My Story

[blackfoot]

Here is part of a story that I am writing, an idea for one that I'm throwing around anyways. Critisism is welcome, it helps develope stories and I can take it. =)


The desperate cry of a wounded cat tore through the forest. Growls and hisses broke the silence of the night. A grey tabby tore blindly through the forest with three cats at his heels. The tabby bore a scratch down his face and on his side, fear pounded through his body as strongly as the blood thirst pounded through the bodies of the cats behind him. He felt the hot breath of the other cats behind him.
"You'll never escape, why don't you just give up?" a black tom hissed close behind him. The grey tabby had no breath to answer but he had no intention of giving up. He heard a rustle in the bushes near his side and he glanced over, fearing another cat. As he did his paw caught on a treacherous root and he fell. The cats bore down upon him and he let out one last blood curdling yowl.


A she-cat caught her breath as she heard the yowl. She looked up from her kits and curled her tail around them protectively. Her three kits squirmed at the noise and burrowed deeper into their warm nest. The she-cat pressed herself low against her grass nest as she heard a rustling at the edge of the forest. Two cats emerged, one carrying a grey striped lifeless body in his mouth. The she-cat's eyes widened as she recognized the tom. She stood, quickly spreading some fur over her young before running over to the cats.
"What happened?" she mewed, nudging the tom's body. Other cats were now gathering around to see what was going on.
"We found him in the forest." a carmel colored tom said sadly. "The scent of fox was around him." He looked at the she-cat coldly, as if daring her to say something. He knew that she had seen the claw marks on his side.
The she-cat took a deep breath before shooting off to her kits. She grabbed the one and then slipped into the tall grass nearby. It wasn't long before she came across another nest. She set the kit down and nudged the she-cat that was in it. "Quickpaw!" she whispered urgently.
The orange tabby jumped to her feet. "Where is it?" she meowed, then seeing the kit she looked at the she-cat for an explanation.
"Quickpaw, I need you to... I need you to take my kits. I can't... Featherfoot,"
"Featherfoot?" Quickpaw was worried. "Goldpelt, what about my brother?"
Goldpelt gulped, trying to control herself. "I think his secret has gotten out. He... he's dead." She looked at Quickpaw with moist eyes.
"Dead? Featherfoot? How?" Quickpaw's eyes were full of sorrow.
"The patrol that brought him back said that a fox killed him but..." she hesitated and Quickpaw nodded, urging her on. "Quickpaw, there were claw marks on him, and when I bent down to see if he was really dead I saw black fur in his claws."
Quickpaw stared at Goldpelt for a moment and then at the kit. "You and your kits are in danger then. It won't take long for them to find that you were his mate." She picked the kit up gently and placed him with her own, rubbing her chin on the kit to give him her scent. "Hurry and get the others, but be careful."
Goldpelt slipped back to her nest but was alarmed to find it empty. She looked around and spotted the two toms and at their paws lay her kits' bodies. She was about to dash out and give them a piece of her mind, and a good number of bites, when she felt something nudge her side. She whirled around, ready to fight, but found that it was Quickpaw. Quickpaw gazed out at the toms and then looked at Goldpelt. "You need to run. Now." she stated. "You are in great danger here. The kit that you brought to me will be safe, but I can't hide you." she licked Goldpelt's forehead. Goldpelt glanced back at the toms, every inch of her body wanted to rush out and revenge her kits, but she knew that Quickpaw was right.
"Take care of that kit." she managed to say through her tears. "His name... it's Featherfoot." She she took a deep breath. "Your brother... he knew that his secret had gotten out. He wanted that kit to be named Featherfoot."
Quickpaw nodded. "I'll make sure he gets his name." They looked up as they heard paw-steps approaching. "Run!" Quickpaw hissed in Goldpelt's ear, and she did. Through the grass and into the woods. Over rock and stone she flew, longing to go back but knowing that there was no going back. Quickpaw watched her go and then acted quickly. She rolled in the spot that Goldpelt had been sitting in, covering up her scent, and then she shot off down the path that Goldpelt had taken. She stopped where the tall grass did and then went back, hoping that that would be enough to hide her tracks. She kept her eyes on her paws, thinking about what had happened and her sorrow becoming less and less sorrow and more and more furious anger. She didn't notice the toms coming down the same path and ended up running right into one of them. She hissed and raised her paw to hit the carmel colored tom but stopped at the last minute, hiding her anger carefully. The new Featherfoot's life rested in her paws, anything suspicious and all would be lost.
"Oh I'm so sorry!" she mewed convincingly. "I wasn't watching where I was going and..."
"Alright alright, enough talking." the carmel colored one growled. "Have you seen Goldpelt?" Quickpaw blinked. "Goldpelt? Ah yes, I saw her earlier just before I went to bed, Claytail. Why? Are her kits calling for her?"
Claytail thought for a moment. "Yes, they are."
"Oh, well I can keep an eye on them 'till she gets back if you like." she offered.
"No, they have been taken care of." he stopped, looking keenly at Quickpaw. "What are you doing out here? My nose may be tricking me but I smell her scent on you."
Quickpaw thought fast. "I, um, needed a drink of water. So I went over to the stream. I was just on my way back to my nest."
"Why do you have her scent on you?" he demanded.
'This is not good.' She thought, trying hard to hide her nervousness. She gulped. "I told you I saw her a bit earlier, just before I went to my nest." She said slowly.
Claytail didn't look unconvinced. "Where was she then?"
"In her nest."
"Did she have all of her kits with her?"
'Oh, great. They noticed that a kit was missing.' She shook her head. "I don't know, I didn't look at them."
"Well then, how are your kits doing?" Claytail asked smoothly.
Quickpaw's heart skipped a beat but she revealed nothing in her face. "They're doing fine." she forced up a smile.
Claytail nodded and smiled back at her, but not in a friendly way. "I would like to see them."
Quickpaw paused, she wasn't sure if all of Goldpelt's scent had been covered up with hers. "Uh, sure. But you must be tired, how about stopping by tomorrow?"
Claytail grinned. 'We have her now.' he though evilly. "No, I'm not too tired. We can go tonight."
Quickpaw nodded and headed off towards her nest. She knew that any more protests would give it away.
"So, how many kits did you have?" Claytail asked.
Quickpaw nearly said four, which was how many she had had originally, but being quick she caught it before she had said anything. "Five." she said quietly, hoping that the toms hadn't heard different. When they had gotten to her nest she watched anxiously as Claytail bent forward and sniffed carefully. For a horrible moment, Quickpaw thought that he had scented Goldpelt's sent on the little newcomer. She breathed a sigh of relief when he finally sat up, a little disappointment showing on his face.
"Very nice kits." he said, almost in a hiss. "I'll let you get back to them."
Quickpaw nodded to him as he and the other toms walked out. She settled down next to the kits, thinking about her brother and now Goldpelt who were gone forever. She sighed and was about to drop of to sleep when she heard running paws. She knew where it was coming from without even tasting the wind. They had found Goldpelt's path. She longed to go and help her, but she had told her that she would take care of the new Featherfoot, and she would do it.

In the morning, Quickpaw was awoken by her kits, pushing and shoving their way to the milk. She rolled over a little more and yawned. Looking down at the kits, she gasped when she saw Featherfoot, he looked exactly like his father! Grey tabby, white chest and paws and even the little odd-ball speckle on his right shoulder. She sat for a moment, remembering the things that had passed. She remembered when her brother had been that small. He had always been full of mischief and bossiness, and here was this kit that looked just like him, shoving aside the kits that were bigger than him to get his share of the milk. She washed him carefully and then moved on to the others. After she had finished washing them she covered them carefully with bedding and went to catch some breakfast.
As she slipped through the forest, she sensed the signs of a fight. She sighed as she found some golden fur, she knew it had belonged to Goldpelt. She shook her head and went off in the opposite direction, not wanting to find anymore signs of Goldpelt's suffering. She soon caught a mouse, for she hadn't gotten the name Quickpaw for nothing. As she made her way back to her nest, she stopped by their clan's main clearing. No signs of last night's horrors remained. Curiosity got the better of her and she slipped out into the clearing and padded over to some of the other she-cats.
"Hello!" she mewed.
"Oh, hello Quickpaw!" a white she-cat called back to her. "How are those darling kits of yours?"
"They're doing fine Moonflower. That racket last night kept them awake though. What happened?"
"That one tom, Featherfoot, was killed by a fox. Didn't you know?" said Dawneye, a yellow tabby with barely visible orange stripes and a jagged scar down the front of her face, blinding her in one eye.
Quickpaw feigned surprise. "He did?" she looked down at her paws. "His mate must be sad. Have you seen her?"
Dawneye looked at Quickpaw. "Goldpelt? No. You see, deputy Greybelly found that she was a traitor. She was actually going to help WaterClan take our territory!"
Quickpaw stared at Dawneye. "Do you really believe that?" she hissed.
Dawneye paused and looked uncomfortable. "That's what Greybelly said. If you've got a problem with it you can go take it up with him."
Quickpaw forced herself to stay calm and lowered her head to Dawneye in resignation. "So what has become of her kits?"
Moonflower shuddered and turned away but Dawneye, who was a hardened warrior, stated, "They were murdered. And no, I do not think it was right for them to do that." She licked her whiskers distastefully. "That's rogues work that is. Killing kits." she spat angrily, eyes flashing.
"All of them?" Quickpaw had to know if the other cats knew there was one that had lived.
Dawneye paused again and looked around to see if anyone was listening as Moonflower shook her head silently. Looking directly at Quickpaw she whispered, "No, one lived. But it is not supposed to be spoken of. Moonflower and I are the only ones who know. We heard them talking after they had killed the others. They went to look for the other and for Goldpelt. They found and killed Goldpelt but not the kit."
Quickpaw nodded. "I see." she sat for a moment, and then, "Well, I need to get back to my kits, they'll be wondering where I've gotten to." With that she bounded away while Dawneye and Moonflower continued their gossip. Back in her nest she carefully counted her kits and laid down and closed her eyes. No one knew that Featherfoot was her brother, no one knew that the new Featherfoot was Goldpelt's missing kit. She sighed and stretched a little farther out as the sunlight filtered through the tall grass, telling her that it was nearing sun high. The warm rays were comforting to her and she twitched her tail happily, forgetting her sorrows for a few blissful moments. All too soon she returned to reality and sunk down into sadness again.

[blackfoot]

Here's some more:


By the time two weeks had passed, the tragedy of that night was hardly spoken of and Quickpaw was feeling mush more comfortable with having the new kit around. No fear of being discovered came over her anymore.

Quickpaw stretched and yawned as she heard the morning birds begin to sing. She looked up at the sky and smiled sleepily as saw that it was going to be a beautiful day. The sky was blue with only a few white clouds floating through it. She looked down as one of her kits nudged her. It was Blackberry, a handsome black kit, who's eyes were at that stage when they are turning from their baby blue to their adult color, which for him was brown. "How did you sleep?" she licked him lovingly.
"Good, Featherfoot kept kicking me in his sleep though." Blackberry growled looking down at the other sleeping kits. "I say, where is Featherfoot?"
Quickpaw looked at the kits and then jumped up. "Featherfoot!" she called, looking up and around. "Stay here." she commanded the others before dashing off into the tall grass. 'How could I loose him?' she thought to herself. 'I told Goldenpelt that I would take care of him and now I've lost him.' She jumped over a fallen log and headed in a different direction, following a path of grass that had been crushed by little feet. She kept on, every nerve tense, trying to sense the kit. She heard a crash farther on and she ran for it. She halted and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Featherfoot, staring at her with a mouse in his mouth. "What's wrong?" he asked around the mouse.
"Featherfoot, don't you dare run away from me again, you understand?" Quickpaw growled fiercely.
Featherfoot hung his head but Quickpaw could tell he wasn't really sorry. "Come on, back to the nest.' she headed off and Featherfoot followed at her heels, still holding the mouse. Quickpaw glanced back at the grey tabby behind her, how he brought back memories long forgotten. She looked forward just in time to avoid a thorn bush. As they approached the nest Quickpaw heard the kits growls and hisses as they played.
"They're back!" called an orange tabby who looked just like her mother. "Mama, Blackberry bit me to wake me up!" she hissed looking at her mother appealingly, but seeing the mouse in Featherfoot's mouth she forgot all about the nip that she had received. "Mama, why does Featherfoot have a mouse?"
Quickpaw sighed, "He caught it Flamepelt."
Featherfoot walked forward with his head up. "I'll share it!" he announced as he set it down. The five other kits pushed in and they all finished it up happily.
"Mmm, that was good Featherfoot!" Silverpaw, a light grey she-cat purred as she cleaned herself. Featherfoot grinned at the other kits as he also sat down to wash himself.
"Alright everyone." Quickpaw said. "You all know that today you go and get named in front of the clan and you will all get mentors." The kits looked up in excitement. "We need to head out now so finish your washing Blackberry." she said to a black tom before turning to a light tan kit. "And Brownleaf stop rolling in the dirt before we go and stand in front of the whole clan." She rolled her eyes and licked her paw nervously before standing up and heading towards the camp clearing. "Come on." she called. "And stay together." She headed off at a trot towards the clearing that their camp stood in. She heard all of the kits except for Flamepelt talking excitedly about the naming ceremony. Flamepelt walked quietly and maturely next to her mother, not taking any interest in the antics of the others. As they entered the clearing she saw the other cats grouped together, waiting for her. "Come on, we're late." she whispered to her kits as she quickened her pace. She glanced up at the big stump where the leader announced things from and where her kits would be standing soon. The leader, Ashheart, was already up there, along with two other kits that would be getting their names today. Quickpaw made her way around to the back of the stump where rocks had been piled to make a sort of stairway up to the top of the stump.
Greybelly stood waiting as soon as he spotted Quickpaw he came over quickly. "Kits ready to be named?" he smiled at them amiably. Quickpaw nodded. "Yes."
Greybelly glanced up at Ashtail quickly before looking back a Quickpaw. "Hurry up and give me the names that you wish them to have."
Quickpaw nodded. "This one is Blackberry, and this one is Flamepelt, and this one is Silverpaw. This one is Brownleaf and this one is..." she hesitated, hoping that a dispute wouldn't arise about Featherfoot's name. "This one is Featherfoot."
Greybelly blinked as he looked at Featherfoot, and then again as he heard his name. He said nothing though and simply nodded as he started to lead the kits up to the top of the stump.
Quickpaw smiled and nudged them forward before trotted quickly to the front of the stump to watch. Yes, there they were. Flamepelt looking as serious as ever, and all the others grinning from ear to ear. She smiled back at them, despite her nervousness for Featherfoot. There he stood, quite sure of himself and very excited. His eyes were darting everywhere, plainly enjoying the sights from so high.
Greybelly walked over to Ashtail and quietly gave their names to him, indicating which one was which with his tail. Ashtail started visibly as Greybelly told him the last name and for a moment Quickpaw thought he was going to jump on Featherfoot then and there.
"Would Quickpaw please come around to the back." Greybelly's words made Quickpaw jump. At the back of the stump Ashtail and Greybelly stood, Ashtail looking a little more imposing than usual.
"I noticed that you named one of your kits after Goldpelt's mate." he almost growled. "May I ask why?"
Quickpaw's heart thudded as she answered. "Is there something wrong with that?" she asked humbly, careful not to provoke the already irate leader.
Ashtail hesitated as he groped for the words. "It was thought that he might be a traitor, after all his mate was and so he may have been too. It may be unlucky to have a cat named after a traitor."
Quickpaw sighed. "Why?"
Ashtail's eyes narrowed but he argued no more "Very well. He will be named Featherfoot." He stalked away with Greybelly close behind him.
Quickpaw shuddered slightly before returning to the front and taking her seat. Ashtail stood, head raised high, gazing out over his clan before speaking. "We have gathered here today to officially name Quickpaw and Smokeeyes's kits and to assign them mentors. Would the mentors that I appointed please come and stand in front of the stump."
Seven grown cats made they're way to the front and then stood proudly. It was an honor to be given an apprentice and these cats were clearly pleased with the idea of being appointed ones that day.
Ashtail nodded to himself as the last mentor took his place. "We will start with Smokeeyes's kits." Two small kits stepped forward, one plainly nervous and the other standing as seriously as Flamepelt. "This one," Ashtail swished his tail towards the serious one, a pale tabby. "Is hereby named Sandstripe." He nodded to her and she scooted away from the front of the stump and sat down in the back. "And this one," he waved at the nervous brown tom. "Is Dustclaw." Dustclaw quickly took his place in the back next to his sister. "Now we will proceed to the naming of Quickpaw's kits."
Quickpaw watched carefully as her kits moved to the front and stood, all excited accept for Flamepelt and Blackberry, who had now gotten the jitters. Each was given their names, Featherfoot being last and as his name rang out across the camp the cats fell silent, a few actually let out gasps as the miniature of his father went to the back with the others.
"The mentors may now come up." Ashtail announced. The mentors did go up, muttering to each other along the way. Each mentor was allowed to choose his or her apprentice and all the new apprentices were chosen accept for Featherfoot.
The last mentor, a dark grey tom, growled to Ashtail, "I refuse to have Featherfoot as an apprentice, if no one wishes to trade with me I will wait for another kit to become old enough." The other mentors, though they did not show their hatred as vehemently as the dark tom, did not make any move to leave the apprentice they had chosen already. The dark grey tom nodded to Ashtail and then left the stump, growling to himself as he took his seat among the other cats.
Quickpaw looked sorrowfully at Featherfoot as he looked confusedly at his siblings, the other new apprentices and then at their mentors. Finally he looked to Quickpaw for help, eyes uncertain, waiting for an explanation.
Ashtail gave Featherfoot a contemptuous glare before turning to give the other apprentices and mentors the blessing. Before he could start however, Quickpaw bounded up to the top of the stump, Featherfoot's woebegone face being too much for her. She never liked to be the center of attention but she knew that she had to do something.
"Ashtail." she said, dipping her head respectfully to the leader before continuing. "I claim the right as Featherfoot's mother to be his mentor." She met his fiery gaze evenly as he nodded his consent, though disappointment and resentment flowed from him in waves.
Quickpaw took her place beside Featherfoot and they received their blessing along with the others. As Quickpaw, Featherfoot, and the other apprentices and mentors made their ways down from the stump and split off into pairs Featherfoot looked up at Quickpaw. "What did I do wrong?" he asked worriedly.
Quickpaw looked down at Featherfoot with a sad smile. "Nothing my dear." she licked his forehead lovingly. "They must be jealous of your good looks."
Featherfoot grinned but didn't look convinced. "What are we going to do for the first lesson?" he looked expectantly up at Quickpaw.
"Well, I'll teach you about the forest and the different clans." She sat down and Featherfoot sat in front of her, ears forward in eagerness. "There are four clans of the forest, as there are four seasons. We are GrassClan, as I know you already know. We live in the tall grasses of the plains, though we hunt sometimes in the woods. TreeClan lives in the trees, rarely venturing onto the ground. They have even found ways to gather water from rains in hollows so that they don't have to go to the stream. Sometimes though they have to go to the stream in the Dry. GroundClan lives underground, in tunnels. They come out of their tunnels to hunt and get water though. WaterClan lives under the water, and are therefore despised by all of the other clans."
Featherfoot looked skeptical when he heard that cats could like under water. "That's impossible." he stated. Quickpaw smiled as she heard his retort. "So I said when I first heard of them, but it is true. There is a certain herb that they eat that grows under water that allows them to breath under water."
Featherfoot blinked, accepting the fact and waiting for Quickpaw to go on. "Tell me about the seasons." he appealed.
Quickpaw smiled. She had told him about the seasons many times but he liked to hear about them. "Okay, the four seasons. The first you were born in so you can't remember it. It was Wet. That is the season when the clouds pour water down on us to give life to everything. Without rain we wouldn't live and neither would anything else. The rain of Wet makes all the flowers bloom and the new grass come up. All sorts of baby animals are born then too. The season we are in now, Dry, is when it is hot, during this season the prey is plentiful. The next season that we will experience is Fall that is when all of the leaves on the trees turn pretty colors and fall onto the ground like a carpet. The prey is the most plentiful in Fall and that is when all of the trees get ready to sleep. That brings us to the next season, Cold. This is when the trees and plants sleep so that they can grow big and strong come next Wet. It is the coldest season and some wish that it wouldn't come because the hunting he bad in Cold, but if Cold didn't come then all of the trees and plants and flowers would die because they wouldn't have any rest from making leaves."
Featherfoot was sitting quite still, drinking in Quickpaw's every word with obvious enjoyment.
Quickpaw thought for a moment. "How about I show you around our territory?"
Featherfoot grinned as he heard this. "Yeah! That sounds great!" He got to his paws and quickly followed Quickpaw, who had dashed off towards the woods. As they skirted the tall grasses of the plains Quickpaw called out certain things over her shoulder. "This here is the sleeping grounds, and on the other side of that stump is the hunting grounds. There is a path that is worn between the two so that no cat can accidentally stumble across a cat that is resting in its nest." She smiled and then reflected, "Now that you all are old enough you and your siblings are to make up your own nests."
Featherfoot's eyes widened as he remembered this and he hopped around excitedly. "Great! Can I find a place to make my nest now?!" Quickpaw nodded and they both headed off into the sleeping grounds. There were many little paths worn through the grass between nests, though there was always a veil of grass between the path and the nests. Quickpaw helped Featherfoot pick a good nesting site and then instructed him on how to make it up comfortably.
"Roll around to make the grass lay down in a space big enough for you to curl up, and enough to get your scent on it so no one can steal it. Okay, now we can go get some moss to put in it so that it is soft enough." She flicked her tail, telling him to follow her, and then headed off out of the tall grass and into the woods. She didn't venture far, and were soon on their way back with mouthfuls of moss. As they neared Featherfoot's nest Quickpaw scented a cat nearby. As she pushed her way through the grass into Featherfoot's nest area she found Wetnose, and his apprentice Dustfang.
"This nesting site is taken." she growled threateningly.
Wetnose looked up and blinked at her with his menacing yellow eyes. "Yes, by Dustfang." Dustfang looked nervously between his mentor and Quickpaw and then ventured to meow, "I don't mind finding another, they were here first."
Wetnose looked down at his apprentice then back at Quickpaw and Featherfoot. Featherfoot was plainly irritated that he was about to take his nest and looked quite ready to fight, as did Quickpaw. Quickpaw was known for her fierceness in battle, and Featherfoot looked as if he was taking after her, so Wetnose simply nodded and turned away with Dustfang, who was on the verge of mumbling an apology when his mentor nudged him away. Quickpaw sighed and set the moss down as they left and Featherfoot followed her example. She showed him how to spread it out so that he would be comfortable.
"You'll need more in the winter. Now, we just need to make the path from the main path to your nest visible. Be sure to jump the first few paw lengths away from your nest so the you'll have some privacy"
The two walked to the main path and then back a few times, making the path clear. "Alright, tonight if you have any trouble feel free to call me or come for me, I'm just over there, just a few fox lengths away."
Featherfoot nodded, but didn't seem worried about having trouble. "Can we explore the clan territory now?" he begged.
Quickpaw glanced at the sky and noted that it was getting darker. "No, it's getting late. We'll go catch some prey for dinner and then we'll either go to camp and talk to the other cats or bed down."
Featherfoot's shoulders sagged for a moment but when Quickpaw mentioned hunting he put away his disappointment and followed her into the grassy hunting grounds. She gave Featherfoot some instruction before sending him off to catch his prey and then going a different direction for her own. Training was over for today, after Featherfoot caught his prey he could do as he wished, as long as he was in his nest by dark. She quickly caught a small mole and then went to her nest to have her meal.
Featherfoot was having a great time, he was hunting on his own as a newly named apprentice. He grinned and stalked through the grass, keeping in mind Quickpaw's instructions, keep your tail low and stay low to the ground. He swiveled his ears around as he caught a prey scent and he quickly located it, just a little farther forward and to the right a little. He crawled towards it and then leaped forward, he saw it and then felt it in his mouth as another body hit his side. It was about the same size as him and that was all he knew. He jumped to his paws, having been knocked down, and whirled around to meet his attacker.
"Silverpaw!" he gasped through his mouse. "You scared me half to death!" He growled as he dropped his prey.
"I was jumping for the same mouse you were." Silverpaw grinned. "Great minds think alike." She giggled as she batted his ear.
Featherfoot dodged her paw. "Oh, well you want it? I can catch another." He offered.
Silverpaw laughed. "No thank you, you caught it fair and square. I'll get another don't you worry. Now I'd better be off, I want to catch something before it gets too dark." With that she slipped off into the grass after batting at Featherfoot once more.
Featherfoot smiled before grabbing his mouse and trotting off with it. Silverpaw was his favorite sibling, she wasn't bossy and wasn't serious all the time and was just super. When he came to his nest he jumped in, and then sat down happily. He had caught his own prey and was eating it in his own nest that he had made. As he finished off the last of his mouse he heard a rustling in the nearby grass that was the wall of his nest. He put his head to the side. "Hello?" he called, guessing that it was a hunting cat that had forgotten where the boundaries were. He jumped a little as two heads popped in through his wall, Blackberry and Brownleaf.
"We finally found you!" Brownleaf sighed. "I was starting to think we never would." They both came all of the way in and sat down with grins on their faces. "We've made our nests too!" Blackberry meowed excitedly. "I'll have to show you tomorrow. Brownleaf made his too, its nice looking. Not far from here either. Mine's closer to the hunting grounds and Flamepelt's is near the border close to the woods."
Brownleaf nodded in agreement as Blackberry spoke. "How has your training been going? What all did you do today?"
Featherfoot shrugged. "Quickpaw told me about the four cat tribes and about the seasons and then she showed me the hunting and nesting boundaries and then she helped me make my nest. What about you two?"
"Oh about the same things, 'cept my mentor didn't tell me about the seasons again." Blackberry smiled.
Brownleaf stretched as he meowed, "Same for me too, but I'm getting tired now and it's getting dark so I'm heading back to my nest." Brownleaf gave Featherfoot a parting love lick before turning and leaping away towards his nest.
Featherfoot smiled as he left and then turned back to Blackberry, who was looking very thoughtful. "What's wrong with you?" Featherfoot meowed playfully.
Blackberry shook his head. "I was just wondering why that cat didn't want to be your mentor." He looked curiously at Featherfoot. "No one seemed to pleased when your name was announced, or when they saw you even."
Featherfoot sighed. "I don't know, Quickpaw didn't tell me." He glanced around, trying to find a different subject for conversation as this one was making him uncomfortable. "Have you seen Silverpaw's nest?" he asked curiously. "I saw her today in the hunting grounds but that's it."
Blackberry shook his head. "No, I've only had time to hunt down you, Brownleaf, and Flamepelt." His dark brown eyes lit up as a mischievous grin spread over his face. "Hey, you want to see if we can find her and then scare her?"
Featherfoot grinned back at Blackberry, this sounded fun. Without a word they slipped off into the tall grass, using their whiskers to guide them as the darkness of night began to set in. Finally Featherfoot caught Silverpaw's scent and nudged Blackberry to let him know that he should follow him. Blackberry nodded, understanding Featherfoot without him having to say anything. As they neared her they found it hard to keep down the giggles that were threatening to surface at any moment. They peered through the grass and were able find the clearing that Silverpaw's nest was, but she wasn't there. Blackberry looked at Featherfoot, asking him what to do with his eyes, and Featherfoot simply crouched down, ready to wait for his sister to return from whatever she was doing. Blackberry imitated him and they sat like that for a little while, waiting and waiting, but still there was no Silverpaw. They looked back into her nest area and put their heads to the side curiously.
"Looking for someone?"
They both jumped as they heard a voice from behind them, Featherfoot knew without having to turn around that it was Silverpaw.
Blackberry on the other hand, didn't and wheeled around with his fur on end. "Silverpaw!" He gasped as he recognized her. "What are you doing?"
Silverpaw only smiled as she made her way to her nest and curled up. "I was training." She said simply when she had finally settled into her nest comfortably. Featherfoot put his head to the side again. "So late?"
Silverpaw nodded and rested her head on her paws. "Yes. Now what were you two doing out here anyways?" She still had her little playful smile on her face as she watched them both with her soft gray eyes.
Blackberry sat down and licked his ruffled coat as he replied, "We were going to sneak up on you and scare you." He sighed as he stood up again. "We should be getting to our nests." he stated before giving Silverpaw a love lick and trotting away. Featherfoot walked over to his sister and rubbed his head against her lovingly. "Good night." he mewed before starting away.
"Good night." Silverpaw called back to him, having returned his rub. Featherfoot was glad to get back to his nest and curl up in it to get some much needed rest.