Warriors: Finding Home

Chapter Thirteen

     Nectarpaw looked ashamed of how she reacted to Sootpaw's wounds. But she treated him in silence. She rubbed some poultice on his cuts and ordered him to rest. Before heading to the apprentice's den, he looked at Ratstar. He looked frail and old. Buzzardwhisker was worriedly tending to his wounds. Sootpaw took a look at his clanmates. They were all battered by this unprovoked battle, that some had still not completely awoken from their slumber. The tribe cats had no reason to fight with SunClan, but thank StarClan they lost.

     Tomorrow was the gathering, and hopefully SunClan would be able to attend it.

    

     The sunrise after the battle, and SunClan was preparing for the gathering. Sootpaw was due on the dawn patrol, and it was just leaving. He hurried to catch up to them as the exited the cave. The patrol consisted of Falconwing, Ivyfang, Cindersplash and Flowerpaw. Sootpaw bounded over to his mentor and padded beside her as the patrol marked the border with the tribe cats. They were trying to make their markers very clear, so they didn't think they were devastated by the battle. SunClan had to prove their strength. As the patrol approached the scent line, a bird squawked from nearby. Sootpaw spotted a group of tribe cats who were not in the battle jumping up to claw at a large bird. A black she-cat with long legs jumped into the air and caught the bird in her jaws. With it's one free foot, it fought back and clawed at the she-cat. She dropped back onto the cold stone in protest.

     A loud thud sounded as her body slammed into the rock, and her tribe mates hurried over to her. Sootpaw was worried for her life, and was about to cross the border to see if she was okay when Flowerpaw tugged him back.

     "She is not our concern. Focus on your task." She hissed lightly.

     Flowerpaw's right.

     He couldn't drown out the little nagging voice inside his head that whispered to him, 'What about the prophecy Sootpaw? That is your task.' He shook his head to clear his thoughts and helped in marking the border. The tribe cats carried the injured black she-cat away, and Sootpaw didn't see anycat for the rest of the patrol. Once they had finished the border, the cats padded back to camp in silence. The camp was mostly empty, the clan cats stretching after the battle. Nectarpaw was sorting through herbs outside the medicine cat den, with Buzzardwhisker looking over her shoulder.

     Marshpaw and Nightpaw were play fighting in the middle of the clearing and Bumblescar was talking with Ratstar, their heads drawn close together as a defense to prying ears.