Whisperpaw stepped out of a thick bush into a dense woodland area. There were thick trees everywhere with small bushes growing between them. The grass grew high and the plants smelled like fresh Greenleaf. A large fallen log covered in moss laid only a few tail-lengths in front of her and there was little lighting thanks to the dense leaves growing out of the branches above her.
She looked around for any signs of prey. There were none; no rustling of bushes by small rodents; no birds in the trees, nothing. Whisperpaw found this odd since Greenleaf always meant that the forest was alive with activity.
Just then a gray cat jumped up onto the log. Before Whisperpaw could get a good look at them they jumped down into the cover of the bushes. Whisperpaw watched the bush until she saw the gray cat out of the corner of her eye as they dodged into another bush.
Whoever this cat was they knew what they were doing. They kept hidden as they circled their opponent looking for an opening, and with Whisperpaw's inexperience that wouldn't take long. All she could do was wait for the cat to attack her and try to fight back, or go on the offensive.
Hating just sitting around, Whisperpaw decided to go offensive. When she saw the gray cat again she dashed at the bush. She burst through it ramming into the gray cat. The two tumbled on the ground, both trying to gain an advantage over the other.
As the two wrestled Whisperpaw wasn't able to make out any of the cat features except for their stunning emerald green eyes. Distracted for only a moment, Whisperpaw was caught off guard when the gray cat shoved their hind paws into her stomach. She was pushed right off the cat. Instead of hitting the ground though, Whisperpaw found herself still falling over what must have been a cliff on the other side of the bush.
Suddenly Whisperpaw awoke from her dream. She was lying in her moss nest in the apprentice's den; a wide hole in the ground most likely made by a fox before the clans made their homes. Other then herself the den was empty; just a few other moss nests belonging to the other apprentices, which judging by their stale scents had already been up for a while. She was the last apprentice awake, as usual.
What's with that dream? Whisperpaw wondered. She'd been having that same dream of the forest she had never seen before since she was a kit, and never once had she been able to properly see the gray cats face, only their emerald green eyes. But she didn't know of any cats with gray fur and green eyes besides herself. I better hurry and get out of here before I get in trouble for sleeping in. Again. She thought, giving herself a quick grooming before she climbed out of the den.
When she came out she found that the sun was already pretty high in the sky and the camp was busy with activity. There were already cats coming back from hunting patrols carrying their fresh-kill to the fresh-kill pile In a corner of the of the Riverclan camp where a large overgrowth of vines kept it covered from the sun so the food wouldn't dry out and lose texture and flavor. The queens were sitting outside the rock cleft used as a nursery watching their kits play together on the soft grass growing around the camp. She saw some warriors emerging from a thick brown leafed bush used for the warrior's den. And by a small tree with low hanging branches used for when Skystar; the clan leader, had news for the clan she saw Skystar; a light blue tom with yellow eyes, sharing tongues with his mate, Burnpelt; an orange she-cat with light green eyes. At the far end of the camp she could see the medicine cat, Softtide; a dark blue she-cat with deep sapphire blue eyes, clearing old moss out of her den; a thick tree with a hollow trunk, with the help of her apprentice and Whisperpaw's best friend, Limepaw; a light blue she-cat with one dark green eye and one lime green eye.
Looks like no cat's noticed I was asleep. Whisperpaw thought, relieved she wasn't going to get another tongue lashing from her mentor; Echomist. But before she could get her hopes too high, she saw Echomist; a black she-cat with brown eyes, stomping into camp though a bramble screen the clan used as an entrance. She looked mad and Whisperpaw didn't have to guess the reason why. It was always the same; something to do with how poor an apprentice she was even after a moon of training.
"Where have you been?" Echomist growled but with no sound to her voice. Of course for Whisperpaw there was never was any sound. She was a deaf cat, but somehow she could understand the meows of the other cats, only if she was looking at their muzzles though.
"Don't tell me you just woke up!" Echomist continued, glaring at her apprentice. "You were supposed to come on the dawn patrol with us, but you wouldn't wake up, so we had to leave without you. Do you know how embarrassing it is when your apprentice is so disobedient you can't even get her to wake up? I don't care if your hearing is poor. When you're told to go on patrol you can't just sleep!" The reason Echomist was still talking even though Whisperpaw couldn't her was because no cat knew she was deaf. They just thought she had a slight hearing problem since if told directly, she could do anything ordered of her, except speak. Being unable to hear made it impossible to pronounce words or even work her vocal cords. So instead she just made gestures to try to tell cats what she needed to tell them.
"Aren't you even going to say anything, or are you just going to give me the silent treatment?" Echomist asked.
Whisperpaw rolled her eyes. That's the same question she always asks before punishing me. She thought waiting to find out what her punishment would be this time.
"Stoneeye's taking out another border patrol I want you to go on it, and try to catch some fresh-kill while you're at it." Echomist meowed before she padded in the direction of the fresh-kill pile.
Yes, weakest punishment ever! Whisperpaw cheered in her head. Stoneeye was Whisperpaw's favorite cat in all of Riverclan. He was one of the senior warriors and he always seemed to be doing something interesting. Plus he never got annoyed when she didn't talk, and he always seemed to be able to guess exactly what she tried to tell him.
Looking around the camp, she soon spotted him sitting on a tumble of rocks near the warrior's den. Stoneeye was a gray cat with one emerald green right eye and one blind gray left eye. Next to him was another senior warrior, and one cat Whisperpaw never like to see. Her mother, Jaggedfang; a brown she-cat with dim brown eyes. It was odd to see the two anywhere near each other. The always seemed to despise one another; almost as much as Whisperpaw and Jaggedfang hated each other. Her and her mother never got along. Even when she was a young kit they never seemed to bond like most mothers and kits.
As Whisperpaw approached both cats instantly looked at her; Stoneeye with an interested expression and Jaggedfang with one of hate. "What do you want?" Jaggedfang snarled, baring her teeth.
Whisperpaw ignored her and turned her gaze to Stoneeye, making sure that she wasn't able to see Jaggedfang's muzzle.
"Let me guess, Echomist stuck you in my patrol because of something you did, right?" Stoneeye asked, eye sparkling.
Whisperpaw nodded slightly.
"Were you sleeping in late again?"
Again Whisperpaw nodded feeling embarrassed that Stoneeye knew her so well.
Stoneeye's face became one of annoyance as he glanced at Jaggedfang for a moment. "Of course she is. Her mentor ordered her to." He meowed.
Whisperpaw guessed Jaggedfang was trying to start an argument, as always, with Stoneeye. She turned her head so she could see both Stoneeye's and Jaggedfang's muzzles.
"I've already been forced on this patrol so she's not allowed to come." Jaggedfang growled.
Oh no, now I get the punishment. I'll never be able to work properly with her around. Whisperpaw groaned in her head. She always found it unbearably difficult to do anything in the presence of her mother.
"Yes she is, and, since you've never once disobeyed Skystar, so are you." Stoneeye meowed calmly.
"I still don't understand why Skystar even wants me to go with you."
"He wants his two most senior warriors to start getting along I guess."
"That'll never happen."
"I know that, but he still hopes it will."
Another argument; these two never stop when put together. Whisperpaw thought rolling her eyes.
Suddenly the two became more composed as Stoneeye meowed. "Yes, sorry Skystar."
"We'll gather the others and be on patrol in moments." Jaggedfang meowed.
Whisperpaw turned around and found Skystar sitting right behind her. She dipped her head politely and quickly looked back up at his face, not wanting to accidentally miss something he said.
"I don't understand why you two can never get along." Skystar meowed. "You'd make a great team if it weren't for the fact that you'd probably attack each other before the rival clan had a chance to. Now hurry and get moving." Without another word he padded off toward the bramble screen entrance, Burnpelt right by his side.
Whisperpaw felt a tail lie on her shoulder. She turned her head to see Stoneeye standing next to her. "Go find Speckledpaw while I find Cranetail." He meowed.
No, not Speckledpaw; he's such a mouse-brain. Whisperpaw thought as Stoneeye padded off to find Cranetail.
Jaggedfang shoved past Whisperpaw almost knocking her off her paws. "You better stay far away from me on this patrol." She snarled glaring at Whisperpaw.
You don't have to worry about that. I don't want to have anything to do with you either. Whisperpaw hissed in her head, watching her mother pad off to sit by the bramble screens.