Fate.

Chapter 7

"Ok, try again Rubypaw. Slowly." Mewed Frogpounce.

Rubypaw was in the medicine den, surrounded by her entire family. Opalwish, Badgerhiss, Willowpelt, and Frogpounce. She sighed, getting nods from her mother.

"I..." she mewed, her throat still sore. Her ears were hot with embarrassment, dipping her head. Badgerhiss placed his tail on her back, smiling sadly at her. "You can do it, Rubypaw. I know you can. Try again."

Rubypaw nodded, sighing and started again. "I am...R-Rubyp-paw." She said slowly, forcing herself to speak. Cmon Rubypaw! Speak! Speak! A voice yowled in her head, cheering her on.

"I am Rubypaw, apprentice of Pineclan." She smiled as her family broke into purrs. Frogpounce flicked his tail happily, murmuring something into Willowpelt ear. The she-cat agreed, glancing at Opalwish. Rubypaws mother smiled, licking her kits ear. "I'm so proud of you! You can speak again!"

Frogpounce stuttered. "Well...she can speak but her throat should still be sore. I'll get some honey for that." He turned to his younger sister, turning to look at the herb shelf. Riverkit padded in, flicking her silvery-gray tail as she sat beside the older she-cat, her brown eyes shining happily. "You did it! I heard you speak!" She mewed excitedly.

"Your voice sounds so pretty."

Rubypaw wished that she could become a warrior early to mentor the adorable kit, her only friend to talk to while she couldn't speak. Turtlefur padded in, smiling. "I heard Rubypaw talked! Finally when we train I won't be talking to myself."

She joked, sitting outside of the medicine den. Frogpounce grumbled, pushing his family outside. "The medicine den is too crowded. Rubypaw, take this." He handed her a leaf full of honey. The brown and white she-cat lapped it up, her throat feeling a bit better. "Thank you."

She mewed, padding outside with her mentor as the medicine cat emptied.

Turtlefur glanced at her apprentice. "How about a border patrol with Hawkbark?"

Rubypaw smiled smugly. Almost every cat in the clan knew about Hawkbark and Turtlefur. "Sooner or later I'm going to need a new mentor while your stuck in the nursery." She purred in amusement, leaving Turtlefur embarrassed.

"I don't know what your talking about." Turtlefur murmured, looking away from her apprentice. Rubypaw sighed, deciding to stop bothering Turtlefur about it. The brown she-cat sighed, waiting for Hawkbark finish his prey. She glanced at Turtlefur who kept staring at the tabby, and she laughed to herself.

Warriors are so weird. I'd never do that. I'll be too busy being a deputy. Hopefully. She thought, sure of herself. Hawkbark looked up, glancing at them both and gasped, spitting out a quail feather.

"Right! Willowclan border patrol!" He mewed, tossing away the bones. He glanced at Turtlefur, looking at his paws sheepishly. "Sorry." He murmured. Turtlefur chuckled, flicking her bushy tail. "It's fine, let's go." She nodded to the camps exit, and the patrol followed Turtlefur to the border. Rubypaw sighed, glancing at the forest as she walked.

She saw a beetle crawl up a tree, a mouse scurrying on the forest floor, tossing leaves up in the air. She shook her pelt, shivering. Hawkbark looked at Rubypaw, chuckling. "Don't worry. It's just Leaf-fall coming to an end." He murmured sadly, glancing at the cloudy sky. Rubypaw looked away.

"We're here!" Mewed Turtlefur, beginning to mark their border.

"What are you doing here?" Rubypaw heard a voice mew.

Out of the lake that divided the two clans came Egretpaw, Fawnstorm, and Pebblestone. "We we're just marking our borders. No need to be territorial apprentice." Mewed Turtlefur calmly, although her brown eyes shone with annoyance. Egretpaw grumbled, glancing at Rubypaw.

Pebblestone cleared his throat. "So...I hear Rubypaw can speak now? Opalwish talked about it last time I was on a patrol." He mewed, smiling at the young apprentice. Rubypaw pinned her ears, gulping. "Yeah. I can talk now. It kind of hurts though." She frowned.

Egretpaw looked surprised. Fawnstorm smiled, flicking their ear. "Well I'm glad for you, Rubypaw." They nodded to Hawkbark and Turtlefur. "We'll be on our way. Come along Egretpaw." They mewed to the white tom, his amber eyes still on the brown-and-white she-cat.

"Coming." He mewed, following his mentor. Rubypaw tilted her head, she felt a bit sick. Her stomach felt weird. She didn't know what it was, maybe it was something she ate?

"Rubypaw?" Turtlefur asked, leaning a bit to look at her apprentice. Rubypaw was staring at Egretpaw as he left with the Willowclan patrol. She shook her head, snapping out of the trance. "What? I'm sorry, I wasn't listening." She mewed, making Hawkbark and Turtlefur give mischievous glances at each other. "A-huh. Let's go back to camp now." Mewed Turtlefur, chuckling as the patrol walked back to camp.

What was that Rubypaw? You look like a creepy stalker! Mewed the same voice in her head. Rubypaw groaned, wanting to dig a hole and bury herself in it. She heard her mentor chatting quietly with Hawkbark, giggling at looking at Rubypaw every few minutes.

She looked down, her ears hot with embarrassment. She sighed, padding in front of the warriors and ducking her head as she went through the bramble entrance to her camp. She mumbled something to herself, grabbing a thrush from the prey pile. Riverkit and Sunkit padded up to her, smiling. "Mother finally let us go outside! Although she was mad that I left to see you in the nursery..." Mewed Riverkit, flicking her gray and white tail.

Sunkit laughed at his sister. "I hoped that Flowerfield would keep you as a kit forever!" This made Riverkit bristle her gray fur, and Sunkit lashed his golden tail angrily as he pounced on his sister, hissing and snarling. Rubypaw rolled her eyes at the kits, padding to her nest to eat the thrush.

She took a bite out of it, spitting out a feather. She watched Riverkit and Sunkit play as Violetfrost padded into the medicine den. Rubypaw sighed, taking another bite and pushed away her food, resting her head on her paws. I miss Beaverpaw. It's so boring without him. There are no other apprentices to talk to. She sighed, remembering Egretpaw.

No. Stop. She told herself, growling and scolding herself. Don't. She sighed sadly, opening her eyes to stare at a blank wall. It's so lonely it the apprentice den. She wondered when Riverkit and Sunkit would become apprentices. She slowly dozed off, dreaming of becoming a warrior with Beaverpaw.

***

Rubypaw yawned, waking up. The sun burned her eyes she she stretched her claws as she glanced at the clearing. She saw Turtlefur quietly chatting with Maplestar, glancing at Rubypaw. They paused, and went back to talking. Rubypaw tilted her head, and padded over to the prey pile. She saw a quail on top of the pile, smiling and picked it up.

She padded outside, deciding she wanted to watch the forest as she ate. She plopped down beside the entrance, eating the quail and spitting out the feathers. She sighed, glancing behind her shoulder then at the pine forest. They wouldn't mind if I took a walk, would they? She asked, heaving herself up and padded into the dark forest.