Warriors; Shadows of the Forest

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

“What did you name them?” Sparrowpaw darted over to Mintfoot after laying his prey on the pile. Emberpaw stiffened against a cold breeze before bringing Mintfoot a mouse that she’d just caught.

“Thanks, Emberpaw,” Mintfoot nodded. “Come and meet your kin.”

Emberpaw nodded and followed Sparrowpaw and Mintfoot inside.

Next to Tigerlily were two kits, grappling blindly in their nest. Tigerlily was keeping them warm while Mintfoot must’ve been stretching her legs.

“The little golden one is Lionkit,” Mintfoot mewed. Emberpaw immediately recognized that Sunfade was the father by the tom’s golden pelt. “And the gray tabby is Floodkit.”

Emberpaw purred as Birdkit shot out of one of the nearby nests. “I can teach them how to play mossball!” She squealed in excitement.

“You have to wait until they grow bigger.” Tigerlily fondly flicked Birdkit’s ear with her tail.

“I won’t even be in the nursery when they grow,” Stonekit boasted from behind them. Featherfall yawned from her nest. “You kits still have another moon or so,” She responded meekly.

Stonekit groaned. Emberpaw located Leafkit, who seemed to be quiet.

“Emberpaw, can we have a ride?” Stonekit meowed.

“You’re a little big for a ride,” Emberpaw laughed. “How about you ride Sparrowpaw?”

Sparrowpaw crouched down, his belly low to the ground. Birdkit leapt onto his back, and Stonekit followed, digging his claws in tightly. Leafkit shrugged sleep off and followed them.

Sparrowpaw stood up and took the kits outside. “Don’t go far!” Featherfall called after him.

Emberpaw turned and followed him outside. The sky was becoming darker, and she was ready for sleep.

“I enjoyed hunting with you today,” Sparrowpaw meowed, padding closer to her. The kits, nearly apprentices, awkwardly clung to his back. “It felt good to get out of camp.”

“I bet so,” She mewed. She watched as Darkstar leapt down into the camp, fur ruffled by wind. He had a lot of prey to deposit on the pile. “I’m glad that we actually found some prey. It’s getting colder by the minute.” She ducked her head and left him to retire to her nest.

                                                                                      ****

Emberpaw landed on a sun-warmed stone in a patch of golden light. She felt exhausted from a trek yesterday that Darkstar had insisted on, and today, she was hunting.

An urgent swoop of exhaustion ran through her, and she sat down for a moment.

The pines faded back, revealing grassy moorland. Cherryheart sat with her head bowed, and Emberpaw blinked, confused. “Cherryheart, where are we?”

The russet color she-cat stood up and lashed her tail. “You’re in WindClan, with me.” She meowed.

“What’s going on?” She asked.

The young warrior sighed. “Tell me what you hear.”

Emberpaw blinked in confusion and her ear swiveled. She thought she heard a cat screech carried on the wind. “I only hear the wind whipping,” She meowed, unsure of what to say.

“There’s something more. Listen harder.”

Emberpaw strained to hear what more Cherryheart spoke of.