Chapter 11, the accident
Shadowflight looked up at Rainpaw.
"Graystar told me to wake you, so I can have my last training session!"
Shadowflight scrambled to her feet, "Yeah, alright Rainpaw."
She led the way out of camp.
"Rainpaw…did a…um…Twoleg enter the camp last night?"
"Huh? No, why'd you ask?"
"Just wondering," Shadowflight meowed quickly, avoiding his gaze. Then again, she told herself; that was a stupid answer she had given him. Just wondering if a Twoleg entered the camp last night? Yeah right!
Rainpaw looked at her suspiciously.
They reached the training hollow, and Shadowflight let her brain snap into training.
"Attack me," she commanded.
He raced across the ground and leaped, but Shadowflight jumped away neatly. He crashed into a tree and Shadowflight jumped on his back. "Try again," she meowed, "use your wits."
He grunted in frustration and backed away, ready to try again.
Rainpaw narrowed his eyes and crouched low to the ground. He crept up to her, and hissed slowly. Shadowflight mirrored his crouch, and when he jumped. She stood up quickly and he went flying into the air with a howl.
Shadowflight summoned all her strength and took a massive leap onto his underbelly.
"Interesting strategy," Shadowflight meowed, "But it was dumb. Try again."
He hissed with frustration and flew at her without warning. Shadowflight stood up on her hind paws and battered him away.
"Arrrrgggghhhh! He spat and crouched down again. Slowly he crept up and then flew at her. When Shadowflight leaped away, he grabbed her by her hind paws and pulled her to the ground.
"Umpphh!" He grunted, eyes watering with effort.
"Great!" Shadowflight meowed, jumping away and facing him. "Know let me attack you."
He lowered himself to the ground. Shadowflight thundered foreword, and crunched the cat beneath her paws.
"You just sat there!" she scolded.
"I wasn't ready," he whined.
"A good warrior is always ready," Shadowflight meowed, "try again."
He lowered himself onto the ground and when Shadowflight jumped, he leapt up and clawed at her underbelly.
Shadowflight growled and struggled free. "Great! Now let's hunt."
She trotted out of the training hollow with Rainpaw close behind.
Rainpaw crouched down and flicked his tail at his mentor, indicating that he saw a rabbit. He sprang into the air and the rabbit saw him and dashed around a tree, trying to confuse him, but it didn't. Rainpaw stopped, and when it hurtled around the tree again, it jumped into his waiting claws. He killed with a quick bite to the neck.
"That was a strategy I've never seen!" Shadowflight commented. "You better teach it to the Clan!"
Rainpaw's eyes glowed with pride.
Soon they had caught a mouse and two squirrels, and then walked home.
Shadowflight dropped the prey on the fresh-kill pile, then walked over to Graystar.
"Rainpaw is ready to become a warrior," she reported.
"Yes, I will talk to-," Graystar broke off as suddenly there was a yowling at the gorse tunnel.
Sandstorm raced in with a yowl.
"What is it?" Graystar asked, jumping onto the Highrock.
Leafpool hobbled out of the den. Sandstorm turned, and Shadowflight saw a huge wound on her side.
Sandstorm was lead over to the medicine cats den. And Graystar looked around, bewildered, as another cat half ran, half fell into the camp.
"Sootpaw!" Graystar yowled. Sootpaw was also injured.
Sootpaw leaped onto the Highrock. "W-we were hunting near the Thunderpath and t-then Sorrelpaw went t-to far and t-there was a m-monster, it came f-fast and then Sorrelpaw-,"
He broke off and his eyes rolled. He slithered off the Highrock and fell down, unconscious, onto the sandy ground.
Leafpool ran out of her den, and looked the apprentice over.
Another cat entered the camp. It was Mousefur. In her jaws she carried Sorrelpaw.
"She was hit on the Thunderpath!" Mousefur yowled. "I tried to save her!"
Shadowflight stayed at the edge of the clearing as the rest of the Clan went to pay there respects for the dead apprentice.
Slowly Shadowflight crept up, and inspected the wound on her shoulder.
Did she see a clump of brown fur clinging there? Monsters didn't have brown fur, and neither did Sorrelpaw.
Shadowflight shivered with resentment. She looked around to see Mousefur staring right at her.
Suspicious character! Review PLEASE!