Warriors: Flesh and Bone

Chapter 11

      Buckpaw sat at his mentor's side as she spoke, facing Tanglestar alongside the rest of the patrol near the camp entrance. He had his eyes trained on his paws, still dirty and unkept from the scuffle at the border. He had a stinging bite mark in his shoulder, but nothing serious; he could feel Hawkheart tense beside him as she spoke with Tanglestar, the rest of the clan gathering a small ring around them in the center of the clearing.

      "We only encountered two Rainclan warriors at the border; I don't believe they were on patrol."

      Tanglestar scoffed, flashing a yellow fang. "It's just like Rainclan to slack off on their duties. We discovered the flood first, and the territory belongs to Mapleclan; end of story."

      Hawkheart nodded, but Buckpaw could feel she was uncertain. While no one was seriously injured during the fight, he had to admit that the two Rainclan cats they had fought were extremely skilled. They had been lucky not to run into a patrol this time, but would that luck last?

      "Let Rainclan try and take a single paw-step on our territory," Tanglestar continued, "a clan who can't even handle sending a border patrol has no need for that much territory. Besides, the fish will be of great assistance with all these two-legs scaring away the fresh-kill."

      "Yes, Tanglestar," Hawkheart mewed, bowing her head. Buckpaw followed, noticing his mentors ears flatten against her head. Was that worry he sensed in her expression? Why should she be concerned about Rainclan?

      That she-cat, Buckpaw thought with a shudder, Hawkheart seemed worried about her, too. He remembered his mentor hesitating to attack her at the border, and watching some sort of unspoken understanding pass through the two of them. She didn't seem to notice that he had seen, but the image still haunted him; he felt as if there was something deeper between the two cats, something he didn't quite understand.

      A pale she-cat pounced towards Buckpaw, interrupting his thoughts by swiping a sheathed paw towards his muzzle. "Buckpaw, why are you sitting around like an old duck? Come and join Reedpaw and I at the den! We're practicing our fighting moves."

      Buckpaw blinked towards his fellow apprentice, giving her a swift nod. "Sure, Fernpaw. I'll be right there." He watched as she nodded, padding back towards the apprentice den, and stood to follow. Before joining Reedpaw and Fernpaw's game, he cast one more glance back towards Hawkheart, who was now making her way back towards the warriors den alone. Her eyes were stuck on something far away, content and focused, but he could see that same worry swimming deep in her amber gaze. She shook her head, the dark gleam disappearing quickly as she pushed her way inside the dark shelter of her den. The concern in her eyes vanished as quickly as he had noticed it, leaving Buckpaw questioning if he really ever saw it at all.