The Quest

Chapter 1

"Are you coming?" Wildfur turned to glance at Sunpaw who was poking at a beetle. "Alright alright let's go!" Sunpaw left the beetle on a twig and leapt after Wildfur, passing him and running ahead. "Do you even know where we're going?" Wildfur called after Sunpaw disbelievingly. "Of course I do," Sunpaw retorted. "You've only said a million times! We're going to train with Stormfrost and Skypaw at the training hollow! So you'd better hurry up! See? You've reminded me only," Sunpaw stopped and tilted her head, as if she was thinking. "A million times!" Wildfur rolled his eyes at the eager apprentice and followed, his spotted pelt rippled in the sun.  Sunpaw leapt from boulder to boulder over the sea o fora ken across the forest floor, Wildfur just a few tail lengths behind her. 

Soon, the training hollow came into view,  the sun shone brightly down on the large mossy clearing.  Sunpaw jumped down to the clearing and stretched. "When will Skypaw get here? I want to practice some battle moves." Wildfur sat to the side, and ran a paw over his ear.  "How about I teach ya a thing or two? After all, that what mentors are for, and I'm your mentor." His ear twitched with amusement as her shocked face stared back at him.  "But- you've only been my mentor for a few days! I'm not ready to fight you!" "Well, how do we know? I've only seen you fight once -" he stopped mid sentence and charged Sunpaw. She reared back in surprise and then met him head on.  The cats were unfairly matched, a large, muscled warrior against a young apprentice, but Sunpaw held her own.  Wildfur swiped at her exposed belly while Sunpaw dove under his belly, twisting and raking his soft belly fur with sheathed claws.  He started, and jumped.  Suddenly, his body fell on top of Sunpaw, who was crushed underneath him right away. "HEY!" Sunpaw struggled to get out from underneath the bulky deputy. "That's not fair! What am I supposed to do to defend that?" With a mighty heave, Sunpaw plunked on the ground beside Wildfur, panting. Wildfur grinned at her, a leaf sat on his head that had been overturned from his great plop.

Suddenly a rustle of leaves and pawsteps echoed at the top of the hollow. Glancing up, Wildfur and Sunpaw saw two cats, a large, broad-shouldered light gray tabby tom and a young brown tabby looked down at them. "Oi! Stormfrost!" Called Wildfur.  Grinning, Stormfrost called back, "Oi furball!" The apprentices rolled their eyes as the good friends thumped shoulders.  "Ok, let's get to work," Wildfur declared.  "We're battle training today, obviously, and since Sunpaw hasn't been trained officially yet, we'll start with the basics." Skypaw groaned. "Oh come on! Why do I have to train with the stupid little kits?" Sunpaw bristled in indignation. Stormfrost looked disapproving. "We do not talk about our Clanmates that way! Apologize, now." Skypaw lowered his head, but not before glaring at Sunpaw. "Sorreee" he muttered.  Sunpaw glowered, but then brightened. "What are we going to work on?" Stormfrost purred with amusement.  "Well," he said, looking at Wildfur, "I think we'll work on the attack crouch. Watch." Stormfrost, crouched, tucking his long legs underneath, and balanced lightly. He stood, and looked at the apprentices. "Let's see what you can do."

"I'll go first." Skypaw stepped forward and crouched, not too different from Stormfrost. "Not bad, but it had hoped you could do better, being a seasoned apprentice." Skypaw scowled and tried again, this time tucking his paws in more. "Balance!" Instructed Wildfur. "You're heavy on your paws, I hope you don't expect to attack like that!"  Skypaw stared at him, embarrassed. "Can I try?" Sunpaw piped up.  "Go ahead." Chuckled Wildfur. Skypaw grudgingly stepped aside and Sunpaw took the stage. Taking a breath, she crouched, lightly on her paws and tucked them underneath. "Excellent!" Exclaimed Stormfrost. Wildfur looked on in satisfaction while Skypaw snarled under his breath.  Grinning, Sunpaw looked at her mentor and meowed, "Is that it?" Stormfrost shook his head, purring. "Oh no, we're going to work you much, much harder." He chuckled in a mockingly evil way. "Muahaha, yes, yes.." Wildfur chimed in, grinning. "Wha-?!" Sunpaw gaped at the two senior warriors in surprise. Skypaw smirked at Sunpaw's vulnerability. "What?" Demanded Sunpaw angrily. Stormfrost and Wildfur purred loudly, chuckling and laughing. "We were joking," meowed Wildfur merrily. "Now, let's get to work."

The mentors and apprentices trained from sunhigh to sunset, and warm and exhausted, the worn cats trudged back to camp.  Wildfur and Stormfrost joined Foxstar and the rest of the senior warriors to eat under the Highfall.  "Can we eat?" Asked Skypaw. "Yeah, I'm starving!" Added Sunpaw. "Go ahead." Wildfur nodded, and knelt beside Foxstar, biting into a vole. Sunpaw licked her lips and bounded to the fresh-kill pile, stooping to pluck a small, juicy mouse. Grabbing a second mouse for her friend Silverpaw, she padded over to Silverpaw. "Hi Silverpaw! StarClan knows, I've had a busy day!" She settled down by Silverpaw, who responded, "Me too.  I went hunting and cleaned the nursery.  Thanks for the vole, by the way." She smiled and swallowed the vole.

The next morning, farther away across the river, splashes and yowls echoed through the wood. Though most of the Clan was still asleep, Foxstar lifted his head to the sky, listening. Still more splashes and yowls. Foxstar stood, and stepped out from his den and silently crept out of camp. He picked his way through the ferns and along the edge of StreamClan territory. Soon, he was hidden on the edge of the river, his dark fur blended in with the morning sky and trees. He saw a small kit trembling on the fallen log, which sprawled right over the river. There were cats, full grown cats, standing on the side, jeering and yowling at the kit who crouched, trying to edge along the log to get to the other side. The cats, were sensible enough to not cross the log, but one of them, large and muscled, reared and slammed his paws on the log. The kit screamed, and she slipped and fell in the water. Foxstar flinched as the tiny kit was tossed between the waters. The cats howled and purred with laughter, then turned and melted into the shadows. StreamClan? Would they really do that? Foxstar thought. Rogues for sure. We must heighten patrols. But now, that kit! Foxstar slunk along the bank, scanning the river as he went, following the kit. She popped under and out, flailing and thrashing, when suddenly, she visibly weakened, and sunk under the waves. No! Foxstar stared disbelievingly at the kit who was limply stranded on the other side. Rustling, and then a few shaped emerged from the undergrowth and huddled around the kit.  Foxstar exhaled with relief, and quietly returned to camp, hoping his scent would be stifled by the thick forest air.