Warrior Cats Fanfiction: Whispers of the Shadows Book 1 Rivers Descending

Chapter Two

Dawnpaw padded behind her mentor as they were led away from the camp and into the heart of RiverClan territory.

"Wow," she said aloud, gazing at the thick undergrowth and trees that blocked their territory from the other clans. "This is incrediable!"

Tanglebrook looked back at Dawnpaw, his whiskers twitching. Dawnpaw looked down. She had never liked the grouchy tom, and even though he was a loyal and strong RiverClan warrior, his demeanor was impersonal and imposing. He was her last pick for mentor. Jealously, Dawnpaw looked back at Iceleap and Silverpaw, who were already chatting about what they were going to learn. At least Silverpaw isn't stuck with this mangy old tom, Dawnpaw thought. Her large orange and black paws threw up mud that quickly clung to her belly fur. Growling softly, Dawnpaw bent her head and tried to lick it off, but the bitterness of the mud and dirt was too much. Tanglebrook stopped wordlessly in front of a calm but quick-flowing river.

"Here is where we do most of our fishing," he said, as Iceleap and Silverpaw stood next to Dawnpaw. "There are two rivers that run through our territory, but this one is wider and closer to the camp."

"What about the lake?" asked Dawnpaw, staring into the river," Do we hunt there?" Tanglebrook opened his mouth to explain, then looked at Iceleap.

"Why don't you explain," he prompted her. Iceleap padded forward to stand next to Tanglebrook.

"Occasionally we hunt in the lake, but it is much harder. Because as we'll be teaching you now, you must sit on a ledge of some sort and catch the fish. In the lake, it is much harder to throw the fish onto land, and if we scare them, they will all scatter to the middle of the lake."

Dawnpaw nodded, and then looked into the river.

She saw a flash of scales, and rushed forward, yowling," Look! A fish! I saw one!" Tanglebrook placed a paw on Dawnpaw's shoulder.

"You won't catch a fish that way!" he growled. "First rule— you must be completely quiet and still. Fish can hear the vibrations that you make."

Dawnpaw bent her head. "Sorry, Tanglebrook."

"Come on, Silverpaw, Dawnpaw," Iceleap said, siting on the river's bank. "Sit here." Silverpaw dashed to the bank and nearly jumped out of her fur when Iceleap hissed," No! Not there! If your shadow falls onto the water, then it will scare the fish." Dawnpaw cautiously approached the water and held herself so her shadow lay to the side, not in front.

"Good, Dawnpaw," said Iceleap," Now what you're going to do is flash a paw out into the water when you see a fish. Use your claws, and try to put it on land, okay?" Dawnpaw pricked her ears and held her paw over the water. She concentrated, looking keenly into the depths of the river. The blue currents drifted by, when a sparkle of silver made Dawnpaw reach into the river. She felt something in her paw, and tugged upwards. Whatever she had hooked on her paw didn't move, and Dawnpaw toppled into the river.

As Dawnpaw sank into the depths, bubbles drifting by her muzzle, she kicked out, trying to reach ground. Thrashing despretly, Dawnpaw whirled in the water. Softwing had never let them swim when they were kits, thinking that her two daughters would drown. Well now I'm going to drown! thought Dawnpaw, still twisting in the water. She felt her lungs growing smaller and smaller. StarClan help me! There was no answer from her warrior ancestors.

Then, a dark shape flashed across her vision and grabbed her scruff. Dawnpaw hoped it was Iceleap or Tanglebrook, and fell limp, knowing that if she tried to struggle it would make it harder for them to swim.

Finally, Tanglebrook reached the shore and carried her like a kit to the waiting Iceleap and Silverpaw.

"Dawnpaw!" Silverpaw said, dashing to her sister. "Are you okay?"

"You two don't know how to swim?" growled Tanglebrook in disbelief. Silverpaw stood up and looked him in the eye.

"Softwing didn't let us. She thought we were going to drown."

"Well," Tanglebrook hissed," A fat lot of good that did. That fish-brained decision made your sister here almost drown." Iceleap stared at the bedraggled apprentice.

"I think that instead of hunting, we need to teach them to swim."

"You think?" coughed Dawnpaw.