Sundown

Chapter Three(year one, moon three)

"Wake up, it's Gathering time," a gruff voice told him, accompanied by a strong paw shaking his shoulder.

Snippaw opened one eye and was greeted by the gray fur of his mentor, Streambright.

"It's hardly moonhigh," Snippaw pointed out, waving his tail dismissively.

"That's beside the point. Fallowstar said we're leaving, so we're leaving," his mentor growled, starting to get annoyed with Snippaw's antics.

Snippaw rolled his eyes and reluctantly heaved himself to his paws, yawning loudly.

The silver ticked tabby she-cat approached the two toms, giving the younger an affectionate lick on his head.

"Mallowleaper, please tell your son that he needs to listen to me," Streambright begged, his tail flicking in anger.

"Snippaw, are you disobeying Streambright?" she asked her kit, curling her tail around his back.

"Not directly," he mumbled, giving his mentor a glare.

"Snippaw, my dear son, please listen to your mentor. How else do you expect to become a skilled warrior?"

Snippaw shrugged, not exactly caring if he even got past his apprenticeship.

Mallowleaper took her son's dismissal as cooperation and gave him an affectionate head bump. "Now hurry along to the Gathering."

Snippaw stifled a sigh and, reluctantly, trudged after the gray tom, his green eyes staring longingly at the apprentices' den.

As the two toms left the camp, the late leafbare breeze blew the sweet scent of a freshly-killed rabbit from the patrol in front of them.

"Smells like Cloudstripe is bringing her mate a gift," Streambright remarked.

Snippaw didn't respond, instead enjoying the view of the moorland as if it were a leisurely walk.

"Hey, Gorseshine sent me to check on you," a large, silver and white patched she-cat mewed, gaining the attention of Snippaw.

"You can tell her that we're okay. Snippaw wants to take it slow though," Streambright responded.

"Nervous?" she asked, her yellow eyes narrowing slightly as they turned into a bright patch of moonlight.

Snippaw shook his head, making an effort to lift his tail so he wouldn't be seen as nervous.

"Alright. See you later," she meowed as she caught up to the patrol.

"Hurry up, Snippaw," Streambright meowed, nudging the white tom's flank, shoving him forward.

Snippaw rushed forward, barely stopping himself from hissing at the senior warrior.

"Hear that?" someone from the patrol asked as the two toms approached.

Snippaw nodded, not bothering to look at the matted, silver ticked tabby she-cat.

"That's the river that separates BranchClan and the rest of us," the ticked tabby told him.

"I'm one of the only AshClan cats who know how to swim," Streambright boasted.

"Newtpaw can swim just as good as you," the tabby shot back with a proud grin.

As the two cats kept going back and forth, Snippaw focused on the land around him.

Snow crunched under his paws, the white flakes stretching as far as Snippaw could see, even while straining his eyes.

"Snippaw, did you hear what I just said?" Streambright's words snapped Snippaw back to the patrol and he shook his head.

"I was telling you to not cause trouble at the Gathering. It's only been one day and you haven't listened to me at all!"