Warriors: Beyond the Stars

Chapter 4

"Fogbreeze?" Owlpaw asked his mentor. It's been three days since he has been attacked by the rabbit, and he was fully healed. "Are we going to do more battle training today?"

Fogbreeze looked down with warm eyes on his apprentice and shook his head. "Afraid not," He replied. "It's your turn to do apprentice duties. You're going out with Spidermoss today." He pointed to the large brown tabby with his tail. "He asked for permission with me first, of course."

Owlpaw sighed. "Okay. Bye, Fogbreeze."

He began to walk away. The day was damp and warm, because of the other day's rain showers. Almost the whole clan stayed at camp because they didn't want to get wet, and most cats didn't eat. Today, almost everyone was out catching prey.

Spidermoss was washing his pelt in his den, clearly waiting for Owlpaw to come. Pinepaw has gone to do battle training so he can learn to defend himself, so Spidermoss was alone. Owlpaw dipped his head to the older cat as he walked in.

"Hi, Spidermoss," Owlpaw meowed. "I heard I was going out with you today. Who with?"

Spidermoss smiled. "It's just you and me," He said.

Owlpaw looked at him with surprise. "But the rule says no less than three cats at a patrol!" He protested. "A ThunderClan warrior can always attack us!"

Spidermoss sighed but still held his smile. "Then if I get attacked—" He looked up to the pale sky. "—StarClan will surely disapprove. It's against the warrior code and medicine cat code for a medicine cat to be attacked. Besides, we won't do anything wrong."

Owlpaw understood. He began to remember the warrior code and what Fogbreeze was teaching him about it. He shook his head, trying to forget some of it.

"Are you okay?" Spidermoss asked.

"Yeah," Owlpaw mewed.

Spidermoss nodded, beginning to lead the apprentice out of his den and out of the camp entrance. The camp looked deserted, except for the resting warriors and the expecting queen. Owlpaw smiled as he saw Sunpool, his old friend when he was a kit. She was a very young warrior and had everyone worried about her kitting.

Spidermoss kept leading, and he stopped when they were out in the forest. Owlpaw stared at the medicine cat as he opened his jaws, tasting the scent of the forest. "Okay," Spidermoss explained. "We're going to go to the only place you haven't been in our territory. We're going to the herb patch, far from the other territories. It's the safest place where a cat could be, but it's closest to twoleg territory."

Owlpaw understood. "We're going to collect herbs?" He asked and Spidermoss nodded. He began to walk upwind in the path to SkyClan, with Owlpaw trotting right behind him. No cat talked, except for the distant chatter of birds and the mice climbing all around the forest trees and bushes. As usual, the forest was loud, noisy, and beautiful.

The leaves rippled in the gentle breeze overhead, making Owlpaw calmly sigh. He never wanted leafbare to come. He lifted his head up and looked to the sky. The sun shone warmly down onto his face. Owlpaw loved the sun, for its warm rays were comforting.

Spidermoss peered behind his back to see Owlpaw drowning the sun's warmth in his fur. "Come on," He meowed. "We're almost to the herb patch."

Owlpaw nodded. "Coming!" He called, trotting up to get to Spidermoss's side. Owlpaw looked around and has just noticed they weren't going near SkyClan at all. The trees were beginning to look different, and there were fewer and fewer plants and bushes.

Spidermoss slowly walked, going slower as well, slinking to the ground. Owlpaw got down as well, not knowing what to do. The two toms now hid in the undergrowth, looking over the tall grass. "What's that over there?" Owlpaw asked in a hushed tone.