Chapter 8
Surprise, Surprise
Only moments after Amberpaw finished speaking, Thornstar appeared before the group. She seemed to notice that Amberpaw was there instead of Pinepaw because Shell saw her golden eyes narrow. "I see Pinepaw cannot do what he is told, since I specifically told him he was to show you both around the camp," the leader huffed. "Thank you for doing so instead, Amberpaw."
"You're welcome, Thornstar," the apprentice said, dipping her head in respect to the petite black she-cat.
Shell noticed that Amberpaw's eyes happened to flicker towards the camp entrance. She glanced over as well to see Pinepaw entering the camp with two mice clamped in his jaws. Her green eyes followed the tabby tom as he dropped the dead prey onto the fresh-kill pile. He then looked up and his eyes grazed over the group. Once he saw that Thornstar was there he quickly turned around and headed back toward the entrance.
At first Shell didn't think Thornstar had noticed the return of the apprentice but suddenly her sharp voice rang out. "Pinepaw!"
The dark brown tabby stopped in his tracks, his ears flattening against his head. Shell inwardly smiled as he slunk over with his tail drooping.
"I told you to show Patch and Shell the camp, did I not?" Thornstar said, the authority strong in her voice.
Pinepaw nodded gloomily. "Yes, Thornstar."
"Well then, why did I see Amberpaw with them and not you?"
"She offered to show them around so I let her. She was just so excited about it and I didn't want to reject her."
Out of the corner of her eye Shell noticed Amberpaw's eyes roll skyward.
Thornstar let out a small sigh, then turned her attention to Shell. "At the moment most of our warriors happen to be busy so showing you around ThunderClan territory will have to wait until later or possibly tomorrow. For now you and your brother can start hunting. You do know how to hunt don't you?" she questioned.
Shell and Patch nodded.
"Good. Then Amberpaw, you and Patch will go over and see what you can find around the Owl Tree. Pinepaw, you will take Shell and hunt near Tallpines. If I find out you left her for even a moment don't think you won't be punished. Once you come back make sure the elders have been fed then all of you may eat." With that Thornstar turned around and vanished back into her den.
Shell desperately wanted to protest but she didn't think whining would get her on the leader's good side, plus Thornstar had already left them. But would any sane cat possibly want to be stuck with Pinepaw? Although she had only known the tabby for less than an hour or so he wasn't exactly on the top of her favorites list.
"I guess we're off then," Amberpaw said, smiling at Patch then turning towards the camp entrance, Patch right behind her. Before they left Shell noticed Amberpaw give her a sympathetic look when Pinepaw wasn't paying attention. Then the two disappeared out into the forest.
"Well don't just stand there like some dumb struck mouse, come on. I don't feel like wasting more time than I have to hunting with the likes of you," Pinepaw growled as he started towards the entrance. Shell's eyes narrowed as she followed the tabby out of camp with a sigh.
Once out in the forest Shell's eyes couldn't stop staring from one place to the next. On her way here with Lionclaw and the others she had been too nervous to actually take in her surroundings. Now she could look all she wanted. Pinepaw had lead her up the ravine and it seemed they were heading in the direction of the upwalker nests, or Twolegplace as the Clan cats seemed to call it.
"So, where exactly is this Tallpines place?" Shell questioned, her curiosity getting the better of her for she had been trying not to talk to the stubborn tom.
"You'll see when we get there," was all Pinepaw said, not even glancing in her direction.
Well that was a waste of breath… Shell thought as she continued to follow him.
It wasn't long until Shell began noticing that the trees around them were starting to become pine instead of the leafy ones that had been back deeper in the forest. She was so occupied with looking around that she practically ran right into Pinepaw, who had stopped in front of her.
"You should warn someone before stopping!" Shell snapped at him.
Pinepaw's head whipped around to face her. "If you had been paying attention then I wouldn't have needed to warn you!" he hissed. "Now pipe down or you'll scare away all the prey, though I bet you already have…" he grumbled.
Shell looked taken aback but remained quiet all the same.
"I'll go over there…" Pinepaw whispered, nodding in the direction to their right. "You can go see what you can find over there," he added, nodding in the opposite direction. "Just remember to be quiet," he mumbled before slinking off into the undergrowth.
Shell was glad that they split up, even though Thornstar told Pinepaw not to leave her side. Who would want to hunt with a grumpy, ignorant cat like Pinepaw anyways? But she wouldn't let him ruin her first hunt in the forest.
She took a few steps forward and breathed in the fresh air. Right away she scented mouse. She couldn't help licking her lips before she got down into a crouching position. Since it was a mouse she was hunting she kept light on her feet so that the prey couldn't hear her coming. Just as she was about to creep forward a loud screech sounded behind her, soon followed by yowling and hissing.
Shell, totally forgetting about the mouse, turned around to see two furry shapes tangled together rolling around in the dirt. After only a moment one of them pinned down the other. Pinepaw was standing over a young brown tom with his claws unsheathed and digging into the stranger's chest. The one pinned down was struggling but seemed too weak to get Pinepaw off of him. As Shell looked closer she saw that the strange tom had a long, unmistakable scar over his chest. Her eyes widened as she recognized her other brother.
"Scar?!"
Patch's nose twitched and his claws instantly unsheathed. His tail swayed back and forth as he crouched behind a large bush, his blue eyes glued to a rabbit that was munching on some weeds only a few tail lengths away. He had already caught two mice and Amberpaw, who was still hunting nearby, had caught a vole and a squirrel. Hunting around the Owl Tree was pretty good, for the tree dropped seeds that prey depended on for food.
Patch was just about to lunge towards the creature when his tail accidently brushed against the bush, causing the rabbit to look up and spot him. The small white creature immediately began to run and Patch darted after it. The black and white tom ran on and on, his paws pounding harder against the ground as his speed increased. He couldn't quite tell how far he had run, though he thought it was a pretty good distance from where he had started, but all of a sudden a foul stench filled his nostrils and he halted before a Thunderpath. This Thunderpath seemed different from the ones back near the upwalker nests. They were smaller and didn't stink as much. This one was much larger and he was having trouble breathing because of the awful smell. But just because it was here didn't mean he wouldn't cross it. He had crossed the other ones all the time so what was this one to him? Besides, the rabbit had already run across and he was determined to catch it.
Patch slowly crept up to the edge of the Thunderpath and made sure no monsters were coming. Not seeing anything, the young tom quickly ran across.
"Patch! What are you doing?!" a voice suddenly rang out behind him. He turned around to see Amberpaw sitting a few tail lengths away from the edge of the Thunderpath.
"Getting the rabbit I chased all the way over here of course," he said like it was rather obvious. What had her all worked up? "I'll only be a moment…" he added, then turned back around and headed towards the scent of the rabbit.
Only moments after Amberpaw appeared at his side. "I said I'd only be a moment," he repeated, seeing the worried expression on her face.
"This is ShadowClan territory, one of our rival Clans. We aren't supposed to be here, we're trespassing," she explained.
Patch suddenly remembered that ThunderClan was not the only Clan of cats out here. He had forgotten about the other three. "Well, I think they can spare one rabbit…I'm sure they won't mind," he said, still determined.
"Actually, they would mind. They would mind very much. We really need to leave before someone spots us, otherwise we could get in to big trouble." Amberpaw nudged Patch back toward the Thunderpath.
Seeing that he wasn't going to be able to get the rabbit after all, Patch let her begin to lead him back. But before they could even take a few steps a bush rustled behind them. Both of the young cats turned around to see three cats slinking out of the brush, their ears flattened and teeth bared.
A/N: Please review! xD
