Warriors: Blue Moon Book #2: A Journey

Chapter 13: Edging Closer

CHAPTER 13

Snowpaw

"Snowpaw."

The white tom slowly blinked open tired amber eyes, only to blink them in confusion as soon as they settled on the cat in front of him. Seedflight.

The sight of the pale ginger she-cat got the butterflies fluttering about in Snowpaw's chest. The snowy-furred tom grinned, amber eyes flooding with happiness. Seedflight, Seedflight! Speechless, the white apprentice was left staring at the pretty warrior, jaws hanging open.

Seedflight smiled, touching her tail tip to his shoulder, "I've missed you," she admitted, green eyes that were usually so vibrant, clouding over, "Why did you leave ThunderClan? Why did you leave us?"

The white-furred tom was lost for words. It felt like moons since he'd last seen the pale ginger warrior and he'd almost forgotten how... how pretty she was.

Blinking away his thoughts, Snowpaw at last managed to speak, "I didn't have a choice," he confessed, staring down at his paws in shame, ears drooping, "It's this prophecy, you see," he turned away, "It-It's complicated."

The pale ginger she-cat began to bristle, "It's complicated enough that you can't tell me?" she snapped, dark green eyes suddenly filling with anger, "Some friend, huh? First you leave your clan, then you won't even tell me why!"

Snowpaw shrunk backwards, StarClan, what has gotten into Seedflight? All of a sudden, the white tom felt very, very small and insignificant, Seedflight towering over him, lips drawn back in a snarl and pelt bristling like mad.

"You're so selfish, Snowpaw!" Seedflight snarled, green eyes blazing. She sheathed her claws, slowly walking closer to the quivering white apprentice. She had a mad look in her eyes as she flexed her claws in anticipation, glaring down at Snowpaw.

"I'm sorry," the white tom mumbled feebly, slinking away from the pale ginger warrior, "I'm s-sorry," it was then that Snowpaw realised why he'd been feeling so small; Seedflight was getting bigger. His amber eyes stretched wide, gaze trailing to her eyes, which now glowed a shade or crimson red.

This wasn't Seedflight, this wasn't Seedflight at all.

"It's complicated enough you can't tell me? ... Some friend, huh? ... You're so selfish Snowpaw!"

Snowpaw jolted awake, heart pounding against his chest and amber eyes wide with fear to find Amberpaw crouched over him, eyes clouded with concern. The snowy-furred apprentice swallowed, It was just a dream, Snowpaw, it was just a dream.

"Are you ok, Snowpaw?" Amberpaw asked, tilting her head to study her brother, "You were fidgeting in your sleep and mumbling 'sorry' or something."

Snowpaw's eyes flashed with pain as his mind recalled Seedflight's words once more, "You're so selfish Snowpaw!"

The snow-furred apprentice shook his head, slowly flooding back to the present, "It was nothing," he meowed, "Just a dream, that's all, a bad dream."

Amberpaw's amber gaze washed over him for a moment before finally the grey-and-white patched she-cat eased, "Okay then, if you say so," with a flick of her tail, Amberpaw slipped out of the bramble thicket, leaving Snowpaw to himself.

The white tom heaved a sigh of relief, glad to have some time on his own, even if it was just a few minutes. Ever since the start of their journey, Snowpaw had been spending every night and day in the company of his littermates, so the tom felt the need just to have little time to himself.

With the dream weighing heavy in his mind, the white tom sunk a little deeper into the sandy soil. They hadn't bothered collect bedding the previous night as the ground was soft enough to just sleep on. Snowpaw was sure that Dewpaw would come marching in any moment, declaring it was time they pressed on, but oddly he didn't.