Sparks of a Fire

Chapter 16

"Yes, yes I want to!" she meowed cheerfully.

Windsilver laughed again and they turned to the left of the gorse tunnel. "Ok, if you say so you crazy apprentice!" she joked, smiling and shaking her head in amusement.

•••

By the time Mothpaw and Windsilver returned to camp, it was nearly sunhigh. Mothpaw caught sight of her sister and excitedly dashed over to her.

Mothpaw chose a fat red robin from the fresh-kill pile and trotted over to join her sister and friends near the entrance of the apprentice's den.

"Heya, Mothy!" Foxpaw and Lightningpaw both meowed at the same time. Mothpaw laughed and twitched an ear.

"How did you like seeing our super cool territory? Wasn't it great?" Starlingpaw chimed in, her black fur fluffed up and her yellow eyes gleaming.

Mothpaw grinned widely, her dark gray fur fluffed up and her green eyes shimmering with both amazement and aw. "It was absolutely awesome!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

"Hey, Spot! Come over here and join us!" Foxpaw meowed, motioning with her tail for the dark-furred apprentice to come join them.

Spottedpaw smiled softly and chose a raven from the fresh-kill pile. "So, Spottedpaw, tell me! How did your first day of training go?" she meowed in a friendly tone.

Spottedpaw replied with a small smile. "It went really well, Blueclaw taught me a few things about herbs."

Mothpaw grinned and gave her sister a playful shove. "Aren't you gonna tell us more?"

Spottedpaw just rolled her eyes. "Nope, you know very well that I can't say anything, Moth, but I promise I'll tell you all about it when I can get Blueclaw to allow me too!"

Mothpaw pouted and blew a raspberry at her sister. "Aww you're no fuuuun!" she whined, flopping onto her back with an overdramatic sigh.

Lightningpaw laughed and was about to open her mouth to start saying something, but one of the other apprentices came up to them and meowed an,

"Hey Light! Patchpaw caught something just for yoooooou!" he meowed, drawing out the 'oo' sound. Lightningpaw cuffed him over the ear.

"Oh c'mon Lark, you know I hate romantic stuff!" Lightningpaw groaned. Badgerpaw frowned.

"Ooh! Some cat's got a crush on you!" Starlingpaw hissed and cuffed Badgerpaw over the ear. "Stop teasing your sister!" she meowed, narrowing her yellow eyes. "If she's not interested then that's fine!"

Foxpaw laughed and gave the sable-she-cat a friendly shove. "Oh hush," she meowed teasingly. "I've scene the way you look at Patchpaw!"

"What? No! I don't like him, I like someone else!" she protested. After the sable she-cat said those words, Foxpaw and the others stared at her with expecting gazes.

Starlingpaw spotted Tawnystripe and Mosspetal patting into camp with prey clutched in their jaws.

The sable apprentice called out to them and the two warriors trotted over to the small group of apprentices.

"Hey Tawny?" Starlingpaw meowed to get her attention. "Could you please explain to Foxpaw and Lightningpaw the thing that I told you about?"

Tawnystripe, knowing exactly what her friend was talking about, knew exactly how to explain Starlingpaw's interests in other cats.

"Ok, so, the simple explanation is that Starlingpaw here likes Cinderfire." The ginger she-cat meowed, flicking her tail at a small, smoky-grey she-cat with silky fur and bright blue eyes.

"Say what?" they all exclaimed, blinking and looking from Starlingpaw, to Tawnystripe, then to Mosspetal, then to Cinderfire, and finally back to Starlingpaw.

"How long?" Foxpaw asked her friend.

Starlingpaw blinked and tilted her head to the side. "How long about what, Fox?"

Foxpaw sighed softly and narrowed her eyes at Starlingpaw. "What I mean by that is, how long have you liked Cinderfire?"

Starlingpaw was quiet for a moment before she purred, "We talked for hours when we were both apprentices. She's the best. She's so smart and beautiful and she makes me happy," her eyes were wistful as she spoke, shining with emotion. "We've already decided. I'm going to become her mate as soon as I'm made a warrior."

"Well, congratulations, Starlingpaw," Foxpaw purred, genuinely respecting the she-cat. "You have life a lot more figured out than I do."

"Oh, come on. You must have someone in mind," Starlingpaw meowed, her tone implying that she already thought she knew the answer.

Foxpaw hissed. "Don't make it weird. I'm just friends with him."

"I didn't say anything!" Starlingpaw responded teasingly.

Foxpaw huffed and turned her head away from Starlingpaw, her ears flat against her skull and her fur bristling. "Oh for the love of StarClan Starlingpaw!" she growled in a low tone. "Would you please stop teasing me!" she hissed, lashing her tail and narrowing her eyes. "There's nothing funny about this! So just please stop it!"

The sable she-cat flinched and drew back in surprise. "Eep!" she cried out, giving a startled squeak and leaping backwards. "I-I'm sorry Fox!" she mumbled while staring down at her paws. "I didn't mean to make you so mad."

Foxpaw said nothing, just growling and lashing her tail angrily from left to right. Starlingpaw tried to speak but Foxpaw gave her a warning look and she quickly shut her mouth.

"Just leave me alone!" she spat scornfully. "I need some time to think and to go cool off." And with that, the russet-furred she-cat spun on her heals and headed for the exit of the camp.