Chapter 8:
"Frostheart, where are you?" I shouted into the starry forest "You said you would wait for me? You also said you had some warriors and leaders for me to meet?" I said uncertainly looking around for any sign of a cat that I could talk to. I breathed deeply for her scent, finding it instantly.
She's behind me, testing me probably I thought. I tried to think of what to do. Wildfire hasn't taught me any hunting skills yet I thought, trying to think of a hunting move that my mother taught me. You've got to crouch down and become invisible, of course! Thanks mom. I thought, finding a memory about hunting. So I crouched down as low as I could, and then crawled into the nearest bush. I kept on going along the bushes not making a sound, not breaking any twigs or making any noise. I came back to the hollow I was at last, finding her looking around in circles, sticking her head in the bush I first entered.
"Did I pass my test?" I said sitting behind her. She jumped out of her skin in surprise. She glared at me, "Yes, you did; now come along." I followed her out of the hollow into a big field; I saw a bunch of cats sharing tongues, talking, lying in the sun and some were just sitting.
"We're going to the group of cats over there." She said pointing her tail toward a group of cats, half in the meadow, half in the forest; they were all in a circle. "Who are they?" I asked
"Two previous leaders, a deputy and a warrior." She said as we got closer to the group of cats "I'll introduce you once we get there." She added. We weaved our way around a couple groups of cats to end in front of the leaders circle.
"Hello Silverstar, Oakstar, Foxheart and Squirrelfur this is Shadowpaw if you don't know him already." She said sitting between the two leaders, I sat between her and Silverstar.
"Hello Shadowpaw, welcome to Starclan." Silverstar said to me. "Hello" Oakstar said, the other two just nodded to me and I nodded back. "He doesn't look anything like you Frostheart." Foxheart said "No, but he acts likes her, exactly like her." Silverstar said "Wait, are you the leader?" I asked "Yes I am, but no need to worry, it was my destiny, just as it was Frostheart's destiny to be banished." She said, Frostheart glared at me like it was not a question to ask right now "Am I following my destiny?" I asked not to sure.
"Of course you are, wait, you met Wildfire first right?" Squirrelfur asked "Um, yes she was the first cat I met in Thunderclan." I said wondering what he's thinking. "Okay, good, your destiny is fine then." All of the other cats glared at him and he looked at his paws.
"What does Wildfire have to do with my destiny?" I asked really confused now. "Wildfire plays a huge part in your destiny. That's all that we're going to tell you, Shadowpaw." Oakstar said looking around the circle as everyone nodded in agreement.
"One more question, is my name going to change or am I going back to Shadowstalker?" I asked "Your name is going to change." Frostheart said looking at me lovingly. "You're going to leave soon Shadowpaw; before you go do you have any other questions?" Silverstar asked
"No I don't" I said "Well that's good because you're leaving right now." Squirrelfur said as I started to fade
"Good-bye Shadowpaw." They all said at the same time, as I disappeared from Starclan and opened my eyes to find the other four apprentices still asleep. Of course there still asleep, I bet I'm the first one awake once again. I thought stepping around Blackpaw and walking out into camp. Badgerclaw is sitting in the middle of the hollow; he looked at me as I walked out of the apprentices den and into the open. I stretched my back into an arch and started to wash my paws; I washed my face then walked over to Badgerclaw.
"Hello Badgerclaw" I said sitting next to him "Hello Shadowpaw" He said softly
"I was just wondering who are all your family here in the clan?" "Why should I tell you?" he said angrily
"I'm just wondering, I could guess and you could tell me if I'm close at all. So it would be like a game" "Alright, I want to see who you think I'm related to." He said. At least I got him interested I thought
"Okay, I think Fuzzypaw and Smokepaw are your sons. Am I right about that?" "Yes, you are, but who birthed them?" he asked curiously "Snowstripe" I said simply
"What, how did you know?" he asked "Smokepaw's gray stripes, of course." I said. I saw Wildfire exit the warriors den; she looked ruffled like she couldn't sleep last night.
"Alright, I bet you can't guess my one sibling." Badgerclaw said getting excited now. "That's easy, Twistedfoot, of course." I said rolling my eyes "Hmm, your right" he mumbled
"Well this was a fun game, glad to talk to you Badgerclaw, got to go." I said walking toward Wildfire.
"Hi Wildfire, how did you sleep?" She's washing her back "Okay, I guess, can you tell Badgerclaw that he can go rest now" She said not lifting her head. "Of course, be right back" I said turning around and walking over to Badgerclaw once more.
"Wildfire said you can go rest now." I said. He nodded to me and headed toward the warriors den. I walked back over to Wildfire, she's done washing and was just sitting there watching me come over to sit next to her.
"Do you ever wash yourself? You're all ruffled and crazy" She said looking me over "I don't know, I didn't think it was that important." I said. "Well I think it is." She said plainly. Warriors started to exit the warriors den now. I washed my back and face as she organized patrols for the morning. "Much better" she said walking over to me once she was done "Whatever" I mumbled
"Well it's just you and I today, Fuzzypaw wanted to go on a patrol." She explained "Fine by me." I said "We can look for the stone as we head into the forest." She said turning around and heading for the exit. "Wait for me!" I shouted as her tail disappeared through the tunnel.
I ran up the tunnel into the forest. I looked around for Wildfire but couldn't find her. She's testing me just like Frostheart I thought not seeing her anywhere, or Frostheart was getting me ready for this moment because she knew Wildfire was going to do this. Thanks Frostheart, I thought breathing in Wildfire's scent. I followed it until I came to a clearing in the middle of Thunderclan territory. She was sitting there looking directly at me
"Nice job" she said simply "I'm going to teach you the hunters crouch, it's just like the leaping crouch from yesterday, but instead of all your weight on your back legs it's balanced evenly throughout your whole body." She explained as I went into the battle crouch. I relaxed my muscles so that I was evenly balanced.
"Good…" She whispered "Now do you smell anything other then a cat?" "Yeah, a squirrel" I said "Okay, crouch your way toward the squirrel and keep yourself hidden." She said also getting into the hunters crouch. I've never done this before, I thought, my parents just taught me to stalk my prey then pounce. I followed the scent until I came to a maple tree a little ways ahead. A gray squirrel is sitting at the bottom of the tree eating a nut. I moved myself in front of the tree hidden by a bush, not making a sound. I walked out of the bracken silently and jumped on the squirrel snapping its neck in the process. I heard a rustle of leaves as Wildfire leaped from a branch and landed behind me softly.
"Nice catch" She said "You can give that to Rainstripe when we get back." She said "Now lets have a competition." She whispered "Whoever can catch the most prey wins, all prey comes to this maple tree." She explained "Bury your catch under some leaves over there and I'll bury mine on the other side of the tree. Meet back here at sunhigh" She added "and… begin" she whispered running off in a different direction.
I'm going to win! I thought getting into a crouch and tasting the air. But then again she has a lot more experience then me, I found the scent of a mouse and was following it to a bush under an oak tree. I had to chase the mouse but eventually got it. I got two more prey before sunhigh came. I grabbed my three preys and headed toward the maple tree. I hope she only has two I prayed. I came up to the maple tree to find two squirrels at her feet.
"Nice job, you won." She said as I dropped my prey at the base of the maple tree and went over to get my other squirrel in the leaf pile. She grabbed my mouse and we headed toward camp with our mouths full of fresh prey
