I braced myself for claws to rake me pelt, but Briarpaw's claws were unsheathed. She looked at me, not wanting to hurt me for some reason. I was almost gonna tell her to just get on with it already, but she leaped onto my back, and pressed my face to the ground.
"I'm pretend to chase you. Now go!" she whispered, and I shrugged easily out of her grasp, taking off, with her following, yowling a challenge. The other two warriors watched in silence, smiling after us, probably satisfied that I was defeated by an apprentice.
We kept running, and then I skidded to a halt when we reached the stream. She was about to stop, but it was too late, and she crashed into me, and we went tumbling into the stream. I hissed as I felt water seep through my pelt, making me shiver even through it was green-leaf. I dragged myself out, with Briarpaw behind, and I shook my pelt vigorously.
I looked at her, confused. But before I asked her the question that was burning on my mind. I pricked my ears, trying to see if the other two other cats were following in pursuit. Briarpaw guessed what I was doing. "Don't worry, Grasseyes and Prickleflower aren't going to follow us. They always have 'great confidence' in me." she said, saying the last few words in a mock tone.
What goes on in this clan of hers?
I wondered, but shook it away in a instant. I can't go back there, yet.
"Wait wait wait wait." I said, backing up the conversation a bit. "Why would you help me, a rouge?" I said, the burning question on my tongue now quenched. She had a thoughtful look, as if to ask herself.
Why did
I help him? I sat, waiting for an answer and digging my claws into the ground. Wow, how impatient I was.
Briarpaw shrugged. "It looked like... you weren't trying to steal prey or cross the border, you looked.. thoughtful." she said, noticing the unsatisfied look on my face, she went on. "Like you didn't even notice to border. I'm sure you didn't. Right?" she asked. And I thought quickly, but nodded a little too quickly. But she didn't catch it. "That's what I thought. You didn't even cross the border." she said. I nodded, agreeing with most of that. But I knew I came to the border just to watch, and even though she believed I was unaware of the clan's border, the little lie won't change anything. The fact is I did nothing wrong.
"What's your name?" she wondered. "Haze." I answered. "And your Briarpaw?" I asked, and she nodded. "Grasseyes is my mentor." she said.
Grasseyes! now I knew why that name was so familiar. I remembered his green eyes, that were frosty cold. That night was so clear, that I shivered from the wind and rain when it happened. I felt a deep growl building in my chest. She cocked her head at me. "Is something wrong?" she asked. I debated to tell her it's nothing, or tell her the truth. Maybe she'll reconsider this 'clan' of hers if she learned what happens when she's not around.
Or maybe it's like that everyday for her, a narrow escape with her life? "When I was a kit." I started. "My mother crossed the border, after chasing a squirrel." I said, and my eyes turned to anguish as she crossed the border, the squirrel's bushy tail disappeared through the fronds. Too much remembrance. She might think I'm crazy.
"They caught her. She didn't know, but I knew it was Grasseyes, the light brown tabby cat said his name. She was badly wounded from that fight with Grasseyes, but she made it out of it alive. But the next day she died of her wounds. Just because of a mistake." I spat out the last words, feeling the anger as I stared down at my mother's broken body with my remaining siblings, wanting to get revenge.
Not yet. I always told myself.
But soon. I reassured. A look of shock slowly spread across her face. "I knew something wrong was with Grasseyes. It seems like he's leader already, when he's not even deputy. But every cat listens to him, for they fear him. Not out of respect." Briarpaw said, pausing to take in a deep breath. "And Burnstar doesn't even have a clue." she muttered darkly. "He's done an act in front of Burnstar, the fox-hearted coward!" she said, snarling out the last few words.
"Oh, I am?" I hear a growl, and Grasseyes himself sprung out of the bushes, bowling Briarpaw over, and she let out a screech of pain.
(That's it for chapter two! Three comments for chapter Three!)
