Shattered Roots #1: The Last Leaf

Chapter 6

"This is SparkClan's border. Do you see that large rock over there? That's where their territory starts from," Littlefoot stated. Leafpaw's large eyes gazed upon the rock. It was practically twice her size.

Doehoof said, "SparkClan cats are known for their great climbing ability. Since they live next to mountains, they need to scale up the rocks with nothing but their own legs."

"The air smells odd..." Silverpaw commented. "It feels like tiny ants are crawling up my nose."

"Oh, these mountains used to be active volcanoes. A long time ago, our savage ancestors fought for food and territory a lot! This angered LightClan terribly."

Silverpaw crouched in fear. "What did LightClan do next?"

"They made the mountains of SparkClan explode! Many cats died, but those who learned to work together managed to escape safely. These survivors are the cats who started the four Clans." The apprentices gasped with awe.

'That sounds like the story Foxtuft used to tell us!' Leafpaw thought.

"You two seem to be lacking in the history of the Clans," Doehoof snickered.

Leafpaw chimed in, "Foxtuft told us this story once but she never told us the part about the mountains. No wonder she did, I wouldn't be able to sleep for days if I heard this as a kit!"

"I don't blame her. It is quite a gruesome story. Oh, it's already sun-fall. We should speed up if we want to catch our last spot!"

The four cats ran through some trees. Their pelts ruffled in the wind. Finally, they reached a thicker part of the forest. Unlike FrostClan territory, there were far more willow and oak trees. Sounds of birds filled Leafpaw's ears.

"We have arrived at WillowClan's border. The cats of this Clan are the best jumpers, they can hunt a bird mid-air," Littlefoot explained.

"They live on top of an old tree called Great Willow. It's over a hundred years old, making it sturdy enough to handle the whole Clan on its branches," Doehoof finished.

Leafpaw asked with round eyes, "How about GustClan? Where do they live?"

"Remember the volcanoes that aren't active anymore? GustClan cats live on top of the peaks. They prefer strong winds blowing into their fur which is why they picked a high location."

Littlefoot added, "They are also strong, swift, and agile. This is how they manage to run up and down the mountain quickly."

"Look at that, it's almost moon-rise. We should get back to camp. You two must be hungry," Doehoof said with a warm smile.

————

The bright moon glimmered onto the ground, turning crisp leaf-fall leaves into silver flakes. The air grew colder as the sun disappeared. Leafpaw, Silverpaw, and their mentors had just arrived in time for a meal. They entered camp to the sight of their Clanmates eating.

"Woah, that was so exciting! And, er... tiring," Leafpaw groaned.

Silverpaw invited, "Come on then, let's grab a mouse to eat."

Doehoof stopped the two apprentices. "Before you two eat, you need to learn an important Clan tradition. You must feed the elders first before you feed yourself."

"Ugh... alright then," Leafpaw complained. She and Silverpaw grabbed two mice and rushed to the elder's den just like little kits. They entered carefully, dropping the prey they carried.

"Why hello there, is that Leafkit and Silverkit?" a blue-gray tom rasped. "My two favorite kits from the nursery!"

A black she-cat with different eye colors retorted, "Torrentflow, they became apprentices today. This is why you should pay more attention to Clan meetings."