SandClan's Destiny Book 1: A Flame is Lit

Chapter 10: Surrounded by Enemies

Rockpaw looked over at Stormpaw who was speaking with Firepaw just outside the apprentice's den. That tom was way too cheery. How can one cat be so cheery? Then again, Stormpaw's life was probably perfect. His father was the deputy of Sandclan, not an Oakclan rogue.

Rockpaw sat in the apprentice den alone, watching them with spite, until his mentor padded up, tail flicking.

"Come on. Let's patrol the Venomclan border, huh?" Brackenshade suggested in a light tone.

"Fine." He got up and shook out his pelt to lay the rustled parts flat. He followed her with his paws dragging against the grass. He looked back at Stormpaw and Firepaw who were chatting, and he wanted to say goodbye to his littermate before leaving but refrained. He did not want to end up speaking to her friend, nor interrupt their conversation that was apparently too good for him.

"Why so sad and grumpy, eh?" Brackenshade nudged him as they padded out into the clearing to meet up with the rest of the patrol.

Rockpaw shrugged. "I'm grumpy to you?" He thought that excuse was brilliant, but Brackenshade's sparkling brown eyes said otherwise.

"Uhh.. Oh, hey Swiftfoot!" His mentor called to the white and ginger warrior, probably glad to be avoiding his question.

The lean tom ran over and stopped besides Brackenshade. "I was just on the morning patrol." He mewed. "Stray scents from Venomclan. Typical, eh?" He flicked his tail.

Brackenshade nodded. "Where's Rainfoot, Orangepaw, and Sandstripe?" She glanced over Swiftfoot's shoulder, her brown eyes searching.

Swiftfoot made a head gesture to the entrance of the camp. Rockpaw looked over to see the mentioned cats there speaking. Brackenshade veered away to join them, Rockpaw trailing behind, paws still trailing along in the grass lazily. They soon left the camp for the fields.

Rockpaw studied Sandstripe who was the leader of the patrol. Her tan ears would flick whenever a bird would fly by with its wings fluttering. Rockpaw was annoyed by that. His tail lashed back and forth everytime her ear flicked and her head lifted to the sky to watch the birds in flight. Her green eyes sparkled with happiness as it reflected the sunlight. Her joy bothered Rockpaw, too.

"Wow. They must've patrolled not long ago, because I swear I can smell their scent being carried by the wind now." Rainfoot commented as they neared the sands of the Venomclan border, and they stopped to investigate.

Sandstripe stopped to sniff the air. "Yeah.. me too." Her ear flicked again. Rockshade snorted.

"Either that, or they trespassed across the border more than Swiftfoot told us... or more than he thought..." Sandstripe responded, squinting out at the horizon where the sands ended and the skies began.

As the warriors were sniffing around the border suspiciously, Orangepaw approached Rockpaw with a friendly chirrup, "Hi."

"What?" Rockpaw asked bluntly, not even bothering to glance in her direction.

Orangepaw looked taken aback. "Uh, hi?"

"Hi!" Rockpaw started moving away from her. He really didn't feel like speaking to anyone right now, except for Firepaw, and she wasn't even here. He tried to edge closer to his mentor, hoping she would direct him to do something and he wouldn't have to face Orangepaw. Instead Brackenshade chatted to the other warriors and continued studying the rocks along the Venomclan border.

"Hey, all I wanted to do was say 'hi.'" Orangepaw countered. Quieter, she muttered, "But if you're gonna be like that, I'll just go." She stepped back up to her mentor, her pointed ginger ears laying flat against her small head.