A Splash in the Night (closed)

Nightpaw padded out of the camp to hunt by himself for the first time. Without his brother the woods were quiet and serene, just the way he liked it. The big fluffy tom shook his pelt trying to be rid of the twigs from the camp entrance. He padded off into the forest sniffing for prey along the way having no luck closer to camp he padded further in the forest pale green eyes scanning for prey but having no luck. With that the time huffed and padded deeper in the woods enjoying the view but keeping a sharp eye out for prey on the way, soon enough the tom had gotten so deep into the woods he could smell a weird and different scent. Curious he padded closer and could smell the scent of cats, it was a couple hours old at least. It clicked in his mind before he realized this must be a clan border, to which clan it belonged too he was clueless. He had never gone this deep into the woods before so he was curious to see if he would see a patrol from another clan. Suddenly he saw a squirrel and got into a crouch stalking forward before pouncing but when he pounced he snapped a twig underneath his paws and the squirrel took off running across the border. His ears pinned back and he hissed in annoyance before sighing and deciding to go to an area that had less of a scent marker along the border, indicating that this spot doesn’t get patrolled a lot. The tom sat and curled his fluffy black tail around his large paws before closing his eyes and listening to the sounds of the forest before he heard rustling in the bushes across the border. He didn’t think anything of it thinking it was just the squirrel that eluded him until a voice called out from across the border.

Splashpaw was in a Border patrol with some warriors and another apprentice, she didn't know who they were so didn't really pay attention to their conversation. As they passed the border with Thunderclan she caught the scent of a Thunderclan cat. The others were too into their conversation to notice her sneak off to see who it was. "Is anyone out there?" She mewed starting to get scared, she hated being alone and didn't even know why she left the others.

Nightpaw opened his eyes as he heard the she cat call out. He stood and appeared from behind some bushes. “There is in fact somebody here. Hello.” He meowed shaking his fluffy pelt out at he spotted the she cat. Peering at her with uncertainty in his pale green eyes the black Tom considered sitting but decided against it. “Im Nightpaw. And who might you be?” He was so out of his comfort zone he didn’t usually talk to other cats but he had never seen a cat from a different clan so he was intrigued.

Splashpaw smiled as a fluffy black tom came out. Others would ave probably hissed but she was just happy to not be alone. "Im splashpaw, nice to meet you nightpaw." She mewed sitting down as her bobtail thumped the frozen dirt. Are you a Thunderclan cat? I have never met one before!" she mewed happily.

Nightpaw decided to sit and wrap his tail around his paws before answering the she cat. “Yes. I’m a Thunderclan cat. I’m not familiar with your clan scent, what clan are you from? I’ve never been this deep into the forest before so I don’t know other clans scents yet, I’ve only recently just become an apprentice.” He meowed flicking his ear. He studied the she cats pelt and noticed it was a beautiful mix on black and white before meeting her green eyes with his own pale green one before waiting for her to respond.

She knew the feeling about being a new apprentice. She smiled at him, her green eyes sparkling in excitment. "Im from shadowclan, Im also a sorta new apprentice but i havent had training with my mentor yet. I have done most of my training with maplestar, I think she is playing favorites cause my sister is her apprentice." She said laughing. When splashpaw wasnt alone she could talk for hours. "What is Thunderclan like?" she asked curiously. She has been to a few gatherings but never really hung out with thunderclan.

Nightpaw thought for a moment before replying. “Thunderclan is alright. If I’m being honest it’s a little boring. I haven’t done any training with my mentor either, she’s my mother but she’s always busy with warrior duties so my brother and I usually just go out hunting while we wait for a time when our mentors will take us out to train.” He meowed wishing something a little more interesting would happen in his boring life. Maybe this she cat could be that something interesting, after all it’s not every day you see cats from another clan let alone talk to them.

Splashpaw understood that much. "At least you have a good relationship with your brother. My brother is too reckless and doesn't care if anyone gets hurt around him while my sister is cunning and sneaky. I feel like the only sane cat in my family, even our mother wasn't planning on having kits, when we became apprentices you should have seen the happy smile on her face as she became a warrior again." she mewed rambling on about her family.

Nightpaw let out a purr, which surprised him he rarely purrs. “My mother isn’t actually my mother she found us in the woods after our birth mother abandoned us after kitting to go run off with a rouge. I’m not sure what that rouge could’ve offered and provided for her that the clan couldn’t but I try not to dwell on that too much. I hope I never find her running about though, she’ll be sorry she ever left.” The black Tom growled before looking up to see if he accidentally scared the she cat. “Sorry it’s a bit of a touchy subject for me though it doesn’t bother my brother for some reason.” He meowed wondering what the she cat thought about what he’d just said.

Splashpaw thought that queen was very mean for leaving him. "Dont dwell on the past, the mother is the one who raised the kits." she mewed trying to cheer him up for some reason. Splashpaw didn't have many friends and somehow she knew this tom would make a great one. "I hear thunderclan is mostly trees, How do you deal with it?" she asked.

Nightpaw purred in response about his mother’s. “Thunderclan’s not so bad. I enjoy the trees and the peace and quiet when I’m alone.” He meowed thinking. “I haven’t had much luck hunting I’m still learning I came out here to do some hunting today but no luck.” He meowed a little embarrassed to admit that.

"I was in a border patrol, maybe we both suck at doing what we're supposed to." she mewed with a smile. She was also bad at hunting so knew how he felt. The last time splashpaw went hunting was when a thorn got caught in her foot pad.

“Ive never been on a border patrol before. What’s it like?” Nightpaw meowed tilting his head curiously. “Do you see a lot of the other clans when patrolling?” He wondered if border fights happen often like his mother had told him.

Splashpaw was enjoying this time even though she was talking to a different clan cat. "Well they are quite boring actually, Yes sometimes battles happen but im never in them. I feel like Maplestar doesnt want me to get hurt." She mewed with a slight laugh. The leader was always protective over her ever since they met when she was just a kit.

Nightpaw frowned, thinking. “But how are you to become a warrior if your leader doesn’t want you in a fight? We have to learn to fight, how else are we to protect our clans.” He simply stated, he himself had never been in a fight either being as he had just recently been made into an apprentice. “Well you should be able to go out and fight whoever needs to be fought, your leader can’t keep you from learning that. N-Not that I’m saying just go up to random cats and pick a fight though, that could possibly start clan wars.” He meowed his ear flattening in embarrassment.

Splashpaw smiled at how embarrassed he got. "I do fight, she is just like a mom to me. Like would your mom (adopted one) want you to always be in danger. she said with a smile. "I know i wouldnt want the cats i cared for always in danger." She mewed to him with a gentle smile.

Nightpaw let out a nervous chuckle. “Thats true my mother probably wouldn’t want me in trouble at all. And I definitely don’t want the cats I care about to be in danger either, if they were I’d try to protect them as best I can though.” He meowed, this she cat was growing on him and getting him out of his comfort zone. “Uh.. Do you want to be friends..?” He meowed he usually didn’t enjoy company other than Blazepaw, they would just just sit in silence or Nightpaw would speak sometimes but Blazepaw never answered with words, just nods. Eveningpaw was his brother so he enjoyed his company to an extent, his brother was too excitable for him, but he enjoyed this she cats company, it was refreshing.

Splashpaw pretended to be deep in thought. "Hmmmm I don't know, we did just meet." she mewed to see his reaction. "Just kidding, I would love to be friends." she said laughing at his expression.

Nightpaw looked surprised at first and then smiled. “Great! We can uh like meet here to talk and hang out like every couple days if you want? That way we can still get some training in. Oh and maybe we could train together too. What do you think?” The black Tom meowed looking at the she cat wondering if she had anything else she wanted to add to their meetings, maybe they could leave each other signs to let each other know if they’d been here when the other wasn’t.

Splashpaw liked the idea and smiled at him. "That sounds great, but we have to keep it a secret. The clans would never let us be friends if they found out." She mewed scared of losing her friend. It was probably sad but splashpaw never had friends that were her age.

Just then splashpaw heard the distant calling of her name, the patrol must have realized she was gone. "They are calling me, ummm see you later." she mewed ad after their goodbyes she padded off.

Nightpaw nodded when she said they had to keep it a secret. I thought Thunderclan and Skyclan were allies, why would it matter if they were friends? He thought but he understood her caution, he didn’t want war to break out in the two clans from them being friends. He said goodbye and then Splashpaw was gone. Nightpaw padded back towards the camp hoping to catch something along the way.