i've been writing for flashslip's dreams lately - i have to post chapter 4 soon. here's a snippet of that!
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Panic raced through her from ears to tail-tip. This is all my fault. She swayed on her paws, feeling completely and utterly helpless. For a moment, she considered giving up completely and building a den here; then, she caught a strong, fresh scent drifting on the breeze. Riverclan? Swiftly turning, she took a double take when she saw what had been causing the scent.
A white warrior with gray splotches on his fur was sitting in the middle of the clearing. His tail was wrapped neatly around his paws, his ears pricked at full alert. His baby blue eyes were locked on her. She could see the reeds behind him faintly through his fur and suddenly wondered if this was a warrior of Starclan. I've certainly never seen him before. But didn't medicine cats say Starclan cats had, well, er... stars in their fur? Flashpaw leaned her head down to lick her ruffled chest fur, hoping to hide her confusion.
The strange cat simply tilted his head to watch her, and when she rose her head, she adjusted her stance to start slowly towards him. "Who are you?" She asked in a voice that had only a slight shake to it. "This is Riverclan territory, you know..."
The white warrior twitched his whiskers in faint amusement, and when he spoke, his voice was quiet; it sounded similar to the breeze on the wind, or the whisper of the river flowing through the trees. "Hello, young one. You seem fresh out of the nursery. What is a kit doing out here, with no warrior, and no mother to protect her?"
Flashpaw felt suddenly embarrassed and shifted her paws underneath her. "I'm not a kit, I'm an apprentice! That means you should treat me with some respect."
"Oh, of course, my apologies." The warrior purred, low and deep in his chest. "Are you lost, then, apprentice?"
Flashpaw eyed him cautiously, but even with her suspicions, she suspected he wasn't going to hurt her. Allowing her muscles to relax, Flashpaw replied with, "Actually, yes. You see, er, I kinda forgot the way back to my camp. Do you know where that is? I mean - am I, are you a Starclan warrior? Have you been sent here to take me back?"
The white warrior slowly rose to his paws, and Flashpaw took a quick step back in response. A twinkle of amusement shone in the warrior's eye. "Relax, friend. Yes, I am a Starclan warrior. I'm here to take you home."
Flashpaw let every muscle on her relax, dropping onto her haunches without realizing it. "Good." She said simply, trying not to let the relief flowing through her body show on her face. I'm so glad I don't have to fight him.
"Are you ready to travel? You must be tired, and the way is quite far." The Starclan warrior rose his head to sniff the air, and Flashpaw heaved herself to her paws. Now that he mentioned it, Flashpaw was tired. She had had quite an emotional day, after all - she realized that she'd be glad once she could settle back down in her nest and relax.
"I'm ready," she confirmed for him. The white warrior walked towards her, brushing his fur against hers, and then started past her. She fell in step behind him, her pawsteps sounding muted on the dirt-covered track.
They walked along the trail in silence. Flashpaw took the time to focus her attention elsewhere as she followed the warrior; she took in the scenary around her. A leaf fluttered down from it's branch, knocked off by the wind. A bird chirped somewhere in the distance, calling out for a lifelong mate of it's own. Above all else, the river rushed on; the soothing sound seemed to stay around Flashpaw, enticing her deeper into the forest.
Soon they were standing just outside of her camp. For a moment, Flashpaw was surprised; no one had ever taken her somewhere so fast. But this is a Starclan warrior, she reminded herself. She turned towards the warrior to thank him, but by the time she had done so, he was gone.
I guess Starclan warriors don't stick around for very long, Flashpaw told herself, wondering why she felt so disappointed. He did get me back to my camp. His job must be complete now.