Hello, y'all. I just wanted to say...I PASSED THE 100 REVIEW MARK!! (does victory dance) This chapter is long for everybody who helped me gain that. Those who didn't...SHAME ON YOU! (or as the wacky nija dodo birds from Ice Age say, "Doom on you, doom on you!" But then they all die.)
Me hyper today!
Replies:
Katclaws: Yes, All authors like it when you review ALL the chapters! Thanx so much for all of those reviews! I logged on my email, and I saw SO many reviews from you! I was SOOOOOO happy! You get LOTS of plushies!!! Sorry 'bout those mistakes...hehe. I was never much of a speller.
Frostfire or Iceheart: Dont worry I'm upating. Schools been hectic, I had so much stuff to do... But now I have no school for 2 1/2 weeks (YES!!!), I thought I would have quicker updates, BUT IT REALLY HAS TAKEN LONGER!!! ARRGHH!!!
Wolfclaws: I wont kill Squirrelflight. Dont worry. She's one of my favorite characters. I wont kill her...hmmm, unless...
SFLP: I know. I've read some REALLY good movie previews on this site that people did for fun and they are awesome...She should use them and make a MOVIE!!!
Anyway, my cousins are coming from Alaska, too! That's so cool! Where are you going? They are coming from Anchorage.
Me get plushies! YEY!
Wrathofloveandhate: You keep on changing your name! urgh. It makes it dificult to find out which is you. See you soon!
ReadingFan14: I know, you sent me a email. Hehe, i like your other name betta! But, this one is still cool! See ya on my bros birthday party!
Skyheart's Legecy: I wont. It would kill me if killed her. Trust me.
Mudfoot: Long time reader, eh? You should become a long time reviewer! (hint hint) Blame ReadingFan14. She told me! But that would make sense. But the cat on the cover just looks like a tom, not a she cat. I hope its not Cinderpelt!
Leafpool's Loyalty: I thought so. Once again, blame ReadingFan14! well, not really. Sorry ReadingFan. Hope you got the cover!
Oceanwind: I still think you should continue the tiger one...Thanks for the review! Things will be a little hectic this week. I get to watch more than a dozen 8 year olds. Arent I lucky? (sarcasm) I'll try to read your stories...if i dont die from midget attacks.
Bluepelt: yeah, i know. There isnt ANY cats in Thunderclan that are eligible for Ashfur...He might just have to go single...poor kitty. They really got to make up their minds. Blue or Amber, blue or amber!!!????!!??
Nameless Shadow: Save for the fact that he tries to take away Squirrelflight!!! Grr. Thanx for the review!
Rashed: It is? Oh. In that case, I totally agree...Ashfur is cool, but not the right cat for Squirrelflight!
Firewolf: No, I wont kill the orange she-cat. I don't think I understand Comet either...and I created her!
Anyway, on to the disclaimer (for those who read it...)
Disclaimer: If I can get out of being game manager at my brothers party, then I'll own warriors...but that aint happening anytime soon. Dern.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Squirrelflight looked around the hollow, seeing the apprentices emerge from their den, looking tiredly for their mentors. Silverpaw emerged, yawning, revealing sharp teeth. Squirrelflight shuddered. How easily he could tear apart a cat…
Seeing his mentor, he padded up expectantly, wagging his furry tail. Squirrelflight couldn't help smile.
"What are we doing today? Birchpaw said that we might learn to hunt!"
Chuckling, Squirrelflight nodded. "Well, then, let's do that. Follow me," turning, she led the way out of the hollow, Silverpaw on her tail. As they reached the training area, Squirrelflight turned and asked, "What's the best way to stalk a rabbit?"
Looking bewildered, Silverpaw cocked his head. After a moment he suggested, "Stay downwind?"
"Partially," Squirrelflight said, racking her brain for what to say next. "What you want to do is tread lightly, for mice can feel vibrations in the ground."
Silverpaw looked impressed, and Squirrelflight muttered hastily, "Every warrior knows that."
"No, not that you know that, but the fact that mice can feel vibrations. That's pretty cool," Silverpaw barked, his tail wagging.
"Oh," Squirrelflight muttered, embarrassed. Silverpaw noticed this and panted laughter.
"Anyway, let's practice. Drop into a crouch, keeping all your weight on your haunches."
Silverpaw complied, and Squirrelflight walked around him, inspecting him. He saw putting all his weight evenly on all of his four paws, but yet as he walked across the training area, it looked as smooth as when the cats stalked.
"Try to keep all your weight on your haunches," she repeated, curious to see how well he could do it.
He shifted some of his weight, but still kept it even.
Shaking her head, she showed him how it was supposed to be done. Narrowing his eyes, he tried oncemore, putting his weight on his haunches, but started lumbering around like a badger.
"Stop," she instructed. Looking up, Silverpaw eyed her with questions in his silver eyes.
"Do what you were doing before," she meowed. Once again, Silverpaw crouched, walking smoothly across the ground.
Leafpool's voice sounded in her ears. I don't know about dogs, they might be diferent than cats...
They might be diferent than cats.
Struck with a sudden inspiration she said, "I want you to try this new techinique for real. You have until sunset to hunt, but dont go to far away. I'll be watching you." She proceeded to lick her paw and bring it over her ear, trying to appear nonchalant when inside she was bursting with curiousity.
Silverpaw's silver eyes were wide with exitement, and as soon as she was done talking he turned and ran into the bushes.
Shaking her head, she followed more slowly. Opening her mouth, the dog's scent hit her glands, and she stealthily caught up. Nearing where the scent was the strongest, she clinbed a tree and looked down.
A mouse was nibling on a seed, oblivious to the dog nearby. She saw Silverpaw stalk skillfully towards the prey, then paused and shook his head. Dropping into a cat stance, with all his weight on his back legs, he tried to stalk it once more. Almost instantly the mouse heard him and quickly scurried away. Flattening his ears, he snapped angrilly at the air, then turned and stalked away.
Feeling for him, Squirrelflight jumped and landed gracefully on the ground. Remembering how she had felt when she hadn't caught her first mouse was something that stuck with her. Following carefully, she watched as once again Silverpaw dropped into a crouch.
She saw him look around guiltily, although she couldnt figure out why. Then as he crouched into the stalking position once again, she saw he was doing it his way.
Excitement flirred in her, and she watched anxiously as he stalked towards an unsuspecting rabbit.
Oh, no, she thought. I forgot how to hunt rabbit.
Silverpaw stalked around the rabbit, letting wisps of his scent reach the prey's nostrils. The rabbit stood up, confused as from where the scent was coming from, then bolted.
Right into Silverpaw's jaws.
Squirrelflight raised her eyebrows, inpressed. She wouldnt have expected him to catch the rabbit, much less in a way that she had never seen before.
She saw him grasp the prey in his jaws, then place it in a crevice, instead of burrowing it.
As she watched him hunt the rest of the day, she still was surprised each time he caught the prey instead of loosing it.
How did he know that? Was it instinct, or something more...
OOOOOOOO(A/N: POV of...Guess Who)OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Brambleclaw entered the den with exshaustion dragging his paws. Sunpaw was shy, but wanted to get everything right. She'd ask repeatedly if she was doing it right, always keeping her eyes on the ground.
Why? Do I intimidate her?
He hoped he wasn't. No matter how annoying, he was starting to like Sunpaw, and was proud to be her mentor.
But that wasn't the reason that he dreaded to go to sleep. He didnt trust Tigerstar's word, and didn't want to have to meet up with Comet, either.
Grudginly, he closed his eyes, but before he nodded off, he saw Squirrelflight enter the den.
"Going to sleep so early?" Squirrelflight taunted playfully.
"Exhausted," he replied.
She smiled. "Training tough?"
"Unberable."
Rolling her eyes, she murmered, "Well, at least your apprentice is of the same species. Do you have any idea how hard it is to mentor a dog?"
"You must be doing well, then. He brought back a lot of fresh kill today," Brambleclaw pointed out, remembering how the dog had entered the hollow, Squirrelflight behind him, carrin g a decent amount of prey for an apprentices first day.
"Night," Squirrelflight suddenly meowed, got up and padded away.
Confused, Brambleclaw settled down and closed his eyes.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Instead of appearing where he met his father, he materialized into the clearing where he had met Comet before.
However, this time there was no magnificent dog, but a badger and a blue cat.
Midnight...
Bluestar...
"Hello, warrior," Bluestar meowed, her voice cold, but not unwelcoming.
Midnight dipped her head. "Midnight see again, I knew. And sit, you are here." (Yoda! She sounds like YODA!!!)
Feathertail emerged from behind him, startleling him. Her blue eyes reavealed nothing, and when she spoke, it was neutral.
"Hello, Brambleclaw."
His eyes darted back and forth between the three creatures, two dead, and not. He knew they knew what he had been doing, planning with his father for the past moons, and they were going to get him back now.
"Where's Comet?" He asked, suddenly wanting the fierce dog here. She would've ended it quickly.
"She has other business that unscrambling your scrambled brain, Brambleclaw," Feathertail meowed.
Brambleclaw looked down, unable to meet the eyes of the cats. His tail twitched nervously, and he gave his ruffled chest fur a few licks.
"So that is what we must do instead. Come here," Bluestar instructed.
He did, slowly, feeling like an apprentice who knew he had done something wrong.
"Sit," Midnight growled.
He complied, and Bluestar raised her paw.
"This might hurt," she warned.
"Dont worry," he began. The paw came rushing towards his head. "I'm used to-,"
He fell to the ground, unconcious.
"It," Feathertail finished for him, and Bluestar rolled her eyes.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Silverpaw was stalking a rabbit, trying to do it correctly, like his mentor had shown him. Everytime he did, he failed. Grinding his teeth in frustration, he looked for something else to hunt.
He knew this was a dream, but he was still determined to succed.
As he found another mouse, he dropped into the crouch once more.
"Stop," a voice said from the darkness.
He, like the mouse, jumped, turned, unlike the mouse, who ran.
A big dog emerged from the shadows, silvery-blue eyes sparkling in the darkness.
"Hello, young one," she growled, but in a language diferent than cat. But he could still understand it.
"I'm not young. I'm an apprentice now," he growled back, and was surprised when he spoke the language too. What a strange dream.
Chuckling, Comet nodded.
"You may be an apprentice to cats, but in my eyes, you are still a pup."
Silverpaw glared. "I'm being taught loads of things. How to hunt, and soon how to fight."
"How to hunt and fight like a cat," Comet corrected him. "You should also learn how to hunt and fight like a dog."
Silverpaw glared. "Who are you, anyway?"
Comet's breath caught in her throat. Looking away, she didn't respond.
After a silence that seemed to last many moons, Silverpaw said quietly, "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer."
Comet smiled sadly, then barked, "Here's what you do…"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Before he opened his eyes, Brambleclaw smelled salt. When he did, he saw he was at the sun-drown-place. He felt a sensation rise within him, the feeling of adventure, and he ran towards where they had fallen in, finding Midnight later.
He drew to a stop, and saw in the distance a brown shape disappear, followed by an orange, the wind carrying the voice of Squirrelflight.
"Brambleclaw"
He watched as Squirrelflight grasped his fur in her teeth. Almost drowning, she swam towards the shore, followed by her companions.
He jumped down after them, landing in the water, but not feeling it seep through his fur. The current didn't jostle him like it did the others, in fact, it felt like he was walking on air.
He saw her upset face, the love in her eyes, and he felt his belly lurch. How could he have given up that, for power?
With a blink he felt the ground slipping away, and he cried, "No!" He didn't want to leave her. Not now, when she actually loved him."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Attack me," Comet growled. Silverpaw blinked.
"Are you sure?"
Comet laughed. "Yes, pup, attack!"
Complying, he launched himself at the dog the same way he did at his siblings. Comet merely raised her front paws, and Silverpaw landed with a thud. She brought her teeth to his ear.
"Dead."
Silverpaw shivered. Raising shakily to his paws, he whimpered.
Comet's eyes softened with something Silverpaw couldn't imagine, and she said patiently, "Come on, try again. Wolves never attack without first studying when and where."
"Wolves?" Silverpaw asked, confused.
"Our ancestors. Wolves are the reason we are here."
Silverpaw accepted this answer, studying Comet all the while. Comets eyes searched his own, her muscles bunched to spring.
Without warning she leapt at him, her lips drawn back in a snarl. Frozen with fear, Silverpaw didn't move, and was shaking when he rose once more to his paws.
"Surprise is the second thing. Without warning."
Silverpaw nodded, and suddenly sprung at Comet. A look of surprise and pleasure spread across the older dogs face, and she responded by meeting his attack. Teeth snapped, trying to get at each others throat, but the pup was too small, and Comet easily won.
"Better," she growled. "But still dead."
"When will I get to kill you?" Silverpaw asked as he squirmed from under Comets large paw.
"When you earn it. But it won't count. This is a dream, and I'm already dead."
Comet smiled at Silverpaws bewildered expression.
"I think that this is enough for tonight."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Brambleclaw opened his eyes and found himself on a large rock overhang. Below was a dead rabbit, and mud-streaked cats were slunked against the wall.
He saw Sharptooth, the fierce lion-cat, enter the cave, and realized what memory this was.
No, Starclan. Not this one.
He saw Sharptooth ignore the rabbit, like Brambleclaw knew he would, and heard a gasp from beside him. Squirrelflight was staring helplessly at the rabbit, her gaze then drawn towards a shadow, a cat desperatly trying to flatten himself against the rock.
Crowfeather.
He knew what would happen next, and he saw Feathertail launch herself at the pointed rocks from above.
Feathertail.
He saw Stormfur yowl, but the sound was lost in the sound of falling rock.
Stormfur.
Squirrelflight jumped, and ran towards the fallen silver she-cat.
Squirrelflight.
Tawnypelt followed, her old injury not hurting anymore.
Tawnypelt.
He saw himself, the cat he used to be, desperatly trying to reach their fallen comrade.
We were one.
But now I'm the enemy.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I'M SOOO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!!! My scchedual was BUSY!
Sunday: Party, from 1-4 o' clock, which was my brothers...he is 9. I had to coordinate more than a dozen 8 and 9 year olds for 4 hours...with church before, and then my friend slept over.
Mnday: Got lost (still with my friend) while walking to my OTHER friends house, then she slept over again.
Tuesday: Ice Skating. Then window shopping. Hey, I'm a girl. I enjoy going to the mall with 8 other friends and trying on expensive clothes we could never afford. (My friend went home REALLY late...no computor.)
Wednesday: Babysitted 4 little kids for three hours, then went and saw eragon. For those who read the book (the director obviously didn't), the movie is HORRIBLE!!! So if this chapter sucks, it is most likely because I'm depressed. All that money, wasted.
Thursday: Went to Belmont Park (you probably dont know what that is, but it is like a small amusment park) for 6 hours. (it was really fun!) And now, here I am, finishing my chapter.
But you guys didn't need to know that. I just needed to write it down.
Okay. I'm done. Until next chapter. (cuz I think this one stunk.)
BlindSeer