SeaClan: Low Tide

Chapter Eight

"Alright, Fishpaw," Saltblaze heard Crabfoam say to his bumbling apprentice, "Just take a step into the water." Saltblaze watched as the large tomcat shied away from the ocean and whine. With his own apprentice gone, he wasn't sure there was anything he could do but watch the apprentices train. Among Fishpaw and Shrimppaw, Shrimppaw was surprisingly doing the best despite his earlier performance. He was small, but he shared another quality with his father beside his eyes: his webbed toes.

"Crabfoam, it's cold and wet! It's so gross," Fishpaw complained. He frowned, nose twitching as the comically tiny Shrimppaw treaded water beside his mentor at Yewburr's order. "What if I drown?"

"You won't drown," insisted Crabfoam. A note of impatience colored his meow. "Come on. Just dip your paws in."

Fishpaw quickly plunged a paw into the water, executing a full-body shudder as he was soaked to the leg. He'd accidentally stepped into a less shallow part of the water, and wailed in alarm. "Crabfoam! The ocean is eating me!" Before he could scramble back, Yewburr pushed him into the water from behind. "I'm gonna die!" he shrieked, flailing needlessly. Baldface cuffed Yewburr lightly, scolding him for bullying Baystorm's son.

"Just—oh, for StarClan's sake, stand up!" He yanked the large tom up by the scruff and let him find his feet. He looked miserable, shivering and wet, but Crabfoam showed no sympathy. "Now, Fishpaw, I'm going to let Shrimppaw tell you how to swim. It'll be easier to learn it from another apprentice who got it quickly." Shrimppaw lit up at the indirect praise, the churning of his legs as he swam looking painful.

"It's not so bad, Fishpaw," he called breathlessly, chest heaving as he struggled to meow with little breath. "It's kind of like walking on the sand, only you push down with your paws. Yewburr, may I take a rest, please?" he yelped desperately. "M-My legs hurt."

"Fine. I knew you wouldn't be able to keep up, anyway." Looking defeated, Shrimppaw crawled onto the sand, groaning. "Tch. Look at you," Yewburr meowed, lashing his hairless tail, "Shaking after only a few minutes? Pathetic. You're a SeaClan cat, Shrimppaw, act like it."

"Sorry, sir," he managed, still exhausted. "I'll try harder next time. I promise." He dodged a stomp from the cream tom, scrambling off to fulfill Crabfoam's request. Saltblaze blinked as he noticed the tom wasn't there, and looked around. He couldn't have gone far...After all, he wouldn't abandon his apprentice.

He popped up beside him. "Saltblaze, a word?" Crabfoam was looking at him with a mixture of urgency and excitement. His apprentice was being coaxed into the water by Shrimppaw, who insisted that the water wasn't so bad. The little tom shook with exhaustion, and Saltblaze bit back a sympathetic whine. Watching the underage, undersized apprentice swim until he sank had been painful to watch. "It's important," he meowed, jerking him from his thoughts, "I cannot speak of it here, though. Yewburr, Baldface! I trust you'll keep the apprentices safe?"

"Yes, Crabfoam!" they chorused, and he sighed nostalgically as he remembered the days in which he and Sealfern were as close as the two inseparable warriors.

The dark brown tom flicked his tail and led Saltblaze closer to the tree line. "Has Sealfern said anything to you?" He blinked in confusion; he and Sealfern hadn't talked in over three moons. If she'd said anything to him now, it'd likely end up turning into being awkward and forced for her pleasure.

"About what?" he asked slowly, staring at the senior warrior. Crabfoam looked just as puzzled, and he sat down hard. Saltblaze sat down as well; he had the feeling that this conversation wouldn't be a short one.