Whoa, 4 reviews already? Cool! Thanks for reviewing! Here's the first chapter for you all!
Chapter 1
"Is this it, Nightstar?"
"No, no. Do it again."
Heatherpaw let out a groan. What could she do to please the leader? She tried the hunting crouch once again, her haunches low. She crept forward, her heather-colored eyes trained on a pinecone in front of her.
"Heatherpaw, we've been through this before! If you were hunting a mouse, it would've heard you a long time ago with all the racket you would've made."
"But, Nightstar-"
"Don't 'but Nightstar' me, young lady." The black she-cat growled. "You have to be perfect."
The light brown tabby she-cat let out a grumble.
"What is that?" Nightstar flicked her ears. "Do I hear a complaint?"
Heatherpaw shook her head. "N-no, Nightstar. I'll try again."
"No, that's enough for today." The leader gave a stretch and yawned. "It's getting late and I have a warm den calling for me back at camp. We'll do this again tomorrow and I expect perfection, alright?"
Heatherpaw sighed and nodded. "I'll practice more."
Nightstar gave her a brisk nod and left the training hollow, the fronds swaying behind her.
Heather suddenly let out an irritated hiss. "Why does she have to be so hard on me?" She growled. "I'm not perfect, like she thinks she is."
She batted the pinecone she was supposed to be hunting. "What is perfection anyways?" She watched it roll away and she dropped down to her haunches once again. She snarled at the pinecone. "I'm going to catch you, you stupid pinecone."
The pinecone gave no response, because, of course, it was a pinecone.
Heatherpaw crept forward, feeling the sandy ground shift through her underbelly fur. At the last moment, she pounced, her claws landing on the pinecone. A loud crunch was heard, and she retreated with a yelp of pain.
"I didn't know you could bite!" She hissed angrily at the crushed pinecone. She looked at her front pawpads and saw blood ooze from their delicate cracks.
"Aw! Look what you did!" She told the pinecone and started to lick them, her nose crinkling at the harsh, metallic taste of blood.
Suddenly, she felt a cold breeze sweep up from behind her and she turned her head to see what it was. She gave a gasp.
A black and white tom appeared, his head cocked to the side in an expression of confusion.
"Were you talking to…a pinecone?" He asked.
Heatherpaw flattened her ears in embarrassment and turned around completely so she could face the strange cat. She had never seen him before in any of the Clans around the lake. Must be a loner…she thought.
"I asked you a question." The tom mewed, curling his tail around his paws.
"No, I was not talking to the pinecone." Heatherpaw growled. "Who are you?"
The tom flicked his ears and looked thoughtful for a moment, then replied, "My name is Swiftpaw."
"Swiftpaw?" Heatherpaw raised a brow in interest. His name ends in 'paw', so he must belong to a Clan and he's an apprentice, just like me! She thought.
"Yes." Swiftpaw mewed. "Your crouch was excellent, uh…"
"Heatherpaw." As she stated her name, the tom's ears flicked forward.
"As in, Heatherpaw of WindClan?"
Heatherpaw flushed. She hated being named after a WindClan warrior, much less a traitorous one. "No," She mewed flatly. "The other one."
Swiftpaw looked confused. "Which…other one? Is there another one?"
"Yes." Heatherpaw answered.
Swiftpaw's amber eyes twinkled for a second and then it disappeared just as fast as it came. "Like I said, your crouch is coming along really well."
Heatherpaw let out a grumble. "Try telling that to my grouch of a mentor."
"You mean Nightstar? The ThunderClan leader?"
"Uh-huh."
"You should listen to her. Leaders are very wise, you know." He then frowned for some reason.
Heatherpaw laughed, not noticing his sudden change of mood. "Right. Try being her apprentice for a few days and you'll wish those words never came out of your mouth."
Swiftpaw smiled and chuckled. "Oh, I see we have a little disrespectful kit here."
Heatherpaw's eyes blazed. "What did you say?"
"I said,"
"Heatherpaw!" A voice called out from behind them. Heatherpaw turned her head to see a brown tabby tom with amber eyes. She smiled.
"Hey, Eaglepaw!" She greeted.
She then turned her head back to Swiftpaw, but he was gone. Where did he go? She thought in frustration.
"Who were you talking to?" Eaglepaw asked, padding up to her side.
Heatherpaw was about to say 'Swiftpaw' but figured it was better to leave this between the mysterious tom and her. "Uh…no-one." She stammered.
"It sounded like you were having a whole conversation. Are you okay?"
Heatherpaw shuffled away from him. "I'm fine, Eaglepaw."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Okay, then, suit yourself."
Heatherpaw looked up at the setting sun. "I'm just tired and it's getting late. I've had a whole day of training and quite frankly I don't feel like moving."
"I could carry you to camp if I could." Eaglepaw mewed chivalrously.
Heatherpaw sighed heavily and cuffed his ears. "Flattery is not going to get you anywhere, Eaglepaw."
The tom shrugged and smiled. "It doesn't hurt to try."
Heatherpaw shrugged and flicked her tail on his shoulder. "Let's go, mouse-brain."
Eaglepaw nodded.
"Before we go, can I ask you a question?" She asked.
"Yes, but you already did."
Heatherpaw cocked her head in confusion. "Huh?" Eaglepaw can be very confusing at times.
"Just go ahead."
Heatherpaw blinked at him. "Have you ever heard of a Swiftpaw?"
Eaglepaw's brows furrowed in thought. "Uh, no. Never heard of him. Why do you ask?"
Heatherpaw shrugged. "Just curious." She looked back at where Swiftpaw was once standing, but it was as if he was never there.
Eaglepaw let out a purr. "You definitely need some rest. Let's go." Without another word, he left, his dark brown tail flicking behind him.
Heatherpaw followed him, taking one last look behind her.
She did not notice the two sad amber eyes in the bushes staring at her as she passed by. With one blink, they were gone.
I'm going to be gone for two weeks, therefore this won't be updated until I'm back, so hang on tight until Chapter 2!
-Evanessence
