Warriors: Rising Tide

Chapter 59: Puddlesplash

Rushfire was studying Beepaw's hunting stance, which was better than most beginners. Rushfire came forward a little and pushed Beepaw's butt a little lower.

"You want to keep you belly level with the ground" Rushfire advised and Beepaw nodded in acknowledgment. Screechpaw came pounding through some bushes with a large bird.

"Loomf whaf I caughf!" She cheered through feathers. It was hard to understand her. She dropped it and beamed at me.

"Great job Screechpaw!" I praised.

"Oooo goodie! Breakfast!" Beepaw came running over. Screechpaw quickly stop him.

"Rushfire ask him a question! Quick!"

"Who gets feed first before warriors can eat?"

"Oh! Umm-" Beepaw paniced a little. "Elders, queens, and kits?"

"Yep! Good job!" Rushfire praised Beepaw. Beepaw smiled and quickly started pulling feathers off. I couldn't help but giggle at his eagerness to eat.

"You know, that was almost a deal breaker. Eating is, like, my third favorite thing to do".

"Oh?" Screechpaw eyes him playfully as she helped him pull of feathers from the bird. Rushfire smiled and looked away. From the corner of my eye I could see my mate go wide eyed with amazement and mouthing 'woah'. I was curios so I followed his gaze and spotted what he saw. Over the bushes we were hiding behind, being silhouetted by the rising sun. Was these tall rock formations. Rectangular mostly in shape and glittering like they were made of reflecting water.

"What is that?" I asked Beepaw. Beepaw and Screechpaw both looked up.

"Woah! What weird looking mountains!" Screechpaw gasped. Beepaw laughed a little.

"Heh, heh, maybe I should teach you guys stuff too" I smiled softly. "That's where we are heading!"

"Applestar is in there!? That place looks huge even from here on this hill!" Rushfire said in a worried tone.

"Starclan will show is where he is in there!" Screechpaw said in faith.

I really hope so Screechpaw...

***

By high noon the massive twoleg dens in the distance weren't getting any bigger. Screechpaw was starting to complain again but even more.

"Ugh! This is taking so long!"

"Screechpaw please..." Rushfire moaned. Beepaw was walking alongside his temporary mentor. And I was in the lead. Crossing this short grassed field with the sun beating heat onto our backs was making us uncomfortable and hot.

"Please Screechpaw, we are all hot so could you complain less" Beepaw pleaded. Screechpaw didn't reply to that. As we got closer to a thin tree line I flicked my ear at the occasional rumble and faint shake of the ground coming from beyond it.

"It seems like there is another Thunderpath ahead!" I yelled back as we started to cross through the thin tree line. The smell of the twoleg monsters could be smelled even from here and the loud rumbling was growing louder.

"Puddlesplash it sounds busier than the one by the barns" Rushfire said. He was right. As we crouched in some bushes before the large dip in the ground and then the Thunderpath we could see that it wasn't any larger than our Thunderpath back by the lake. However a lot more monsters passed by us.

"Will have to be more cautious going over it" I advised.

"Eh, it's just a thunderpath! What's the worse that could happen?" Screechpaw spoke for lack of knowledge.

"You could get killed Screechpaw, that's the worse that could happen" I scolded lightly. I looked back at the path. I remembered something and quickly glanced at Rushfire. "What was the old trick you were telling me about Thunderpaths? The one you said every Skyclan cat is taught?"

"The one about vibrations and sensing monsters coming?" Rushfire asked. I nodded. My mate shrugged. "I really don't think it works but we could try, it would make crossing it easier". Rushfire keeps forward after a monster passed and placed a paw near the dark, smelly black stone. As soon as he did so he looked back in shock. "I think it's working! I can feel a vibration!" As he said that a monster cane into view from down the road.

"That's great Rushfire!" I called to him.

"That means we can cross safety right?" Beepaw asked. I nodded yes to the young cat. Rushfire came back and smiled after the cat passed.

"Ok, I'll cross first. I'll call you guys over to cross when it's safe to okay?"

"Good plan" I agreed

"It seems safer!" Beepaw said in am optimistic manner. Screechpaw just stayed quiet but nodded. Rushfire came back to the Thunderpath and felt for a vibration. He then ran across and arrived on the other side safety. I sighed in relief to the breath I hadn't realized I was nervously holding back. I looked at the two young cats.

"Which one of you wants to cross next?"

"I-I'll go" Beepaw said skittishly. He crept closer to the Thunderpath to wait for Rushfire to tell him to cross. Soon two monsters came by. Beepaw puffed out as the stench of the monsters hit our nose. As soon as Beepaw calmed down another monster came out of no where.

"Not yet Beepaw!" I heard Rushfire yell. Another monster passed.

"Ugh, are we gonna wait here forever?" Screechpaw complained. I didn't really want to scold her right now.

"Cross!" Rushfire bellowed and Beepaw bolted across the Thunderpath and made it safely to the other side. As Screechpaw crawled forward four monsters came rushing by. The road seemed quiet after they passed.

"Not yet Screechpaw!" Rushfire ordered but Screechpaw groaned in response.

"I don't see any!" And Screechpaw began to start slowly crossing. "See?! It's not scary?!" I saw from the corner of my eye a huge monster come barreling down the Thunderpath. Screechpaw saw it and froze.

"Screechpaw run!" I yelled.

"Screechpaw come on! Move!" Beepaw and Rushfire screamed from the other side of the Thunderpath. She was still frozen in fear. Out of instinct I ran out onto the Thunderpath and shoved Screechpaw out of the way. She tumbled to safety and I jumped the rest of the way, coming close to getting crushed by the massive monster. I crashed into the other side and got the wind knocked out of me. Rushfire quickly came to my side as I shakily got up, gasping a little for air.

"Puddlesplash! Puddlesplash are you alright?"

"I'm fine..." I said a little shaken. Beepaw was comforting Screechpaw as she was shaking a little. Rushfire, knowing I was fine, went stomping over to her.

"What were you thinking?! You put yourself in danger you mouse brain!"

"Rushfire" I said calmly.

"I mean! You could have gotten killed! What am I gonna tell Sagelight if we come back without you!?"

"Rushfire stop, that's enough" I put a tail on my mates shoulder. He clenched his jaw and muttered somethings underneath his breathe.

"I'm sorry... I am so sorry..." Screechpaw whimpered as Beepaw cuddled her.