Warrior Cats; Smokeskull's Revenge [ 1 ]

Chapter 21

Gold rays glowed in Smokepaw's eyes as she adored the encoring praise in a dream. Her leg shot out back- wards and hit Sandpaw who was sleeping soundlessly beside her.
The cream tabby bobbed her head up in surprize and looked over her shoulder at the grey cat beside her. "Hi Smokepaw." Sandpaw brushed her forepaw over her grey furred neck. "Wake up. You're dreaming your own self-praise!"
Startled, Smokepaw raised her head and glared at the other apprentice. "I know! It was amazing until you woke me up!" She scowled, den dived back into the moss and cuffed her paw over her ears.
"Sorry." Sandpaw barely whispered. Smokepaw felt her turn and heave herself up "We'd better start getting the elders some moss. It rained all night."
The pattering of drops echoed in the underground apprentices' den. Smokepaw lifted her head and stiffen- ed when she realized her nest was soaked as well.
"Well come on then," Smokepaw lifted herself to her paws. The roof hit her head on the way up. "We have to dig out some more roof if we are to continue living in here." She shook her head by her paws and shuffled her way outside. There, she yawned and stretched out her ragged pelt.
The morning air was calm and smelled like fresh kill, making Smokepaw's mouth water. She stepped forward with Sandpaw at her side. The cream she-cat was used to the shallow den, and she slunk out like an adder.
"I know the best places to find dry moss." Sandpaw purred. She led the way across the camp and disappeared into the warriors' den.
With her, Snowstream padded out and sat in the clearing in front of Smokepaw. "You two have been very good apprentices the past few sunrises. When I say I, I mean all the Clan including me trusts you two to the fullest."
Sandpaw must have begged Snowstream to let her out. It must be her first time out of camp as an apprentice, because her eyes gleamed with the mornings glow.
"Therefore, you may leave the camp on your own." Snowstream purred with a tipped head. She found amusement in their happiness-overflowed eyes.
"I call taking the lead!" Sandpaw snorted and pushed past Smokepaw to the exit.
With a challenging sneer, Smokepaw raced after her and charged into the outer area and collapsed in wet marsh. Her paws pricked with fear as the droplets of soggy soil sunk in between her hackles. But she trudged on. Smokepaw tried running after Sandpaw, but the feline was too quick.
The cream apprentice darted back and forth, weaving through the trees of the moorlands out towards Darkpelt, not back where Smokepaw had came.
It was dark and musky. With fur bristling, Smokepaw turned a corner and caught up with Sandpaw. "Slow down. It's not a race." She panted.
"Oh, oh! Can it be?" Sandpaw's paws were light but big. Her pads were covered with fur, that's probably why she was so good with muck.
Smokepaw shook her head. "My paws are not as strong as yours, I can't run through this sticky soil."
Sandpaw chuckled, "It's because you're trudging."
The grey apprentice looked up. "So?"
"You have to keep light on your paws." Sandpaw explained, looking at her paws and tipping her claws against the soil. "Like hunting a mouse. Try to keep your claws pointed into the dirt though, or you'll sink!"
This apprentice sure was a good listener to her mentor. Smokepaw would never have the patience to listen to a lecture from a cat from a higher rank.
"Got it." Smokepaw nodded and looked at her paws. She unsheathed her claws and dug them into the ground. Dirty water slid into her paws' pads. "How do you...uh...deal with the cold?" Smokepaw shivered as her pads soaked into the earth.
Sandpaw scampered forward, but turned back. "If you didn't stand there like a dead fox it wouldn't be cold! Remember you must be quick to catch the mouse."
Be quick to catch the mouse, Smokepaw repeated in her head, I can do this.
As Sandpaw had taught her, Smokepaw hurried forward. Every claw lifted out of the soil quickly as she went to the next paw.
"It's over here!" Sandpaw meowed, shifting her steps towards a fallen tree that was drowning in mud.
Smokepaw stiffened. It was clearly not safe to enter. "Are you sure it's safe?"
Then, the cream-coloured apprentice returned on the other side of the bay with lots of dry moss in a massive rhubarb leaf.
"Woah!" Smokepaw fell backwards into the dirt water as Sandpaw threw the tied leaf at her. She heard laughing, so Smokepaw got up and scampered forward.
Unexpectedly, Smokepaw launched herself at Sandpaw. Her muddy fur sprayed water all over the moor as Sandpaw sunk into the mud.
"Hey!" She growled. Quickly, Sandpaw ripped a lilypad off of the dirt and whipped it at Smokepaw, sending her to tumble off.
Once she regained balance, Smokepaw blinked and she was thrown off of her feet.
"Be quick to catch the mouse!" Sandpaw hissed playfully and shoved herself at Smokepaw in the dirt water.
She blinked again, and Sandpaw was on top of her. With a smile, Smokepaw spit mud onto Sandpaw's chin and she backed up in sudden disgust. She laughed and pushed her back into the mud.

It was way past sunhigh when they had returned. Their pelts were destroyed of their natural colour, replaced by thick layers of dried mud.
Cats stared as the two entered camp with two rhubarb leaf-wrapped moss sockets in each of their mouths. Neither one stopped to hunt for prey.
They were nearly in the middle of the clearing when Snowstream and Halfwind stormed at them. Their eyes pale with distrust and disloyalty.
"You've been gone since sunup!" Snowstream scolded.
"How embarrassing! I've got an apprentice that can fight like a warrior but fetch moss like a kit!" Halfwind snarled.
Sandpaw's bright, cheery face hid underpaw and was replaced with fear and shame. She slunk back in misery, apologetically.
When Smokepaw caught her eye, she knew she had to play along. It was like some kind of friend code. So, Smokepaw hung her head by her paws. "I'm sorry. We won't do it again." She meowed.
Halfwind dipped her head, accepting her apology. "Thank you, and I hope you will have learned your lesson by the time you're finished cleaning the elders den all by yourselves-including picking out their fleas. No other apprentice is to help you." The deputy looked at Snowstream, "Do you think that is a fair punishment?"
"Very." The white warrior replied, wrapping her tail around her paws neatly. "Afterwards, we'll go hunting and finish up some assessments."
The two apprentices' eyes shown brightly now that she mentioned it.
"After!" Halfwind snapped.
Smokepaw smiled but rolled her eyes. She began to lick the dirt off her pelt as she washed Sandpaw do the same.
"Let's get it done before sundown and maybe we can still hunt without being blind!" Sandpaw purred, lifting her head up with a jolt and racing off towards the elders' den.
At her haunches, Smokepaw trotted with a purr-rumbling throat.

All day, Sandpaw had taught Smokepaw how to hold the mousebile just right so the foul-tasting sting didn't get to her tongue. She also taught éé her how to pick out the dirty moss from the clean moss to reuse it. Sandpaw had said they use that technique for leafbare, and since it was nearing, they had to practice.
The sun was lowering in the sky. Purple rays darted up from the hiding sun, casting long shadows among the trees. Silverpelt had just started to show when they finished.
Snowstream poked her head into the elders' den and watched them finished up.
They padded over to her, Smokepaw wishing just to get some rest. They worked all day in the elders' den and playing out in the mud.
"You worked long and hard today. MapleClan appreciates your loyalty, Smokepaw. And MapleClan appreciates your leadership, Sandpaw." Snowstream purred, wiping her tail across their chests.
Halfwind was not far off rom her, but she turned the corner and padded over to join them. "I think you're ready to take your final assessment." The deputy waited for their eyes to shine with pride, to add, "Tomorrow."
Smokepaw sighed in relief. Both of her back legs were aching. Her forepaws hurt from pressing mousebile and her jaws hurt from squeezing mousebile. "Thank you both for your generosity and for making it clear my destiny lays here with MapleClan." She meowed, giving a faint yawn.
"It is our honour to have you as a MapleClan cat."
"And it is mine to be a MapleClan cat."