Skypaw and Greypaw

Chapter 17

Chapter #17

The sun shone dully through wispy, pale grey clouds. She stalked through the forest on light paws. The snow barely made a sound as she stepped. Skypaw's jaws were open for the smallest trace of prey. To her relief, on the way to the abandoned twoleg den, she picked up the scent of shrew. She followed the scent a few fox-lengths until it brought her close to a shrub with crisp and shrivelled, dark leaves. She crouched low, and stared at the shrub for a couple heartbeats. Skypaw knew that the shrew was in it because some of the leaves twitched. Swiftly, she stalked a couple tail-lengths closer until she dove in. She backed out of the shrubbery with the small rodent hanging lifelessly in her jaws. She gave a small mew of triumph, before digging up some snow. The apprentice dropped her freshly caught prey in the hole and covered it back up. She patted down the fluffy snow briefly before starting the journey to the twoleg den again.

Now that Skypaw thought about, the twoleg den was not all that far from Leafclan territory. She could faintly detect the stench of their border. She kept her ears pricked for a trespassing patrol, which would not surprise her. She kept scenting for more prey, and luckily she soon found the mouth-watering scent of mouse. StarClan must have been rooting for her! She heard nor scented her mentor, so Skypaw knew she had not arrived and tracked her yet.

Focusing back on her prey, she hunted it down quickly and soon spotted it. The small creature was scuffling around on the ground, surprisingly far away from anything that may have been its nest. Skypaw could catch it easily. She was already fairly close, so she launched herself into the air. She landed on top of the mouse and killed it with a nip to the back of its neck. She buried that piece of prey to, and set off again. Skypaw was thankful at how much prey she had caught, even though the prey had been scarce in the past while.

Skypaw's mind drifted back to camp briefly. She was wondering what Greystorm was doing. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even scent when a silver bird fluttered down onto the snow a couple tail-lengths away. She snapped back to her mission just as the small bird let out an alarm call and flew up into a nearby tree. Skypaw hissed with frustration at her lack of focus. Skypaw whipped around at a furious snarl behind her.

“What was that? Skypaw, that bird practically flew right into you, but instead you were watching it fly away. You could have caught that easily! Focus!” Shadowstrike stalked out of the undergrowth and stood right in front of the younger cat. Her hackles were raised aggressively, and her eyes were as sharp as ice. Skypaw shuffled her paws, ashamed.

“I know . . . wait! You can visit me when I'm awake?”Skypaw mewed, astonished. She managed to look up at the disappointed cat.

“What do you think? If I can train you in your dreams, I can see you when your awake to. Anyways, I'm in StarClan. Skypaw, this is your warrior assessment. Stop thinking about that pitiful tom and get on with your task,” Shadowstrike exclaimed unhappily. She looked more annoyed than anything.

“Greystorm isn't pitiful!” Skypaw defended her friend. Or does he mean more to me? Skypaw thought inwardly.

“Stop defending him! He follows you around like a lost kit!” Shadowstrike retorted with her tail-tip twitching. She rolled her eyes in disgust for the tom.

“You're the one who told me to give him a chance!”Skypaw meowed, desperate. “And he's amazing! You don't know him like I do!”

“I wouldn't have said that if I knew it was going to distract you! Stop thinking about him- no, wait. I'll fix it, since you won't! Just keep hunting and I'll see you later,” Shadowstrike grumbled. Skypaw was completely confused at what the black and white she-cat said. Skypaw watched in bewilderment as her side-mentor stalked away through the trees. Skypaw shrugged with helplessness, but fury to. How dare she insult Greystorm?