Hey, sorry I haven't updated, but I have endless homework...
I cracked open my eyes. I guessed it was time to get ready for school. Then I saw a grey tabby tom sleeping in a nest next to me, and remembered that I've been a cat for almost two weeks.
I sighed and sat up, causing the cat to stir. I realized that the cat was Skypaw, the cat that I'm 100% sure I know from somewhere, even though that's impossible.
Skypaw opened his eyes and looked at me. He smiled. "Good morning."
"Morning." I yawned. All the other apprentices were still asleep. It must be around dawn, I thought.
"So… you're new to ThunderClan too?" Skypaw asked.
"Yeah. I joined ThunderClan about two wee- uh, half a moon ago," I replied.
"Hmm… were you a kittypet?" he asked.
I was kind of surprised at his question. "Uh, well, sort of…"
"What do you mean by, 'sort of'?"
"Uh…" I couldn't just say that I used to be a twoleg… "I hung around twolegs and kittypets a lot."
"Ah." There was a short awkward silence before I felt Lionpaw stir in the nest beside mine.
I turned away from Skypaw to look at Lionpaw, who yawned and arched his back.
"Hey, Featherpaw," he mewed. He saw Skypaw. "Aren't you Skypaw, the warrior that just joined?"
"Yeah. You must be Lionpaw."
"…How'd you know that?" he asked.
"Oh… um…" Skypaw looked panicked for just a second. "…Featherpaw mentioned a 'Lionpaw' and I had met every other apprentice so you had to be Lionpaw," he mewed quickly.
"Oh. Okay." Lionpaw yawned and licked his paw. "Why are you guys awake so early?" he changed the subject.
"I just woke up and then soon afterward Skypaw woke up," I explained.
"Lionpaw! Featherpaw! Skypaw! Get up, we're going hunting!" I heard Stormfur's voice say from outside the den.
Lionpaw and I groaned simultaneously and all three of us went around the sleeping apprentices and out of the den, where Stormfur was waiting.
"Why are we going so early?" Lionpaw complained.
"Firestar wants us to start waking up earlier, starting with just a few cats, to experiment, to see if it's more effective. If it is, it might take less time for apprentices to become warriors," Stormfur explained.
Lionpaw perked up at this. "We'll get to become warriors early?"
Stormfur nodded. "If it's effective."
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Well, for Skypaw's sake, let's first visit the borders. He needs to know the scents of the other clans," he mewed.
Skypaw looked pretty excited. Stormfur smiled. "Let's go."
We went around, showing Skypaw everything, then we starting hunting. Lionpaw and I started searching around for prey while Stormfur showed Skypaw the hunters' crouch.
"Hey! There's a squirrel," I hissed to Lionpaw. He looked in the direction I was pointing to with my tail. He nodded and pointed with his tail in a direction. He was telling me to get upwind of it. I nodded and stalked in a circle until I was upwind of it. Lionpaw was going he opposite direction. When we were both upwind and downwind of it, I crept toward it. It suddenly snapped its head in my direction. It obviously smelled me. It squeaked in fear and ran in the opposite direction… right into Lionpaw.
Lionpaw bit its neck, instantly killing it. "Good job, Featherpaw!" he grinned at me. I grinned back.
"You, too!"
"Skypaw! Do you wanna go hunting?" I saw Poppypaw walk up to Skypaw.
"Uh… no, thanks. I'm kinda tired." He yawned for emphasis.
Poppypaw drooped her head. "Okay…" she walked away.
I yawned, pretty tired myself. I don't think training before dawn is very good. We've been doing it for about a week. Maybe one of us should tell Firestar this.
I got up from the place I was laying down to get something to eat from the fresh kill pile. I kind of got used to eating raw critters, but it still was kind of weird.
I picked out a small thrush. I wasn't very hungry, and this was the closest thing to chicken.
Sitting back down in the spot I was laying down at before, I started eating the thrush.
"Hi, Featherpaw!" Lionpaw sat down across from me.
I jumped in slight surprise. "Oh, hi, Lionpaw."
"There's a gathering tonight!" he mewed.
"There is?"
"Yeah! Haven't you heard anyone talking about it?"
"No…"
Lionpaw made a huffing noise. "Everyone's wondering whether or not you and Skypaw will be able to go," he mewed.
"Hm…"
"The cats going to the gathering are Squirrelflight, Sandstorm, Cloudtail, Sorreltail, Brightheart, Stormfur, Berrypaw, Lionpaw, Featherpaw, Cinderpaw, and Skypaw!" Firestar announced.
Some cats started hissing to each other, probably about how Skypaw and I are going to the gathering. Why does it matter?
"Featherpaw! We get to go to the gathering together!" Lionpaw mewed, stating the obvious.
"Yep."
"Aren't you excited?!"
"Of course!" I replied.
"It's time to go!" Brambleclaw mewed. Ace you!" Lionpaw took off. I rolled my eyes, chuckling, and ran after him.
When we got to the bridge, cats were all padding across it carefully. I didn't really want to go across it; it looked scary.
When it was my turn, I hesitantly put a paw on it. It felt slippery and not very sturdy. When I heard a mew behind me, telling me to hurry up, I put all my paws on it, swaying a bit. I regained my balance, and started padding forward.
I could feel that Lionpaw was right behind me, but he was going faster. I tried to speed up as well, so I wouldn't be holding everyone back, but I lost my footing and felt myself falling.
I braced myself for the impact. But none came. Instead, I felt teeth on my scruff. The mouth lifted me back up, putting me back on the tree bridge.
"Are you okay, Featherpaw?" Lionpaw asked. I looked up, my face almost hitting him in the face. His pretty amber eyes met with mine, letting me see what he was thinking. He looked concerned. I felt my face heat up in embarrassment.
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine, um, thanks…" some cat told me to hurry up, so I turned around and kept walking, this time more carefully. I didn't want a repeat of that. First of all, it was scary, and second of all, it was embarrassing.
It felt like forever, but I finally made it to the island. It was pretty, with some flowers, and the famous tree. It looked like the other clans were already there. But I couldn't tell if one was missing.
"Featherpaw! Let's go find some apprentices from other clans!" Lionpaw mewed.
"Okay…" I followed him, looking for cats that looked apprentice-aged.
We ran into a long-furred, white, black, and tortoiseshell she-cat. "Hi! I'm Lionpaw!" Lionpaw greeted.
"Ivypaw." She rolled her eyes and responded no further, not even acknowledging us.
"I'm from ThunderClan, what clan are you from?" he asked.
"Shadow," she sighed.
Lionpaw looked at me. I shrugged, padding away. He followed me.
I saw a young black tom with amber eyes that looked apprentice-aged, so I started toward him.
"Uh, Featherpaw, I don't think we should talk to him," Lionpaw mewed to me as he came up next to me. "That's Breezepaw. He's really annoying…"
"Okay, whatever," I replied.
"It's time to start!" a white tom with black paws announced from one of the branches of the tree. I assumed this was Blackstar. A few other cats were up there, too, along with Firestar. All the cats quieted down.
"I'll start," a golden spotted she-cat mewed. I guessed it was Leopardstar. "RiverClan is well. The fish are returning to the lake's edge, so hunting has been well. That is all."
The next leader to speak was Blackstar. "One of our queens has given birth to three kits, Tigerkit, Dawnkit, and Flamekit. That is all from ShadowClan."
Now it was Firestar's turn. "All is well in ThunderClan. We have gained two apprentices who used to be loners." Some cats rolled their eyes, expecting no less from Firestar, the former kittypet. "That is all."
The last leader had to be Onestar. "The prey is plentiful. That is it."
The leaders jumped down, having nothing else to say. Then they started to leave with their clans.
"Let's go, Featherpaw!" Lionpaw mewed and ran toward ThunderClan, who was leaving. I groaned, realizing we would have to cross the bridge again. I turned, feeling someone watching me. I saw a pale, mottled gray tom staring me. As soon as I turned toward him, he quickly looked away. What's with him? I shrugged it off, following Lionpaw.
Well, what's going on here? Why does Lionpaw have such an interest in Featherpaw? Who was that tom that was staring at Featherpaw? And what about Skypaw? What's gonna happen if they find out who each other are?
Okay, I guess it isn't clear where in the series this takes place. I guess it takes place around Dark River. But I'm changing a bunch of things that take place in that book, especially since I don't have it...
Please review. I'm begging you. Even flames. Just don't freak out. *looks at Yellowtail of Skyclan*