Chapter 5

Silverpaw's POV

Silverpaw curled up next to Brackenpaw who opened an eye before purring and closing it again. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The Silver apprentice opened her eyes and looked around. Whitepaw was already gone, as was Icepaw. The sun was coming through the entrance. Silverpaw slowly rose to her paws, licked a fore paw and then began rubbing it over her head. Just then Leafpaw opened her eyes and looked over to Silverpaw. The tortoiseshell apprentice rose to her paws and stretched. Silverpaw closed her eyes when she heard Leafpaw remark.

'You and Brackenpaw are a good couple.'

Silverpaw's pelt rose with embarrassment and she opened an eye.

'Um thanks, but we aren't a couple.' She meowed.

'Oh to bad.' Leafpaw meowed.

Silverpaw put her paw down, opened her eyes and nudged Brackenpaw. The brown tom groaned and rolled over.

'Brackenpaw wake up.' The Silver apprentice meowed. 'It's time for training.'

At that Brackenpaw launched up and purred.

'Thanks Silverpaw.' She meowed and yawned.

'Don't worry.' She meowed. 'I'm going to find Shinyheart.'

At that she left the den with a glance back at Brackenpaw.

She looked around at her clan who were busy. Mouseheart had just walked into camp with two voles and dropped them on the fresh-kill pile. Blossomheart was watching Sorrelkit, Graykit and Smallkit outside the nursery. Just then Shinyheart appeared outside the warriors den. Silverpaw walked over to her.

'Good morning Shinyheart.' She meowed. 'What are we going to do today?'

The Warrior looked at her apprentice for a moment.

'Well I want you to go and hunt until Sun high then meet me at the Training clearing okay?' Her mentor asked.

Silverpaw nodded and ran off towards the Gorse tunnel. She stopped and looked behind her to see Brackenpaw coming out of the apprentice den. She smiled at him and ran through the Gorse tunnel. Once in the forest she put her head up and sniffed. She crouched down and then a vole stuck its head out of a bush. Silverpaw slowly stalked towards it and then pounced. The vole looked up and tried to run but it was too late. Silverpaw tossed it in the air, jumped up and killed it with a swift bite to the neck. She then spotted some leaves and placed her prey underneath it. She sniffed and looked around.

Just then the bushes near her rustled and Silverpaw crouched down and snarled. Just then a brown blur jumped out from the bushes and landed on top of her.

Silverpaw and the brown cat rolled over and over until the brown cat was on top of her.

'Brackenpaw you mouse-brain!' She hissed.

Brackenpaw playfully hissed and tried to hit her ear. Silverpaw dodged and kicked at his belly. He yowled and fell back.

'Good going.' Brackenpaw remarked.

'Why are you here?' She asked.

'Mossheart has me hunting.' He meowed. 'You?'

'Same thing expect I have to meet up with Shinyheart at Sun high for battle practice.' The Silver she-cat apprentice meowed.

'Why don't we hunt together?' Brackenpaw suggested.

Silverpaw's ears went hot and she smiled.

'Okay.' She meowed and sniffed.

She turned her head and stalked towards a large oak tree.

She jumped and caught a vole. She bit its neck and went back over to Brackenpaw.

'Well done!' Bracken praised.

Her eyes gleamed. She went over and placed the vole with her other prey before turning back where Brackenpaw had been standing.

'Brackenpaw?' The she-cat apprentice asked and looked around.

The Dark brown apprentice appeared a few moments later with a mouse in his jaws.

Silverpaw smiled.

'Good catch Brackenpaw!' Silverpaw meowed.

Brackenpaw smiled and put the prey with Silverpaw's.

The two apprentices entered camp with the caught prey in their jaws. It was almost sun high too. Silverpaw had two voles and a mouse in her jaws and Brackenpaw had two sparrows and two voles. Mistheart was over by Stonestar's den with Stonestar and was watching the two apprentices. Brackenpaw and Silverpaw dropped their prey on the fresh-pile and turned to each other.

'You better not keep Shinyheart waiting.' Brackenpaw meowed.

'See you later then Brackenpaw!' Silverpaw meowed, licked one of his ears and ran off towards the Gorse tunnel.

She stopped in front of the Gorse tunnel, and looked back. Brackenpaw smiled at her, she smiled back and ran out.

Shinyheart waited in the training clearing. Silverpaw ran out of the fern tunnel that lead to the clearing and skidded to a stop in front of Shinyheart.

'Hello Shinyheart.' Silverpaw panted.

'You ready to train?' Shinyheart asked.

Silverpaw nodded.

'Okay!' Shinyheart meowed and jumped back.

A few moments later Shinyheart pounced and Silverpaw had just enough time to react. She jumped back and Shinyheart landed on the ground. Silverpaw jumped up and landed on her mentors back. The two cats rolled around for a few moments before Shinyheart pinned Silverpaw down. The apprentice pulled back her hind paws and pushed against the white she-cats belly. Shinyheart fell back and landed in the dirt. Silverpaw got up and leaped on her mentor again. Holding her down Silverpaw scratched her cheek and jumped back off Shinyheart. Shinyheart got up, panting and looked at her apprentice.

'You are a good fighter.' Her mentor meowed.

Just then Silverpaw darted into a bush and Shinyheart looked around. Silverpaw snuck around and jumped onto the white cats back.

'Get off me Silverpaw!' Shinyheart meowed.

But Silverpaw hung on while Shinyheart whirled around and around. Just then Shinyheart ran over to a tree and was about to hit Silverpaw off her back, but Silverpaw jumped off and Shinyheart hit her back on the tree. She fell to the ground and moaned.

'Shinyheart?' Silverpaw asked taking a step forward.

Nothing.

'Shinyheart?!' Silverpaw asked and flattened her ear down.

Nothing.

'Shinyheart?' Silverpaw asked again and shook Shinyhearts body.

Just then Shinyheart shot up.

'I'm fine Silverpaw don't worry!' Shinyheart meowed. 'Maybe we should hunt now.'

Silverpaw nodded.

'See you back at camp!' She yowled and ran out of the clearing.

Silverpaw stalked along the Lostclan border and then jumped. She tossed a vole into the air, jumped up after it and then bit its neck quickly.

She picked up the vole and found some leaves. She had found it easier than putting them into a hole.

She sniffed.

She soon had found three voles and two mice. She was now on her way back to camp. She looked around. The forest was quiet and Silverpaw liked that but it also worried her. It was almost Sun-down and Silverpaw was pretty tired. She made her way through the forest and soon to the Gorse tunnel. She made her way inside and looked around camp. Everyone was just about to start eating. She went over and put two voles with the Queens.

'Thanks Silverpaw!' Blosssomheart meowed.

'You're welcome.' Silverpaw meowed through the prey in her jaws.

'I'm sure, Icewhisker would love that other vole you are holding.' Bluedream meowed.

Silverpaw nodded and went over to the medicine cats den. She entered and saw Icewhisker running back from the rock in his den.

'Icewhisker is something wrong?' Silverpaw asked.

'Leaf-Bare in coming and I need to be ready for anything Silverpaw.' Icewhisker meowed and looked at her. 'Is that vole for me?'

Silverpaw nodded.

'Put it over by my nest.' Icewhisker meowed and pointed his tail towards a moss nest.

'Okay.' She meowed and went over to his nest.

She placed the vole down in front of the moss nest and left.

She went over and placed the two mice on the fresh-kill pile and grabbed two more voles. She went over to the Elders.

'Have you eaten yet?' She asked.

'I have.' Flamefrost meowed. 'But I'm sure Heatherleaf would like one of those voles, Graystorm is asleep at the moment.'

Silverpaw dipped her head and entered the Elders den. She spotted Heatherleaf and went over to her.

'What is it Silverpaw?' The old Tabby she-cat asked.

'I brought you some fresh-kill.' Silverpaw meowed and placed one of the voles in front of her.

'Thank you apprentice.' She meowed.

Silverpaw left the den and went over to the apprentices den and sat down. She placed the vole in front of her and took a bite out of it. Just then Whitepaw came over with two mice. He smiled at Silverpaw and she smiled back.

'What did Shinyheart have you do?' Whitepaw asked.

'Hunting then Battle practice.' Silverpaw answered. 'What about you?'

'Battle practice then hunting.' He meowed and took a bit of one of his mice.

A few moments later Icepaw joined them with a sparrow.

'What did you do today?' Silverpaw asked.

'Patrol then I went hunting.' Icepaw answered.

After eating the three apprentices headed inside. Brackenpaw just behind them. Leafpaw and Spotpaw were still outside eating. Icepaw went over to the back of the den with Whitepaw and curled up. Silverpaw went over to the moss Brackenpaw and she spelt on and curled up. Brackenpaw lied down next to her and smiled. Silverpaw smiled back and closed her eyes.