Smokepaw
A One-shot by Shadowgaze
Discaimer:I do not own any charcters or places in this tale from Erin Hunter's books, I do, however wish to rewrite their material in a first person point of view for your entertainment.
I remember when I was born, it was dark, cold, and wet. The only heat was my mother's warm body and the blood-stained moss. When it came time for me to open my eyes, the first thing I saw was my mother's dark fur and her beaming black face with her two orbs of silver looking upon me like moons. I love her at that moment. When I learned to talk and understand other cats, she told me to stick close and while other kits were allowed to stray away from their mothers time to time, I continued to stick close, which kept her and me happy. The reason for protecting me so much was I was her only kit to survive birth while the other two were still-born or dead. My father, Blackstar, was too busy to deal with a kit like me so my mother taught me everything I ever knew as a kit.
After being two months old Blackstar forgot to give me a name. Feeling left out on so much as a kit, my mother named me Smokepaw for my dark gray fur. When I got to five moons old my mother mostly stayed by Blackstar's side and helped him and Russetfur with the clans needs. I learned how to hunt alone, and was even told by a queen, Tallpoppy, that I was as good as any apprentice. She told Blackstar who addressed the clan from a large pile of old prey bones that me and another kit named Talonkit would become apprentices. This was my happiest day within the clan. I couldn't even believe that I wanted to become a loner and use my hunting skills for my own, but I could not part with my mother and I was growing fond of Talonpaw and Tallpoppy, who was very nice to me, like a mother to her kit and pain stabbed me as I thought of my own mother, upon the pile with her mate and the deputy. I closed my eyes and Blackstar spoke again.
"Smokekit," He paused, looked at his only kit and I even thought I saw a flick of pride. My heart warmed up and he spoke again in his voice that sounded like wind whistling throughout the trees. "Until you have earned your warrior name you shall be known as Smokepaw, your mentor will be Oakfur. I hope you can pass on what you have learned from Wetfoot to my kin..." He trailed off. I touched my nose to the small brown tom.
"Now Talonkit, until you have earned your warrior name you shall be known as Talonpaw. Your mentor will be Rowanclaw. Please pass all that you have learned from your old mentor, Jaggedtooth, to this young apprentice."
My mother and father jumped off the mass of bones and walked over to me. "Son I love you, although the clan must come first I want you to remember I shall always be with you until Starclan takes us to join them." This was not my mother, but my father.
I stared at him, 'He never hated me, he just wanted to keep the clan first, as the warrior code asked, the clan must always come first.'
Nightwing brushed up against her mate. His white fur looked odd agaist her black.
"I will always be with you too, Smokepaw..." She licked my ear and grinned. I watched her go in the night, back to Blackstar's den instead of the warriors den.
The apprentice's den had been empty for a while now. Since there were many deaths within ShadowClan, such as greencough, whitecough, the Twolegs, and resent battles, Talonpaw and I were the only apprentices for a while. My father mated with my mother, Nightwing, to keep the clan going and I ended up being born at the end of winter. The other cats thought I wouldn't survive, but I was strong and had a long-haired coat to keep me warm, along with my mother. I wonder if my father ever tried to warm me up at night. I couldn't remember, though, and I needed sleep. I padded up to Talonpaw and slept agaist his grayish-black body. Right now he was the only warmth I had.
The next morning, fairly warm was the day Tawnypelt came home. I saw her bounding across the swamp lands and into the camp. I was resting on a sun-kissed rock. gleaming in the sun. Blackstar called a meeting and Tawnypelt talked about leaving the camp to find a new place to live in. The Twolegs were getting closer to camp each sunrise and Tallpoppy's kit just opened their eyes. Firestar talked about a place that his daughter Squirrelpaw, his former apprentice, Brambleclaw, Crowpaw of WindClan, and Stormfur of RiverClan, along with Tawnypelt have traveled to. Blackstar wanted to go to the old BloodClan camp because it would be empty and there would be more cats there to join ShadowClan. Nightwing wanted to go to the new place, It was passed Windclan territory, onward to the snow blanketed mountains. When Blackstar still refused, Twolegs surrounded the camp and started tearing it apart. Tawnypelt was set out to go get help by Russetfur, instead of Blackstar, because he was too headstrong to want help from other clans. I tried to help Oakfur, Tallpoppy and her kits, and Talonpaw the best I could. Tallpoppy, helping Marshkit, was too busy to want help from a apprentice. Talonpaw, Oakfur, Rowanclaw, and I burst out of the camp as ThunderClan, RiverClan, and Windclan weaved their way through the braken. When the camp was silent, I found out that Tallpoppy and her kits were missing along with Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw. I ran to the Thunderpath, through the pipe-hole and to the ThunderClan camp, which at the moment, was Sunning-rocks.
I slept next to Talonpaw, Spiderpaw, and Crowpaw. Squirrelpaw, Brambleclaw, Firestar, and Tallpoppy returned to the make-shift camp that night. All out of breath. Tallpoppy and her kits had made it through safely and had only a few scratches which were taken care of by Littlecloud, Blackstar didn't want any help from ThunderClan, even though Littlecloud had no supplies and soon got the help from Leafpaw and Cinderpelt when Blackstar finnally found out that, we have nothing left. With RiverClan also short on food, we all left on our long journey at dawn, after given traveling herbs, made by Cinderpelt.
We traveled for a day, almost getting crushed by a dog and some Twoleg Monsters. Lucky to escape we made way for the mountains when we ran into a black cat with a white speck on his chest and a white tipped tail. His name was Ravenpaw, but he looked like a full grown warrior, though he had a apprentice name. he was about Firestar's and Graystripe's --The missing ThunderClan deputy, taken by Twolegs-- age. He took us to a old Twoleg nest and got us some fresh kill. I can still remember one of Tallpoppy's or Ferncloud's kits asking to stay. We stayed for a few sun-rises and left with a good-bye to Ravenpaw, and -- I think it was Barley -- one last time. On to Sun-drawn-place. When we rested and another dog came after us, quickly stopped by Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost, two half-brothers bounded to their father, Tigerstar, The dark leader of ShadowClan before I was born.
Talonpaw and I had a empty feeling while crossing the mountains. We soon came to a narrow pass, allowing us to only go through single file. I knew something bad could happen at any moment. I had Tawnypelt in front of me with a blind cat named Longtail, in front of her. Russetfur was behind me then Talonpaw, Blackstar, Nightwing, and Stormfur. There were much more but I couldn't tell through the thick fog which soon cleared into mist. Thinking maybe, just maybe we could get trough alive I heard a crack under my left paw I stopped on the spot. I looked at my mother and gave her a nod to stop, Stormfur and Talonpaw seemed to get the message to because they stopped. But, Russetfur didn't. She pushed me a little. A small piece of rock fell into the darkness. She nudged me with her head and there was a loud crack. Everyone stopped dead and Tawnypelt looked at me, horrified. I wailed out and the rock gave way leaving a large gap. I fell but managed to cling to the rough stone. Russetfur reached for me and a small, sharp stone fell onto my paw, cutting the pad. I yowled and let go. Russetfur made another grab but missed sending rocks and snow after me. I could see the cats looking down at me as I twisted and whirled in the air. I saw my mother cry out my name and almost go over the edge but, Stormfur held her back. My father touched his head against her flank and muttered something to her.
I hit the ground with a thud and a ear splitting crack. My head was bleeding badly as the skull cracked open. I peered up with my last bit of strength, 'Every bone in my body must be broken' I thought. I saw shadows of cats leaping across in the moonlight. They probably couldn't see me though the darkness. The pool of blood surrounding me looked like dark murky water as it continued to gush out. I strained my eyes and saw a small cat missing the other end but was saved by other cats on the other side, the cat looked like Leafpaw. A large rock flew from a pocket under her and came after me. I could her the other cats celebrating on the other side as all of them made it... except for me. My parents yowled out my name and the rock was the last thing I saw before I ran into the RiverClan warrior Feathertail, "StarClan is still with you, see?"