Summer Contest Voting - Category #1

[wolfie]

Walk to The Beach - #10

In the world of warrior cats, the heat of summer could be brutal. The cats of Thunderclan were no exception. As the sun beat down on the forest, the cats sought relief from the heat in any way they could. Some found refuge in the shade of the trees, while others went to the nearby river to cool off. But one young warrior named Goldenpaw had a different idea. Goldenpaw had always been fond of the beach. Even though it was a bit of a journey to get there, he loved the feel of the sand between his paws and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. One particularly hot day, Goldenpaw decided to take a walk to the beach. As he walked along the sandy shore, he noticed a group of young kits playing in the sand. . As he sat with the kits, Goldenpaw noticed a swarm of bugs buzzing around them. The kits were getting bitten and were getting uncomfortable. Goldenpaw knew he had to do something, so he quickly dug a hole in the sand and filled it with water. The bugs were attracted to the water, and the kits were able to play without any further distractions. Goldenpaw had saved the day and had made some new friends in the process. From that day forward, the beach became a regular destination for Goldenpaw and his new kit friends. They would spend their days playing in the sand, and cooling off in the water. Goldenpaw had found a new way to beat the heat and had created some wonderful memories in the process.

[wolfie]

Confession - #11

Beegrub ran towards the beach, stopping once he saw that Eagleslash hadn’t followed.

“C’mon, we’re gonna be late!” he mewed indignantly.

“I’m coming, I’m coming” his companion replied.

“Good, because I did a lot of work to sneak you in and I don’t want it going to waste. Now move your tail!” Everything had to be perfect tonight. Beegrub was going to ask Eagleslash to be his mate. He was most certainly not nervous. Beegrub was a catch! Everyone wanted him. He was the strongest and handsomest and fastest cat in Riverclan. There was almost no chance Eagleslash would say no! But his mind kept wandering to the teeny-tiny, almost non-existent chance Eagleslash would say no. Maybe an inter-clan romance would be too much for him. Or maybe Beegrub wouldn’t be enough.

Shaking the thought from his head, Beegrub stopped at a rock. “Aha, here it is.”

“I still don’t know why we couldn’t have watched it from somewhere else. The sunset is the same from everywhere in the forest.” Eagleslash complained.

“No it isn’t! It’s more special from the beach. You Windclan cats wouldn’t know.” Beegrub looked around the rock. He had hidden a nice shell, shiny and off white, nearby. He wasn’t sure how cats courted in Windclan but a nice gift couldn’t hurt his chances. Now if he could only find it.

“You Riverclan cats are only jealous we don’t have to worry about getting wet!” Eagleslash mewed with a smile.

“Hmph! I’ll have you know we love the water!”

“Really?”

“Of course! It’s in our blood!” Beegrub replied. He bristled as cold water hit his fur. Eagleslash had splashed him!

“It’s on!” Beegrub shrieked, splashing Eagleslash back. They splashed around in the water for a bit, sunsets and shells completely forgotten.

“Whoa” Eagleslash said, stopping his attack. “You weren’t kidding about the beach.” He turned to watch as the sun dipped low in the sky, turning it a deep reddish orange. Beegrub sat next to him, watching the awed look on Eagleslashs face. He looked away, fur growing hot as he thought of what to say.

“You and I are…friends, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Well, I was thinking…what if we were…something else?”

“What, like enemies?”

“What? No! I-” Beegrub turned to assure Eagleslash of his loyalty and saw the smirk on his beloved’s face.

“Do you want to be mates, Beegrub?” Eagleslash said, revealing the shell Beegrub had been unable to find under his paw.

“Yes!”

[wolfie]

Popsicle - #12

Mallowray stretched and yawned as she ventured out of her den in CoveClan, batting at a gnat as she walked. As she made her way towards the center of the camp, Sealionstar summoned her with a flick of her tail, along with Sharkstalker and Tinyrunner.
"Beach patrol today," Sealionstar announced, her tone stern. "Stay alert, and keep your eyes peeled for any danger." She was referring mostly to Sandwalkers. Tall creatures who walked on two legs and could sometimes be found on the beach.
The trio nodded, and together they left the cave and were off in the direction of the beach. The sun was high in the sky as they padded through the warm sand.
Sharkstalker's nose twitched as they neared a patch of shallow water. "Jellyfish," he snorted.
Tinyrunner's ears flattened against his head, his eyes wide with fear. "We should stay away," he squeaked.
But Mallowray was curious. Carefully edging closer to the water, she nudged one of the jellyfish with her paw. It quivered before pulsating away from her touch. She brought her paw quickly out of the water, shaking it off.
"He’s right," Sharkstalker growled to Mallowray. "Stay away from these things. They could give you a nasty sting."
Continuing on their patrol, Sharkstalker spied a seagull pecking at a crab nearby. Swiftly towering over it, they subdued it before bounding back towards their cave.
Upon returning to camp, Sharkstalker put the seagull in the prey pile and sat down.
Tinyrunner reported something to Sealionstar: "I smelled a fresh Sandwalker near the beach earlier."
Mallowray shook her head dismissively; there was no interest among them in a Sandwalker’s presence.
They left again, however, at Sealionstar’s command. Although Mallowray and Sharkstalker weren’t interested in the scent, their leader had sent them all back out to find the source. They walked along the beach. Just before the sun began to set, Mallowray perked up at a strange scent emanating from what appeared to be some kind of colorful icicle on the sand nearby.
"What is this?" Sharkstalker wondered aloud as he sniffed at it.
Tinyrunner trembled beside him. "It's something the Sandwalkers call a popsicle! But be careful, it doesn’t seem safe!"
Intrigued, Mallowray took a small lick of the ice treat and pondered its sweet taste. Next to her, Tinyrunner made a noise, irritated that Mallowray had directly gone against his advice.
Suddenly, they were startled by the sound of a Sandwalker’s cries. A young female Sandwalker shouted after spotting them eating her lost popsicle and her mother gave chase.
The three cats hurtled back towards their cave in alarm and Sealionstar questioned them sharply upon their panicked return.
"We caught a seagull our first time out," Sharkstalker reported proudly.
"We also came across some jellyfish our first time out," Mallowray noted between nervous breaths. She tried to avoid the subject of the patrol being chased by a Sandwalker. After hesitating for a moment, she admitted, "And then we ate something the Sandwalkers called a ‘popsicle.’" The word sounded strange and unfamiliar on Mallowray‘s tongue.
All Sealionstar could do was sigh at their naivety. The three padded off to the warrior den. They curled up to rest for the night, all silently deciding that next time a Sandwalker left some food behind, they’d simply ignore it.