The morning dew sparkled outside of the apprentice's den. A slight breeze ruffled Moonpaw's silver fur. She stiffled a yawn and saw Brambleclaw padding over to her. "Let's go to a field." Moonpaw nodded, blinking sleep from her eyes she walked after her mentor to grassy field. "Today we'll be learning how to attack since last time I taught you how to defend..." He showed her how to leap at a cat silently with claws sheathed of course. "Now you try." Moonpaw pounced into the air and was about to land on him when Brambleclaw suddenly stepped aside. She landed narrowly missing him.
"Too loud." He said, "Try to be more quiet, like when you're stalking prey with sensitive ears. Brambleclaw went farther away from her and sat there. Moonpaw crouched down, she leaped hoping to aim right, yet again he avoided her, as she landed she swiftly turned around and caught him off-guard. She knocked the wind out of him as she landed safely on his belly. Brambleclaw coughed and heaved himself up making Moonpaw slide off his tail. "I said attack not bounce." Amusement flickered in his amber eyes, "But that was good." Moonpaw raised her head proudly. "Also, when attacking an enemy you might want to claw his belly since that's the most vulnerable part. Never let that happen to you in a battle, you could get seriously hurt." She nodded agreebly, that made sense. Soon, both of them were in a play fight. Moonpaw being victorious almost every time. Brambleclaw taught her until afternoon, "Alright, that's about it. We're going to learn more tomorrow, after that we'll work on hunting." Moonpaw padded to the fresh-kill pile tiredly, she picked up a plump thrush and walked to the apprentice's den sharing it with Grasspaw.
Her sister mewed happily as Moonpaw came in. Hunger pierced her belly like claws when she realized she hadn't ate anything in the morning. She took slow bites to savour the taste that lingered on her tongue. "Ahem." Grasspaw said, prodding Moonpaw's side with a paw. A half eaten squirrel dangled from her mouth. "Oh, sorry Grasspaw." They swapped prey as they always did and finished their meal in swift bites. "So, how's your training?" She asked lying on her back, basking in the sun. Grasspaw shrugged, "It's coming alright, but I hardly get anytime to admire nature." Moonpaw nodded, her sister was named Grasspaw because of her love of nature, also, her eyes were emerald.
Suddenly the energetic she-cat got up, "Did you hear? Mom's pregnant!" A purr rumbled in her sisters throat, "Yes, i've heard, isn't it great? Did you know Cloudtail was leading a hunting patrol and they've found a she-cat that lived in the horseplace? they say she ran away because her friend's kits were taken away by the Nofurs and she was afraid it would happen to her kits too." Moonpaw flicked her tail curiously, "What's a Nofur?" Grasspaw heaved a slight sigh from talking too much and continued, "I think they're Twolegs. The she-cats name was Daisy, she's nursing her kits with mom." Moonpaw let out a mrrow of happiness. "Ooh, how many are there?" Grasspaw shook her head and suddenly bounced up, "Hey! Wanna go see them now?" Moonpaw nodded excitedly. The sisters sprang forward and bounded into the nursery where a creamy brown she-cat lay, rasping her warm tongue across the kits that lay beside her. Grasspaw stepped forward and politely bowed her head, "May we see them?" "Okay...I guess so." Sorreltail padded into the nursery and purred, "It's ok, they're my daughters. Moonpaw, Grasspaw, this is Daisy."
Moonpaw gazed at the kits with wonder, "What are their names?" Daisy motioned to each one with the tip of her tail, "The one that looks like me is Berry, the smaller one is Mouse and the bigger one is Hazel." Leafpool had heard her, "Those would be great clan names, Berrykit, Mousekit, and Hazelkit." Daisy opened her mouth to say something but Leafpool had already left to tell Firestar. She must've wanted to protest that she might not stay. Grasspaw and Moonpaw played gently with the young kits, watching them prance about on their swift paws. They stayed by the nursery until they saw the sky darkening. Moonpaw stiffled a yawn and she padded to the fresh-kill pile.
She picked up a mouse and went to the apprentice's den where Grasspaw lay, paws tucked under her head. As soon as Moonpaw saw she was napping she ate the mouse by herself nibbling slowly at the juicy meat.
The moon started to rise into the starry sky and most cats went to their dens to sleep. She tried to sleep, closing her eyes she thought of Sunstorm again. Moonpaw kept on blinking her eyes open automatically, one time she even thought she saw a shadow creep out of the medicine cat's den. Her eyes were probably playing tricks on her. Suddenly she saw another shadow padding away from camp under some bramble bushes. This time she got up and followed. The darkness swelled about Moonpaw and she couldn't think why some cat would come out this late unless to hunt. She approached the bush, wearily she stared at it and slipped underneath the pirckly bushes. There was a wide enough space to get through. She saw the hollow's walla loom above her, rocks scattered here and there. Moonpaw scrambled up, her paws thrashing against the wall. She heaved herself over and tumbled out. Her jaws hung open to catch a scent, "Squirrelflight? Mixed with Leafpool and...and...WindClan!" she crouched into a hunters postion stepping as lightly as hunting a mouse. Moonpaw she spied through the darkness a shadowy ginder pelt, the cat spun around ears flat. "Oh, it's you Moonpaw."
Moonpaw got up, "What're you doing here?" Squirrelflight murmured silently, "I saw Leafpool sneak out of camp, being her sister I want to know so I followed her, I'm going to wait by that pine tree until she comes back. Please don't tell anyone. Moonpaw mewed, "Alright, I'll go watch what she's up to for you. Squirrelflight dipped her head thankfully and watched her creep forward. She rolled herself in some dirt to smother her scent and continued looking for Leafpool. Moonpaw spied her by WindClan territory with a WindClan cat, they were chatting unaware of her eavesdropping. she took one more step forward...SNAP! Moonpaw quickly withdrew her paw and saw that she'd stepped on a dry twig. Leafpool glanced around, she spied Moonpaw's silvery pelt glowing ghost-like in the dark, "Alright Moonpaw I know you're there." The silver she-cat slowly rose to her paws sheepishly looking at her. Leafpool let out a mrrow of amusement,
"It's ok, I know i can trust you." A pang of guilt shot through Moonpaw as sharp as a badger's claw. What could she do now? Moonpaw watched as the tabby medicine cat touched noses with the WindClan warrior, Leafpool walked with the young apprentice back to the secret entrance. She kneaded the ground with her paws as she saw Squirrelflight gazing at them, giving her a questioning look that said: "Did you see what she was doing?" Moonpaw saw Leafpool's fur stand on end and glanced back at her, "Moonpaw! Are you with her on this?" Squirrelflight answered for her, "She was just trying to help! I'm your sister! I must know why you're so distracted, also, why were you sneaking out of camp!"
"It's not for you to know!"
"I want to help you."
"You can't...no one can."
"Nonsense! I can feel how frustrated you are, I'm your sister Leafpool."
"Like I said, no one will be able to help me...Not even Cinderpelt!"
"Tell me, why are you so distressed?"
Leafpool growled in a low tone and brushed past her sister in a huff. She turned her head slightly with sorrow dripping in every word she said, "Believe me, I would tell you if I could." At this Squirrelflight was taken aback. She choked out some words guiltily "I-I, didn't mean--" But Leafpool had already left.
Waaaahhhh! So sad...sniff sniff. This one is REALLY short. Sorry about that, MPORTANT: I have written down all these thingies for a while, even before I got an account. But I haven't made the next one yet…and I STILL have to work on two other stories, so, please please give me time!
