((The trap is somewhere between the two shown in the media))
"Frostpaw, Willowpaw! Go get Badgerstar!"
The apprentices exchanged a frightened glance. Willowpaw was the first to charge back to camp, thorn in paw forgotten. Frostpaw was right behind her.
Their gait was clumsy and instinctive; tendrils of undergrowth snagged at them and threatened the mission.
Yet, it was Frostpaw who burst through the tunnel first. "Badgerstar! Badgerstar!" She yowled.
Their Clanmates looked up sharply from their activities, eyes wide. The black and white leader quickly emerged from his den and met the two apprentices by the entrance. Although he was startled, his demeanor was calm and collected. "Whats the matter?" He demanded, surveying them.
Willowpaw waved her tail wildly at the forest. "Brightblossom and Ashpelt!"
Badgerstar's expression hardened as he turned to the now growing crowd of cats. Scanning them, he called out the warriors he needed. "Scarletfang, Foxtooth!" With iron fortitude, he beckoned the two with his tail, and bolted out of camp.
Once they had left and the cluster of cats had thinned, Frostpaw faced the tunnel. Willowpaw felt a prick of dismay as she saw her friend's face. "I'd know that look anywhere. You're not thinking of following them, are you?" She asked, slinking up.
"Of course I am! I can't let them have all the fun!" Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"I don't want to get in trouble though. Besides, we don't know whats going on! For StarClan's sake, it could be a badger!" Willowpaw pointed out, curling her claws into the ground.
Frostpaw only shook her head, for she was distracted by the rush of adrenaline that was coursing through her blood. "Your choice whether or not to come." With that, she shot out of camp.
Willowpaw hesitated. She wasn't sure whether to stay, and miss the possible adventure, or to go and risk being in trouble...or worse, if there happened to be a fox or badger lingering about. Cursing Frostpaw under her breath, she darted after her friend.
~~~
The trail of fear scent was more than enough help as to where Badgerstar had gone. It wafted through the trees, sharp and tart. Willowpaw caught up to Frostpaw, who had slowed her pace to a brisk trot.
"I knew you'd come along." Her friend snickered.
"It's better than letting you have boasting rights when this is all over," Willowpaw retorted. She opened her mouth again to point out the stupidity of this idea when Frostpaw's tail silenced her.
"Listen," she whispered, turning her bright blue eyes on her.
For a moment, the only sound was their breathing and distant bird song. Then a wail split the air, giving the apprentices a start. The fur along Willowpaw's spine began to stand.
Frostpaw looked back excitedly. "We're getting close!" She mewed.
Willowpaw glared at her in exasperation, forcing her fur to lie flat. "This isn't an adventure, Frostpaw. This is a real situation!"
The white and ginger apprentice only rolled her eyes and continued walking. "Whatever."
Up ahead, they spotted movement through the undergrowth, making them quicken their pace.
They shouldered through, and onto a shocking scene.
"Hold still, Brightblossom!" Badgerstar grunted, then turned to his assembled warriors.
As the apprentices' eyes swept the spectacle, they gave a bewildered gasp; which caught the attention of the warriors.
"What are you two doing here?" Foxtooth growled.
Willowpaw's mouth struggled to form words in their defense.
"Get back to camp. This is no place for an apprentice." Foxtooth turned his attention back to Brightblossom, who was clenching her teeth to keep from wailing once again.
It was then that Willowpaw could make sense of what was happening. Brightblossom was caught in a trap.
Her mentor's paw was stuck between a pair of shiny jagged jaws. Blood matted her white fur, the contrast being as clear as day and night. Willowpaw's stomach heaved uneasily as she saw glimpses of bone through the wound.
"We can help!" Frostpaw protested, lashing her tail.
Badgerstar was about to speak when Brightblossom spat, "somebody just get me out of here!"
Scarletfang, who had remained silent, ignored the apprentices and crouched to inspect the trap. "There must be some way to open the jaws," she muttered.
"Don't get in the way," Badgerstar said over his shoulder as he padded to join the red warrior
Frostpaw confidently strode after her leader, while Willowpaw followed more slowly.
Meanwhile, the cats examined the trap and tossed around theories.
Badgerstar straightened as his eyes burned with an idea. He glanced around before ordering, "Find two sticks thin enough to go between the jaw's gap but sturdy enough not to snap."
Willowpaw shot a puzzled look at her friend, but Frostpaw was already nodding excitedly. The warriors dispersed as they began to quickly search for sticks. Willowpaw began to prod around the base of a nearby oak, while Frostpaw nosed through piles of fallen leaves. She tried to ignore Brightblossom's bit back whimpers unsuccessfully.
Frostpaw pulled a small branch, with shriveled leaves still attached, out and called "I got one!"
Badgerstar looked behind his back. "Good. We now only need one more."
It was no more than a moment later when Ashpelt dragged a mouthful of twigs out from underneath an elder bush. "Found some." He said proudly, dropping the bundle beside Frostpaw's single stick.
Badgerstar nodded in acknowledgement and bounded back to Brightblossom. "Foxtooth, find the sturdiest stick you can," he said, taking one as well.
Foxtooth grasped one in his mouth and met his leader by the trap. Putting down his stick to speak, Badgerstar said, "I will place this stick in the trap's jaws and push it. You will do the same, only you heave it the other direction. If it all goes accordingly, we can pry it open enough for Brightblossom to pull her paw out. " Foxtooth and Brightblossom nodded.
The rest of the cats stepped away to give them their space, all while watching nervously.
The two toms placed their stick on either end of the trap, finding a gap large enough. When they were in place Badgerstar gave the signal. Both cats pushed and heaved with all of their might. Their claws scored the ground and muscles rippled with effort.
Slowly, the trap lessened its grip until Brightblossom was able to yank her paw out.
Scarletfang dashed over to lend support for the injured warrior. All the activity sent more blood streaming down her leg. Willowpaw admired Brightblossom's determination not to look down at her mangled paw.
"Get back to camp." Ashpelt told Frostpaw and Willowpaw. Willowpaw was more than relieved to turn tail and rush back.
As she was heading back to camp, a dark question crossed her mind. Why would twolegs want to capture and trap cats?
But it was a dull throbbing that brought her back to her current, and less life-threatening situation. One in which a thorn was embedded even deeper now in her paw pad. Pausing to examine her foot, she cringed as she saw specks of dry blood caking the pad, layered with dirt and leaf bits. She held sympathy for Fawndapple, who would soon have the unfortunate task of cleaning it off.
She limped into camp and headed straight for the medicine den where Fawndapple was waiting anxiously.
She rose when she saw Willowpaw's gait and did a quick scan of her. "What was the commotion for?" she mewed, eyes round with worry.
"Brightblosom got her paw in a trap..." Willowpaw responded, suddenly feeling silly for limping just because of a thorn. "...and I've got a thorn in mine."
Fawndapple swiveled her ears to point to the den. "Pondpaw will help you." She said, not taking her gaze off the camp entrance.
Willowpaw proceeded to go inside and found Pondpaw organizing the herb storages. As she caught sight of Willowpaw, she darted up. "What's the problem?" She asked, sniffing Willowpaw all over.
"Thorn," she replied, raising her paw for inspection.
Pondpaw cringed when she saw its current condition. "You should have come right away. It looks as if you've been to Moonpool and back, from all the dirt in there!" She exclaimed.
Willowpaw's ear tips grew warm with embarrassment. She sat down and Pondpaw began to lick away the grit.
"Fawndapple!" A panicked cry sounded from camp. "Brightblossom is injured!" Willowpaw watched as Ashpelt and Scarletfang helped her hobble over.
Pondpaw twitched her whiskers in apprehension. "Poor Brightblossom! Those traps are awful; I hope we can find a way to disable them." She shifted her paws self-consciously before adding, "er, this is my first time pulling out a thorn without Fawndapple's help. So you might want to bite down on something."
Willowpaw shook her head, casting a glance at her mentor. "I'll be fine."
Fawndapple rushed past and retrieved some herbs from the storage. "Did you dry the oak leaves I collected earlier?" She asked briskly.
"Yes, they should be next to the burdock" Pondpaw responded.
Fawndapple wrinkled her nose. "No wonder I couldn't find them; they're normally by the marigold." She collected her bundle of herbs and rushed out.
"Sorry," Pondpaw called.
Willowpaw snorted, amused. "Having fun?"
"Well, it's satisfying. Lots to remember; the details is where it counts." She batted a ball of moss over. "Just in case,"
Willowpaw took the wad between her teeth, trying not to swallow the tendrils that tickled her mouth.
"Ow!" She yelped as Pondpaw accidentally nipped her pad.
"Sorry," Pondpaw said again.
After several more clumsy attempts, the offending thorn was removed. Pondpaw gave her a poppy seed for the pain, along with another apology. Willowpaw thanked her and headed out.
On her way, she saw Fawndapple applying poultice to her mentor's foot.
"I will be able to use my paw again, right?" Brightblossom asked in a low voice.
Fawndapple nodded, but a faint shadow crossed her eyes.
"Hey, how's your war-wound feeling?" Willowpaw gave a small jolt in surprise as Frostpaw jumped out in front of her.
"I think I'll live," she smirked.
Frostpaw dropped the mouse she was carrying in a patch of warm sunshine by the medicine den as to pick up the latest update, should there be one.
"Aren't you a nosy one?" Willowpaw teased.
"Look who's talking!" Frostpaw retorted, swiping at her.
The two bent down to share the mouse after the eventful day.
"When you left, I stayed behind to check out the trap." Frostpaw whispered between bites.
Willowpaw gave her a confused look. "Why would you do that? Don't tell me it's another one of your crazy ideas."
"If you want to call it that. I was trying to see if there would be a way to disable similar traps." Frostpaw replied, swiping her tongue across her mouth.
"...and is there?" Willowpaw prompted.
Frostpaw shrugged. "I didn't really see how, unless we do what we did today with every single one in the forest...and I don't believe we have enough clanmates to sacrifice for that!"
Willowpaw's hackles raised. "You aim to think there's more?"
"Well if there's one, there must be more."
Willowpaw felt her appetite vanish. She imagined traps hiding under every leaf pile and beneath each shadow.
The two looked up as Sunpaw and his brother, Woodpaw approached, their tails raised excitedly. "What happened? Ashpelt won't tell me." He asked.
"Brightblossom got her paw stuck in a trap." Willowpaw informed them.
Woodpaw tilted his head in confusion. "She tried to get kittypet food?"
This time, it was Frostpaw who answered. "No, this was a different kind of trap. It was hidden, and had teeth that bit her and wouldn't let go!"
Sunpaw and Woodpaw exchanged a surprised look. "How did you get her out?" He asked.
Frostpaw then launched into her story, which was slightly exaggerated from what really went down.
It wasn't long before every cat in the Clan had heard a thing or two about the incident, and demanded solutions. And once again, Badgerstar assumed his position atop the Highledge to address the Clan.
The call for the clanmates to gather was unnecessary, for the entire clan was already congregated at its base.
"As all of you know, Brightblossom stumbled into a trap today."
An outbreak of worried murmurs arose. The leader lifted his tail for silence before continuing.
"It was not the cage that was previously encountered, but a pair of jaws that was hidden well. It clamped down on her paw, and if it wasn't for the help of our brave warriors, things could have been much worse."
The warriors that assisted in the rescue straightened and puffed out their chests.
"Yet we will not live like mice in our own home! There must be a way to disable these traps but until then, I order that every cat that ventures into the forest takes the utmost caution as to where he places his paws." Badgerstar finished.
The ThunderClan cats expressed their fear by kneading the ground and exchanging anxious looks.
Willowpaw stood from where she was sitting and padded to the apprentices' den.
Before she had reached it, though, her mother Hollyheart met her. "Scarletfang told me you were there! Are you all right?" She fretted.
Willowpaw shook out her pelt and nodded. "I'm fine,"
Hollyheart purred and nuzzled her daughter's cheek. "You stay away from those traps, hear me?"
Willowpaw nuzzled her back. "Got it."
Her mother mewed farewell and let Willowpaw continue to the den.
Bracken fronds graced her pelt as she padded inside and settled down in her cozy nest.
The traps invaded her thoughts again, making her long for peaceful sleep, no dreams preferably.
What if there are too many traps? She worried. Will they trap all of ThunderClan? Or worse, will we have to find a new home?
Anxiety was twisting her stomach into knots, causing her to make a late run to the medicine den to fetch a poppy seed, using the excuse of Frostpaw's poor skills causing her pain.
Once back in her den she felt more at ease, and at last, sleep greeted her with warm paws.