A few days passed after brave Honeycreek's death, the clan was still very much in mourning but life went on. Kits had to be nursed and apprentices needed to be trained. Thankfully, the patrols had not found any trace of the badger,
Silverpaw's training regime still hadn't improved, Wetpelt wouldn't stop volunteering for patrols. He asked for more and more after Honeycreek's death as if he believed that the loss of one warrior meant he had to work harder which was ridiculous since the clan was large enough for a decent rota. She was lucky if she got his attention for more than a heartbeat, her siblings would shoot sympathetic glances her way. She envied them, they had good mentors, mentors that would actually teach them what they needed to know.
Eventually one of her sibling's mentors took pity on her, Woolpaw's mentor, Clearscar, invited her to join their training sessions. He gave her tips on hunting, praised her when she showed off what she'd learnt from Copperpaw and Briarpaw and also taught her a little bit about fighting.
When she returned to camp and saw her father at the fresh kill pile she felt a surge of hatred, her entire body trembled with rage. Although she was on her mother's side she never quite understood why her mother had been so angry at her father. Now she knew, now she understood but what she couldn't understand was why Leafstar had given her to him when he clearly didn't want to find time for her. She learned more from other warriors, other apprentices for Starclan's sake.
She paused and took a deep breath letting her fur lie flat and her anger to cool. If he didn't want to spend time with her then she'd find another way, she had often considered speaking to Leafstar about another mentor but she was too afraid of Leafstar's answer. With a heavy sigh she turned towards the nursery. Shadespeckle was sat outside sunning herself, her ears pricked up at Silverpaw's approach
"Hello Silverpaw and how are you on this fine day" Shadespeckle purred but it died as she noticed her glum expression "What's wrong?" She asked sitting up
"Why did Leafstar give me to Wetpelt?" Silverpaw blurted out, Shadespeckle shook her head slightly
"Oh Silverpaw, I can't give you an answer that would satisfy you. You just need to be patient with him" She said gently
"It didn't seem to work with you" Silverpaw muttered bitterly but immediately regretted it at the look in her mother's eyes
"No, no it did not but then again, I didn't have much patience to give him" Shadespeckle said coolly
"I'm sorry, I'll try to be more patient but for now, can I see the kits?" Shadespeckle seemed to perk up at the mention of the kits. She stood up and poked her head into the nursery and out again
"Sagepetal says you can go in, just don't wear her out" Shadespeckle said, Silverpaw purred with delight and slipped into the nursery
"Well hello there Silverpaw, come to see your competitors?" The question caught her off guard
"I, well I'm here to see them but what do you mean by competitors?" Silverpaw said her gaze falling on the kits nestled up close to their mother.
Sagepetal shifted slightly "Well 5 kits are going to be a pawful and I'm sure they'll be as mischievous as you lot were" Sagepetal said amused
"Have you named them?" Silverpaw asked curiously, her tail twitched with excitement when Sagepetal inclined her head
"You'd be surprised how difficult naming them is when they all look the same" Sagepetal murmured "This is Stonekit, Ivykit, Cloudkit, Shiverkit and Owlkit" She said gesturing to each of them in turn
"However will you be able to tell apart the naughty ones from the good ones" Shadespeckles said from outside the nursery, laughter in her voice
"Oh I'm sure they'll all be naughty" Sagepetal purred gazing lovingly at her little ones
"Silverpaw" Shadespeckle called, her voice sounded strange. Silverpaw meowed a quick goodbye to Sagepetal and left the nursery, Palepaw was sat beside Shadespeckle
"Hi Silverpaw" Palepaw mewed brightly, a little too bright Silverpaw thought as she glanced between her mother and sister "I just ran into Wetpelt, he told me to tell you that he's waiting for you by the stream" Palepaw said and Silverpaw just stared until Palepaw looking uncomfortable "He didn't say why" She mumbled
"Well then you better go, don't keep him waiting" Shadespeckle said, a trace of bitterness in her tone
Silverpaw meowed a quick goodbye and hurried out to meet Wetpelt. She found her father gazing at the water. His ears pricking in her direction was the only indication that he knew she was there.
Silverpaw approached him cautiously unsure of his mood "Sorry I'm late" She mewed carefully. Wetpelt turned to look at her
"I hear you've been attending Clearscar's lessons" He said quietly, her eyes widened slightly
"I-I'm sorry?" She said confused
"Stop apologising" Wetpelt snapped making her jump, he sighed and shook his head "You're not the one who needs to apologise, I am" Silverpaw's mouth fell open "I am a terrible mentor. I am a terrible father. I am a terrible mate" Silverpaw was speechless, she could only stare "I was selfish, I wasn't ready to be a father. I only thought about me, I never once stopped to think about how you or your mother felt. When she refused to let me see you and your siblings I should have protested but I didn't I avoided you and any thoughts of spending time with you" Wetpelt said, his eyes downcast "And then Leafstar gave you to me, I should have seen it for what it was, a second chance but I went out of my way to avoid you all, you especially" He added with a worried glance up at her
"Me? But I'm your apprentice" Silverpaw cried in disbelief
"I know, I know and I'm so sorry its just" He paused and looked away "You look just like her when she was your age" He sighed his pitiful mew full of longing. Silverpaw calmed as she realised something. Shadespeckle had told them how attentive Wetpelt had been before they were born, he had been a sweet and caring cat. Silverpaw looked down quickly so he wouldn't see the pain in her green eyes, Wetpelt had started to neglect Shadespeckle after she was born, it hurt that she and her siblings were the cause of their parents' unhappiness.
"You shouldn't be apologising to me" Silverpaw said softly meeting his gaze, he was still in love with her mother and he wanted to be her mate again.
"I'm well aware of that" Wetpelt mumbled "I'm just afraid but even if I can't fix things between us I can still be a good mentor. I promise Silverpaw I will be your mentor" He said fiercely
"You are going to apologise to her thought aren't you?" Silverpaw asked tentatively, Wetpelt's eyes clouded
"Yes" She opened her mouth to speak but he continued "I promise that I will speak to her when we return" Silverpaw's ears pricked up with interest and she stood waiting "But for now I want to focus on your fighting" His voice changed into something more befitting of a mentor. He led her to a small clearing and sat a few tail-lengths away "Now I know that Clearscar's given you a few tips so I want to see what he's taught you" He said it so calmly she hadn't expected him to pounce.
She yowled shocked as he bowled her over placing one large paw on her chest to pin her down "No fair" She growled but she still kicked at his belly with her hind legs, claws sheathed of course. He removed his paw and she sprang up in a heartbeat, she wasted no time and rushed him, she aimed for his right side but switched sides at the very last second, she brought her paw up and struck his cheek. The blow made him stumble and she took advantage pressing her attack, while he was dazed she tried to wrap her paws around his neck and use her weight to pin him to the ground. She succeeded but he used the momentum to roll back upright again loosening her grip, as he rolled his paw clipped her flank and shoved her away from him
"Well I can see Clearscar's taught you well" Wetpelt said shaking out his ruffled pelt, his amber eyes were shining with pride "That trick you pulled took me completely by surprise" He purred. Silverpaw ducked her head in embarrassment, she felt her fur growing hotter as he praised her.
Wetpelt paused and looked down at himself then back at Silverpaw and laughed, they were both covered in dust making, they grey pelts turning sandy "Well we might as well try a bit of hunting and take advantage of our 'camouflage'" He said "I hear you've gone on a few trips with Briarpaw and Copperpaw?" He asked and she nodded "Well then lets give it until sundown, see what you can catch and don't be discouraged if you don't catch anything" He said warmly, Silverpaw gulped visibly, she hadn't managed to catch anything in her sessions with the lovebirds but she stamped down on her nervousness and wandered off to try and find a trace of prey.
As she walked she gazed upwards every now and then, the sky was beginning to pinken, sundown would arrive sooner than she thought. She did find something though, she came across a small brown shape and instantly went on the alert. She shifted into the hunting crouch and moved cautiously towards the mouse. Her gaze flicking downward with each step to check where she was stepping. She pounced suddenly, her paw slamming down on top of the mouse pinning it to the ground, before the mouse could squeal she swooped down and bit into its spine killing it instantly. She picked up the small warm body and, head held high, strode back to camp.
Wetpelt was waiting for her by the fresh kill pile, his eyes widened in surprise at her catch and he nodded to her as she dropped it on the fresh kill pile "Well done Silverpaw" He purred, Silverpaw noticed a few of her siblings sat at the pile looking shocked. She wondered if it was shock at her first kill or shock that their father was actually doing his job. Even Palepaw was staring at Wetpelt as if she had never seen him before.
"What in Starclan's name did you do to Wetpelt" Palepaw asked still gaping as they watched Wetpelt approach the nursery and lead Shadespeckle out into the forest
"He apologised to me now he's going to apologise to her" Silverpaw said simply taking a bite of Palepaw's offered mouse
"He apologised to you?" Palepaw said in disbelief
"And then we had a proper training session" Silverpaw continued, her eyes shining, Palepaw was looking doubtful as she turned to stare at the camp entrance
"Do you think she can forgive him?" Palepaw said quietly
"I don't know, Wetpelt is proud and Shadespeckle is stubborn" Silverpaw mused "But he's swallowing his pride, he says he's going to be my mentor now"
"Silverpaw" Palepaw's voice was serious and she looked up at her sister "I know it sounds and looks good now just be careful, Wetpelt has a long history of disappointment. One moment he says he'll be dedicated to you the next thing you know he's on another patrol and tells you to do your own thing" She warned, Silverpaw's tail twitched slightly with irritation
"You think I don't know that" She growled and Palepaw's ears went back "But I believe he wants to make amends so I'm going to give him a chance"
"Well then, if you believe he can then I suppose I can give him a chance, one chance" Palepaw added with a growl as she stood up and walked back to Petalpatch's den
"You seem happier" Silverpaw jumped and turned to see Briarpaw and Copperpaw behind her
"I had my first proper training session, caught my first mouse" Silverpaw purred
"Congratulations" She appeared bright and cheerful but there was an air of sadness about her
"Thank you, how are you doing?" She added gently
"Hanging in there" Briarpaw sighed heavily and Copperpaw pressed closer to her "Cheetahflight is faring the worst, I don't know if she'll ever recover and Fawnfoot" She broke off and glanced at Copperpaw "Fawnfoot has forbidden me from seeing Copperpaw which isn't really possible right now" She said shifting uncomfortably
Silverpaw looked her up and down and her eyes widened "Oh my, Briarpaw are you, are you pregnant?" She gasped, it was wonderful though she couldn't help but think it was poor timing
"Petalpatch told me the other day" Briarpaw said gazing at Copperpaw adoringly
"Well then congratulations, I know you'll be great parents" Silverpaw purred.
"Have you told Cheetahflight" She asked
"I wish I could, hearing about new kits might cheer her up, if I tell Cheetahflight she'll tell Fawnfoot I rather like Copperpaw's fur, on his body " Briarpaw said, Copperpaw stood with a look of boredom but Silverpaw could tell that was just for show, his violent encounter with Fawnfoot had left him shaken and hearing about his possible mutilation/death at the paws of his mate's father after he learns that he got her pregnant probably wasn't helping.
"Well I can't wait to see them" Silverpaw purred "I wonder if you'll still be an apprentice by the time they're born" She said with an amused glance at Copperpaw, Briarpaw laughed
"Well it all depends on how well he behaves" Briarpaw teased, Copperpaw shook his head at both of them
"Who knows maybe I'll receive my warrior name before you" Copperpaw said playfully holding his head high
"Sorry cousin but Briarpaw's the perfect apprentice whereas you eeeeh" Silverpaw mewed, Copperpaw turned to look at her
"Right that's it" He growled and pounced, she had seen the attack coming a mile away and rolled away from him back onto her paws and then pounced and pinned HIM down
"You were saying" Briarpaw smirked, Copperpaw glared up at her and then his gaze shifted to Silverpaw who was still on top of him
"Not bad cousin" He murmured "I'll have to be sneakier with you" Silverpaw stepped back and let him up
"Do you kits really have to play right beside the fresh kill pile" Pikepaw snarled behind Silverpaw making her jump at the sudden shift in tone
"I swear you have no sense of humour" Copperpaw muttered "This is how you have fun brother"
"Have all the fun you want just don't do it where I can see you" Pikepaw growled turning his back to pick through the fresh kill, Copperpaw's eyes flashed
"Does my relationship offend you, brother" He asked with a dangerous edge to his voice. Pikepaw spun round and thrust his head close to Copperpaw's face
"You flaunt and brag about your 'relationship'. Have you forgotten what HER father did to you, what he had threatened to do to our father. How can you even stand to be with her after everything that has happened between our families" Pikepaw spat glaring daggers at Briarpaw, Copperpaw shifted so he was in front of her
"You have no idea what you're talking about" He said coldly "I don't care if our father forbade me to see her or her father forbade her to see me, I will be with her no matter what our families throw at us because I love her" Briarpaw's eyes grew wide at this, Silverpaw guessed they had never officially admitted their feelings to each other "So be bitter all you want, hate us all you want, because it will do you no good" Copperpaw growled.
Pikepaw glared "So you're telling me you won't care if Fawnfoot tears you apart because that's what he'll do when he finds out about you two" He growled
"Nope don't care and stop exaggerating"
"Besides I won't that happen" Briarpaw put in "Fawnfoot may hate you and your family right now but he wouldn't do anything to upset me"
"Huh its your funeral" Pikepaw muttered and slunk away
"Is he ever pleasant?" Silverpaw wondered drawing their attention
"I honestly can't recall the last time he has spoken to me with warmth" Copperpaw said bitterly
"There's one in every family" Briarpaw said quietly "At least you have Tawnypaw to balance it out, I'm stuck with grumpy Sharppaw"
"You can't fool me, you love your brother no matter how grumpy he is" Copperpaw said his tone light, Briarpaw chuckled quietly then she glanced up at the sky
"Great Starclan is it that late already, we should get some rest. I'm sure Wetpelt will want you bright and early tomorrow" Briarpaw purred winking at Silverpaw. Silverpaw dipped her head in agreement and followed them into the apprentice den, she settled down in her usual place next to Palepaw.
The moment she closed her eyes she slipped into a dream "Not again" She moaned as she looked around. She was in the camp again and it was raining hard. Her green eyes grew wide as she realised that the camp was being flooded. The water swept her up, she gave a frightened yowl and coughed and spluttered as water rushed into her mouth. Her paws flailed madly as she tried to keep her head above the water but every time she broke the surface a wave came and dragged her back under.
She broke free from the water's grip and broke the surface, her paws touched something solid and she hauled herself out of the water. She lay on the sodden grass gasping. She glanced back at the state of the camp and jumped to her paws at once, her fur fluffed up. The water was red, because it wasn't water, it was blood
Her eyes flew up and she sprang to her paws, an annoyed hiss sounded behind her as she landed on Daisypaw's tail
"Silverpaw" Palepaw whispered and she glanced sharply her way "Come with me" She nudged her gently towards the entrance. Silverpaw followed in a daze, Palepaw led her outside and they went behind the apprentices' den. Silverpaw glanced up at the sky
"Ss way too early" She mumbled blinking sleep from her eyes
"What's wrong?" Palepaw asked kindly, Silverpaw blinked stupidly at her, her dream had started to fade but everything came rushing back at once
"Oh oh Palepaw" She moaned, Palepaw's eyes widened slightly at the note of fear, it was so unlike Silverpaw
"Several nights ago you woke with a start, this night was far worse?" Palepaw wondered gazing at her sister with concern. Silverpaw took a deep breath and explained her dream. Palepaw looked horrified when she finished. Palepaw gave a nervous cough and cleared her throat
"Well Silverpaw you certainly have an active imagination, perhaps you should be Petalpatch's apprentice instead of me" She tried to joke but Silverpaw's expression didn't change "It was just a dream Silverpaw, it can't hurt you" She assured her pressing her nose to her flank
"It felt so real" Silverpaw said faintly "I can still taste the blood" Palepaw couldn't take it anymore and pressed closer to her sister licking the top of head gently to comfort her
"Please tell me if you have any more dreams" Palepaw mewed softly "You don't have to deal with them alone and I might be able to give you something to keep the dreams away if they get worse" Silverpaw was starting to calm down but Palepaw's mind was racing. The things Silverpaw saw would scare any cat but they were just dreams, weren't they? She made a mental note to talk to Petalpatch about Silverpaw in the morning
"Come on lets go back to sleep" Palepaw murmured pushing Silverpaw back into their nest. She settled down in her own nest but made sure to keep as close to Silverpaw as possible. Her green gaze clouded with concern as she watched her sister's flanks rise and fall as she fell into a deep sleep again. She wanted to be a medicine cat because she wanted to help others, including her family, but how could she protect Silverpaw from her own mind.