(Warriors) 🌹Flower In The Shadows🌹 Volume I: ✳Dark Seeds✳

Chapter Eight

Shadeflower  was asleep in her nest. Her back leg was shaking a little, and she could hear Dustclaw's obnoxious snoring. A paw prodded at her. Shadeflower yawned and woke up. It had been two and a half moons since her arguement with Oakbriar.

"Hmm?" Shadeflower meowed. Featherpaw was there, smiling.

"Hey Shadeflower! I was wondering if we could go hunting with Jaypaw and Robinpaw!"

"Isn't it a little early? And shouldn't you go with your mentors?" Shadeflower got up in a sitting position.

"We want to go hunting early to prove that we can be warriors soon!" Robinpaw spoke up. "Can you go with us?" Shadeflower  was curious as to why they asked her and not their mentors.

"Wouldn't it be better if you asked your mentors?" Shadeflower suggested. The two apprentices looked up at the warrior.

"But you're the best hunter!" Featherpaw meowed with shining, admiring eyes. It was clear as day that Featherpaw idolized Shadeflower . She  sighed. The three apprentices were very persistent. But Shadeflower  didn't want to take the apprentices out hunting without their mentors. She shifted her paws. It didn't feel right to take out the apprentices in the middle of the night.

"I don't know..."

"Pleaaaaseeee" Featherpaw meowed, a kind of squeaky meow. Both Jaypaw and Robinpaw were also looking at her with pleading eyes. Shadeflower  didn't know what to say.

"Alright." She finally meowed. "But you have to promise to be careful. " she looked at them with a serious look in her eyes. All three of the young cats nodded vigorously.

"We promise." All three said in unison. Shadeflower stretched her legs, and she lead the three apprentices out into the forest, still having a slight feeling of unease. They followed her like a kit follows their mother. She brought them to the safest part of the forest that she could find.

"How's the best way to hunt?"

"How do we get as good as you?"

"What are your tricks??"

"Well first, you gotta be quiet." Shadeflower meowed, stifling a mrrow of laughter at the young apprentices. Instantly, all three of them fell silent. It was easy to see how much the three of them looked up to Shadeflower, especially Featherpaw. She had so much admiration for Shadeflower . It was something Shadeflower  sometimes found hard to comprehend. She quickly pushed the thoughts away. They want her help. She was going to help him. I can do this.

"Patience is key. If you jump right in without thinking, there's more of a chance that you'll miss the prey." Shadeflower  meowed, curling her tail around her paws. Featherpaw, Jaypaw, and Robinpaw nodded, their eyes wide, and eager to learn the things Shadeflower  was saying. She cleared her throat.

"Also, remember to be quiet so the prey doesn't hear you. The element of surprise is very useful, just as when in battle." Shadeflower meowed. "And focus. Don't let yourself be distracted."

"Thank you Shadeflower!" All three of them said in unison. She smiled at the younger cats. I bet I'd make a great mentor! Maybe Stonestar will give me my own apprentice soon. "We should get back now. Remember the things I've told you." She said to them. They nodded and Shadeflower rose to her paws and so did the apprentices. They followed Shadeflower back to camp. Sparrowflight was awake.

"There you are! You found them!" Sparrowflight sighed in relief. Shadeflower hadn't realized how long she'd been out with the apprentices. "I was worried sick!"

"Shadeflower was giving us training tips!" Featherpaw meowed excitedly.

"You stupid furball, you weren't supposed to say that!" Jaypaw hissed at her sister under his breath.