Warriors: Shadows Of The Night

Chapter 19

Ravenpaw padded into the camp with a mouse dangling in her jaws. After clearing out the elder den, Thornwhisker had taken her out to hunt. She had caught a mouse while Thornwhisker caught a shrew. The two cats hadn't been out very long, but Ravenpaw had enjoyed it a lot. She still wanted to go outside camp a bit more, though.

As she entered camp, she saw that Sandpaw, Blacktail, and Shadepelt had returned. Sandpaw was practicing a battle move by herself beside the apprentice's den. Blacktail, Shadepelt, Iceclaw, and Thistlefang were crouched in some bushes nearby, watching her.

Shallowstar and Silverflight were talking in low voices beside the Leader's Rock, and they both looked up at Ravenpaw as she passed them and headed the the fresh-kill pile. They were giving her that odd look. The same look that Silverflight given her the night before.

Why do they keep looking at me like that? Ravenpaw wondered uneasily. Is there something wrong with me?

She set her mouse down in the pile. At the same time, Thornwhisker set his down as well. When he looked up, his eyes were narrowed at something. Ravenpaw followed his gaze to see that he was looking at Iceclaw.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she saw confusion in his green eyes.

"Where's Graypaw? Iceclaw didn't take him out to hunt or train this morning, and I haven't seen him since this morning." Thornwhisker said, twitching his ears.

"I haven't seen him at all," Ravenpaw meowed, "He wasn't in the den when Sandpaw woke me up this morning."

Ravenpaw was suddenly worried. It was strange for an apprentice to not be with their mentor, or without any warrior for that matter. Usually they weren't by themselves in the forest for too long. But none of the other cats seemed worried.

"Hmm." Thornwhisker flicked his tail thoughtfully. "I'll go talk to Iceclaw." He walked over to where Iceclaw was crouched with Blacktail, Shadepelt, and Thistlefang.

"Iceclaw," Thornwhisker meowed as he approached, "Where's Graypaw?"

Iceclaw looked at Thornwhisker and twitched one of his ears. "Palefoot wanted to see his progress as a warrior, so she took him into the forest to do some hunting and training."

"Oh," Thornwhisker said, instantly relaxing. "Alright, then." He glanced over his shoulder at the camp entrance. "Do you have any clue when they'll return?"
"It shouldn't be very much longer," Iceclaw replied. "They left very early."

"I'm going to rest for a bit," Thornwhisker said, glancing at Ravenpaw.

"Okay," Ravenpaw said cheerfully. She turned to look at the other cats that were sitting with Iceclaw. Blacktail was watching Sandpaw her battle moves. Shadepelt and Thistlefang were both looking at Ravenpaw and her mentor. They all watched as Thornwhisker went to the warrior's den and disappeared through the entrance.

"Hi Ravenpaw," Shadepelt meowed, giving a friendly wave with his tail. "How was hunting?"

"It was great," Ravenpaw replied, happy to talk to her brother finally. "I caught a mouse, and Thornwhisker caught a shrew."

"Great," Shadepelt said, "When I was out hunting with Blacktail and Sandpaw, I caught a wren. It's in the pile right now, actually," he said, motioning with his head to the fresh-kill pile beside Leader's Rock. Ravenpaw could see the wren beneath the mouse she had caught and the shrew her mentor had caught.

"Nice," Ravenpaw commented as she spotted the wren. It was certainly a plump wren, and she doubted any cat could eat it all to themselves. It was sure to feed more than one cat.

"Sandpaw caught a squirrel," Ravenpaw turned to see her mother was now watching them, and that she had been listening to their conversation.

"Yeah, she's going to be a good hunter," Thistlefang meowed, shooting a glance at the pale brown she-cat, who had stopped practicing battle moves and was now starting to groom herself.