Silentmelody's Dream

Chapter 19

Silentpaw jerked her eyes open. All she wanted is to escape the horrid dream...

But what about Sunflame? Was he a warrior of DeathClan all along? What happened to him? All Silentpaw remembered was the yowls of pain hurtling away in the distance...

And why did the DeathClan warriors call Silentpaw 'The Silent One'? But even in her dreams she had a voice, they heard her loud and clear. Or so that's what Silentpaw thought.

She wanted to tell Stormwhisker. The medicine cat might have an idea about what happened.

But just as the mute apprentice left her nest, to spend a few heartbeats in the warming sun rays, Wolfheart rushed towards her and growled.
"You should've been wide awake earlier! Because of that, you wont return to camp until you have enough prey to feed the whole Clan!"
Silentpaw flinched at his harsh command. Still wondering what wrong she had done, she ran towards the entrance out of camp, Wolfheart on her heels. "Don't run away when I'm speaking to you, Silentpaw." He hissed, blocking the entrance. His dark grey fur was standing on the end of his skin, long tail lashing from side to side. "And also, after your hunt, gather fresh moss for the warriors den with all the other apprentices. Next you must help Stormwhisker find more herbs for his store. Leaf-fall has come, and we need to prepare for the harsh weather."

So is that why Wolfheart was all of a sudden more strict? It seems as if Wolfheart was planning a busy schedule for his apprentice while she was sleeping in.

The dawn patrol entered in behind Wolfheart, pushing past him. Winterheart, Thunderstrike, Hawkfire and Echopaw. Hawkfire swept her tail over Echopaw's shoulder. Excitedly, the blue-grey apprentice rushed over to Silentpaw. "We saw Mouthclaw!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Wolfheart questioned her. In a blur, he ran to follow Winterheart on her way to Moonstar's den.

"She didn't see us," Echopaw went on. "She was near the ShadowClan border, and we saw a  patrol fighting her. Even Lightningstar was one of them."

Silentpaw stood watching her friend. Lightningstar, the cruel, strict, and proud ShadowClan leader, who almost killed her when she was a kit. The memory struck through her gut like a claw, the remembrance of her Cloudpaw's death. Silentpaw could still feel the thorn-like claw or Tornjaw, the ShadowClan deputy, piercing her chest. The blood-tipped teeth of Bloodfang in the nursery, and the terrifying threat of Lightningstar to Winterheart and Nightfeather. Silentpaw shook her head to clear the thoughts.

"Hawkfire says I need to hunt," Echopaw explained, with a yawn. "Leaf-fall is finally here." Silentpaw nodded, and they both went through the brambles.

"Err, let's not go near the ShadowClan border," Echopaw warned her. "I don't want to see Mouthclaw again. I'm so worried about what will happen."

Silentpaw nodded in agreement, eyes fixed toward the direction of the large snake. She heard a shuffling behind her, and she whipped around without a sound to see a squirrel scavenging for nuts. Silentpaw crouched into hunter's, and stepped towards the squirrel. But she accidentally snapped a twig under her paw, and the squirrel dashed up the tree. Fortunately, Echopaw chased after it up the trunk, and before the prey could safely hide in its nest, the blue-grey apprentice shot a paw at it, and swiftly planted her teeth into its neck. Proudly, Echopaw jumped down the tree. Silentpaw smiled, as her friend said, "I think I do very well with climbing trees!"
Silentpaw agreed, but didn't show anything to express her feelings. She wanted Wolfheart to teach her how to climb trees as swift as Echopaw.
Stubbornly, she pounced up, digging her claws into the bark. With all her strength, she thrust herself up to a branch where she can see through the red and golden leaves. But as soon as she hesitantly lifted one paw, she slid down and fell with a thud to the ground.
"C'mon, Silentpaw! Prey doesn't march into your paws, ready to be killed." Echopaw yelled over her shoulder.
But they do run and hide when they hear their predators! Silentpaw thought harshly.
**********
Silentpaw stumbled and fell on the ground, watching hopelessly as the vole rushed into his little hole.