Warrior Cats: The Winding Path (Book 1)

Chapter 9 (Nightpaw)

"Nightpaw! Sagepaw!" a happy mew greeted her as she padded into camp behind Blacknose. Her brother, Timberpaw, was bounding toward her from the nursery.

"You two may do whatever you like at camp for the day, Cinderdapple and I have worked your paws enough for the first day," Blacknose meowed to the two warrior apprentices. Nightpaw and Sagepaw nodded before padding up to meet with Timberpaw.

Nightpaw greeted her brother with the slight brush of noses. She let out a small hello before sitting down in the grassy clearing.

"Hey, Timberpaw," Sagepaw purred evenly. Something seemed to flash through Timberpaw's eyes as he glanced at both of the apprentices but he quickly covered it.

"How's your first day or training?" Nightpaw asked curiously.

Timberpaw's tail quivered, "It was fine, nothing big." He seemed to be hiding something but Nightpaw didn't want to cause a scene for her brother.

"What are you up to now?" she meowed, glancing back at the nursery.

"Sweetscent and I were just checking on Dappledear, since she's the last queen in the nursery," Timberpaw answered wistfully. "We've been going over the duties I'll be responsible for since they aren't similar to what warrior apprentices do."

"And I'm sure you'll exceed in your duties," Cinderdapple chipped in. Nightpaw hadn't even realized the young warrior had been listening.

"Oh! And there's great news too!" Timberpaw perked up. His eyes were bright with excitement.

"Well tell us!" Sagepaw said and he cuffed his brother on the ear.

"Smallfoot is carrying kits!" Timberpaw explained. A purr rumbled in Cinderdapple's throat as she continued to listen in on the apprentice's conversation. Nightpaw felt a tang of awkwardness that the experienced she-cat was eavesdropping.

"Then I must see to her then," the gray warrior bounded off to the fresh-kill pile where Smallfoot was sharing tongues with her mate, Swallowfern.

"How long do you think it'll be until she moves into the nursery?" Nightpaw wondered aloud.

"When her stomach becomes heavy from carrying the kits. Right now its not too swollen so she'll be able to do basic things like hunt. Though, Spiderstar did tell her not to move around as much. She won't be joining many patrols while she's carrying the kits so she doesn't get into any fights," Timberpaw meowed knowingly.

"Why would there be a patrol fight?" Sagepaw meowed.

"There was a border scuffle the other day with WindClan. Apparently they were hunting on ThunderClan territory," Timberpaw lowered his voice for only Nightpaw and Sagepaw to hear.

"WindClan? But they can't hunt in the forest! They're too used to the open moors!" Sagepaw mewed in shock.

"I think it's weird too," Timberpaw agreed.

"I wonder what Spiderstar has planned for WindClan," Nightpaw murmured.

"Definitely not a battle yet! He'll most likely speak of it at the next Gathering. Hey, now that I think about it, the next Gathering is only in a few days!" Sagepaw commented.

"I doubt any of us will go, we've only been made an apprentices yesterday," Timberpaw frowned.

"But doesn't the leader announce that they have new apprentices and warriors?" Sagepaw pressed.

"Yeah, he may announce us but we don't exactly have to be there," Timberpaw said.

"What are you three mewing about?" the curious bark snapped the three apprentice's heads up. Rattail was standing only a tail length in front of him with Runningpaw and Leopardtail behind him.

"We were just talking about the Gathering," Sagepaw meowed, his voice soft with betraying innocence.

"Well don't get your hopes up, you may be Spiderstar's kits but you've barely had any training!" the gray warrior grumbled.

"We understand, Rattail," Nightpaw said, dipping her head respectfully to the older cat. Rattail seemed to straighten at the gesture and satisfaction glowed in his eyes.

"At least one of you has the decency to be respectful to the ones who actually do things for the Clan!" Rattail snapped.

Leopardtail touched his shoulder gently with her tail, "No need to be so fierce with the apprentices. Even you know better than to argue with your past mentor, Rattail," a bit of amusement hinted in the senior warrior's eyes.

"Of course I do," Rattail purred gently before leading the patrol out of camp.

"Ew," Nightpaw wrinkled her nose in disgust of the two warriors' friendly affection. Sagepaw's whiskers twitched with amusement at Nightpaw's comment.

"I'm hungry, lets get something to eat!" Sagepaw said once the patrol fully left the thorn tunnel.

"Me too!" Timberpaw nodded his agreement. As if on cue the bracken-colored apprentice's belly rumbled, making the three siblings burst into laughter.

The three apprentices bounded over to the restocked fresh-kill pile, each of them taking their own piece of prey. They settled down beside on of the rocky wall of the hollow, laughing and talking about their day. Nightpaw thought she saw a hint of jealousy flash in Timberpaw's eyes when Sagepaw talked about meeting the ShadowClan warriors. Nightpaw finished gulping down the mouse she was eating and buried the bone carcass. The sky had turned darker and the dusk patrols were beginning to head out. Shadows stretched across camp as the sun was beginning to set below the tree tops.

"Well, I best be heading off to the medicine den, I was lucky that Sweetscent had allowed me to hang with you," Timberpaw meowed with a small yawn.

Nightpaw nodded, "Yeah, I'm pretty worn out myself."

"You? Worn out? That's something I've never head before!" Sagepaw teased playfully. "Maybe you should have Sweetscent and Timberpaw make sure your okay," he joked.

Nightpaw cuffed Sagepaw on the ear and laughed, "And you seem more chatty than usual."

Timberpaw let out a purr before turning away, "Good night!" Nightpaw and Sagepaw mewed their own goodnights before Timberpaw bounded back to the medicine den.

The remaining two apprentices made their way to their den and padded in. Runningpaw, who had gone on an earlier hunting patrol, was already curled up in his mossy nest. Goldenpaw was laying in her own, not yet asleep. The golden apprentice let out a quiet greeting as Nightpaw and Sagepaw came in.

"Adderpaw is on border patrol, he won't be coming in until later," Goldenpaw meowed as she rested her head on her paws. Nightpaw nodded her understanding and curled up in her own nest. Sagepaw prodded his own nest before spawling himself out on it. It didn't take long until both siblings drifted off to sleep.