Light Fading

Chapter 2

By Winterpaw/Winter432

Silence engulfed Riverclan's camp as every cat of all ages stared at Graybreeze, shock dawning in their eyes.

Ripplepaw watched wide-eyed as Graybreeze stepped forward, and looked around at everyone.

"Flametuft is missing! I don't know where he is..."

And then chaos ensued.

Every cat started yowling at each other, with worry piercing the air like a sharp point. Ripplepaw instantly turned to her siblings, and saw each of them watching intently. Frozenpaw and Mudpaw had begun to argue, but Clawpaw turned to her with a confused look in his eyes.

He looked at Ripplepaw in shock and started to ask questions. "What does Graybreeze mean?! Surely Flametuft wouldn't just go...missing. There HAS to be a reason to all of this. We must figure it out!"

Ripplepaw nodded in agreement, thinking of her smart brother. He has always been so brave and adventurous. I wish I could be like him, but they all probably see me as the weird, quiet, awkward one.

Just then, a loud yowl echoed around the clearing. Ever cat instantly shut their mouths and looked up to see Talonstar gazing at them, with a fleck of fear mixed with anger in his eye.

"Everyone calm down! I am very sure there is an explanation to this, and that we're all just making too big a deal out of this. Now I want the senior warriors to come meet me at my den-NOW, and everyone else resume with your normal lives. Please get some prey on the pile."

Talonstar nodded at Featherflight who then stepped forward to add, " We do have four new apprentices, and their mentors may want to take them out into the territory..." The gray she-cat had a hint of...mockery...in her voice, but it was barely noticeable. But all the while it was still there.

Ripplepaw's thoughts whirled as a group of warriors gathered around Talonstar's den. Though there was much tenseness and anxiety right now, she couldn't help feeling excited and bouncy. I'm going on my first real hunt as an apprentice!

Scenebreak-

All of the newly made apprentices gathered around their mentors for instructions. They all bounced excitedly and seemed to be full of energy.

After the Warriors had finished discussing their own buiseness, they turned to all the young cats.

Hollowbranch spoke first, with a happy glint his eyes; the glint was in the other warriors' eyes too. But there was that one feeling...

"So today, we won't have too many rules. Since it is your first hunt, we will show you a few techniques for starting off, then let you test them out."

Ripplepaw was delighted at the fact that she would officially learn how to do warrior-like things, and that the Warriors were organized and seemed to know what to do. I'm glad I got Hollowbranch as my mentor.

Ripplepaw's thoughts were disturbed when Frostspots broke in.

"So first, just follow us and we'll show you where to hunt, and most of the territory. While we're at it, we might as well set some markers."

Before anyone could move, Hawkfeather interrupted and spoke roughly, "I think we should split you up, so nothing gets too rowdy. "

The other mentors agreed, but paused slightly. They were probably caught off guard.

"Come on then, me and Hawkfeather will take Clawpaw and Ripplepaw out together," Hollowbranch explained. "Frostspots, you and Leafheart can take out Mudpaws and Frozenpaw. We will be hunting land animals today, not fish."

As the cats set out, in different directions, Ripplepaw still bubbled with excitement.

But even though she was happy, there was still the tiniest hint of fear in ever cats' scent. Both Warriors were a bit twitchy, and constantly swung their head side to side at every noise.

The disappearance of Flametuft must have caused this mood. Ripplepaw only hoped that it wouldn't ruin the whole day.

Scenebreak-

There. The little brown shape scuttled around the tree's base. Ripplepaw stalked it as best she could, trying out her newly learned skills.

The territory was pretty nice, especially with the nice looking reeds and the giant lake. The lake was like the biggest, fattest puddle she had ever seen; she loved it.

Hollowbranch and Hawkfeather had taught them how to stalk prey properly, and what to do when you had it in your claws. Before that they showed the siblings around the territory, and they marked a few boundaries. Though there was no fish-hunting today, Ripplepaw still watched the silver animals in the lake with a close curiosity.

A movement shook her out of her trance.

As the tiny vole sniffed around for seeds, Ripplepaw made her move. She moved slightly closer, keeping her tail above the ground. When she felt near, she leaped.

Her claws sunk into soft flesh as she made her mark. The vole let out a shriek as she contemplated her teachings. Bite the back of the neck...the killing bite.

Her fangs interacted with the neck, and soon enough the vile had stopped breathing. Ripplepaw gazed proudly at her catch, then heard something rustle behind her in the bushes. Instantly, she spun around, but sighed relievedly when she recognized Clawpaw's dark tabby pelt.

"We'll done!" He exclaimed. "You succeeded on your first catch."

But the happy light seemed to fade away in Clawpaw's eyes shortly after. Ripplepaw sunk lower, and widened her own eyes.

"What," she meowed, "what is it."

"Oh, nothing, it's just..."

She padded closer, and the tip of her tail brushed his shoulder. "You must tell me, I'm your littermate and you can trust me."

He looked at her, then finally admitted his thoughts. He was always open to Ripplepaw, and the two shared the most connection out of the four siblings.

"I was just thinking of Flametuft. What if he really was in trouble. Maybe we should...look for clues or signs of him?"

Ripplepaw stared for a moment, thinking, then answered. "First of all, where is your mentor and mine. Secondly, Talonstar told us NOT to make this a big deal. He said resume our normal lives."

Clawpaw looked up at her, gaining strength again. "Hollowbranch and Hawkfeather are letting us try on our own, and I don't care what Talonstar says. We should look for clues while hunting, just in case he's been around here."

"But-but Talonstar said...no."

Clawpaw stared her down harder. Ripplepaw knew he wouldn't give up until she said yes.

"Come ON Ripplepaw, this is still following the warrior code. We can hunt while we're looking for signs. Please..."

Reluctantly, she agreed. "Okay, fine, but we're still hunting. Got it?"

He gave an excited bounce and nuzzled her after. "Yes! Sure! Whatever."

So the two apprentices looked for clues. They sniffed around for Flametuft's scent, and all the while they hunted. By the time it was dusk, they had caught two pieces of prey each, but had no lead on Flametuft. Everything smelt like it should have, and now a lake breeze had drifted over.

Clawpaw looked downbeat. He probably had wanted to find Flametuft so bad, and make sure everything was good and well had always wanted to serve his clan well, and what better way than to find a missing warrior.

Ripplepaw picked up her two prey bodies in her mouth, and started making her way after Clawpaw, who was trudging along silently. Ripplepaw slowly sped up, and reached Clawpaw's side, after she picked up her other piece of prey from earlier.

"Clawpaw, don't be sad," she soothed. "We tried looking for clues, but didn't find any. Who knows, maybe Flametuft is safely back at camp already, and this was all just a big mess."

That seemed to lighten the mood a bit, but there was still an air of darkness floating.

Before Ripplepaw could comfort her brother any more, the reeds ruffled, and two shaped slid out. Hollowbranch and Hawkfeather. They both looked annoyed.

Hawkfeather started first. "Where were you two mousebrains!? We were looking all over, and were worried you were taken away like Flametuft."

Clawpaw and Hollowbranch botched winced at the mention of the missing Tom, but neither made any comment. Hawkfeather continued.

"We told you to hunt in the area around the reeds, NOT to go wandering off. If you were trying to hunt fish today, well you better get your head straight!"

The two apprentices apologized, and listened to more Hawkfeather lecturing.

Hollowbranch butted in before anything more could happen.

"Hawkfeather, maybe we should head back to camp now. It is getting dark."

Hawkfeather glared at the golden-brown Tom for a moment, then spun around and headed off towards the camp, without a word.

Hollowbranch gave the two an exasperated look, then started off towards the direction Hawkfeather went. A slight wind carried his scent back towards the two apprentices.

Clawpaw and Ripplepaw looked at each other once more, then followed them silently.

And the worst part that ruined the mood even more was that when they all arrived back at camp, Flametuft was nowhere to be found, and cats were worrying in chaos. Everyone was out in the clearing, arguing with each other. Oddly enough, Junipershine was in the centre of it all. She was crowded in by Talonstar, and was whispering something too him. Cats streamed all around them, their voices going all around. Everything was complete madness.

And Ripplepaw and Clawpaw had just entered into the middle of it.

Oh Starclan, please solve this all soon!