Silentpaw jerked her eyes open. All she wanted is to escape the horrid dream...
But what about Sunflame? Was he a warrior of DeathClan all along? What happened to him? All Silentpaw remembered was the yowls of pain hurtling away in the distance...
And why did the DeathClan warriors call Silentpaw 'The Silent One'? But even in her dreams she had a voice, they heard her loud and clear. Or so that's what Silentpaw thought.
She wanted to tell Stormwhisker. The medicine cat might have an idea about what happened.
But just as the mute apprentice left her nest, to spend a few heartbeats in the warming sun rays, Wolfheart rushed towards her and growled.
"You should've been wide awake earlier! Because of that, you wont return to camp until you have enough prey to feed the whole Clan!"
Silentpaw flinched at his harsh command. Still wondering what wrong she had done, she ran towards the entrance out of camp, Wolfheart on her heels. "Don't run away when I'm speaking to you, Silentpaw." He hissed, blocking the entrance. His dark grey fur was standing on the end of his skin, long tail lashing from side to side. "And also, after your hunt, gather fresh moss for the warriors den with all the other apprentices. Next you must help Stormwhisker find more herbs for his store. Leaf-fall has come, and we need to prepare for the harsh weather."
So is that why Wolfheart was all of a sudden more strict? It seems as if Wolfheart was planning a busy schedule for his apprentice while she was sleeping in.
The dawn patrol entered in behind Wolfheart, pushing past him. Winterheart, Thunderstrike, Hawkfire and Echopaw. Hawkfire swept her tail over Echopaw's shoulder. Excitedly, the blue-grey apprentice rushed over to Silentpaw. "We saw Mouthclaw!" she exclaimed.
"What?" Wolfheart questioned her. In a blur, he ran to follow Winterheart on her way to Moonstar's den.
"She didn't see us," Echopaw went on. "She was near the ShadowClan border, and we saw a patrol fighting her. Even Lightningstar was one of them."
Silentpaw stood watching her friend. Lightningstar, the cruel, strict, and proud ShadowClan leader, who almost killed her when she was a kit. The memory struck through her gut like a claw, the remembrance of her Cloudpaw's death. Silentpaw could still feel the thorn-like claw or Tornjaw, the ShadowClan deputy, piercing her chest. The blood-tipped teeth of Bloodfang in the nursery, and the terrifying threat of Lightningstar to Winterheart and Nightfeather. Silentpaw shook her head to clear the thoughts.
"Hawkfire says I need to hunt," Echopaw explained, with a yawn. "Leaf-fall is finally here." Silentpaw nodded, and they both went through the brambles.
"Err, let's not go near the ShadowClan border," Echopaw warned her. "I don't want to see Mouthclaw again. I'm so worried about what will happen."
Silentpaw nodded in agreement, eyes fixed toward the direction of the large snake. She heard a shuffling behind her, and she whipped around without a sound to see a squirrel scavenging for nuts. Silentpaw crouched into hunter's, and stepped towards the squirrel. But she accidentally snapped a twig under her paw, and the squirrel dashed up the tree. Fortunately, Echopaw chased after it up the trunk, and before the prey could safely hide in its nest, the blue-grey apprentice shot a paw at it, and swiftly planted her teeth into its neck. Proudly, Echopaw jumped down the tree. Silentpaw smiled, as her friend said, "I think I do very well with climbing trees!"
Silentpaw agreed, but didn't show anything to express her feelings. She wanted Wolfheart to teach her how to climb trees as swift as Echopaw.
Stubbornly, she pounced up, digging her claws into the bark. With all her strength, she thrust herself up to a branch where she can see through the red and golden leaves. But as soon as she hesitantly lifted one paw, she slid down and fell with a thud to the ground.
"C'mon, Silentpaw! Prey doesn't march into your paws, ready to be killed." Echopaw yelled over her shoulder.
But they do run and hide when they hear their predators! Silentpaw thought harshly.
**********
Silentpaw stumbled and fell on the ground, watching hopelessly as the vole rushed into his little hole.
Echopaw slowly stepped towards her, jaws filled with prey. "Bad day?" she asked. Silentpaw sighed. She needed to catch something! What will Wolfheart say?
"Hey," Echopaw started, "if you don't catch anything by the time we're done, I'll give you some of the prey that I caught so Wolfheart doesn't rage over you...okay?" It was a kind offer that Silentpaw just had to accept.
The mute apprentice stood up and separated her jaws to taste the fresh scent of squirrel. She flicked her tail, and crept towards her last chance to reward the Clan. Oh, StarClan... she thought, breathing steadily.
The squirrel suddenly rushed out of distance, and, distracted Silentpaw, caught her breath and pelted after it. The squirrel wasn't very smart for prey, for there were many trees, finding an escape route, but the squirrel just scampered straight ahead.
"Silentpaw! Stop!" Echopaw yowled behind her. No! Silentpaw urged herself to go. The squirrel kept running towards fallen boulders that fell during a flood, the time of Bramblestar. Suddenly, large jaws flashed from inside the darkened entrance between rocks, wrapping them around the helpless prey. The creature swallowed it whole. It slithered out from the shadows, slimy scales faintly shimmering in the early sunlight. It's head was diamond shaped, and under it was a small pair of scary, threatening gleam of eyes.
"Silentpaw!" Echopaw stopped at her side. Silentpaw was completely frozen, not knowing what to do. Her paws were tingling under her, claws going in and out. Trying to be brave, the hair on her neck raised, creating a larger structure twice the size of herself. Echopaw soon followed what she did.
But as soon as the creature lashed it's head, and spat dangerous liquid from its mouth, the two apprentices fled back to camp. Silentpaw dared to look over her shoulder. The snake was following them!
"Silentpaw!" A she-cat hissed, and she realized that it was Winterheart. "It's Mouthclaw!" Echopaw explained coming behind her. Without a response, Winterheart whipped around, yowling.
"Moonstar! Mouthclaw was spotted on patrol!" she yelled, just as Moonstar stepped out of her den. Silentpaw could see horror of the violence that reflected across the leader's eyes.
"Thunderheart," she called. "Take Bouncefire, Nightfeather, Mudfur and his apprentice to distract Mouthclaw."
All the cats who were named nodded, following Thunderheart to the camp entrance.
"Metalclaw," Winterheart stepped in, "I want you to lead Wolfheart, Silentpaw, Shadestripe, and your apprentice to attack from behind the distraction. Both of the patrols will fight Mouthclaw. Remember," she added, "fight carefully, and don't waste your energy. Mouthclaw is clever, and she can trick you easily."
Metalclaw snickered, flicking his tail to summon Falconpaw. Wolfheart stepped out of the warriors' den with Shadestripe at the sound of their names. Silentpaw walked towards her mentor.
"The rest of you," Winterheart intended, waving her tail around the camp, "Surround the camp, protect it. Prepare to fight."
**********
"So, to prevent Mouthclaw from escaping, we'll come to her den by the boulders and block it with rocks, dirt, anything. Then from her den, and ambush her and the distraction." Metalclaw instructed.
Silentpaw hardly understood the plan. How are we going to attack? And why did Winterheart sort so many warriors to attack? It's one snake!
"Wolfheart, Shadestripe," Metalclaw said, flicking his tail. "You fought Mouthclaw before, can you tell us some things we need to know?"
Shadestripe hesitated, but Wolfheart spoke right away.
"Mouthclaw lashes right when you attack, so she can have a good aim at you. So what you need to do, is right when you attack, fake it. Once she shoots after you fake it, slam her head to the ground, then let other warriors get her back."
"That's a good way to come at her," Shadestripe cut in. "but you still need defense. So what you do, is, when Mouthclaw sprays poison, you always need to be ready to dodge. A clue is, you can scent the poison. It stings you nose when you sniff. And, Mouthclaw never sprays poison a bunch in one time. She saves all the liquid until she get big amounts. Once you smell the sting, back away immediately." The dark striped warrior instructed.
The patrol finally reached the fallen boulders. A hollow a boulder darkened with no signs of life. Silentpaw went to investigate that there were other holes in between the rocks. Smaller ones. It was like Mouthclaw had a whole Clan of snakes! The mute apprentice heard shuffling sounds and perked up, noticing that Wolfheart was digging up some dirt from the ground.
"Okay," he started, "let's get this den covered."
Silentpaw pushed some mushy dirt, scrunching her nose to the reeking scent. Then, she neatly patted the damp earth down in the entrance of the cave. "Here," Metalclaw said, shoving a large rock to the entrance. "That'll keep her out." Silentpaw looked up from her work, and swept her tail over Wolfheart's shoulder. She motioned her head to follow. Once the apprentice showed her mentor the scenery of more than a dozen holes, Wolfheart sniffed and stood straight up to alert the patrol.
"There are more little holes, possibly to hide some other of Mouthclaw's snakes. Metalclaw, what do you intend for us to do?"
The leader of the patrol hesitated, thinking, claws building up small dirt piles under his paws. "Leave them there." He said. "Little snakes are no threat to ThunderClan."
"But, Metalclaw," Falconpaw replied, who seemed to investigate near Silentpaw and Wolfheart, "The other dens are empty. They must've gone out with Mouthclaw."
Metalcaw sighed and shook his head. "I said, leave them! Let us come, the other patrol might wonder whether we've been working or lazily slumbering."
"Look!" Falconpaw whispered, flicking his tail towards the other distraction patrol. Metalclaw nodded, facing the other warriors. "We attack on 'one'. Don't make a mouse-sound." he commanded.
Silentpaw suddenly spotted a few other creatures that were gathering close to Mouthclaw. The other snakes! But she was too distracted to hear Metalclaw pronounce "One!"