Warriors: Falling Stars Book 1: Sunlight

Chapter 3

"Now, what does this smell like?"

Spottedpaw leaned over to sniff the piece of russet fur. "Fox!" She snarled.

Her mentor nodded. "It's stale. But good work."

Spottedpaw's wounds had healed in a few days, and she was relieved to get out of the medicine den. She thought she would never get the scent of herbs out of her fur, but it was gone after her mother, Leaftail, had frantically licked it out of her fur. Now, Ivypelt was taking her on border patrol.

"We have to be careful," Ivypelt started. "The fox could be somewhere else in StormClan territory. We have to watch for it."

"I'll tear it apart if it comes near us!" Spottedpaw threatened, her claws unsheathed.

"Easy there, Spottedpaw. Don't want to open your wounds." Ivypelt scoffed as she continued along the borderline. "We're approaching another clan's territory. Do you know which one?"

Spottedpaw parted her jaws to take in the scent. "BlazeClan."

"Right." Ivypelt praised. "They live in this valley." She pointed with her tail to where the trees thinned out and the ground dipped before going back up again to forest. "Well, let's keep moving."

Spottedpaw nodded and followed after her mentor, her tail swinging. They hadn't gone far when Spottedpaw's nose wrinkled. The scent of enemy clans was overpowering here. "Where are we?" She asked Ivypelt.

"It's called Four Corners," Ivypelt replied. "This is where all four clans intersect." She turned to look at Spottedpaw. "Can you recognize each clan, just by scent?"

Spottedpaw sniffed, but then looked guiltily at her mentor. "There's too many for me to process just one," she mewed.

Ivypelt nodded. "Well, I guess that's to be expected. Based on territory then, which clan is which?"

Spottedpaw looked over the border and back into the valley surrounded by forest. "BlazeClan," she said, pointing to the territory they had just passed. Across the rock, facing diagonal from StormClan territory, was a large lake surrounded by forests. "FrostClan," she decided. Then turning to look at the large cliff face that overhung the next territory, she scowled. "RidgeClan." It was more of a growl than an answer.

"Good work," Ivypelt mewed as they continued their trek. Spottedpaw glanced over at the lake in FrostClan one more time, and thought she saw a cat's head appear at the surface, paddling its way over to shore. Spottedpaw purred in amusement before running after her mentor.

As the two cats traveled along the RidgeClan border, Spottedpaw felt her pelt stiffen as dried blood still stained the grass from the previous skirmish. "It won't go away until it rains again," Ivypelt told her apprentice, feeling her unease. "It's just a reminder to RidgeClan to stop threatening our patrols," she added with a hint of pride in her voice.

Spottedpaw's legs were starting to grow tired as they reached the end of their territory. Looking out, Spottedpaw wondered what was beyond the scent line. "Ivypelt?" She mewed, looking out into the distance. Suddenly she spotted a strange structure, almost like a den. "What's that?"

Ivypelt turned and looked out as well. "Looks like Twolegplace," she said simply. "Now, let's go, my belly is rumbling. I could use some food," she grumbled, starting to leave her apprentice behind.

Spottedpaw stared over the border for a few more moments, and then ran after her mentor, not wanting to get left behind.

After the two she-cats had finished their thrush that Ivypelt had picked out, Ivypelt sent Spottedpaw to rest. "Don't want to risk hurting yourself again," she had said when the she-cat complained. Spottedpaw now sat in her nest, watching the camp through the entrance.

Spottedpaw had felt a bit sore, but now she was fine. The she-cat's feet twitched as she watched cats leave the hollow and return with prey or from a patrol. Growing restless, she decided that it wouldn't hurt to go out and catch something. Spottedpaw stood up and stretched, and was about to leave when Mudpaw bounded into the den.

"Spottedpaw! Want to share something to eat?" He mewed, pointing at the fresh-kill pile.

"No thanks," she replied. "Ivypelt and I already ate."

"Oh. Well, c'mon. I want to talk to you."

Spottedpaw followed him outside and sat down by the tom as he picked out a mouse to eat.

"You're lucky you got to stay in Clearmist's den," Mudpaw mewed in between bites. "Firefoot was talking my ear off!" Spottedpaw purred in amusement, remembering how she had listened to her stories as a kit. Kits...

"Shadowfur's kits! They're going to be apprentices soon, aren't they?"

Mudpaw nodded. "Right! Remember when we used to play together?"

Spottedpaw smiled. "Hailkit and Hazelkit. We really should visit them again." Her ears drooped. They had been so caught up in their duties, they never visited their old friends.

Mudpaw swallowed a mouthful. "We could play with them sometime?"

Spottedpaw thought about this. "I don't know if I'd have the time... Ivypelt takes me out training a lot. Besides," She purred as she pointed to Flowerfoot, a white she-cat with light gray markings. Her belly was starting to sag a little. "Flowerfoot will be in the nursery soon enough. They'll have new kits to play with."

Mudpaw gasped, as if he hadn't known. "Wow, Robinstar's kits!" He mewed, a little bit too loudly. Spottedpaw slapped her tail over his mouth. He got the message and she swept her tail away. "Sorry." he whispered.

Spottedpaw rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, no one noticed."

Mudpaw finished off his mouse, stood up and yawned. "I'm exhausted." He sighed, licking his paw and running it over his ears. "I think I'll go to bed early tonight. Bye, Spottedpaw." He mewed as he padded up the slope to the Apprentice Den.

Spottedpaw watched him leave and began to think. I'll go out hunting and catch the kits some prey! She decided. The she-cat padded out of camp and started heading down by the BlazeClan border.

As the sun was setting, Spottedpaw padded through the bushes, sniffing for prey. She froze as the scent of a blackbird filled her nostrils. Peering through the undergrowth, she saw the bird picking at something on the ground. Dropping into a crouch, Spottedpaw crept forward until the bird was only a few pawsteps away. With a leap, Spottedpaw jumped onto the bird. It cawed in terror, its wings flapping as it tried to escape. Spottedpaw growled as a wing flapped up and hit her in the face. She pinned it down and snapped its neck. Spottedpaw picked up the bird, satisfied, and started to head back to camp when she heard a frightened yowl.

Spottedpaw gasped through the bird's feathers as she ran back toward where she had came from, until she was at the BlazeClan border once again.

There, just past the scentline, a small black cat laid beside a root, blood tricking from her paw. It was twisted slightly, and the cat had passed out. Spottedpaw nudged her with a paw. "Hello? Are you okay?" She mewed frantically. The cat smelled like BlazeClan, Spottedpaw realized. Her flank raised in fell slightly, her breaths raspy. Clearmist. I have to get Clearmist. Spottedpaw tightened her jaws around the blackbird and sprinted back to camp as the moon started to rise in the sky.