Chapter 6: Unexpected Visitors

Volepaw followed behind the deputy, keeping her distance. She saw him look back at her and huff, so she gulped and sped up a little. Leaf-fall was coming soon, and that ment Leaf-bare would be right on it's tail. The dark gray tom stoped in the field and turned around.

"Okay Volepaw, today I will teach you about pouncing. Pouncing is a two-in-one method of catching and killing small prey, such as a mouse or a linnet. However, it is also useful in getting into a wrestling fight with other cats. Now, watch."

Smokestep turned tail and got into a crouch, acting like he was stalking something. He sprang up with his back legs, going a fox langth into the air. He landed, huffing a little. "Now you try."

Volepaw gulped nervously, then pushed off with her back legs, going into the air as well.

She landed on her paws and grinned, excitement coursing through her veins. "Smokestep, I did it!"

The tom looked unphased by her accomplishment.

"Well done, I suppose," he replied. "Now, onto alertness. There are three senses: hearing, sight, and smell. These are the tools you use to investigate the world around you. Sharpening your senses will help you hunt, avoid danger, and create strategies."

The WindClan apprentice meowed, "okay," then looked around them. She tried to focus her eyes on the grass, looking for anything. Volepaw opened her mouth, tasting the air. It was windy, and it was in her favor, as it blew into her face. The green grass swayed with the wind, causing it to look like waves.

"I sent... rabbits, and voles, and... SolarClan?"

Smokestep and Volepaw looked at each other, then ran to the edge of the moorland. There, Volepaw could see a dark gray she-cat, followed by a light brown tom and a brown tabby.

"Harestream, Sageclaw and Grassnose?" she whispered, unbelieving.

Smokestep hissed to himself. "What in StarClan's name are they doing here?"

Volepaw watched as the SolarClan cats crossed the border of the two territories.

"Okay, Daystar's starting to lose it. Meaning, he'll most likely tell us to raid WindClan's territory," Harestream meowed. Grassnose and Sageclaw followed their deputy as they padded through the tall grass.

Smokestep and Volepaw glanced at each other, then followed them. Volepaw tried to make out what the SolarClan warriors were saying.

"So... He wants us to steal WindClan's rabbits?" asked Sageclaw.

At this, Smokestep became angry.

"Yes, now come on," the deputy picked up the pace. Not too far away, Smokestep growled under his breath.

Volepaw shook her head.

I don't understand. Why would Daystar steal from us? He said himself that he didn't want to invade anyone's territory. Swallowstar's not going to like this!

Smokestep signaled his apprentice with his tail, then the two took off into the tall grass. The sun was starting to sink below the harrison. Volepaw felt her paws ache and she fought to not let the pain show. The tan she-cat followed her mentor inside the camp and into the leader's den.

"Swallowstar!" Smokestep yowled. "We got a problem!"

"Yes?" a voice said from behind them. The two looked back to see the white she-cat.

"Swallowstar, we saw Harestream, Sageclaw and Grassnose on our territory! And Harestream said that Daystar told them to steal our rabbits!" Smokestep hissed, his tail lashing.

Volepaw saw that a few of the Clan members had gathered around to listen, such as Hollowpool, Antfire and Meadowsong. The apprentice looked back at her leader.

Swallowstar paced back and forth, her eyes cloudy. She looked like she was in deep thought. After a few seconds, she looked up.

"Daystar wouldn't do this. He knows better, and he stated he doesn't want to raid our territories. He must be desperate..." she muttered the last sentence to herself.

Smokestep turned to go to the fresh-kill pile, then returned with a rabbit. Swallowstar dipped her head thankfully, then started to eat the prey. Volepaw felt her stomach growl and realized she hadn't eaten anything today. She politely excused herself and padded over to the fresh-kill pile.

The Clan was all a buzz the next few days, as Swallowstar had found out that SolarClan was coming to start a battle. Volepaw saw Smokestep call Meadowsong, Beeflower, Dustblaze and Crouchpaw for a hunting patrol and watched as they headed out. The she-cat padded over to the fresh-kill pile to get a mouse, then went to the elders den.

"Tallfrost?" Volepaw called, stopping at the gorse wall. Shuffling from under the wall told her that the elder was awake.

As she entered the elders den, Tallfrost looked up.

"Volepaw?" the elder purred. "What may I ask brings you here?"

Volepaw put the prey she brought in front of Tallfrost. The she-cat nodded her thanks, then began to eat it.

After a few minutes, Volepaw asked, "may I hear a story please?"

Tallfrost looked up from her meal and swallowed the bite she had in her mouth, then nodded. The tan she-cat sat down and perked her ears.

The black elder's eyes were clouded for a minute before they went back to normal.

"Okay, did I ever tell you about Nightstar's tyranny?"

The apprentice shook her head, "no."

"Well," Tallfrost began, scratching her ear with her hind leg. "Nightpaw and Wetpaw were mean toms growing up in ShadowClan at the time of Beetlestar's tyranny. They would not feed their elders and queens, didn't hunt for ShadowClan, only for themselves, and they didn't train with their mentors often. Then when they were warriors, they broke the Warrior Code even more.

One day, Nightshade and Wetfoot had an idea to kill Smokestar and Rowanleap, then take their place as leader and deputy."

Volepaw felt a chill go down her spine and she shivered.

"One day, Nightstar attacked ThunderClan and took Sharpleaf with him..." the elder continued. "Then Ashmoon and Clawdawn were brought to ThunderClan as kits."

"Wow!" Volepaw meowed in awe. A growl sounded nearby and the two she-cat's looked to the entrance of the den to see Smokestep with his fur bristling. Tallfrost and Volepaw glanced at each other before turning their attention back to the deputy.

"Volepaw, what are you doing? You can't listen to elders ramble, you have work to do!" Volepaw gulped at her mentor's harsh tone and padded out of the elders den after saying goodbye to Tallfrost, her tail dragging in the dirt.