With a swift bite, the squirrel was dead. The last prey for his hunt. Currenttail picked up the magpie and vole before heading back to camp.
He probably should have joined the patrol earlier. But he had missed it by a bit, and didn't want to wait. So he had just started to hunt himself. A new patrol probably would have came out now. But it was too late. He was already finished with his contribution to the clan.
He dropped his freshkill in the pile. Maybe he should give something to Pureheart? He could tell she had tried talking to him multiple times. And his stuttering problem made it seem awkward. He didn't want to seem uncomfortable.
He brought his prey to the medicine den. Expecting purrs to erupt from the bubbly she-cat. Yet it was filled with pure silence. No cats were found. But the herbs were sorted. He figured.
It seemed as if Pureheart had already gathered herbs. So why wasn't she here? He shrugged as he exited the den, he shouldn't care. Currenttail didn't know medicine cat stuff.
He looked around. Not seeing her. But Emberpaw seemed to be in the same spot she had been laying in since he left. She must've seen Pureheart leave.
"Do you know where Pureheart is?" Currenttail asked Emberpaw.
Her fur spiked up as she let out a threatening hiss, "Why tell you? Figure it out for yourself."
Currenttail grumbled.
"If your so curious about a cat that barely talks to you she's doing random medicine cat stuff!" Emberpaw added louder, "Now go away."
Obviously Emberpaw hadn't gotten over what had happened yesterday. When she had told him about her pretend dream. Currenttail didn't believe it. Maybe he just had to figure out how to knock some sense into her.
Without a protest Currenttail had walked away, finding a spot to enjoy the freshkill for himself. He had doubted Emberpaw caught anything herself, so she probably couldn't eat.
Shes so boastful, and ambitious, yet she can't do anything herself! How does she expect anyone to believe that? She rarely can catch a mouse! Currenttail thought rather rudely.
He felt the apprentice's eyes narrowing at him suspiciously. As if she knew what he was thinking. Any cat could figure he was thinking bad thoughts about Emberpaw. Who didn't?
Yet somehow, she had gotten Fernstar as her new mentor. She had been too much for Monarchwing, and the former cat had given up. Her former mentor, Fallenbranch had given up as well. But he had died to a venomous adder just a few days after. Causing a whole drama about Emberpaw killing him.
But she could barely attack someone right in front of her. It was impossible, and Fernstar cleared the rumor quickly. Perhaps mentoring her and defending her was an act of pity. The apprentice might never become a warrior.
It would knock some sense into her. Maybe she would actually start putting effort, especially if she was still an apprentice when Songkit and Ashkit's ceremony came around. It would be kind of funny, but sad.
Currenttail shook his head as he took a bite out of his prey. He couldn't keep on thinking about how bad Emberpaw was.He had better things to do. The apprentice being last.
"Currenttail, I want to save prey for the kits. Do you mind sharing with me?" Asked a voice, when Currenttail took a quick glance he had thought Pureheart was back. Causing him to nod.
But the golden cat had green eyes. Making him realize it was Tansyleaf. Pureheart's sister. He didn't stutter as much to her as Pureheart, but his voice was shakey as he let out a quiet, "Sure."
Her eyes lit up with excitement; over prey. She took a bite of it before giving it back to Currenttail.
He had taken a bite out of the delicious fresh-kill. Hoping for Tansyleaf to have the rest. But she had just sat there.
That's it? Aren't you starving?
Yet she wasn't more thin than the rest of the cats. Perhaps she had even more prey earlier. That would make sense. Maybe she was a bit hungry again but didn't want to waste a perfectly fine prey that could go to the said-earlier kits.
He also hadn't realized he'd been staring at her. In a rather creepy way.
"Oh, maybe I shouldn't watch you eat." She chuckled, "I just realized how weird it was just sitting here."
That wasn't what he had needed. But Currenttail gave her a nod as she went on her way. He dug his claws in the ground.
That was stupid. Your just as bad as Emberpaw, your just making everyone dislike you! He had told himself.
Tansyleaf probably didn't dislike him, but that situation was awkward. And it didn't benefit their acquaintanceship.
He sighed as he took a few more bites, finishing his kill. Starting to discard the bones. Now was the time Currenttail had to figure out what to do for the rest of the day.
He couldn't think of any patrols he could join on time, he had already hunted. Talking to cats wasn't his greatest thing. Normally he would be talked to death by Emberpaw. But since she was mad at him she refused to chat. He couldn't say he missed or liked it. But there had felt a bit of emptiness in his day.
He could possibly have talked to Pureheart. But he didn't know where in all the clans she was, plus she would be distracted from medicine cat duties.
After the awkward situation with Tansyleaf, it wasn't wise to go back to her. He wasn't a good conversation starter either, and he would have to do the job.
He hadn't talked to other cats all day. Most of them weren't around his age, which made him feel uncomfortable talking to much older warriors. He could talk to Sunmist, but the only think he could agree on with Emberpaw. No one really liked talking to Sunmist.
With all options crossed out, Currenttail glanced around. He walked toward a rock and laid down, just sunbathing. Like Emberpaw had been doing all day because of Fernstar's absence due to being busy.
Though he felt lazy; Currenttail could admit it felt nice. The warm rays on his pelt as he laid on an already heated rock. The only thing that bothered him was being vulnerable. Cats could stare at him, which he didn't feel so comfortable doing.
He'd lie there for a bit. Not being able to doze off, more of having his thoughts in the clouds. Thinking about different things: cats, prey, relationships, loyalty, he could go on. But he was trying to relax.
***
The sun had seemed to be going down when he snapped out of it. He could hear cats whispering about something, forcing him to get up and listen. What could had happened during the time he zoned out?
"Purehearts been out for a really long time. I have a scratch that I need to have healed." Said one cat, muttering as they showed a cut on their paw. It had stopped bleeding already.
He looked around, Emberpaw had probably seen her last. He narrowed his eyes to the apprentice, who's fur stood up as she was tense. Had she been holding back something that she didn't tell him? Did she have something to do with this?
She had been in camp almost all day. If something involved her she probably only knew about it. Not responsible for it. Yet he didn't think he was the right fit to ask her. Considering their argument.
He could tell Fernstar, then she would ask Emberpaw. Since she was her mentor now, she probably started to get closer.
Who else could know something? Tansyleaf? Yet she had seemed just as curious as the rest of the cats.
Perhaps it was an issue that wasn't among the clan. Perhaps Pureheart had gone alone and got kidnapped. That could've been possible.
Who would want to kidnap her though? FreeClan was never involved in wars, and she wouldn't harm a fly. No cat would have any reason to kidnap her.
What if she was taken by twolegs? Now he was just making theories, but he over thinked every possible answer. What would FreeClan do without a medicine cat? Pureheart had no apprentice, she had just recently because a full medicine cat herself! Especially after the death of her mentor.
"Did you see her?" Juniperbush had came up to him, "I saw you go in her den. Was she there then?"
"N-No." He wasn't used to being interrogated like that.
"Was there signs of her disappearance in her den?" Another cat, Eaglestrike had asked.
"I don't know! It was just silent so I left. I don't know anything about this." Currenttail told the two warriors, before anyone else could have come up to him.
They probably thought she had talked to him last. Since he was in her den not too long ago. He didn't think that any cat realized that the one that could possibly have the most information was the outcast, standing outside the crowd of cats.
Directing blame would just get him even more questioned. And it would harm the highest relationship he had even more. Yet Emberpaw didn't deserve to get unquestioned.
He tensed up. There hadn't been a lot of drama in FreeClan for the past couple of moons. Why was so much erupting now? What was StarClan planning for them? Why did they choose to do this, out of the random?
Currenttail stared at his claws, trying to avoid everything as he pondered what to do.
--------+--------Border--------+--------
Word count: 1705, I know it's short... but once I get into the bigger details it'll be longer.
Uhhh. How about which cat's name you like best? Mines was Pureheart.I originally wanted to make a whole book on a character with that name. Then it transitioned to this.
Oh yeah... and a surprise chapter coming soon!
--------+--------Border--------+--------
Chapter 5- Special chapter!
Chapter 6-Currenttail
Chapter 7-Emberpaw
Chapter 8- Currenttail
Chapter 9-Pureheart
Chapter 10- Special!
Chapter 11- Emberpaw
Chapter 12- Emberpaw
Chapter 13- Currenttail
Chapter 14-Pureheart