Warriors: Book One: The End of the Forest

Chapter Fourteen

Swiftpaw glanced at the setting sun, then at the rise ahead of them, "Is that it?" she mewed. Moonpaw nodded, "We're are almost there." she mewed. Snowpaw stepped away from Swiftpaw's side, "I want to walk to the top of the hill on my own." she mewed. Swiftpaw looked at her worriedly, "That doesn't sound like a good idea..." she mewed hesitantly. Tinypaw bounded up from where she was standing by the kits and sniffed Snowpaw's leg, "She should be fine if she is careful. The exercise might do her good, even." she mewed. Swiftpaw nodded, "Ok." she mewed. Moonpaw beckoned everyone forward, "Line up, I want everyone to see the view at the top together." she mewed. Swiftpaw trotted in between Gingerpaw and Tinypaw. Snowpaw stood on Tinypaw's other side and Moonpaw trotted over to Gingerpaw, the kits bounding after her. They padded out of the forest and up the short slope, stopping at the top. Gingerpaw gasped, "Wow!" he whispered, nearly drowned out by the kits amazed and excited squeaks. Swiftpaw stared ahead of them, to one side was a lush meadow, the grass blowing in the faint wind, and at the other side, a massive expanse of water stretched away, shimmering in the dying light. Tinypaw tasted the air, "Why is it so salty?" she mewed. Moonpaw purred, "That is the sea salt. The water is an ocean, it goes even further than we can see. My mother says there is land out there, with other cats, thousands upon thousands, maybe even millions, of tail length way." she mewed. Swiftpaw looked down, directly below them was a steep cliff and then the mouth of a cave, "Is that where we are going?" she mewed. Moonpaw nodded, "Yes, that is Wolf Hollow Cove." she mewed. Snowpaw looked at her, "Why is it...?" she trailed off. Moonpaw looked at her grimly, "Named that?" she mewed, finishing Snowpaw's sentence, "The wolves that guard it." she mewed. Swiftpaw shivered, "How well we sleep here, then?" she mewed. Moonpaw pointed with her tail to the trees, "We can climb the trees and sleep in the branches." she mewed. Swiftpaw nodded, "Ok." she mewed, padding into the trees with the other cats to pick a tree.