The way home~ book 1 of The Unclear Path

Chapter 1

                   Chapter one

( I know this chapter sucks, but im trying and I will edit and add more detail in the future. I just feel like I need to publish 2-3 chapters before I can sit back and see if yall like it)

" Dustpaw No!" SwallowPaw woke up with a start. His bedding was scattered, he must have been moving around while sleeping. He looked up from his nest and noticed the familiar ginger/orange pelt of AcornPaw. "Swallow paw?" she asked concern brimming her eyes," Are you ok?" SwallowPaw nodded " It was just a nightmare." He replied, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. " About Dustpaw?" Acornpaw asked, not waiting for an answer, "maybe a hunt will make you forget about dustpaw for a little." Swallow Paw welled up with fury " I don't want to forget about dustpaw!" he spat. Acornpaw looked taken aback " I-I didn't mean-" he cut her off "of course that's what you have to say ' forget about dustpaw' you might want to forget him but I will never let myself forget!" Fury lit Acornpaws eyes " I miss dustpaw too!" she spat " but that doesn't stop me from helping my clan! It's been harder than ever to catch prey, we need all the paws we can get!

" bitterness suddenly filled SwallowPaw " Then I wont take any prey from the fresh-kill pile." he meowed curling back up to sleep, " It's not like I have that much of an appetite anyway." Just as he closed his eyes AcornPaw started to shake him up. He grunted and sat up, "there are cats to feed" she reminded him gently " hunger has already took a affect on us, It will be leaf-fall by time the forest recovers, we'll be weak going into leaf-bear and think SwallowPaw, that will make us weaker to sickness,cats could die of greencough or even white. The other clans will have an advantage because of how weak we will be." SwallowPaw nodded sadly " I know, but I don't think I can go and hunt or do a patrol,all I have on my mind is dustpaw, willowpelt, and even rockstar!" Acornpaw nodded her head in understanding "when RedShine died I felt like that but I found going on patrols and hunting actually helped, It even lessened my grief. And I know one thing for sure, they would want you to stop grieving and live a happy life." SwallowPaw nodded "I guess a hunt won't hurt." he purred in amusement "Imagine the look on Marhfurs face when I drop the biggest squirrel in the forest at her paws." Acornpaw purred " well let's go make that happen."

Swallowpaw glanced around and purred, It felt good to be out in the forest. Despite how much Acornpaw pestered him to hunt with her they eventually split up, ' the clan still needs to be fed, see you at the owl tree at sunhigh!' she had said. Now he was sliding through the forest, relishing every pawstep. TIME SKIP, BROUGHT TO YOU BY SCORAGE BEING NICE =)He stopped and tasted the air 'squirrel' he recognized immediately. Looking around he saw it, possibly the biggest he's ever seen, excitement filled his body from tail to ear-tip. Keeping quiet, he carefully stalked it, suddenly the wind changed and the squirrel started running. 'mouse dung' he thought, then with a jolt he remembered there were no trees in this part of the forest. 

He shot toward the squirrel as quickly as a snake and caught it. He purred in satisfaction, " good catch." Acornpaw meowed, he whipped around " hi Acornpaw!" he called. Glancing up he noticed it was sunhigh. " I'm going to catch a mouse real quick and come back" he meowed to Acornpaw, " take your time." Acornpaw replied "I buried a bird all the way on the other side of our territory." He purred with amusement " sounds like you." Acornpaw gave him a nod with a purr of amusement in exchange before running off. Where should I go? He thought. He ended up going to the land a few fox-lengths away from the thunderpath near treecuter place. There were berry bushes around that area, and sure enough he found a mouse, he jumped on the mouse and nipped its neck. He stood up, eyes shining with pride and smelled the air 'another mouse wouldn't hurt.' but instead of smelling mice he smelled a different, unfamiliar smell, almost like crow-food.

 He stiffened in alarm, "You have crossed the border, Please get out of thunderclan territory or I will have t- SCREECH" It took him a second to understand that dreadful sound came out of him, he felt claws piercing his shoulder knocking him to the ground, he tried to fight but his blows landed on nothing but thin air, suddenly, in what either took as long as a heartbeat or as long as a moon, he was pinned to the ground. He could see his attacker now, a black she-cat with scars piercing her body with one long scar along her body were the fur has never grown back, he felt a shiver go down his spine and opened his mouth to wail for help but the she-cat sliced his throat before he could call " I dont think thats a good idea is it?" she asked with amusement. Am I going to die? He thought, no I can't, my clan needs me! But he was already slipping into unconsciousness, the she-cat slid off him victory shining in her eyes " that's why you don't mess with Slice!" Slice hissed in his ear, and he finally gave way to the pit of darkness

Hope you enjoyed it! hugs, kisses, and well wishes! Emily.