Gingerpelt

Chapter 14

"Birchpaw! Petalpaw!" Gingerpelt yowled her kits' apprentice names to Silverpelt.

Birchpaw padded out of camp, closely following his mentor, and father, Flametail.

I'm so glad Flametail persuaded Mistystar to give him his own son as an apprentice.

Gingerpelt watched Petalpaw pad after Mothwing, into the medicine cat den.

Now Petalpaw would be sleeping in the medicine cat den and Birchpaw would be sleeping in the apprentices' den.

Then I guess I should go back to sleeping in the warriors' den with Flametail.

Gingerpelt had missed her mate beside her when she was in the nursery. But she felt sad that she wouldn't be with her kits as much.

***

"You should've seen the carp Birchpaw caught! It was huge!" Flametail exaggerated about his only son's first fresh-kill.

"Took him long enough." Gingerpelt muttered. "It's been over a moon since he was apprenticed. Are you sure you're not favouring him by not making him do much? He should've caught something ages ago! You need to start hunting more with him!"

"You could be a bit more supportive of our son!" Flametail snapped angrily. Gingerpelt was taken aback by the anger in his voice.

"He wants to start battle training! What if WindClan decide that they'd like to start fishing? He must be prepared!" Flametail argued.

"Whatever. I just think it's important that he learns how to fish as well as the basic land-hunting. Petalpaw already knows most of the herbs!" Gingerpelt mumbled, as she settled down next to her mate in their nest.

Gingerpelt woke to the sound of a cat's voice. "They're magnificent! Don't worry, Birchpaw will learn to hunt eventually. He's just eager to start battle-training." Gingerpelt realized that she was in the beautiful greenleaf forest, with Silverpelt shining brightly so every single StarClan warrior was visible.

Gingerpelt turned around, desperately trying to find the source of the vaguely familiar voice. But it seemed to be coming from no where and everywhere at once.

"Your father is so proud of the excellent warrior you've become! You should start giving Birchpaw some useful advice, considering you're one of the best hunters in RiverClan." Gingerpelt proudly lifted her head and tail high at the praise from the kind voice.

Gingerpelt focused on trying to remember where she heard the voice before, when she froze. The voice was that of her mother.

Almost bouncing around like an excited kit, Gingerpelt searched and searched for her mother but didn't find her until she heard a soft whisper on the breeze.

"Goodbye..." Her mother's soft voice mewed and within a few heart beats she appeared before her, then in less than a heart beat disappeared.

"No!" Gingerpelt cried. "Not again! Please don't leave me!"

"You're going to wake every cat up if you keep squirming around like that! Can't you stay still for once?" Flametail's grumpy mew sounded from beside Gingerpelt as she opened her eyes to the morning sun burning in her eyes.

"No need to be so grouchy." Gingerpelt mumbled, not bothering to get up from her nest.

"Well, you're going to be late for the dawn patrol if you don't hurry up! I made this one special. It's just going to be me, you and Birchpaw."

"Really? Only three cats?" Gingerpelt wondered if Flametail had his own reasons for arranging the three-cat patrol.

"Yes, now hurry! Birchpaw's waiting!" With that, Flametail left the warriors' den to join Birchpaw.

The last thing I want is to go on patrol with my clueless mate and my pathetic excuse for an apprentice, son.

Gingerpelt yawned as she stretched before heading out of the den and joining the impatient toms.

"Took you long enough." Gingerpelt just heard Flametail mumble, as she came within earshot.

The three cats left camp in silence and didn't speak until they finished marking the border with ThunderClan.

"What's wrong with you?" Flametail turned, growling at Gingerpelt after thoroughly marking the border.

"Me?" Gingerpelt was utterly confused. "What's wrong with you?"

"You criticize Birchpaw for doing something difficult, badly, then praise Petalpaw for doing something easy, correctly." Flametail hissed in annoyance.

"Hunting is one of the easiest things you'll ever do!" Gingerpelt replied, trying not to let Flametail's stupidity get to her. "But remembering herbs? There's so many!"

"It couldn't be more obvious." Flametail growled.

"What?" Gingerpelt started to get annoyed. We're wasting time, arguing, when we could be doing something useful for our Clan. Like hunting. Maybe I could give Birchpaw some useful tips and tricks...

"You've always wanted to be a medicine cat, haven't you?" Flametail's gaze raked Gingerpelt like a claw. Is he fish-brained?

"Of couse not!" Gingerpelt let the shock show in her voice. "Why would you think that? I've respected Mothwing like any cat should."

"It looks like you wish you were a medicine cat yourself! You used to hang around Mothwing way to much! And now you only praise Petalpaw because she's following the path you dreamed of!" Flametail growled.

"What! You really are fish-brained!" Gingerpelt hissed, before diving into the river.

No cat is a faster swimmer than I am. So they won't be able to follow me. Might as well get some fishing done.

Diving down every so often to grab and kill a fish, Gingerpelt gathered a decent-sized pile of prey on the shore.

Just as Gingerpelt was about to set off back to camp with her fresh-kill, she heard a rustle in the bushes near the border. That's our side of the border!

Alarmed, Gingerpelt hid her fish in a small nearby bush, then padded in the direction of the rustling bushes.

"Who's there?" She demanded, a few tail-lengths away from the bush.

"It's just me." Gingerpelt stared in shock at the gentle voice of her father and his bright ginger fur.

"What are you doing here?" Gingerpelt faced Fireheart and tried to act furious.

"I've come to congratulate you!" Fireheart mewed. "I've heard that your kits are apprentices now, correct?"

"Yes." Gingerpelt replied, proudly.

"Well then congratulations." Fireheart purred, before turning and leaving, he quickly added, "Don't forget: You're meeting your mother a day after the Gathering announcing Birchpaw as a warrior!"

Gingepelt watched to make sure that he went back to his own territory, before grabbing her fish in her jaws and padding back to the RiverClan camp.

Not many more moons until I finally get to meet my mother.