SHIMMERWIND'S RISE
The most ambitious rewrite of Starkit's Prophecy you'll ever see
CHAPTER THREE
TRAINING
Uh, hi! It's Minty here, and I just wanted to say how EXCITED I am to be part of this project. Everyone else who's working on it are absolutely INCREDIBLE!
Pale dawn light filtered in through the den, streaming into Shimmerpaw's eyes. She rolled over sleepily, letting out a muffled groan of protest as she turned away from the sunlight.
Not many of the other apprentices were happy about getting up either, Cloudpaw didn't even stir, while Redpaw buried her face in her paws and snuggled deeper into her nest, and Splashpaw yawned, squinting, as she attempted to get up, trying not to disturb a grumbling Redpaw, who apparently did not like mornings.
Songpaw, however, had awoken with the sun, sitting upright, grooming her fur, watching the other four apprentices through slitted, amused, eyes.
Well, sorry that all of us aren't early birds.
Shimmerpaw forced herself to stagger to her paws, and she arched her back in a long stretch before stretching out each paw in turn, yawning, showing off a small pink tongue and sharp teeth.
Splashpaw had begun to creep towards Redpaw, who had fallen back asleep, a blissful smile on her face, and she pounced on the older apprentice, who awoke with a squeal, which easily turned into an irritated hiss as she was shoved out of her nest.
"Splashpaw, really?" She groaned, blinking rapidly, turning away to get the sun out of her eyes.
"Well, you needed to get up eventually." Splashpaw remarked, grinning. Her blue gaze flicked towards a deeply sleeping Cloudpaw.
"Now, who's going to get that puffball up?"
—-
They did manage to get Cloudpaw up, with much threatening from the older apprentices and grumbling ensued, but the fluffy cream tom padded outside of the den, making a futile effort to smooth down his ruffled pelt.
Splashpaw and Redpaw excused themselves, mewing a warm goodbye to Shimmerpaw and the others before heading over to their respective mentors, Mousewhisker and Blossomfall, who greeted them warmly.
"What are we doing today?" Songpaw turned to Molewhisker and Cherryfall, who had been waiting for them, the latter observing Cloudpaw's disgruntled appearance with a hint of amusement.
"Your first hunting lesson, actually." Molewhisker replied, flicking his thin tail.
Ooh! Shimmerpaw could imagine herself in the forest already, hunting, none of those puny mice would stand a chance against her…
Songpaw seemed to share her enthusiasm, her green eyes lighting up, while Cloudpaw didn't react at all, still not awake enough to process what was happening.
Shimmerpaw rolled her eyes. Oh, Cloudpaw.
"Well, since it seems that everyone is out here and awake, well most of you-" Cherryfall shot a glance at Cloudpaw, "We can get started!"
Huh? "But Cherryfall!" Shimmerpaw piped up. "What about Bramblestar…? Don't we have to wait for him?"
"He's busy this morning, Shimmerpaw." Molewhisker explained. "But it's alright, hopefully he'll be around this afternoon."
Shimmerpaw nodded, but felt her heart sink slightly. Oh. Well, I suppose I understand, after all, he is the Clan leader, he has a lot to do, a lot apart from mentoring me. It's fine.
It wasn't really, but Shimmerpaw tried to look on the bright side and regain her earlier excitement as they headed out of the gorse tunnel and into the forest. The scents and sights hit her all over again, and she glanced around, trying to take in everything all over again, even though the first time had been amazing, and she had seen things that she hadn't ever seen during her short life stuck in camp. The sun shone down cheerily, casting a dappled pattern on the dusty ground and shining through the overarching trees, whose large, green, leaves waved slightly in the faint breeze that rippled through the forest.
Molewhisker and Cherryfall hung near the back, chatting, while Songpaw and Cloudpaw darted ahead, the latter shooting a challenging look back at Shimmerpaw, who narrowed her eyes in reply, speeding up so she shot by him, ending up a few mouse-lengths behind Songpaw, who still outpaced both of them, a pleased smile on her face as the wind whipped through her thin dark ginger fur.
"Guys!" Cherryfall's mew caused Shimmerpaw, along with the other two apprentices, to screech to an awkward halt, Cloudpaw accidentally bumping into Shimmerpaw as he stopped behind her, and she stumbled, though recovered her footing quickly, giving her chest fur a few licks in sheepish embarrassment.
"Just chill. You don't know where we're going yet, so don't get too ahead of yourselves." The ginger she-cat caught up to them, and took the lead confidently, Molewhisker trotting behind her.
"Where are we going?" Songpaw piped up from where she was padding beside Shimmerpaw.
"I was thinking by the Ancient Oak, that's usually a good place to find mice, and a good practice place as well." Cherryfall replied, twitching her tail.
"It's where I caught my first mouse." Molewhisker remarked to his sister. "And all you caught was a pile of dead leaves."
"Shut up." Cherryfall grumbled. "But still, it was better than the wimpy, stringy excuse that you called a mouse. You got a bellyache, remember? Jayfeather somehow managed to find a way to complain about having to treat a bellyache, the way he acted when you nearly threw up in his den, it was like the Clans were ending all over again."
"All over again?" Cloudpaw asked, tilting his cream head. "What do you mean by that?"
"I-" The ginger she-cat seemed to realize what she had been implying, though Shimmerpaw certainly didn't, her question was the same as Cloudpaw's, but Cherryfall only shook her head and forced a smile. "Nothing, I was just being silly. Misspoke. Don't worry about it."
The rest of the way to the Ancient Oak was spent in awkward silence, both Cherryfall and Molewhisker lost in their own thoughts, and Cloudpaw and Shimmerpaw exchanged a glance, both wanting to know what the ginger she-cat had meant by that.
I mean, it was a joke, but.. eh, whatever. If she doesn't want to tell us, it must not be that important after all.
Shimmerpaw was still amazed by the size of the great tree, branches stretching into the air like giant claws, small bugs crawling on the cracked and uneven mossy brown bark.
"Alright." Cherryfall stopped, and turned to face them. She got into a crouch, demonstrating. "This is a hunter's crouch. I'm sure you know what it is by now, but I want to see how good yours are already. Go ahead.."
Shimmerpaw tried her best to copy the ginger she-cat's position, but felt awkward, as if she could topple over at any given moment. Cloudpaw nearly did, only recovering his balance at the last moment, nearly jabbing a flailing hind paw into Songpaw's side, who was adjusting her crouch due to Molewhisker's careful observations.
"Shimmerpaw, lower your tail." Cherryfall jabbed her hindquarters gently with one paw. "And move those in a bit."
Shimmerpaw felt like an awkward duck, and forced out. "Is it always this hard?"
The older she-cat purred with amusement before shaking her head. "No, you'll get used to it. Soon, your hunting crouch should, and will be, second nature."
That was a comfort, and when Cherryfall flicked her tail, Shimmerpaw rose gratefully to her paws, feeling a need to stretch, but refrained from doing so, she wasn't sure, despite Cherryfall's words, that she would ever get used to that odd position.
"Do we get to hunt real prey yet?" Cloudpaw piped up, tilting his head, his fluffy tail swishing back and forth.
"Not yet." Molewhisker replied. "Remember, it's your first day of training. You can't be expecting to hunt as good as full-grown warriors. We'll do some practice first, but maybe you'll get a shot at attempting to catch something before sunhigh."
"Bet I'll catch my first piece of prey before you do." Songpaw challenged her brother, grinning.
Cherryfall rolled her eyes, obviously used to these apprentice shenanigans. "Let's go, guys. We'll have to see who wins the apparent 'battle' of first prey."
"It'll be me." Cloudpaw replied with a haughty glare at Songpaw, who copied her brother's face dramatically.
"Nuh uh. The only thing you'll be catching is leaves, and jealousy when you see my first caught, perfect prey."
"And what if I'm the one to do it first?" Shimmerpaw piped up. I have to admit, if it was me, that would be quite satisfying to see both of their faces.
"No way." Songpaw shot back, whilst at the same time, Cloudpaw mumbled. "Maybeee….."
Huh. Well, okay… Shimmerpaw increased her pace and continued to trot after Cherryfall and Molewhisker, who were now in a heated debate about voles.
—-
When they got back to camp, however, none of them had caught their first prey, much to Shimmerpaw's disappointment.
I was really hoping, and thinking, I would get it! Fox-dung!
Cherryfall had told them that there was always another day, none of them should get their spirits down over it, but still, Shimmerpaw couldn't help feeling slightly disheartened, though she tried her best to shake it off.
She's right. I will catch something eventually, after all, it's my first day out of the nursery, really, fully.
"I'm starving." Cloudpaw complained with a longing look to the fresh-kill pile, watching Thornclaw grab a vole before padding over to sit by Dustpelt and Whitewing, who greeted him warmly, the latter moving over to make space for the golden-brown tabby.
"Shimmerpaw!" Redpaw's voice came from over by the entrance of the gorse tunnel, and Shimmerpaw turned, meeting the amber eyes of the older apprentice. "Yes?"
"You're on a Windclan border with me and Splashpaw. Bramblestar's coming in a minute." The ginger she-cat explained, and Shimmerpaw's heart rose.
Yay!
She was glad that she was finally able to spend a bit of time with her mentor, she understood that he was Clan leader, and was busy, but still, it was a big deal to be the leader's apprentice, and she wanted to show off just a little bit to the others.
Just a little bit.
The brown tabby cat emerged from his den, stopping to have a quick word with Squirrelflight before making his way over to them, and Shimmerpaw tried, and failed, not to be impatient, it was hard waiting, even if she was only doing it for a minute.
"Where are you going, Shimmerpaw?" Songpaw tilted her head from where she had been bickering with Cloudpaw.
"A border patrol, apparently." She shrugged.
"Ooh, okay." Songpaw flicked her dark ginger tail. She glanced at Cherryfall. "What are me and Cloudpaw to do?"
"Well, I was about to tell you to go clean out the elders den." The ginger she-cat grinned at their crestfallen expressions. "One, someone needs to do it, and two, you're just sitting right there."
Oof. I wouldn't want to be them. I suppose every apprentice has to do it eventually, so I'll just wait until it's my turn.
"Are we ready?" Shimmerpaw's gaze snapped to Bramblestar, who had made his way over to the patrol, the dark brown tabby leader flicked his tail, glancing at the rest of the group with expectant amber eyes.
"Yep, we are." Mousewhisker replied, dipping his head. The five of them padded out, and Shimmerpaw wondered if this was how large a border patrol was normally, but after all, what would she know?
I guess we'll have to find out.
Windclan's territory was flat and exposed, the wind having picked up as the sunhigh slowly made its way into afternoon, and Shimmerpaw shivered, it was colder out of the cover of the trees, standing by the border.
In an effort to distract herself from the cold, she turned to Bramblestar. "What is Windclan like?"
Her mentor glanced over, and then at the moor, fabricating an answer. "Well, they're like any other Clan, I suppose…" He shrugged. "Onestar is an interesting leader, but we've had less problems with them, we're more focused on Shadowclan at the moment."
Shimmerpaw nodded, she remembered the whole encounter yesterday with the patrol, the way Shardpaw and Lakepaw had seemed so hostile… What was their problem anyways?
Mousewhisker and Splashpaw finished marking the border, the latter casting a cautious glance over the border at Windclan territory before turning away, the reason unknown to Shimmerpaw. Is she wary of Windclan? But I thought it was Shadowclan we had to watch out for…
"Y'know, it was not fair how you woke me up this morning." Redpaw remarked to Splashpaw, flicking her ginger tail.
"Well, you had to get up somehow, you lazy furball, and obviously it worked." Splashpaw shot back, smirking, holding herself haughtily.
"I didn't even have time to groom myself!" The ginger she-cat complained loudly.
"I can see that." Splashpaw's amused blue gaze flicked to Redpaw's head, in between her ears, a tuft of fur stuck up.
"What?" Redpaw's amber gaze shot up to where Splashpaw was looking. "What are you looking at?"
Splashpaw reached forward, and licked Redpaw's head, smoothing down her fur. "There."
The ginger she-cat was staring at her in shock, but when Bramblestar glanced back and called, "Keep up!" She stumbled forward, hurrying up to where Shimmerpaw was purring with amusement and Splashpaw was glancing at the ground awkwardly.
"What?"
"Nothing." Redpaw shook her head roughly. "Sorry, I don't know. I suppose I have random tendencies to stop in the middle of the patrol." She gave Splashpaw a friendly nudge. "That must've been because you woke me up by attacking me."
"Well, how did you want me to wake you up? If I hadn't, you would've slept until sunhigh!" The gray she-cat exclaimed, a playful glint appearing in her eyes, though it was more hesitant than before.
"Well, it would've been the best sleep I would've gotten the apparent 'privilege' of having." Redpaw grumbled in reply, yawning.
"Well, it's nearly sundown anyways, you daft furball, so you'll be going to sleep soon enough." Splashpaw pointed out as they padded into camp.
"Only to be woken up brutally the next morning." Redpaw proclaimed dramatically before heading towards the apprentice's den.
Shimmerpaw left the patrol, padding over to Cloudpaw and Songpaw, who were sharing a thrush, and stopped beside them.
"Mind if I have a few bites?"
"Oh, sure!" Cloudpaw moved over for her, swishing his fluffy cream tail out of the way, and Shimmerpaw mewed her thanks before biting into the thrush hungrily.
"So, how was cleaning out the elder's den?" Shimmerpaw asked in between bites.
"It was fine." Songpaw shrugged. She rolled her eyes, swallowing. "Cloudpaw got roped into a story about a fox by Purdy, so he didn't help out all that much."
"Well, sorry!" He exclaimed, flicking an ear. "I might even go back there to finish the story, though."
"You mean we were there for half the afternoon and he didn't even finish his story?" Songpaw asked in disbelief.
"Well, yeah, it's one of Purdy's stories, so it's long…" Cloudpaw mumbled, taking another hurried bite of thrush.
"It's one of Purdy's stories, so you'll never hear the entire thing." Shimmerpaw purred with amusement, but stood up, leaving the two littermates to finish the thrush.
"Well, I suppose so…" Cloudpaw grumbled. His head shot up. "But maybe I'll be the first apprentice to ever hear the end of one of them!"
"Maybeeeee." Songpaw rolled her eyes again, standing up. "But I'm going to sleep."
"Me too." Shimmerpaw joined her friend as they headed towards the apprentice's den, where Redpaw was already curled up, tail tucked over her nose, obviously trying to get more sleep than she received the night before.
"I have to say, training is exhausting." Shimmerpaw mumbled, practically collapsing into the soft moss of her nest and closing her eyes blissfully, sinking into a peaceful sleep.
Even if training will be hard, it'll be worth it. Soon enough, I'll be a fine warrior of the finest Clan around the lake!
Alright! I'm not sure who's up next chapter-wise, but keep watch for it! Tell me what you thought, and stay safe, y'all!
Have a good day (or night) and keep writing!
-Mintflight
"I SAID NO FLAMS! YOUR JUST JELOS YOUR GOING 2 HEL LJESS IS OYUR SAVER"
-darkrose, Our Lord and Savior