Warriors: A New Beginning #2: Midnight Rising

Chapter 30

It was not until after sun-high that a patrol found Emberpaw. The ginger apprentice was glaring at her brother when she entered camp with Waterfall, Patchfire, and Speckledfur.

"How come you went back to camp without me?" she snapped.

Ashheart ran to her kit and nuzzled her. "You're safe!"

"Of course I'm safe," Emberpaw replied tartly. "Riverpaw just got the mouse-brained idea to go back without me."

"I couldn't find you!" Riverpaw protested.

"You couldn't see me," Emberpaw corrected. "You didn't look for me."

Riverpaw was silent.

"Aren't apprentices not allowed to go out of camp without their mentors or some other warrior?" Wavepelt asked. "Patchfire and Elmwood were still here in camp." She narrowed her eyes. "You told me you both were going with your mentors."

"Riverpaw was the one who said that!" Emberpaw exclaimed. "I told him that we couldn't go out of camp without our mentors, but he didn't listen." She let out a harrumph.

"It's dangerous for you two to be out there without any older warrior," Wavepelt reminded them gently but firmly. "You could get killed. That's why the rule is set in place right now." She paused. "I will talk with Flamestar about this. There may be a punishment." Then she turned and started walking to Flamestar's den.

"This is all your fault!" Emberpaw exclaimed to Riverpaw.

"What do you mean, my fault?" Riverpaw retorted. "You did it too."

"All I wanted to do was to go hunting!" Emberpaw sounded exasperated. "All you ever do is mess everything up."

"Enough!" Ashheart exclaimed. "You two are behaving like kits! Do you really want to set an example for the younger apprentices?" She glanced at Wolfpaw, who was with Leafdawn and watching intently. "If so, it's not working. Go to your mentors, they'll give you something to do besides argue." With a sigh, she padded over to Bushtail.

Midnightsky suppressed a smile. I wonder if they'll be like that when they become warriors. That's in about four moons. A while from then.

An idea popped in her head and she went over to Elmwood.

"I was thinking that I could borrow Riverpaw for herb collecting," she meowed. "We're getting low on some storages and I could use the help. Also, he could be a guardian." She winked.

Elmwood laughed. "Sure, that would be great. I'll go get him." She trotted off to where Riverpaw was still standing and muttering under his breath. A few heartbeats later, he let out a sigh and walked over to Midnightsky.

"Okay, I'm ready," he grumbled. "Why am I doing this exactly?"

"I need a cat to protect me," Midnightsky replied.

"Everyone says that," Riverpaw muttered.

"Then you must be a very good protector, then." Midnightsky waved her tail and started to pad out the gorse tunnel. "Come on, we're collecting horsetail."

Riverpaw sighed again and caught up to her.

"Herbs are so boring," he complained. "Why would any cat want to be a medicine cat?"

"Being a medicine cat is more than just herbs, you know," Midnightsky mewed. "Besides, it's what I enjoy. You like being a warrior, I like being a medicine cat."

"I guess," Riverpaw said.

They were silent for a few heartbeats before Riverpaw said:

"Where are we going, anyway?"