A/N: Hi everybody! Welcome to chapter 2! A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed--I love it! Please keep it up. This is being posted today in honor of Independence Day in America. Happy 4th of July, al1! In other news, I should probably have mentioned that this contains "spoilers" for The Sight and also for the Warriors Field Guide. Hopefully I'll be able to update this around once a week-ish. I'm not promising anything, though. Usual Disclaimer applies...I do not own any of the Warriors Series. Please read and review (I treasure every one, I promise). Thanks, and enjoy.
Chapter Two--The Hunt
Despite everything that had happened that night, Skypaw slept better than she has in a long time, curled warmly in her snug nest in the apprentice's den. However, it only seemed like a few hours before someone nudged her awake. "Skypaw," said a soft voice. "Time to get up."
It was Lionpaw, his fur ruffled after a night of sleep. He shifted from paw to paw, looking embarrassed. "Look, I'm sorry about last night," he mewed. "I was wrong to say that you'll never be a warrior. Anyway," he added briskly, changing the subject, though his tone remained friendly, "you don't want to be late for training, especially with Firestar as your mentor."
Skypaw blinked at him gratefully, accepting his apology silently, then stretched languidly before scrambling out of the den. As she bounded across the clearing toward the fresh-kill pile, she almost ran smack into Jaypaw, who was crossing in front of her. Though she skidded to a halt in time, Jaypaw whipped his head around, his unseeing eyes narrowed. "Sorry, Jaypaw," she mewed awkwardly. "I didn't—"
"You didn't see me?" spat Jaypaw, his face darkening. "I thought I was the blind one."
Feeling thoroughly ashamed, Skypaw slunk over to the fresh-kill pile. She chose a plump mouse for herself and was about to start eating when Firestar emerged from his den and summoned her with a flick of his tail. She abandoned her breakfast instantly and padded over to him. "Firestar," she said respectfully, bowing her head.
He looked at her sternly. "Skypaw," he began, "one of the first rules you must learn as a warrior is that the clan must be fed first. As an apprentice, this means that you must check that the elders, the queens and Leafpool and Jaypaw are fed before you eat. And if you are on a hunting patrol, you must bring back prey before you can eat. Do you understand?"
Skypaw nodded mutely, feeling her ears burn. "Take that mouse to Leafpool and then you and I will go hunting," Firestar meowed, a glimmer of laughter in his eyes.
Nodding again, she stood to go. Firestar licked her between her ears reassuringly. "Don't worry," he said, smiling. "I got in much worse trouble than you when I was an apprentice."
She looked at him in surprise. "Really?" she mewed.
Firestar purred in amusement. "Oh yes," he meowed. "Just ask Graystripe; he'll be able to tell you all about the kind of trouble we got ourselves into." Sitting up, he flicked his tail. "But first…"
Feeling better, Skypaw nodded and quickly went back to the mouse and carried it carefully over to Leafpool's den. "Leafpool?" she called uncertainly.
"Come in!" called Leafpool from within.
Skypaw picked up the mouse again and padded into the den. "Firestar told me to bring this to you," she announced, letting her eyes adjust to the dimmer light of the medicine's cat den.
Leafpool glanced up from the pile of herbs she was sorting. "Oh, Skypaw," she meowed, "I didn't recognize your voice. I don't need that—Hollypaw brought me a squirrel earlier. Why don't you share that with Jaypaw?"
Her tone was mild, but there was something more to it, directed, Skypaw realized, not at her, but at Jaypaw, who had just sulked into the den.
Jaypaw shot a glare at Skypaw. "I don't need you to bring that to me," he hissed. "Not only am I perfectly able to walk over to the fresh-kill pile and get something for myself, but I can also hunt for myself."
"Well, why don't you help me eat this and then you can come hunting with me and Firestar?" The words were out of Skypaw's mouth before she could stop them, and she looked up at Leafpool guiltily.
The medicine cat just chuckled. "Go on," she mewed to Jaypaw, her eyes dancing with amusement. "I can sort these just fine by myself, so I can spare you for today."
Instantly brightening, Jaypaw purred affectionately before tucking into the mouse with gusto. "Thanks," he said in undertones to Skypaw.
She smiled and brushed his shoulder with her tail as she joined him. Together, they finished the mouse in record time and headed out to meet Firestar. Skypaw scanned the clearing eagerly for him, but Jaypaw nudged her shoulder. "Over by Sandstorm," he mewed, nodding towards the pair.
"Thanks," said Skypaw, surprised. She licked Jaypaw's shoulder once, and then the pair padded across the clearing. "Firestar!" she called.
The orange tom looked up. "Skypaw," he said warmly, touching noses with Sandstorm before standing and padding over to his apprentice. "Jaypaw," he added in greeting, curiosity in his voice.
Skypaw cleared her throat before meowing hesitantly, "Firestar, I asked Leafpool if Jaypaw could come hunting with us today."
Firestar's green eyes narrowed at her, but she lifted her chin defiantly, her blue eyes meeting his coolly. A grin twitched Firestar's whiskers and he winked at her before clearing his throat. "Very well," he meowed loudly. "You may hunt with us, Jaypaw."
A look of pure excitement crossed Jaypaw's face, and he meowed ecstatically, "Really? You mwan it?"
"Of course he means it, mouse-brain," Skypaw purred with laughter. "C'mon. Last one to catch something is fox dung!"
The two young apprentices raced off. Firestar stretched and followed them with a much more subdued pace. "You'd better hurry," purred Sandstorm, padding over to him and nuzzling him gently. "You don't want to be fox dung."
Firestar just chuckled. "With the amount of noise those two are making, they won't catch anything. I'm not worried."
Sure enough, Jaypaw and Skypaw hadn't caught a thing by the time Firestar prowled over to them. Skypaw sat down and looked up at Firestar mournfully. I don't get it," she mewed. "I used to be able to catch things just fine."
Firestar looked at her sharply, frowning. "What do you mean, 'used to'?" he asked, green eyes narrowed.
"I mean before…" she trailed off, blue eyes confused. "Before I came here, I guess."
"So you remember your life before you came here?" asked Firestar carefully.
Her eyes still clouded with confusion, she shook her head slowly. "No...not really…just a glimpse. A mouse…I caught it…then…pain." She fell silent, feeling her paws begin to tremble.
She licked her chest self-consciously, trying to smooth the fur that stood on end. Jaypaw licked her shoulder comfortingly, then turned to Firestar, his blind eyes seeing more than anyone knew. "Let's hunt," he said calmly, deliberately changing the subject.
Nodding at once, Firestar stood. "Alright, now let an old pro show you how it's done…"
As Firestar demonstrated the proper stance and approach, Skypaw tried to quiet her shaken mind. She had felt something, like a memory, or a dream of a memory. The pain she felt had been so intense, but she couldn't place it.
She gazed at Firestar, eyes not really focused on him. Suddenly, the image of him seemed to shift and change to that of another orange tom, with one white paw. "Listen and learn, Skypaw," echoed a voice in her ear. "Learn to be a warrior."
"Skypaw?" Firestar's voice broke through her thoughts, and she blinked. The orange cat had disappeared, replaced by Firestar.
Shaking her head once, she mewed, "Sorry. What did you say?"
Firestar gave her a strange look and repeated slowly, "Do you want to try to catch something now?"
"Sure," said the apprentice, suddenly eager to learn. She opened her mouth and tasted the air.
Firestar watched her approvingly. "What can you smell?" he asked.
"Mouse!" she said instantly, dropping into a crouch. She crept forward, ears pricked for the tell-tale sounds, keeping light on her paws. Leaping onto the unsuspecting creature, she killed it with a quick blow from her paw. She brought it back to Firestar, eyes shining bright.
"Good job," purred Firestar, licking her quickly. He turned to Jaypaw. "Now you try," he meowed.
Jaypaw dropped into a crouch as well, while Firestar told him quietly, "A mouse should be pretty easy. It's almost impossible for any cat to find them by sight, so you're not at a disadvantage."
Nodding, Jaypaw crept forward, with both Firestar and Skypaw giving him quiet advice. Suddenly, he leapt forward, capturing the mouse. Skypaw cheered for him as he walked back to them, tail held high with pride. "Good job!" she meowed, nuzzling him gently.
He blinked at her in thanks, and then both apprentices turned to Firestar. "Good job, both of you," he purred proudly. "Take your mice to the fresh-kill pile, and then, Skypaw, I want to see how well you can fight."
The silver apprentice smiled, then she looked at Jaypaw. "Can Jaypaw—" she started, but Firestar cut her off, shaking his head.
"I'm sure Leafpool has work that Jaypaw can be doing," meowed the leader. Jaypaw's tail and ears drooped, and he began to pad away until Firestar added, "But he can come hunting with us again tomorrow."
Jaypaw looked up, excited. "Thanks, Firestar," he mewed, racing back to camp. Skypaw was about to follow him when Firestar said, "Skypaw, we won't spend long today training. I won't you to be well rested so that I can take you to the Gathering tonight."
"The Gathering?" questioned Skypaw.
Firestar nodded. "At the full moon, the four clans come together under truce to discuss things that affect all four clans. I want you to come tonight."
Skypaw dipped her head respectfully, even though her fur was itching with excitement. Maybe fitting into Clan life wouldn't be as difficult as she had feared.
A black and white apprentice padded up to the golden tabby warrior who was looking at the pool. "Lionheart, why didn't you like Skypaw?" asked the younger cat as he settled down next to the warrior, curiosity in his voice.
The golden tom looked at him and sighed. "It wasn't that I disliked her, Swiftpaw," he meowed carefully. "It's just that the Warrior Code doesn't allow for rogues and loners to join StarClan's ranks. I was doing what I thought was right."
"But the Warrior Code teaches us to show compassion for all cats, regardless," mewed Swiftpaw.
Lionheart stared at the apprentice and then purred loudly in amusement. "Wisdom from the mouth of a kit," he purred, his eyes gleaming with laughter. "You are right, Swiftpaw, the Code does teach us to show compassion. Perhaps I was too quick to judge Skypaw, but I do worry." His eyes darkened as he looked back at the pool. "It will take all her knowledge of the Warrior Code to get her through what lies ahead."
Silent for a moment, Swiftpaw asked softly, "Isn't there anything we can do to help her?"
Lionheart shook his head. "No. Her destiny is beyond us. We can guide her, give her advice and signs, but we can no more alter her path than we can change the course of the moon."
"But Thunderstar said there were many things we could do," started Swiftpaw, but Lionheart cut him off.
"Trust me on this one. Her path is her own, and though we may walk beside her, we cannot stop her from what will happen."
Swiftpaw raised his head, ears flattened against his head. "But it's not fair," he mewed.
"No," agreed Lionheart, his eyes solemn. "It never is."