Beautiful Mess [Redpaw]

[cricketleap.]

Dawn had just passed, but the morning air was quiet and cold. In his soft, mossy nest, the gray-and-white medicine cat could feel the freezing dampness reach his 'old' bones. With a shiver, he buried his bright pink nose under one dainty beige-dipped paw. He dug his head deeper into the warmth, wanting to cherish it. There would be many moons of a bitter leaf-bare, and Cricketleap wasn't looking forward to them. He screwed his eyes together, not wanting to get out of his nest. But he knew he had to. Redpaw needed to be trained to be a medicine cat, and something told Cricketleap that he had to get it done and get his name quicker than usual. What is it? Why must he get his name, why must he be trained, why am I here? Why am I not there with her, why am I even apart of ShadowClan still? Cricketleap longed with every single hair on his body that he could be ThunderClan's medicine cat instead of ShadowClan's. It would make things much easier.

He'd fallen in love with Swanfrost, a ThunderClan warrior. He hadn't wanted it to, but sometimes things just happen. But she was so pretty - those wide, ocean-blue eyes. And she was so sweet! Just the way that she stuttered over her words made Cricketleap's heart melt and a smile appear on his face. Swanfrost was the only thing he cared about since late greenleaf, when he'd first met her. And she wasn't too much younger than him, just by a couple moons. And she loved him, too, so it worked out perfectly. Except for the fact that you're a ShadowClan medicine cat and she's a ThunderClan warrior, something intelligent in his mind told him. Cricketleap shook himself, almost forgetting about that fact. He had to train Redpaw faster than normal just in case. Just in case what?

Cricketleap quietly stood up on his paws and looked over at the smaller nest next to him. A ball of spiky orange-and-white fur lay there - his apprentice, Redpaw. Redpaw wasn't a bad apprentice, but he could be better. Everyone could, so he wasn't going to complain at him. With a yawn, he unsheathed a long white claw and prodded his apprentice with it. "Rise and shine, Redpaw. If you don't wake up I'll claw you then you won't get breakfast before training," Cricketleap growled grumpily. He hadn't been much in a good mood lately for fear of any cat suspecting him of having a mate in another Clan. Cricketleap kind of felt bad for the big ball of fur, but he didn't let that show through his emerald green eyes. "Well, I'm going to get fresh-kill for the both of us. If you're not up by the time I'm back, I'm eating your share." Cricketleap turned and padded away, out of the medicine cat den and into the clearing.


OOC: I apologize that this is very short. I'm still not feeling the greatest, mentally as well as physically. And I hope you don't mind that I made Redpaw be sleeping...