Into the River

Into the River Chapter 13

"Wait for me!" Lavapaw said, struggling to keep up. Leafpaw looked back and noticed Lavapaw getting behind. Lavapaw stopped suddenly and yowled a warning to Leafpaw just before she was swept into a rock.

"Owww!" Leafpaw said.

"Let's maybe just go hunting instead," Lavapaw suggested, helping Leafpaw out of the river.

"Let's get Clawpaw then," Leafpaw said, "She can help us carry it all back."

"Good idea," Lavapaw said.

Leafpaw disappeared into the forest in search of Clawpaw while Lavapaw lay down beside the river waiting for fish. A little while later, Leafpaw and Clawpaw appeared out of the forest.

"Hi," Lavapaw said, "I hope you don't mind that I started without you," Three fish were in a pile beside her.

"It's fine," Leafpaw said, "Also your shadow is in the water."

"Oopsie," Lavapaw said, moving over to give them some space.

After the three of them had caught half a fresh kill pile's worth of fish, Clawpaw volunteered to bring it back.

"Let's look for some birds," Lavapaw suggested, "I wanna try something."

"Sure," Leafpaw said, "Do you see that thrush?"

Lavapaw stalked the bird silently. At the last moment, she pounced and pinned it to the floor. However, she didn't kill it. She grabbed a wing and padded back to camp, careful not to hurt the bird. The bird stopped struggling after a moment, realizing that Lavapaw wasn't going to eat it. At least, not yet.

"Hi Lavapaw! Do you want me to take that to the fresh-kill pile too?" Clawpaw appeared, back from bringing the prey back, "You look tired,"

Lavapaw slowly shook her head and continued padding towards the warriors' den. When she got there, she motioned to Stormfrost and began to pad towards the Elder's den.

Lavapaw reached the elder's den with Stormfrost, Leafpaw, and Clawpaw all following her. She put the bird down next to Minnowsight and it immediately began flapping. With one swift bite, she killed it and dropped it at the elder's paws.

"I hope you like it, Minnowsight. This is the freshest fresh-kill you probably will ever eat," Lavapaw said, pushing it towards him.

Minnowsight looked up at Lavapaw with gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, Lavapaw. This is very kind of you," he meowed, taking a bite of the bird. "It's delicious."

Elmtail, who was lying next to Minnowsight, perked up at the smell of fresh kill. "Is that a fresh bird I smell?" he asked, his eyes lighting up.

Lavapaw nodded and pushed the bird towards Elmtail. "Yes, it is. Would you like some too, Elmtail?" she asked.

Elmtail eagerly took a bite of the bird and smiled. "Thank you, Lavapaw. This is very generous of you," he meowed.

"I agree," Stormfrost said, "This is a very interesting way to get fresh kill to the elders. You deserve a reward for coming up with it."

"Really?" Lavapaw asked.

"Absolutely," Stormfrost said, "I'll talk to Rainystar about your warrior assessment."

"Ok," Lavapaw said, "But only if Leafpaw and Clawpaw can become warriors with me."

"Really?" Stormfrost asked, "You'd give up being a warrior at eight moons, just to be with your littermates?"

"Absolutely," Lavapaw answered without hesitation, "I want Leafpaw and Clawpaw to become warriors with me. We've trained together since we were kits, and we've always dreamed of earning our warrior names together."

Stormfrost regarded Lavapaw with a mixture of surprise and admiration. "Very well," she conceded, her voice carrying a note of respect. "I'll speak to Rainystar about your request."

Stormfrost padded out to find Rainystar, leaving Lavapaw alone with Leafpaw and Clawpaw. She noticed them watching her with wide eyes filled with gratitude.

"Thank you, Lavapaw," Leafpaw said.

Clawpaw nodded, "Yeah, thanks Lavapaw. You're the best littermate anyone could ask for."

Lavapaw smiled at her littermates. Together, they faced countless challenges. And now, as they stood on the brink of their warrior assessments, they were ready to take the next step in their journey together.