Warriors: Book One: The End of the Forest

Chapter Twelve

Gingerpaw's POV:

Gingerpaw yawned and uncurled. He slid out from under the bush and looked around. He stretched and tasted the air, "I smell Swiftpaw and Moonpaw." he murmured excitedly. He padded after the scent, pausing every now and then to listen. He stuck his head through a bunch of bushes and jumped as he bumped into someone. Snowpaw poked her head through and blinked at him, "Gingerpaw?" she mewed. Ginerpaw nodded and licked her ears. She purred happily and backed up, "Swiftpaw! Gingerpaw's here!' she yowled. Gingerpaw padded into the little clearing and saw Swiftpaw sitting in the center with all five kits sitting in front of her. She got up and charged towards him, pressing her head into his shoulder, "Tinypaw will be so happy to see you when she gets back!" she purred. Gingerpaw licked her ear, "Where is she?" Snowpaw sat down and began washing her face, "Out looking for herbs for my leg." she mewed. Gingerpaw tipped his head and studied his sister closely, noticing her left foreleg was wrapped tightly in cobwebs. Swiftpaw looked at her, "She broke her leg in the flood." she mewed. 

Swiftpaw's POV:

Swiftpaw sat back down, the kits charging over to her, "You promised to show use the hunter's crouch!" Silverkit mewed, blinking her pale cream eyes. Greykit shoved her shoulder with her nose, looking up at Swiftpaw with her pale blue eyes, "please." she added. Mothkit crouched down, looking up at Swiftpaw and flicking his tail. Swiftpaw stilled his tail with one paw, "Hold you muzzle just above the ground and flatten your ears." she mewed. Cherry and Ruby crouched down, beckoning Silverkit and Greykit to copy them. The she-cats hurtled over and crouched down. Swiftpaw padded around them, "Very nice, Mothkit! Tuck in your hind paws, Silverkit. Smooth your spine out, Greykit. You won't get very far if you are all tensed up." she mewed. She looked up as Tinypaw and Moonpaw padded into the clearing, holding herbs. Tinypaw gasped, dropping her bundle, and charged over to Gingerpaw, nearly tipping him over as she slammed into his side, "You're ok!" she yowled. Gingerpaw nuzzled her shoulder, "Of course!" he purred. Moonpaw padded over, "We were getting worried since everyone else is dead or mad as hares. And Snowpaw got injured." she mewed. Gingerpaw looked at her, "Dead or mad? What do you mean?" he mewed. Tinypaw hung her head, "Creamflower drowned, Frost broke her neck and Shadow went mad from grief over Creamflower and worry for his kits." she mewed.  Gingerpaw shivered, "We must be blessed by StarClan if we all made it out alive, then!" he gasped. Moonpaw nodded, padding over to the herbs and sorting them out for Tinypaw. Tinypaw began sniffing at Snowpaw's injury. Swiftpaw beckoned Gingerpaw, "Can you help me with the kits? I showed them the hunter's crouch, but they want to learn how to hunt on the open ground." she mewed, looking back at him. Gingerpaw nodded and bounded after her.