Sorry for chapter 1 taking so long! My teachers decided to bomb me with study guides and projects and the like right before the exams and I've been so stressed! I've finished that up, and hopefully I've done well on my exams, but I guess we'll see. The only one I'm really nervous about is History, considering that it isn't one of my strong suits.
Anyways, I hope this chapter is satisfactory. Read and Review!
Redpaw's POV
Flashes of green and gold…A rushing river swiftly carving through the forest…Four great oak trees…Many familiar, yet unfamiliar faces…One stood out. A she-cat with a blue-silver pelt and sharp black lines winding from her tail-tip to her cheeks. Her blue eyes shimmered with youthfulness and mischief…
Redpaw jerked awake with the last image of the pretty she-cat fresh in his mind. He'd never seen her before now, but the memory of her brought a rush of warmth to his stiff muscles and damp fur. Sighing, he sat up in his wet nest to lick his pelt. He had fallen asleep to the rain pattering on the roof of the apprentices' den, and of course there was a gap in the wall just at an angle from where he slept.
Satisfied for now that his pelt was drier, Redpaw looked around. A few of his denmates had already left, but many still dozed in their nests. Closest to him, his sister, Dawnpaw, twitched slightly in her sleep and he rolled his eyes. She was always squirming while she slept and sometimes even murmured under her breath.
Of course, he was in no position to judge her. After all, he had some pretty wild dreams of his own. That, and the fact that her temper could rival their own mother's. He'd, of course, learned that the hard way. Even just a few sunrises ago she had nearly skinned Mouseclaw alive after he suggested she fix her hunting stance. "Mousebrain," Redpaw grumbled with an adjoined exasperated sigh. He knew that Mouseclaw had been mooning over his sister for a couple of moons now and embarrassing Dawnpaw was not the way to win her affections.
Redpaw picked his way to the den exit and he pushed into the morning light. After the night's rainfall, there was hardly a cloud in the sky and the temperature was mild, though a slight hint of heavy, humid air remained.
It was still early and Redpaw was one of the few cats who rose before the sun peaked over the tree line. He immediately started for the fresh-kill pile, where the pickings had become meager as the days grew colder and colder. Leaf-fall had been mild so far, but he'd heard Mousefur talking to the kits the other day about the blizzards in the old forest where the Clans had come from. Plus, leaf-bare was almost there, and the bitter cold was sure to follow.
Redpaw sighed and he chose a small sparrow at the top of the pile. It would do for now until he went hunting with Firestar today. Settling down a little ways away from the pile, he tore into the bird, downing it in just a few swallows.
Cleaning his paws and whiskers to lap up the last of the juices, he heard approaching pawsteps and Sandstorm's washed over him. Finishing up, he looked up at her expectantly.
The pale ginger she-cat looked weary and Redpaw was taken aback in surprise. He'd never seen her look so disheveled. "Sandstorm?" he meowed warily. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
She twitched her tail with impatience. "I'm fine," she told him. Her gaze darkened. "But Firestar won't be able to take you out today for training."
Redpaw pricked his ears. "What's happened?" he asked, concerned for his leader and mentor.
Sandstorm sighed, her tail drooping slightly. "He started coughing yesterday and Leafpool wants to keep an eye on him until it goes away. She doesn't think he should leave his den in case it spreads or becomes worse."
Redpaw's ear twitched. "Am I going to be assigned a replacement mentor until he gets better?"
"Kind of," Sandstorm meowed, wrapping her tail over her paws. "You be joining Cinderpaw as she trains under Cloudtail. He is capable enough with teaching the both of you together."
Redpaw nodded in approval of his placement. He was glad that at least he wasn't stuck with Robinpaw. She could talk any cat's ear off with just a few heartbeats with her! It didn't help that her voice was so high-pitched because of her smaller size. He sincerely hoped that she would mellow as her training progressed.
Then he felt a small pit of worry squirm in his belly. "Is Firestar going to be okay?"
Sandstorm grimaced. There was a flash of something in her eyes that Redpaw almost missed. Fear? "Leafpool isn't exactly sure. He isn't in any immediate danger at the moment, but she knows just how fast these things can develop into something more."
Redpaw didn't know how to respond to that. It was obvious that the she-cat was stressed and tired, but he didn't know how to comfort her. Should he tell her that it was going to be alright? How could he when he had no idea himself? Redpaw groaned silently. He was horrible at saying the right thing to she-cats.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Sandstorm wandered away. Redpaw plopped back onto the ground with a sigh. Of course, being the leader's apprentice was never easy. Lots of times, other mentors had to take him because Firestar was busy with patrols or counseling with Brambleclaw. Still, Firestar was his mentor and the times that he had been with Redpaw were worth every time he had had to wait.
Across the camp, the entrance to the nursery quivered violently as Brightheart burst into the clearing. She darted across the clearing and disappeared into Leafpool's den, Tansykit hanging limply from her mouth. The pale ginger and white she-kit was about four moons old and was a considerable size so Brightheart stumbled nearly twice as she hustled to the medicine cat's den.
Redpaw pricked his ears, getting to his paws. Whatever was wrong with Tansykit must have been bad if Brightheart had had to carry her.
There was movement in the corner of his vision and fur brushed lightly against his. He turned his head to see Dawnpaw staring worriedly at the entrance to Leafpool's den. "I wonder what's wrong with Tansykit."
Redpaw shrugged, but he was also curious.
After a few heartbeats, Dawnpaw turned her head to face him. "I heard about Firestar. It looks like you'll be joining my hunting party! Cloudtail and Cinderpaw are going with Sorreltail and me."
"When are we leaving?" Redpaw asked, glad that he had had a chance to eat breakfast first.
"I'm not sure," Dawnpaw shrugged. "Sorreltail went to go wake Cloudtail and Cinderpaw. I guess whenever those two decide to grace us with their presences."
Just then, Sorreltail's yowl sounded from across the camp. Redpaw looked past Dawnpaw to see the tortoiseshell sitting with Cloudtail and a groggy Cinderpaw near the camp entrance. He gave Dawnpaw a sly glance as the remark leaped from his tongue, "I guess we'll have to settle with us gracing them with our presences."
Dawnpaw snorted, twitching her tail as they padded over to meet with the other three cats who were all waiting for them, itching to get going. Sorreltail nodded to them and she plunged into the bramble tunnel, leaving the others to race after her.
Once under the familiar thinning tree branches, the patrol slowed to a walk with the apprentices taking up the rear while Sorreltail and Cloudtail plowed on ahead, speaking in hushed tones so the apprentices couldn't overhear them.
Casting a glance at Dawnpaw, he could see her giving them suspicious looks. She had noticed them too. Meanwhile, Cinderpaw was perfectly content with tasting the air in search of prey, her blue eyes flicking from one crevice to another.
Redpaw brushed off their mentors' conversation. They were probably just talking about Firestar and his illness, anyway. Over the moons that he'd been apprenticed to Firestar, Redpaw had grown accustomed to ignoring the gossip around the ThunderClan leader and all of the times he'd been assigned to another mentor because Firestar was busy with something. But now, Redpaw wanted to know more about his mentor's sickness and to know that it wasn't very serious.
Not that being Cloudtail's dual apprentice was anything he resented, of course. Cloudtail had been mentored by Firestar, after all. Cinderpaw was okay, even though Redpaw didn't know her that well. He did know that Dawnpaw was friends with her and her sister, Honeypaw. The only thing that had rubbed Redpaw the wrong way was when Cinderpaw had objected to going out and finding Snowkit and the other kits when they had left the camp in search of adventure. It had been Dawnpaw and their band of apprentices to bring them home!
Sighing, Redpaw shrugged off his musings and set his mind to hunting mode. As they trekked on toward the ShadowClan border, the thinning trees became mixed with thin pines. No chance of catching a juicy rabbit here. However, squirrels and mice seemed to like creating dens here. Unfortunately, so did foxes.
Redpaw shivered as he pictured the sight of his sister unconscious after a young fox had attacked the camp while the patrols had been sent out and just a few cats had been left to defend the nursery and kits. Dawnpaw had been one of them. Seeing Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight hunched over her, he'd at first assumed that she was dead, but then Leafpool had rushed up with herbs.
Dawnpaw, of course, had lived to tell her tale, which proved her to be no less than a hero, along with the queens and others who had been with her. Redpaw shouldn't have been surprised when he'd heard from Bravepaw what she had done to defend the kits. Even if there were other cats to stand in for her and take the beating she had, she'd still do all she could to save those kits. Redpaw had seen her with them before and her attachment to them, and their attachment to her.
When Robinpaw had become an apprentice, she'd always go to Dawnpaw for help in hunting crouches and fighting techniques she hadn't quite gotten. Snowkit and Brightheart's kits still played with her from time to time, and when Snowkit became an apprentice, Redpaw expected Dawnpaw or Robinpaw to pass on the advice to him.
"Squirrel!" Cinderpaw hissed, shaking him back to focus. His limbs froze as Cinderpaw dropped into a crouch. Redpaw followed her narrowed gaze and spotted the gray creature hunting around the base of a handful of trees in search of food.
Redpaw opened his mouth and tested the air. They were downwind and the squirrel's scent drifted over him, causing his mouth to water, despite the breakfast he'd had. However, he allowed Cinderpaw to claim the prey for herself, seeing as she had spotted it first. He did, however, press his belly to the ground in case the squirrel happened to look up and see them behind Cinderpaw. Beside him, Dawnpaw did the same.
Glancing at the mentors, he noticed that they had stopped as well, but were hidden by a wall of thorns. Only Cloudtail's bright white pelt that stood out in the gaps between the thorny tendrils gave him a clue of where they were.
Dawnpaw turned her head to follow his gaze and she kinked her head to the side. Redpaw looked back at her and met her bewildered gaze.
"What are they doing hiding there?" she hissed quietly, barely loud enough to reach Redpaw's ears.
"What do you mean?" Redpaw twitched his ear in confusion. What was wrong with them staying right where they were? They were just preventing the prey from seeing them, for StarClan's sake!
Dawnpaw just stared at him for a few heartbeats before she just looked away, shaking her head and leading Redpaw to believe that he had just been left out of something important.
A little disappointed that Dawnpaw hadn't told him what she had meant by her question, Redpaw turned his gaze back to the hunt. He was just in time to see Cinderpaw leap across some distance and kill the squirrel with a single bite to its neck. She sat up with the body at her paws and turned to them with her eyes shining.
"That was great, Cinderpaw!" Dawnpaw gushed, but Redpaw knew that she had seen as little of the hunt as he had if not less. Nevertheless, she praised her friend, who basked in the approval of her kill.
Redpaw tried to pour at least some truthfulness into his recognition of her. "That was a great leap at the end. Good catch."
"Thanks!" Cinderpaw meowed excitedly. Her ears perked up as Cloudtail and Sorreltail came out from behind the brambles, immediately going to show Cloudtail the squirrel, who nodded approvingly.
Redpaw glanced at Dawnpaw and sure enough he found her watching Sorreltail and Cloudtail closely, as if trying to pry answers from their heads with just a look. What is wrong with her?
And…I just realized that Poppypaw's description is missing from the Allegiances. She has a mentor apparently but isn't listed under the Apprentices section. Sorry for that. Just pretend I didn't mess up. ;)
So, I have a few questions I'd like answered from you guys:
What do you think of the whole 'Mouseclaw has a crush' thing?
Who do you think Redpaw's mystery she-cat is?
How well did I portray Redpaw?
What's better? The long chapters or short chapters? Updates will be faster with short chapters.
Well, that's all folks!
