Stones (Book Four) Ocean Breeze

Chapter Twelve

BACK AT THE CLANS

BACK AT STONECLAN

"Ouch!" Amberpaw jumps backwards, "that hurt!"
"Its a thorn, of course it hurt!" Gravelstripe laughs, she puts a thin black thorn into a small bundle of moss in the storage part of her den.
Amberpaw licks her paw pad before it begins to bleed, glaring at Gravelstripe the whole time. It hurts she thinks crossly, it wasn't this bad on the way back to camp.
"Oh don't give me that look," Gravelstripe laughs, rolling her eyes, "go back to your mentor and finish your training."
That look Amberpaw stands and rolls her eyes before dipping her head and saying goodbye to Swanpaw.
She leaves the medicine den and pads back to her mentor, Halftail who was standing in the clearing waiting for her. Since her former mentor had died her new mentor had been doing his best with her. He showed her different techniques that Snowcloud had never had the chance to.
"C'mon, we can finish battle training now," Halftail smiles and nods towards the entrance.
Amberpaw follows his lead as he turns and leaves the camp, her paw was feeling better now but it would probably be sore for a bit longer.
They go to the training area and get back to training. Halftail stands at one end of the clearing and Amberpaw stands at the other.
Halftail begins instruction, "We're going to start with-"
Amberpaw lunges at him, taking him by surprise as she rips his front paws our from under him, causing him to land ungracefully on his chest.
Amberpaw laughs as he takes a moment to stand before swiping over her ear. She dives for his paws again but he realizes what she's up to and rolls to the side.
Halftail leaps to his paws swiftly and lunges at her. He grabs her throat weakly and holds for a second before letting her go. He had won the fight.
"You go for the paws to much," Halftail points out, "try going for the shoulders, ear, even the tail. Even a minor blow is a good one."
Amberpaw nods, "ok-"
Halftail lunges for her paws, getting his head under her chest he rears up, sending her onto her back.
She stands and shakes her head, blinking in surprise, what-?
"But going for the paws does help," Halftail smirks and laughs.

BACK AT FROSTCLAN

Snowfang's swollen belly grows each day. Her kits would be coming in about two moons. She would stop doing warrior/leader duties and move into the nursery in a moon, maybe less.
She watches a group of warriors go by.
"I wonder if the three of us will be going to the gathering tomorrow," a tom mews.
"Snowfang," Moonsky pads up to her, "when will you be moving to the nursery? I'd be glad to give you some tips for you kitting and would love to help babysit if you ever want to get out of the den."
"I'll probably move into the nursery in a moon, maybe half a moon," Snowfang glances to her belly then back to Moonsky, the former warriors eyes gleamed hopefully, "and I'd love some tips. As a first time mother I don't know much and without my mother here to-" she shakes her head, "I'm great full for your guidance."
Moonsky smiles sadly, "your mother was a good cat," she looks to her paws as she trails off.
And my father wasn't as good Snowfang continues her sentence.
Snowfang faintly hears apprentices play fighting by the apprentice den entrance.
"I'm Icehare, feel my claws!" A white and gray tom squeals before batting at his sister.
A pang of sadness hits Snowfang as she remembers her father, Icehare and his brother had both been- evil, and as much as Snowfang hated to say it, it was true.
Her mother however, Snowfang smiles fondly at the thought of her mother, Mother was as soft as snow, as kind as a kit, and more selfless than anyone else.
"Breezeheart was still a lucky cat," Moonsky mews, "she had you, and your siblings. And your father was always kind to her."
Snowfang nods, "yeah," and I was lucky to have them, no matter what they did to everyone else, they loved me.

BACK AT LEAFCLAN

Irispaw lay in the apprentice's den, pretending to be asleep. She knew the other apprentices- well, minus her brothers- were asleep. They were going to sneak back to their secret spot, and Lostpaw was supposed to meet them. He met them for the last few nights, so he probably would today, too. Right?
    She jumped up and padded out of the den, careful not to step on anyone. Her brothers followed her, and together, they snuck past the guard (Why would Leafstar even pick Galechaser? He's deaf, so it's not like he'd do very good), escaped into the calm forest, and headed to their spot.

    Irispaw crept through the hole to their secret spot; her brothers were in right front of her. It was odd for them to walk in complete silence, and Irispaw had then realized how long this tunnel was. Why was it so silent, anyway?
    When Irispaw started to see a light, she knew they were almost there. It was very hard to see because Asterpaw and Sagepaw were in the way, but it was definitely there.
    When they had emerged into the stone-y clearing, Irispaw exhaled the air she didn't even know she was holding in.  "So what was that silence all about?" the she-cat asked.
    Asterpaw smiled, gesturing to Sagepaw as he stated, "I'm not saying it."
    Sagepaw sighed, "Fine, but you owe me," Then raised his voice to announce, "We know who you have a crush on!"
    "Wait, y-you do?" Irispaw looked away, blushing slightly.
    "Of course we do!" Sagepaw purred.
    "Any brother can sense it, Irispaw," Asterpaw's gray tail was swishing happily, "The way you talk to him, the shimmer in your eyes..."
    "And don't forget how you always try to hang out with him instead of us!" Sagepaw added, jealousy hidden in his tone.
    "Well you've ackgnowledged that I have a crush," Irispaw chuckled, "But you haven't said who yet."
    The room was silent for only a second before the two boys chorused, "It's Lostpaw!"
    Irispaw nodded, "I do like him- a lot- but it will never work out." She fiddled with her white paws sadly.
    "Who is it you have a crush on?"
    Irispaw gulped, every one of her muscles wanting to bolt out of the room. Lostpaw was here.

BACK AT TREECLAN

A tom slept in his nest, curled up into a ball of fur. His eyes were clouded with sadness, and his thoughts were spinning out of control. He stopped these thoughts for a moment and whispered to himself, "There's an easy solution to this pain. All I need to do is-"

    "Uh, sir, Birchwood says she needs you in the medicine den," A young and fluffy cat padded into the den, "She said that you deserve to know about it."

    The tom jumped up, "Of course, Fogpaw," He stood up and walked to the medicine den. His ear twitched nervously, and the sadness in his eyes was replaced with fear. What was the it that she was referring to? He thought, sitting down shakily. He had arrived faster than he thought he would've at the pace he was walking. 

    "Welcome," A black striped she-cat nodded, "Anyway, are you sure you want to hear this?"

    The tom nodded, his fear building every heartbeat. Birchwood continued, "Well, I got this prophecy from the Star Stone, and I think it was telling me that three important figures will die soon."

    "Well who are they?" The tom prodded,  his tail rapidly swishing back and forth. 

    "That we're not sure of," Fogpaw admitted, "But I'm pretty sure one is Ashtalon." 

    "You think what now?" He hissed, eyes glistening with tears.

    Fogpaw jumped up, then calmed down and started, "It's very difficult to tell you, sir-" 

    "Shut up," His fur was on end as he stomped to the exit.

    "Wait, I-" Birchwood stepped forward, but was pushed away with a violent tail swish.

    "You what, huh?" The tom's cheeks were damp with tears. "You want to check him for a sickness he doesn't have? Put cobwebs on the scars he hasn't earned? Oh, how about putting him out of the misery he will never have to go through?!" He paused to turn to the medicine cats before choking out, "Mark my words, you will never get to see him die."