Warriors: Dark Rising

Chapter One

I leaped over Specklepaw's attempt to trip me. Specklepaw slashed across my side, claws sheathed, and pinned me down. I struggled as he held his obviously heavier body over mine. "Good work Specklepaw." Brighttooth mewed in praise to her apprentice. "Eaglepaw," my mentor said from the rock behind me. Breezestorm wasn't the worst mentor in the world, but she sure seemed not to like me.

The hollow where apprentices trained had always been a fun place to me as a kit, but now that I was actually there, it wasn't as exciting. One large tree stood right beside the hollow. Rocks surrounded the hollow, and a few larger rocks sat near the front for the mentors to perch on, for watching their apprentices. Breezestorm went to finish her words to me. "You need to shape up." she stalked over to me as Specklepaw got off of my body. He smirked at me, knowing Breezestorm would be shaming me.

"You've got to at least win once! You'll be the laughingstock of the clan if you keep this on." As we started to leave the hollow she added out of earshot, "Why did I get the runt for an apprentice?" I thought only I heard it, but Brighttooth seemed to hear, too. She padded up to me. "She doesn't mean it." She mewed, and headed onward to the Sunclan camp.

Back at camp, I saw Hazelpaw bringing a mouse to the elders den, and I followed her with a vole in my jaws. That was the last of the fresh-kill pile. "Hey, Hazelpaw!" I said, muffled from the prey. My mouth drooled at the thought of eating fresh-kill. The dusk patrol would bring back food soon. Hazelpaw acknowledged my hello with her tail, unable to speak from the plump mouse she held. We stepped into the den, and were greeted by Snowwhisker. Creamfur mewed grumpily, "Finally some-cat has brought us somethin'!"

I dropped my vole in front of Creamfur, and Hazelpaw did the same for Snowwhisker. She dipped her head to Hazelpaw. I slipped out of the den, and the dusk hunting patrol was gathered around the fresh-kill pile. I caught onto the conversation. "...it will come back?" Fogpelt said, and I could smell the fear clinging to his pelt. Flashfang answered for Fogpelt. "Maybe. It could still be out there." Cloudrunner spoke next. "C'mon. Badgerstar needs to know about this." I was curious about this. What could've been out there? Moonclan? Lightclan? Darkclan? Badger? "Hey! Eaglepaw." It was my mentor. I pushed the talk to the back of my mind.

"Yes, Breezestorm?" I looked over to her and walked up. "We're going to the training hollow. Come on." She stepped through the opening at the entrance, and acknowledged Streamsong, the cat on guard. "Breezestorm, Eaglepaw, hello. What are you doing out so late?" Breezestorm replied with "Stuff." Streamsong looked offended, but kept her guarding post. When they reached the training hollow i started getting a bad feeling about what we were doing.

"Alright. Wondering why we are here, I suspect?" I nodded. "We'll practice our fighting moves. Copy me." She twisted and ducked. "You're small. You can get under cats and on top. Your only problem of this method is cats are a lot larger then you. They could go on top of you. That's why when you are under them, slide your claws into the belly. They won't get on top of you, then." I ignored the comments of being a runt. I tried the move, and did pretty well. "Good. We can practice some more if you'd like." I needed this taught to me.

Dawn's light filtered through the holly bush of the apprentices den. I had only just gotten back from training all night. All I needed was some fresh-kill and a nap. I just needed to ask Breezestorm first. I stepped sloppily around camp looking for Breezestorm. I spotted her with Cedarfall. Her head turned from her work and her eyes seemed to see into me, as they always did. They were bright and beautiful as always. "Need something, Eaglepaw? I'm very busy with Breezestorm right now." I looked at Breezestorm. "No, Cedarfall. I just need to have a word with her." Cedarfall nodded. "But be quick." Breezestorm had a wound on her shoulder, covered neatly with cobwebs. "Breezestorm, are you alright?" She rolled her eyes. "Oh I'm fine! Now get to the point. What do you need?" I asked her if I could have some rest, and after a long look, she said yes.

Back at the den, I curled up in my nest to sleep. It didn't take long to doze off. I woke in @a grassland, surrounded by lush greenery. Prey-smell spread all around me. This place was perfect to sustain life. If the clan lived here, nothing would stop us from thriving. Just as he started looking around and imagining his clan living in the amazing place, the nearest plant withered to a dark grey. The grass and brambles all lost colors and sank down. All he heard next was a voice, only a bit recognizable. "Beware of the Moon's glow. It has one weakness, for when it goes down the sun rises. The moon is coming." Then everything went back to the comfort of my soft, mossy nest of the apprentice's den.