Taking Flight--a Warriors fanfiction

Chapter 17

The last leaves drifted down from the branches, signalling the start of leaf-bare. Skylark was glad that she had stocked up on her herbs just like Avalanchefall had taught her. Or at least she assumed she did--Splashpaw had taken on the main role of sorting the herbs now, since it was the one thing he could do while injured.

"Skylark!" Vix was calling as the medicine cat padded toward the main area of camp. The brown-and-white she cat turned to face the deputy. Did she need something?

"Come sit with us," Vixenpool smiled instead, shifting closer to Alderwing on the platform to make space for her. "I'd love to talk to you." Skylark was a little taken aback, but she padded up to the two warriors anyway. "Where's Sparrowberry?" she asked, looking around for the kind silvery-white warrior.

"Training with Trailblaze, I think." The ginger she-cat blinked at her happily. "How's Splashpaw?"

"He can return to most duties now." Earlier that day her apprentice had even managed to get out of camp to pick herbs with her, though he still wasn't allowed to climb to the ground. Skylark was glad; she had grown used to having another cat to share duties with.

"I knew he would soon," Vixenpool purred.

"Maybe the engineers can make the sides of the platforms more secure," Alderwing mewed from beside her, shaking her head slightly. "It was only a matter of time before some cat fell off."

Just then, Eeveepaw and Twitchpaw padded over to three cats. "Hey, mentor," Eeveepaw meowed as he slid in beside Alderwing. Twitchpaw meanwhile shot Skylark a smile that she returned.

"Training today was so awesome!" Eeveepaw's violet eyes shone. "Alderwing and I practised a bunch of battle moves." Skylark thought she saw Twitchpaw cringe beside him, and apparently the brown apprentice did too, because he blinked at her apologetically.

Alderwing purred, licking her chest fur. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Eeveepaw."

"Yeah, we'll show those MarshClan cats!" Eeveepaw flexed his claws eagerly. "There's gonna be a battle, right?"

Alderwing flicked her tail toward the leaders' den. "You'll have to ask Sparkstar."

"Oh yeah, disturbing Sparkstar!" the brown apprentice laughed. "My favourite activity."

What if there is a battle...and we have to fight Scruffyheart's Clan? Skylark and Splashpaw hadn't told Sparkstar about the Darkspirit yet, just in case it made things worse. Sparkstar was on the verge of attacking them already, and Skylark thought it was only because of Vixenpool that they weren't acting on it yet.

Vixenpool shook her head. "I'm sure it won't come to that. But if it does," she shot Skylark a look, "We'll protect you and Splashpaw."

Skylark nodded gratefully. Clan cats looked out for each other, and if the RobinClan cats were starting to do that, maybe Sparkstar's wish to CometClan would come true after all. "How about you, Twitchpaw?" Skylark asked the young she-cat, realising that she hadn't said anything. Skylark remembered their conversation together--there were surprisingly quite some things that they seemed to have in common. "How was training with Trailblaze?

Twitchpaw seemed startled. "Good," the apprentice mewed. She hesitated, gaze darting from Vixenpool to Skylark. Skylark hadn't really realised how weird it must be, casually talking with the deputy and medicine cat. But I guess we're all just cats, she thought.

Vix nodded at the apprentice kindly, urging her on. Skylark leaned closer, interested. What did they want to tell her? "Trailblaze said...he might give me a new role," Twitchpaw mewed.

Eeveepaw jumped up beside her. "Whoa, really! Are you going to be the next deputy or something??" His eyes flashed with excitement and a spark of something else.