Chapter Two
Warm rays of glittering sunshine seeped into the fur on Fawnpaw's nose. Antpaw stirred in his nest of moss, sending smushed particles flying into the air. Despite having her eyes tightly closed, she could see the bright light of the morning sun. A low purr rumbled in the depths of her throat as she was content to dose.
"Wake up you dormouse! Tallsky wants you for dawn patrol." Goopy bits of sleep clung to her sleek, black fur as she forced her blue eyes open. Standing in the opening of the apprentice den was her mentor, Oceanflight. His dark green eyes gleamed with the freshness the new dawn brought.
"Good morning Oceanflight. I will be up and out in just a moment." She meowed, opening her mouth into a wide yawn. Shiny white teeth glinted in the light. With a curt nod, her mentor padded out into the clearing. Fawnpaw flexed her claws as she stretched and gave her shoulder a lick.
Cats were sunning themselves happily in the clearing. Deerleap and her little kit tussled playfully by the fresh-kill pile.
"Fawnpaw, watch this!" Lightningkit bunched his muscles and clumsily leaped into the air, landing on his face.
"That was great! You will be a wonderful apprentice." Fawnpaw's compliment, though small, sent the small kit into a fit of glee.
"Fawnpaw! Make haste will you?" Oceanflight called from the thorn tunnel. Fawnpaw gave one more approving grin to the young cat, and quickly trotted to her mentor. The two sat in conversation for a moment before Tallsky, Stormflash, and Antpaw appeared. Antpaw's pelt has not been groomed and stood up in every direction. Fawnpaw stared, imagining what it would be like to have a coat such as his.
Tallsky flicked his tail and gave his patrol instructions.
"Oceanflight and Fawnpaw, you two take the BreezeClan border. Stormflash and Antpaw, take the DeathClan border. I will hunt for a few pieces of prey." Fawnpaw nodded and carefully pawed her way through the sharp tunnel of woven thorns. Once they had made it into the open forest, Fawnpaw marveled at the tall pine trees and the leafy brush.
"The forest is much prettier in new-leaf." Fawnpaw mumbled. Taking in a deep breath, she tried to scent everything in her surroundings. In front of her, she could smell her mentor killing a mouse. Stormflash and Antpaw were not too far behind, but they had been heading in the opposite direction. Tallsky was nowhere in range of scenting, but she figured he had gone towards the river. Quickening her pace ever so slightly, the black apprentice caught up to her mentor.
"So, are we going to do any training today? I'd like to learn some new battle moves." She asked panting.
"Battle moves huh? What, do you suppose any of the other Clans will be attacking any time soon?" The warrior's whiskers shivered in amusement.
"Well, you never know. DeathClan is always sneaky." She shrugged."I'll race you to the border." Before Oceanflight could protest, Fawnpaw broke into a sprint and bolted for the BreezeClan border.
"Look over there, just beyond that hill. Tell me what you see." Oceanflight instructed. Fawnpaw squinted her eyes, attempting to block out the stinging winds that blasted her face. How do those cats stand it? There are no trees to take cover beneath. Nothing to block out the wind.
"I think I can see a patrol of cats. But I'm not sure who they are." She swept the ground with her tail.
"Well, if you cannot see them or hear them...smell them." She perked her ears and instantly opened her mouth to taste the air. The taste of dry air and grass coated her tongue.
"I think, I think the white and ginger cat is Mossyglow. And the red one." She cut off and tasted the air once more." The red one is Meadowstar. But what are they doing alone? Shouldn't there be at least two more cats for a patrol?" Fawnpaw had always seen at least five cats for every patrol Tallsky sends out. Oceanflight cocked his head to the side, whiskers twitching.
"I suppose they just needed to speak with one another. But I will be sure to report this to Tallsky. I am sure it's nothing, but this close to the border, you can never be too sure. Come now, Tallsky needs us to replace the scent markers along the river." The two cats separated and parted. Fawnpaw pranced upstream and took and interest in a stubby oak tree. Hmm, this tree looks like a good one for a scent marker. She rubbed her body against the tree so Oceanflight could find it later. Suddenly, a small cat, the color of snow, stumbled out of a berry bush.
His eyes were wide with fear, and his body trembled. Fawnpaw jumped back in surprise. She couldn't help but notice the fear that radiates from the young cat.
"Hello. Where did you come from?" Her voice was low and calm. No reply came from him. "Are you an apprentice?" She watched as he nodded his head very slowly. "Which Clan are you from?"
"C-Clan? What's a...Clan?" His tiny voice squeaked. Fawnpaw could smell the reek of crow food on his short fur.
"What is your name?" He took a pawstep towards her, and shoved his tail in between his legs.
"My name's Shadow. Can you h-help me?"
"Help you? What's wrong?" She asked the tom concerned. He glanced over his shoulder for a brief moment.
" I think my sister is dying."
...
"Where is she?" Fawnpaw huffed between deep pants. Her legs pumped and lungs burned as she and Shadow raced through the forest. Fawnpaw knew her mentor would be mad at her, but something in her heart pushed her to help this cat in need. Fawnpaw knew that her Clan would be upset with her for helping a strange cat, but she just could not stand to go on knowing she let an innocent cat die.
"Stop! She is inside this tree." Shadow shouted. The two cats had stopped next to a huge oak tree with thick, scraggly roots."Follow me." Shadow unsheathed his claws and pulled away a wad of moss, revealing a hole in between the roots. He held his tail close to his body, and forcefully shoved himself into the hole. Turning around and poking his head out, he looked at Fawnpaw.
"Well, are you coming?" His voice was shaky. She hadn't realized that she hesitated, and she pawed at the ground. Slowly moving forward, Fawnpaw squeezed into the hole. The inside of the hole was warm, moss lined the carefully hollowed out nook. As Fawnpaw observed the nook, taking in every detail, her eyes spotted a lump of fur in the back corner. Bile rose in her throat as she grimaced at the sight of a twisted, bloody leg.
"Shadow, is, is that you?" The cat's voice was low, weak from blood loss. Shadow jumped to the small cat's side and pressed his head into her pelt.
"Yes Dark, I'm here. I've brought help." The small and injured cat looked up at Fawnpaw with pain filled blue eyes. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and she could just make out the messy black fur and the dark ginger spots on the cat's pelt.
"Hello, my name is Dark." Fawnpaw dipped her head in a polite greeting.
"My name is Fawnpaw. Would it be alright if I take a look at your leg? It looks awful." Dark only nodded, then layed her head down. Dark's leg was covered in matted fur and sticky, dried blood. Particles of moss cling to it, making it difficult to examine it.
"Dark, your leg looks really bad. I live in a Clan. We have a medicine cat that can heal your leg. Can I take you to her?" Silence filled the hole, both cats staring at her with wide eyes. Shadow lashed his tail angrily.
"We will do no such thing. Clans are evil, and they want nothing more than to kill." Fawnpaw gasped and stepped back.
"What in the name of StarClan are you talking about? My Clan would never do such a thing." Shadow only smirked and turned his attention to his sister. While the two cats argued over the Clans, Dark groaned in agony.
"Shadow, please. I don't want to die. Let her take me. We can stay until I am fit enough to leave. I just need to-." She trailed off. Her mangled body went limp and her breathing slowed.
"Curses!" Shadow spat."Fine. Take my sister and I to your Clan. But as soon as she's better, we leave." Fawnpaw let out a sigh of relief at the young tom's agreement.
"Shadow, you grab her scruff and haul her onto my back. I will carry her back to our camp while you brave her leg, and keep it from swinging." Without hesitating, Shadow bit down on Dark's scruff, then pulled her onto Fawnpaw's back. Oddly enough, she felt light, almost weightless. She must not get enough to eat. Slowly but surely, the three cats made their way back into the forest. The sun blazed high in the sky. Dawn had passed and sunhigh was in full swing.
Fawnpaw cracked her mouth and breathed slowly. Camp was not far.
"You chose a good spot for Dark...my Clan is only a few tree lengths away." The fur on Shadow's neck bristled at the mention of her Clan.
"Well then, get a move on!" Rolling her eyes, she stomped her black paws and headed for HawkClan camp.