Dark Destinies {Book 1}

Chapter 9

HOLLYPAW

I woke with a start. My flanks heaved violently and my heart pounded hard in my small chest. My mind desperately began recollecting the horrid dream I had had.

In my dream I was fighting a much larger Fireclan warrior in battle and just as I had the upperpaw on him, prepared to finish the battle he transformed into a snarling fox beneath my paws. It took him merely seconds to clamp his jaws around my thin neck...

A shiver tore down my spine as I remembered the sound of my own neck crunching in my ears...

I gazed around the den to make sure I was actually alive. Ashpaw was sleeping peacefully beside me same with Brindlepaw. Though I couldn't see Krestelpaw's face, I could gently see her flank rising in falling steadily from across the den.

Copperpaw was gone.

I couldn't sit still any longer in silence so I stretched and padded out into the almost empty clearing. Dawn was blanketing the camp and I let out a sigh of relief.

There were no foxes...

Thankfully it hadn't snowed last night either and the sky above looked clear despite a few white wispy clouds even the temperature was milder than usual.

"Hollypaw." A voice called out from across camp, I turned toward it, Copperpaw sat beside the fresh-kill pile beckoning me over.

"Hi." I smiled.

"It's a nice day today, hey?" He asked looking up at the sky, I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm kind of glad it's not snowing." I admitted, grabbing myself a little sparrow.

"Maybe some of it will melt?" Copperpaw meowed.

"But then it will probably just snow again." I sighed.

"I want to apologize for something..." Copperpaw suddenly shifted the conversation and I glanced at him with confusion.

"For what?" I asked.

"Krestelpaw." Copperpaw mumbled.

"Oh! You don't." I began but Copperpaw strongly cut me off.

"No I really do, she's been such a pain to you and I'm truly sorry about that... I feel kind of responsible."

"Why would you...?" I trailed.

"Krestelpaw's been attached to my side the moment I popped out of my mother, she's possessive." Copperpaw grumbled madly. "I try talking to her about it but it just makes her angry! Listen, if she bothers you again tell me."

His green eyes suddenly found my gaze and bore into mine with such genuine emotion that I wanted to look away but couldn't. I blushed fiercely under my pelt; he was so nice and compassionate and truly wanted to help me...

"T-thank you." I stuttered out.

Copperpaw didn't look away and the more he looked at me the more I got the sense he was looking through me rather than at me.

"Copperpaw! Hollypaw!" Brindlepaw's voice shook us from our moment and both our heads snapped toward her as she bounded towards us.

"Hi." I greeted.

"Hi! Guess what?"

"What?" Copperpaw asked.

"Today all of us are training together." Brindlepaw smiled.

"All of us?" I echoed.

"Yep! Mini spars for battle practice."

The air seemed to leave my body all at once and dug my claws into the earth to keep me from falling over.