The Chosen One- Book One (Editing)

Chapter 11- Entering the Forest of Mysteries

Silverfang trudged through the forest, her claws sinking into the mud. They had to walk instead of fly because there was going to be a storm raging above the trees. The layers of trees and leaves would protect them from the storm, so the ground level was safe. Purple and silver birds flitted through the lower branches, chirping and squawking. Icetail took the lead, with Silverfang and Venomwing behind her while Steamblade, Flashscar, and Frozenclaw following them. Scorchtail brought up last. Suddenly, Icetail stopped, put her supplies down, and flew into the treetops, disappearing. She returned shortly after, noting that the sky was getting dark, so the group should stop somewhere for the night. Icetail scanned her surroundings, deciding to camp out on a wide area surrounded by trees. Silverfang offered to gather wood, while Frozenclaw and Flashscar left to hunt for food. Steamblade went to gather soft reeds and other plants to make bedding, while Venomwing and Scorchtail helped Icetail set up camp. Silverfang walked around the forest before finding a fallen tree in a clearing. She gathered some wood before returning to the camp. The group arranged the wood before Scorchtail blew a stream of flame at it. Frozenclaw and Flashscar managed to grab quite a lot of food. There was a flock of birds flying overhead, so they managed to take down three, along with several edible plants and nuts. They also got a tree rat that was lounging around a nearby river. "Good," Icetail said. "If there is a stream, then that means that we can get fresh water from there. Right now, we'll have to use what we have. Icetail skinned the tree rat and one bird. Steamblade took a knife and chopped the meat up into cubes, where Flashscar made bird and rat spits and put them over the fire to roast. Silverfang went to gather water and also heated that over the fire. She threw some plants and nuts in to cook and then helped Venomwing with the bedding.

Silverfang nibbled on a cube of rat. It was tough but juicy. She still liked the food that Steamblade made back at the Academy better. The nuts had a strange taste, but in a good way. Silverfang picked up a cube of bird meat, coaxing Serpentis out from under a patch of leaves and fed him the cube. The serpent also ate some of the leaves before leaping onto her head and going to sleep. Silverfang sighed and helped clean up the place, packing away the leftovers. Silverfang and Steamblade both volunteered to bury the bones, the skin, and the inedible parts of the rat and the birds. She would dig up a hole while Steamblade threw in the stuff. She kicked the dirt over the inedible parts, using a sweep of her tail to knock the last pile of dirt into the hole.

Silverfang curled up on the soft bedding, Serpentis at her side. She sighed, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep. At about midnight, her tail brushed a sharp rock. "Ow!" Silverfang yelped, slapping a claw over her mouth when she realized everyone was asleep. Steamblade stirred for a moment, rolling to his side and falling asleep again. "Phew," Silverfang whispered. She got up and went for a walk.

Silverfang ducked under the branches, looking for the river that Frozenclaw and Flashscar found. Soon, after walking for a bit, she heard rushing water and slipped toward the direction the sound was coming from. The dragon entered a clearing. The trees didn't cover this part of the forest, so Silverfang saw the moon through the branches. She leaned down, sipping the cold water. Refreshed, Silverfang washed dirt off her tail and claws. After washing off, Silverfang leaned against a tree, looking at the sky. She heard a rustle in the bushes and jumped up, alert. It was just a tree rat, racing along the branches and leaping from one tree to the next. Sighing in relief, Silverfang closed her eyes and fell asleep against the tree.

Silverfang jolted awake at dawn, remembering that everyone else was still at camp. She padded back toward camp to find everyone asleep except for Steamblade, who was missing from the campsite. Serpentis was also awake, but soon fell back asleep after checking who it was. Silverfang spotted claw prints in the soft dirt and followed them. The claw prints stopped at a tree, where Silverfang found several marks in the bark. It looked like someone had tried to climb the tree. A rustle came from the branches above, and Silverfang looked up. Steamblade was curled up on a thick tree branch, concealed by leaves. Silverfang called, "Steamblade?" The dragon didn't reply. Must be sleeping, Silverfang thought, flapping her wings. She landed on a branch and clawed at a tree rat. The creature fell to the forest floor, where Silverfang picked it up. Might as well hunt for breakfast while I'm at it, she thought. She flew over the trees, landing at the stream. Dipping a claw into the current, Silverfang caught several fish before bringing everything back to camp and starting up the fire. A cold breeze chilled the air, bringing hordes of leaves along with it. The sky rumbled, a flash of lightning illuminating the trees a distance away. Silverfang followed the dragon tracks, now mingled with her own, to Steamblade's tree. She roused him and told him about the storm. Rubbing his eyes, Steamblade nodded and returned to camp, Silverfang following shortly after.