Vol. 1/6 ✅️
"Your future - it is a path entwined with thorns. They try to grab you, to pull you into the deepest thicket - and they will succeed. You don't have the power to change your destiny completely, Larkpaw. The only thing you can do is not t...
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Larkpaw reached the other bank and shook the drops from her spotted pelt. Luckily the river was shallow enough that she didn't have to swim, but the water had reached her chin.
Just as Larkpaw was about to set out to find Fernpool's scent trail again, she suddenly realised that it wouldn't work because her scent was camouflaged by the water.
What kind of mousedung situation have I got myself into? Larkpaw cursed under her breath. Furious at her own stupidity, she wanted to hit herself.
Never in her life would Fernpool have crossed the river. Larkpaw looked to the other bank. It was very likely that she had stayed on the other side and Larkpaw had simply been too stupid and had misunderstood her tracks.
Completely exhausted, Larkpaw sat down under a bush that at least gave her some shade from the scorching sun. That's the disadvantage of having mostly black and thick fur. At least I won't freeze during leaf-bare, I guess.
A movement in the distance caught Larkpaw's attention. She squinted her green-blue eyes and recognised about three cats running along the bank of the river.
Did they belong to RoseClan? Larkpaw wished she could get closer, but she doubted she could catch up with them.
"Larkpaw! Up here!"
Surprised, Larkpaw turned her head upwards. Fernpool had stretched her head over the top edge of the cliff. "There's a path over there that you can climb up." The dark reddish-brown tabby she-cat pointed downstream with one paw.
Larkpaw blinked gratefully at her and did as she was told.
"I was worried," Fernpool meowed sternly as she led her apprentice back into the shelter of the trees. "You took far too long."
Larkpaw avoided her gaze, ashamed. "I'm sorry," she murmured. But a fire of anger and frustration was burning inside her. How was I supposed to know how long I should have taken? Do I look like I could hear your thoughts?
Fernpool wrinkled her muzzle disapprovingly. "Whatever. What did you notice on the way?"
Larkpaw quickly reported all her observations. When she had finished, she looked down at her white paws, anxious that she had disappointed Fernpool again.
"Good."
Surprised, Larkpaw jerked her head up. Good?, she would have liked to hiss. Good? Is that the best you can come up with? I was just a kit this morning. You can't seriously expect me to know everything about the territory!
Suddenly Larkpaw realised that she had bared her fangs in her eagerness and her fur was bristling. She hurriedly endeavoured to adopt a relaxed posture. She didn't want Fernpool to think she was being naughty.
"The Pineglade is the place where you learn to fight," Fernpool continued unperturbed. "You weren't wrong about that. And that rock you passed earlier — well, it used to be the place where medicine cats and leaders could make contact with StarClan before StarClan's Peninsula was discovered."
