Thanks to Rain, BrightMind, LunaSaphira, and Sunshadepurple for reviewing!
Lightkit seems VERY popular-XD
The leaves were edged with burnished brown, signaling the beginning of colder moons to come. Geese glided overhead, large feathers drifting down to coat the river and Sunningrocks.
Silverpaw crept stealthily through the undergrowth, careful not to warn the bushy-tailed critter of his presence. The squirrel stopped from his chewing, twisting its tiny head to look around. It's bulging black eyes fixed on the bush where Silverpaw was hiding. With a perturbed squeak, it scurried off, dropping the nut. Silverpaw was not to be outwitted by a squirrel. In hot pursuit, he raced after the creature, not giving up even as it grappled up a tree.
"Silverpaw, stop!" Silverpaw leapt up after the woodland critter, jumping to the first branch before springing to the next. He grabbed the squirrel by its haunch and sprung down with the prey in his mouth.
Silverpaw expected Hailbreeze to scold him for disobeying his orders, but the sooty grey tom just furrowed his brow.
"It's smart to use your heritage to your advantage this way," Hailbreeze mused thoughtfully. Silverpaw was surprised. His mentor never praised him.
"I expect you to catch two squirrels, a wren, and a jay before the sky turns completely dark," Hailbreeze flicked his tail. What? This is going to be impossible!
"Go."
Silverpaw sprang up the nearest tree, a thick oak with low branches. Digging his claws into the thick bark, he threw himself to the up most branches to get a better view.
The forest brimmed with life. The chirping of birds made sure of that.
Silverpaw tilted his nose down into the tree. The smell of squirrel filled his nose, making his mouth water. Silverpaw crouched down, balancing his weight on his haunches as his hind claws slid into the bark. Then he pushed hard and thrusted himself to a branch of a nearby tree, reaching out with his forepaws.
His sudden weight made the branch lurch, and he held on tight with his front claws. Silverpaw hung for a moment before hauling his lower end onto the branch.
"That was a good leap!" Silverpaw whipped around.
A pair of dark blue eyes were peering down at him. The dark grey tom smelled of ThunderClan, yet Silverpaw didn't recognize him.
"Who-who are you?" The tom had a slight build, lithe with a ridiculously fluffy tail. He cocked his head.
"You don't recognize me? I'm Blackfrost," Silverpaw studied Blackfrost more closely. His dark grey fur, patched with black, reminded Silverpaw of someone he couldn't quite place his paw on. Then, suddenly, he got it.
"You're Aspenpaw's brother," Silverpaw blurted out. Blackfrost grinned.
"That I am. And if you're wondering why I'm a warrior and she isn't, let's just say that I'm the more talented of us two," Blackfrost caught Silverpaw's look of disbelief. "Okay, fine, there was a battle. I was allowed to come, she wasn't. Was made a warrior about when you were half a moon old. Aspenpaw looks more like a kit then me, if you were wondering."
"You were made a warrior at eight moons old?" Silverpaw stuttered. Blackfrost nodded cheerfully.
"Yep. You better be on your merry way now, Silverpaw, if you were to catch that much prey within your mentor's proposed time. Do what you do best, and it'll make it a thousand times easier." With that, the slender tom sprang into another tree.
Silverpaw thought quietly as he made his way up to the upper branches of the beech tree. Do what you do best...Does Blackfrost know that I'm half SkyClan? He must, being good at branch-hopping too. Silverpaw sensed squirrel at the top of the tree. He would know even without a nose, as pieces of beech-nut shell were raining down all around him. Silverpaw struggled to keep silent as one landed on his head.
The bushy-tailed little thing was watching him comically from the high branches, as if taunting Silverpaw to go catch it. Will do, Silverpaw thought smugly as he shot up, swatting the squirrel off its post with an outstretched paw. He jumped down after the creature. It lay limp on the grass, neck broken. Silverpaw hastily covered it with musty leaves before tilting his head back to scent more prey.
Silverpaw decided to try something he hadn't ever done before. Peering up the dappled white trunk of a birch tree, he sheathed his claws. Then, pushing hard with his hind paws, Silverpaw ran almost vertically up the tree, feeling a rush of exhilaration as his rough pads caught on the bark and propelled him upward. He pushed off the trunk and reached out for a branch, front paws outstretched. Silverpaw grabbed the limb with his claws and swung himself up.
Panting, adrenaline rushing through his veins, Silverpaw purred in accomplishment. He certainly preferred this way of climbing. It was more dangerous, sure, but also faster. So much so that Silverpaw felt as though he was almost flying.
He ducked under a bundle of leaves and looked around. The quiet sound of chattering was coming from a neighbouring tree. Silverpaw launched himself out of the birch, hung briefly in midair, before scrabbling up the thick branch.
Silverpaw lunged at the squirrel, snapping his jaws down, hard on its tail. The squirrel let out a scream before Silverpaw was able to snap its neck. The squirrel twitched once and fell still. Silverpaw winced, ashamed of his messy kill.
Two down, two to go.
But how in the forest did Hailbreeze expect him to catch a jay?
Silverpaw wrinkled his nose. It was likely that all the prey in this part of territory had been alerted by the squirrel. So Silverpaw padded off in the direction of the SkyClan border.
The undergrowth thinned out until only a few ferns and bushes hid the ground. Trees, however, grew more abundant with each step Silverpaw took.
He sprang up to the lowest branch of an alder, branches thick and low, perfect for climbing. Besides, the flashes of brown, interrupted by green leaves, made Silverpaw sure that there was a wren nest up there.
As quietly as he could, Silverpaw slithered up the tree like a slug. A steady chirping came from a pile of twigs, strewn all over a branch. A wren flapped its wings at some downy hatchlings, unknowing of the danger that lurked beneath it. Silverpaw grinned and leaped, grabbing the small brown bird and tearing out its throat. Unfortunately, the chicks seemed to have their fledgling feathers, chirping as they beat their wings and flew away.
Silverpaw was about to jump out of the tree when he noticed a rustling in the undergrowth. The sun was beginning its steep descent, bathing the clouds with blood red light. He watched silently, belly pressed against the smooth branch, as two figures appeared.
Flamepaw and Stormpaw.
"It's really quite beautiful out tonight," Flamepaw attempted to lean against Stormpaw. The dark grey tom smiled charismatically. Narrowing his eyes, Silverpaw realized that the tip of Stormpaw's tail was thumping impatiently on the ground.
"Sure it is," They stared at the setting sun together without a word.
Flamepaw was uncomfortably shifting her paws, opening her mouth as if to say something, but closing it again.
Silverpaw realized what she was about to do.
Oh no.
Clamping his teeth down on his tongue, Silverpaw willed his sister to keep quiet.
"Stormpaw," Flamepaw began, turning to look at the other apprentice. "I-I been thinking about this for a long time and-I," Stormpaw flicked his tail.
"You what?" Stormpaw's eyes glinted. Flamepaw looked lost before continuing.
"I tried to stop, I really did. But, Stormpaw, I think I-I," Flamepaw's dark green glowed nervously.
"I think I like you," She blurted out at last. Stormpaw didn't look impressed, or even surprised.
"It's a lost cause." Flamepaw sighed dejectedly, closing her eyes.
"It is." Silverpaw fought the urge to yowl out at the dark grey apprentice's snarky tone. Stormpaw shouldn't toy with the emotions of someone that liked him.
Flamepaw widened her eyes.
"That's great and all, Flamepaw, but I don't like you back. Not at all. It's not like you're not pretty or anything, but I simply don't like you that way," Stormpaw meowed bluntly.
"I thought you felt the same," Flamepaw narrowed her eyes. "I like you, Stormpaw. Even if you don't like me back. I'll always like you, no matter what happens." With that, she whipped around and walked away. Silverpaw expected Stormpaw to at least chase after the ginger apprentice. But he only sat there, a vaguely pleased expression on his face.
Silverpaw followed above his sister, watching as hurt slackened Flamepaw's usually peppy step. He was about to jump down, to comfort her, but was beaten by a dark grey blur.
"He shouldn't've treated you this way. You're far too good for him," Blackfrost lashed his feathery tail. Flamepaw looked at him in horror.
"You saw?" Blackfrost nodded slowly. Flamepaw hung her head miserably.
"You're wrong, Blackfrost. I'm not good enough for him. Stormpaw likes your sister," Flamepaw growled bitterly, sinking her claws into the earth. Blackfrost rested his tailtip on Flamepaw's shoulder.
"Hey, don't be a downer. Unfortunately for Stormpaw, Aspenpaw thinks that he's an conceited freak," Blackfrost purred in amusement. Flamepaw pricked her ears.
"Besides, I think that once Stormpaw realizes my sister hates him with every fibre of her being, he'll come crawling back to you. Then, you can turn him down harder than he'd ever be able to comprehend with his tiny excuse for a brain."
"Truly?" Blackfrost nodded vigorously.
"Of course."
Leaving the two to their conversation, Silverpaw headed back to confront Stormpaw. He had it planned out: he would drop down onto Stormpaw's shoulders from above, then pin him down until he begged for mercy. That'll show him.
A bloodcurdling shriek sounded from the place where Silverpaw had left his tormentor by himself.
Without a second's hesitation, Silverpaw sprung onto the next tree, then the next and the next. Until he had reached the small clearing where he had last seen Stormpaw.
That was the moment when Silverpaw's heart skipped a beat.
Stormpaw was desperately trying to hold off a huge russet shape by himself. Blood stained the earth, dyeing brown into the colour of the rising sun.
Red.
Silverpaw yowled loudly and dropped square onto the fox's shoulders, sinking his claws into the beast's orange fur. The fox barked and tried to shake him off. It worked, and Silverpaw was thrown against the trunk of a tree, gasping like a fish out of water as the air was brutally knocked from his lungs.
Chest heaving, Silverpaw threw himself at the fox once more. Stormpaw hissed from underneath its belly.
"It's no use; we have to get help from camp! Go, Silverpaw!" Silverpaw dug his hind claws into the fox's flesh while tearing its large ears to shreds with his forepaws.
"Never! I won't leave you to die!" Silverpaw yowled. Stormpaw was striking the fox's ugly muzzle with alternating paws.
"Why? Why won't you just let me die? It's not like I've ever been any good to you before."
Silverpaw gritted his teeth and sprang down to face the fox. Stark white teeth gleamed from behind peeled black lips, spittle flying at his face as the fox growled.
"You're a clanmate. I won't let someone die just because I dislike them." Stormpaw screeched as the fox bowled him over. He flew into a boulder, and landed in an unmoving heap.
"Stormpaw!" Focusing his attention back onto the fox, Silverpaw slashed at its nose over and over again, flinching as it snapped its jaws down a whisker from his face. He had never fought like this before. Kicking, biting, slashing, and clawing. There was simply no time to execute battle moves.
The fox smelled strange, almost familiar.
Then Silverpaw realized something.
It was the scent of milk.
The fox was a vixen.
"It's a mother, we have to get out of the way so we aren't between her and her kits!" Silverpaw wasn't sure if Stormpaw could even hear him anymore, but it was comforting to have someone to talk to. The fox didn't look like she was in great shape. Stormpaw had already tired her by the time Silverpaw arrived. With a final, hard blow, Silverpaw clawed her eye, feeling satisfaction as she screeched at stumbled back.
As fast as he could, Silverpaw flung Stormpaw's body onto his back and raced back through the forest. It didn't look like the fox was following him, which in itself was a blessing. Another miraculous bit of luck was that Stormpaw still seemed to be alive.
Silverpaw could hear nothing expect the pounding of blood in his ears. He wasn't quite sure if the fluttering beat beside his ear was his own heart, or Stormpaw's.
He finally reached camp, spluttering as he lifted Stormpaw out of the tunnel. His leg was bent at an unnatural angle. Silverpaw almost threw up as he recognized the glint of white that had punctured Stormpaw's skin.
Rainpaw dashed up to him.
"What have you done to my brother!" She accused in outrage.
"Saved him from a fox," Silverpaw retorted, almost purring at Rainpaw's shocked expression. "Pinespring!"
The medicine cat was at his side at an instant, staring down at the gaping wound. "We need cobwebs, rushes, comfrey, and sticks," He sniffed down at Stormpaw's leg. "Do I smell fox?" Silverpaw flicked his ears. "He was bitten many times before I could get to him."
"In that case, we'll need to clean this wound as much as possible. Owlpaw, Meadowpaw, go soak moss in the stream," Pinespring looked over Silverpaw quickly. "Wounded?"
"Just a scratch from a rock, and a couple of claw marks here and there. This isn't all my blood," Silverpaw added, seeing Pinespring take in his blood-soaked fur.
"Clean it up and get Kestrelpaw to patch it up later."
His clanmates were gathering around, eyes widening in horror as they stared down at the apprentice. Redtalon pushed his way through the crowd, furrowing his brow.
"What happened?" Silverpaw forced himself to speak properly and not just gape at his father.
"I heard him being attacked by a fox. We managed to tire it before Stormpaw was knocked out." Redtalon looked at him intensely as Kestrelpaw hurried to Stormpaw with the herbs in his mouth.
"Is it still in our territory?" Silverpaw nodded. "SkyClan border, patch of land from Duskstar's reign."
Sleetstar staggered out of the medicine den. Redtalon glanced at the frail leader before continuing. "Swiftfeather, Fernshadow, Talonpaw, Blackfrost, and Aspenpaw, I want you to drive it off. Preferably not into SkyClan land." Sleetstar nodded approvingly before returning back into the den.
"My son!" Willowfur shrieked, trying to get to Stormpaw, but she was blocked by Cloudflight. Wolfstorm snarled at her, but Silverpaw's mother held strong.
"That's not going to do him any good right now." Ravenstrike shooed her kits back into the nursery.
"Will Stormpaw die, mama?" Swankit's terrified mew was muffled by her mother's hush. Pinespring ordered Splitfoot and Leopardspot to hold onto Stormpaw's shoulders.
"Broken. Going to have to reset it, but it won't be pleasant," A drop of perspiration beaded on Pinespring's nose.
"If my son is burdened in any way, shape or form, from becoming a warrior, medicine cat, I swear I'll-" Wolfstorm's hiss was cut off by Hailbreeze's tail in front of his mouth.
Placing one paw on Stormpaw's leg and the other on his shoulder, Pinespring gritted his teeth and wrenched upward. A guttural screech erupted from Stormpaw's throat, then he relaxed and fell still.
"I need two cats to carefully help me lift him to the medicine den." Rainpaw and Kestrelpaw heaved their unconscious brother onto their backs. "Don't touch his leg. Kestrelpaw, prepare a comfrey poultice and splint his leg with the rushes."
Silverpaw started washing the blood from his fur, but stopped. He imagined how impressed Cinderpaw and Dawnpaw would be.
Smiling, he padded back into his nest and pretended to sleep.
…
"About time you got here! We were thinking that you- holy StarClan, are you alright?" Silverpaw pretended to stumble, collapsing into the dirt.
"A-attack. Ri-iverC-lan," Silverpaw panted, opening one eye to see Dawnpaw's horrified expression. Cinderpaw nudged her with his shoulder, laughing.
"He's kidding, rabbit-brain!" Silverpaw straightened up and tackled the broad shouldered ginger tom.
"At least someone's got a sense of humor," Cinderpaw smiled up at Silverpaw and quickly rolled him off.
"Quit it, you two. We haft'a find something to do," Dawnpaw rolled her eyes.
"How 'bout we play hide and seek? Not it!" Cinderpaw crossed his paws over his nose, copying Dawnpaw. Silverpaw sighed.
"Nah, we'll never be able to find anycat in this darkness!" Silverpaw pointed out. Cinderpaw wore a thoughtful expression on his face, wrinkling his muzzle until his nose disappeared into a pile ginger fur.
"We can always play hunt the rabbit," Cinderpaw suggested. Dawnpaw glared at him. "You'll just win every time!"
"I can run backwards, close my eyes, and carry a stone in my mouth?" Silverpaw smirked.
"Very helpful."
Suddenly, an idea appeared in Silverpaw's mind.
"We could climb up the Great Oaks." Cinderpaw and Dawnpaw turned to him simultaneously.
"No!"
Lol, Stormy had it coming!
QOTD: What'dya think 'bout Blackfrost? LunaSaphira: Does it seem like "her" character so far?