Warriors- Dawn of An Era: Shadows of Terror {Book 2} (COMPLETED)

Chapter Ten

Viperpaw sighed as she padded into the clearing, her tail dragging behind her as she searched for Goldenstripe. Why was the tom sleeping in so late? Begrudgingly, after waiting a few heartbeats, she padded toward the warrior's den and poked her head inside. "Goldenstripe?" She called warily. "Are you in here?"

There was a groan from inside the den and the warrior's golden tabby head lifted from a nest in the bramble den. "Viperpaw," he grumbled. "I was chasing a squirrel."

Viperpaw flicked her ear and looked at the tabby warrior. "Come on," she meowed briskly. "Darkfang wants you on the next hunting patrol."

Goldenstripe rose to his paws and stretched, his jaws parted in a yawn. "Do you know who will be going and where we'll be going?" He asked as he flexed each of his paws.

"She said that Thrushpool and Minnowwind were also on the patrol and you were heading to the Sky Oak by the lakeshore," Viperpaw replied and twitched her whiskers as Goldenstripe groaned. "Don't like water much?" She teased.

Goldenstripe shot her a look. "Cats don't belong in the water," he retorted and flicked his tail uncomfortably. "We belong on solid ground and in the trees."

Viperpaw snorted in amusement as the tabby warrior joined her at the den entrance and began to pad toward the ThunderClan deputy. "Tell that to RiverClan and ShadowClan," she meowed and flicked his shoulder with her tail.

She knew that the older warriors who fought with ShadowClan and RiverClan boasted about how they got their rivals stuck in their own territory. Spottedshine especially boasted about how he chased a RiverClan warrior out of the territory that they fell into the river and had to be fished out by a fellow warrior.

ShadowClan lived in a swamp filled with murky water that made Viperpaw sick. The water was dark and mysterious, making any cat who dare step into it sink below the surface. Viperpaw never saw the violent cats' territory and she hoped she never would. I never want to be in water. She thought with a shudder.

Goldenstripe padded next to her and blinked at her. "What are you going to do today?" He asked, his eyes drifting from her muzzle scratch to her shoulder.

Viperpaw shrugged, pain spiking in her shoulder but she bit her tongue to hold back a wince. "Not sure," she replied. "I'll wait for Dovepaw to come back from her assessment and I might spend time with Dawnslash's new litter."

The golden tabby warrior's eyes glowed at the mention of his kits and he nudged her shoulder with his nose. "Are you interested in having kits?" He questioned. While his tone was teasing, Viperpaw couldn't help but shy away from the question.

"I'm...not sure quite yet," she replied quietly and flicked her ear. "Do you mind if I spend time with your kits?" Viperpaw met his eyes, seeing an amused gleam in their light green depths.

"Of course not," he purred. "You can spend your entire life with them and I wouldn't care." Goldenstripe flicked her ear with his tail playfully. "Just make sure they don't get into too much trouble without me."

"Goldenstripe!" Thrushpool's call made the warrior and apprentice look over at the two she-cats standing at the camp entrance. "Come on!"

Goldenstripe whisked his tail. "Wait a second, you impatient badger!" He called back teasingly, and Thrushpool screwed up her face playfully. When he turned his attention back to Viperpaw, he dipped his head. "If Dawnslash threatens to claw their ears off, tell her that it will only make them think it will make them look cooler." He purred and bounded away, being told off by Minnowwind.

Viperpaw twitched her whiskers and looked over to the nursery, which was alive with kitten squeaks. Heading toward the bramble den, she poked her head inside and saw Dawnslash curled in the corner with her paws over her ears. She smiled and looked over to see Curlkit wrestling with Ferretkit while Scorchkit and Swiftkit cheered.