SandClan's Destiny Book 1: A Flame is Lit

Chapter 7: Cloudy Skies, Bright Spirits

It was quite a few sunrises since the battle.
Firepaw's eyes winked open as the faint sunlight that streamed through the leaves of the bush tickled her eyelids. She blinked and rolled over, muttering complaints. Firepaw finally opened her eyes to see flattened moss where her brother once slept. He must've gone out hunting with Brackenshade or something.

Firepaw heard rustling in the apprentice den. She turned her head to see a friendly black and white face.
"Come, we're patrolling the VenomClan border with Cougarfang, Stormpaw, and Berryclaw." Blackeye lashed her tail to Firepaw, and flicked her shoulder. "You can eat before we go."

Firepaw nodded and got up. With Stormpaw? And Cougarfang, the deputy? Cool. She padded to the fresh-kill pile and bent down to retrieve a dove. She scooped it up and took her place outside the apprentice den. She ate it as she studied the camp.
The sky was thickly blanketed with clouds she realized, and the day was not as warm as some others. She swallowed a piece of dove.

The camp was semi-busy, and few warriors were awake but most were awaiting the patrol Firepaw was about to go on. The rest of the camp usually slept until the sun rose higher in the sky, as the number of patrols being sent out would increase. The decorum of the Clan was really quite lenient, actually. Lots of time for play and work.
She stood up and padded over to her mentor as she finished the last of her prey. "I'm ready."

"Good, so are the others."

Stormpaw flicked his tail at Firepaw. "The VenomClan border is fun! We have fights there a lot."

Firepaw's eyes widened. "How is that fun, Stormpaw?" She asked, tail lashing.

"O-Oh! But probably not now... We wouldn't fight anyway, we just fought with OakClan not too long ago. And uh.. it's not fun. Not fun- forget I said anything." He noticed the tone of her voice and the look on her face and quickly tried to erase the trouble he was placing himself in by looking like a battle-monger.
Cougarfang padded up and nodded. "We can't afford a fight. Especially if we are going to tell the Clans about OakClan at the gathering. Which is soon." He flicked his tail at Firepaw. "And you're coming." He nudged Stormpaw. "You too."

Firepaw felt glad she was going, but worried too. Birchstar would be there, and those eyes still sent chills down her spine and were frequently seen in her nightmares. Those eyes that are filled with wretchedness, agony, hatred, fury, and millions of stories all laced into one. But all i see is the anger.
Cougarfang flicked his tail. "Come on. Let's go."

As they padded along, Stormpaw looked to Firepaw. "How was life in OakClan? How was your mother?"

"Bad life. She betrayed me and Rockpaw by attacking us at the end. She was infertile, so she raised us as if we were her own. We weren't her own, so she never truly loved us. Uh, how's your mother?" She responded awkwardly.

"Oh she's great." He shrugged.

"Oh. How's Orangepaw and Goldpaw?" She was growing truly curious.

"Orangepaw's very shy." He lashed his tail. "And Goldpaw.. all she does is sniff herbs all day long. It gets boring I'd bet, but training all day with a mentor doesn't. I don't get her choice sometimes..."

Firepaw nodded, not really understanding why he wasn't supportive of his littermate anyway.

"Oh come on, Stormpaw. Being a medicine cat is honourable." Cougarfang scolded his son.

"Y-Yeah! I'm not saying it isn't! Just Goldpaw and I don't... play like we used to." he pouted.

*~*~*

At the border, large rocks lined the way across the entire area between them and VenomClan. The soil got harder and more rocky until in the distance it turned to sand. The sky far off was dark- nearly black, in fact. The winds tugging at the SandClanner's pelts were warm, and harsh.