Chapter 1
"Sneaking In The Shadows."
8/19/16 - 8/20/16
Tail down, belly to the floor and sneak forward… Darkpaw slowly stalks toward an unsuspecting mouse. The mouse was straightening it's whiskers, and too busy to notice Darkpaw.
Darkstar slowly comes in for the kill ~.
Darkpaw wriggles his hindquarters and prepares to-.
"Move!"
Darkpaw was pushed aside by a cream brown blur that swiped the mouse in his jaws.
"Goldpaw! That was-!"
"Brilliant!" Goldpaw's mentor Fernfoot appeared from the bushes, brimming with pride.
"You caught another prey, Goldpaw. Your becoming an impressive apprentice."
"That was my-!"
"I know." Goldpaw purred. "Darkpaw was just trying to steal it from me."
Fernfoot gave Darkpaw a look of disdain and licks Goldpaw's forehead.
"Let's take this back to camp."
Ashcloud came out of hiding when Fernfoot said, "You need to teach your apprentice not a lie."
Darkpaw bristled when Goldpaw shot him a smug look over his shoulder.
The black tom lashed his tail as Ashcloud places his paw on his shoulder.
"It's not worth it. Let's go back."
Ashcloud and Darkpaw returns to camp in the late afternoon. Darkpaw didn't miss Goldpaw soaking up the attention from the she cat apprentices.
"I can't believe you took down that mouse!" Gingerpaw purred.
"You're so smart," Redpaw gushed. "And I can't believe Darkpaw tried to steal from you, the jerk!"
Are you serious - are she cats THAT stupid?!
Darkpaw ignored his empty stomach to go to the medicine cat den, Cloudpaw and Yellowflower weren't there. Cloudpaw became an apprentice to Yellowflower after Palewhisker retired to the elders.
There's gotta be an herb to get rid of the hunger…
Darkpaw laid his eyes on dark red berries. They looked delicious.
He ran his tongue on the berry -
"SPIT OUT WHATEVER YOU HAVE IN YOUR MOUTH!"
Darkpaw recoiled and spits out air when Cloudpaw makes him to look at him.
Cloudpaw showed him the berries
"Did you eat these?" He demanded.
"I was thinking of-."
"Well don't!" Cloudpaw retorted. These are called death berries, one berry could have killed you!"
Darkpaw stared at the berries near Cloudpaw's feet. How can something so tiny be so lethal?
But then again, Petalpaw's an absolute beast in fight practice…
"Why were you in here anyway?" Cloudpaw asks putting the death berries far, far in the back of the den.
"Yellowflower is still looking for catmint with Whisperpaw."
"I was looking for herbs to get rid of the hunger."
"That would be one of the traveling herbs," Cloudpaw replied.
"Sorrel, daisy, chamomile… But we're low on those things. Why don't you eat something? You know, like a normal cat?"
Darkpaw tried not to curl his lip. Cloudpaw was beginning to talk like their father, Stoatfrost, and Darkpaw can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
"You know why."
Cloudpaw frowned. "You know you can't avoid Goldpaw forever. Not every cat likes him - remember when he tried to pull Whisperpaw's tail?"
Oh yes. Yes I do ~.
Whisperpaw was quick as whip when she pinned Goldpaw and decked him in the head before sending him running. Darkpaw relished in his sister's quick temper whenever Goldpaw's the victim.
"You have Ashcloud by your side." Cloudpaw reminded him.
"And mom and dad… Maybe you should also talk to Tigerpaw, he doesn't even like his own brother very much either."
Darkpaw rolled his odd colored eyes.
"Real nice. Talk to the son of a ruthless sociopath, that's gonna bring up my popularity points."
Cloudpaw cuffed his ears, Darkpaw didn't even flinch.
"He's nothing like Lionstar. Mom wouldn't speak kindly of Tigerpaw if he wasn't nice."
Yellowflower was carefully picking catmint from the abandoned Twoleg place. Whisperpaw kept the catmint in borage leaves and taps her tail impatiently.
Yellowflower had a habit of getting distracted by any medicine she can find in her vicinity, and Whisperpaw wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible.
The bright ginger medicine cat turns to her.
"Alright, we can go now."
Yes! Finally!
Whisperpaw was already prepared to go when Yellowflower touched her shoulder.
"Bring the borage, you almost forgot them."
Whisperpaw bit back a sigh as she went back to den and grabs the borage in her mouth. And her head suddenly felt like it was being stomped on, and her vision turned black…
Yellowflower was looking at a freshly woven cobweb when a russet beast slowly stalked behind her, as Yellowflower's nose was filled with the scent of herbs.
Whisperpaw jerked back. She quickly pads to the opening and finds Yellowflower looking at cobwebs, and a fox stalking behind her.
Yellowflower! Whisperpaw's throat pained trying to speak. Seven moons old and she still can't talk! The fox was advancing on Yellowflower, who was trying to pick the web.
A fox is behind you! THERE'S A-!
"Fox!" She screamed. Yellowflower immediately turns around and jumps in time before the fox could bite her.
"Whisperpaw, let's go!"
The dark grey she cat grabs the borage leaves and ran away with Yellowflower in front of her. Whisperpaw ended up in the forest and trips over a root, and the fox bore its teeth at her.
The fox snapped its jaws, and Whisperpaw raked its muzzle, making it recoil.
A dark brown blur latched itself on the fox's neck and gave it several wounds on its back until it quickly ran away.
Tigerpaw turned to look at Whisperpaw as Stealthfire came out and gaped in shock.
"Are you okay, Whisperpaw?"
Whisperpaw nods. "Y-Yes. I'm f-f-fine." It felt weird to hear her voice, to hear herself speak. Tigerpaw was equally surprised, but Stealthfire looked relieved.
"You can talk!"
Yellowflower looks at Whisperpaw's frame.
"No injuries… She's okay."
"You finally spoke." Stealthfire whispered.
Yellowflower nodded.
"Yes. She screamed when she saw that fox. She saved me."
Whisperpaw felt embarrassed by the praise and quickly averted her gaze.
With Goldpaw gone and Redpaw the only cat near the fresh kill pile, Darkpaw finishes his rabbit when he sees Yellowflower and Whisperpaw return with Tigerpaw and Stealthfire behind her. Tigerpaw made a beeline toward Darkpaw.
"Whisperpaw-!"
"Hi, Tigerpaw." Redpaw purred, striding up to the dark brown tom.
Darkpaw narrowed his eyes.
Is this she cat in heat or something? She was just swooning over Goldpaw a minute ago!
Luckily, Tigerpaw only nods to Redpaw and says to Darkpaw,
"Whisperpaw finally talked!"
Darkpaw blinked.
"Wait… She talked? Are you sure?"
"Maybe you heard her squeal like a kit." Redpaw dismissed.
"No way. She actually spoke in sentences." Tigerpaw said with admiration, but quickly pushed it down when Darkpaw gives him the same suspicious stare his father did.
"Yellowflower and Cloudpaw are looking at her now, you should hear her!"
Cloudpaw presses his paw on Whisperpaw's throat. Stealthfire and Stoatfrost watched their son check on his sister.
"Okay, now say something?"
"B-Be a little more specific." She says.
"Whisperpaw, don't be snarky." Stoatfrost told her. He giggled to himself.
"I've waited so long to say that."
"As sweet as it is, I would suggest that you let us check on Whisperpaw for a bit." Yellowflower told the parents. Stealthfire and Stoatfrost leave, and Darkpaw comes in soon after.
"You're actually talking now?" Darkpaw asked Whisperpaw.
"Darkpaw," Cloudpaw warned.
Yellowflower nudged Darkpaw out of the den.
"Whisperpaw had a long day. I would appreciate if you try to talk to her when she has a nice rest."
The camp was beginning to die down as night fell. Whisperpaw returns to the apprentices den, and everyone's eyes - except for the ones who were sleeping - were on her.
Uncomfortable with the attention, Whisperpaw pads to her nest.
"I bet Tigerpaw was mistaken." Redpaw hissed. "He must've heard you make kitten noises."
Whisperpaw glared at the red she cat.
"No, because that would have been you, complaining over every splinter that ends up in your fur coat!"
The apprentices fell silent hearing Whisperpaw's voice for the first time.
Satisfied, the dark grey she cat curled up in her nest and fell into a blissful sleep.
Welcome to Embers Of Four, Book 2! We got a glimpse into Darkpaw and Whisperpaw, with a little of Cloudpaw as a medicine cat apprentice.
We'll get into Lightpaw's perspective in the next chapter.
Review are appreciated, but flames will be doused by my powerful Water type Pokemon. ~ Kyubi