Echopaw POV
Echopaw yawned and stretched, looking up at the glossing sun that shined it's way through the apprentices den, blinding him from his surroundings. But one thing he did see, Gingerpaw was sleeping right next to him, their pelts almost touching. So that's what woke me! Echopaw thought, but he didn't feel that way. He had a deep gut feeling that something bad had happened.
With an annoyed hiss at the sleeping Gingerpaw, he stood up and stretched into an arch, then walked out into the warm sunlight.
Most of the clan was awake, Hunting patrols had come back and Applefur was busy in the centre of the camp, giving orders to a group of cats in front of him. Alll the cats around Applefur nodded hurriedly, Echopaw frowned. What's going on? He thought as he trotted up to the worried group of cats. They stared at him in sympathy as he stood beside them, still having to look up to speak to warriors.
"What's going on?" He asked, starting to fear worry swallow him like a fish swallowing food.
Applefur looked down at Echopaw, hesitating before he spoke. "Err…Well your sister didn't come back last night," Applefur mewed, staring down at him.
"What!?" Echopaw gasped. He could feel Webfur coming up to him, licking his head in comfort. "I'm sorry," He whispered, staying beside Echopaw -who realised in dismay that he was only up to Webfur's legs-
"Amberstar is guessing that she went to the moon pool, but she didn't come back,"
Echopaw could feel all the warriors staring at him, their eyes like lasers to his bed-fur (Lol). Echopaw looked down, thinking of Sunpaw all alone in the night woods, probably lost. What if she was with rouges…what if she…died?
Darkpelt, a tall dark tabby who was close to him noticed Echopaw's fear and reassured him, though he sounded just as worried.
"Don't worry, were sending a small patrol of our best trackers to track her down."
Suddenly a yowl sounded from the warriors den, a pale tabby she-cat raced out, panting, her eyes were wide with fear. Echopaw narrowed his eyes, Maplesplash?
"I"M COMING!" She hissed, unsheathing her claws and digging them deep in the dirt. Echopaw stared at her sceptically, confused. Why does she care so much? He thought.
The other warriors must have been thinking the same thing, as they looked sceptically at each other. But there was no stopping Maplesplash, without an answer, the stubborn she-cat strolled over to the medicine den.
"I'll grab some herbs for four more cats!" She called behind her.
"I'm going!" Echopaw demanded, staring up at the warriors, they looked at each other, then back at him looking him up and down.
"I'm her brother, and Icepaw is coming as well," Echopaw hissed, walking to the medicine den to fetch Icepaw. But he growled as he smelt all the warriors fear scent at the mention of his sisters name, he turned back to them.
"Why are you all so scared of her!?" He growled, narrowing his eyes, the sun was just on top of all the warriors, so it made them hard to see through the rays of heat.
"She's dangerous! You saw what she did to your sister a sunset ago!"
Echopaw clenched his jaw at the sound of Thrushtail's voice. Trust him to call Icepaw dangerous! Echopaw thought in his head, just the thought of Thrushtail made him spit.
"Icepaw's not dangerous!" He hissed, racing away to the medicine den.
Echopaw blinked several times to adjust to the dim lighting, he was waiting for Sunpaw to purr a greeting when he remembered who he was saving. Oh, he thought. Blazepelt was making the herbs instead, making a mess as he asked Icepaw what they need.
"Chamoline or something," Icepaw muttered, staring at Echopaw in suspicion, as if she knew why he was there. Echopaw sighed and walked up to Icepaw. "Hi," He mewed, licking her head in greeting.
"No," Icepaw hissed, Echopaw rolled his eyes, "Please, she's your sister! You have to save her!" He growled.
Icepaw muttered something about choosing what she wanted, them hauled herself up and limped over to Echopaw, who had moved to the entrance again.
"Fine."
As Echopaw trotted out in happiness, he bumped into something small, making it crash into a heap in front of his paws. Echopaw could recognise the ginger fur from anywhere. "Gingerpaw!" He purred, watching the clumsy apprentice get back up.
"I'm so sorry!" She mewed, staring at Echopaw with huge eyes.
"It's okay!" Echopaw purred, walking past Gingerpaw to the -now small- group of cats in the centre of the camp.
"Wait!" Gingerpaw called after him, he turned and looked at Gingerpaw, he was taller than her, but just by a mouse-tail of a length.
"Yes?"
Gingerpaw raced up to him, like a fluff ball blown by the wind. "I'm coming with you!" She panted, looking at her paws. Echopaw stared at her. "What? Why?" It's not like she's friends with Sunpaw… he wondered thoughtfully.
"My mentor is going, so she said it would be good experience!" Gingerpaw squeaked, giving a little bounce, it was hard to believe that Gingerpaw was less than half a moon younger than him, she still acted like a kit. But Echopaw liked her enthusiasm, he purred, and walked after Icepaw, who hadn't waited for Gingerpaw. cats from Thunderclan stared at Icepaw with wide eyes, fear clouding them. Echopaw knew Icepaw's anger scent all to well to bother protecting her, she would just get angry at him, he trotted over to Rosenose without looking back.
Rosenose, Gingerpaw, Icepaw and Echopaw waited for Maplesplash. Now all cats in the clan were awake, listening to the gossip of the tracking. Rosenose was blabbering on about her being a great tracker, while the apprentices sat in silence.
Echopaw could feel Gingerpaw's eyes boring into him as he patiently waited, Maplesplash was always one to be late, that's what Stripestorm told him anyway. Suddenly, a mew sounded from behind them and Echopaw turned to see Maplesplash staring right back at him, sadness in the depths of her eyes, she strangled out a "Ready," as Rosenose leaped up into the air and raced in the direction of the moon pool. The other cats trotting after her.
"We start at the moon pool and follow her scent," Rosenose ordered to the cats behind her, Echopaw ignored the cream coloured she-cat, he was too busy admiring the last glance at Leaf-fall, Echopaw knew very well what snow was, he was born at the end of leaf-bare along with his sisters and would never forget the chill and disappointment of being cooped up in the nursery all winter. He had never exactly seen snow, but he remembered their mother telling him about their birth, how she had a 'helper' to carry them back to the clan, since they had been born far from it. Echopaw had always wanted to know who this 'helper' was but it was useless, Heatherfur never said a thing.
"Look at the trees!" Gingerpaw purred beside Echopaw, He stared up at the trees, they were all naked, leaves were flying down on the ground everywhere, the colours of Gingerpaw's fur, the sound of crunches from the dead leaves came under the cats' paws as they stared around, not paying attention to were they were going.
Suddenly, Echopaw felt his pelt brush against something smooth and warm, he stared down in shock, his pelt had accidentally touched Gingerpaw's.
"Sorry," He murmured embarrassed by his clumsiness, but Gingerpaw just giggled and walked on as if nothing had happened. Echopaw gave his chest fur a quick lick of embarrassment as he walked on, following Rosenose's blabber all the way to the moon pool.
All at once, Rosenose froze, she sniffed the air, they were at the moon pool going down the stairs.
"Can you smell that!?" She sniffed in astonishment. Echopaw sniffed the air, all he could smell was the faint trace of Sunpaw, but not enough of it for him to be able to follow. The Autumn leaves had covered her smell and the wind had blown most of the scent farther into Windclan territory.
"What?" Icepaw muttered, sniffing the brown crisp leaves that crowded the ground.
"Some cat was following Sunpaw, in these bushes," Rosenose ordered, Echopaw lumbered over to the elder berry bush that Rosenose was standing in front of and gave them a sniff, he could smell a strange cat, definitely not Sunpaw, or any of the clans. Gingerpaw and Icepaw gave a sniff after him and gave a hiss of agreement. Maplesplash stayed back from the bush, eyeing it with fear. Rosenose padded on, the others following her.
once they were at the waters edge Rosenose ordered them all to try and sniff out a fear scent. Echopaw padded to the edge of the moon pool, sniffing around it until he found Sunpaw's scent, at least they knew she had made it to the moon pool.
"Found it!" Gingerpaw yowled over, Echopaw turned and trotted off to her, sniffing the ground at her paws, Sunpaw's fear scent. Rosenose and Maplesplash did the same, Icepaw just stared in the direction of the camp as if she wanted to go home.
"Good," Rosenose sniffed, walking away from the moon pool, "It leads this way!" She called back. Echopaw walked behind Icepaw to Rosenose, trying not to hiss at her slow limp. The cats' followed the fear scent all the way back to the stairs, then it was replaced by the strange cats scent. Echopaw hid from the thought that the strange cat had done something to his sister, and for the first time since for a while, he saw worry cross Icepaw's eyes as well.
"We follow this one now," Rosenose mewed walking on. The cats passed through into their territory again until they reached the shadowclan border. Echopaw stopped right at its edge, sniffing for a patrol. Rosenose stood there hesitantly, as if she was desiding if she should cross it, with the attack only a moon ago. Then a yowl came from inside shadowclan territory and four cats leaped out, Echopaw winced as he saw the tortoiseshell she-cat that had cursed at him for killing the former deputy a moon ago. a white cat with grey stripes sat next to her, his pelt ruffled. A light grey tom with a strip on his back growled at the Thunderclan patrol. Echopaw growled back, he had seen this tom at gatherings, to big for a kit, to small for an apprentice, obviously called tiny paw or something.
"What are you doing at the border?" A cream coloured tom with deep green eyes barked at them, he was twice the size of Rosenose and sent shivers come down Echopaw's spine. Rosenose gave a gulp, looking at the four cats. They seemed angry, Echopaw could see the cats glancing at him every few seconds as if they knew what he had done a moon ago.(they did though...)
"One of our cats have gone missing, an apprentice," Echopaw heard Maplesplash hiss back in the same amount of ferocity. The small apprentice frowned. "An apprentice from our clan has gone missing too!" The tom gasped, staring at the thunderclan cats like starclan had come down themselves.
The tortoiseshell hissed at the small tom. "Your giving away information Greypaw! you fur ball!" She growled. The huge cream tom stared at the thunderclan patrol, sidestepping, he gave a hiss and the other shadowclan cats sidestepped, the tortoiseshell with hesitation. "Come on Petalshade," The white tom hissed, the tortoiseshell - Petalshade- walked over to the tom, staring down the thunderclan cats.
"Good luck," The huge cream tom mewed, His eyes betraying nothing. Rosenose ordered them into the shadowclan territory and they raced over the border, following the strange cats scent, waiting every now and then for Icepaw to catch up. I shouldn't have taken her with us, Echopaw thought annoyed as Icepaw limped after them at full speed, which was like a kit racing after some warriors on their first day outside.
Suddenly a shrill yowl. came from behind Echopaw, he turned. Icepaw had fallen into a hole. Echopaw followed the others to surround the hole, he stared down at Icepaw who just stared back up, starting to panic.
"HELP!" She yowled, staring around the huge hole. The hole was a long way down, Icepaw must have somehow injured herself. Gingerpaw gave a growl as she looked down. "It's those dumb Shadowclan cats! they set up a trap!" She hissed in fury, Echopaw saw her claws digging into the dirt, he understood her fury evenly. "Yeah!" He howled, turning his head to face Rosenose. "What should we do!" Rosenose sniffed uncomfortably, Maplesplash, Gingerpaw and Echopaw all staring at her.
"We're not in Shadowclan territory anymore, you might not have noticed but we're in wild territory now."
Echopaw gingerly stared at Icepaw, who was pacing inside of the small hole, then back at Rosenose, who shuffled her paws looking down. "But I do know what we could do…" She mumbled, turning her head to face the wild territory, Echopaw could faintly hear a thunderpath there, with monsters racing past. Echopaw leaped to his paws, "What!? Anything that can help us keep going."
Rosenose sighed, "Well, I know a cat that knows this place, but you have to promise not to tell Amberstar."
Echopaw fluffed his fur, does she mean were going to break the warrior code? He thought in fear, watching Maplesplash give a hiss of suspicion.
"We promise," Gingerpaw squeaked, staring up at her mentor. "But hurry!"
"Okay, there is a cat that will help us across that thunderpath-" Rosenose flicked her tail to the thunderpath that Echopaw had heard "and we will have to leave Icepaw and Sunpaw's scent for a while, who ever set up that trap, obviously want to hurt someone."
Echopaw paniced, wondering if he should really leave his sister behind.
"WHAT! Don't leave me alone!" He heard Icepaw yowl from below them, he gritted his teeth in frustration."I'll stay with her," Maplesplash mewed, looking down at Icepaw with love and pity, Echopaw stared at her in confusion, she acts as if she's our mother! He thought, well, they were kin.
Echopaw thought of what Amberstar would do in this situation, would she leave a clan mate? Echopaw breathed in, "Okay then, lets go," He mewed, taking a final glance at Icepaw, who stared up at Maplesplash. Echopaw trotted over to the noise of the thunderpath, listening to the leaves crunch under his paws, the others were close behind, Gingerpaw was right beside him as they got closer to the noise, echopaw prayed with all his heart that this 'cat' Rosenose was talking about would actually help. As they got further and further from clan territory, Echopaw saw the thunderpath, monsters racing past, their huge eyes scanning the thunderpath ahead. Echopaw shivered, he had never seen a thunder path, only heard of them in stories from when he was a kit. Rosenose caught up with them, racing to the side of the thunderpath, "This is called the thunderpath 'paws," She purred as Echopaw and Gingerpaw hissed, a disgusting stench hit his nose like a monster and Echopaw did all he could not to race back to camp like a kit.
"Yuck!" Gingerpaw exclaimed, gritting her teeth and shutting her eyes. She opened them back up as Echopaw and Rosenose purred.
"At least we can get this over with," Echopaw encouraged as he stood beside Rosenose, suddenly the ground started to shake, "Woah!" Echopaw exclaimed, then a roar came from the distance, it came closer and closer until suddenly two sun-like objects raced towards him. The monsters eyes! Echopaw realised as it raced past. Gingerpaw fell to the ground as the wind hit her, Echopaw wobbled and ROsenose closed her eyes.
"Yuck!" EChopaw hissed. Rosenose crouched, as if ready to run, Gingerpaw and Echopaw copied her, waiting for her mew of order.
"When I say run, you run!" Rosenose yowled through the sound of monsters. Echopaw nodded and watched the monsters race passed. once the road was quiet, Rosenose yowled "Run" And the three cats raced onto the hard ground, Echopaw's pads were aching, but he kept on running, ignoring every sting. Suddenly the ground started to shake, and Echopaw started tripping all the way to the end of the thunderpath, he gasped and fell beside Rosenose, until he realised Gingerpaw wasn't with her. he gasped and turned back to the thunderpath, he could hear a monster roaring in the distance. But there, in the centre of the thunderpath, lay Gingerpaw, trying ever so hard to scramble to the end of the thunderpath.
"HELP!" She squeaked in fear, her eyes widened with horror as she tripped over her tail. Rosenose gasped, "Gingerpaw! NO!" She yowled. Echopaw couldn't take it any more, he didn't care what danger he would put himself in, he had to save his friend, he had known her for so long!
"Gingerpaw!" He yowled in horror.
Echopaw leaped to his paws and raced back on the thunderpath, he ran faster then he ever had before, his eyes starting to water from the stench. HE grabbed Gingerpaw and dragged her back to Rosenose, he could see the Monster now, it was coming at them at full speed. This is it, Echopaw thought as he dug his nose into the shivering Gingerpaw's fur. Were gonna die, and we're still apprentices.
He closed his eyes. "Echopaw I-" Gingerpaw shivered, but then some teeth suddenly bit into Echopaw's scruff, his eyes widened, he looked up to see a huge cream tabby she-cat dragging him off the thunderpath, her muscles bunched. She leaped into the air,leaping off the thunderpath in one jump. Echopaw held onto Gingerpaw with all his might, he didn't dare let go. It took him a while to realise he was safe. When he did he gasped, opening his eyes to see that he was on grass. grass! Echopaw gave a sigh of relief, leaping to his paws and purring. Gingerpaw stood up to, blinking slowly and looking around. "Starclan?" She mewed, looking from the thunderpath, to Echopaw.
"No! We're alive!" Echopaw yowled, purring and racing over to Gingerpaw. Rosenose padded over to them, licking her apprentice all over.
"Gingerpaw!" Thank goodness your okay! All thanks to my friend. Friend? EChopaw thought, then he remembered the cream tabby that had saved them.
"No problem," A she-cat purred from behind Echopaw. He turned around and gasped.
In front of him was a cream tabby she-cat with sparkling green eyes, she had a collar on which meant she was a kitty pet!
"Your a kitty pet!" Gingerpaw growled, narrowing her eyes. Rosenose hissed at her apprentice. "This cat saved your life! kitty pet or not!" She hissed back. The she cat purred, obviously not insulted by the insult. "It's fine Rosenose, I'm used to it," She looked at Echopaw and Gingerpaw, purring. "I'm cuddles," She introduced, dipping her head. Echopaw grunted, two-legs gave cats such weird names sometimes!
Cuddles didn't seem to hear Echopaw's grunt, as she kept going.
"You two must be those appresnteces," She purred. appresantses? Echopaw thought in confusion. Rosenose purred, "Umm, it's called apprentices cuddles," She corrected, shifting her paws. Cuddles blushed, "Sorry," She mewed. Gingerpaw purred, "Thanks for saving us!" She gasped, staring at Cuddles with wide eyes. "We would have been crow food if it weren't for you!"
Cuddles purred, "Come on, you three look very hungry, lets go eat something,"
EChopaw hissed at cuddles, remembering the stories of the food two-legs gave to kitty-pets.
"No way! I'm not eating rabbit slop!" He growled, staring defiantly at the kitty-pet, she purred as if not noticing the hostility. "Relax, I don't eat that stuff either, lets get some real meat."
Echopaw was taken aback by the kitty-pet's behaviour, he had never heard of a kitty pet the hated it's food, but he followed her anyway, Rosenose and Gingerpaw beside him, Cuddles led them into a forest with huge one trees, horizontal from the Forest were lots of two-leg houses.
"Here, hunt and we'll all meet here," Cuddles ordered once they were inside the forest. Suddenly a bush rustled, Cuddles sniffed, bending into a hunting crouch, she stalked over to the noise, Echopaw gasped, his eyes widened. How can a kitty pet know how to hunt!? He thought in shock. Cuddles waited beside the bush, her eyes shining until all at once,, she gave a huge yowl, a bird flew out of the bush, but cuddles was prepared, she leaped into the air and held onto the bird, finishing it off with a killing bite. The bird - a crow- lay on the ground, the first fresh-kill on their pile. Echopaw gasped, staring wide-eyed at Cuddles, "How did you do that! Your a kitty pet!" He exclaimed. Cuddles sighed, looking down at Echopaw. "I always wanted to be a warrior…" She mewed, looking up at Rosenose. "Rosenose got the chance, but I didn't."
Echopaw turned to Rosenose, "What does she mean?" He blurted out, staring at Rosenose who was shifting her paws uncomfortably. "Well, you see…Cuddles is my sister," She sighed through gritted teeth. Echopaw's eyes widened in shock. Rosenose was a kitty pet?
"So you're a kitty pet!" Gingerpaw decided as if she had read Echopaw's mind. Rosenose blushed. "Well no! I mean, I used to…" Rosenose sighed, standing up and walking over to a soft spot of grass that wasn't covered in leaves. "I'm not hungry anymore Cuddles, thanks though," She mewed, staring up at the darkening sky, Echopaw looked up as well, he hadn't noticed it had taken them all day just for a quest, and maybe more!
Gingerpaw didn't seem to mind, she padded over to her mentor and purred. "Your a great warrior though," Gingerpaw beamed, Rosenose purred, it was true. Rosenose was a senior warrior that was trusted and loved by many.
"Yeah!" Echopaw added, he walked after Gingerpaw, Cuddles following him. "You are! but how did you become a warrior?" EChopaw asked curiously, he had always wanted to know how a kitty pet could become a warrior. Cuddles lay down beside them, in the sunset, Echopaw could see how similar Rosenose and Cuddles looked, their cream pelts touching together looked like one.
Rosenose sighed, noticing EChopaw staring at them. "We're sisters…" She mewed, looking away. Cuddles looked down. "Rosenose used to be called Puddles," She started, her green eyes sparkling and her small shape outlined by the sunset.
"We were different from the other kitty-pets, we hunted, and we were always outside. One day some huge cats came past Rosenose, three of them, one was as old as Rosenose, An Apprentice. They said they had seen her hunting and would like her to join the clan for a moon, just to help hunting, it was winter then, a terrible one-" Cuddles was cut out by Gingerpaw.
"Winter?"
Cuddles purred, "yes, you call it leaf-bare, so anyway, Rosenose agreed, she became great friends with the she-cat that had been on the patrol, her name was Amberpaw. Her siblings sadly died that terrible winter so they got their names together. at some point the leader -back then called Cornstar- said Rosenose could choose to stay. I never got the chance. and my sister never came back. ever." Cuddles growled the last words out, but Echopaw didn't care, so much was spinning in his mind. He could imagine a kitty-pet walking into the camp, all of thunderclan staring. He could see his leader, then Amberpaw, welcoming the kitty-pet. Echopaw's mind went wild, his eyes gleaming at all the possibilities. He was wide awake, but the others didn't seem to mind the story, Cuddles circled and lay down . Rosenose was already asleep. Gingerpaw and Echopaw were the only ones awake. He could see her joyful green eyes glowing in the -now- darkness, the pine trees swayed and wind laced through Echopaw's fur. After a long silence Echopaw shuffled his paws, feeling Gingerpaw's eyes dig into him.
"Hey Echopaw?" Gingerpaw suddenly whispered, shuffling closer to him.
He purred, listening to an owl hoot in the distance "Yes?" He asked.
"Just, thanks for saving me earlier…" She mewed.
"No problem, your a great friend, was I meant to stand there?"
"Well…you're really brave is what i guess i'm saying."
Echopaw blushed, was he brave? He thought of rescuing Gingerpaw, how he had leaped in front of the monsters. Well, maybe, he thought sleepily.
"Goodnight," He mewed, but no answer came, he purred. All the running had made him sleepy. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, thinking of what was happening to Sunpaw right now.
