The blades of the sun

Chapter 9

Littlepaw scanned around in his dream. It hurt to see how little Oakpaw had cared about what Honeypaw thought, he was their sister and deserved respect.  The cool air hit him like a storm as the wind howled through the sky. Is Starclan watching now?  He shook his head, he was dreaming. Ginger fur caught his eye and he turned his head to see what it was. Nothing. He looked around to double check if there was something coming. Perhaps it was my tail? He shook his head, he hadn't moved his tail when it had happened. His ear twitched as he heard a paw step and he instinctively turned his head to where it had come from. He twitched his paws in annoyance as he realized he was upwind, but it was a dream wasn't it? He looked over the long, pointy ferns, a large ginger tail was sticking out of the tall grass. Without thinking he leaped at it, but when he landed he saw it running away.

" Wait! Come back!" Littlepaw yowled and chased after the stranger, blood roaring in his ears. He felt his paws run with great speed, but no matter how hard he tried, the stranger always ran faster. " Please stop!" He called to the ginger-tailed cat. He stopped as he saw the grass stop rustling and he slowly backed away. He heard the creatures steps grow louder and he wished that he could be woken up for training. He shrieked as a creature leaped out of the grass. Its eyes were amber and it had a white snout with ginger fur. A fox! His fur rose as he recognized the deadly creature that Yellowstripe had told him about. But as he looked at the creature he didn't see the hatred in its eyes that his mother had talked about, instead, he saw irritation.

" What do you want?!" The fox-like creature hissed. By the sound of its voice, Littlepaw could see that it was female. This could not be a fox, how would she be talking to him? He saw the creature's eyes widen as if she had witnessed a murder and his pelt twitched with curiosity.

" Who are you?" They both spoke at the same time. Littlepaw stared back in confusion, he tried to reply but he felt himself being shaken from his dream. He saw the creature's eyes burn with an effort to reply, " My name is-" 

" Littlepaw wake-up!" Cloudpaw meowed into his ears, shaking Littlepaw as he did. Littlepaw opened his eyes and stared at the apprentice's white, fluffy face. " Sorry, you were meowing in your sleep," Cloudpaw informed him. Littlepaw felt his pelt grow hot with embarrassment, had he been loud? " You get to train with me today! Solstice said that I could teach how to hunt, to practice my hunting and mentoring skills I suppose." Cloudpaw blurted out, excitement clouding in his amber eyes.

" Great! Are we going now?" Littlepaw asked. Cloudpaw nodded and led him out of the den. Sunlight touched his long ginger fur and he hoped his long fur wouldn't make him sweat. He raced alongside Cloudpaw, would Solstice get to watch him? He skidded past a patch of brambles, he spotted Acornleaf and Ripplecloud sharing mice with each other and Spiderpaw twitching his tail impatiently. Beepaw and Moonpaw were bounding out of camp with Yellowstripe and Lakepelt following, their whiskers twitched with amusement. He spotted Solstice and Colliesoul waiting by the thyme pile. As Littlepaw neared them he took in the relaxing scent, all his muscles relaxed.  

" There you are! We are going to the oak trees to practice catching birds and squirrels." Colliesoul explained. Littlepaw nodded, although he felt a little nervous to train in front of his father, he also felt determination to show Solstice his skills.

Leaves drifted across the clearing as they made their way to the oak trees, as Littlepaw smelt the damp air and he remembered his strange dream, perhaps he would see the fox-colored she-cat again? He shook his head, she was just in his dreams she wasn't real. Littlepaw stopped as the rest of the group halted.

" First I shall show you how to catch a squirrel." Cloudpaw excitedly meowed. Littlepaw nodded and saw Solstice and Colliesoul share a glance of laughter. " Right now we are downwind which means we can smell the squirrel but it can't smell us." Cloudpaw began. Littlepaw nodded and waited for more instructions." First, you need to do a hunters crouch. Keep your body low and your tail must stick straight ahead, get your hind legs ready to leap and your front paws ready to pounce." Cloudpaw instructed and did as he had explained, Littlepaw copied him. " Now watch me." Cloudpaw meowed. Before Littlepaw had time to react, Cloudpaw leaped at the squirrel, his claws stretched out. The creature shrieked and ran off, but Cloudpaw stopped it by digging his claws into his tail. He quickly bit it on the neck and came back with a squirrel in his jaws. 

" Great catch!" Littlepaw meowed to his den mate. Cloudpaw puffed his chest out proudly and left the squirrel in a bush.Solstice and Colliesoul nodded in approval at his catch.

" Last I shall teach you how to catch birds," Cloudpaw began, " You get into your hunter's crouch and silently creep up on the prey," Cloudpaw explained and his head turned to a sparrow that was pecking the ground. " Sometimes the birds won't hear you and the catch is easy. But other times it may try to take off, as it does this leap as high as you can and bat it to the ground." Cloudpaw concluded and crept up to the sparrow. Littlepaw saw him purposely make noise to attract the bird and as it took off he sprang up and whacked it to the ground. Cloudpaw came back with the sparrow in his jaws and laid it next to the squirrel. 

" You have done excellent today Cloudpaw. Me and Colliesoul will take back your prey, but you two try to see what you can catch." Solstice meowed and nodded to Colliesoul. They both picked up a piece each and disappeared into the undergrowth.

" I'm going to check the old fox nest." Cloudpaw meowed and bounded away. Littlepaw felt excitement build up in his chest, this was his first hunting assignment! He pounced into the lush grass, searching for prey. At last, he spotted a rabbit that had probably strayed from the moor. He crouched, his tail straight and body low, he then leaped into the air and expected to feel fur underneath his paws. However, when he looked around he saw the rabbit darting away, as quick as a fox he followed the creature, avoiding rocks that could trip him over. He sprang over to it but by the time he got there, it had disappeared. He gave out a frustrated hiss and spotted a green creature sitting on a pile of grass. Instinctively he crouched, he swang his haunches and leaped. But as he neared the creature he didn't smell the lush grass scent, the creature leaped and to Littlepaw's surprise, it created a little splash. Then he realized he had made a big mistake. Splash

Littlepaw felt his head go under the water and darkness surrounded him, he couldn't breathe! He thrashed his paws in the water and desperately kicked his legs, bubbles swirled in his view. I can't die yet!  He silently wailed. His panic ebbed in his body and he felt a rush of relief as he felt something he could hold on to. 

" Grab on to this!" A voice yowled above the surface. Littlepaw felt a surge of hope as he scrambled onto a log. He felt himself being pulled away from the tide. He scrambled onto land and coughed up water. " Are you okay?" A she-cat asked. He turned around to see who his rescuer was. He turned and gasped at what he saw. A ginger face with a white snout and amber eyes.

" You! I saw you in my dream!" Littlepaw yowled and stepped back. The ginger-she looked back with surprise burning through her eyes. " I was chasing you through some long grass then you turned around, I was about to introduce myself-"

" But we woke up from the dream! I had the same dream to, but I was running away from you!" The cat yelped, her eyes widening in surprise.

" What do you think this means?" Littlepaw asked the she-cat. She shrugged her shoulders and stared into his eyes. " Thanks for saving me, I'm Littlepaw by the way." Littlepaw introduced himself. 

" M-my name is Fox. I should be going now, I'll see you round perhaps even in my dreams." She meowed and sprinted away. Littlepaw looked up into the stars. Why have you shown me this, Starclan?