Story Part 10, Section 2 *Etharpaw's Decision*

"What!" cried Lilypaw and Winterpaw in unison.
"How?" questioned Lilypaw. "I would have guessed Eaglepaw was dreaming."
"No." answered Etharpaw. "I'm sure I saw two tom cats. Was one fiery red and one ashy gray?"
"Yes!" replied a stunned Eaglepaw. "Exactly right."
"I was there the whole time, right behind you." she meowed. "You were so focused on what was happening in front of you that you never saw me. What do you think those cats were waiting for?"
"I - I don't know." stammered Eaglepaw.
Etharpaw sighed. "You need to learn how to read between the lines. Or should I say... LISTEN between the lines. One of them said 'If one of them comes, then yes.' We must be one of 'them'. After all, we were the ones who dreamed of them, not Lilypaw or Winterpaw."
"Yeah!" exclaimed Eaglepaw. "Now I... kinda get it." he finished, his voice dropping at the end.
Etharpaw sighed again. "You really DON'T understand, do you." Eaglepaw opened his mouth to respond, but Etharpaw continued. "I'm stating a fact. And, one of them said they were waiting for adventure. Who are we? We love adventure. This is why it must be us."
"And what do you suggest? Snowstar would hardly let us get out of camp free to find two strange cats in who knows where!" Eaglepaw meowed.
"And that, is why we need to sneak out of camp!" announced Etharpaw triumphantly.

*     The    *     next    *   night   *   ...   *

"Quick, this way!" hissed Eaglepaw, noticing that the camp guard padding off around the camp perimeter. "The entrance is clear!"
"How's it over there, Winterpaw?" whispered Etharpaw. Winterpaw and Lilypaw had decided to help their littermates sneak out of camp.
"All clear," he whispered back. "What's up over by you, Lilypaw."
"Nothing I can see." she called back quietly. "Okay, so we don't know where exactly you two are going," she called to Etharpaw and Eaglepaw. "Which means we can truthfully answer Snowstar and our clanmates when they most certainly will ask us 'Where are Etharpaw and Eaglepaw?'. 'We don't know! Why?'. I've got it all planned out."
"Should work like a charm!" whispered Winterpaw.
"What's a charm?" Lilypaw asked.
"I don't know. It just sounded right in the sentence." he answered. "Like 'the early bird catches the worm.'"
"I thought it was 'the early cat catches the prey."
"Say! What do you call a frozen volcano?"
"What's a volcano?"
"A giant heap of rock that spews forth hot stuff."
"You've been listening to Shortwhisker's nonsence tails."
"What! They're not nonsense, they're awesome! Anyways, the answer is an icebox!"
"Ha ha ha." she mewed, rolling her eyes. "That's so funny I forgot to laugh. It sure would help if I knew EXACTLY WHAT AN ICEBOX WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"That's easy. It's a thing twolegs store food in."
"Who'd you hear that from?"
"Guess!"
"Shortwhisker"
"Ding ding ding, we have a winner!"
"Where'd you get that from? Oh, let me guess, Shortwhisker."
"Yeah! Shortwhisker may be cranky, but she sure was adventurous when she was young. She told me she had heard that from a talking picture box in a twoleg nest-"
"She understands twoleg? Anyways, speaking of adventurous, where did Etharpaw and Eaglepaw go?" Lilypaw hissed at Winterpaw. "They were just here a minute ago!"
"They must have left while we were chatting." he replied.
"Oh well." sighed Lilypaw. "Now we'll be SURE to be telling the truth when Snowstar asks us 'Where are Etharpaw and Eaglepaw?'. 'We don't know! Why?'. I've got it all-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You explained that already."
"I did? Oh, yeah. Quick," she hissed to Winterpaw. "Let's get back in the apprentice den before the guard notices we are gone." And with that, they both slipped quietly into the apprentice den.