Chapter 6
Shadowpaw yawned, opening her eyes and sitting up. Looking around the apprentice den, she grinned at the sight of Flarepaw and Shrewpaw, her older brother from Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight's first litter, massed together in a bundle of ginger and brown.
Shrewpaw's littermate and their other brother, Kindlepaw, shook himself awake as well.
Shadowpaw had been released from the medicine den a few sunrises ago, and now she was fairly sharp at her hunting and battle skills, although she knew she had a deep amount of things to learn.
"Shadowpaw, wanna get some fresh-kill?" the auburn tom asked. He was a brownish-red, with amber eyes and white paws.
"Sure." the she-cat replied, her mouth watering at the thought of food.
Walking over to Brightheart and Cloudtail's son, Fallenpaw, Kindlepaw nudged him awake.
The cat had a golden pelt with brown and black patchwork areas all over him. He blinked open his eyes, of which one was blue and one was green.
"What?" he hissed irritably.
Rolling her eyes, Shadowpaw said, "Fresh kill. C'mon."
Muttering under his breath, the tom slowly got out of bed and stomped to the clearing.
"Shadowpaw?" came a groggy voice; Shrewpaw was awake.
Kindlepaw was with his friend, and she was left alone with his brother.
"Just getting food." she murmured, and turned to leave.
Just as she was stepping out, Shrewpaw was by her side.
"Well, wait for me." he murmured.
She felt her heart grow warm, and she walked towards the fresh-kill pile, dragging a rabbit to where Kindlepaw and Fallenpaw sat.
"So, gathering's tonight." Fallenpaw mumbled through his mouthful of vole.
"Yeah, it is." Shrewpaw nodded. "Think you'll get to go, Shadowpaw?"
His question startled her. "Uh ... not really." she admitted.
"Why not?" the tom pressed, seeming confused she didn't act like all other new apprentices with dreams that have reached to far they dared to hope they'd stand atop the branches at the gathering.
"Well, I haven't trained as often as the others. If anyone, Flarepaw should go." she confessed her fears.
Kindlepaw's snort made her belly churn; Was he amused by her kittish fears?
"You have to be MOUSEBRAINED to think we haven't noticed how well you learn things. You managed to catch on with everything and climb up to where you should be quickly, and seemingly painlessly." He reassured.
Shadowpaw felt relief flood her at their encouragement.
Maybe she did have a chance.
"Yeah ... I hope you're right." she purred sheepishly.
"Of course he's right about those things he said about you." she heard someone whisper.
But when she turned her head, Shrewpaw was biting into the rabbit, leaving her to wonder if he really spoke a word at all.
She decided he did, and felt the warmth from her heart spread to her ears and tail tips, and she barely managed to eat, for she was trying to keep the purr in her throat from rising out.
Yet the fact she was happy and wanting to purr didn't bother her at all.
Not by a bit.