Picking up where we left off, here is chapter 8, enjoy and please follow the three R's of fanfiction :D Read, Review and Recommend to your friends.
Leopard opened her eyes and leapt to her paws, smacking her head on the roof of the apprentices den, her heart racing and blood pounding in her ears.
Realizing she was back at camp she tried to make her fur lie flat against her back, she gave her chest fur a few embarrassed licks as the other apprentices began to wake up growling.
"Cant a cat get a good night sleep around here" grumbled Ashenpaw, a large black and gray tom, he lashed his tail irritably.
His sister Silverpaw sat up and flicked her black ears in annoyance, and began to groom her silver and black pelt "You must have been having a good dream to be fidgeting so much" she sneered "were you chasing a yarn ball".
Leopard bristled and prepared to throw back a retort when Rowanpaw, the large broad shouldered ginger tom with light ginger stripes and a white chest cut in "If Leopard is such a kittypet then how come she has been chosen to go to the gathering tonight" he lashed his tail "While you and Ashenpaw stay home"
Silverpaw bristled before stalking out of the den, her eyes blazing like fire, her tail held high and her silver fur ruffled. Ashenpaw stood to his paws and raced out of the den, turning a hard stare back at Rowanpaw before disappearing.
Shimmerpaw sat up and purred, rubbing her paw a crossed her face yawning loudly "When did you get back from the dawn patrol Rowanpaw?"
The ginger tom lay down in his nest yawning, "Not too long ago" he flicked his ears "I could hear Ashenpaw and Silverpaw from a crossed the camp" he twitched his whiskers in annoyance, casting a quick glance at Leopard with his dark blue eyes.
"Anyways" he continued "Featherspots wants you out for the early hunting patrol" he turned to look at Leopard for a moment before looking away "Same as you Leopard", he laid his head down to sleep "See you two at the gathering".
Shimmerpaw yawned as she and Leopard padded out of the apprentices den, she cast a glance back to the den and purred "well we had better hurry up, if we keep Featherspots waiting he won't let us go to the gathering tonight"
Leopard nodded racing after her, the warm Greenleaf wind ruffling her short dappled pelt.
Featherspots sat down curling his tail over his paws "Now you two must hunt separately today" he turned to look Shimmerpaw in the eyes "You will go by Sunningrocks" he nodded his head to his apprentice signaling her to go. The silver she-cat raced towards Sunningrocks and he twitched his whiskers in amusement.
"Leopard you will hunt by twoleg place, I'm sure your mother wouldn't mind if you stopped by for a quick visit". Leopard nodded as he continued "And I mean quick, be back at camp before sunset, you are coming to the gathering after all".
Leopard raced towards Twolegplace, more eager to see her mother than to catch any prey. I'll hunt on my way back she thought as the warm air blew through her fur and her paws thudded the forest floor.
As she approached the nest she began to call for her mother "Shadow, are you there?" she lashed her tail as she leapt up to the fence and waited. She began to groom her dappled pelt as she waited.
Suddenly Shadow's dark pelt came out of the kitty door and the black she-cat began to groom her fur, soaking up the warm Greenleaf sun. Leopard was about to jump down into the garden when she noticed Shadow's ears prick in interest, a familiar scent wafted towards Leopard and she realized there was a mouse in the garden.
She purred watching her mother stand on three paws, and creep forward toward the mouse. The dark she-cat stepped forward with her back legs first and did a slight hop to move her front right paw forward.
Silently she hopped towards the mouse and pounced; Leopard pricked her ears in interest and strained her eyes to see if her mother caught the mouse, Shadow reappeared with a small limp brown body in her jaws.
Shadow laid down, sinking her jaws into the mouse's warm flesh and looked up hearing a cat jump down into the garden. Seeing the familiar dappled pelt she dropped the mouse and raced over "Leopard, I haven't seen you in over a moon" she complained covering her daughter's pelt in licks.
Leopard purred "Lionstorm has been keeping me busy with training".
"I hope he isn't pushing you too hard" Shadow meowed worriedly. Leopard purred "I just wanted to stop by and let you know I'm doing great in the clan, Shimmerpaw and I go hunting all the time and were even going to the gathering tonight" her pelt prickled with excitement as she thought about seeing the other clans.
She pressed her muzzle into her mother's fur "I have to go hunting now before the gathering". Shadow nodded and pressed her nose to Leopard's. Leopard leapt up to the fence again and looked down at her mother, waving to her with her tail "I'll come back as soon as I can"
Shadow nodded waving back "Have fun at the gathering".
Leopard padded back into the camp with a large plump squirrel dangling from her jaws, Rowanpaw padded up smiling "Great catch Leopard" he purred.
Leopard nodded to him padding straight to the freshkill pile and setting the squirrel on the top. She turned and was startled to see Rowanpaw right behind her.
"You're a great hunter" the ginger tom meowed, his blue eyes beaming and his fur fluffed out.
Leopard flicked her ears and shifted on her paws uncomfortably, surprised at Rowanpaw's flattery "er, thanks, I mean I'm not that good. That squirrel was the only thing I caught today" she meowed. Why am I suddenly so flustered? She thought as she shifted on her paws more, her pelt prickling.
Rowanpaw nodded quickly "Oh yes you are" he scuffed his paw on the ground "Well I'll see you later" he meowed quickly racing toward the camp entrance where his mentor Minkstripe waited.
Leopard shrugged picking up a starling from the freshkill pile and heading the tree stump to eat it, seeing Shimmerpaw she raced over dropping her prey on the ground before laying down next to it to eat.
"What was that about?" Shimmerpaw asked between bites of her rabbit.
Leopard shrugged "He came over and told me I was a great hunter then he ran away" she lashed her tail "toms are so weird".
Shimmerpaw rolled her eyes "how can you be so mousebrained" she teased.
Leopard narrowed her eyes flicking Shimmerpaw with her tail "what are you talking about?"
"Rowanpaw has been padding after you for moons" Shimmerpaw teased "Have you really not noticed it?" Leopard felt her fur hot with her blush and ducked her head to bite into her starling. Shimmerpaw gasped loudly "I knew it, your mooning after him too". Leopard hissed "shut up"; Shimmerpaw purred "You would be so cute together".
Leopard growled and snapped "have you forgotten that I'm not a member if the clan I'm leaving at the end of Greenleaf".
Shimmerpaw looked down at her paws "Well I just thought that maybe if you like Rowanpaw enough you would stay". Leopard softened toward her friend realizing that Shimmerpaw really didn't want her to go.
She pressed her muzzle to Shimmerpaw's fur comfortingly "hey, don't worry we are going to be friends forever" she looked down at her paws "and I do like Rowanpaw, your right about that" she whispered.
Hope flared in Shimmerpaw's eyes, Lionstorm padded over "come on you two, it's time for the gathering" Shimmerpaw and Leopard stood up and padded over to the gathered cats, Leopard was ever so aware of Rowanpaw's blue eyes burning her pelt.
AN: Ooooh handsome Rowanpaw has entered the picture, and the gathering is coming up, time to meet the other clans :D RRR