Pineshade's Loss

Chapter 7

Gorsefall, Leafshadow, Volenose, Pinepaw, and Milkpaw return from hunting patrol. Pinepaw carries a mouse in his jaws as he heads over to the fresh-kill pile. He puts it down in the pile with other fresh-kill that was caught during the patrol.

"Hey Pinepaw," Milkpaw meows from beside him.

"What is it?" Pinepaw asks the cream-and-white apprentice.

"Do you want to go out of camp and play?" Milkpaw asks enthusiastically. "Just the two of us! We won't let any of the other apprentices join."

"I'd love to," Pinepaw answers happily. They have been playing a lot recently, which has made their friendship grow even stronger. The two apprentices begin to walk out of camp side-by-side until Pinepaw speaks up.

"I'll race you to the clearing!" Pinepaw challenges, beginning to break into a run.

"Hey! Not fair!" Milkpaw meows, racing after him.

Pinepaw continues to dash out of camp and into the surrounding territory, heading towards the clearing, hopping over twigs, tree roots, and stones in his way. He is getting close to the clearing when he hears a loud thud from behind him. The sound makes him skid to a halt. He then turns his head to find Milkpaw on the ground. He quickly turns around and runs over to the she-cat.

"Milkpaw? Are you alright?!" Pinepaw asks with concern. "This is my fault!" He meows in a panic.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I just tripped over a tree root," Milkpaw answers as she gets back onto her paws. "No, it's not your fault, Pinepaw. I was the one who fell," she claims.

"But, I was the one who suggested that we race," Pinepaw responds.

"But, you didn't know I would trip," Milkpaw retorts, licking dirt off her chest fur.

"Here, I'll help you," Pinepaw meows, beginning to lick dirt off Milkpaw's fur as well.

"Thank you," Milkpaw purrs.

"Anytime," Pinepaw responds. "Shall we walk the rest of the way?" He then asks.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Milkpaw responds as the two apprentice begin to walk towards the clearing side-by-side.

"Are you hurt?" Pinepaw takes the moment to ask.

"A little," Milkpaw answers honestly, "but I'll probably just be a little sore for a day or two and then I'll be perfectly fine."

"Should we still play? I mean, I don't want us to play if it risks you getting hurt even more," Pinepaw asks.

"We can, but just be more gentle with me than usual, alright?" Milkpaw replies with a purr of amusement.

"Got it," Pinepaw responds as they continue to pad against the wet ground.

"Why do you care about me so much? I don't understand," Milkpaw meows.

"Because you're my best friend, Milkpaw, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you," Pinepaw replies, brushing his fur against hers. Pinepaw could tell that Milkpaw was starting to get a little emotional due to the shakiness in her voice once she speaks up.

"Y-you're my best friend too, Pinepaw," Milkpaw meows. "And I don't want anything bad to happen to you either."

"We'll be best friends forever, right?" Pinepaw asks.

"Right, forever," Milkpaw claims with a purr.

Once the two apprentices make it to the small clearing, the immediately start doing hunting practice together with a leaf, like Leafshadow had taught Pinepaw.

"You were so close!" Pinepaw calls out as Milkpaw barely misses the leaf after she leaps for it.

"Let me try again!" Milkpaw meows as she gets back up, going back to the same place she was before.

"Try stalking a bit closer to it before leaping!" Pinepaw suggests, watching the younger apprentice practice her hunting.

"Okay!" Milkpaw responds. She lowers into a crouch and begins to stalk closer to the leaf. Once she is closer than her previous leaf, she leaps for it again. This time, she pounces right on the leaf and then picks it up in her jaws.

"I got it!" Milkpaw meows happily.

"Good job! Maybe you'll be able to catch your first real prey the next time you go on hunting patrol or when you train with Volenose!" Pinepaw meows.

"It will be during the next hunting patrol," Milkpaw responds. "Volenose is too busy worrying over Rosedawn and Acornkit most of the time to train me," she meows. "You know, Silvertuft said she thinks Acornkit may die because he's so weak, which really scared him," she explains.

"I guess that's somewhat understandable," Pinepaw responds. "But, he should make more time to train you too."

"I just wish I had a mentor who cared enough for their apprentice, like Leafshadow with you. You two are always doing things together," Milkpaw meows.

"But, Leafshadow's kits are apprentices and her mate is Clan deputy. Maybe if she was in a tough situation she would be like Volenose," Pinepaw argues.

"She is in a tough situation, Pinepaw, her mother just died," Milkpaw meows. "That doesn't keep her from training you."

"You have a point," Pinepaw responds. "Maybe you could talk to him about it. Actually, it would be better to talk with Deerwhisper. She might be able to help her brother realize that he has mentor duties he needs to do," he meows. "His thoughts are probably just too filled about worries about his kit to remember that he has an apprentice to train."

"That sounds like a good idea, I'll speak to her later," Milkpaw responds.

"Should we head back to camp?" Pinepaw asks.

"Yes, let's go," Milkpaw responds and the two apprentices walk back to camp side-by-side.