Chapter 9: Not so much the hero just yet

A/n ahh! Short chapter again! I promise the next one will be longer! I just want to give each part of the story a name! Thank you for reviewing and following and favouriting! I love reviews the most, as you probably know already. So please review! Even if you didn't like it, I'd like the advice on what to improve! Thank you if you have already reviews and all that! You're my favourite readers!

I walk back to the camp, glad the smell of mouse bile was gone. Graystripe was standing near the fresh-kill pile with Squirrelflight, Foxpaw and Birchfall. I pad up to them and my mentor flicks his tail. "We're going on a border patrol near ShadowClan."

I nod and follow the patrol out into the camp. The ShadowClan border stinks and I wonder why they are so proud of their scent. I sniff. Through the ShadowClan scent, I catch a waft of something else, but I shake my head. It's too hard to smell through the over-whelming scents, eh, probably nothing anyway.

We spray the trees, and remark the borders, and I smell it again as we re-join. "Graystripe, can you smell that?" I look around, trying to detect where it is coming from. "I can't recognize the scent."

Graystripe sniffs and he looks back at me. "Are you sure you can smell something?"

I realize it is gone, and I dismiss the thought of danger. Maybe I'm just imagining things.

"Should we pick up a bit of fresh-kill for the pile?" Squirrelflight asks. Foxpaw jumps up and down. "I want to try and catch a squirrel today!"

Birchfall nods. "Ok, Graystripe?"

The grey warrior looks up into the sky. "Yes, I think we still have time."

I follow his gaze to look at the sun, high above the trees. It would be lunch time at home right now. I sigh. We'd probably be having a yummy sandwich. Not raw mouse. Graystripe looks at me. "We'll have a proper hunting lesson tomorrow, but right now, just use what you have already learnt."

I nod, and we spilt. I catch the scent of vole, and follow its scent. Then I smell the blood. I look through the branches, and I smell it again! I see an orange pelt, and at first, I think it is Firestar. Then I see its black eyes, and long snout. Fox! I step back, hoping it hadn't seen me yet, but it was looking up from its kill. He races towards me, and I yowl as I dash away. His hot breath was already on my tail, and I flatten my ears as I get lower and sprint, kicking up dust and dirt as I glide between the trees. I look over my shoulder to see the fox is gaining on me, with Graystripe and Squirrelflight following it, their claws unsheathed and pelts ruffled. Birchfall is behind them, and he yowls at me. "Featherpaw! Look out!"

I turn back around to see, oh great.

A tree.

I go face first into the hard trunk, and the fox is panting as it catches up to me. Graystripe hurls himself at it, and claws at its back, digging out clumps of blood and fur. The fox howls in agony, and runs, kicking Graystripe off of him, and crossing the river into ShadowClan territory. My face feels numb, and I prick with embarrassment when I realize Graystripe, Birchfall, Squirrelflight, and Foxpaw all saw me crash into a tree. Graystripe pads up to me, a worried expression on his face. "Are you ok, Featherpaw?"

I nod. "Yeah, I'm fine, in fact, I don't feel a thing." Oh my goodness, it hurts!

Birchfall's whiskers twitch. "You should watch where you're going next time, running into a fox, and then a tree."

I look at my paws. Damn my clumsiness!

Graystripe looks back at where the fox crossed the river. "I don't think it'll be coming back for now, though we should warn ShadowClan of a fox in their territory."

Foxpaw's eyes brighten, and excitement comes in waves off of his pelt. "Can I go?"

Squirrelflight blinks. "We should tell Firestar first. He'll be the one to organize the patrol."

Foxpaw looks at me. "But Featherpaw has gone to the ShadowClan camp before, and I've been an apprentice for longer than her!"

Squirrelflight shakes her head. "Featherpaw was lucky for that experience. You will get your turn soon enough."

Graystripe nods. "We'd better get back to camp. I didn't catch anything; I don't think we had enough time to before we heard the fox."

I look up at him. "Sorry,"

Squirrelflight smiles "Don't be sorry, we would've had to face the fox sooner or later. Better out here, than in the camp, isn't it?"

"That's right. It's just bad luck it happened to find you first." Graystripe agrees.

I follow the other cats into the camp, and Foxpaw falls beside me. "Are you sure your face is ok?"

I nod. "I'm fine."

"I'm glad you're ok. It would have been terrible if we hadn't heard you in time; it would've gotten you when you crashed into that tree."

"Yeah, thank you."

Foxpaw smiles, his pelt reminding me of the fox's fur. "No worries. You're part of our Clan now, aren't you? Clan mates look out for each other and we stick together!"

I smile back, but missing my family tugs at me and I wonder if I'll ever see them again.