viperpaw

~~~

WHEN THEY RETURNED FROM THE TOUR, Viperpaw and Snakepaw got to experience the less pleasant part of being an apprentice: the chores.

"Go take care of the elders' ticks," Foxstorm ordered. "Then you can grab something to eat."

Snakepaw's face wrinkled in displeasure. Seeing this, the ginger tom added, "We'll go out on a dusk patrol later, and there will be time between then and now to rest if you hurry with the ticks."

The apprentices then wasted no time bolting to the medicine den to ask for mouse bile. As soon as they neared, the strong stench of herbs drifted out, making Viperpaw's nose twitch as he resisted the urge to gag.

He didn't know how Mintpaw could stand this.

Clearfrost and Mintpaw were both in the den, rummaging through piles of leaves that looked practically identical. 

Growing up under Clearfrost, the toms knew the medicine den very well. They headed for the back instantly, where the bile was stored, and Clearfrost didn't bother to spare them a glance, her attention focused entirely on Mintpaw.

Same as always, Viperpaw supposed.

Viperpaw felt his face twitching with disgust as they neared the bile. "Gross, it stinks."

Snakepaw grabbed a stick and twirled some up instantly without hesitation. "I'd still prefer this over the smell of herbs, wouldn't you?" His voice was salty, tail-tip twitching as he glanced to the front of the den where Mintpaw was, clearly hoping his sister had heard.

Ah. He was upset about her beating him in the leaping contest, then.

At least he'd made it pretty far rather than falling flat on his face.

The two grabbed the mouse bile and headed for the elders den, wanting the chore finished as soon as possible.

Ducking inside, Viperpaw and Snakepaw saw that both elders, Tigerstrike and Frostlight, were there, chatting idly among themselves. 

"Ah," Frostlight mewed, breaking conversation when she saw the two enter. "Are you here for our ticks?"

"Unfortunately," Snakepaw muttered around his stick softly. Thankfully, the elders didn't hear.

Tigerstrike ruffled his fur. "Thank StarClan. We haven't had any apprentices around since Foxstorm and Birdfrost became warriors. These ticks have been sitting around for a while."

Snakepaw groaned, getting to work. Frostlight and Tigerstrike tried engaging the two in a conversation of some sort, though Snakepaw didn't bother responding at all. As soon as they finished, the gray apprentice stood up and marched out without saying anything to Frostlight and Tigerstrike.

Viperpaw's pelt burned with awkwardness. He felt like he should apologize for his brother's actions. "Er- sorry about him, he's had a bad day."

Frostlight shrugged. "Don't apologize for things you didn't do." She eyed him. "You seem like a very kind-hearted tom," she mewed at last. "Your brother on the other paw..."

"Just make sure to stay like yourself. Don't turn into Snakepaw," Tigerstrike finished for her. "I can tell already that he's going to be one of those arrogant warriors. Hopefully he'll mature and lose the attitude."

Viperpaw nodded, not sure how to respond. "Well- thanks. I'll see you guys later, I guess." He ducked out of the den.

Snakepaw had already returned his mouse bile to the medicine den, and was now tossing around a moss ball with Frozenkit. 

Viperpaw quickly headed for the medicine den. To his surprise, he spotted Ivorystar and Clearfrost, huddled in the corner, speaking quietly with each other. The two she-cats' whispers stopped when they saw Viperpaw entering. 

"Oh, sorry." Viperpaw's fur fluffed. "I didn't me to interrupt."

"You didn't," Clearfrost responded curtly. "This conversation is over." She passed Ivorystar a very firm look.

"Clearfrost," Ivorystar began, clearly agitated.

"I've got nothing left to say," the medicine cat meowed, her voice turning cold. "I have a half-moon meeting to attend. Mintpaw, come on, it's time to go."

The gray tabby she-cat appeared from the herb storage, looking a little shaken for whatever reason, only glancing at Viperpaw briefly as she and Clearfrost passed by.

Ivorystar let out a frustrated growl as she watched the two medicine cats disappear. "Viperpaw."

The tom was so surprised by the leader addressing him that he almost spilled mouse bile all over himself. Thankfully, he caught it all in time, pelt burning with embarrassment as he tucked everything into place. "Yes, Ivorystar?"

"Keep an eye on Mintpaw, will you?" the ShadowClan leader requested.

Viperpaw frowned slightly at the odd demand. "I mean, sure, but- why?"

Ivorystar sucked in a breath, pondering how to answer. "I'm worried," she meowed at last, and left it at that, ducking out of the den.

Viperpaw stilled as he watched the ShadowClan leader disappear, still not quite sure what had happened. Shrugging it off, he washed his paws and padded outside, joining his friends and brother in a game of moss ball.

Viperpaw was loving his first day as an apprentice. The sun was setting, casting beautiful golden rays across the sky. After finishing the moss ball game, Viperpaw, Snakepaw, and Frozenkit shared a rabbit.

Now, the gray tom was just enjoying the view with a full belly, lapping over his pelt idly as he listened to Snakepaw and Frozenkit talk, waiting for Sandstrike to call him for the dusk patrol.

However, Viperpaw never heard Sandstrike's call. For before the cream-colored tom could get the patrol together, Brooklight burst into the camp, her fur fluffed anxiously as her normally gentle eyes were flaring with worry.

"Ivorystar! Ivorystar, hurry!"

"Brooklight." Foxstorm leaped to his paws and padded over to the young warrior. "What's wrong?"

"RiverClan-" That was the only word Brooklight needed to utter for the entire Clan to burst into chaos.

"Every cat calm down!" Ivorystar's yowl echoed through the camp as the leader exited the den, padding over to Brooklight, nodding at her to speak. "What happened?"

"I was on my hunting patrol by WindClan's borders, and then out of nowhere, RiverClan came and attacked," the brown she-cat explained through quivering words. "We're outnumbered, and need reinforcements quickly."

"The one night Clearfrost is out," Ivorystar hissed. "Those mangepelts."

"Ivorystar, we need to hurry," Brooklight prompted gently.

Ivorystar gave a curt nod. "Waspstrike," she called to her deputy. "You take a patrol, and flank left. I'll close in on the right. I want with me Briarlight, Foxstorm, Shadestrike, and Dawnfoot. Let's go."

"Wait!" Snakepaw mewed, calling after his mentor as Foxstorm ran out. "What about the dusk patrol?"

"I think that's the least of our worries." Sandstrike approached the two apprentices with Featherflight; the gray she-cat instantly grabbed Frozenkit and carried her to the nursery.

"Sandstrike!" Waspstrike's voice called for the tom; he'd been chosen for the second attack patrol. "We're leaving."

"Coming!" Sandstrike yowled back, before quickly turning to Viperpaw and Snakepaw. "Listen to me, you two stay put. Go hide in the nursery with Featherflight or something."

"Wait, but we want to help," Snakepaw protested. "We're apprentices!"

"You've been apprentices for one day," Sandstrike meowed pointedly. "Stay in camp." And with that, he turned around and quickly bounded after Waspstrike's patrol.

The remaining warriors were getting to work, setting up lookouts at the entrances and stationing guards in front of the nursery, elders, and medicine den.

"C'mon," Snakepaw mewed. "Let's go sneak through the dirt-tunnel and help."

"What?" Viperpaw yelped. "We can't fight! Plus, you heard what Sandstrike said, we have to stay in camp."

Snakepaw half-rolled his eyes. "Sandstrike's not my mentor, he can't give me any orders. And, how are we going to learn to fight if we don't get some one-on-one experience?"

Viperpaw's pelt prickled with disapprovement. "He's my mentor! I can't disobey direct orders."

"Well, then, how about I snuck out of camp and you, as a noble apprentice of ShadowClan, had to come get me and bring me back?" Snakepaw suggested, inching toward the dirt-tunnel.

Viperpaw padded after him worriedly. "We're going to get in so much trouble."

His brother shook his head, gesturing to the busy warriors around them. "They'll never notice we're gone."

And just like that, the two apprentices ducked out of the dirt-tunnel.

~~~

just to clear up any confusion, next chapter, from mintpaw's pov, will start when her & clearfrost are still in the medicine den and clearfrost and ivorystar are having their argument.

hope you're enjoying so far!!

~ lily