. a missing path . (ON HOLD)

. chapter one .

Chainpaw paced around in the tunnels. "How come Ebonypaw gets to go on a patrol and we don't?" Chainpaw spat, looking over to Cliffpaw. Cliffpaw shrugged, staring at his paws. "Answer me." Chainpaw's fur bristled. "You barely asked a question, Chainpaw." Bonepaw entered. "Chainpaw, Longlegs wants you on a hunting patrol." Chasingwind poked her nose in the "den." A stopping point in a tunnel with bramble draped in front of the collection of moss beds. "Hmph, alright." Chainpaw left the den. Ashpaw ran up beside Bonepaw. "Bonepaw, go to Whisperingbrook for some more celandine." Ashpaw meowed worriedly. "I'm fine, Ashpaw. I'm blind, okay? There's no need for any more medicine." Bonepaw said. Ashpaw pinned her ears, backing out. Flowerkit looked up at Bonepaw. "Why are his eyes white?" Flowerkit asked, tilting her head. "I don't know." Twigkit responded. "Hush, Flowerkit and Twigkit." Echonose licked Flowerkit's head. Twigkit looked around for his mother in the darkness. However, Bean was nowhere to be found. The young tom began to grow anxious. "Hello?" Twigkit frantically looked around. Twigkit let out a screech, scared and angered that nobody responded. "TWIGKIT!" Hiddenvalley shouted, his paws hitting the ground harshly as he ran to his son. Hiddenvalley poked his head through the brambles. "You must stop doing that!" Hiddenvalley looked down at Twigkit. "I couldn't see anything..." Twigkit muttered. "You just need time to adjust to the darkness, Twigkit..." Echonose mewed. Bonepaw let out a huff of anger. "Well I'll never adjust." Bonepaw stated in annoyance.

   Ebonypaw's ears twitched. "Do you hear that, Sunnyshine?" Ebonypaw asked, looking at the yellow she-cat. Sunnyshine's ears pricked. "Hiddenvalley would've. I wonder what happened to Twigkit." Sunnyshine wondered. "It's the bright-stoners." Ebonypaw answered himself. "What a surprise." Sunnyshine spat. Mole poked his head out of their tunnel entrance. "What d'you want?" Mole slicked his furless ears back in a threat. "Nothing, Mole." Ebonypaw took a paw-step forward. "Good." Mole spat. "Who's that?" Another cat poked their head out of the tunnel entrance. "Nobody, Rex." Mole looked at the apprentice, "Go fix Snake's bedding. She's been whining all day about it." Rex nodded, sliding back into the tunnel. "Now, why'd you say my cats' name?" Mole focused on the two cats. "I was hearing cats speaking, then I figured who it was." Ebonypaw responded. "Spies!" Mole yowled. "No, Mole, nothing like that. It just our tunnels are connected, the only thing dividing us is that wooden wall and the sides of the tunnel." Ebonypaw felt embarrassed. Do they think we spy on them? Sunnyshine looked to her paws. "We'll be on our way back to the tunnels." Sunnyshine meowed, walking towards the sand line. Mole returned to his den. "We almost got our fur ripped off." Ebonypaw said, still in shock. "There's the hunting patrol." Sunnyshine said as she climbed into the sun-drown-cats' tunnel entrance. Ebonypaw nodded, following her in. Chainpaw scoffed, watching Ebonypaw and Sunnyshine leave. "Stupid Ebonypaw." Chainpaw said, returning to hunting with Chasingwind.

Chainpaw, Longlegs, and Chasingwind returned to the tunnels, carrying fish in their jaws. Ebonypaw walked over to the three then smiled and said, "Good catch." Chainpaw glared at him and stomped over to the apprentice den, which is shared by the nursery. "Thank you, Ebonypaw." Chasingwind purred, walking to her den. Longlegs nodded and following Chasingwind. Ebonypaw's ears twitched, hearing Loststar speak with another distant voice. "We can't go on here, Mole." Loststar declared. "I agree. We must move." Mole said. "But where?" Loststar mewed curiously. "I've heard that Gnarled and Snake shared a vision about us living in the mountains beyond the forest." Mole stated. Loststar paused. "It's for the best. We will move at moonhigh." Loststar sighed. "I will tell Gnarled to gather her herbs." Mole announced, his voice getting fainter. We're moving. Ebonypaw thought. We've lived here all our lives. "Just go to sleep already, Ebonypaw." Chainpaw spat. Ebonypaw nodded, curling up in a ball next to Leafpaw. Chainpaw had always been a rude tom. As a kit his father dropped him off here with the name Chains. We changed his name to Longkit, but as he grew older he argued and wished his name to be Chainkit. Loststar gave in and changed his name to Chainkit. What even is a chain? Ebonypaw watched the others fall asleep as these thoughts flooded his mind. "Are you alright?" Ebonypaw jumped at the voice. "Oh, Leafpaw, you're awake..." Leafpaw nodded. "You looked scared, Ebonypaw. What is wrong?" Leafpaw asked.

   Ebonypaw poked his nose out of the tunnel entrance, his ears twitching to listen for other cats. "Coast is clear, Leafpaw." Ebonypaw told her, jumping onto the sand line. Leafpaw crawled out after him. "Chainpaw seems like he's threatening us." Ebonypaw shivered. "He's just trying to assert dominance." Leafpaw guessed. Ebonypaw shook his head. "Why does he think he needs to be so rude all the time?" Ebonypaw looked at Leafpaw worriedly. Leafpaw shrugged. "I'm not sure..." Leafpaw said, sounding defeated. Ebonypaw looked up at the night sky. Stars shined and the moon was in a crescent shape. Leafpaw limped closer to him. "I'm just worried, Leafpaw." Ebonypaw sighed, "I heard Loststar and Mole talk about moving to the mountains. They were talking with each other through the wood wall." Leafpaw's ears fidgeted. "Someone's coming." Leafpaw froze. Without thinking, Ebonypaw ran into the bright-stoners' tunnel entrance. Leafpaw quickly limped after him. A small kit padded up to the two apprentices. "Hello, I am Snake." she said. "You-" "Are you sun-drown-cats?" Snake asked Leafpaw. "Yes. My name is Leafpaw and this is my friend Ebonypaw." Leafpaw purred. "Nice to meet you two!" Snake bounced. "Nice to meet you, Snake." Ebonypaw said. "I've got to go back, bye!" Snake meowed happily, returning to the entrance to the Bright-stone. Ebonypaw looked back at Leafpaw. "The trip to the mountains will be fine, Ebonypaw." Leafpaw reassured him. "I know. I'll be fine as long as I-" Yowling cut him off.