Elemental Warriors: Shadowed Steps

Chapter One

It was always dark in the nursery at sunrise, even though the warriors were waking up for dawn patrol. The two small holes for light at the top of the den didn't offer much in the morning as the rock blocked off the sun until it was high enough in the sky to shine above. The entrance to the den led straight out into the clearing in camp; there was a second tunnel that ran deeper underground, which led behind the large boulders above the nursery. This was used as an emergency exit and was near the second entrance into the camp. As the first few rays of sunlight crept into the shadows of the nursery a small brown tom-kit rolled out of bed.

"Ashkit go back to bed it's early," Maplespring whispered as she snuck out of her nest waking her eldest son.

"I'm going go see Beechtalon! You said I could when I woke up last night!" As usual, Ashkit was up and going in the morning, and he loved nothing more than trailing after his father. Racing past his mother he shot out of the nursery, which was hidden under a pile of boulders and had once long ago been a badgers den. As Ashkit entered the clearing, which sat in a ring of Oaks and bushes he looked first to the large stump by the fallen Oak. At the top of the stump was a brown tom looking down on his fellow warriors.

"Sharpfoot you'll lead the WaterClan dawn patrol, take Crowwing, Copperpaw, and Hawkleaf." The order rang loud and clear across the camp from the brown tom, in turn, a dark grey tom nodded his head as he heard the order and called with his tail to a thick golden furred tom, a small ginger tom, and a dark grey tom. Ashkit raced up to the group gathering under the stump staring up at his father, "Graypelt take Robinfern, Hayriver, and Pouncepelt and do the EarthClan border. Cedarblaze you take a hunting patrol, take Talonspirit, and Maplespring."

"What about me Beechtalon! What can I do!" Ashkit called up to his father digging his claws into the stump he began to crawl his way up.

"You, my little adventurer can stay here and protect your brothers," leaning down Beechtalon grasped the kits scruff and pulled him up, "think you can do that for me?" The brown tom leaned down his dark brown eyes staring into Ashkit's.

"Can we go with you outside the camp?" Ashkit asked, but before his father could reply a beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat jumped up onto the stump with them.

"Beechtalon, I need you to take Silverpaw with you and Petalcloud to the training grounds. She needs to be taught some fighting moves."

"A medicine cat learning fighting moves?" Beechtalon replied and Ashkit watched as his father recoiled in shock, "forgive me Dappledstar but may I ask why? I've heard of them learning defense moves but fighting? Isn't that against their code?" As he spoke Dappledstar's large green eyes concentrated on Ashkit's pelt, it made his fur stand on end the way her green eyes always seemed to expect something from him. Like she was waiting for him to do or say something.

"Ashkit," Dappledstar's soft voice and her big emerald eyes were usually kind and soft, and even though she was his great aunt which made her kin she was always kind to everyone. To Dappledstar all cats were kin no matter where they came from or where they were going. His father Beechtalon wasn't that way, he followed the code and always the code, he always joked with Maplespring he was around to keep Dappledstar in line. Of course, Ashkit wasn't supposed to know any of this, but he had a habit of listening to his parent's talk when they thought he was asleep. "Ashkit are you listening?" Dappledstar raised her voice her tail twitching in irritation.

"Ashkit!" A voice called from below and he turned to see Silverpaw racing to the bottom of the trunk, "did you eat yet? Did you want to share something with me?" Her wide green eyes stared hopefully up at him.

"There go join Silverpaw," His father spoke nudging his son off the stump.

"Okay!" He leaped from the trunk landing a few feet behind Silverpaw, looking up he noticed that both Beechtalon and Dappledstar were watching him, "race you to the fresh-kill pile!" He mewed over his shoulder turning his back to the stump and racing under Cloverbee's belly into the center of the camp. There was a decent dug pit for the fresh-kill pile but lying in it this morning was a thrush and two mice all three a little dirty. They certainly weren't from today but fresh enough to eat and as Ashkit's stomach growled he didn't mind having something caught last night.

"Nice I love thrush!" Silverpaw mewed grabbing the thrush and following Ashkit to the side of the clearing. Settling down the two began to dig into their morning meal.

"Didn't you go to the Crystalcave last night?" Ashkit asked, "I can't imagine what that would be like! It must have been so cool! Did you see StarClan? Did you see Jayleap? What about Hazelstar?"

"Yes I did go there last night," Silverpaw mumbled through a mouth of thrush, swallowing she continued, "I did see StarClan and Jayleap but I can't tell you anything that happened. That's medicine cat stuff, you wouldn't understand."

"What if I was the leader? I always see you talking with Dappledstar and Mintflower." Ashkit argued taking his last bite of mouse.

"But Dappledstar has a connection to StarClan to and were supposed to tell her everything. She's our leader." Silverpaw argued pushing the rest of her thrush away, "ugh I'm full."

"Can I have it?" Ashkit looked up into green eyes and recognized the thick golden furred she-cat. Just as beautiful and sweet as her sister sitting beside him Goldpaw's pelt was shining brightly under the first rays of the sun.

"Go right ahead, I'm all stuffed." Silverpaw replied pushing the thrush over to her sister, "I'm joining you for battle training today."

"What!" Goldpaw yowled in disbelief calling some attention on the young she-cat, "but you're a medicine cat, and they don't fight! Mintflower never learned to fight so why should you?"

"Dappledstar thinks it's a good idea that I know exactly how each injury takes place, where and if you know the move they're using you know how to defend yourself." Silverpaw replied laying on her side her pelt glowing brighter than her sisters, "but I'm so tired I just want to return to my nest."

"Are you not getting enough sleep?" a tortoiseshell she-cat leaned into the group of young cats.

"Not at all, in fact, I think Mintflower was right about taking those poppy seeds last night."

"You had to travel a long way yesterday you should have rested in," the sweet berry smell that covered the senior warrior was still lingering from the berry bush the warriors used for their nests.

"Thanks for your concern Fenneltail but I'm sure I'll crash just fine tonight." Silverpaw sighed her tail slowly moving back and forth brushing into the dirt.

"Goldpaw, Silverpaw lets go," Beechtalon's rumbling mew called out from across the camp, Petalcloud stood beside him her soft grey pelt contrasting his brown.

"Coming!" Goldpaw called back swallowing her last bite of thrush before nudging her sister awake, "let's go."

"I'm right behind you," Silverpaw replied stretching out, "thanks for the company Ashkit!" Licking his cheek she rushed after her sister waving her tail in goodbye as they rushed out the front tunnel.

Looking around camp Ashkit watched as Mintflower ducked into the medicine cat den near the camp entrance. Her den was fallen oak tree's roots and dug into the softwood hallowing out the log. Along the logs edge using branches, bushes and grass the Elder's Den ran along a good length of the tree, however, since there were only three elders at the moment the den seemed empty. The stump which the clan gathered around for Clan meetings or patrol duties was located near the end of the tree, sitting at the top Dappledstar's green eyes met his own. Her eyes pierced him like the cold icy winds of winter and his spine tingled. Why did it feel like he had disappointed her before he had even begun his apprentice training?