Chapter 2
Brackenpaw was now an apprentice. Sadly though, Graystripe was never there for him. He rarely trained the young apprentice, or taught him how to hunt. And when the gray tom was teaching him, he seemed to be distracted. But there is an upside to this, he got to train with Fireheart and his sister.
"We're going hunting today!" Cinderpaw squealed with excitement. The young she-cat skipped around the apprentices den. Then she turned around and dashed out the den. Brackenpaw looked out of the den, he saw Cinderpaw skipping around Fireheart.
Suddenly he heard a shriek. "Oh no! Greencough is going around." Willowpelt gasped. Brackenfur cocked his head a little.
He slowly went up to Willowpelt. "Um…excuse me, Willowpelt." He meowed politely.
"Yes, Brackenpaw?" She looked over at him with a calm look on her face.
"What is Greencough?" he asked.
"It's an awful illness, you must not catch it." She warned the young apprentice.
"I see. Thank you for telling me." He bowed his head then scampered off.
Cinderpaw was rolling in the dirt. Her fur was dusty and tangled. Brackenpaw watched his sister roll around and giggling meows. "What's the point of this? You're just getting dirty." He scowled.
"Oh Brackenpaw! You sound like our mother. You know, I think you're growing up too fast. You're acting like an adult warrior. Loosen up and have some fun." Cinderpaw retorted.
"Hey! Being a warrior is a serious job. You must obey your elders, work hard, and hunt well. There is not time for kit games." He said maturely.
Cinderpaw shrugged. "You're so annoying. You're always nagging and complaining." She got up and walked away.
Brackenpaw was hurt from those words. Maybe he was acting like an warrior, maybe he was growing up too fast. It was time for a change, it was time for him to play games and loosen up. Brackenpaw settled down on some dirt and began to roll around. After awhile he got up, he didn't like the feeling of dirt clinging onto his fur. He quickly shook himself off and began to lick his fur.
It had been a long while. Brackenpaw was still in Thunderclan camp. He settled down on a clump of moss inside the apprentices den. Suddenly he felt a cold shiver down his spine. He opened his eyes and got up. Something was wrong. Then a pair of blue eyes flashed before his eyes. They looked familiar.
"Cinderpaw?" he meowed. He wondered what was going on. Again, he saw another flash of her eyes. Her pair of wide blue eyes, there something wrong. Her eyes showed fear and shock. Brackenpaw still didn't know what was going on.
Then the panting cats arrived. He heard Yellowfang's scratchy voice meowing at Fireheart. He strained his ears to listen.
"What happened?" the old she-cat asked.
"She was hit by a monster!" Fireheart replied.
Brackenpaw heard Frostfur's yowl of fear. He knew something was wrong. He dashed out of the den and looked around. Then he saw her. It was Cinderpaw! She was gravely injured.
"Cinderpaw!" he cried. His sister didn't respond. He was shocked, he wanted to see his sister yet he feared the image of his dying sister. The young tom stepped back, frightened. Fireheart came up to Brackenpaw and lowered his head.
"I'm sorry Brackpaw. It was my fault. I should have taught her better, if only she obeyed me. If only I spent more time with her obedience skill, if only I didn't let her go out to Thunderpath alone." The young ginger tom was saddened by the accident. He seeks forgiveness. But Brackenpaw didn't believe it was his fault.
"It wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself. I'm sure Cinderpaw will pull through, she's a brave cat. She'll be back in the apprentices den in no time." Brackenpaw meowed. He was determined that he spoke the truth.
Sadly, Cinderpaw never returned to the apprentices den. She stayed in Yellowfang's den. When Brackenpaw heard the news that his sister was never going to become a warrior, he was heartbroken. He moped for days, he couldn't bare the fact that his sister couldn't be a warrior.
Those dreams were now shattered. She was never going to become leader, he wasn't going to be her deputy. With her permanently injured leg, she probably would never hunt again, or run, something that she loved to do.
Brackenpaw would go visit her everyday. Cinderpaw and he would play around. After awhile he stopped. Cinderpaw rolled over onto her back.
"I'm sorry." Brackenpaw meowed.
"About what?" she asked.
"Your leg. You know you'll never become a warrior." He began to choke.
"I know." Her face saddened. All traces of happiness were gone. "Now I'm useless." She said coldly.
"No, you're not. I wish it were me out there, instead of you. That monster should have hit me instead of you! You didn't deserve this." Brackenpaw dug his claws into the ground. He was frustrated.
"Don't say that." She meowed. "I shouldn't have been so mouse-brained. I ran over to Thunderpath, I wasn't looking where I was going, and the next thing I knew a monster crashed right into me." She quieted down for a moment and looked at her injured leg.
"I wanted you to be a warrior like me. You should be with me." He cried.
"I wish I could. But Starclan has chosen a different path for me." She looked up into the sky.
"But I want you to be on the same path as me." Brackenpaw turned away from his sister.
Cinderpaw didn't know what to say. There was a long silence. Yellowfang broke the silence by calling out Cinderpaw's name. His sister turned away and went off into the den. Brackenpaw walked away.
He knew from then one he was alone, unless something happened.
"I have an idea. I'll find a way to injure myself, so I can be with Cinderpaw." He said to himself. That night he fantasized about his mouse-brained idea. Tomorrow, he's going to find a way to injure himself…if he can.
Okay, Brackenpaw is now officially insane. But hey, this mouse-brained idea may not work out for him. There is a stunning surprise he'll discover in the next chapter...It has something to do with kin...find out next chapter!