Spark { Warrior Cats Fanfiction ; Complete }

{four}

They were in the tall meadow grass. It was so early the sun hadn't dried up the previous night's rain. Sparkfur sat still, her eyes closed, water droplets coating her legs and sides from walking through the grass. Dawn light barely peeked up, the sky was still dark. Green eyes flashed open and she darted to the side just in time as Frostleaf crashed out of the tall grass, landing clumsily where Sparkfur once sat.

"How did you know I was coming..?" Frostleaf hissed quietly, standing up and tipping her head so her good ear was facing her mentor.

"We've been training for three days. I hoped you'd understand your own paw steps by now." Sparkfur said bluntly, flicking her tail. Frostleaf blinked, seeming to not understand. "Your steps are like a badgers." She explained, Frostleaf narrowing her eyes, offended.

"I don't understand why we're doing this-- so you can point out my flaws?" She flicked an ear, annoyed.

"No. If I can feel the vibrations through the earth, think of what a mouse will feel!" Frostleaf flopped down on the small expanse of grass-less earth, getting soil all over her white belly fur. She seemingly didn't care.

"Why can't I just be in the medicine den? I'd be so much help there!"

"You know why. Besides, nobody in this clan trusts you enough to even pull a thorn out of their pawpad." The white she-cat blinked wide-eyed. "What? It's true. You aren't one of them, they don't trust you."

"Them? Why didn't you say one of us?" Frostleaf pricked her ears. Sparkfur cracked open her jaw, ready to speak, but she shook her head.

"Never mind. Practice walking lightly. You weigh as much as an apprentice, I don't understand how you have such heavy steps...." The warrior flicked her tail. Frostleaf breathed out and tried walking again. "No, no. You're putting way too much weight in your paws." Sparkfur walked her through how to walk lightly for the second time that day. Seemingly, some improvement. Sparkfur glanced around, bored of watching the grown-cat try to walk right.

Finally. Sunrise. "Fantastic..." The golden tabby stood up briskly. "Lets move to the shorter grass." She instructed, leading Frostleaf through the tall grass. The odd-eyed she-cat followed behind, trying to keep her steps "light." Little improvement from the previous attempts, Sparkfur noted.

"So... You.. Got any family?" Frostleaf asked, trotting behind. Sparkfur flicked an ear.

"Berryfoot." Frostleaf smiled at the name.

"He's cute--" Sparkfur rolled her eyes. He was a piece of fox dung. "--What I meant was a mother or a father?"

"My mother died when I was a moon old. I don't even remember what she looked like. Stormstrike was a kit and he saw her every day up to her dead; he says she was the most beautiful cat he'd seen and always notes that I take after her. My father left the clan following her death. He's a coward." She growled the last line out. Frostleaf ducked her head, and trying to change to a happier subject, she smiled and trotted so she was side-by-side with her mentor.

"So.. Stormstrike?" She twitched her ears suggestively. Sparkfur rolled her jade eyes.

"No. I'm not interested in him, he's like a better version of Berryfoot. Like a brother but never pestering me." She smiled at the last line.

"Oh. But you are interested in someone?" Frostleaf pushed. Sparkfur was getting on edge. She didn't like talking about herself.

"No. Love is a game I opt not to play." She said simply. They had arrived. An expanse of short meadows flowering in the new-leaf sun. It edged the thick forest, the end of the meadow being the end of their territory. That was where two-leg places started popping up: one two-leg place where they grew oats and rye and crops as well as kept animals like horses and sheep. Then a den. And another two-leg den. They begin getting closer until they cluster into rows and rows. That's what elder Niko said. He used to be a kittypet, then a loner, then a warrior of DrizzleClan.

"Of course...," Frostleaf said dramatically. Sparkfur shushed her.

"Look, you see the bees buzzing around the flowers!" She said quietly, excited.

"Careful, they'll sting you!" Frostleaf warned in her medicine-cat-motherly way.

"I've been stung before, there's nothing to worry about..." She pushed away the warning, creeping forward in a hunting crouch. She watched a honey bee quietly for half a beat, before turning. "What's that?" She whispered, pricking her ears. Frostleaf looked at Sparkfur blandly.

"I can't hear out of an ear; you honestly think I heard it?" She sassed. Sparkfur flicked her tail, frustrated.

"No; I heard something. A.. Yell." She edged closer to the forest line, listening intently. She heard it again.

"HELP!" The long-legged warrior took off at a dash, the morning sunlight dappling through the leaves and spotting her golden fur as she rushed past. Frostleaf tried to keep up, weaving through the undergrowth without nearly as much confidence.

Sparkfur burst into a clearing. A black tom, blood covering his once-shiny fur. A leathe light brown tabby she-cat stood over her body, her green eyes wide with fear.

"It's Sedgeheart!" She wailed, "H-he's dead!"