"Starlingpaw?"
"Who...who's there?!" I gasped. Noticing I wasn't in camp, but instead I was in a starry forest with fireflies flying past me. They seemed different than the darkness, they had...
"Light."
I saw another cat and was surprised to see her also have a black pelt, was she a cursed cat too?
"No, I don't." She answered.
"How can you read my thoughts?" I asked.
"I'ma StarClan cat, where Clan cats go when they die." She replied. "I was from ThunderClan, my name is Hollyleaf."
"You may have guessed by now that cats in AngelClan with a black pelt are cursed." Hollyleaf confirmed. "I wanted to bring you here to show you something you've never seen before."
"Light? It's wonderful." I gasped. "Did I take it away?"
"You did, and I hate to bring this news." Hollyleaf sighed. "But everything that's built you up will come crashing down."
"What? But I didn't do anything." I protested, my legs shaking.
"AngelClan is not what they appear to be." Hollyleaf warned me. "They have darkness instilled in them, they're one of themost selfish Clans and they will try to break you. But they need you more than they know."
I didn't wait for her to say anymore, I ran away. I didn't ask for this, but I couldn't leave. I could only dreadfully wait.
When I woke up I felt Briarpaw beside me and felt relieved, but then I noticed my siblings glaring at me.
Then I looked to see Nobleclaw, Fireflight, Acorndapple, and Gracecloud waiting not too far from our den.
"They're our mentors, Fireflight is mine." Briarpaw explained. "He's alright, but they're only mentors because Nobleclaw is one of Vixenstar's mates and Fireflight and Acorndapple are two of her kits."
"Then how come she gave me Gracecloud as a mentor?" I asked.
"Maybe to convince our Clan that she doesn't favor her mates and kits, which would be quite hard to do." Briarpaw answered. "Did I tell about Rabbitsong? Well-"
"You two quit gossiping and get your butts over here." Fireflight growled. I suddenly noticed my siblings were already with their mentors and me and Briarpaw ran to our mentors.
"Sorry Fireflight." Briarpaw lied.
"Um, what're we doing Gracecloud?" I meowed.
"Always asking questions aren't you? Actually I wouldn't blame you, AngelClan is the best Clan." Gracecloud purred.
"Nevermind, forget I asked." I muttered.
"I wasn't just going to not answer." Gracecloud chuckled. "I'm going to teach you how to hunt."
"The rest of you will be practicing tree climbing." Fireflight told the other apprentices.
Briarpaw rolled his eyes, making me smile. My siblings noticed this and whispered angrily. What was their problem?
I refused to give them the privilege of seeing me hurt so I turned around right away and followed Gracecloud out of camp.
I noticed the river me and my Mom had crossed when we were escorted to AngelClan camp. And I remembered the Moon-Den Stoneheart goes too.
"What're ya thinking 'bout?" Gracecloud meowed curiously.
"The Moon-Den Mom told me about." I answered. "Does Stoneheart only go there?"
"Our medicine cats go there once a moon to connect with StarClan. After all, they owe us for putting AngelClan through this wretched curse." Gracecloud explained.
"And Stoneheart is...?"
"Him and Myrtlepaw are our current medicine cats." Gracecloud confirmed. "But apprentices go there once in their training. It is important in learning about their futures or whatever."
Something about what she was saying did not feel right at all, but I didn't have anytime to speak as Gracecloud stopped and looked around for prey.
She gave me a small shh and crouched low looking beyond a pair of bushes intently.
"Watch and learn." Gracecloud whispered.
Then she launched herself, pouncing to the bushes and slamming her paws down and picked up a dead shrew from the bushes proudly.
"Most warriors here are young and proud." Gracecloud purred. "And since we have no queens, our proud warriors will be eating this.
Something is horribly wrong
I felt my heart drop but I had no idea why, of course queens get fresh-kill first. But I swear something was missing.
"Um...can I try?" I asked, choking down my unknown fears.
"Go ahead, you might be making AngelClan proud someday." Gracecloud answered.
Might
I instinctively listened for life in the forest and heard many creatures, lots of paws scurrying through the forest and the flap of wings.
I saw a pudgy creature that my mind immediately registered as a squirrel, and it looked like a great catch for AngelClan. It looked ready to climb the tree.
I ran to it and it dashed up the tree, making me smack into the tree headfirst.
"OW! THAT HURT!" I exclaimed. Was...was Gracecloud laughing?
"This has to be the best rookie mistake I've ever seen! I have to tell the other mentors about it!" Gracecloud yowled with laughter.
"What is wrong with you?" I hissed. "I could've been really hurt, I think I need to see those medicine cats..."
"Good idea, I want to tell them sooner than later." Gracecloud purred. "Plus, the patrols outta bring more fresh-kill back than this little shrew."
So is that how she usually hunts? Catches a little and expects everyone else to do the work?
I stormed off not concerned if she'd catch up with me, knowing if she told them I'd never hear the end of it.
I arrived back at camp and stumbled into the medicine cat den feeling dizzy and falling over. Stoneheart looked at me with pale eyes and Myrtlepaw walked over to me.
"What happened?" Myrtlepaw asked.
"I ran into a tree while I was hunting." I admitted. "I need something to get rid of this pain."
"I'm on it." Myrtlepaw replied, walking to a pile of herbs. I almost thought she was actually polite till I heard her snicker while picking out a herb.
"This poultice should soothe the injury. I'll be putting it on your head and wrapping it with cobwebs to keep it on." Myrtlepaw explained.
"Um, won't that look embarrassing on me?" I meowed nervously.
"Well, punishment fits the crime I guess." Myrtlepaw snickered as she wrapped the cobwebs on my head and the poultice.
My pelt burned at the thought of everyone laughing at me and I moved to the back of the medicine cat den nervously.
"You have to leave, we have work to do cursed kit." Stoneheart snarled. "Get out."
I got up and decided what I'd do is run into the apprentice's den as quick as possible so no one would even have time to make fun of me.
I bunched up my muscles and broke into a sprint. But since fate hated me, I tripped halfway through.
I fell and groaned with pain, causing every cat to look at me and then some of them laughed not to any surprise of mine.
"Starlingpaw, more like Starlingbrain!" Jasminepetal yowled, causing the Clan to burst with even louder laughter.
"Did you teach your daughter that in your filthy tunnels?" Vixenstar jeered at my Mom.
"I raised your other kits right, you're the worst mother she could have!" Kestrelstripe cackled.
I felt my patience snap, yelling at me is fine. But insulting my mother crossed the line.
I gave Kestrelstripe no warning as I charged at her and leaped with my claws unsheathed, knocking her to the ground.
