Chapter 4

"Whispers In the Trees."

7/31/16 - 8/1/16

Two moons have passed since Stealthpaw became a cat. She was beginning to learn the territory inside and out. Her fighting needed work and was starting her hunting sessions today. The air began to cool, the faint signs of Fall approaching to Stealthpaw.

Stealthpaw followed Seabreeze to a clearing where a blue grey tom named Stormfoot and a black, brown and white she cat named Dapplepelt were waiting.

"Seabreeze," the tom called out. "As usual, slow as ever."

The silver tabby flicked her tail teasingly. Stealthpaw saw a flash of white and was face to face with a white tom's smiling face.

"Hello there!"

Stealthpaw jumped a good distance from the tom and bristles her fur.

"Aw come on," the tom whined, padding toward her. "I don't like it when pretty she cats get scared."

Stealthpaw stares at him with pure confusion. Was he hitting on her?

The white tom was cuffed on the ear by a brown tom with a very bushy tail, like a squirrel.

"Knock it off, Stoatpaw." He said. The brown tom gave Stealthpaw a friendly smile.

"Don't let this fur ball scare you, he's harmless. I'm Squirrelpaw, by the way."

Stealthpaw flattened her fur, but kept an eye on Stoatpaw.

"I'm-."

"We know who you are." Stoatpaw cuts in, irritating Stealthpaw.

"The apprentices all know the cat who knocked down Flamepaw - a she cat no less!"

Stealthpaw growled at him. Stoatpaw realized his mistake and lowers his ears in embarrassment. "N-Not that there's anything wrong with she cats! I mean… Squirrelpaw, I'm scared…" He whispered to the brown furred apprentice.

Squirrelpaw shook his head.

"Your on your own, dude." Squirrelpaw padded away from him, leaving Stoatpaw with an annoyed Stealthpaw.

"Uh, She Cat Power!" Stoatpaw said, raising his paw in the air on his hind legs. Stealthpaw stared at him for a few minutes and shook her head before padding to Seabreeze.

"Apprentices, gather around," called Seabreeze. "Stormfoot, Dapplepelt and I have a challenge for you."

Stealthpaw sits down as Squirrelpaw and Stoatpaw took one side of her.

"We want to see how much prey you three can bring back," said Dapplepelt.

"How many?" Squirrelpaw asked.

"Three pieces of prey should do it." Dapplepelt replied. "But since this is Stealthpaw's first time, we want you to show her how to hunt."

"Did you understand that?" Seabreeze asked Stealthpaw. The golden she cat nodded.

"Alright," Stormfoot said getting up. "May the best apprentice win," Stormfoot flicked his tail on Stoatpaw's ears. "And no funny business!"

Stoatpaw smiled as the three warriors left. Squirrelpaw gets up and nudges Stealthpaw.

"Come on, we'll show you the best spots to hunt." He said.


Squirrelpaw leads Stealthpaw into a forest on ThunderClan territory thick with ferns and birch trees.

"Okay, the first thing to - Stoatpaw!" Squirrelpaw notices the white tom's muzzle on Stealthpaw's neck, he had a leaf in his mouth and spat it out. Stealthpaw was staring at him with sharp suspicion.

"What? I'm helping keeping her fur clean." He said innocently.

Squirrelpaw shook his head and hissed quietly, but playfully.

"I swear to StarClan if you try that again one more time…!"

Stoatpaw pads backwards with his tail in the air. Squirrelpaw shook his head and looked at Stealthpaw again.

"First thing is that you have to smell for the prey. Open your mouth and allow this area's scent so you can find it."

Stealthpaw opens her mouth and caught something rank, but the same time delicious. "You smell that?" Squirrelpaw said. "It's a mouse. Now you have to perform the hunter's crouch."

Squirrelpaw crouches down low, and he slowly stalks forward. Stealthpaw copies off him and stalks forward.

"I'm liking the view, but I can't decide which is better ~!"

"Stoatpaw!" Squirrelpaw warned. Both Squirrelpaw and Stealthpaw slink into a fern bush and sees a grey mouse nibbling on a nut.

"There it is. Now you need to wait until you can catch it off guard."

Squirrelpaw moves backward. Stealthpaw watches the mouse look around the floor, pause for listening, then look for food. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Stealthpaw was easily growing impatient for this mouse to just move.

Then, the mouse scurries toward the bush she was hiding in, and she saw her chance. Stealthpaw exploded from the ferns and the mouse tries to escape, but Stealthpaw traps it under her paw and bites it. The mouse fell limp as she dropped it.

"That was great, Stealthpaw!" Squirrelpaw said. He noticed the sad look on Stealthpaw's face as she prods the mouse with her paw.

"What's wrong?"

Stealthpaw shuddered. "I… I didn't mean to hurt it.."

Squirrelpaw stared at her quizzically. He's never heard of a cat mourning over prey before…

She must have been a very sheltered rogue…

Squirrelpaw nudged Stealthpaw's shoulder, and got her attention back.

"Now you bury your prey so you can come back for it later."

Stealthpaw nodded and dug a small hole to bury the mouse in.

"If you're okay to hunt alone, we'll go on our own." Squirrelpaw said.

"Yeah, I'm good." She said.

Squirrelpaw nods and turns around to leave; the brown furred apprentice then grabs Stoatpaw by his scruff and forcefully leads him away from Stealthpaw.

Those two were always an odd bunch.

Stealthpaw's fur stood on end. She knew that voice!

"Hello? Can you please show yourself?"

Soon, little one, soon, but not now.

"Are you the black and white cat from my dreams?" Stealthpaw asks.

The voice pauses, and Stealthpaw's heart began racing…

No. I'm different from the one you're speaking of.

Stealthpaw was disappointed for a little bit.

"Do you know who I was?"

Yes, yes. Your a former Twoleg.

"Do you know how I got here? Can I go back?"

I'm not allowed to tell you. Besides, even if StarClan could, it's impossible for you to return to the humans, in more ways than one.

Stealthpaw flicked her ear.

"What does that mean?"

She was met with silence. "Hello?" She called. This time the voice didn't respond.

Huffing with annoyance, Stealthpaw decided to hunt to keep her mind busy.


Stealthpaw came back with three squirrels and two chaffinches.

Stoatpaw had two pigeons and Squirrelpaw found four voles.

"Very good, Stealthpaw." Seabreeze purred. "You've caught the most prey since Eaglecry was an apprentice."

Stoatpaw looked at Stormfoot.

"But my pigeons are impressive too, right?"

Stormfoot wanted to say that those pigeons were barely old enough to fly, but he said, "Sure, Stoatpaw."

The white tom glowed with satisfaction, while Squirrelpaw rolled his eyes.

Well I hope you guys liked Stoatpaw and Squirrelpaw. I always enjoy writing duos like these guys, especially Stoatpaw. Keep your eyes peeled for another chapter...or not. Whichever floats your boat.