SeaClan: Low Tide

Chapter Nine

Tidepaw was on the shore with Splashpaw, chasing her with the sun shining warmly on her fur. The black-spotted apprentice laughed as she ran just out of reach, the sound filling her ears like birdsong.

"Can't catch me, Slugpaws!" she taunted, veering sharply to hop into the water. Tidepaw followed eagerly, sure in her surperior ability as a swimmer. Splashpaw seemed faster still, but Tidepaw was determined. She glided through the water, feeling as if she was flying instead of swimming, and stretched out to catch the tip of Splashpaw's tail in her teeth...

"Tidepaw, wake up!" Dazed, the apprentice scrambled to her feet, strangely dry and cool. Spikepaw stood over her with an impatient look. "Fishpaw wants to see you," he meowed, stumbling into his own nest and collapsing with a sigh. He must have just come back from the dusk patrol, she thought idly, taking a few moments to groom her pelt free of moss scraps and picking her way out of the den.

Fishpaw was waiting for her at the camp exit, and he beckoned for her to follow him as he approached the guard stationed there. Tidepaw blinked innocently at Fernroot and Darkbite as they blinked back in bemusement. "What're you two doing out so late?" Fernroot asked, golden tail twitching curiously behind him.

"Just taking a walk," Fishpaw replied, looming over the small warrior. Tidepaw wondered if Fernroot and Baldface ever lamented how much bigger their Clanmates were and if they'd been as small as Shrimppaw. Fernroot stared evenly at Fishpaw, eyes narrowed as he search for any ill intent.

"Don't stay out too long," he meowed finally, "Crabfoam won't like it if you sleep in tomorrow." The large grey ton dipped his head to the warrior and immediately took Tidepaw to the shore, walking farther than any cat had bothered to take her. She stiffened at the scent marker of CliffClan, but Fishpaw trudged on, ignoring them completely. Tidepaw whined.

"Fishpaw," she called softly, "this is CliffClan territory! We can't be here!"

"Just come on. No cat will catch us if we're quiet." He hopped up onto the numerous boulders jutting out from the sand and made a small chirp. Tidepaw stared in confusion as he repeated the sound a few times, then gasped as the sound was answered by another twittering sound. Two cats slinked from the shadows of a larger rock, but Tidepaw didn't recognize them. They were clearly of CliffClan descent, though, as they reeked like the markers and had the careful gait associated with their Clan, like they were always walking on the edge of something.

She squeaked in alarm as one approached her, stretching his neck out to sniff at her curiously. "This is Tidepaw? You really got her to come?" He looked at Fishpaw with an impressed expression. "Wow, Fishpaw. That's cool. She'll like having more cats to train!" He prompted them both to follow him, and Tidepaw looked around for the other cat. She was staring at her with judgment in her amber eyes, and Tidepaw found herself hoping she liked her. She seemed content with her when she turned away to follow after the tom that greeted her, utterly confused as to why Fishpaw would bring her here.

"Fishpaw, what's going on?" she asked, pressing closer to him for some sense of familiarity. "Who are these cats? Where are we going?"

"The tom is Garlicpaw, and the she-cat is Egretpelt." Garlicpaw shook out his fur as his name was said, almost as if he'd heard it, but Egretpelt just walked along quietly as they followed the shore. "They're CliffClan cats that train with Sugar! I'm bringing you because you're a great cat for her cause."

"Cause? What cause? Who's Sugar?" Garlicpaw paused and looked back at Tidepaw, looking amused.

"Fishpaw, did you tell her anything? I thought you were going to!" Fishpaw looked sheepish, and he shuffled his paws.