snakepaw

~~~

"IT'S CONFIRMED." Ivorystar's booming voice seemed to shake the camp, holding the intense attention of the ShadowClan cats. "WindClan has allied with RiverClan."

Instantly, yowls of anger rang through the clearing.

"Those rabbit chasing mangepelts!"

"We'll show them!"

"They've got another thing coming!"

Ivorystar lashed her tail, bringing all the cries to a silence. "I'll be leading a patrol to ThunderClan's camp, and suggest an alliance to Tigerstar," she declared. "I want Waspstrike, Eaglestorm, Foxstorm, and Brooklight to come along."

Snakepaw's ears twitched at the sound of his mentor's name.

Just then, the entrance of the camp rustled, and Clearfrost and Mintpaw appeared, each carrying a mouthful of herbs. Snakepaw shuddered at the thought of even imagining the taste.

"Clearfrost!" Ivorystar's eyes sharpened at the sight of her sister, leaping off the Clanrock to meet her. "Where have you been?"

"Collecting watermint," the ragdoll answered simply, placing down the herbs. "Just doing my job."

Ivorystar's tail lashed. "Collecting watermint, a herb that grows near RiverClan's territory?"

"You're very knowledgeable in the study of herbs, Ivorystar," Clearfrost replied dryly. "I congratulate you."

The ShadowClan leader didn't seem to appreciate her medicine cat's sarcasm. "You know you're not supposed to go anywhere near there!" As she spoke, her eyes darted to Mintpaw, before fixing themselves back onto Clearfrost.

"We were out of watermint," the ragdoll mewed calmly. "You can't expect me to just sit around and let my Clanmates have a bellyache, can you?"

Ivorystar growled. "You-"

"Watch your mouth." Clearfrost spoke coldly. "We're still in public."

Ivorystar took a deep breath, seemingly calming herself. "Go put the herbs away, then meet me at the camp entrance. We're going to propose an alliance to Tigerstar."

As the medicine cat and her apprentice disappeared into the den, the Clan melted away into chatters.

"I really don't know what's been going on between Clearfrost and Ivorystar," Dawnfoot murmured quietly to Birdfrost, Foxstorm's sister. "They used to be so close."

"Yes, I think they only started fighting after Clearfrost adopted Lilylight and Icestrike's kits."

Snakepaw froze. This was the first time since who knows how long that he'd heard his parents' names. It sounded foreign to him, yet so familiar.

"And there's a whole thing going on with Featherflight, too," Birdfrost answered in a whisper. "It must be awful, having such a rift with your kits."

"Snakepaw." Foxstorm's voice brought the gray apprentice's attention away from the gossiping she-cats. "Go get something to eat quickly before the ThunderClan patrol."

"What?" Snakepaw squeaked.

"The patrol?" Foxstorm's eyes glittered in amusement. "The one we're going on in five minutes to see Tigerstar?"

"I- I know," Snakepaw meowed, "but I'm going on it?"

Foxstorm grinned. "Well, of course! I want you to get the experience, I'm sure Ivorystar won't mind having another set of paws to help if something goes wrong. Go on, now, I'm going to let Ivorystar know I'm bringing you."

Snakepaw nodded eagerly as he padded to the fresh-kill pile. Brooklight's on the patrol, too, and Frozenpaw's her apprentice. Maybe Frozenpaw will come along!

The thought excited Snakepaw for some reason. Perhaps Viperpaw was right, and he did have a crush on Frozenpaw. Either way, he was pretty sure the white she-cat liked him back.

Making his way to the prey pile, Snakepaw was intercepted by Viperpaw, who looked surprisingly jubilant.

"Why are you so happy?" Snakepaw teased lightly, flicking his brother's ears.

"Because, Sandstrike told me to clean out the elders den, except my punishment's over, so I don't need to do it by myself anymore!" Viperpaw answered cheerfully. "Come on, let's go, I'll show you where they keep the moss."

Snakepaw twitched his pelt. "Viperpaw, I'm sorry, but you may have to do it by yourself one more time."

His brother's face drew a confused expression. "Huh?"

"Foxstorm's bringing me on the ThunderClan patrol," Snakepaw explained, "so I don't have time to help."

"Oh." Viperpaw frowned briefly, before quickly clearing it off his face. "Well, that's great for you! You're so lucky."

Snakepaw shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"Snakepaw!" Foxstorm's yowl caught his apprentice's attention. "Let's go, we're leaving!"

"Coming!" Snakepaw called back. "Bye, Viperpaw!"

"See you later," his brother replied as Snakepaw bounded excitedly over to the patrol.

~~~

AS IT TURNS OUT, Frozenpaw wasn't on the patrol. In fact, Snakepaw was the only apprentice. 

He felt a bit lonely on the way over. Waspstrike and Ivorystar led the way, heads low and bent as they whispered. Foxstorm and Brooklight followed them, the two warriors brushing pelts as they went, talking and laughing. Snakepaw was close after his mentor, suddenly feeling like apprentices weren't supposed to be on this patrol after all.

Did Ivorystar make an exception, just for Foxstorm's request? the gray tom wondered as they neared ThunderClan's border.

Reaching it, ShadowClan's leader sat down and wrapped her tail around her paws, politely waiting for a border patrol to find them. Thankfully, three ThunderClan cats soon appeared from the oak trees.

The leader of the patrol, a ginger tabby with green eyes, wore a rather calm look on her face when she saw the ShadowClan cats. "Ivorystar," she mewed breezily. "Tigerstar's been expecting you."

"I'm happy to hear that, Flowerlight," the white she-cat replied. "So he knows what I want."

Flowerlight answered in a curt nod, turning around to a dark brown tom behind her, whose amber eyes showed more suspicion. "Oakstrike, go let Tigerstar know about our guests."

Oakstrike flicked his tail in acknowledgment and bounded off, leaving the remaining members of the patrol - a black tom and his apprentice, a light brown she-cat - and Flowerlight to escort the ShadowClan cats back to camp.

The ginger tabby struck up a conversation with Ivorystar and Waspstrike as the black tom, whose name Snakepaw learned was Grassfoot, padded alongside with Foxstorm and Brooklight. That left him with Grassfoot's apprentice.

At least he wouldn't be alone anymore, but he wasn't really in the mood to make friends.

The brown apprentice, however, seemed more than willing. "Hi!" she chirped as she padded up to the ShadowClan apprentice. "What's your name?"

"Snakepaw," the gray tom replied stiffly.

The ThunderClan apprentice didn't seem fazed. "Well, I'm Birdpaw," she mewed happily, after an awkward period of silence where Snakepaw didn't ask for her name. "You must be really important, if you're coming on a patrol like this as an apprentice."

Snakepaw ruffled his fur egotistically. "I suppose," he answered, remembering all the different compliments his Clanmates would shower him in.

Birdpaw chatted his ear off on the way to ThunderClan's camp, him only replying with only short, one-worded responses. 

Upon entering the camp, Tigerstar was waiting and ready. Ivorystar and Waspstrike, along with ThunderClan's deputy, Skystorm, were called into Tigerstar's den for the discussion. 

To their credit, the ThunderClan cats were very good hosts. They brought over a mouse and shrew for Foxstorm, Brooklight, and Snakepaw to share, though neither cat took more than a few bites from only the mouse, wanting to be polite. Snakepaw's stomach was growling, as he hadn't eaten before he left camp, but he could see Foxstorm watching him out of the corner of his eye, warning him to seem so ravaged. 

Time had passed, and there was still no sign of the leaders nor deputies from Tigerstar's den. Birdpaw eventually padded over, and with her came a black-furred apprentice with amber eyes.

"This is Crowpaw," she introduced cheerily.

Crowpaw eyed the ShadowClan apprentice. "Snakepaw, was it?"

Snakepaw answered with a nod, not really wanting to continue the conversation, but Birdpaw pushed on. "Well, when you were telling me all about your great training accomplishments"-

More so you were asking and I answered with 'yes' or 'no', Snakepaw thought dryly.

-"I thought of Crowpaw! He's the best apprentice ThunderClan's got, and I thought you two might like to talk."

Exchanging a brief glance with Crowpaw, Snakepaw could see that was very much not what the black tom wanted. Thankfully, in that moment, Tigerstar exited his den, Ivorystar and their deputies following him.

He had big news, though Snakepaw thought it was a rather obvious outcome.

ThunderClan was now allied with ShadowClan.