad shoulder, pushing him into the river. "Go Icestep!" Flamepaw called as Timberfur fell into the water. He came up and heaved himself out of the water. Shaking his fur, he splashed Icestep and padded off, grumbling about 'young cats' and their little 'games'. As night fell later that evening, Flamepaw and Rosethorn headed back to the camp, laden with prey to add to the well-stocked fresh-kill pile. As they finished eating their prey, Rosethorn headed back to her nest and quickly fell into a deep, peaceful, well-needed slumber.