✧ Devious Fates ✧ | COMPLETE WARRIOR CATS FANFICTION STORY |

// Chapter Twenty Six

Frostpaw was bowled over by Spottedpelt in the Training Dune, swiping her paws feebly back at her mentor. Spottedpelt circled her, waiting to deflect her next move. Frostpaw squinted her eyes, contemplating thoroughly on how to distract the spotted she-cat.

The snowy apprentice quickly rolled onto her paws, hissing as she made a lunge for her mentor. Spottedpelt's paw batted her ear, knocking her over into the sand. Frostpaw immediately got back onto four legs, dipping under Spottedpelt's belly and sweeping lithe she-cat's legs from under her.

Frostpaw skidded to a halt, glancing back at the she-cat who collapsed into the dune in an awkward position. "You are very resilient in battle," Spottedpelt praised. "You always get back onto your paws without giving up. I'm proud of you."

Frostpaw smiled at the complement. She playfully brushed sand towards her mentor, chuckling. Spottedpelt rolled her eyes jokingly, shaking off her sandy pelt. "It's time we go back to camp," she directed to her apprentice, pointing her tail the direction of the destination.

Through the problems and bustle of the Clan, Frostpaw felt glee. Her mentor was almost as fun as her littermates. The two she-cats scrambled through the beige powder, Frostpaw like an unusual cluster of snow in the sandy landscape. Frostpaw felt surges of memories from training zap through her mind, her smile growing larger on her muzzle as she recalled every heartbeat.

Spottedpelt almost seemed to be distracted from their chaotic life as well, but as they trekked forward, she seemed to be astray from the glad memories, her shoulders slumping and her eyes widening. What is she thinking about? Should I be worried too?

As Frostpaw kept on, she suddenly noticed she was ahead of her mentor. She glimpsed back, where she saw Spottedpelt going in a slow pace. "Come on!" Frostpaw urged the she-cat. "What's the hold up?"

"Nothing," Spottedpelt responded quickly. "Let's go." She leaped out of her thoughts, bounding towards the snowlike apprentice. Frostpaw thought she was acting quite peculiar. What was she hiding?

"There you are!" Littlefoot growled. "Don't you remember you have to be guided by a warrior?"

"That's been for moons," Spottedpelt protested. "I haven't done anything. I've gone out of camp before, and no cat said anything."

"You admitted it!" Littlefoot gasped. "Just wait until Vinestar finds out!"

"He already knows," Spottedpelt mewed slyly. "Tigertail's reported me many, many times." Frostpaw wouldn't put it past Tigertail. Every time she saw him, she couldn't detect what exact emotion he had. It seemed like a mix. It seemed to be great anger, sadness, and even a trace of fear.

Littlefoot narrowed his eyes. "Fine," he huffed. "Go on."

Spottedpelt and Frostpaw reluctantly obeyed, Littlefoot being left behind. As they ventured further, Frostpaw glanced back, where she discovered the grey tom had vanished. She scoped around her. There was still no sign of the WindClan warrior. She figured he had gone to hunt or patrol, or maybe took a different way to camp.

This time Spottedpelt was the one urging Frostpaw on. She seemed to be in a hurry. As she called out to her apprentice, Frostpaw finally decided to follow. They padded across slight patches of moor, each step more tiring than the last. They skirted past rocks and dips in the ground that might block their way, weak gusts of wind barely ruffling their pelts.

Soon they gained some energy back, sprinting through sandy plains. Spottedpelt, of course, was almost a dozen fox-lengths in front of Frostpaw, as she was one of the fastest runners in the Clan. Frostpaw could barely keep up. But many times, Spottedpelt glanced back, making sure the snowy she-cat was still following.