Skypaw and Greypaw

Chapter 6

Chapter #6

“Race you!” Mosspaw yowled over his shoulder loudly. Skypaw took off after him, with Reedpaw, Blossompaw and Greypaw close behind. Skypaw easily overtook her best friend, and soon had a lead of a fox- length. Her denmates and her were on a large hunting patrol, with all of the apprentices and their mentors. As far as she knew, the mentors were going to meet them at the Burnt Oak, which was an oak tree that was blackened because it was struck by lightning long ago.

Even though, the snow was deep and soft, she ran through it easier than her fellow cats. She risked a glance over her shoulder; Greypaw was closest, but still far behind the swift and slender she- cat. Blossompaw and Reedpaw were racing side by side, while Mosspaw struggled with his long coat to keep up. His coat was clogging with clumps of snow, slowing him down. Through the tree trunks, she noticed the black tree, which stood out against the snow. She reached it in a brief minute and skidded to a halt, whirling around to view her denmates arrive also. Her sides were heaving with the exhausting run, but she had enjoyed it tremendously. Greypaw flopped down in front of her, sinking into the snow and panting loudly.

“Great Starclan! Oh, Skypaw, couldn't you have been a little easier on us?” Greypaw gasped. “My ribs hurt, and my lungs burn!” He complained unhappily. Skypaw twitched her whiskers with amusement.

Blossompaw arrived a whisker- length before Reedpaw, followed by Mosspaw, who stumbled clumsily the last bit until he dramatically gave a moan and dropped onto his back.

“You're too fast!” Reedpaw complained, hunched over. He frowned at her playfully, but stood straighter when he caught his breath.

“Sorry! I do have longer legs than any of you, so it was a little unfair,” Skypaw apologized sincerely.

“I'm going to die!” Mosspaw wailed from in a snowdrift. Skypaw purred with amusement. The soft tom poked his nose out of the snow and wrinkled it, as if he smelt something rotten.

“Well, our mentors should be here in a while . . .,” Blossompaw started, licking her white, furry chest after. Her amber eyes flicked with a playfulness as she looked up. “What should wed o in the meantime?”

“We could train for a few moments?” Greypaw suggested. “Teams?”

“Sure!” Skypaw agreed blissfully.

“Me, Skypaw and Blossompaw against Greypaw and Reedpaw?” Mosspaw wondered aloud.

“That's not fair, though,” Skypaw meowed tentatively. “I think-”

“Skypaw and Greypaw against us littermates,” Reedpaw finished. Skypaw nodded. Greypaw nudged her with a large fore paw. And led her to the other side of the small clearing. The three littermates lined up in a fierce line, spitting at the two older cats. Skypaw growled, and Greypaw started to stalk forward, around the edge of the clearing. Skypaw followed his lead and crawled around the other side. She was closest to Reedpaw, and he sprung at her. His eyes were aimed at her paws as he lunged, so she jumped nimbly out of the way, turning on him. He whipped around also, showing his white fangs. Skypaw leaped next, also looking at his paws, but she flew onto his back instead. He crippled under the older she- cats weight, so she stepped off, not wanting to injure her denmate. He burst upward just as she loosened her grip, which sent her tumbling a few paw steps away. She stayed on her paws, and swiped a paw at his shoulder, with sheathed claws. She was dimly aware of their mentors sneaking around to the far end of the clearing, where Skypaw and Greypaw started. They watched them approvingly.

Reedpaw barged into Skypaw, but she used her paws to bring her opponent to the ground with her. She deftly flipped the tom onto his side and pinned him, a trick she learned early on in her apprenticeship. He pouted under her, sighing.