Slaight 3: Echo's Call

Chapter 4

Echo's pov

I woke up to Shrewblaze nudging me, her green eyes were all i could make out in the dark, i stood up and followed my mentor the best i could without tripping any of the ten apprentices besides me. I sighed when seeing it was still dark and faced Shrewblaze will annoyance. "Why are we out before the sun!" i hissed. "We need to get an early start on training, your father gets up at this time, did you know that?"i shook my head, following her gaze to the grey and black warrior who sat on a rock, watching out for intruders. I sighed and followed her to the camp entrance were a patrol waited, Tigerleap, Spottedfern, Slaightstar, Acornsky and Snakepaw were in it, we began to head out. Snakepaw walked beside me his paws so light on the floor i didn't notice he was beside me until he spoke. "Hey Echopaw!" i jumped at his loud voice. "What was that for!" i hissed, ears folded back and eyes narrowed when Tigerleap gave us a glare. "Sorry" Snakepaw meowed, his ears folded back in sadness causing me to roll my eyes. We all continued to walk in silence, nothing sounded but our paws, mostly mine, Shrewblaze flicker her tail to a thrush eating a nut. "Catch it" she meowed, sitting to watch me. I sighed and crouched low, laid swishing behind me slowly and claws out, ready to catch the bird, i got lower to the floor, my fur brushing against it as i stalked forward. I walked in a straight line, paw after paw, going in front of each other until i was a few paw-lengths away. Paws side by side, i pounced high into the air, catching the bird (that was flying away) in my jaws, biting down to kill it. I turned to see Shrewblaze and Acornsky look at me with disbelief, Slaightstar walked over with confusion in her eyes. "How did you do that? That's the Smokeclan hunting form" she meowed. "Does it matter? I caught the bird" i meowed dryly, dropping the thrush at Shrewblaze's paws, she looked at it before shrugging. "Lets continue walking" she meowed standing up to continue walking. "So you don't care that a five moon kit caught a thrush, using Smokeclan moves, when you caught your first prey at seven moons?" Spottedfern meowed with a smirk. "Shut up!" Shrewblaze flicked my head with her tail as a sign for me to follow. She lead me to the border, we stood on a cliff like edge, a meadow under us, the others followed and Tigerleap spoke. "Arrowclan is still weak from the sickness. Maybe the apprentices can come with us to check on them" Slaightstar nodded and jumped off the cliff-edge into the meadow. "Don't worry, its not that far of a jump actually" Snakepaw meowed, jumping down with the rest of the group. I sighed and jumped, surprised when my paws touched the ground in less then a few tail lengths, we began to walk, the grass getting longer and soon above out heads, way above our heads. I felt like an ant as we got farther into the tall grass, i could barley see anything anymore, but soon the thick grass became a tunnel form, leading to a hole in the floor. I went into the hole and walked forward, feeling Spottedfern in front of me and Shrewblaze behind me, the tunnel soon went up and we were in a den, nothing but the hole was inside. We walked out and there is was, Arrowclan camp. I didn't recognize anyone but Leopardfang and Timberfang from Clovermist's stories, i spotted a black she-cat and a white and brown tom playing. From across the camp i spotted a cream she-cat with yellow eyes talking to two apprentices, one was a cream tom with blue eyes and the other was a black she-cat with green eyes. I followed Snakepaw over to them, they turned and smiled at Snakepaw. "Hey Snakepaw" the younger she-cat meowed, it was raspy and weak. "Hey Crowpaw, Berrypaw, this is Echopaw" i flicked my tail as a high. "Nice to meet you Echopaw, i'm Arrowstar" i turned to see a big, weird, brown like colored tom, his fur reminding me  of an oak tree, his blue eyes were dark with mystery. "He's our father!" the older apprentice meowed, his cream fur matching the warrior who him and his sister were walking too, i guessing their mother. "I'm Fawnpatch" she she-cat meowed, her voice matching her daughters. "Our camp was attacked by a bad sickness. Your clan has been helping us" Arrowstar meowed. "It already took four of Arrowstar's lives from what i heard" Snakepaw whispered to me.

Slaight's pov

I watched the clan from Arrowstar's den entrance, they looked frail and starved, the fresh-kill pile was almost empty besides a few scrawny rabbits. i noticed Larkkit and Needlekit whining to Finchstone about being hungry, Oakpaw and Antpaw looked tired and weak, their paws were red, covered in what looked like blood. I watched Arrowstar jump onto his den Smallrock and called the clan. "Today, two apprentices have shown more courage in our clan survival then any other cat, and shall become warriors in return. Oakpaw, from now on, your name shall be Oakfrost, and Antpaw, from now on, you will be known as Antleap" everyone seemed to tired to cheer, even Oakfrost and Antleap didn't seem to care. That was the moment when i realized i have brought these cats to their deaths, to a unsafe home to chase Rainpelt and Cloudedstar for some prophesy. I sighed, maybe i should just return home with them, let them join the clans and continue alone, i haven't even seen Rainpelt for awhile. I sighed, thinking of what the prophesy was even about and how i could fix this.