Whispers and Echoes

Chapter 12

"No, not like that! You look like a stink bug!" exclaimed Bronzepelt. "Try it like this," he demonstrated, keeping his flank and tail flat to the ground.

Echopaw was out by the meadow, where Bronzepelt was teaching her the hunting crouch. She bent down flat against the ground and slowly stalked toward the daisy that Bronzepelt had told her to practice her hunting skills on.

"Good! Now lighten your pawsteps; put all your weight on your haunches."

Echopaw adjusted herself and silently slipped through the grass toward the daisy. It was much easier to learn the hunting crouch because Whisperpaw had taught her a bit of the hunting techniques each night during the time of her punishment.

"Great job!" her mentor praised, "Now, when you get within a few fox-lengths of your prey, you stop and prepare to pounce."

Echopaw padded a few footsteps closer to the daisy and stopped, not making a sound. She prepared to spring, her haunches rocking to and fro. Then she pushed off the ground and swiftly landed on top of the daisy, trapping it underneath her paws.

"Well done! First try and you've mastered it; you're a natural!" Bronzepelt purred.

Echopaw sat up straighter and pranced over toward her mentor, her head and tail raised proudly.

Then she heard the grass rustling with signs of movement, but it didn't sound like the wind had caused it. She paused and pricked up her ears. Bronzepelt stopped and turned toward the river, his nose wiggling back and forth, and his ears perked.

Echopaw followed her mentor's gaze and scanned the grass on DayClan's territory. Echopaw sniffed the air, but realized she was upwind, and she wouldn't be able to smell anything across the river.

Bronzepelt looked straight ahead, his nose no longer sniffing out what they had both heard, but his eyes narrowed. Echopaw turned back toward the river, and saw a flash a dark auburn fur, looking like her mother's vibrant coat. Echopaw looked at her mentor, confused. Why would Sparktail be on DayClan's territory?  she wondered.

But the look on Bronzepelt's face made Echopaw realized that it was not her mother, nor another cat. Bronzepelt wouldn't get so worked up over a DayClan cat on DayClan's territory. Echopaw swallowed nervously and turned back to the river and tried to seek out whatever had made her mentor's face become so rigid.

Then she saw it. It had a bright red pelt, and a huge furry tail with white at the tip. It's muzzle was long and skinny, and it's teeth were bared, revealing a huge mouthful of razor-sharp fangs. Echopaw gasped and huddled closer to Bronzepelt, turning to him for an explanation.

Her mentor's fur and tail were bristled and his ears were flat against his head, displaying complete hostility. He arched his back and let out a loud hiss. Echopaw turned back to the creature in alarm. Bronzepelt seemed to have seen this type of creature before, and, by the way Bronzepelt was acting, it was dangerous.

Echopaw felt her neck fur begin to rise, and her claws dug into the dirt. No matter how dangerous this creature was, she would fight it off to protect her Clan. She let out a loud snarl and yowled, "Get lost you stupid, mangy, excuse for an animal!" The creature didn't stir. It just stared at them, it's teeth still bared and it's tail swishing back and forth.

Bronzepelt urgently whispered in Echopaw's ear, "Arch your back and look as big as possible. If we look threatening enough, hopefully it'll get the message that it's not welcome here and run away."

Echopaw nodded and bristled up her fur and arched her back. She laid her ears flat against her head, then bared her teeth and hissed loudly at the creature.