Skie

Part 2: Sunkit

Dawn glowed on the horizon, outlining the mountain range with a pale yellow light. Sunkit, nearly 6 moons old, had been playing since the start of sunrise. Skiepaw watched the pale grey kit, her green eyes gleaming in the early sunlight. "Come on, Skiepaw! A little bit longer?" Meowed Sunkit, looking pleadingly at his adopted mother. "No, Sunkit. I need sleep." Skiepaw's pads felt like she had been walking for hours. Settling into her nest, she drifted gently into a deep sleep. 

"Skiepaw." A deep, booming voice came out of the thick layer of trees. Wait. Trees? Skiepaw's heart pounded as a glowing pale blue figure stepped out. Everstar. Dawnclan's first leader. "Skiepaw." He repeated. "Y-yes, Everstar?" Skiepaw meowed, aware of her fear scent. "Journey to the Farlands. Skiepaw needs to clear the prophecy of The Sun." Everstar mewed, his strong, confident voice echoing around the forest. "I will, Everstar." Skiepaw meowed obediently, before being sucked back into the real world.

A while later...

Prophecy of the sun... Is Sunkit part of the prophecy? Does she have a sort of power? Where is the Farlands? Skiepaw's thoughts swam around like frantic fish being chased. She had tried to shake her mind of the disastrous thoughts that filled her head throughout the day, but it was no use. Every time she pushed it away, Skiepaw would see Sunkit, playing with a moss ball, or talking to the elders, and the flashes of death and bloodshed came back. Shadowpaw had been watching her, his eyes slowly filling with worry. He only said something at the near end of the day, at sun fall, when Skiepaw was eating. "So... You seemed a bit on edge today. Is everything okay, Skiepaw?" Shadowpaw meowed gently. "YES of course I am okay! Why wouldn't I be?!" Snapped Skiepaw, unsheathe good her claws. As she saw Shadowpaw's eyes widen with fear, a sudden warmth came through her and she sat down, her fur bristling at the shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Shadowpaw. I had a dream..." and Skiepaw told him everything about it.

"Let me come!" Pleaded Shadowpaw and Sunkit in unison. "Okay, okay, fine!" Skiepaw meowed, purring at both tom's eagerness to go on a journey that might kill them. Sunkit bounded off excitedly, but Shadowpaw stayed. "Don't you want to go talk to Honeywhisker? She feels bad about the fight." Shadowpaw mewed. Skiepaw instinctively unsheathed her claws and stood up, her fur bristling. "Woah woah woah. Skiepaw, calm down. Just go say sorry! What's the worst that could happen?" Shadowpaw stared at her with a challenging look. Skiepaw scowled and padded over to Honeywhisker, shooting a death glare back at Shadowpaw, who purred amusingly. "I'm sorry." Both Honeywhisker and Skiepaw mewed at the same time. This surprised them, and they stared at each other in shock. Honeywhisker started to purr with laughter, soon Skiepaw joined in. "So, I'm back to training?" Skiepaw meowed hopefully. "Sure, want to go hunting?" Honeywhisker mewed. When Skiepaw looked hesitant, she added, "Bring Shadowpaw. He knows how to break up fights. After all, he spends all his time with the most prickly cat in the clan." "Who?" Skiepaw expected it to be a grumpy elder or a stubborn kit. But what Honeywhisker said surprised her into sanding rigid. "You, of course! It's obvious you two were meant for each other!" Honeywhisker mewed. Skiepaw stared at Shadowpaw in shock, forgetting how to move. Honeywhisker gently shoved Skiepaw towards him, making her stumble and fall onto Shadowpaw.

 "Ahh sorry sorry sorry! Let me help you." Skiepaw spluttered. "Uhm, sure?" Shadowpaw looked confused as she dipped her head to help. "Uh, do you want to go hunting with me? If you don't want to go that's fine but if you do we can go to the Cherry tree and look for squirrels? I mean, if you want to hunt squirrels if you don't that's ok but-" Shadowpaw cut Skiepaw's sentence short with a purred laughter echoing from deep inside him. "Of course! Why wouldn't I?" Shadowpaw was still laughing as they reached the thorn tunnel. Nodding a goodbye to Honeywhisker, who flicked her tail affectionately, Skiepaw and Shadowpaw raced over fallen logs, thistle bushes, rabbit holes, and sneaking around rocks.

After a few hours of hunting, Skiepaw and Shadowpaw sat down on the cliff edge, looking at the swirl of colours that was the mountain range sunset. At least seven pieces of fresh-kill sat in front of them, sending delicious smells up their nostrils. Skiepaw saw out the edge of her eye an uncomfortable sight. A grey-black paw was touching hers. Shadowpaw's paw. But it didn't disturb her.

 If anyone came up over the hill, they would have seen two cats, one big, one small, touching noses in the glowing moonlight.