Silent Echo

Prologue

The moonlight was dim and the clouds covered the sky of silverpelt.Wolves snarled in wind, chasing a spotted
she-cat through the thick, luscious grass.She was out of breath as she paused near a big cave.

Two kits mewed for their mother underneath the bramble.The oldest was carried by the scruff in the mother's mouth, and placed by his littermates.
She licked the kit's ear and whispered a goodbye before running off again.

The howling of the wolves sparked up beyond the trees again as soon as they smelt the she-cat.

The kits laid in the bramble bush in secret, scared and eyes wide, questioning where their mother had went. The small golden tom brushed his muzzle against his older brother.
"Copper....I'm scared."whimpered the youngest.

"Silver, when is mother going to be back?"Copper questioned softly, cocking his head slightly.

"She'll be back soon,"Silver, the eldest of the three, replied. "She'll be back."he added in a whisper, gazing up at the darkening sky through the bramble bush.

Sapphire panted, leading the wolves away from her children. "You...can't have them!"she hissed, paws blurry underneath her.She heaved herself into a tree, leaping from branch to branch.The wolves growled under her, leaping and snapping at her fur.She crashed onto the ground, steadying herself quickly and continuing on.

She clambered over dead trees, trampled over flowers, etc.The moon bore down on her from above, and if felt like everything in the world was out to get her.Owls hooted, sharp gazes locked on her.Sapphire gasped for breath, her breathing coming in raspy.Her throat was sore and her lungs screeched for air.

Her paws burned as she raced over pointy rocks, fur tearing out of her flesh as thorns pricked her pelt.
She squinted her eyes closed, letting out meows of pain.Hot breath on her tail caused her tail fur to bush up.
A rank, stinky smell wafted up her nostrils and she coughed, the rancid smell of wolf nearly making her trip.

They closed in, surrounding her as she grew tired.She fell limp on the ground, rocks cutting her underbelly and face.
She she squeezed her eyes tight as a piercing stabbed into her neck and a warm liquid shot out of her flesh.

"Please- let my kits be okay!"she wailed as everything went dark and silent, and the pain quickly ebbed away into a fuzzy numbness.

+++

Scarletpaw shrank in her pelt, pressing against Koipaw as Fastrunner raced into the middle of camp, panting.

"Ashstar! Ashstar, come quick!"she gasped, eyes wide.Her paws flailed as she collapsed on the ground.
A fluffy gray she-cat hurried out of the leader's den, a confused pale sand-coloured she following quickly after.

"What is it, Fastrunner?"Ashstar demanded, leaning down so her face was level with the other she-cat's.

"I was running from a wolf and I saw three kittens in a bush!"she gasped. "I didn't have time to grab them, because I had to lose the wolf......"Fastrunner sat up, shaking her short fur out.

"Three ki- Fastrunner, show me immediately.Tigerwilllow, come."she nodded to her companion, following Fastrunner out of the cave.

"Woah- it's been a really long time since anything cool happened!"Koipaw meowed, standing up. "Let's follow them, Scarletpaw!"

"What? No! There's wolves out there, and we'll get in trouble!"she yelped, blocking Koipaw's way. "We can't!"

"We can't? Then I will."Koipaw rolled his eyes, pushing past her. "I'll be fine, Scarletpaw.Don't worry."

Scarletpaw groaned in frustration, kneading the ground with unsheathed claws as Koipaw headed for the exit.
Should she go with him? Mabye she could protect him, or at least intimidate a wolf better.

Right as she was about to race after him, an old tom-cat trudged out of the elder den, pausing beside Koipaw.
She strained her ears to hear, but couldn't pick up on much.

"Don't.....foolish......these young.........go back..."the grouchy tom growled, nodding his head to where Scarletpaw stood.

Koipaw's ears drooped and his head dropped to his paws as he slowly returned to Scarletpaw.

"What did-"

Pawsteps sounded and Ashstar, Tigerwillow and Fastrunner returned, three kits in their jaws.They placed them in the middle of Star Rocks.

"What are your names, darlings?"Ashstar purred, gazing at the largest of the three, most likely the eldest.

"I'm Silver, the eldest, that's Copper, and Gold, the youngest."Silver puffed out his chest.

"Have you seen our mamma?"Gold asked quietly, pressing close to Copper and whimpering.

"No, sorry.Is she a Clan cat?"Tigerwillow tilted her mighty head.

"Clan cat?"Silver wrinkled his nose. "That's a strange word!"

"We are EchoClan, young one.This place is Star Rock."Ashstar explained lightly, licking his ear.

"Weird!"all three kits said in unison, then burst out giggling.

"Would you like to stay here? We can send a search party out for your mother tomorrow."Ashstar proposed.

"Yes please."Gold murmured, waddling over and smiling up at Scarletpaw.
"Hey! Can you be my new fwend?"

Scarletpaw didn't know what to say, but she finally blurted a quick, "Sure."

Gold giggled, running back to his littermates. "I already made a new friend!"

Copper frowned. "Why's it matter? Tomorrow we will be heading back to the wild with mama."

"Yeah, don't be silly, Gold.You're acting like we're staying here."he snort-laughed, whole body rocking.

Ashstar and Tigerwillow shared a look, like they knew something.Silver caught it, narrowing his eyes.The silver-pelted tom-cat swivelled his body to stare at Scarletpaw, tilting his head ever-so-slightly, as if asking Scarletpaw, 'What does that mean?'

Scarletpaw swallowed thickly, then shrugged, looking away.Silver's eery gaze stayed on her head for a few more moments, before it left and the three kits headed to the nursery, Fastrunner in the lead.

I hope they aren't staying for good.

A/N: Hey, Ztar101 ! Is this good? I'm not sure what- idk.
:)

But this is what I have from your idea. Tell me if I should fix anything. <3

- Leaf/y 💚