Warriors: Silverjaw's Sorrow

Chapter Four

Silverpaw raced ahead of the patrol with her tail swinging high above her head. Her paws ached and their pads were cracked with sores from her first ventures into the woods, but the excitement of finishing her first day of training numbed her to the pain.

"Slow down!" Her mentor laughed, chasing gleefully after her. "You can't just run off like that."

Silverpaw, seeing that Owlpaw had already beat her to the crossing stones, pouted silently and slowed to a lope. They and their mentors had caught up with each other near the Training Pool to return to camp together, but Owlpaw had taken off at a run the moment the barrier came within sight.

"Well, how come he gets to run around?" She complained.

Sorrelmouse trotted up next to her, tossing a playful glare back at Dappledfang, her mate and Owlpaw's mentor, who padded on behind them. He shrugged amicably. She gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes and turned back to Silverpaw with a friendly smile. "I can smell the blood on your paws, not his. You need to get that treated before galavanting around the forest."

Silverpaw halted, lifting a paw and giving the bottom a deliberate lick, wrinkling her nose at the taste of dust, grime, and blood.

"All clean now," she said without falter, picking up her pace again. "I'll get it treated later!"

"Silverpaw, stop right now, or you'll be confined to camp for the next moon!" Sorrelmouse shouted, but Silverpaw ignored her, instead racing ahead with excitement fueling each step.

She leaped onto the crossing stones and bounded from rock to rock, moving as if she'd been doing it her entire life. The water that streamed like a snake between the stones welcomed her with a joyous burble, and she grinned, landing on solid ground. Not breaking her stride, she pushed through the reed-woven barrier, emerging into the camp.

Owlpaw was already digging through the fresh-kill pile, and he looked up as she entered, a trout dangling from his mouth. The fish was large enough for the two of them to share.

Silverpaw cheerfully joined him, and the two strolled to the edge of the camp to settle down and eat their fill of prey. They chattered about the day with delight, comparing their experiences of exploring the territory for the first time. Owlpaw had seen a large bass swimming in one of the rivers. "It was this big," he mewed, lifting his forepaws and stretching them wide for emphasis.

Silverpaw cackled. "You're lying!" She smacked his paws out of the air.

"No, I'm not," Owlpaw insisted, puffing out his fur. "It could've eaten me whole!"

Silverpaw rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. Well, I saw a tail over the ShadowClan border." She leaned close to him in a stage whisper, "They were spying on us, I'm sure."

Owlpaw huffed disbelievingly. "Now that's a tall tale."

Silverpaw adamantly shook her head. "Sorrelmouse stopped me from chasing after them." She blinked as she recalled the red warrior's claims; "Don't antagonize the other Clans. War isn't full of battle and glory as you've been told, but rather, of devastation and grief. Peace is the ultimate goal, not victory."

Owlpaw scoffed. "That's silly. We're warriors, not kittypets."

Silverpaw nodded in earnest agreement, ripping out another chunk of scaly flesh. She just couldn't wait for her first battle!

Later in the evening, Silverpaw found herself nestled in the crook of Lionpoppy's stomach, Owlpaw curled up beside her, the both of them basking up their mother's warmth. The pale warrior gave Silverpaw and Owlpaw a lick behind the ear each, a motherly purr thrumming in her chest.