Chapter 2 – Something special
Nettlepaw flinched as he sat beneath the scolding look of his mentor, Molepelt. His hot breathe on his tabby head. "What kind of mentor will Birchstar think I am letting my apprentice run across the border after prey?"
"I, I'm sorry Molepelt." Nettlepaw apologized, his head ducked with embarrassment. "I promise it will never, ever happen again."
Molepelt still looked un-satisfied, his eyes stone cold. "Fine, but if it ever happens again you will never catch another piece of prey again, I swear that by StarClan." The tiny black tom snorted. "I am very disappointed in you, Nettlepaw!"
"I told you I was sorry, why can't you just believe me. I feel like I always have to prove myself to you ten times more than any other apprentice has to prove themselves to their mentors, even if they're kittypets of half clan or their parents were traitors." Nettlepaw grumbled, turning away from his mentor. "That's absurd." Molepelt argued, his bristly short black fur standing on end with fury. "Haven't you ever gotten in trouble before? It's not like you did it on purpose if you did." Nettlepaw meowed tartly.
"You're right, I'm sorry. But you don't know what's it's like to loose a kit." Molepelt sobbed, sighing softly. "Actually, I do know what it's like to loose a kit, because it happened to me." He replied shyly.
"What do you mean?"
"When I was a kit, my mother took my sister away somewhere with her and neither of them returned." Nettlepaw meowed. "Your mother had four kits? I was apprentice when she left, but I don't remember her taking one of her kits with her." Molepelt replied confused. "She did, and ever since one of the elders, Kestrelwing told me the story, I've wanted nothing more than to find her and my sister… if they're even alive." He muttered quietly. "But that will never happen, you can't just turn your back on SkyClan." Molepelt laughed, his tail twitching oddly. "Why not? I bet you'd feel differently if it was StarClan who wanted me to go find my mother and lost sister." He argued, his fur burning. "StarClan have turned their backs on us, though Nettlepaw. They agreed that we should be banished from the forest, and therefore I will never forgive them, even if they did send Firestar to help us." The wiry black tom grunted. "Well I still think StarClan watch over us." Nettlepaw replied quietly but stubbornly.
Molepelt said nothing, just turned away to gaze at the pure blue sky, filled with clumps of perfectly white clouds. The day couldn't have been more beautiful, a soft breeze ruffled through the greenleaf leaves, the sun beamed with warmth as it shone in the bright blue sky. The clouds were whiter then they had ever been and he felt great, his pelt freshly groomed, and he was getting closer to Fawnpaw everyday. He thought of her more than just one of his best friends, but as a future mate, and he hoped she felt the same way, because once he was made a warrior he had often thought about asking her to be his mate.
"We might as well go back to camp, you've already mastered the belly scratch and play dead, and we've got loads of prey." Molepelt purred after looking back down at his apprentice happily. "I'll go fetch that rabbit you caught and you can go back to camp, I'll send Oakpaw or Patchpaw to get the rest of the prey we caught!"
Nettlepaw nodded before turning around and racing toward the camp, his tail high as the wind caught it.
Suddenly a familiar scent filled his nose, a scent he couldn't wait to find. It was Fawnpaw, and she was somewhere close! "Fawnpaw!" He meowed loudly, pricking his ears for the she-cats reply. The shape of a light brown tabby emerged from between two plump holly bushes. "Hey, Nettlepaw! I wasn't expecting to find you here." She purred, running up to touch noses with him affectionately. "Is Cloudspots with you?" He asked, pressing his muzzle against hers. "No, I told him I prefer to hunt on my own." She replied sweetly, her long light brown fur neatly groomed as the wind skimmed it. "Mind if I hunt a bit with you," He asked before adding shyly. "or do you still want to hunt alone?"
"No, I'd love for you to hunt with me!" She purred, rubbing against his legs as she brushed past him lovingly. "Great, I know a good place near the lake, there's a lot of worms around there so the birds like to hunt there." He suggested, padding to her side. "Sounds ideal." She purred, stepping into a brisk trot as the two of them started toward the lake.
The soft earth beneath his paws felt easy on the scratches on his paws from when he and Molepelt had gotten attacked by two rats near ShadowClan territory. Brambleberry had given him some poultice to put on it, which healed it well but after climbing over the sharp stones near the island with the cats gathered under the full moon, the wounds had opened again! Being so busy with his apprentice duties, he'd forgotten to go see Brambleberry for some burdock root.
"It's beautiful out today, isn't it?" Fawnpaw purred, breathing in the cool but warm fresh air. "Gorgeous, usually it rains but today is perfect!" He replied, flashing a look at the blue sky with its big clumps of filling white clouds.
Nettlepaw bent down into a hunters crouch as he spotted a squirrel, his mouth watering at the sight of the furry gray animal. He couldn't wait to sink his claws into its soft flesh, but worry kept his heart racing, if he didn't catch it Fawnpaw wouldn't think he was a good hunter. He just begged StarClan that sooner then later that squirrel would be dead and beneath his paws.
Creeping forward silently, he waited for the perfect time; sniffing the air he breathed a silent sigh of relief, as he knew the wind was traveling toward him. Sneaking closer he lunged, smacking the creature only to fall on its side, sleeking after it he sniffed to make sure it was unconscious. "Good catch!" Fawnpaw praised, her eyes beaming as she padded closer. "Thanks!" He meowed, puffing out his chest and boasting before picking up his squirrel and burying it beneath some earth.
Suddenly he pricked his ears to hear some small rocks rattle and a gorse bush rustle as a creature approached them. He ducked down to the ground instinctively, but soon stood up feeling embarrassed. He took a step in front of Fawnpaw, trying to protect her. "Whose there?" He growled dominantly.
A black tom with a white chest, ears and two white paws pushed his way through some bracken, entering the small clearing. It was Cloudspots, Fawnpaw's mentor. "Only me, Nettlepaw!" The tom meowed, setting a wood mouse he had caught on the ground. "I see you caught a squirrel, I'm sure the elders wouldn't mind having that."
"I'll take it to them right away." He purred, bowing his head to the senior warrior in respect before walking around him. He flashed Fawnpaw a loving look, and then jumped over the bracken bush.
All he could think about was Fawnpaw, how sweet she was, how nice and pretty. He couldn't wait until he was a warrior; he just hoped she liked him too, and more than a friend. She was sleek and built for hunting and running long distances, she was the fastest cat in the Clan and everyone loved her. Nettlepaw just wasn't sure if when the time came to ask her to be his mate, he'd have the courage or if he'd be too shy and back down. He wanted nothing more than to be her mate, and have her kits but he was the shiest out of his other two brothers, Oakpaw wasn't shy at all, neither was Mintpaw but he was easy to embarrass, but he would never back down from asking someone to be his mate.
Nettlepaw pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind as the warm smells of squirrel filled his nose as he padded down the stone slope into the SkyClan camp. Immediately he saw his two brothers, Oakpaw and Mintpaw sharing tongues by the rockpile with Patchpaw.
He bounded toward the elders' den, a stone cavern draped with brambles over the entrance, brushing past them he noticed Kestrelwing sprawled out on his moss bedding. While Whiteclaw was wide awake, picking burs out of her white fur. "Oh delicious, I hope that's for me!" The she-cat meowed, stopping to look at him. Suddenly Kestrelwing woke, rolling over onto his belly and tucking his paws beneath him.
"It is!" He replied respectfully.
