The First to Fight the Storm

Chapter 6

Willowpaw was at the halfway point of her apprenticeship. She hadn't been trained much by Petalfire, but instead Duskshadow. And once Rubypaw had finished her apprenticeship, now Rubyclaw, Willowpaw had started training with Blueblaze.

Willowpaw trotted up to Petalfire, who was, once again, sitting with

Slashfur.

"Anyway," Slashfur mewed, showing off again. "I fought the Bright Clan deputy like a fox fighting a mouse. Horseivy couldn't stand it. He was horrible at fighting." As he finished, Petalfire purred annoyingly.

"Petalfire," Willowpaw announced her presence. "We have to practice battle training today." She glared at Petalfire, not blinking. "Unless I have to train with Blueblaze again today."

"Oh fine." Petalfire glared back. "Come on you weasel." Petalfire slunked off to the camp entrance. Willowpaw glanced at Slashfur who was grinning. Willowpaw couldn't understand what they saw in each other.

"No, you're supposed to jump." Petalfire said, while sitting under a tree, flicking her paw at the grass every once and a while.

Willowpaw stared at her mentor. "Um, no, I think I'm supposed to dodge."

"Oh okay then." Petalfire hadn't even looked at her. "Do that."

Willowpaw felt a rising anger in her, but for some reason she tried to ignore it.

She spent the rest of the day training by herself. "Petalfire," Willowpaw whispered to the dozing cat. "We have to go now."

Scorchpaw trotted up to her as she entered the apprentice den. "Wow." She murmured. Silverpaw had taken over the little room that Wolftail had slept in.

"Willowpaw." Scorchpaw sat down next to her. His face had a worried expression. "Is Petalfire treating you alright?" He whispered.

Willowpaw looked at him and managed a fake smile. "Oh yes. She is a wonderful mentor. I am learning so much."

Scorchpaw looked relieved and Willowpaw felt a pang of guilt for lying to her brother.

Willowpaw settled down into her nest and was soon asleep.

The next morning, a yowl shook the clan awake.

Midnightstorm raced out of the nursery, with Carrotkit at her heels. Dreamkit and Sandkit peeked out of the nursery. Midnightstorm raced around camp, looking in between every crack in the rocks, and under every bush. Redstar raced over.

Willowpaw shook Scorchfur awake and both of them watched as Redstar started talking to Midnightstorm.

"What's wrong?" Redstar asked with a look of shock on her face. The clan wasn't used to waking up like this.

"I can't find Mudkit!" Midnightstorm wailed. "He must be under some bush here, let me look!" She tried to get up, but Redstar held her down.

"He must be in the camp somewhere."

Midnightstorm wailed again. "He is blind! He could've wandered off somewhere, or fallen off a cliff, or into a river, or," Midnightstorm continued with the what-ifs.

Bloodnight stalked out of the deputies den with a sly smile that made Willowpaw nervous.

"Maybe," Bloodnight started, unsheathing his claws and watching them shine in the morning light. "Maybe the kit got himself into a little...accident."

Midnightstorm looked at him for a second and then started yowling again. Blackfang was trying to comfort the terrified queen and his confused kits at the same time.

"Where's Mudkit?" Dreamkit asked, sleepily.

"He's on an adventure, sleepy-head. Keep up." Sandkit said, headbutting her sister in the shoulder. "Dad, can we go on an adventure too?" Sandkit asked for the fifth time this morning.

"No Sandkit." Carrotkit replied instead. Mommy is very sad that Mudkit left without saying goodbye." Carrotkit checked his fathers expression before continuing. "But, he will be back soon. Then he'll tell us all about his adventure!"

Dreamkit layed down, and snuggled into her fathers pelt. "Mudkit is the bravest cat in the whole world." she said. "And Eveningsea for going with him."

All the cats stared at Dreamkit.

"What?" Redstar asked.
Blackfang prodded Dreamkit up. She started to talk again.

"I woke up early this morning, because a loud crash woke me up. Eveningsea left the den with Mudkit and some other cat. I was tired, so I went back to bed."

Redstar dashed into the nursery. A moment later, Redstar dashed out of the den.

"She's not in there."

Willowpaw felt her heart stop. Two missing cats.

Willowpaw ran over to them. "Shouldn't we organize patrols?" she said, after no one spoke for a moment.

"Patrols right." Redstar said. "Bloodnight?"

"Hmm, what about Slashfur and Petalfire?" Bloodnight said.

Petalfire and Slashfur? Those were the two cats who could never complete a patrol. Willowpaw tried to keep herself from interrupting.

Redstar looked at him blankly, also confused. "Send Willowpaw too."

The small patrol headed out after eating something from the fresh-kill pile. They walked around the territory, checking under every bush and behind every tree for the kit. They also called out for Eveningsea, but no reply came.

"We can get more area covered if we split up." Petalfire suddenly said. This was probably the best idea her mentor had ever come up with.

"Alright. I'll go that way." She pointed towards the Bright Clan border. Slashfur went to the ForestClan border, and Petalfire went deeper into the MountainClan territory.

Willowpaw started searching again, but it didn't take long for a screech to come from the heart of the territory.

Willowpaw rushed to Petalfire to see that Eveningsea was lying on the ground. The gray she-cat had been suffocated to death.