Curlykit's Adventures

Chapter 7

      "I miss Curlypaw," Pantherpaw wailed. "I hope he's okay." Loudpaw tried to comfort her sister, "I know he's okay. He'll be back soon." Loudpaw didn't believe herself. She knew that Curlypaw would've gone for revenge even if the whole world disagreed. "We should've listened to him. We should've supported him. We should've gone with him," Pantherpaw meowed sadly. Loudpaw agreed with her sister. She wished, so bad, for Curlypaw to come home.
      It's been about a moon and Curlypaw hadn't returned. The TimberPeak cats decided to put their worries to rest, and all agree that he wasn't returning. Pantherpaw and Loudpaw continued to fight to keep their hope alive. "He'll return, I know he will!" Loudpaw yowled. "He wouldn't just abandon his clan like this!" "Well he did, Loudpaw! Just drop it, okay?" Breezestar growled. "We all wish he didn't leave. But he did." And with that, Breezestar turned and stalked away.
      Loudpaw padded to the apprentices' den. "We have to find him," she meowed to Pantherpaw. "Drop it, Loudpaw," Pantherpaw meowed tiredly. She wasn't tired–she was done. Emotionally and physically. All her wailing and crying must've tired her out, Loudpaw thought, I have to motivate her somehow. "Pantherpaw, we can't give up!" Loudpaw wailed, staring directly at her sister. "Curlypaw wouldn't want us to!" "Curlypaw would want us to forget about him!" Pantherpaw whipped around and hissed, her fur rising, "he's not coming back, Loudpaw! Why can't you just accept that?" Loudpaw cowered away from her sister. Her fur stood on end. "So you're just going to give up?" Loudpaw growled. "What else is there to do?" Pantherpaw meowed irritatedly. "Sit around and wait?" "Fine. Give up," Loudpaw sighed. "But don't complain if I leave to find him."

     "You're not going anywhere," Breezestar growled. "We already lost your brother, we don't need to lose you too." "Breezestar, I can find him," Loudpaw protested. "I promise you, he wouldn't of ditched us like this." "What makes you so sure?" Breezestar's glare sliced through Loudpaw. "Because he's my brother," she growled defensively, "I'm one of the only cats that know him this well." "Well you're mistaken, Loudpaw. Your brother probably never cared."
     Breezestar stopped his glare and looked at the dusty, leafy floor. "Besides," he meowed after a while, "he's happy where he is, I'm sure." "I'm sure he's not!" Loudpaw gasped. "He was probably taken hostage! He could be being threatened to be killed!" "Well does it look like it's my problem to deal with?" Breezestar's eyes flared with anger. "It's not. He got himself in trouble, he can get himself out. Now drop it and leave." He flicked his tail, indicating that he was done talking, and also to dismiss Loudpaw. "Breezestar, please–" Loudpaw mewed before being dragged out of his den by Crowfrost, the TimberPeak deputy.
     Loudpaw padded back to the apprentices' den with her tail and head down. StarSkies, please keep Curlypaw safe, she prayed. "Loudpaw, are you okay?" Loudpaw turned around and looked up. Mustachemuzzle was looking down at her, concern glinted in her eyes. There was also a hint of sadness. "I'm okay, Mustachemuzzle. Thanks for asking." Loudpaw meowed before turning to walk away. "I miss him," Mustachemuzzle meowed suddenly. "I can't imagine how you feel. Y'know, as his littermate and all." Loudpaw stopped in her tracks. "Yeah. It sucks," she meowed. "How's Pantherpaw?" Mustachemuzzle asked. "Same as me," Loudpaw meowed. "I'm going to go rest." "Okay. I'm here for you, Loudpaw. Remember that." Loudpaw barely heard Mustachemuzzle's comment, as she had already reached the apprentices' den. Loudpaw flicked her tail to let Mustachemuzzle know she had been heard, before entering the den.
     "So you didn't leave," Pantherpaw mumbled as her sister emerged through the bramble vine entrance to the apprentices' den. "Not yet," Loudpaw meowed, rolling her eyes. Pantherpaw seemed to get the message that Loudpaw didn't want to talk to her, as she narrowed her eyes and laid her head back down.
     "If you don't want to talk, that's fine," Pantherpaw growled, "but don't push me away." "You seemed to be in the mood to lock me out of your life earlier," Loudpaw meowed smartly. "Once I do it, it's like a battle. Why is that?" "Because I hate it when you do it," Pantherpaw rasped. "And I don't when you do it to me?" Loudpaw challenged, teeth bared. "Look, if you don't want me to be a jerk, then don't be one yourself." Loudpaw turned and padded out of the den.
      When Loudpaw was back in the clearing, she stood still for a while. "I can't stand her!" she growled to herself. Loudpaw nodded to Mustachemuzzle, who padded over to her. "Going out?" Mustachemuzzle mewed. "Yeah. I need something to take my mind off of Pantherpaw." Loudpaw sighed. She hated not wanting to be near Pantherpaw, but she couldn't bare seeing her right now. "I'll come with you. We can go on a miniature patrol," Mustachemuzzle meowed, tilting her head. "Okay, thanks," Loudpaw meowed, following Mustachemuzzle out of camp.
Since Loudpaw was training to be a warrior, it wasn't hard for her to get on task. Even though Mustachemuzzle wasn't her mentor, Crowfrost didn't mind them going out on patrol. Loudpaw didn't ask Mousestem, her mentor, if she was allowed to go on patrol with Mustachemuzzle. Sure, Crowfrost would most likely tell him why his apprentice wasn't in camp.
     "Loudpaw? Loudpaw? Hello?" Mustachemuzzle's voice was fuzzy. Loudpaw snapped back to reality. "Huh?" she meowed. "You dozed off," Mustachemuzzle snickered. "Come here, don't fall in that fox hole." Loudpaw looked down at the ground in front of her paws. There was a fox hole barely a tail-length in front of her. "Oh," Loudpaw mewed, jumping to the side. Mustachemuzzle continued walking. Loudpaw matched her pawsteps with Mustachemuzzle's. "I can't stand Pantherpaw," Loudpaw complained.
     She didn't trust Mustachemuzzle that much, she only knew her because she liked her brother. And more than a friend. Even though she wouldn't of confided in Mustachemuzzle, it all just spilled out. "She acts like it's my fault Curlypaw left." "I would suggest talking to her, but seeing as that's already been tried, there's nothing else I could really say to do," Mustachemuzzle meowed. Loudpaw sighed, "I wish it were that easy."
     "Why don't you ask her?" Mustachemuzzle asked, after a few heartbeats of silence. "Ask her what?" Loudpaw tilted her head. She didn't understand what Mustachemuzzle meant. "If she blames you." Loudpaw thought for a moment, then meowed, "I guess it's worth a shot." Mustachemuzzle nodded. "Always is," she meowed. "Thanks for talking to me about it," Loudpaw thanked Mustachemuzzle. "No problem. Like I said, I'm always here for you." Mustachemuzzle smiled at Loudpaw, hope glittering in her eyes.