Chapter 3

"First Day."

7/31/16 - 8/2/16

Stealthpaw ran inside the house with a piece of paper in her hand.

"Mom, I got an A on my report card!"

A fair skinned woman was arguing with a boy, several years older than Stealthpaw, and glares at her.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy with your brother?"

Stealthpaw frowned seeing her mother turn her attention to her brother again. She gets in front of her mother and puts the paper in her face.

"Look Mom I-!"

SLAP!

Stealthpaw fell down and clutched her swollen cheek. Her mother stared at her in shock, but replaces it with a glare.

"I told you not to bother me! Go upstairs, now!"

"Don't talk to - like that!" Her brother growled. Stealthpaw bolted for her room upstairs and slams the door. She finally does something right, and her mother ignores her and hits her. This wasn't the first time Stealthpaw's mother hit her when she was annoyed, either.

Stealthpaw sobs as the screaming becomes louder, and covers her ears.

She feels a soft, cat tail brush the tears from her eyes.

Stealthpaw sees a black tom with white splotches, staring at her sympathetically.

"It's okay, little one. Your old life is no more."

Stealthpaw could feel her tail move, and becomes a cat once more as she gazes at the tom curiously.

"Who are you?"

The black and white tom said, "My name isn't important."

The tom's voice suddenly became hollow and scary as he says,

"Shadows will engulf the booming thunder, winds will roar and unnecessary blood will spill, but the stealthiest of cats will end the war in flames."

The tom vanishes in the wind. Stealthpaw's footing suddenly sinks in water. Stealthpaw desperately fights for air as the waters drag her down into the darkness and her heart beat grows weaker, and weaker, and weaker….


Stealthpaw gasps and raises her head. She looks around the sleeping apprentices as she trembles with fright.

"Keep it down, will you?!" Flamepaw hissed.

"Keep it down yourself!" Sweetpaw snapped.

Stealthpaw feels the heat grow in her fur when she realized how dark it is. She curls into a ball and slowly falls asleep.


Stealthpaw felt claws jab her skin and jumped up, awake with fear. Flamepaw moved back with a secret sneer.

"Real Clan cats don't sleep the day away. Get moving."

The dark ginger tom left before Stealthpaw could say anything. She looked at her flank and found no marks. She pads out of the den and sees the ThunderClan cats go about their business as usual.

Stealthpaw glanced at the warriors den and sees Seabreeze padding toward her.

"Ready for today? We're going to explore our territory."

Seabreeze points her tail at the fresh kill pile. "Be sure to eat, we might be out all day."

Stealthpaw nods and quickly pads to the pile. She nosed through the small animals and found… A squirrel! Mouth watering, she immediately devours the squirrel.

She tries to find another, but, for some reason, she felt as though she was being watched.

Stealthpaw looks to her right and sees a dark grey tomcat with blue grey patches that decorated his pelt like raindrops.

Was he watching her…?

"You shouldn't be picky with your food." He said. The tom glanced at her with deep, blue eyes.

"You should be thankful for all the prey StarClan gives to us."

Stealthpaw suddenly felt shamed by the tom's words, it stung her worse then Flamepaw's claws, and bowed her head.

"I'm sorry."

The tom was surprised by the apology. He shook his fur and left with a black and white tom she knew as Swiftclaw.

Stealthpaw quickly returns to Seabreeze. "I'm ready."

Six. Stealthpaw counted six roots that she tripped over. Thankfully Seabreeze was able to wait for her to catch up. Stealthpaw was taking it all in.

The huge, towering oak trees, the ferns and brambles and flowers, and the sounds of birds chirping.

"Stealthpaw, keep your eyes on me." Seabreeze said. Stealthpaw followed Seabreeze to a dark, smooth surface that separates the forest from both sides.

"This is Thunderpath," Seabreeze told her. "Twolegs come here in their monsters and cause nothing but noises, cats sometimes get killed on here if they don't pay attention."

Stealthpaw blinked at the Thunderpath, it looked so familiar…

"Do the monsters have different colors, and make loud roaring sounds?"

"Yes, it does."

Stealthpaw oooh'd and realized that this was a road. And those "monsters" were cars!

"Let's go," Seabreeze said. "I'm not too eager to wait for a monster to come by."

Seabreeze and Stealthpaw padded a couple fox lengths until they stopped by an area thick with pine trees, and marshland.

"This is ShadowClan's territory." Seabreeze told her.

"ShadowClan cats are known as sneaky and conniving, and rely on the darkness to their advantage."

Stealthpaw stared into the pine trees and… She could have sworn she has seen eyes. Seabreeze's tail sweeps over her spine as she leads her away from ShadowClan.

By now, Stealthpaw's chest was beginning to tighten up.

"Tired yet?" Seabreeze asked her. Stealthpaw quickly shook her head.

The two she cats stopped by a river stream that blocks them from a small, pebble shore.

"Over there is RiverClan territory. RiverClan are possibly the only cats who enjoy swimming in the water, they were always called fat and lazy because they always have fish to eat, even when it's Leaf Bare. But make no mistake, they're not to be taken lightly."

The sun began to set. The red orange sky made Stealthpaw's fur flame colored and Seabreeze's pelt looked dark grey.

"And finally." She said. "WindClan." Stealthpaw sets her sights on a wide, open moorland that seemed to go on, and wind blows through their fur.

"While WindClan cats are small, they spend days chasing rabbits, which makes them fast as one. If you ever meet a WindClan cat in battle, never let your guard down."

Stealthpaw nodded and followed her back to the forest. Stealthpaw picked up the pace and was side by side with Seabreeze when she saw that same grey to, with Swiftclaw.

"Greetings Seabreeze." Swiftclaw said, dipping his head. Seabreeze dips her head as well.

"How was hunting?" She asked.

"Good, thanks to Rainpaw," he said nudging the grey tom. "You keep up with that hunting technique and you'll be a warrior in no time."

Rainpaw nodded, but kept his eyes on Stealthpaw, who'd rather leave than be in Rainpaw's line of sight.

"Swiftclaw," he said. "If you don't mind I want to stay with Stealthpaw, alone."

Stealthpaw's tail bushed wildly and stood up when Seabreeze said, "I think it would be nice if Stealthpaw bonded with an apprentice her age.

No, it won't! Her head screamed.

Swiftclaw and Seabreeze went through the thorn barrier. Rainpaw sat down and licked his paws.

"I want to apologize for this morning." He said. Stealthpaw's tail lowered, but it was still bushy.

"I want to be the best warrior for my Clan, and sometimes I give cats the impression that I'm a bit bossy and intimidating."

"No kidding…" Stealthpaw muttered.

Rainpaw surprised her by head butting her shoulder.

"I don't mean any harm. I was hoping we could start over."

Rainpaw raises his front paw. "I'm Rainpaw, nice to meet you."

Stealthpaw stared at him, and raises her own paw and touched his.

"I'm Stealthpaw."

"I know." Rainpaw said. "You're the only apprentice besides Duckpaw who can beat Flamepaw in a fight using wits."

"And you aren't?"

Rainpaw lowered his ears.

"I like to think that brains beat brawns, but Flamepaw always ends up being the winner. I'd like to know how you beat him though…"