ωαяяισя ¢αтѕ // Mintpool's Promise

Chapter 6

Mintpaw watched as the leaders climbed up onto the Great Oak, going on their own branches. Spottedstar climbed to the highest branch, sitting down and wrapping her tail around her paws. Silver moonlight splashed onto her fur, making her golden pelt glow. Thristlefur sat at the bottom, staring up at the leaders.

"Moonstar? Would you like to go first?" Spottedstar addressed the white she-cat.

Moonstar nodded. "Sure!" She stepped forward onto her branch. "EarthClan is doing well." Her mew travelled across the clearing. "Prey is plentiful due to the newleaf weather, and there's still more returning. We have a kit, Snowkit, born to Featherfur, and two new apprentices: Leafpaw and Amberpaw."

"Leafpaw! Amberpaw!" the cats cheered.

Mintpaw raised her head, calling out the apprentices' names as well. She called out Leafpaw's extra loudly, blinking cheerfully at her friend, who had dipped his head down to give his chest fur a couple of embarrassed licks. However, she could tell he enjoyed the attention.

Moonstar stepped back down. "Spottedstar?"

Spottedstar's green eyes gleamed as she uncurled her tail and stepped forward. "AirClan is doing very well, too," she meowed. "Prey runs very smoothly for us. We have a new warrior, Crowfur, and a warrior apprentice, Adderpaw, and a medicine apprentice, Mintpaw."

"Mintpaw! Adderpaw! Crowfur!" the Clans yowled in greeting.

Mintpaw felt her pelt fluff up joyfully at the sound of her name being called. She was able to hear Leafpaw's voice amongst the many, and felt even more pleased at that. Raising her head, she cheered out Adderpaw and Crowfur's name along with the other cats.

As the cheering died away, Spottedstar stepped back, waving her tail at the dark brown tom. "Tigerstar? Would you like to go next?"

Tigerstar dipped his head. "FireClan is doing as good as the other Clans. Prey is very plentiful and is running well. The streams in our territory are now unfrozen, too. We have one new apprentice: Cobrapaw."

As Cobrapaw's name raised into the air, Mintpaw turned towards where everyone was looking to catch sight of the tom. Who she saw made her breath hitch in surprise and fear stir in her belly. It was the tom she'd seen in her dream! He had the same broad shoulders and muscles, larger than the apprentices around him. He had the name narrowed green eyes and the same fur pattern and color, along with the same cold aura that sent a shiver down the tabby's spine.

A feeling of coldness seeped up her pelt. This can't be real! He's the tom from my dream! The one I saw kill Leafpaw! Suddenly, Cobrapaw's eyes swirled towards her, as though he could feel her staring at him. His green eyes sparkled with frost, narrowed, before moving away. Mintpaw felt cold, frozen in place. In her dream, Cobrapaw had so viciously slammed Leafpaw, no mercy in his gaze. This was a cat she should stay away from.

As the FireClan tom's name fell into silence, Tigerstar stepped back, indicating to the final leader to give his report. However, Mintpaw barely heard any of it. Her mind was still whirling around Cobrapaw and the dream. StarClan must be warning me to stay away from him. But why'd they give me that warning? What does it prove? He killed a cat in my dream! Am I supposed to help somehow?

"The Gathering is over!" Moonstar's voice shocked Mintpaw out of her thoughts. "There will be time to share tongues before the Clans leave."

As voice started echoing around the clearing, Echoleaf touched her nose to Mintpaw's fur, frowning. "Are you okay? You look as though you saw a badger again."

Mintpaw pulled away. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry."

Echoleaf shook her head. "It's fine. Perhaps you'd feel better if you spent some time with your friends. After all, you have been spending all day on your apprentice duties." She nodded towards Leafpaw. "Look, there's Leafpaw. Maybe you'd feel better after talking with him."

Mintpaw glanced over. Indeed, Leafpaw was there, sitting with a couple apprentices, including Adderpaw. However, Cobrapaw was there, too, and the tabby wasn't sure if she wanted to talk to him. But, if she refused, then Echoleaf would know something is wrong. "Okay." Pushing herself to her paws, she padded over hesitantly.

Leafpaw caught sight of her as she weaved through the cats. "Mintpaw!" he called, waving his tail. "Come talk with us."

A bubbling cheerfulness filled the tabby as she trotted over, a little more of a spring in her step. "Sure!" As she reached the group, Leafpaw scooched over to make room for her to sit down. As she plopped herself down in that spot, she realized she was directly across from Cobrapaw. The FireClan tom's fierce gaze was on her again. Did Leafpaw know that he was sitting with a cat that was going to kill him in the future? "So, what are you guys talking about?"

"Not much," Leafpaw replied. "We were just complaining about apprentice duties."

Mintpaw purred, nodding. "I hate them! They take up so much time!"

"Right? Sometimes cleaning out the dens takes me all afternoon!" Amberpaw complained.

Adderpaw nodded. "I would much rather be hunting."

"I don't know about hunting." Cobrapaw cut in. His voice was deep, like one that might scare kits. "I prefer fighting."

Mintpaw couldn't help but have another shiver run through her. Fighting. Of course he does. "I would just rather be in the forest," she meowed. "It's always nice and peaceful."

"Of course you would," Leafpaw teased. "Otherwise you would just be spending time sorting herbs, and that's boring."

Mintpaw purred in response, giving the brown tom a friendly flick on the ear. Cobrapaw's eyes were fixed on the two of them. His green gaze was cold, along with another emotion that the tabby couldn't recognize. However, whatever it was, it made the playfulness in her fade, and she lowered her tail, clearing her throat awkwardly.

It was Adderpaw that picked up the conversation again. "I never understood Mintpaw," he meowed, mock seriously. "Who would want to spend time with herbs?"

Mintpaw purred, rolling her eyes. "Say that again when you're sick or injured." This got a chuckle out of Leafpaw.

As much as the tabby enjoyed spending time with the other apprentices, she couldn't shake the uneasiness that she had from Cobrapaw. She was more than thankful when Spottedstar called the AirClan patrol over, announcing that it was time to leave. After mewing a hurried goodbye to the apprentices, Mintpaw had practically raced over to her Clanmates, wanting to get as far away as possible from the FireClan tom.

She fell in place beside Adderpaw as they made their way back to camp. Both cats were silent as their shadows flickered through the woods, perhaps too tired to speak. Mintpaw's mind had returned to the thought of Cobrapaw. Why would StarClan send me a dream about him? If it's to tell me that he's going to kill Leafpaw, why send it to me, and not Leafpaw? What can I even do? As she blinked up at the twinkling sky, it made her feel small. She was just one cat in a huge world, after all. What could she even do? She had no idea why StarClan sent her that dream, but her mind was made up. No matter what it was, she was going to help save Leafpaw. That was a promise that she made to herself.

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Word Count // 1214

Edited

Hi! This chapter gives a little more information on the dream! Not a lot, but now you know who the mysterious tom is! Any thoughts on him?

Also, I was thinking of making a Name That Apprentice book, but it'll be circled around the apprentices in my book. For example, Leafpaw doesn't have his warrior name yet, and so I would be interested in seeing what names you can come up with! Of course, though, I already have his warrior name (and all of the cats') planned! But, it would still be interesting to compare them! Maybe I'll change my plan or maybe you'll just be able to guess exactly what the name is! So, would you be interested in that idea? Of course, there will be prizes! The only prize idea I've come up with is votes. Like, if you get 1st place, maybe you'll get 5 votes or something. If you have any other prizes you'd prefer, you can tell me!

Right, well, that was just an idea I came up with! By the way, Cobrapaw is the cat at the top! Okay, bye!