Lucid Tides book 1 - Flowering Hearts

Chapter 11 - Running

Lilypaw warm twoleg paws on his back as he was put back into the small cage. He mewled out as the twoleg carried him back to the monster, and put him inside. He smelt a familiar scent, but it was tainted with a newer, stranger scent.
"Thrushpaw-?" Lilypaw asked, wondering if his friend was in the monster with him. But there was no response. 
Lilypaw laid down gingerly with his tail beside his paws as the monster awoke. Lilypaw lurched back as the monster started to run, his brown fur pressing up against the cage. After what felt like moons, he felt the monster fall asleep again, the vibrating in his cage stopped and he let out a relieved sigh. 
He heard the twolegs yowling at one another as Lilypaw's cage was picked up, he knew he had to act fast. So he slammed his body against the cage, making the twoleg fumble with the cage and drop it. Lilypaw pushed against the top, popping the lid off his cage and ran.

Lilypaw wasn't sure how long he was running for, it felt like hours. By nightfall he collapsed by a tree, his pawpads were rubbed raw and bleeding but Lilypaw didn't care and it certainly didn't stop the apprentice from falling asleep almost instantly.

~~~

Cedarleap sat beside the fresh kill pile and looked up at the sky, Silverpelt glittered over the whole clan as Cedarleap's clear blue eyes wandered to Leopardpaw, the scrawny ginger apprentice who always knew how to make light of any situation. Cedarleap sighed and trotted towards the russet apprentice. 
"Hey!" Leopardpaw called, smiling.
"Hi" Cedarleap sat down beside Leopardpaw, she was the only apprentice now that Lilypaw was gone.
Leopardpaw yawned, Cedarleap smiled.
"You should head to bed, you have training in the morning, don't you? I'm sure Beetleberry is gonna put you through some tough stuff" Cedarleap laughed, Leopardpaw rolled her yellow eyes.
"Nothing I can't handle!" She announced, as Beetleberry's pale frame slinked over.
"funny how apprentices claim to be the best yet they're scared of cleaning out bedding" Beetleberry teased, making Leopardpaw whine.
"but thats grooooss!" She protested, making Cedarleap laugh.
Leopardpaw smiled. 
"I'm gonna head to bed, see you!" Leopardpaw yawned again, running back to her nest.
Cedarpaw looked at Beetleberry, his blue eyes locking with her green ones. 
"have you heard from Deerwind lately? he's been really distant since I became a warrior- since Mother died-" Cedarleap asked quietly, Beetleberry shot him an empathetic glance.
"Harestep's death affected us all- she was a mother to everyone" She whispered, looking up at the sky.
"I wonder which star is her, watching us from StarClan" Cedarleap uttered, looking at Silverpelt with a sense of yearning.
"I'm gonna head to bed" Cedarleap whimpered, standing. Beetleberry dipped her head as Cedarleap treaded into the warrior's den. He saw the big black figure of Deerwind in the corner, breathing steadily. Deerwind was already a warrior when Cedarleap and his sister were born. Acornkit didn't make it very long, so Cedarleap was spoiled by almost everyone. He and Lilypaw were as close as brothers, closer than Deerwind and Cedarleap had ever been.
He curled up in his nest and tried to wipe the thoughts from his brain as he fell into unconsciousness.