Pooling Blood (Shadows of Revenge Book 3)

Chapter 3

Shrewleap sat outside the prisoner's den, her tail lashing. Blankpelt sat on the other side, looking more lax. Flightwing's leg had healed from the wounds given to him by Shrewleap during his escape attempt. However, Shrewleap's gaze was more focused on Deerclaw, who was casually chatting with Raintail and Adderpelt as they shared a rabbit. Shrewleap felt her claws dig into the earth below her, her fur bristling.

"That dumb ValleyClan cat, she thinks she could just-" The brown warrior's muttering was cut short by a howl at the Cold Rock. Shrewleap stayed at her post, though Blankpelt scooted closer to her. 

"I wonder who Minnowkit's and Piperkit's mentors will be," Blankpelt mewed.

"Shut up, I'm trying to listen." Shrewleap retorted with a hiss.

"Today, two kits are ready to start their apprenticeship. Minnowkit, Piperkit, step forward." Snowstar mewed. The two kits shuffled forward, anticipation in their gazes. "Minnowkit, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Minnowpaw. Your mentor shall be Shrewleap." Shrewleap's ears perked at the sound of her name. I'm getting an apprentice? She purred in her head.

"Piperkit, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Piperpaw. Your mentor shall be Blankpelt." Blankpelt's ear flicked, just as shocked as Shrewleap was.

"Minnowpaw! Piperpaw!" The clan cheered.

"Another thing I would like to announce," Snowstar added after the cheering died down. "Creekfoot and I have gathered the meadow saffron from beyond the plains. Tonight, I want Flamefoot, Whitecrash, and Flowermask to spread them in ValleyClan's territory. Clan dismissed."

The clan scattered, with Minnowpaw bounding up to his new mentor. He didn't say a word, only gazing expectantly up at Shrewleap. "Right, um, first we'll-" Shrewleap couldn't get her sentence out before she was interrupted.

"Why don't we both go out and explore the territory?" Blankpelt suggested, a bouncy Piperpaw at his side.

"Fine," Shrewleap huffed. Shrewleap watched as Blankpelt and Piperpaw darted off, their excitement palpable. She sighed inwardly, feeling a mixture of annoyance and reluctance. She had never mentored an apprentice before, and the responsibility weighed heavily on her. But she couldn't let her insecurities show.

"Come on, Minnowpaw," she called, forcing enthusiasm into her voice. "Let's start by checking the borders."

The young apprentice nodded eagerly and followed Shrewleap as they padded along the familiar paths that marked the edges of their territory. Shrewleap couldn't help but notice how small Minnowpaw looked beside her. The realization of the trust placed in her to shape this young cat's future filled her with both pride and anxiety.

As they reached the border with ValleyClan, Shrewleap paused, her senses alert for any signs of other patrols. In the distance, there was one patrol, seemingly sniffing out for something. Were they hunting? Or what if someone told them about our plan with the meadow saffron? Is that what they're looking for?

"Keep your senses sharp, Minnowpaw," Shrewleap instructed. "Always be aware of your surroundings, and trust your instincts."

Minnowpaw nodded, his gaze determined as he focused on the border ahead. Together, they continued their patrol, marking the boundaries and ensuring that their territory remained secure.

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, signaling the approach of dusk, Shrewleap decided to head back to camp. She could sense Minnowpaw's exhaustion, and she didn't want to overwhelm him on his first day as an apprentice.

"Let's head back," she said gently, giving Minnowpaw an encouraging nudge. "We'll continue our training tomorrow."

Minnowpaw nodded gratefully, and together they made their way back to camp, the day's events swirling in Shrewleap's mind. Despite her initial apprehension, she knew that she was ready to take on the challenge of mentoring Minnowpaw. And as they entered camp, she couldn't help but feel a glimmer of excitement for the journey that lay ahead. However, that excitement was nothing compared to her annoyance.

Snowstar was chatting with Thistleheart near the warrior's den, sharing a nice plover. Shrewleap stormed over with squinted eyes and a lashing tail. "Shrewleap! Welcome back. Do you want to share this plover with us?" Thistleheart mewed happily.

"No, this is important." Shrewleap hissed, turning her gaze to her mother. "ValleyClan had a patrol out. They looked like they were searching for something."

"It's sundown, of course they're going to have a patrol," Snowstar countered. "I'd be more concerned if they didn't."

"You don't understand, they looked like they were searching for something! Like meadow saffron!" Her eyes folded in frustration. "That means they know about our plan! Which means someone had to tell them! And the only cat who would do such a thing would be-"

"Do not start this," Snowstar boomed. "I gave you an apprentice because I thought you were rational and mature enough for one. Do not prove me wrong," Snowstar held a stern gaze before sitting back down and continued to eat the plover.

"That was a bit harsh, Mom," Thistleheart chimed in. "I know Deerclaw helped me out, and I'm very grateful for that. But we should still listen to Shrewleap's concerns too."

"I know what's best, Thistleheart." Snowstar mewed, taking another bite of the plover. The air hung with tense silence that neither cat dared to break. Shrewleap merely slinked away, her jaws clenched and her tail still lashing. With her own mother against her, Shrewleap wasn't sure how to prove Deerclaw's disloyalty. Anything she said was shot down immediately. But what if she had a second voice? Another cat backing her up would surely convince Snowstar! But who would want to back her up?

"Shrewleap!" A voice called behind her. The brown molly turned around to see Blankpelt trotting up to her, a pipit in his jaws. "Um, I know you really like pipits, so I saved this for you," Blankpelt bashfully smiled.

"Perfect," Shrewleap mewed, a smile spreading across her muzzle.

"I'm glad you like it! Any time you want a pipit, I can catch you one!" Blankpelt let a purr slip from him.

"Perfect! You could help me!" Shrewleap nearly jumped. "Okay, so my mother won't listen to anything I say, right? So I thought, what if I had a second voice vouching for me?"

"Sure! I'd love to! We could bring the apprentices too, which will make three cats backing you up." Blankpelt gave another friendly nod.

"That's it? You're agreeing, just like that?" Shrewleap's head tilted.

"Well, yeah!" The white tom smiled.

"Like, actually? You're just going to help me for nothing in return?" Shrewleap's face scrunched in confusion. Blankpelt gave a confident nod. "Oh, uh, thank you." Shrewleap adverted her gaze to the ground, fiddling the dirt with her claw. With someone on her side, maybe her plan isn't as impossible as she thought it would be.