Warriors - The Leopard's Apprentice

-Faded Memories - Fallenbranch-

"Come on slowpoke!" Branchpaw said with a chuckle his tail swishing in the breeze of greenleaf, Foxpaw tried to catch him but once again hit nothing but air. "Haha!" he said with another grin as the she-cat huffed in frustration. "No fair!" she yowled chasing after him, Branchpaw was laughing now as he ran from the orange and white apprentice his fluffy tail trailing after him. "You two are gonna get in trouble by Bearstar!" Timberpaw yowled after the speeding apprentices, Lilypaw and Leopardpaw nodded in agreement. "Slow down!" Lilypaw shrieked but the two apprentices couldn't hear her as they trailed farther and farther into the forest large smiles on their faces, leafs trailing behind them.

"I'm going to go get Foxpaw, anyone wanna come with me?" Leopardpaw asked the two siblings, Lilypaw nodded and was about to trail after her when Timberpaw quickly whispered something to her, she rolled her eyes and frowned "I'll go get some prey for the clan and Timberpaw can help instead." she mumbled. The light brown tom shot his sister a grateful glance before continuing beside Leopardpaw. The two apprentices sniffed the air for Branchpaw and Foxpaw and continued their paces, "where could they be?!" Timberpaw said in frustration, "it's the day after a storm they should know better than to run through the forest like a couple of kits our mentors are gonna be so mad by now." he hissed. Leopardpaw put her tail on his shoulder to comfort him "I'm sure their fine probably just happy to be free after being cooped up with elder duties for half a moon." she said sympathetically "and who's fault was it that they got half a moon of elder duties?!" Timberpaw said irritated.

"Can't catch me, Foxpaw!" Branchpaw said with a grin as he bolted through the forest, "keep talking twiggy!" Foxpaw said through the leaflitter "I'm the best hunter in the forest hunting you should be as easy as hunting a sleeping vole!" she boasted. "Oh, really?" Branchpaw challenged. "Well than I'd like to see you try" he said his tail lashing excitedly. Foxpaw leapt from her position underneath the wet leaflitter startling the brown and black tom. He quickly dodged her and continued to run the breeze in his fur he closed his amber eyes and smelt the air bounding through the forest was his favorite thing in the world.

"Branchpaw!" "Foxpaw!" Branchpaw stopped his ears swiveling this way and that straining to hear the dulled voices, it sounded a lot like Leopardpaw and Timberpaw I bet their mad at us for running away he thought bitterly to himself. Foxpaw skidded to a stop beside him she too strained to her the muffled voices, "if they find us-" she whispered "we'll be confined to camp for a moon! Timberpaw will make sure to tell Sprucethorn." she said in a hushed tone, "how about we hunt a little then so we won't get in trouble?" Branchpaw offered. Foxpaw thought for a moment before responding "sounds good to me! I'll meet you right here." she said flicking her tail in the direction of a large tree. Branchpaw swiftly nodded and went to find prey, he opened his mouth to scent any prey scents, mouse, stale twoleg, robin! He thought. Sure enough he looked upwards and a robin sat directly above him chirping a sweet tune.

Branchpaw swiftly stalked the bird, he sat waiting in a hunting crouch on the sturdiest side of the branch waiting for the right moment to strike. The poor robin sat oblivious to the fact of a hunter nearby, he stepped slightly on the elevated part of the branch testing his weight, this isn't the sturdiest but it can hold me I think he thought with a swift nod to himself before continuing towards his prey. He balanced awkwardly on the branch as he went farther out crack the tom looked in horror as the branch he was on slowly started to break away from the tree. The robin sensing the danger flew off leaving Branchpaw stranded on the tree he knew if he moved the branch might give way and he would fall. The tom gently stepped towards the heaviest side of the branch crack the branch groaned under his weight and he felt trapped his eyes large black pools of fear. He tried once again this time wrapping his beautiful tail around the branch hoping it would steady him cr-crack! Branchpaw felt himself falling.

Down

Down

Down

Branchpaw let out a yowl of horror his elegant and fluffy tail bloodied wrapped around the very branch that sent him falling. Timberpaw and Leopardpaw noticed him first rushing over to the wailing apprentice's side. "My tail!" he wailed "It hurts!". Foxpaw turned a corner and looked in horror at the scene "Branchpaw!" she yelped, "get Pearleaf!" Timberpaw yowled in urgency to the two she-cats. Leopardpaw nodded and ran towards the camp. Foxpaw crept by Branchpaw silent tears falling down her face "i-it's gonna b-be o-okay B-branchpaw d-don't w-worry." she stuttered hoping she was right. Pearleaf, Dovepaw, Leopardpaw, and Moonfang came running towards the tom "what happened?!" Moonfang yowled in urgency staring helplessly at his apprentice. "Out of the way!" Pearleaf commanded "what happened son?" he asked, Branchpaw didn't seem to hear him "my tail!" he wailed. Pearleaf shook his head in sorrow whispered for Leopardpaw to go and get Darkhollow and Suntail. "He'll be fine but I'm afraid his tail needs to be removed-" Pearleaf's blurred form meowed vaguely. Branchpaw's heart broke as he blacked out from the pain tears staining his face and the forest floor, crimson blood in between the leaf litter and the rest of the forest it poured out from his broken tail like a river. "It will never be the same" Foxpaw mumbled in sorrow resting her chin on the forest floor next to Branchpaw.