Dim Light (Stormwind)

Berrypaw stared flatly at the older apprentice. “We’re not allowed to leave the camp without a warrior, remember?”

Riverpaw glanced to Berrypaw, blinking once or twice as he realized how much sense that made.

“Maybe we should go out into the territory and look for her.” The apprentice had been emboldened by his trek to the distant territory of Loveclan, and despite the warnings he’d received about going into the forest without a warrior, he felt he could deal with whatever Came their way.

Berrypaw shrugged. “I suppose it’s a possibility,” she allowed, “but she generally forms the other patrols before going off on one of her own, especially now that Riverstar is injured.”

Berrypaw’s snap stung at Riverpaw a bit, but the tom tried to brush it off, cocking his head as he looked all around the camp. “Do you think she’s out patrolling?” Asked the cream-furred tom, satisfying himself that Shadowleaf was nowhere to be found in the clan camp.

Berrypaw blinked at him. “What did you think I was doing? Enjoying the cold morning air and the gray light? I’ve been looking for Mom since I woke up.”

Puddlepaw watched Rainstorm go with narrowed eyes before returning to Berrypaw. “Let’s go see if we can find Shadowleaf and get something to do.”

Rainstorm shrugged. “I’m not the deputy. Go ask Shadowleaf.” Seemingly bored with the conversation, he just walked off after that.

Puddlepaw narrowed his eyes at his mentor in response to the lukewarm reception. “Give me something to do at least,” Mewed The tom in reply. “If you want me to help rebuild, just say so.” It’s like he’s trying to forget everything we did for one another on the journey.

Rainstorm arched a kittybrow at Puddlepaw. “What are you coming to me for?” He asked mildly. “The camp needs to be rebuilt, I can’t train you at the moment.”

However much he dreaded it, Puddlepaw left Berrypaw’s side and padded over towards Rainstorm.

Rainstorm dropped his prey on the fresh-kill pile and looked around the camp, eyes narrowing when he met his nephew’s gaze.

Puddlepaw sighed softly, gazing at his blood-relative mentor with slight disdain.

Only moments after Puddlepaw had that thought, Rainstorm padded into the camp, a pair of mice dangling by their tails from his jaws.

“Alright,” Puddlepaw Replied, turning from Berrypaw and staring at the clearing before them, his tail flicking with slight irritation as he waited for his mentor, who was seemingly nowhere to be found. Don’t tell me Rainstorm’s run off again.

Berrypaw sighed, briefly looking up at the sky. “Please stop talking about him. I don’t want to talk about him anymore.”

“You’ve got a point,” conceded Riverpaw, with a slightly amused smile in her direction. “It’s strange that he keeps running off on his own, though.”

Berrypaw shrugged. “Well, at least you didn’t have to spend the whole time with him? I don’t know why you’re complaining.”

Riverpaw sighed softly.  “At least he was... sort of tolerable?  On the journey.”  The tom glanced out towards the entrance to camp, his tail flicking as he talked with the other apprentice. “But he disappeared again for a few days.” The tom remembered how his mentor had left right after the orgy and not returned until the day before they returned home.

Berrypaw sympathetically patted him on the shoulder with a paw. “There, there.”

“I know what you mean,” Puddlepaw Replied with a groan, glancing over at Berrypaw.

Berrypaw made a disgusted expression at his suggestion. “Yeah, no thanks.” While Rainstorm wasn’t her father, that didn’t mean she didn’t hate him for what he’d done.

Riverstar realized with a sigh that the especially bad pain he was experiencing was likely thanks to an infection. The tom laid his head down, sizing up the distance between himself and the puny pile of marigold that was left and wondering if he had the energy to crawl over and treat his own wounds.

Puddlepaw’s distinctive blue-green eyes widened in surprise. Dad gave himself an apprentice? The cream-furred tom shook his head after a second. Of course he did, thought the younger tom with a snort and a slight smile. He always wants to make sure the clan’s every need is cared for with his own two paws. that was his nature.

Turning to Berrypaw, the tom mewled to the younger apprentice “You should try and get assigned to Rainstorm with me while Dad heals.” It might be a little less miserable with another cat around.

"Your father," Berrypaw said mildly, still searching the camp for her mother so that the she-cat could give her orders.

Riverstar hadn’t got much real sleep anyways, but he awoke in the medicine den to a fiery pain from a large gash on his shoulder.

Eventually, Puddlepaw stood, padding beside Berrypaw. “Who did you get as your mentor?”

Berrypaw glanced around the camp once she finished grooming herself, wondering what she was supposed to do.