Warriorcats #1: Vengeance

Chapter Three

A gentle breeze stirred the fur of five cats as they trekked through the damp forest, a mist clinging in the air. Tallpaw gave his pelt a curt shake, sighing as dirt was dislodged from his fur. QuietOwl, her slender legs easily matching the pace of Tallpaw's steady jog, noticed the young apprentice's irritation. "Is everything alright?" She asked, perking her ears. Her gray pelt seemed to blend into the fog, almost masking her from view. "Yes, everything's fine." He replied, steady in his tone. He knew that to complain on a journey this important wouldn't be good for his reputation. Plus, this was making an impression for the leader of Stormclan and the future leader of Stormclan. Tallpaw shuddered. This was Cloudstar's last two lives, and he wasn't being any more careful than he was on his tenth. The cat's going to kill himself before Starclan gives him a chance!

BirchFeather, meanwhile, was padding along beside SkyOtter, their pelts brushing slightly. "Thanks for choosing me to come along." BirchFeather meowed, his voice softer than usual. Tallpaw tilted his head. SkyOtter seemed amused. "Of course, why wouldn't I?" She replied, cuffing his ear playfully. "You've been there for me since our first patrol, mouse-brain." BirchFeather laughed, turning to check on Tallpaw and QuietOwl. "You two ok?" He asked, happiness glittering in his gaze. Tallpaw nodded vigorously. Why not let the tom have his peace? He thought, chuckling to himself. He's been tagging after SkyOtter for way too long anyways.

After a few more minutes of walking, Cloudstar stopped abruptly in his tracks. BirchFeather let out a gruff yip as he ran into his leader, Tallpaw choking down a laugh. "What's going on?" QuietOwl perked her ears, craning her neck to peer over SkyOtter. Tallpaw tilted his head as he scented the air, struggling to find the source of CloudStar's abrupt halt. SkyOtter turned to face the patrol, flicking her tail towards a nearby stream. "This is where we cross the border to Ashclan." She explained, her eyes seemingly full of excitement. Tallpaw wondered how many times the deputy had visited her rival's camp. "Stay quiet and keep your nose to yourself. The last thing we want is one of their apprentices snagging our tails!" Cloudstar nodded, bending down to lap up some of the clear water. BirchFeather passed his leader quietly, wading a little deeper into the water. He let out a sigh as it washed over his pelt, smiling slightly. Tallpaw found himself drawn to the stream himself, as if it was almost an instinct. The elders do say that Stormclan has Riverclan blood in them... He shrugged the thought away as he spotted the fast moving torrent. Dangerous rocks jut into the air, shining in the sun like metal. QuietOwl seemed very wary of them, frowning as she peered at the obstacle course before her. SkyOtter shook out debris from her pelt, stepping into the water beside BirchFeather. "Ok, we're going in pairs." She ordered, glancing at Cloudstar for approval. The tom dipped his head, waving his tail for her to continue. "Be careful and don't try to outsmart nature, Starclan knows how many stupid furballs have bit the pebbles doing that!"

"BirchFeather, you'll go with Cloudstar." SkyOtter called, her fur gleaming in the sun. "And Tallpaw, you can go with QuietOwl." BirchFeather growled. "You can't go by yourself!" He protested, but QuietOwl tapped his shoulder with her tail, giving him a reassuring glance. "She'll be fine, BirchFeather. She is deputy after all." SkyOtter nodded thankfully to QuietOwl, turning to face the stream. CloudStar stepped up to BirchFeather, his pure white pelt lifting in the water. Slowly, the two toms pushed forwards, their paws paddling smoothly as they made their way across. The torrent pulled at Cloudstar as he neared a rock, struggling to manuever around it. BirchFeather's head ducked under the blue torrent, reappearing at the edge of the bank. As he trudged out of the water, his fur began to weigh down on his back. Cloudstar wasn't far behind, pushing forwards with as much strength as possible. Alarm flecked through his gaze as he was pushed under the water, thrown into the neighboring rock. He let out a yelp, a crack filling the air. SkyOtter shrieked, leaping into the water. Her gray fur blurred as she darted towards her leader, managing to lift him by the scruff. BirchFeather waded in, using his shoulder to support SkyOtter as she carried him to the bank. Tallpaw, aching to swim across and help, let out a mrrow of distress. "Is he ok?" He called, turning to QuietOwl. She shrugged. "I hope so."