Warriors: A Changed Fate

Chapter 23

It is the night before the half moon. Sagepaw sneaks out of camp, going to meet up with Stonepaw again as they had planned. She walks through the darkness, a cold breeze blowing her silver fur.

I am very excited to see Stonepaw again! Sagepaw thinks happily as she walks. It is very cold out, but she would do just about anything to see the RiverClan tom again. She continues to walk towards the thunderpath. Then, the thunderpath is in her sight. Sagepaw spots Stonepaw standing at the other side. She lets out a small purr as her walks quickens up to a run. Stonepaw spots Sagepaw and begins to purr as well.

"Hey Sagepaw!" Stonepaw meows. "I'm glad to see you again!" He says.

"I'm glad to see you again too, Stonepaw!" Sagepaw meows happily.

"Stonepaw? Who's that?" Stonepaw replies.

"What do you mean? You're Stonepaw, right?" Sagepaw asks, tilting her head with confusion.

"I used to be." Stonepaw replies. "I'm Stonefoot now!" He meows happily.

"Oh, you're a warrior now!" Sagepaw replies happily. "That's great! Congratulations!" She meows.

"Thank you!" Stonefoot replies happily. "Hey, want me to show you some of the things I learned? Maybe I can teach you how to swim?" He asks.

"Oh.. sure, I guess. I probably won't be good though." Sagepaw replies.

"No cat is good at swimming at first, even RiverClan cats." Stonefoot meows. "You just have to learn to get good at it and practice." He tells her.

"That makes sense." Sagepaw replies. "I can't believe I'm going to be a swimming ShadowClan medicine cat after this.." She mumbles.

"Who knows? You might need it someday." Stonefoot meows. "Let's go over to the lake." He says. The two cats then walked together bravely on the thunderpath, walking towards the greenleaf twolegplace where they won't be caught for crossing borders since no ShadowClan cat really dares to go through the greenleaf twolegplace.

"Thank StarClan it's leaf-bare. If it was greenleaf, we would be doomed by doing this, especially during the day." Stonefoot meows. Sagepaw nods in response. "I'll race you to the halfbridge!" Stonefoot suddenly meows, dashing on the thunderpath towards the halfbridge.

"Hey, wait up!" Sagepaw meows, running after the dark brown tom.

"I beat you!" Stonefoot meows happily once he got to the halfbridge. After a few more seconds, Sagepaw finally arrives as well.

"Well, you had a head start and you're more fit than me because you're a warrior!" Sagepaw replies. Stonefoot purrs with amusement.

"Now, let me teach you how to swim." Stonefoot meows happily. "Watch me closely." He advises, leaping off the halfbridge and into the water. Sagepaw watches closely and with concern from the edge of the halfbridge. Then, Stonefoot reaches the water's surface, keeping his head above the water.

"You have to hold your head up. The last thing you should do is let your head go underwater. That's how you can drown. Also, don't try to breathe while you're underwater." Stonefoot explains.

"I'm a medicine cat, not a mouse-brain." Sagepaw replies.

"I'm just saying." Stonefoot meows. "And, you must keep your legs moving. It's like you're running through the forest, but you're not. You're swimming instead. Even if you're not moving, you have to keep paddling." He explains. "You can sink if you don't." He meows.

"Okay." Sagepaw replies.

"You paddle differently based on how you want to navigate, if you want to at all." Stonefoot meows. Sagepaw nods. "Want to give it a try? I'll be right here to help you." He asks.

"Yeah." Sagepaw replies. She looks down at the dark lake water, getting afraid to jump in.

"It's okay. I got you if anything goes wrong." Stonefoot assures Sagepaw.

"Okay. Here I come." Sagepaw meows. She then leaps off the halfbridge and into the dark water. She is completely underwater. She begins to panic, but then she remembers what Stonefoot told her.

Keep your head above water and move your legs. Sagepaw thinks. Then, she lifts up and begins to paddle with her legs, starting to go up towards the surface. Then, her head is finally above water. The silver she-cat begins to catch her breath.

"Phew, I was starting to get worried. I was about to go down and save you." Stonefoot meows, sounding relieved. "But, you're doing it! You're a quick learner. It took me a while to learn how to swim!" He meows. "I'm impressed." He adds.

"Thank you." Sagepaw replies with a purr.

"Now you know how to swim if you ever need it." Stonepaw meows. "Let's get out of the lake. We should probably head back to our own clans soon." He meows. The two cats then get out of the lake water together, swimming to the shore. Once they get out of the lake, Stonefoot shakes some of the water out of his fur and grooms himself a little. He purrs with amusement after seeing Sagepaw.

"You look miserable!" Stonefoot meows.

"Yeah, it's freezing cold!" Sagepaw exclaims. "How do you do this?!" She asks.

"I just got used to it. I'm cold too though. Swimming in leaf-bare isn't a very good idea, but I had fun. You should head back to your den where it's warmer." Stonefoot meows. Sagepaw nods, shivering from the cold. He gives Sagepaw a few licks.

"I'm sorry." Stonefoot meows.

"It's okay." Sagepaw replies.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye. Want to meet up again the night before the next full moon?" Stonefoot asks Sagepaw.

"Sure!" Sagepaw replies happily.

"Yay!" Stonefoot meows excitedly. "Hopefully you become a full medicine cat tomorrow. See you soon! I hope you dry up and get warm very soon!" He adds.

"See you and thank you!" Sagepaw replies. Then, the two cats go back to their separate sides of the thunderpath.