The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon. The pinks and yellows had begun to paint the sky and the Clan was stirring in their dens. However, one cat sat at the edge of the camp. Her silhouette could barely be seen as her onyx fur blended in with the shadows of the night. Her glimmering malachite eyes were turned upward, toward the fading stars. Her sleek tail flicked back and forth, seemingly impatiently. After a moment, she let out a deep sigh.
"Twilightpool," A soft and silky voice called her name. The she-cat tore her eyes away from the sky to glance over her shoulder, only to see her gray leader strolling over. "You've been here almost all night."
Twilightpool sighed even deeper, "Yes, Rainstar. StarClan has not sent me a message for many moons. I'm worried."
Rainstar padded up and sat next to Twilightpool, curling her tail around her paws. She turned her deep blue eyes from Twilightpool to the nearly invisible twinkling in the early morning sky. "StarClan is strange, Twilightpool. We won't truly understand them until the day we join them."
There was silence for a moment, only the babbling of the river dancing through the crisp morning air.
"Don't you have an apprentice to train anyway?" Rainstar chuckled as she playfully shoved Twilightpool's shoulder. The lithe black she-cat laughed. She shoved Rainstar back mischievously, "Don't you have a Clan to lead?"
They both shared a laugh before it died down to a chuckle. But it was obvious that Twilightpool was not satisfied, her mind still clouded with anxiety. Rainstar touched her tail to Twilightpool's shoulder as a consolation. "You will receive a message from StarClan when there's a message to be received. Don't dwell on it, I need you at your best. As your sister."
Twilightpool's lips turned up slightly in a grateful smile, "Thank you, Rainstar."
"Go catch a few winks of sleep. I'll take on your apprentice myself until sun high." Twilightpool opened her mouth to object, but Rainstar continued on before she could say a word, "Mother's words have never left me, Twilightpool. I remember everything she taught us when we were kits."
Twilightpool seemed to relax and then gave a slow, tired nod. She rose from her spot painfully as if she hadn't moved from that position since sunset the day before. "I owe you," she slurred slightly as she touched noses with Rainstar and went on her way to the Medicine Cat Den.
"You don't owe me a thing."
By that time, everyone had arisen from their nests. The camp was busy already. Rainstar's eyes scanned the area as she took in every single cat and what they were doing. Icewhisker, the deputy, was assigning warriors to patrols. Silverfrost, Pebblepelt, and Meadowpaw were to take the first patrol of the day. The other apprentices were barely emerging from their den. Rainstar watched over them all silently as she awaited Scorchpaw.
Willowpaw felt herself being nudged out of the warm comfort of unconsciousness before she heard a voice willing her out of her sleep, "Willowpaw! Willowpaw! Wake up! You're going to get yourself in trouble, mousebrain!"
She opened one brilliant green eye in a panic to see the silhouette of her sister standing over her. She opened the other and lifted her head. The sun had not fully arisen into dawn yet. It seemed that some of the other apprentices had decided to sleep in a bit before beginning the day. She glared at Mistpaw as she lashed her feathery silver tail in irritation. "Gee, thanks, Mistpaw. I don't think I ever could have woken up out of that coma I was in without your help! You should get your warrior name for your bravery."
"Oh, shut up, you'll thank me when Owlclaw doesn't yell at you for once because you're late." Mistpaw retorted, her body fidgeting in excitement.
"Calm down. I don't know why you STILL get excited, Mistpaw." Willowpaw stretched out her limbs, her mouth opening in a yawn. She shook herself to get the last bit of sleep out of her before she turned to Mistpaw. "By the way... He doesn't yell at me, he just gives me the look."
"I know the one," A voice mumbled from the nest closest to Willowpaw. The light brown tabby figure of Oakpaw began to move as he stretched his limbs, still lying in his nest. One dark green eye popped open as he did, then the other. He glanced over at Willowpaw when he righted himself. "The one that looks like this?"
His face then fell into a disappointed, chastising glare. Willowpaw and Mistpaw giggled, trying to be quiet. "For looking so different, you perfected the expression, Oakpaw. You're your father's child." Willowpaw snorted in laughter. "I should go before I have to see it again, he always wants me up earlier than everyone else. Once a day is enough for me."
Oakpaw laughed in reply, realizing he should do the same. He rose from his nest and followed the two she-cats out of the den. Willowpaw's eyes scanned the camp for her mentor, who was standing with Icewhisker. Her father and the deputy. They sat together closely, obviously having a conversation.
Willowpaw glanced over at Oakpaw inquisitively, but he only shrugged.
Bluestream caught Mistpaw's eye and waved her over with a sleek blue-gray tail. The apprentice nodded eagerly. "I'll catch up with you two later! Good luck with whatever's going on over there!" With that, she bounded off toward her mentor that had beckoned her.
Willowpaw and Oakpaw approached their mentors side by side. Just as they were about to come into earshot, Icewhisker glanced over his shoulder as the ear closest to the two apprentices flicked; taking in their subtle paw steps. "Ah, Oakpaw, you're up early. Did Willowpaw's sleepy stumbling all over the den wake you?" He smirked.
"I try my best." Willowpaw retorted. Oakpaw tried to stifle a laugh.
Icewhisker laughed himself. "You remind me of your mother far more than Mistpaw does, my kit."
"I'm not a kit!" The silvery fur along Willowpaw's spine began to rise, an indignant look painting the she-cat's face. "I'm almost a warrior, you know!"
"You'll always be my kit." Icewhisker chuckled and licked Willowpaw's ear with a proud purr.
Oakpaw glanced over at his own father, "I'm not always going to be your kit, am I?"
Owlclaw chuckled, raising his paw up over his mouth, trying hard to snuff out his laughter. "Of course you will, my son."
Oakpaw groaned comically.
"Well then, we should get on to today's activity." Icewhisker began as he cleared his throat, rising to sit in a regal position. "You two are going to go out hunting on your own."
Willowpaw and Oakpaw exchanged glances, their green eyes lighting up in excitement.
"There are only a few rules to your training today, little ones. Do not go near or cross the border into any other Clan's territory. As you know, it is a punishable offense..."
Willowpaw's eyes almost glazed over. How does Oakpaw stay awake and listen to Icewhisker's lessons? She glanced at Oakpaw, her eyes and face turning slowly as if she felt the exhaustion in her bones. He was looking up at Icewhisker with pride, drinking in every word. Suddenly, Willowpaw felt a twinge of guilt in her chest. She blinked hard and forced herself to listen to Icewhisker. She looked up at him as Oakpaw did.
Owlclaw observed their behavior, a smirk crawling across his face when he saw Willowpaw's guilt for refusing to pay attention. He felt proud in a way. He watched the apprentices as Icewhisker drawled on.
"Now! Are you two ready? Remember, DO NOT go anywhere near the borders and don't stray too far from RiverClan camp. Understand?"
They nodded in unison, their eyes widening.
"Your training session starts... now!"
The two turned tail and raced off together.
"Oakpaw?" Willowpaw asked in a soft, quiet voice as they began to slow to a comfortable trot once they were out of camp. She turned her face to look at him, awaiting an acknowledgement.
"Yeah?" Oakpaw glanced over at the she-cat, intrigued, as they padded softly through the trees of RiverClan's territory. He mimicked her tone, so as not to scare off any potential prey.
"You don't really think they're letting us go off on our own, do you?"
"Well why not?"
"We're apprentices, mousebrain! This has got to be a test." Willowpaw felt positive of it.
Oakpaw considered this for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I think you're right... they've gotta be around here somewhere. Watching us."
"Exactly. We have to do our absolute best today, Oakpaw! Maybe we'll become warriors soon."
Oakpaw's pelt rippled with excitement, laced with a bit of anxiety. His sleek striped tail twitched at the thought. "You really think so?"
"Of course I do! I feel it-" As Willowpaw was talking while they strolled along, their nostrils attempting to detect the scent of whatever prey that would unluckily stumble into their path, they caught the scent of something else. A foreboding feeling thickened the air and Willowpaw tensed. She lowered her voice even further, "Do you smell that?"
Oakpaw nodded, his fur bristling as well. He slowed until he stood, frozen, his eyes scanning the trees. Willowpaw did the same. It was like nothing she'd ever smelled before. A scent she couldn't recognize. "What is it?" she whispered to him.
He gulped, knowing he couldn't ease her fears. "I don't know."
Suddenly, a snout thrust through the undergrowth and a big black nose sniffed loudly. The two apprentices jumped slightly, alarmed. "WILLOWPAW! OAKPAW! RUN, NOW!" The voice belonged to Icewhisker and sounded as if it were above them. Willowpaw glanced up into the trees to see him, as well as Owlclaw, with their claws dug into the branches. "NOW!"
The snout opened in a vicious bark, revealing rows of yellowed canines. Another set of barking came from behind the bush. Suddenly, two dogs crashed through the bushes and launched themselves full-speed at the cats. The two apprentices turned tail and sped away for their lives. The dog's muscles rippled underneath their coats as they barked and growled madly, saliva trickling behind them from their mouths.
They were bigger than the apprentices by enough that they seemed as if they were rabies infested giants. Willowpaw glanced back just in time to see one of them lunge for her tail. But she wasn't able to speed up, she was running at her absolute limit. She wasn't able to avoid the dog's teeth sinking into her tail. Instead, she dug her claws deeply into the ground and prayed to StarClan that she would still be alive at the end of the day.
"WILLOWPAW!" Oakpaw screeched, glancing back at her. He was still running, the other dog in pursuit.
"GO, OAKPAW! KEEP GOING!" She yowled back at him as the dog pulled her backwards, creating a long set of claw marks in the dirt. Then, a white blur flew through the air and landed on the dog's back. The dog howled in pain, it's jaws releasing Willowpaw's tail from it's grip. She whirled around to see Icewhisker there, his claws digging deeply into the dog's skin. The dog shook itself as it whined, trying desperately to get Icewhisker off. "Willowpaw, GET OUT OF HERE!"
Willowpaw hesitated. Oakpaw and Owlclaw were gone from sight, chased further down. Her limbs wouldn't move, it was as if fate had decided for her that she would stay. Instead, with a battle yowl, she unsheathed her claws and lunged at the dog. She brought her paw up and, with force, brought it down upon the dog's eye. It reared back with a sharp yelp, Icewhisker was thrown off. He hit the ground on his back with a thud. Leaving Willowpaw, if only for a moment, to face the dog on her own.
The dog snapped at Willowpaw and she dropped to the ground, rolling to the side just in time to spring back up on her paws and avoid any injury. Icewhisker, in a panic, rolled over and rose. He scrambled around the dog over to where the two were battling, his snow white fur rising along his spine with both fear and fury. He hissed loudly at the dog as he shoved Willowpaw behind him with his shoulder.
The dog growled lowly in response, creeping in with a wild look in it's only eye.
That was when it happened. The dog lunged forward with saliva flying from it's mouth and Willowpaw leaped over Icewhisker's back. She clung onto the dog's face, her claws digging deep into the skin. Blood spilled from the puncture wounds as her claws began to open elongated lacerations along the sides of it's face. It threw it's head from side to side in an attempt to get her off and she went flying into a tree. She hit the trunk hard and when she fell into the ground, a bit of blood began to pour from her mouth. She gasped, the sound bubbly and disturbing, unable to make any other sounds.
Icewhisker yowled in a tone Willowpaw had never heard before and began to slash at the dog's face, time after time, until blood dripped onto the ground and painted the mud a dark crimson. The yelping got louder and louder until the dog whipped around and ran in the opposite direction, a trail of blood giving away it's fleeing route.
A lapse in consciousness. When Willowpaw noticed what was happening, Icewhisker was standing over her. His mouth was opening, he was talking. But Willowpaw heard no words. She felt light-headed, her stomach churned. Then, her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and everything went black.
