The Rogue Traitor #3 - Two Worlds

Chapter Ten

Birdpaw was bored. Like dead bored. It was also very, very hot, which was causing her pelt to cling to her, plus it was giving her a massive headache. Her shoulder was throbbing very slightly, no enough to cause her too much pain, but it was enough to annoy her. She stretched in her nest, her shoulder twinging, before she stood up and hopped out of her nest. She shook out her pelt and looked over her shoulder at Flowerstem, who was sorting herbs nearby.

"You know you shouldn't be out of your nest," sighed the medicine cat, looking up at the apprentice with exhausted green eyes, "you just told me that your shoulder was still sore."

"Its only sore because I haven't got anything else to focus on," Birdpaw grumbled, shaking her fur again to try and stop it from sticking to her, "and I need to get some fresh air as well. This den is too stuffy."

"You can go outside," sighed Flowerstem, flopping down like she couldn't be bothered to try and stop the apprentice, "just don't leave camp and try not to move around too much." Completely ignoring the last part, Birdpaw bounded outside, soaking up the faint breeze and fresh smell. She skidded to a halt just outside the den and pricked her ears, sniffing the familiar forest smell, pelt prickling with excitement.

"Birdpaw!" Called a voice and she looked over to see her mother lounging in the shade nearby. She sprung up upon seeing her daughter and rushed over purring loudly. "How are you feeling?"

"It barely even hurts anymore," grinned the apprentice, moving her shoulder around to show her mother, "but Flowerstem won't let me go." Birdpaw pulled a face to express her disgust.

"Don't be like that," scolded Moonflower, flicking her daughter's ear, "Flowerstem is trying her best to get you better."

"You make it sound like it was my fault." Birdpaw grumbled. "I don't go looking for trouble, it just finds me." In her head, she cursed her stupid 'future and ghost seeing' powers.

"Oh my," interrupted a voice, "is that Birdpaw?" Moonflower looked over her shoulder and moved out of the way, letting a familiar cream tom come forward. Dewpaw. "Ha! It is! I thought she would never see the light again!"

"I was beginning to feel the same," laughed the younger apprentice, "Flowerstem is very intent on making me stay in there."

"How are you feeling?" The tom asked, smiling.

"It honestly doesn't even hurt anymore," Birdpaw sighed, rolling her eyes, "which is why I really want to get out."

"You are too critical," Moonflower rolled her eyes before leaving the two apprentice as she went and laid back in the shade.

"Do you want to go for a swim?" Asked Dewpaw. "Some of the other apprentices went before but they came back before." He nodded to where his sister and Birdpaw's brothers were grooming their drenched pelts.

"I suppose I could go for a quick swim," the younger apprentice grinned, flicking her tail over his ear, race you there!