Returning to the Forest - Book 1: Building Back Up

Chapter 4

Sappaw had carried herself to where Four Trees was, which had now become a small hole beside the Thunderpath. She waited for the Apprentice named Birchpaw, who shared some thoughts with her on the Clans, and since Gatherings were over in seconds, she decided to arrange a meeting with him the next night. She flicked her tail, trying to ignore the horrid scent and he loud, loud noises of the Thunderpath nearby. She heard paw steps and looked up to see Birchpaw, standing on the edge of WindClan's share of the side of Four Trees, or what was left of it.

"Sappaw?" He called out weakly.
"Down here." She responded briskly.

He gingerly padded down the side to meet her, sitting a distance away.

"So, did anyone see you leaving?" She asked.
"I ... I don't think so ... my mentor was sleeping and ..."
"So nobody knows your here?" She cut in, wanting to get to the point.
"No." He said, looking at his paws.
"So ... how many moons 'till your a Warrior?" She asked, breaking the silence.
"One .. well ... technically two since I'm still 6 moons ..." He mumbled.
"Listen, Birch, your gonna have to speak up if we're ever gonna be able to talk, at all." She snorted.
"This is wrong ... we shouldn't b meeting up ..." He said shakily.
"You just noticed?" She snorted, again.

He looked up, his ears pinned back, his eyes were wide.

"Someone's here ..." He muttered.

Thankfully, she was for once able to hear his mumbling over the Thunderpath. Her ears perked and she heard paws edging closer, from either side.

"Uh oh ..." Sappaw spat.
"WindClan and ThunderClan." He said silently to her, edging closer.
"How do you know?"
"My nose, we have to hide ..."

She shook her head and raced away, over to the silhouette of where the Great Rock used to stand, which was now a pile of messy stones. Birchpaw padded slowly over and when he arrived, she heard both Clans entering the hollow.

"Cloudstar." Dawnstar's voice said.

Sappaw peeked over a rock and watched as her leader dipped her head to the WindClan leader.

"Let's get down to business, the Clan won't be happy about us being gone for a long time." Cloudstar snorted.

She looked down at Birchpaw, who was trembling. She returned her gaze back to her leader and Deputy.

"Indeed. Now, I don't know if you noticed but Eaglecaller's Apprentice was speaking, during the Gathering while we spoke, with one of your apprentices." Dawnstar snorted.
"It was Tallpaw, then." Cloudstar responded. "Birchpaw is an obedient Apprentice."
"It was Birchpaw, I saw it as well." Flintheart hissed.
"Who was he speaking with." Cloudstar asked.
"Sappaw, she's a feisty one." Eaglecaller responded with a flick of his tail.
"A she!" Flintheart yowled. "Of course it's a she, just as told him no interaction with any she's other than Cloudstar and Tallpaw! My apprentice is an ungrateful little ...!"
"Enough, Flintheart." Cloudstar ordere, waving her tail in front of her Deputy.

Sappaw's ear pinned back as she listened about them speaking about her and Birch. About how she was ungrateful for being alive, about how she had a great mentor, who was the Deputy. About how Birch was too shy and needed to grow up. After a while, their little meeting seemed to come to a close.

"Alright, here's the plan. Sappaw will stay in camp unless she is going hunting or training. She will never leave without someone with her." Dawnstar ordered.
"And Birchpaw will never eave my sight again!" Flintheart hissed.
"We should check up on them in case they're already sneaking out up together, I don't want any half-Clan kits in this forest." Cloudstar snorted.
"Agreed." Dawnstar said to Cloudstar.

With that, they both turned away and started racing away.

"Oh no ..." Sappaw mumbled, her tail low.
"W ... what are we gonna do?" Birchpaw asked fearfully.
"We have to get back before them!" She hissed.
"But I have asthma ..." He protested.
"JUST GO!" She yowled.

With that, Birchpaw turned away and ran as fast as his little legs could take him. She stared after him, shaking her head. She stood up and sped away, taking the longer route to camp. Fear circled her body as she neared the entrance to camp. Once there, she burst through, but it was too late. Eaglecaller and Dawnstar were waiting at the entrance to camp for her.