A New Beginning

Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Silenced Past

         She started off through the woods until she arrived at the tunnels entrances. Dread filled her. 

         "Oh no," Sandstorm mewled, "He went in there." 

         Jumpclaw sighed, "I guess we'll just have to wait for him to come back." Sandpaw plunged into the dark tunnels. "Or not!" Jumpclaw meowed. 

          "Firepaw!" Sandpaw yelled for him as she ran through the tunnels. Jumpclaw tried to keep up with her but was having a hard time in the small tunnels, being so much larger than her. 

          "Sandpaw, slow down!" he meowed. Sandpaw glared at the deputy. "Or not!" Jumpclaw meowed. They continued running. 

         "It's so weird that you're younger than me yet older than me," Jumpclaw said. Sandpaw nodded in agreement. Slightly amused yet still too worried to laugh at the absurdity. 

         "Yes, it is. But we really need to find Firepaw!" She meowed. Jumpclaw stopped and sniffed the air. Firepaw's scent was mixed in with the dingy smell of the tunnels. Thankfully it was still fresh enough to follow. 

          "This way," the deputy said. Sandpaw nodded, 

          "Let's go." They both headed down the tunnel, calling his name as they ran.

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          "Firepaw!" Firepaw could hear their voices heading down the tunnel toward him. He sat beside the moving river. He would have moved but he didn't care. He liked the noise of the River, plus he wouldn't know how to get home if he kept moving. 

         Sandpaw and Jumpclaw appeared in the tunnel. Firepaw was facing away from them, he made no move to meet them. Sandpaw sat down next to him, gazing at the river. Jumpclaw stayed a distance away, leaving the apprentices their space. 

          "Firestar," she meowed, using his former name, "I was still perfectly capable of fighting, you know as well as I that I would have ended up fighting either way. The battle was intense. I never meant to endanger the future of our kits, I'm sorry." Firepaw knew however hard he tried, he couldn't be mad at her. He knew where she was coming from and saw the truth in her words, even if he didn't necessarily like it. Sandpaw continued, 

         "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you either, you just had so much on your plate that I didn't want you worrying about me. I was going to tell you as soon as the battle was over. But then-" Sandpaw didn't need to finish the sentence. Firepaw knew. 

         "I'm not mad," he meowed, "I forgive you." Sandpaw smiled and nudged Firepaw playfully, 

          "Then stop moping and come back to camp." Firepaw chuckled and stood up. 

         They smiled softly at one another. Then, a menacing voice came from a different tunnel. 

         "Oh, how sweet! The kittypet falls in love with the innocent warrior," a deranged chuckle, "tale as old as time." 

          Firepaw whipped around to where the voice came from, staring into the black tunnel. 

         "Come out Tigerstar know you're there!" he called. Tigerstar stepped out of the tunnel. Firestar was shocked at first, not excepting to see Tigerstar in the body on an apprentice. He was a tad less intimidating, although his claws remained abnormally long. 

          "Long time no see," Tigerst- Tigerpaw chuckled. Firepaw narrowed his eyes. 

           "What do you want?" He demanded. Tigerstar smiled.