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signs-of-the-moon · 2 years ago

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Moon High: Chapter 15

A half moon passed. The day ahead was warm; the sun sneaking beams through gaps in the trees above Oceanclan's heads. They heated Hazepaw's shoulders, lulling him into relaxation. The clan was still stuck in the Forest Patch. Hazepaw had come to tolerate living there by this point. There were plenty of good hunting opportunities, and he supposed living on soil instead of sand wasn't as terrible as he'd originally thought. Having the chance to battle Treeclan every now and then was an added, invigorating bonus. The other Oceanclan apprentices had taken to their new camp just as well, if not better. Even the self-conscious Whisperpaw seemed to train better in the woods than on the shore.

Today, Hazepaw was sitting beside Otterpaw, watching as she coached Whisperpaw on how to preform some basic fighting stances. They'd all gotten along since Urchinpaw's call for truce a while back. Otterpaw became fast friends with Whisperpaw. And Hazepaw was especially nicer; instead of growing hostile or defensive towards his denmates, he now welcomed their company. He felt honored to be included in any if their activities. Even if the other cats annoyed him sometimes. He only hoped that he would not mess things up.

"Make sure you place your paws apart," Otterpaw meowed, pulling Hazepaw from his daydreaming, "but not too wide. You don't want to give your enemies any room to pull them out from under you."

"I'll try..." Whisperpaw mumbled doing her best to follow instructions.

"Good. But try to keep your body low along with your leg stance." Otterpaw rose to her paws, demonstrating what she was explaining. "Like this."

Whisperpaw tried to copy, then allowed herself to sink to the forest floor with a sigh. It was as if she were giving up on trying already.

"What's wrong, Whisperpaw?" Hazepaw decided to ask. It wasn't like pretty grey tabby to act so glum.

"I don't want to do this anymore..." she mumbled in response.

"That's alright. We can practice something else. How about I show you the way we stand to hook a fish?" Otterpaw suggested. Whisperpaw shook her head. "I could teach you how to crack open hard shelled prey..?"

"I don't really want to learn warrior stuff," Whisperpaw answered, casting a longing glance towards two fallen, overlapping trees which housed the medicine cats. Then her gaze flickered to the leader's den, settled within an old badger set. "But I know I have no other choice..."

Otterpaw rested her tail over Whisperpaw's back supportively.

Hazepaw felt a pang of sympathy for his denmate. As the daughter of Wavestar, Whisperpaw had an expectation placed on her shoulders. She was one of three potential heirs to Oceanclan's rule. And as such, she wasn't allowed much of a choice when it came to her job. Every cat knew Whisperpaw wanted to be a healer. But when asked during her apprentice ceremony, she insisted she would train as a warrior instead. It was definitely due to her parent's pressure. Not by her own willing. Hazepaw wished there was a way to change things for her. For now, he would sit quietly and help support the young cat he had come to know as a friend.

"Having fun over there, Whisperpaw?" Currentpaw, Whisperpaw's brother, called out as he returned to the temporary camp with his mentor. He stood about a fox-length away, his muzzle twisted into a mocking sneer. "Still trying to figure out how to do a simple hunting crouch?"

Whisperpaw, being the quiet hearted soul she was, said nothing in response.

"Yknow at this rate you'll never gain dad's favor, since you keep moping around like a sundried starfish. What kind of leader could you be if you can't even preform simple warrior moves?"

"Why don't you get off her tail already, Currentpaw? Whisperpaw's doing her best," Otterpaw jumped to the defense. Currentpaw marched up to her, getting in the brown molly's face. Hazepaw bristled, bunching his muscles in preparation for a brawl.

"How 'bout you butt outta family business, sweetheart?" The white and gray tom growled.

"Keep talking and I'll show you how 'sweet' I really am, dirt-breath," Otterpaw threatened, baring her fangs in a snarl. A tense heartbeat passed. Then Currentpaw clicked his teeth giving his eyes a roll. He shot Whisperpaw a spiteful glare before turning and padding off to another part of camp. Hazepaw relaxed instantly. Though Currentpaw was confident in himself, Hazepaw knew that the white and gray tom would be no match for Otterpaw in a fight. Otterpaw had two moons worth of training under her pelt. She was already much stronger than he was. And it seemed like Currentpaw understood that as well.

Hazepaw would bet later on, the younger tom would boast about what a great quality that was in himself. To pick and choose his battles. Though Hazepaw knew that wasn't true. Currentpaw was always quick to start a scuffle when they were both in the nursery. In fact, besides Urchinpaw, Currentpaw was the cat Hazepaw fought with most growing up. Sometimes for no reason. Just to "hone his skills." Currentpaw reminded Hazepaw a lot of Pebblestar The Manevolent, who happened to be Currentpaw's aunt. Their temperaments were described to be almost identical. That worried Hazepaw a little. He was sure that Currentpaw would make a terrible leader one day. He hoped one of the tom's sisters would be chosen instead. Though Hazepaw didn't hold out much hope for Stonepaw. Stonepaw was far too scatterbrained, and had a tendency to follow others rather than make decisions for themself. She'd probably pass on the offer for deputyship if Wavestar decided to give it to her.

Out of the three littermates, only Whisperpaw held the patience and thoughtfulness that Oceanclan needed. The clan was trying to avoid having another fight happy or careless ruler after all. Whisperpaw would be the perfect fit. But Hazepaw knew the clan would never accept her if she couldn't be a strong warrior. Wavestar may have the choice of a successor, but nobody would listen to a cat who wasn't strong enough to demand their respect. The last thing the white tom wanted to see was Oceanclan rejecting their best choice for future leader. And so, he decided he would step up and help Otterpaw train Whisperpaw to be better. Even if she wasn't happy as a warrior, that didn't mean she couldn't get stronger, right?

"Maybe Currentpaw is right," Hazepaw piped suddenly. "Maybe Whisperpaw needs to try a little harder." He rose to his paws, walking up to Whisperpaw's side. He grabbed her by the scruff, pulling her back onto her feet. Whisperpaw let out a small noise of surprise, looking at the tom with full moon wide eyes. Hazepaw dropped into a crouch, giving the molly an expectant look in return. Whisperpaw dropped to copy his stance, her form almost perfect this time around. Hazepaw moved to readjust her paws for her.

"You got it! Now stand upright and do it again," he commanded, observing as Whisperpaw did as she was told. Otterpaw watched on, her gaze looking judgemental. Yet she said nothing, continuing to oversee Hazepaw's teaching method. She could probably tell how his technique was working better on Whisperpaw than her previous work had.

"Good. Now try and strike forward. Hook you paw like this." Hazepaw demonstrated a front-paw blow. Whisperpaw once again copied her denmate's movement, her strike coming off as hesitant and slow. Hazepaw smacked her over the head with his tail. "Do it again," he demanded. Whisperpaw tried once more, her forepaw and paw a little shaky. But her speed improved this time. Again, Hazepaw struck Whisperpaw and made her throw another strike. Whisperpaw's paw trembled harder now. Still, she was getting better.

"This time try and thrust forward with your swipe," he suggested, giving another demonstration. He crouched slightly, lunging himself forward before slashing at the air in front of him. Whisperpaw nodded then apprehensivly followed the tom's lead. When she lunged forward, the young molly nearly tripped over her own paws. She trembled, looking up at Hazepaw with the same wide eyed expression.

Hazepaw struck her yet again over the head. "No. Keep your stance firm. Go again."

When Whisperpaw moved forward this time her movement was more fluid. Yet she whimpered, as if succeeding was almost painful for her. "Don't whine. Do the motion again!" Hazepaw's voice was stern now, in a way he thought Sandybreeze might take up if he were to falter in his fighting.

"Hazepaw-" Otterpaw tried to interject, but Hazepaw silenced her with a flick of his ear. Whisperpaw struck out once again, her movement and strike perfect. The only thing that wasn't yet again was her stance. Whisperpaw crumpled under her own weight, falling to the floor once she'd struck the air as Hazepaw had shown. Suddenly she began to sniffle. Then her noise turned into more of a sniveling, until finally Whisperpaw began to cry.

Hazepaw hesitated for a couple of heartbeats trying to figure out what went wrong. Maybe she's got some of the stubbornness her littermates have, deep down, he guessed. I know she doesn't want to do this; doesn't want to be a warrior. But she can't give up now while she's doing so good. And so, Hazepaw raised his tail once more to push his denmate to get back onto her paws and back to practicing. But before he could make the strike, Otterpaw rushed in front of Whisperpaw.

"That's enough!" She hissed, eyes narrowed in anger. "Look at what you've done. You made her cry!"

"She's probably just overwhelmed. She'll calm down with more practice," Hazepaw assured.

"No, Hazepaw. She's done enough for now. And so have you," Otterpaw responded harshly.

"I was just trying to help," Hazepaw reasoned. He couldn't understand why the halfclan molly was so upset.

"Well stop helping! Your 'help' is only going to make this whole warrior training experience worse for her." Gently, Otterpaw turned to check on Whisperpaw. "Are you alright? Come on now, you're ok to stand. That's it. Good." She crooned. Then, she turned back to Hazepaw. "You know, I thought you were starting to get better. That maybe you weren't as much of an aggressive jerk as you were when we first met. Guess I was wrong.... Do yourself a favor and stay away from us from now on." Otterpaw swept her tail around the younger molly behind her, guiding her away. "Come on, Whisperpaw."

Hazepaw watched the two she-cats hurry off to another part of camp, his pelt prickling with nerves. Had what he'd done been so wrong? He didn't think so. His technique was working, helping Whisperpaw improve. That's what Otterpaw wanted. So why was she so mad?

Hazepaw began to groom his fur, tidying it up in an attempt to calm himself down. A while later, when he was nearly finished, Hazepaw scented Wavestar emerging from his den.

"Hazepaw!" The leader's voice boomed as he called for the apprentice's attention. Hazepaw stiffened, turning around to look at his leader. There was a serious expression set on the gray and white tabby's face. "My den. Now."

Hazepaw stood up, walking himself to over to the bushes which hid the leader's shelter. Wavestar ushered him down the old badger set when he drew near enough, allowing the tom to get comfortable as they both settled inside. A silence hung in the air, one which neither tom was eager to break. Hazepaw did his best to look confident in the face of the leader, but he knew that no matter how he presented himself, he was still in trouble.

"Otterpaw told me how you were treating my daughter earlier," Wavestar finally began, his voice calm but firm. "Care to explain yourself?"

Hazepaw fought back the urge to bristle. Otterpaw snitched on me..? That lousy little pollen sniffer! "Did she tell you about how I was trying to help?" He asked, keeping his voice as even as possible. "Because I was doing better at teaching Whisperpaw than she was."

"Otterpaw explained that, yes," Wavestar responded, the tip of his tail swaying to-and-fro. "But she also explained how you went about doing so. Do you really think dragging Whisperpaw around and swatting her with your tail was the most appropriate way to reinforce her behavior; good or bad?"

"I didn't drag her around!" Hazepaw defended. "And I thought maybe, if I corrected Whisperpaw's mistakes, it would help her realize what she was doing wrong so she could fix herself."

Wavestar narrowed his eyes. Though he was trying to be patient it was obvious that he was starting to grow irritated with the fluffy white tom. "But you corrected her by hitting her. And in the end you upset her. Are you still so certain that your actions were necessary?"

Hazepaw hesitated before replying. "Yes. I...I was only doing what I thought was best. I don't regret how I went about things. It was helping. Whisperpaw was doing better. I think she got a little overwhelmed, that's all. She knows I wasn't trying to hurt her." Wavestar gave him a look. "She knows that, right..?"

In response Wavestar heaved a sigh. "I understand that your intentions were good, Hazepaw. But your actions still caused Whisperpaw harm. Even if she is not physically hurt. It wasn't right of you to push her like that. You are not Whisperpaw's mentor." Rising to his paws, the large gray and white tabby continued. "And so, for your actions and lack of remorse, I'm going to have to punish you. You will be in charge of caring for the elders over the next quarter moon. Without any help from your denmates. On top of that, you are to give your share of prey to Beckycreek tonight."

"What?!" Hazepaw exclaimed. "That's not fair!"

"What you did to Whisperpaw wasn't fair either, Hazepaw. I trust that this punishment will teach you to be more respectful to others. Especially those who are weaker than you are. You should go spend the rest of the day thinking about what you've done. I suspect you will be very busy tomorrow."

Hazepaw parted his jaws to argue. But as he thought of things to shoot back at Wavestar, no sound would come out. Instead Hazepaw dipped his head, accepting his punishment. He turned and padded out of the den without another word, tail dragging in the soil as he went.

~~~~~~~~~

Sunhigh the next day brought with it a headache. Hazepaw was clearing out the elders' den, dragging old nests out to replace with new. But the clan's retired warriors weren't pleased with the way he was tidying up.

"You bring that back!" Snapped Dolphintail, the clan's oldest elder. Her blind eyes blazed with fury as she lunged for Hazepaw with startling accuracy. Hazepaw was barely quick enough to avoid her smack. "That pelt's got my favorite shell in it!"

"Why would you keep a seashell tucked into your nest you old sea hag?" Hazepaw spat back, rummaging through the smelly old bedding to find the special trinket.

"How else am I supposed to keep track of it, you ignorant fuzzball?" Dolphintail growled, snatching the shell back once Hazepaw had uncovered it.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you to respect your superiors?" Hissed another of the three elders, Oystersplash, who had been watching the scene close by.

"Some superiors you are. You can't even clean out your own nests!" Hazepaw snorted, wagging his tail violently.

"We've earned the right to not have to do things like that anymore. You think we didn't have to do exactly as you are now when we were 'Paws?" Oystersplash snarled back.

"Kits these days, don' know 'ow ta respect their eldas!" rasped a pale ginger elder, washing her small white paws. Hazepaw glared at the old she-cat resisting the urge to snarl. "That ginger tabby is Chloe," he remembered Eelnose telling him when he was small. "She used to be a kittypet. In Greenleaf she won't even touch a flea weight's worth of prey; only twoleg food. And in Leafbare, she'll only sleep in nests lined with soft twoleg pelts. She's as typical as they come." Hazepaw recalled his mother sneering, sounding as if she were ready to cough up bile as she spoke those words. He also remembered her saying the old ginger cat hadn't ever done anything for the clan. She came to Oceanclan half starved, joining their elders upon entry to their ranks. She acted as if she'd earned special rights, like the other two old cats had. And everyone in the clan catered to her, too. I won't let kittypets soften the clan like that when I'm leader one day, Hazepaw decided as he stalked away in silence to fetch new bedding. Hazepaw had been thinking hard about Oceanclan's future since the day before. He realized now that maybe Wavestar's bloodline was no longer capable of ruling over the clan. And maybe Sandybreeze was right; perhaps a single cat's kin should not be the only choice for leader. As far as Hazepaw knew only Oceanclan followed that tradition. And look where it had gotten them in recent years. The dynasty brought forth one of the worst leaders in the Land's Star's history, and it could potentially happen again with one of Wavestar's kits. Currentpaw was too rash. Stonepaw was too ditsy. And Whisperpaw was too weak willed. Oceanclan needed a strong cat to lead it; someone who could prove to the other clans how mighty they were, while also being strategic and a role-model. Hazepaw knew he could be that cat. He was determined to prove it. If Sandybreeze couldn't convince Wavestar that it was time for change, then Hazepaw would. He was ready to learn all he could from the clan's current deputy, and then he would push himself to surpass her. But for now, he had to deal with his stupid punishment.

Hazepaw disposed of the elders old bedding at last, bringing over new to lay out beneath the old fallen elm tree. He fluffed Chloe's nest, then smoothed out Oystersplash and Dolphintail's before calling quits on his work for the time being-before he'd get into another argument with one of the old fools.

Hazepaw trudged his way over to the apprentice's den, pausing to exchange looks with Urchinpaw as he passed by a few fox-lengths away. The wiry black tom peered at Hazepaw sympathetically, before Silverdrop padded up to his other side and rested her tail on his shoulder. Urchinpaw swung around to see his mentor shake her head slowly before leading him away from Hazepaw's line of sight. Hazepaw watched after them an extra heartbeat, stomach twisting a bit inside himself. Was Urchinpaw pitying him? Or was he just concerned because they were friends now? Hazepaw couldn't know for sure. So instead of dwelling on it, he

squeezed into the den and got into his nest. After washing and settling himself down, Hazepaw curled up for a well deserved nap.

When he woke up, the white tom found himself in an unfamiliar place. Dark trees loomed over him on all sides, and a thick fog pooled around his paws. The underbrush surrounding him was eerily quiet, like it was devoid of any life.

When Hazepaw stood to look up, he could barely make out the sky. It was strangely dark, as if the stars were hidden behind a wall of dense clouds.

Where am I? Hazepaw wondered as he began to explore. The air smelled stale as he lifted his muzzle to sniff it. The forest seemed devoid of anything recognizable. Not the road, nor any landmarks Oceanclan had made to find their way around. Hazepaw had a feeling he wasn't lost somewhere in the Forest Patch. Had he somehow wandered into Treeclan territory? The last thing I remember is falling asleep. That's when it hit him. Hazepaw was dreaming. No wonder why everything seemed so strange. It wasn't real. But then, why did it feel real?

Suddenly something rustled in the bushes behind him, breaking the stillness that once crowded him. The fur on the back on Hazepaw's neck began to stand involuntarily, as if he were in danger. Hazepaw unsheathed his claws, ready to face whatever nightmare creature came to meet him. Then the shrubs parted, revealing a dense cloud of traveling fog. From it, Hazepaw could make out one gleaming eye.

"Who are you!?" The white tom hissed, arching his back. Then the figure became a bit clearer. It was another cat, a molly by the scent. She was large, but most of the little details of her pelt were hard to distinguish. The most Hazepaw could see was that she was silver with wavy tabby stripes, decorated with scars. She also had a long tuft of fur covering half of her face. The one eye the tom could see looked hollow, like it belonged to a ghost.

"Who are you..?" Hazepaw asked again, this time his voice less hostile.

The strange she-cat lifted her muzzle slightly, smirking.

"My name is Sea Breeze," introduced the ghost, "And I'm here to help you find your way."

#warrior cats #warrior cats ocs #wcs #wcs ocs #Signs of the Moon: Moon High #Signs of the Moon #Moon High #chapter 15 #haze pov

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signs-of-the-moon · 1 year ago

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Moon High: Chapter 16

"...You're Sea Breeze..? Hazepaw asked almost skeptically. He took a step back, eyeing the stranger who had materialized in his dream. The spirit-like cat appeared to be as Sea Breeze was described; at least from whatever details Hazepaw could see of her through the fog. But it was hard to believe that the fabled ghost was here to see him of all cats. Out of everyone in Oceanclan--in the Land's Star--why did Sea Breeze seek out Hazepaw specifically? Was he truly so lost that such a wise spirit thought he needed guidance? Hazepaw didn't think of himself that way. In fact, he felt as if he'd finally found his path in life, after moons of searching for a purpose. But did the ancient spirit think otherwise? She must, if she were really here visiting him in dreams.

"I am," answered the ghost, Sea Breeze, as her fog clouded tail swayed. "You've been getting yourself into trouble, Hazepaw; for almost your entire life. It's time we harness that drive of yours and put it to good use. So, I've come to give you guidance. Think of this as an offer of mentorship. And of friendship."

Hazepaw took a heartbeat of pause, considering the weight of the ancient cat's words. Then he snorted. "Thanks, but I've already got those. Sandybreeze is an awesome mentor. And I have Whisperpaw, Otterpaw, Urchinpaw, and Moonpaw as my friends!" There was something gnawing at his belly as Hazepaw spoke those words. Like doubt had begun to eat him. But the fluffy white tom tried to shake the feeling away with a ruffle of his fur. He didn't want Sea Breeze picking up on it. Judging by her expression, however, she already could.

"Are they, truly? While Sandybreeze is a decent mentor, she can't teach you the things that I can. Nor can you exactly call those apprentices you mentioned 'friends'. Urchinpaw is too unpredictable in his feelings. Moonpaw is a Treeclan cat, who needs to focus on her own clan. And Whisperpaw and Otterpaw are upset with you right now. They probably don't even want to talk to you, and that's not how friends act."

The ghostly silver she-cat slithered her way closer to Hazepaw, her essence seeming to wrap around him like a cloack.

"You have so much drive, Hazepaw. So much power and sense of sureness. Yet you use it to pick petty, useless fights. And you let your hatred of outsiders cloud your judgement of them."

Sea Breeze moved to Hazepaw's flank, sweeping her tail around him. Her fur smelled of the ocean, salty and crisp. It flooded Hazepaw's nostrils and almost made him feel nostalgic. Yet, he had to resist gagging. Like the scent was trying to drown him.

"But with my help, you can harness your capabilities and use them for something good. Like becoming Oceanclan's next deputy."

That got Hazepaw's attention. His eyes lit up with excitement, and he smiled up at the ghost, hopeful.

"With my ancient knowledge, I can show you how you can become the greatest deputy Oceanclan has ever had. Whaddya say, friend? Will you accept my offer?"

As much as it excited Hazepaw, he felt himself hesitating to agree. Something in the back of his mind was screaming at him to run away, and never come back to this place. But Hazepaw chalked that up to be his nerves. His pride might also be getting in the way of his acceptance for help from the famous spirit. Hazepaw knew he was a good cat, deep down; one who could do great things all on his own. But with help, could he become something more?

After a tense few heartbeats of silence, Hazepaw finally meowed; "...I'll do it. I'll train with you."

The silver tabby spirit smirked, a low purr rumbling in her throat like thunder.

Hazepaw knew the story of Sea Breeze well. She brought fortune to all the cats she smiled favor upon. Even with a nagging feeling festering in the back of his mind, Hazepaw knew accepting the spirit's help would be wise, in the end.

Sea Breeze praised him justly for the decision. "Good. You're very smart, Hazepaw. I look forward to working with you."

"Likewise," Hazepaw agreed. Then he flicked his tail, feeling a bit awkward. "So, how does this work exactly?"

Sea Breeze tilted her head, pulling away from Hazepaw a little. "We'll train together at night when you sleep. All you have to do is think of me, and this forest, and you will be brought right back here. Simple, right?"

Hazepaw shrugged. "I guess so. But since I'm here now, does that mean we'll start training?"

"Not today," Sea Breeze mewed as she started to pad away. "There's no reason to try, anyways. You'll be waking up momentarily. We'll begin tomorrow night instead, when you have more time to focus."

"And all I have to do is think of this place, right?" Hazepaw checked. "Where are we, anyway?"

Sea Breeze paused in her stride, turning her head to look back at Hazepaw. There seemed to be something glowing in her one visible eye, something Hazepaw couldn't quite make out. "This is my home," the spirit answered simply. Then she faced forward again and walked off into the darkness of the woods. "Until we meet again, Hazepaw."

No sooner the she-cat had vanished from sight, Hazepaw felt something nudging his side. He blinked, and the dim forest disappeared. Instead, The walls of the apprentice's den surrounded him. And Urchinpaw was there, practically in his face. His paw was extended mid reach. But when he noticed Hazepaw stir, Urchinpaw immediately pulled back.

"Good, you're up," he meowed, twitching his whiskers. "Time for patrol."

Hazepaw grumbled at the wiry black tom a little, resisting the urge to growl. But with the way Urchinpaw was looking at him, Hazepaw held back. Instead he shouldered the other tom aside to make room for him to stand. He groomed some leaf matter off his pelt before following his denmate out into the cool evening air.

The sky had darkened with clouds since Hazepaw had begun his nap. The air smelled sweetly with moisture, and his paws felt damp as he padded alongside Urchinpaw across camp. It wasn't hard to tell that it had rained recently. A fine mist still sprinkled down, making Hazepaw's fur frizz a little. But he enjoyed the sensation of it soaking into his thick pelt. It had been some time since he'd gotten to be in water, and he was starting to miss it. Even with all the rain recently, it could not quell Hazepaw's desire to swim in the salty currents of the ocean. But it was still too dangerous to return to the beach. However, the storms had started to subside within the past half moon. Maybe Oceanclan would get to move back home soon. For now, though, they were stuck patrolling the Forest Patch.

Minnowjaw greeted the two young toms as they approached, sweeping his tabby tail around them to guide them forward. They met with Sandclaw--Sandybreeze's brother-- and Troutwhisker, who nodded a welcome of her own. Urchinpaw copied the older she-cat, while Hazepaw simply grunted in response. Sandclaw motioned for the other cats to follow after him as he begun to lead the way out into the damp forest. Droplets leaked down from the Newleaf growths in the canopy overhead, splashing against the Oceanclan cat's coats. Hazepaw tilted his muzzle back to allow one to fall on his face. It trickled down his features, leaving him feeling refreshed. Hazepaw sighed with content as he leveled his head, glancing to see Urchinpaw watching him fron his left side. The black tom chuckled, smiling at his denmate softly. Hazepaw caught himself smiling back, unable to withhold a chuckle of his own as his friend stumbled over a root while distracted.

"Wow, Urchinpaw, that was real graceful!" Hazepaw remarked sarcastically.

"Shut it," Urchinpaw growled back playfully. Hazepaw raised a paw in response, batting at the other tom. Urchinpaw growled again, tackling Hazepaw. Hazepaw laughed, rolling Urchinpaw off himself to trot farther ahead.

"Don't go too far!" Troutwhisker called as the toms went on without the rest of the patrol.

"We won't!" Urchinpaw promised. "I'll keep this stupid furball in line."

"'Keep me in line', huh?" Hazepaw parroted.

"Well some cat has to, before you go causing problems again-" Urchinpaw then paused, holding Hazepaw back with a stuck out paw. "-Like by crossing the border without looking!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Hazepaw questioned. He parted his jaws to scent the air. But he only caught the murky scents of the wet forest around them. There weren't any signs of fresh markers, although Hazepaw could tell a Treeclan patrol was nearby. Urchinpaw nudged him with his shoulder. He pointed using his muzzle to a pine tree slightly off to the right. The choppy bark had claw marks carved into it. It looked as though a cat had stood up on its hind legs to scratch there.

"Good eye, Urchinpaw!" Minnowjaw complimented as he caught up with the apprentices.

"That's how Treeclan marks the border when it's too rainy to leave scents," Sandclaw explained. "By the looks of it, this was just carved."

"Maybe we can catch up with the Treeclan patrol?" Minnowjaw suggested. "Have a lil' chat?"

"I don't see any harm in it." Sandclaw shrugged, motioning for the patrol to hurry along. Minnowjaw pulled ahead, his muzzle stuck in the air as he followed the trail of Treeclan. Hazepaw moved to keep pace, Urchinpaw matching his speed.

Ahead, Hazepaw could just make out the ginger fur of a cat.

"Flamepath!"

Flamepath, the Treeclan warrior Hazepaw spotted, let out a confused trill. She looked from the tree she clawed to the approaching Oceanclan patrol with a smile.

"Ah, Minnowjaw, hello," she greeted, toucing noses with the brown tabby as the patrols came together. Her unusual blue eyes twinked at the sight of the Oceanclan warrior. Hazepaw wondered what history these cats had that made them so glad to see one another.

Beside Flamepath stood a few other Treeclan cats. A fluffy black apprentice with a small tail approached Urchinpaw, a smooth flirty smile upon his face. A sturdy dark brown tom with a stoic expression started exchaning pleasantries with Troutwhisker. And a pretty silver and white molly stood there staring moon-eyed at Hazepaw.

Hazepaw lit up like sunlight on the waves when he noticed her. Moonpaw! But he quickly hid his excitement with a paw. He washed his face, trying to act casual in the pretty molly's presence.

"Hey you," she mewed to him quietly.

"Oh, hey," Hazepaw deadpanned. "Didn't know you'd be here." Be cool, Hazepaw, be cool, he told himself.

"It's a lovely surprise, isn't it?" Moonpaw purred with a small head tilt. "It's been a while since we last met. Maybe we could..?" She trailed off into silence as she gave a glance to her clanmates. Clearly she didn't want them to figure out that she and Hazepaw had spent time together before. Or at least, she didn't want them to suspect they'd enjoyed getting to know each other outside of Gatherings.

Hazepaw smirked at her, suppressing a purr. "Yeah," he agreed. Then he stole a glance of the other cats around them before signing, "By the Rubble Path. Tonight?"

Moonpaw nodded in agreement. Hazepaw felt his heartbeat quickening in anticipation.

Under the veil of darkness brought by the night, Hazepaw snuck through the forest undergrowth. He ducked under bushes, and tip-toed over roots, trying his best to stay silent. Any cat that might see him would think he was hunting with how cautious he was being. Really, Hazepaw was just trying not to get caught. But it grew more difficult as he drew closer to the open beach. The plants were more scarce at the edge of the woods, and soon there was nothing to disguise Hazepaw's long white pelt from visibility. But he should be safe now, he figured. The beach was usually vacant past moonhigh. He could stroll without fear onto it, following the forest line and along the cliffside until the Rubble Path came within his view. On the rocks, Moonpaw was already waiting for him. Her ears were pricked and alert.

"Hazepaw!" She trilled out as the white tom trotted the rest of the way over to her.

"Hey," he greeted, stepping up just enough to touch noses with the Treeclan apprentice. Moonpaw purred, a soft smile on her muzzle. "How have you been?"

Upon asking, Moonpaw's smile began to faulter. "I'm well but...I could be better," she confessed.

"Did something happen?" Hazepaw wondered aloud. Moonpaw nodded, her expression shifting entirely. Her once happy demeanor became darker, and her eyes watered a little.

"My...my brother was stolen by Twolegs," she explained in a soft melancholy voice. "We've been searching on and off for a half moon. But there's no sign of him. Today, Blazestar said it was finally time to give up. That it's time to move on."

Hazepaw felt awkward, unsure of what to say after finding out such news. He'd met with Moonpaw tonight with the intent on having a fun time. He didn't realize things would become so serious, especially not upon first catching up. Maybe Sea Breeze had been right, when she said Moonpaw needed to focus on her own clan. "Oh," he murmured. "...That sucks."

"Yeah," Moonpaw sighed, trying to force herself to smile again. "It does.... But the clan will go on without him. We'll all be ok!"

"But are you ok?" Hazepaw found himself asking. He'd never cared how others felt before. But something compelled him to check when it came to Moonpaw. Was it because he wanted a stronger connection to her? He wasn't sure.

Moonpaw seemed taken aback by his question. Almost as much as he had for asking it. She blinked, her forced smile falling again to reveal her surprise, and her sadness. Suddenly, Moonpaw gave her head a small shake, then a harder one, before she thrust herself forward into Hazepaw. She buried her muzzle into his neck ruff and began to cry. Hazepaw almost stumbled backwards from the force of her weight against him, but steadied himself enough to support her.

"No," Moonpaw sniffled quietly in response, "I'm not."

Hazepaw hesitantly wrapped his tail around her, resting his chin on the top of the Treeclan apprentice's head. He felt strange about the position they were in, curled up together like they'd known each other forever. But he made no comment about it, allowing the silver and white she-cat to express her feelings and have the comfort she clearly needed right now.

"I'm trying so hard to keep a brave face for my family, Hazepaw.... My mom's fallen back into depression, and I'm fighting tooth and claw to pull her back out. I have to stop my sister from going off on reckless patrols to cause problems for Grassclan. Smokepaw, my other brother, keeps disappearing to Starclan knows where when I'm distracted. Meanwhile, my dad's off sitting vigil at the Twolegplace border every day from dawn to sunhigh like some kind of loner!" Then Moonpaw pulled back to look Hazepaw in the face, her eyes wet with tears and voice wobbly with woe.

"I feel so alone. Even with my friends and clanmates around....I don't feel like any of them care about how I've been doing since Skunkpaw was taken. How can I hold everyone together when I'm barely holding myself in one piece...?"

Hazepaw furrowed his brows. "Hey, listen to me. That's not your responsibility. Your kin can take care of themselves. They aren't kits. You need to focus on yourself before you let others tear you apart from the inside," he meowed seriously. Hazepaw felt such a mixture of pity and genuine concern for Moonpaw that it almost made him sick. He couldn't understand how a cat could care for others to the point that it was detrimental to their own well-being. He'd never seen someone show so much compassion before. It was confusing. But Hazepaw was compelled to Moonpaw, regardless. Maybe he wanted some of that compassion in his life. Was it selfish of him? Potentially. Especially after Sea Breeze had advised him to leave Moonpaw alone. But what Hazepaw was sure of was that he wanted to be there for Moonpaw, as much as he wanted her to be there for him.

"You're a nice cat, Moonpaw. But you should work on being more selfish. There's nothing wrong with looking out for yourself, once in a while."

"I know that..." Moonpaw sighed.

"Would it make you feel better if I said you could be that way here? With me, you can be free to be however you want. You wanna be sad, or angry? Go ahead. My fur's thick enough to soak up the tears from your eyes. And I'm tough enough for you to thrash around 'til all your frustration's gone."

Moonpaw chuckled a little, making Hazepaw's heart bubble. "And what do you get out of it?"

"Me? A new sparring partner, for starters. And...a new friend. A real friend. I've never known a cat quite like you before. But I wanna be around you more."

"I'd like that, too," she agreed.

Moonpaw moved her face closer to Hazepaw's, like he had the night they'd met up after the Gathering. She pressed her nose tenderly to his, and Hazepaw found himself enjoying her touch. He pressed against her in return, purring. After a moment or two, Moonpaw pulled back once more to look at him. She wiped a paw over her face, drying it as her true smile returned.

"Thank you," her mew almost came out as a whisper.

Hazepaw snorted in amusement, as if the molly's gratitude was funny. Really, he was just flustered and trying to hide it. "No need for that," he insisted, lifting a paw to playfully cuff her over the ear. Moonpaw let out a trill, ducking to avoid the tom's touch. Then she feigned a growl, tossing a paw back at him in return.

The pair swatted back and forth playfully for a moment before piling onto each other. Hazepaw rolled Moonpaw around in the sand on the beach, dirtying her pretty silver and white pelt. But she didn't care. Moonpaw laughed as the tom turned them both over and over again along the silty ground. Until, finally she used her strength to put a stop to the play, forcing Hazepaw into a cuddle session. Hazepaw grumbled as Moonpaw settled him beneath herself, but purred loudly to express his joy. She washed the sediment from his face, and Hazepaw lifted his muzzle to clean her chest.

For the rest of the night, the pair spent their time curled up on the sand together like this. They shared tongues and talked, as if they'd be clanmates since birth. Hazepaw found himself wishing the night would never end. But as it always did, the sun began to peak over the horizon. It was a warning to the pair that it was time to go home. So with a heavy heart the apprentices stood, rubbing their muzzles together one last time. They quietly promised to meet again soon, as Hazepaw walked Moonpaw back up the Rubble Path. Only when she took off into the forest did Hazepaw turn to retreat back to his part of the woods; a lightness in his step as went on his way.

#warrior cats #warrior cats ocs #wcs #wcs ocs #signs of the moon: moon high #signs of the moon #moon high #chapter 16 #haze pov

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