Warrior Cats: Shadows into Light (book 1)

Chapter 16

Nightpaw blinked open her eyes and sneezed softly. She decided to groom herself since she hadn't had a good cleaning in what felt like moons. As Nightpaw groomed herself Heatherheart walked into the apprentice's den. "Come on today we are training," Heatherheart meowed and nudged Nightpaw up. "Okay, but I'm starving" she sighed and fully got up to go to the prey pile. She picked up a large rabbit but before she could bite into it Heatherheart put a paw on the rabbit. "Hmm, save bigger pieces for the hungriest bellies. Get a thrush or something," Nightpaw's mentor meowed. Nightpaw rolled her eyes and picked up a small thrush. She finished it quickly and the claws of hunger faded away yet still seemed to be nipping at her. They ran to the river that bordered Snow Clan and Fern Clan and sat down. "Okay, Nightpaw I want you to run past me as fast as you can. Try to trip me," Heatherheart meowed waiting for the blow. Nightpaw ran as fast as her small figure could go, managing to trip her mentor. Nightpaw was quick but Heatherheart rounded on her, pinning Nightpaw to the ground. "That was good but you have to be quicker. Also later today I would like you to hunt for the elders and give them new bedding," Heatherheart meowed still feeling dazed from the blow. Nightpaw sighed and nodded, beginning to try the move again. It was about sun-high by the time they stopped. "That's enough for today, go help the elders," Heatherheart meowed shaking her smoky pelt from dust and leaves. Nightpaw walked through the pine forest, passing wintergreen plants. Nightpaw spotted a plump vole and got into the hunting crouch. Suddenly Duskpaw and Dawnpaw stepped behind her scaring the vole away and making Nightpaw jump. "Hey! You scared my vole away, and scared me half-way to Moon Clan," Nightpaw hissed at the two toms. "Sorry," Duskpaw mewed and Dawnpaw shrugged. "It's fine. What do you want," she sighed. "We were wondering if we could hunt with you," Dawnpaw mewed. "Okay, but I have to get back soon to help the elders," Nightpaw said and her brothers nodded. They hunted till the afternoon almost faded away and slowly fireflies came out to flutter about. "I should go to the elders to feed them. If heatherheart finds out, she'll be furious," Nightpaw meowed and stalked off towards the camp. She brought prey to the elders and exchanged their mossy bedding. She let out a sigh and decided to visit her mother. Iceheart moved to the warriors den quickly so she almost went to the nursery by accident. She shook her head in frustration and walk towards the warriors den. "How's apprenticing Dawnpaw," Nightpaw asked. "It's great, he is a bit stubborn at times," Iceheart meowed looking down at her daughter. "Iceheart...," Nightpaw meowed. "Yes," Iceheart meowed softly. "I know you don't like to think about father but, I think I can talk to him," Nightpaw meowed with a wisp of excitement in her voice, that she could see her father for the first time. "How," she mewed sounded astonished. "I can speak to him at the next gathering and see what he is like," she meowed joyfully. "Okay, but be careful he can be a bit aggressive," Iceheart meowed and licked Nightpaw's shoulder comfortingly.

Art by: Unknown