Dappled Shadows

Chapter Ten

When Dapplepaw awoke the next morning the camp was buzzing with activity.  She poked her nose outside and was startled by the frigid air.  It seems that leaf-fall  had arrived at last which meant harder hunting and less food for the clan. Dustclaw and Sparrowfoot were carrying bundles of leaves and thorns to Redfrost who was reinforcing the nursery.  Her kits, Pinekit and Skykit, were racing around the camp taking turns pretending to be ShadowClan cats.  "I'll  get you ShadowClan scum!" Skykit yowled jumping on top of her brother. Dapplepaw watched the two kits, reminiscing about her kithood with Shadowpaw and Flowerpaw.  Suddenly Blazeheart's loud meow interrupted her thoughts. 

"Dapplepaw we're going hunting with Shadowpaw and Ravenpaw!" his voice cut through the noise of the camp.  "I'm coming," Dapplepaw replied bounding over to the camp entrance where the cats are waiting. 

Ravenpaw's mentor, Mistywing, led the way through the dense underbrush.  Sunlight flickered through the leaves casting a warm glow across the forest.

Suddenly Dapplepaw heard a rustling coming from a patch of fallen leaves at the base of an oak tree. Crouching low, she crept towards the source of the noise. She leapt and landed right behind a small mouse. With a quick bite Dapplepaw killed it and proudly carried it back to the other cats.

"Great catch Dapplepaw," Blazeheart mewed proudly giving his apprentice a quick lick on the head.

"Let's split up so we don't scare all the prey away," Mistywing suggested looking at Blazeheart. "Great idea," he replied.

Ravenpaw took off toward the river while Dapplepaw headed deeper into the forest.  She caught the scent of a squirrel and followed it to a huge tree near the edge of the territory.  Dapplepaw leapt up and dug her claws into the soft bark of the tree.  She was just about to sink her teeth into the squirrel's soft flesh when she heard a soft meow. Looking around, she saw a muscular gray cat resting in a fork of the tree.

"Hey," the cat mewed calmly continuing to groom his fur. " Remember me?  You're Dapplesomething, right?"

"Umm yeah..." she trailed, confused about who this cat was and how he knew her. Suddenly she remembered from beginning of her apprenticeship when she had run off and met a loner in the woods.

"Yeah I'm Dapplepaw. You're Flint right?" she replied staring up at warm green eyes.  Blood was trickling steadily from a large gash across his flank. "You're bleeding!" Dapplepaw exclaimed.

"I had no clue!  Thanks for informing me Dapple." he said dryly, getting up. His muscles rippled underneath his thick gray pelt as he stretched.

"Come back to my camp with me. The medicine cat will fix you right up." Dapplepaw declared preparing to descend the tree.

"I'm not going to any camp with you," Flint stated settling back down into the crook of the tree.

"You'll bleed to death!  You're coming with me right now." Dapplepaw hissed looking about ready to drag the gray tom down the tree. 

"No I am not." Flint replied with a yawn. "I'm flattered that you care so much about my wellbeing but I'll be fine.  I've had much worse."

"Well I'm leaving. If you change your mind I'll come back tomorrow." Dapplepaw started to climb down the tree when she heard a noise from the base of the tree. "Here comes trouble," Flint's purr came from behind.

"Hey brother how's it going?" Flint meowed looking straight at a dark gray tom. The two cats were almost identical except for the eyes. Flint's eyes were green and warm while his brother's were like ice.

"Give me one good reason not to slaughter you right now."