(Book 1) Warriors: Separations - Six Stars

Chapter 12

Blackpaw sat down in the apprentices den next to his sisters, Dawnpaw and Thrushpaw. Rain poured into the camp, and the ground was a muddy mess. Blackpaw sighed. Thrushpaw stared at him, amused. "What, can't you take a little rain?" she taunted him. Blackpaw rolled his eyes. "Yeah, a little rain." he snarled at her. "It's pouring rain! You can't just pass it off as something so small." he retorted. Thrushpaw laughed. "I was just joking." she mewed good-humoredly. Dawnpaw just stared into space absent-mindedly.

Blackpaw's gaze drifted over to his mentor, Dappletail. The brown she-cat had a mysterious aura, she and her friend, Leopardheart, were talking in hushed tones and glancing at the nursery over and over again.

Blackpaw walked up to Dappletail. "Hey, are we going to train today?" he asked her. Dappletail scowled. "Be patient, okay?! It's raining so much you'd think Starclan hated us, I'm not taking you out to train in these conditions!" she growled defensively. Blackpaw widened his eyes, taken aback by his mentor's harshness. "A-alright... when's my warrior assessment, by the way?" he asked her. Dappletail rolled her eyes. "I don't know, soon?" she retorted. She scoffed and turned back to Leopardheart and continued whispering to him.

Blackpaw groaned. He didn't want to spend the whole day doing nothing. He turned to Thrushpaw and Dawnpaw. He noticed Snowpaw and Duskpaw sitting in the back of the apprentices den, talking to each other.

"Hey, guys!" he called to his denmates.

They all looked at him, ears perked up. "Wanna do battle-training in the rain?" he asked them. "It might be good practice for future battles." he suggested. Snowpaw and Duskpaw nodded immediately. Snowpaw arched her back in a long stretch and parted her jaws in a big yawn. "I wish." she sighed. "But I can't fight. The most I can do is watch-" she groaned. "-or gather herbs." she mewed sadly.. Blackpaw blinked sympathetically at the pretty she-cat. "Well," he nodded to her, "maybe we can go on an herb gathering expedition or something." he suggested. Snowpaw widened her eyes. "No, that would take all the fun out of it." she shook her head. "I can come with you out of camp, but I just won't fight. I can still have fun." she reassured them hesitantly. But Blackpaw could see from the disappointment in her eyes that she really wanted to join the rest of the apprentices. Blackpaw shook his head. "Duskpaw, Dawnpaw, Thrushpaw, do you all want to go on a hunting expedition?" he asked them. The three nodded. "Maybe we can learn about herbs along the way!" Thrushpaw suggested. Snowpaw's spirits seemed to lift at her friend's reassurance. Duskpaw nudged his sister happily."We'll have a great time learning about herbs, and the information will be useful if we ever need a medicine cat." he told his sister. Blackpaw nodded. "I'll go ask my mentor, you guys should do the same." he remarked. The other apprentices nodded back and ran over their own mentors to ask for permission to leave camp.

Blackpaw padded up to Dappletail, hesitant due to their earlier conversation. I hope she doesn't get mad at me. He thought worriedly.

"Hey, Dappletail?" He walked up to his mentor again.

Dappletail turned around expectantly, however after realizing it was Blackpaw, she groaned, disappointed. "What is it this time, Blackpaw?" she snarled at him. Blackpaw shivered under her piercing blue gaze. "U-um! I just wanted to uh... go outside of camp...?" he asked her gingerly. Dappletail flicked her tail in annoyance. "Fine, yeah, whatever. Just leave me alone, mouse-brain." she growled at him, before returning to her conversation with Leopardheart.

Blackpaw dipped his head respectfully to his mentor before walking over to the entrance to the camp where he sat down, waiting for his fellow apprentices.

Snowpaw came back first, her eyes gleaming excitedly. "Shadepelt approved of me going out of camp to gather herbs with you guys!" she mewed happily.

Duskpaw raced after his sister, his tail held high and his ears perked up happily. "Sandclaw said yes!" he mewed excitedly. Snowpaw smiled. "I'm glad!" she mewed to her brother. Dawnpaw and Thrushpaw came walking side by side, their eyes gleaming with the same excitement that reflected how everyone else felt. Dawnpaw padded up to the group ahead of Thrushpaw. "Ivyheart said yes!" she bounced excitedly as she spoke. Thrushpaw gave the same bounce that Dawnpaw gave. "Mmhm!" she reaffirmed. "Foxfur said yes too!" Thrushpaw smiled.