Withered Peace- Book one in the Within The Shadows Series [On Hold]

Chapter two [Smokepaw]

A young apprentice laid sleeping within the apprentice den. It was Sun High, and she was sleeping soundly.

Her gray-black fur rising and falling with each breath she took in her slumber.

Her ginger ears flickering as she slept.

An annoyed she-cat approached her sleeping form. Her face was clearly asking why she even had to wake her up. Sure it was her first day, but this apprentice should be ready by now, right?

The brown-gray warrior growled to herself.

The unaware apprentice felt a sudden jab to her pelt.

It felt awful, like a bunch of stones were showering her body.

The black-gray apprentice let out a screech, springing to her paws, quickly whisking her head around in fright.

Where is it?! Wh-where i-is the m-m-m-monster? She thought in fright.

Her gaze met with the gray-brown warrior's.

She took a deep sigh, trying to calm her nervous body.

Her whiskers continued to twitch never-the-less.

"Lynxdive," she greeted, shaking with fright. "Y-you s-s-spooked m-me." She stuttered.

Her shaking continued.

She wasn't good with other cats.

She was never good with cats.

She will never be good for other cats.

Lynxdive was disappointed at her. Cats were always disappointed in her.

She was surprised they didn't just give her up to the Twolegs.

Lynxdive's whiskers twitched in amusement.

"Oh, Smokepaw. Not everything is out to get you. Now, come on you lazy bag of bones. You'll be fine!" The she-cat dismisses, her gray-brown tail flicking her over her head.

Smokepaw flinched, ducking away from the tail a little too late.

Lynxdive sighed, a disappointed look on her face.

"B-but, t-to-day's m-my first d-day as an apprentice. I-I know I w-will m-m-mess it up somehow!" She wailed.

She didn't want to fight. She didn't like fighting.

Even as a kit she always hated fighting. Play fighting, practice fighting, real fighting. All of it.

She hated every single moment.

She was outcasted because of it. Her own siblings not wanting to play with her because she didn't want to fight.

She couldn't even face the moss ball without running away from it.

Lynxdive just lashed her tail in anger.

"We must get a move on, Smokepaw. With an attitude like that you won't survive tomorrow's battle."

Tomorrow's battle. Right.

SkyClan was to engage in a battle tomorrow with ThunderClan for some reason.

Smokepaw didn't see what was wrong. Why must we fight ThunderClan? I don't want to fight anyone! What did ThunderClan even do? This feels...wrong.

She was just made an apprentice, so she could engage in a battle.

Well, she was six moons old, but she wasn't sure fighting this early as an apprentice was a good thing.