Skypaw and Greypaw

Chapter 5

Chapter #5

“Skypaw!” Kinkpelt hissed into the apprentice's den. “Get up!” Skypaw raised her head and struggled to make out her mentor through blurry eyes. Once they, cleared she widened them when she could still barely see her. It was still a blizzard, and Kinkpelt was covered by a thick sheet of falling snow. Skypaw stumbled to her paws and padded over.

“Hm? Is it dawn?” Skypaw wondered. It was a darkish grey outside, even though there was snow. It was a dark, cloudy sky.

“Yes, I want you to collect some moss with Blossompaw for the queens and elders. Can you wake Blossompaw up? Training in the clearing is cancelled for the day, since I doubt you could get around in it anyways. After you clean their nests, I'll allow you to play on the pond for a while. I feel bad because you haven't yet!” Kinkpelt meowed.

“Okay, and thank- you,” Skypaw sighed, as she had to go with Blossompaw.

“What is wrong?” Kinkpelt asked, serious.

“Nothing important,” Skypaw muttered, looking at Blossompaw through cold eyes.

“Try to get along, we do not need two apprentices quarrelling,” Kinkpelt told her. “Anyway, I'm going on a patrol-” She was cut off when a yowl sounded out in the camp.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Fallen Oak for a clan meeting!” Kinkpelt shrugged and turned around.

“Wake up, Flamestar has called a clan meeting!” Skypaw shouted at her fellow sleeping cats.

“Why?” Mosspaw groaned. Skypaw knew that the three littermates had stayed up late, gossiping to one another. “Why this early?”

“Get up, you hedge hog! It is starting!” Skypaw meowed again, very loud. Greypaw shifted in his nest, but rose to his paws in a second. He shuffled past, shooting her a warm glance. Reedpaw, for some reason, looked somewhat awake.

“Good morning, Skypaw!” Reedpaw chirped.

“Hi,” she greeted as he passed her. “Mosspaw, Blossompaw! Get up!”

“Fine!” Blossompaw snapped. Skypaw sighed, realizing it was not going to be a pleasant day. “I don't have a clue why I'm listening to you.”

“Just go, Flamestar-” Skypaw told her, but she interrupted.

“I know, you have only repeated it about ten times!” she hissed. Mosspaw followed Blossompaw out, while Skypaw brought up the rear.

“Well, it is deep!” Mosspaw exclaimed from ahead of her, talking about the snow. Skypaw was shocked herself, as the snow had rose a lot overnight. Snow fell from the sky also, with a slim chance that it would stop as the day dragged on. She rushed past the two cats in front of her. She went to sit at the back of the group, alone.

“Quiet down!” Flamestar shouted. Once it was silent, he continued, “I apologize for the early clan meeting, but I needed to discuss something before the patrols were sent out. Yesterday, a hunting patrol was hunting in the abandoned twoleg den, and one of the walls crumbled. I know it is a shock, as it had been a very long while since something like that occurred. For now, no hunting patrols shall be hunting inside the den. You may hunt around it, and I even encourage it since the prey is plentiful there at the moment. I will call another meeting in a while to discuss it again.” The cats who did not know about it seemed shocked and a little frightened, but overall handled the news well. She saw Greypaw look at her for a brief second, but shifted his gaze back to Flamestar after. Flamestar announced loudly, to be heard over the clan's chatter to one another, “Amberdawn will announce the patrol, but I'll lead one myself.”