Sparks of a Fire

Chapter 4

"So, Starlingpaw, tell me! How did your assessment go?" she mewed in a friendly tone.

Starlingpaw replied with a small smile. "It went better then I hoped it would! Thanks a lot for your help, I couldn't have done it without you!"

Shadepaw blushed and lowered her head, but she smiled up at Starlingpaw. "Thanks, Starlingpaw, but it wasn't just me. Darkfeather and Splashpaw also helped you out with your training," she mewed in a teasing tone. Starlingpaw blushed at the mention of Splashpaw. It was a secret that Shadepaw knew about, her sister had had a crush on Splashpaw ever since they had become apprentices, and Shadepaw always tried to help her sister find ways to confess her feelings, but Starlingpaw was just to nervous and shy to say anything to Splashpaw about the matter.

"But seriously, Shade, thanks a lot for all your help! You're the best sister that anyone could ask for," Starlingpaw mewed, giving a grateful look to her sister. She she touched noses with Shadepaw, who gave a soft purr in response.

As Starlingpaw leaned forward to stretch, she caught sight of her mentor approaching the Clan leader, Duskstar. The young apprentice straightened up immediately and leaned toward the two older cats, trying to catch parts of their conversation, even though she was rather sure what they were going to say.

Shadepaw caught notice as well and pricked her ears to listen, but soon enough Darkfeather had walked away from Duskstar and neither of the siblings had managed to hear anything.

Hissing softly, Starlingpaw turned away and settled into a nearby moss nest, then began to groom her paws and forelegs. Shadepaw pushed her face down next to hers and tried to initiate a conversation.

"What do you think she told Duskstar?" she asked, glancing back at the black she-cat leader.

"I don't know, it's probably nothing important," Starlingpaw responded with a tired sigh. After a few moments of awkward silence, the sable she-cat returned to grooming her fur. "I bet Darkfeather's telling her that I might be a warrior soon."

"Then if it isn't very important, why were you trying to hear what they were saying?" Shadepaw inquired with an amused twitch of her whiskers and a tilt of her head. "Just admit it, Star, you were curious about what they were talking about, weren't you?"

The sable she-cat thought about spitting back a snide remark, but she was getting tired of being bitter. "Yeah, you're right," she meowed simply, she then continued to groom her paws as Shadepaw settled down beside her to do the same. "So, how was your training session today, Shadepaw?"

"Well-" she started, but was cut off as a she-cat near the thicket tunnel let out a shocked yowl. The apprentices whipped their heads around to see what was the matter.

The she-cat that had cried out stood surprised at the camp entrance, her long and luscious fur mostly black with white markings on her muzzle, neck, paws, and tail tip. It was the queen Ebonypetal, who was staring at the young cat that had just entered the camp. Moonpaw walked through the tunnel, revealing that her white-and-black fur was full of thorns and twigs. She looked battered and weak as if she had been through an ordeal. Ebonypetal pushed her nose against her grown daughter's flank and pushed her towards the medicine cat's den.

Starlingpaw glanced at her sister. "What do you think could've happened?" she asked her sister. Shadepaw just shrugged in response. "Should we go out there and investigate?"

Shadepaw nodded and the siblings got to their feet, padding across the camp to the large hole in the cliff that partly surrounded the StormClan camp. The medicine cat's den sat inside, with enough space for a couple of thin moss nests and multiple craggy ledges that allowed for storage of herbs.