Warriors Fanfiction: Super Edition-Owlflight's Path

Chapter Fourteen

Owlflight was pleased to find that the river wasn't far from the meadow they'd stopped in. As the cats approached it, Owlflight noticed that it split around a decent sized island before tipping into a small water fall. The river was too wide to swim across, so they'd have to get creative if they were to cross.

"The river is wide," Owlflight murmured quietly to Buzzardwing. The white she cat wrinkled her nose in displeasure.

"And I'm assuming we must cross in order to reach the Clan everyone is talking about?" Buzzardwing said with distaste. She wasn't a huge fan of water. Owlflight grinned wryly.

"Yes, according to Goose," she said softly. Buzzardwing sighed.

"Look!" Bloompaw called from father away, as the she cat had managed to wander off while the two warriors were discussing how to cross. She stood on a mass of branches that connected the bank and the river island, her tail waving wildly as she balanced over the water rushing through the fallen branches.

"Bloompaw!" Owlflight called out, her heart dropping at the thought of the apprentice falling into the river, "Get down from there!"

"But we can cross here," The white and brown apprentice whined, earning a glare of disapproval from both warriors as they approached her. Owlflight eyed the branches.

"Bloompaw, come back here," she said calmly, and the apprentice leapt down, her tail drooping. Owlflight then walked out onto the branches, putting each foot out carefully, testing the sturdiness. It was solid, wedged between rocks and unmoving despite the water. She closed her eyes in relief.

"Buzzardwing, it's safe to cross," She called back, "Let Bloompaw cross first, then follow." The white warrior nodded, and Bloompaw raised her tail high as she treaded toward Owlflight.

"Told ya!" The apprentice chirped proudly. Owlflight sighed.

"Yes, you were right that this is a place we could cross. However, it was also a potentially dangerous spot and you could've fallen into the river and drowned," she said sternly, and Bloompaw folded her ears back. Owlflight softened slightly, "Part of being a good warrior is learning when not to take risks. Leaders get nine lives. Warriors get one. So make sure yours isn't wasted trying to prove a point." Bloompaw was quiet before she met Owlflight's gaze.

"Thank you," she meowed, and Owlflight nodded.
•••

The she cats crossed the rest of the river easily. The river island was a mixture of sand earth, soft grasses, and lightly wooded birches, and leading to the opposite bank were large, smooth stones, easy to cross. The she cats climbed a small cliff close to the bank, and gasped at the sight before them.

The terrain on the opposite side of the river was vastly different from the forest they'd come from. Trees were sparsely scattered amongst a wide marshland, which ended at a large, rocky hill that led into what looked like a moor, The seemed to be bordered by a mountain. Water stretched like lazy puddles between tall golden rushes, and from a distance, Owlflight could see some sort of old Twoleg bridge stretching across the marshland. Beyond all this, as far as the eye could see, was endless stretches of ocean water.

"It's beautiful," Buzzardwing murmured in awe, and Owlflight nodded in agreement, too stunned to speak.

"Who are you?" A guarded voice growled, "We told you rouges to stay off our territory!" Bloompaw stepped closer to Owlflight as a black-striped white tom with yellow eyes stalked into view. Behind him came the more toms, one dark brown older tom and the other a young dark gray and white tom. All three were wary, but the one who spoke seemed hostile. Buzzardwing was unruffled, as she snapped back immediately.

"We are not rouges," she flashed, her blue eyes sparkling with indignation, "We are warriors!" The first tom looked like he was about to fire back when the older tom stepped forward.

"Wait, Dashstripe," he said gruffly, "Let's hear them out." Dashstripe opened his mouth to protest.

"But Wetfoot—" he began, but he was cut off by the older cats stern glare. The brown tom, Wetfoot, nodded to them to explain. Owlflight stepped forward carefully.

"Hello, Wetfoot is it?" The tom nodded, and Owlflight smiled tentatively, "Hi, I'm Owlflight. I'm a warrior from a distant Clan called WindClan, and these are my Clanmates Buzzardwing and Bloompaw," she nodded to each respective she cat, "We just arrived here a few sunrises ago, and heard that there was another Clan here from some local loners.. I presume they meant you?" She asked cautiously. Wetfoot eyed her for a moment before slowly nodding.

"Yes, we are RippleClan warriors," he said, his eyes still wary and narrowed. "You said 'we' arrived. How many cats is we? Just you three or are there more of you?" Owlflight paused.

"I'd love to explain, but if we could speak to your leader, I'd feel a bit more comfortable, if that's okay with you?" She said, as politely as she could. Dashstripe opened his mouth, but held his tongue at Wetfoot's glare. He turned back to Owlflight.

"Very well," he meowed curtly, "It'll be easier explaining this to Nightstar with you there. Come on," he jerked his head to the right, "We'll escort you to camp."

The she cats promptly nodded, and followed Wetfoot. Dashstripe and the other warrior flanked them as they went further into RippleClan territory. The dark gray and white tom smiled kindly at Bloompaw, who seemed nervous still.

"It's alright," he said assuringly, "Nightstar is a gracious when she wants to be. I'm sure you'll survive." He joked. "I'm Rainycloud by the way." Bloompaw brightened a little bit at his friendliness.

"I'm Bloompaw!" She replied brightly, then tipped her head thoughtfully, "But what if your leader doesn't want to be gracious today?"

"Bloompaw!" Buzzardwing flicked the apprentices ear reprimandingly, "Show more respect when speaking of another Clan's leader." Bloompaw ducked her head, muttering an apology. Rainycloud laughed.

"It's okay," he said breezily, "Apprentices will be apprentices.. it was Buzzardwing, right?" The white warrior nodded, and smiled slightly.

"Yes, and you're right. I'm assuming apprentices are a pain in every Clan no matter the distance.."

"Hey!" Bloompaw pouted, "I'm new at this, you know!" Owlflight snorted.

"Oh yes, we know, Bloompaw," she said dryly, earning a laugh from Buzzardwing and Rainycloud, and a grump 'hmmff' from Bloompaw. Wetfoot sighed.

"It'll be faster if we stay quiet," he grumped, but even as he said it, they approached a slightly more sheltered area in the territory that smelled strongly of grass and water, a scent that Owlflight assumed was RippleClan's. It had a faint, underlying scent of fish that made the she cats nose crinkle. Wetfoot led them through a small tunnel in the grass, obviously forged by seasons of use. "We're here."