Slowly, very slowly, Birdpaw opened her eyes. Everything was blurry and there were mismatched shapes all over the place. She blinked a few times and the world around her slowly came into focus, making out the shapes of four different cats. One of them, who looked like Petalsplash, was laying down in a nest with cobwebs over the top of her almost healed wound. Over in one corner of the den was Whiskerstar and Flowerstem, their heads bent as they talked. Then Chiveleaf was standing over her, looking down at the apprentice.
"She is awake!" announced the cream medicine cat, causing Flowerstem and Whiskerstar to pause their 'important' conversation and rush over. The grey tabby tom crouched down at the edge of the apprentice's nest and the younger medicine cat did the same, concern alight in their eyes.
"How are you feeling?" asked the brown and white she-cat. Birdpaw swallowed a couple of times before she felt like she could form words.
"Pretty good," she rasped, her throat dry and sore. Chiveleaf padded over to the back of the den and fetched a damp piece of moss for the apprentice to drink from. She nodded her thanks and drank from the moss, relishing the cool water.
"The last thing you said before you fainted," said Whiskerstar, "was apparently 'he is coming.' What happened?" As soon as he said this, all Birdpaw's memories of what happened in the forest came rushing back to her and she repeated everything to the medicine cats and her mentor. By the time she finished her story, Whiskerstar's tabby fur was bristling and Flowerstem had her claws dug into the ground.
"We must prepare for battle," growled the leader, "because there is no way we are giving up our territory willingly." He stood up and was about to walk out of the den when his mate blocked his path, glaring at him. The talked again in hushed voices with Chiveleaf glaring at them suspiciously, but Birdpaw didn't care. Excitement rushed through the apprentice at the thought of her very first battle, but then she sobered, knowing this battle was going to lead to death and more bloodshed then was necessary. She watched Whiskerstar walk out of the den, Flowerstem still not looking happy, but followed him out as he called a Clan meeting. Birdpaw heaved herself to her paws and, with the help from Chiveleaf, she walked out of the den and into the bright clearing just as Whiskerstar yowled.
"Cats of SpringClan, prepare for battle!"
YOU ARE READING
The Rogue Traitor #1 - Beginning of the Curse
FantasyBirdpaw has just become an apprentice when she discovers something that will change her life forever. As she struggles with her big responsibility, Maplestar, her former mentor but now raging murder, is roaming the forest. He targets her and her Cla...
