Warriors: Skytail's Reckoning (COMPLETED)

Chapter 21

"Skytail, wake up!" Muddypaw poked her with a fat dark brown paw, rousing Skytail from her slumber. "Brackenmist wants you on a hunting patrol with Sappaw before the first snowfall." He mewed, pacing in front of her.

"Alright, Muddypaw," she sighed and sat up, shaking scraps of downy feathers and heather from her fur. She rose to her paws, surprised when she staggered forward, nearly carrying Muddypaw off his paws.

"Hey!" The tunneling apprentice yelped, leaping back to avoid being crushed to the ground. "When did you get as heavy-footed as a badger?" He looked at Skytail, and his eyes twinkled with wonder.

Skytail flicked his ears with her tail. "What would Fernpelt do if he heard you say that, hm?"

Muddypaw dropped his yellow gaze to the ground and scuffed his paws. "He'd make me pick ticks off Jayfang for a moon." He mumbled.

Skytail purred with amusement and prodded his shoulder with a paw. "Then run along and catch up with Fernpelt," she meowed affectionately. "It's time for your warrior's assessment, isn't it?"

The tunneling apprentice nodded in excitement. "I can't wait to be a full tunneler!" He boasted as they headed out of the warrior's den, Skytail lagging behind. Her paws felt strangely heavy and she felt misshapen. "I'll be the first cat to tunnel beneath all the Clans' territory!"

"Is that so?" Teased the voice of Twigflower as the long-legged pale-gray moor runner padded up to them. She gave Muddypaw a warm and taunting glance. "Martenpaw wants to go hunting with you," she turned her head to Skytail. "Would you take him? Fernpelt wants me to go with him and this lump of fur." She playfully shoved him, and Muddypaw looked flustered.

Skytail nodded. She looked at Muddypaw, and saw the admiration in the younger tom's yellow eyes. "Would you get Sappaw for me?" She prompted. "I'll go see Brackenmist."

Muddypaw nodded. "Sure!" He meowed enthusiatically. "See you later, Twigflower." He purred to the she-cat as he headed dutifully toward the apprentice's den.

Once he was gone, Twigflower met Skytail's gaze. Her blue eyes shone as she tipped her head to one side. "Have you been eating more?" She asked. Her tone wasn't suspicious, only curious. "You look like you swallowed a badger!"

Skytail purred with amusement and swatted at the she-cat's pointed ears. "Oh, hush!" She chuckled and looked over at Muddypaw as he vanished into the apprentice's den. "Are you two going to become mates when he's a warrior?" She asked.

Twigflower looked startled at her question, and Skytail saw her flatten her fur. "O-of course not!" She protested, her voice high-pitched with denial.

The older warrior purred, amused. "Is that so?" She teased. "We won't hear the patter of tiny paws anytime soon?" Twigflower shook her head and moved off quickly, sending Skytail a glance over her shoulder as she went. Skytail let out a mrrow of laughter and headed for the Clan deputy.

Brackenmist looked up from talking to Morningshine and greeted Skytail with a friendly twitch of his ears. "I want you to lead a hunting patrol," he meowed when she reached him. "Go to the barn on the outskirts of our territory. Take Sappaw, Ravenstem, Myrtlestorm, Parsleyfrost, Weaselpaw, and Furzeshine. I'm sure Pepper and Naoki won't mind if we do a bit of ratting and mouse-hunting."

Skytail tipped her head to one side. I didn't know there was a barn in our territory. She thought with a respectful dip of her head. Sappaw was emerging from the apprentice's den with Muddypaw at his side. They were laughing together, and Skytail purred slightly. "Sappaw!" She called, alerting her apprentice as he bid farewell to his friend and bounded over.