Stormpaw held back his rage as he watched his sister storm away. She has changed, Nova-no, Bloodpaw, isn't the same sister he once knew... Sadness replaced his anger. What he'd said on the battlefield... What he almost did... It was Stormpaw's fault that their relationship was broken.
"StarClan, please try to show her I'm sorry," he pleaded quietly, before padding back to camp feeling as if there was a dark cloud hovering above him, ready to shower him in rain.
Sharpclaw greeted him heartily, "Hey there, Stormpaw! Where have you been? I've been waiting for you so we could go hunting with Seedpaw and her mentor, Rosefawn. Redstar thought it'd be a good idea to have a little patrol like thing."
Stormpaw forgot his worries, and gave a small bounce. "When do we go?" he asked excitedly.
Sharptooth meowed with amusement, "Right now, they're waiting by the nursery."
The dark gray apprentice nodded, and bounded over to where his friend and her mentor were waiting. He purred, "Hi, Seedpaw!"
Seedpaw smiled and chirped, "You seem happy."
"Just getting away from some stress," he answered carefully.
No cat could know of his meeting with Bloodpaw, not even Seedpaw.
Seedpaw gave me a questioning look, but she only headed to the entrance with Rosefawn and Sharptooth. Stormpaw followed, making sure to keep his face bright. He'd managed to forget for a moment, just ignore it. She was in another clan now, there wasn't anything he could do.
Sharptooth suggested, "Should we try close to camp? No one's been there in awhile."
The other three cats nodded in agreement, and the patrol headed to the river. Stormpaw chatted with Seedpaw on the way, and the two apprentices quieted down when they reached the river. Stormpaw and Seedpaw started, their mentors observing.
Carefully, they sat, waiting. Quiet filled the air around them. Stormpaw was ready to strike his paw out at the right moment, Seedpaw in the same stance as him. Sitting, peacefully. Right paws slightly lifted from the ground, tail straight behind them and still.
Several shadows flickered in the water, scales showing every now and again as the sunlight would catch them. A particularly large shadow passed, but Stormpaw could see Seedpaw's eyes on it. So he left the larger fish to her, and focused on a smaller one. She was older, and had more training than him. No need to try to show off.
They glanced at each other and nodded, striking their paws out at the same time so one or the other wouldn't scare away all the fish. Both caught their prey, the fish flapping their tails out of water, before going still from the killing bites they delivered each.
Sharptooth and Rosefawn praised their apprentices, showed them how to improve, then the whole patrol hunted a few more fish before carrying their load back to camp. Whitetooth nodded at them approvingly as they set down two fish each. Stormpaw and Seedpaw carried the largest fish; Seedpaw's catch, to the elders.
"Good afternoon, Rippleclaw, Littlesky," Stormpaw meowed with a smile in his words.
Littlesky purred, "Hello, young ones. How's training?"
"Great! We caught a lot! This one is for you," Seedpaw replied happily.
Rippleclaw said in surprise, "Who caught this one?"
"I did!"
Stormpaw grinned at how enthusiastic Seedpaw was.
The elders gave them a thankful nod, and began to eat.
"Reminds me of your catch, Stormpaw," Littlesky rasped when she finished her half.
Stormpaw shrugged, and said, "Seedpaw's is bigger."
Rippleclaw rolled his eyes in amusement, and licked his whiskers clean. "I didn't finish my half, why don't you bring the rest to Redstar? I'm sure she'd appreciate it. I haven't really seen her eat at all today."
This worried Stormpaw a little, but he didn't let it show. "Alright," he chirped, and Seedpaw picked it up, following her friend to the leader's den.
"Redstar? May we enter?" Stormpaw asked kindly.
Redstar answered from her den, "Stormpaw, not now."
Her voice was really quiet, and came out a little shaky. His heart thudded as he burst inside. One tiny kit squirmed beside her belly. "R-Redstar?" he asked in a whisper.
"Wait... How did no one notice?" Seedpaw gasped, dropping the fish and scurrying to their leader.
Redstar murmured, still sounding weak, "It was only one... And she's so tiny... My belly only swelled up slightly, as if I'd eaten too much."
"Is this why you haven't been eating?" Stormpaw asked, approaching slowly.
He'd never seen a kit before this young.
"Yeah... I wasn't too hungry. And I didn't know how to tell Dawnfur. No one knows who the father is... But you two know about the kit. I suppose I might as well tell you who the father is," Redstar meowed, smiling at the small kit that looked just like her.
Stormpaw and Seedpaw sat down, looking at their leader. They'd never seen her like this before, and it gave them a bit of anxiety. What if she wasn't okay? Or was it just because she had a kit on her own, no herbs to assist her?
"Stormpaw, the father is your mentor, Sharptooth. It's why we've been avoiding each other. If you haven't noticed... I told him, and he got scared, saying he wasn't ready to be a father... He-he doesn't even know I had her..."
Seedpaw licked Redstar's head soothingly. "Don't worry, Redstar. She's beautiful, and if Sharptooth isn't ready, then that's okay. But I'm sure when he sees her, he'll change his mind!"
Stormpaw nodded in agreement, and Redstar smiled at the apprentices.
"You know, that reminds me. Seedpaw, your warrior ceremony is tomorrow. Rosefawn told me yesterday how well you did in battle, and the risks you took," Redstar purred.
Seedpaw asked, tilting her head, "But what about my assessment?"
"It's not needed. I saw how much you brought in today. Stormpaw, you'll be a warrior here in about moon, so you'll have your assessment soon. Also, will you two fetch Sharptooth? He deserves to see his kit, and help me name her," Redstar meowed.
Stormpaw smiled; his hard work has payed off! Just one more moon... And his mentor was a father!
"Thank you, Redstar. And yes, we'll tell him," he replied.
Redstar thanked them as they exited the den to find Sharptooth.
