An Appearance Doesn't Define Me

Chapter 5: Walk and Talk

   "Tallshade!" Ivypaw shouted as she skidded to halt in the Nursery only to find a singular cat lying in the den

   "Ivypaw? What are you doing here?" Echotail raised her head looking puzzled at the sudden intrusion of her quiet.

   "Where's Tallshade? What...?" Ivypaw looked at her mother's closest friend, confused - she didn't look in pain. The pregnant she-cat got up and moved toward the young cat.

   "Are you okay dear?"

   "Dropstar said I was needed here..." a chuckle rose from the older cat.

   "Sounds like he wanted to get you out the den, eager beaver." Ivypaw dipped her head questioningly before realising that she had been in the Medicine den since sun high.

   "Have you seen the territory yet?" The question came suddenly.

   "Yeah, Tallshade took me out with the dawn patrol." Ivypaw looked at her, confused with the sudden question.

   "Then would you like to see if your friend's free and the three of us can go on walk?" she asked with wistfulness as Ivypaw released she hadn't seen Echotail outside of the camp almost half a moon.

   "Sure!" Ivypaw dashed off to see her leader exiting the den. She slowed down to allow him to pass then trotted into the den.

   Sapphire was lying down - staring at the remains of a shrew, her fear-glossed gaze cleared as she raised her head to look at Ivypaw. "You left me!... meanie." She said with a dignified sniff.

   "Sorry, it was just Dropstar mucking about, he has a kit-like sense of humour, he's always been pulling pranks. Most cats found it not becoming of a deputy - but then no-cat can argue that he's been good for the clan, and Weedstar joined StarClan two moons ago so... And he's like what...eight moons older than my parents-" Ivypaw was interrupted by a cough coming from the injured cat.

   "You ramble often?" She stood up to face the dark brown cat.

   "Cinna... Cinnam... C...i...nmama? I... mon..." she gave up after a couple more attempts to say 'Cinnamon' "my sister calls it ranting – I get it from Eelstripe, my father... we both get side-tracked easily...sorry!" Sapphire let out a purr of amusement.

    "Did you want to tell me something?" she asked, noticing Ivypaw's tail fluffed and her pupils wide in excitement.

   "Yeah! Do you want to go for a walk with me and Echotail?" Ivypaw tilted her head questioningly.

   "Sure... Am I allo-" she was interrupted by a shout of excitement and Ivypaw practically shoving her out the entrance.

   Once outside, Ivypaw saw the tension in Sapphire's shoulders vanish, it was just past sunhigh, so patrols had gone out and the main territory was empty. Just what a scared cat out of their depth needs, Ivypaw thought, lifting her head to feel the light breeze on her face, glancing at the greying sky she started to wonder how the kittypet felt about the rain.

   "How was sleeping in the Medicine Den?" Echotail asked, her green eyes flicked to the holes in the trodden path as she stepped over them.

   "It was good, much quieter then the Nursery," Ivypaw nodded, "but it was weird not having Cin'paw snoring in my ear."

   Echotail chuckled, "It was the same with your father when we moved to the Apprentices' Den – though I could still hear his snorting from across the den." Ivypaw laughed, listening as the queen rattled on about Eelstripe and his loud sleeping habits.

    A laugh caught her ear and turned to see Sapphire's ears pricked with interest as Echotail told a story of Rosecloud moving to the Warriors' Den when Eelstripe caught a cold that escalated his snores. It felt comfortable. So comfortable that a question weaved into the forefront of Ivypaw's mind.

   "Echotail," Ivypaw called in a whisper, the queen whisked her tail in anticipation. "Is it possible for a k...kittypet to become a warrior?"