Pashpaw slowly pushed himself to his paw early the next morning. His plan was to rouse up three other apprentices to search for Silverwind. Naturally, his first choice was Blackpaw.
"Blackpaw," He whispered, prodding the black and white tom with his paw. "It's time to get up."
Blackpaw stirred and yawned before looking up at his friend. "Hey, Pashpaw. Why so early?" He meowed slowly.
"We're going to look for Silverwind." Pashpaw answered.
Blackpaw lept to his paws. "Are you mouse-brained?" Bewilderment showed in the tom's eyes as he stared at Pashpaw in shock. "Just me and you? What if the dawn patrol catches us?!"
"They won't. And we won't be alone. As a matter of fact, I'm taking two other apprentices with me." Pashpaw answered determinedly.
Blackpaw took a long look at him. "Okay." He yawned.
Pashpaw nodded before padding up to where Birdpaw slept. He poked her with his paw, only to get lashed at by her tail. Birdpaw wouldn't have wanted to come anyway Pashpaw told himself sadly.
Flashpaw lay sleeping on the other side of the den, if Pashpaw wanted to find Silverwind; Flashpaw would have to come too. As Pashpaw began to wake Flashpaw, he noticed Blackpaw leaving the den with a tortoiseshell-colored apprentice. Wondering who she was, Pashpaw quickly told Flashpaw that he had to get up and then followed his friend out of the apprentices' den.
Once outside, Pashpaw realized that the tortoiseshell apprentice with Blackpaw was a she-cat. She had the same blue eyes as Blackpaw, and looked to be his age.
"Pashpaw, I'd like you to meet my sister, Leafpaw." Blackpaw mewed. Leafpaw stepped forward and nodded to Pashpaw.
"Hello." She mewed slowly. Her eyes seemed full of a combination of tiredness and something he could not identify.
Soon enough, the four were heading out of the camp and into the forest. They ducked under branches and through bushes as Flashpaw led them to the place where he last saw Silverwind.
"Flashpaw, are you sure this is the way?" Leafpaw asked as she swirled out of the way of a sharp branch. "It seems like we're going around in circles."
Indeed it does. Pashpaw thought as he padded through the dense woodland.
"P…Positive!" Flashpaw answered hesitantly. He kept looking behind him, as if he felt he was being watched.
Suddenly, there was a rustle in the branches, which caused Pashpaw to jump. "What was that?" Demanded the brown apprentice.
"Maybe it was Silverwind!" Leafpaw suggested, her voice poorly hiding the fact that she was scared.
Flashpaw sniffed the air. "Maybe not. I know my mentor's scent. She's not here." His voice seemed sad.
"No but that is!" Blackpaw choked. High up on the branches of an old oak tree, sat a lean, powerful looking black tom.