Warrior Cats: Cascade

Chapter Eight

Doepaw soon came to the realization that travelling herbs could and would dampen her mood at all times. She swiped her tongue over her muzzle for what seemed like the hundredth time - anything to get rid of the sour taste in her mouth. She felt like she was going to retch. All this gagging had to get her somewhere, right? Beside her, Willowpaw echoed her thoughts, nose crinkled in a disgusted manner, eyes bugging out of her skull. She ran a tail down her sister's side in what she hoped was a comforting way and not one that exposed the silent laughs that shook her frame.

"They get better eventually," Lilypaw said, returning from grabbing her own leaf wrap. "Wait, no, that's a lie. They don't." She coughed on the aftertaste, squinting angrily through the fit of hacking.

"It's worth it, though," Willowpaw wheezed, and the other gathered cats nodded eagerly. Sandpaw had joined them, and Rosepaw was making her way over, mimicking the taste with her expression.

"This is your first Peace Day, right?" Sandpaw asked. His tail lashed over the grass in anticipation.

"Yep," Doepaw responded breathlessly. "I'm so excited."

"We won't be able to compete in any of the good events," Lilypaw whined tactlessly. "It's the warriors that get the best ones!"

"Oh, hush," Rosepaw chided, sitting down beside her sister. "Just be grateful that we aren't still in the nursery, watching the other cats go on without us." She gestured subtly towards Brackenwing's litter with a toss of her head, and all eyes trained on the kits.

"Why can't we come?" That was Cougarkit, his tone pleading. Next to him, his brother, Thornkit, kneaded the ground with his claws, tearing up bits of grass and earth in his wake. Their sister, Hollykit, was stewing dangerously behind her brothers, eyes flaring with indignation.

"Shame." Willowpaw meowed, returning the group to their conversation.

"I remember my first Peace Day," Lilypaw chimed in wistfully, whiskers twitching. "I didn't do very well in the competitions then, but Bearstep wasn't that disappointed. Now I'm really aching to shred some ears!"

"It's claws sheathed," Rosepaw reminded her sister.

"Oh. Well, then I'll have some very bruised opponents!"

The apprentices laughed at that, each imagining their own victories in vivid, yet very unrealistic daydreams. While Doepaw wasn't that confident that she would do well, she had hope. That would be enough to help her through the easiest stuff, but skill was needed later on. Skill that she wasn't too sure that she possessed.

It wasn't long before Waspclaw was going around and rallying the troops, chest puffed out at his importance. When he sauntered up to the apprentices, Doepaw could hardly see the resemblance between him and his more reserved brother.

"Come on!" He called out in his usual, overexcited fashion.

Doepaw was standing on adrenaline alone at this point. Her paws were shaking with nervous excitement, and her eyes twinkled. Beside her, Willowpaw wasn't much different, and she couldn't tell if she was about to be sick from the anticipation of the travel or a last stand from the traveling herbs. Either way, the look the two shared was meaningful: they had made it this far, no problem. Next, they'd be fighting badgers in their sleep.

More sure of herself now, Doepaw broke into a trot to catch up with the rest of the herd, tail swinging behind with her loping gait.