The Call of the Tide

Chapter 6

(Don't hate me.)

Tidepaw was on border patrol with her brother, Minkpaw, and their mentors. She was skipping ahead with Gravelpaw when he suddenly stopped short.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I smell bird."

"We aren't hunting, furball," she purred.

"I think I smell BirchClan, too."

"Well, we are at the border."

"Not that close, though."

Dunemist, Darkwater, and Fogtail padded up to them. Minkpaw was following and scenting the air.

"I think I smell prey scent," she said.

Fogtail paused and smelled the air, too. "BirchClan!" she spat. "And they aren't far off, either!"

Dunemist and Darkwater growled, their neck fur bristling. They all began to follow the scent and found the BirchClan patrol just about to return to their territory.

"Stop!" Darkwater yowled. "What are you doing on our territory?"

Basilpaw looked nervous and looked at Sootnose, his mentor.

"Hunting!" Sootnose called back smugly.

"You mean stealing our prey!" Fogtail hissed.

"We're only repaying what you have been doing to us," Elktail said.

Tidepaw didn't like Elktail. After he'd scared her at her first Gathering, she'd been afraid of him. She glanced at Dunemist, hoping that it wouldn't come to a fight. She'd grown close to all the apprentices, more than she cared to admit, and didn't want to fight Basilpaw. And the other warriors looked much stronger than her.

"We haven't been stealing your prey! Why would we want your squirrels?" Minkpaw called out, disgust dripping from her tone.

Elktail growled and stepped forward threateningly, causing Minkpaw's eyes to widen as she ducked behind Fogtail.

"Ha! Are all of CliffClan's apprentices so pathetic and cowardly?" he scoffed, his eyes resting on Tidepaw.

She gasped and slammed her eyes shut. Think of the waves think of the waves THINK. OF. THE. WAVES.

"My sister's not cowardly!" Gravelpaw shouted, launching himself at Elktail.

Before Tidepaw knew what had happened, they were all fighting. She crouched down in terror, shivering. Don't notice me don't notice me. She glanced around for Gravelpaw and saw him fighting Elktail. Darkwater attempted to help, but another BirchClan warrior leaped on top of her.

Tidepaw was readying herself to help her when a flash caught her attention. She turned and saw Elktail going to deliver a heavy blow to her brother, who had been momentarily distracted by Sootnose. She could see that Gravelpaw was turning. She gasped. If he turned, Elktail would rip his throat open!

"Gravelpaw! Duck!" she screamed.

But his deaf side was facing her. She screamed as Elktail's claws met her brother's throat. She felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest. She didn't feel herself running, but she was there, pushing him away from Gravelpaw. Everyone had stopped fighting.

"I...I didn't mean to." Elktail sounded horrified. "He turned a-and...he...I—"

"You monster!" Tidepaw screeched, her voice breaking. "You killed my brother! You killed him!"

Her vision went fuzzy and she stumbled, feeling dizzy. She gasped on her rage. She wanted to kill Elktail. He would pay for what he had done!

She turned and fled back to the shore, wailing and screaming at StarClan about how unfair it was. She suddenly changed directions and climbed up the rocks, going up to the spot Dunemist had shown her, and then went beyond that. When she finally stopped, she collapsed on the rocks, hoping for death so she could she her brother again.

When night fell, it was only instinct that led her to drag herself into the shallow cave behind her. She faded into sleep, still pleading with StarClan to take her so she could be with Gravelpaw.