Hey guys! I hope you're enjoying the story! Isn't Spark a jerk? Well, here's Chapter 3!
I inwardly flinched as my paw turned over a small pebble, causing it to make a small clinking sound. I could feel Snakestrike's yellow eyes glinting at me, hidden inside the ferns. The squirrel I was stalking looked up abruptly and looked around frantically.
'Please don't run, just go back looking for acorns!' I pleaded silently with it. If I lost this prey, Snakestrike would send me to clean out the elder's den for a moon! But of course, not before he lectures me about what it means to be a ThunderClan apprentice for the hundredth time… No, I was not going to let this squirrel get away.
My fur still itched with tension as I remembered waking up to find Spy curled next to me... I could tell that he was just as embarrassed as me as he stammered apologies, but deep down, I appreciated the warmth of his fur brushing against mine...
I was so distracted with my thoughts, I miscalculated my jump and landed half a tail length in front of the squirrel. It bolted, but thankfully I was faster, and caught it just before it sped up and tree and out of my reach.
I felt relief as I held the squirrel's limp body in my jaws, but when Snakestrike shifted out of his hiding spot I knew I was in for another lecture...
"You still aren't trying hard enough Skypaw! you just barely caught that squirrel, and you won't be so lucky next time. When leafbare comes, you think the Clan will be fed when you hunt like a blundering kittypet?" Snakestrike growled at me. I nearly hissed at him. But if I did, he'd want to know why I was so keen on defending kittypets... and that was the last thing I needed to explain right now.
I silently listened on as Snakestrike meowed away, my thoughts casting out into my imagination like a net into a vast body of water.
'I'll show Snakestrike one day... When I'm leader, I won't let cats like him be mentors... I'll be the greatest leader the Clans have ever known. Skystar, what a great name!' I thought to myself. I imagined leading my Clan into battle, winning my warriors the territory that they deserved. I'll be the strongest leader by the lake and I'll-
"Skypaw, are you even listening to me?" My mentor hissed jolting me out of my day dreams.
"Sure I am..." I mumbled. All I wanted was this lecture to be over...
"Where is your head today, Skypaw? You keep spacing out! You already missed a mouse that practically leapt into your paws, and you barely caught a limping squirrel! Honestly Skypaw, cats are beginning to think I haven't trained you right! Is that what you want?"
'First off, I would have had that mouse if that stupid crow hadn't alerted it of my presence, and that squirrel was anything but injured!' I shouted in my head, but outwardly I just nodded at my mentor, wanting desperately to go back to my den and sleep until the next moon.
"If you don't start trying to act like a ThunderClan apprentice, you will just have to miss the next Gathering..."
I nearly gasped aloud. I had already missed my first three Gatherings due to my "inability to follow orders", and I sure wasn't going to miss this one. I had been training as an apprentice for four moons now. It was time I went to my first Gathering. My littermates Mousepaw and Fogpaw had already been to their first Gatherings.
"I'll try harder Snakestrike," I promised.
"You'd better, or I'll have to talk to Petalstar. Now get that squirrel back to camp. Eat and get some rest, we have dawn patrol and I don't want to hear any whining from you." And with that Snakestrike turned and whisked back to camp.
I trudged back to camp, and placed the squirrel in the fresh kill pile, grabbing a plump vole for myself, then heading over to Dustpaw my best friend, to share it with.
"Hey, Skypaw." Dustpaw greeted, her grey-brown fur dark in the dimmed light of sunset.
"Hey, Dustpaw, good training today?"
"Yeah, Wolfheart says I can go to the Gathering!" she mewed excitedly. I nearly sighed. At six moons of traing this would be Dustpaw's third Gathering, and I might end up stuck at camp wondering when it will finally be my turn. Dustpaw must have noticed my glum expression because she quickly mewed-
"Don't worry, Snakestrike can't find fault in you forever. Besides, every apprentice has to go sometime." Her words were meant to soothe me, but they didn't exactly help. Sometime…
"Maybe" I conceded, doubt constricting my chest. It seemed impossible to impress Snakestrike. I felt a flash of pity for Dustpaw. Having Snakestrike for a father had to be worse than having him for a mentor.
"I'm sure you're a great apprentice!" she continued, trying to lighten my mood. "You're one of the best fighters in the Clan, even better than Hollowheart, and he's a warrior!" Dustpaw purred.
"Yeah, a warrior who just had his warrior ceremony two moons ago," I sighed.
"Come on now, you-"
"Hi Skypaw, did you have a good hunt today?" a voice said from behind me. I turned to see Sunpaw, his golden tabby fur spiking in the cool leaf-fall air, his amber eyes bright with arrogance.
"Hi Sunpaw," I mewed unenthusiastically as Sunpaw flopped down beside me. A little too close for my comfort. I tried to shift away without him noticing.
"I caught a huge lark today, just as it was taking off. Tawnysong said she never saw an apprentice with my hunting ability. She also said I can go to the Gathering tomorrow!" he gloated.
I sighed as Sunpaw stared at me, as if expecting some sort of praise. I huffed. If he wanted that, he could just go find my sister, Mousepaw. She was constantly mooning over him as if he was a gift sent from StarClan, which didn't exactly help his ego.
"That's great Sunpaw," Dustpaw mewed, genuinely happy for her brother.
"What do you think, Skypaw?" he asked, turning his amber gaze on me.
"That's cool. Maybe I can go to the Gathering too this time."
"I'll put in a good word for you. I wouldn't want to miss taking you to your first Gathering," he winked before padding into the apprentice den.
"You know, my brother really likes you," Dustpaw meowed. I snorted in disbelief.
"The only cat Sunpaw really likes is himself." Dustpaw didn't look convinced.
I got to my paws, "I'm going to my nest, I have dawn patrol and waking up late won't help me get to the Gathering. 'Night Dustpaw."
I gave her a quick lick on the head before padding away to my den where I immediately curled into my warm familiar nest.
I couldn't help thinking what it would be like to have Sunpaw as my mate. Sure, he was arrogant. But he was very strong and an excellent hunter... and actually quite handsome. But as my eyes closed, it wasn't Sunpaw's amber eyes that I saw. The eyes that I saw were sky blue.
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