Finally finished this! Back to Silverkit and her little crush on Mudpaw. Please review!
Whitekitsune1857- Thanks, glad you like it!
Silverkit waited by the brambles with the group of apprentices until Mudpaw shoved his way out of camp to stand by her. The cream-and-black tom starred at her for a moment, his brown eyes glowed under the shade of pine trees.
"You're not still thinking of Redkit, are you?" he almost hissed as he said 'Redkit'. Silverkit felt her tail fluff up just a little at Mudpaw's harsh tone. "We asked if she wanted to come just like you wanted and she said no. If you still want to play kit games with your sister and do stupid grass weaving with the old cats, then go ahead. But we're not waiting for you."
Silverkit didn't want to look into Mudpaw's challenging eyes. She wanted to spend time with Redkit, and truthfully she didn't mind hanging out with the elders. But she didn't want Mudpaw to think she was a lame kit.
Silverkit forced herself to look into Mudpaw's eyes with as much strength as she could muster. She didn't want to say what she knew she had to.
"Hang out with those old mouse-brains? No way." Mudpaw seemed surprised at her fierce words, but he grinned at her.
"Good, then let's go find Starlight Cliff," Mudpaw declared, turning to look at the other apprentices. Mudpaw took the lead as the group ran through the pine forest. After Mudpaw were Ivypaw, Squirrelpaw, Honeypaw, Coldpaw, Softpaw, Nightpaw, Reedpaw, Sheeppaw and then Silverkit.
The apprentices leapt over logs and ran across streams with ease, while Silverkit struggled to keep up on her smaller legs. The apprentices already knew the territory; they were ready for every sharp turn and big leap as they charged through the pine nettles. But Silverkit was unfamiliar with the territory, as a result she found herself tripping and falling at every unexpected obstacle.
"Oh, look guys! The poor little kit can't keep up." Silverkit, who had just tripped over a twig and landed face-first in a pile of pine nettles, glared at the orange-and-white shape of Squirrelpaw. "Maybe Mudpaw should just carry her!" Silverkit felt her fur begin to fluff up against her will. "Oh no, did we hurt her fweelings?"
Embarrassed, Silverkit pushed herself to her paws and forced her fur to lay flat. The group of apprentices had all stopped to stare at Silverkit, most were wearing large grins or trying to stifle laughter. Mudpaw was glaring at Silverkit, eyes narrowed.
Silverkit felt the need to do something, to stop the apprentices' nagging and teasing. But what could she do? She couldn't attack the apprentices; they would have her pinned down in seconds. Maybe outrun them? She was smaller, quicker, and more agile then most of the apprentices, but she didn't know the territory.
Silverkit felt the apprentices' eyes all burning into her fur. She had to do something; she had to at least try.
Taking a deep breath, Silverkit readied herself, flattened her ears, bunched up her legs, and then leapt onto the nearest tree. The apprentices all leapt out of her way or gasped with surprise as Silverkit dug her claws into the trunk and began to haul her self slowly up the trunk.
Silverkit had never been in a tree before, but she had listened all the hundreds of times Blackstone had told her about climbing trees; Blackstone was after all the best climber in her days as an apprentice and a warrior in ThunderClan. Blackstone had explained to Silverkit and Redkit how to find the best claw-holds and how to shift your weight when climbing difficult areas.
Silverkit slipped her left paw into a small hole above her ear-tip and positioned her right paw on a knot in the bark. Using all her kit-strength, she pushed up with both forepaws, hooked her back paws into a few smaller crevices in the bark, and shoved her forepaws onto two more claw-holds.
The apprentices below were speechless as Silverkit pushed her way a few more tail-lengths up the tree. Then it occurred to Silverkit, ShadowClan cats didn't climb trees.
Panic engulfed Silverkit as she stared down at the tiny shapes of the apprentices below. She was already over half way up a particularly tall pine tree. Now the apprentices probably thought she was some kind of half-ThunderClan freak for knowing how to climb a tree.
How did Blackstone say to get down again? Silverkit couldn't think strait as she looked down at the forest floor. A drop this high would kill her, no question. Fear was gnawing at Silverkit from the inside, she was going to loose her grip and die. She could already feel her claws slipping.
"Silverkit, panic is but an enemy warrior. Give into panic and you've lost the battle, but fight panic and concentrate on your attacks and you win."
Redkit's Special Talk echoed in Silverkit's head. Maybe her sister wasn't just saying random things; maybe it had a meaning to it. Silverkit tried to imagine the panic consuming her was an enemy, a rival Clan that she had to defeat. She focused on remembering Blackstone's instructions as hard as she could, ignoring the enemy, the panic.
Then it came to her along with a wave of relief. She started to slide her way back down the tree.
"It's just the same as climbing up the tree, but you're moving backwards. Don't be afraid to slide, let your claws slow you."
Silverkit followed Blackstone's instructions as she made her way back down the tree. She pulled herself down with her back legs and let her forepaws slip down as she went. She had only a few tail-lengths left to go when she felt her left forepaw slip off the bark and her heart stop.
It happened fast, but in slow motion. The ground rushed towards her and she felt the soft pine nettles cushion her fall. Even with the cushioning, sharp pain shot through her legs and back.
She hadn't managed to land on her paws, but instead on her side. If the pine nettles hadn't been there, she would have been a goner.
"Silverkit!" Mudpaw was the first at her side, Nightpaw followed close behind. Then after a horrified pause, the other apprentices rushed to join them.
"Are you alright?" That was NIghtpaw's voice.
"Should we get Whispermoon?" Honeypaw.
"No! We have to get to Starlight Cliff!" Reedpaw.
"But she's hurt!" Sheeppaw and Softpaw together.
"She's fine."
Silverkit turned in alarm to look at Mudpaw. His gaze showed no sympathy, no hesitation. He just looked at her expectantly. She knew what he wanted to hear. Pushing herself up on shaky legs, she faced Mudpaw with determination.
"I'm fine."
Sheeppaw and Softpaw gasped. Squirrelpaw roled her eyes and scoffed. Honeypaw and Nightpaw looked worried. Coldpaw and Ivypaw's gaze betrayed nothing. Mudpaw smiled.
"I told you she was tough. Lets keep moving. Silverkit, you can walk by me." He looked back at her, his eyes twinkling with something that made her fur stand on end and her chest feel warm on the inside. He waved his tail and she happily walked up next to him.
When they started walking again she felt his pelt brush hers and her whole body tingled with joy. Silverkit forgot all about her worries about Redkit, or about the trouble she would be in when she returned home. She only thought about Mudpaw, the falling sun, and the journey ahead to the mystical Starlight Cliff.