Warrior Cats: An Echo in Time.

Chapter 3

"You have to jump higher!" Thrushclaw commanded.

Echopaw sighed. He hadn't been this hard on her sister. She tried again, but only cleared the massive log by a few mouse lengths. Her back leg was aching and she shook her head.

"I need a break, give me a moment."

"We're done for the day, you can have a nice long break after you clean out Icepelt's bedding," Echopaw nodded and limped back to camp. She ducked into the dimly lit den to meet the eyes of Icepelt.

"How's training going?" the young queen asked.

Echopaw didn't reply.

"That badly huh?"

Echopaw just nodded.

"I'll talk to him about it," Icepelt promised her former apprentice.

"Thank you,"

Echopaw gathered up the lasts of the bedding and hauled it outside.
She tossed it beyond the dirt tunnel and as she was clawing up chunks of moss from beside the nursery she heard Frostkit's quiet voice as she asked her mother,"Why does Echopaw walk like that?"
Icepelt shushed the young kit,"Echopaw was very brave and fought off a fox, but she fell down the cliff face and broke her leg. It's nothing to laugh about. She saved my life."

A chorus of awed voices were heard from the wall of brambles.

Echopaw stopped her work to look down at her damaged leg. Her world would never be the same. She wasn't as fast as she used to be and she couldn't jump as high as her sister. She would never become a warrior. Echopaw cast her gaze around the camp from her hidden position. Thrushclaw was talking fondly to Smokebreeze and as she watched Thrushclaw twined his tail with hers. She watched Sparrowpaw jump over his sister with ease, and then leap halfway across the clearing.

Emotions flowed through Echopaw and she abruptly got up and raced through the camp, leaping over the remnants of the fresh kill pile as she did. She strained every muscle in her body to run faster, to leap farther. Finally she came to a stop next to a massive oak. She scaled it quickly before hiding in a dip created by the branches. It was safe enough and no cat would think to look for her in the tree. The dismayed apprentice curled up and wrapped her tail around her leg.

By the time anyone noticed the apprentice was gone it was us high the next day. Thrushclaw was planning on letting his apprentice sleep later into the day, but when he poked his head into the apprentice den she wasn't there. No one had seen her since the night before, assuming she'd just gone to bed. Emberstar sent out a search patrol but they found nothing, the trail had gone cold.

Two days later, Echopaw clambered down from the tree. She hadn't moved very much in the last few days but she felt better. The sun was setting slowly and Echopaw walked back to camp with her tail and head lowered. Just as she was about to enter the Apprentice's den a loud meow of anger stopped her.

"Where do you think you're going?"Echopaw turned to face Thrushclaw.

"I needed some time alone,"she explained.

"You missed two days of training!"he growled.

"Oh I apologize, two days is so much compared to the six moons I missed." Echopaw snapped.

"Watch your mouth," Thrushclaw
hissed.

Echopaw lashed her tail,"No, I'm tired of you. You think I'm not good enough! Because I can't jump high enough, because I can't climb fast enough! Well I'm sorry to disappoint you but I'm crippled! So stop treating me like a useless pile of fox dung! At least I'm trying!" Echopaw turned abruptly while lashing her tail across Thrushclaw's face. She stalked to her nest and curled up, back facing the entrance. Echopaw didn't sleep, she just stared at the den wall until Thrushclaw left. The clan had calmed down and were tucking into their nests when I tail touched her shoulder gently.

"Echopaw?" Icepelt's soothing voice asked.

Echopaw turned her head to stare at the queen.

"I am so sorry. I thought it would work with him as a mentor, I guess not."

Echopaw sat up,"It's not your fault. Watch Thrushclaw and Smokebreeze when you see them next. He's comparing her to me and pointing out all of my faults because I'm not her. But that's okay, I'm different but that doesn't mean I won't try as hard. Go to your kits, I bet their missing your white fur." Icepelt purred at the statement and left her former apprentice to her thoughts.

The next morning most of the clan steered clear of Echopaw, probably because they didn't want the same bitter replies Thrushclaw had received earlier. Echopaw waited for Thrushclaw by the warriors den. She wouldn't apologize, but at least she would be on time. When most of the cats had filed out she stuck her head through the entrance and waited for her eyes to adjust. She saw Thrushclaw and Smokebreeze curled up together with their tails twined together. They looked cute but it was weird that Echopaw's sister was her mentor's mate. Echopaw left and trotted over to the elder's den.

"Come in Echopaw," Gorsefur invited.
Echopaw settled down next to the entrance so her tail could still be seen if anyone needed her,"Tell me a story," she requested.

"How about the tale of Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Dovewing?" Sunheart suggested. Echopaw nodded and rested her head on her paws to listen.

Two stories later Thrushclaw poked her tail,"It's almost sun high, let's go!" he said as if it were her fault.

Echopaw rolled her eyes and  trudged after him. They spent the day hunting and when they returned Echopaw dropped all her prey except the vole and headed to the nursery. She pushed her way through the entrance and almost ran into Lionstripe coming out. She mumbled something inaudible and let him pass. After Icepelt's mate had gone she continued until she was bathed in the dim light. Echopaw set the vole next to Icepelt.

"Why thank you! I was just about to ask Amberkit to go and get me one! Would you like to share?"

Echopaw shook her head apologetically,"I have to go clear about the elders bedding, but I caught that just for you," the apprentice ducked out of the den and bounded over to the elders den. When she was finished she curled up in her nest. Just after she had closed her eyes a searing pain shot up her leg. Her eyes snapped open and she let out a yowl of pain.
Maplepaw raised her head and swung her gaze to Echopaw.
"I'll get Silverpool!" she promised before racing out of the den.
By the time Silverpool shoved her way through the brambles Echopaw was whimpering softly in pain.

"It's you leg?" Silverpool guessed. Echopaw nodded, her teeth clenched.

"What's happening?" Emberstar poked her head through the entrance, then sighed. Emberstar felt bad for the apprentice. She deserved to be a warrior.

"Her leg has been overworked," Silverpool told her leader while massaging the muscles that were tense. Echopaw buried her nose into her paws as Silverpool continued,"Thrushclaw was going so hard on her when she needed to be eased back into it."

Emberstar nodded,"I'll tell him to ease off a bit. We need Echopaw for her warrior assessment."

Echopaw's eyes shone with happiness. The young cat pushed herself up and glared at her bad leg. It needed to be ready for her assessment.

"It's not your fault," Silverpool said gently.

"I know, I just wish Thrushclaw would stop thinking about me as if I'm broken," Echopaw huffed.