Whispers and Echoes

Chapter 13

Sunlight was slipping through the branches of the apprentices' den. Echopaw rolled over away from the sun and pushed herself up. Her eyes closed in a long yawn, and when she opened them her heart jumped in fright. Cloverpaw was sitting on the corner, staring at her.

"Don't do that! You scared me!" Echopaw hissed through heavy breaths. She bent down to lick her ruffled fur, realizing that she'd forgotten Cloverpaw slept in the apprentice's den now.

Cloverpaw purred with amusement. "I didn't do anything."

Echopaw grunted and asked, "How long have you been awake?"

"Oh, way before sunrise," replied Cloverpaw as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"A little excited, were you?" Echopaw teased.

Cloverpaw shuffled her paws. "A bit."

"Aren't you taking a tour of the territory today?"

"Yeah, but Meadowheart said we'd leave at sunhigh because she was assigned to the dawn patrol."

"Oh. What time is it now?" Echopaw asked.

"A little past sunrise," Cloverpaw replied. "Have you ever been on a patrol?"

Echopaw sighed, "No, not yet. But I will soon."

Cloverpaw nodded. "Want to share a meal?"

"Sure!" Echopaw purred.

As they left the den, carefully stepping around Whisperpaw, Echopaw saw Aspenleaf and Creekfall talking excitedly with Copperleaf, Sparktail, and Gravelpelt.

"I wonder what all the excitement is about?" asked Cloverpaw.

Echopaw shrugged, "Let's go and see."

Cloverpaw veered away from the fresh-kill log and headed toward the group of warriors, Echopaw following.

Echopaw sat next to her mother and whispered in her ear, "What's all the excitement about?"

Sparktail turned to her daughter and purred, "Why don't you ask Aspenleaf yourself?"

Echopaw looked over at Aspenleaf, who was looking right back at her. "Uh," she started shyly, "What is all this excitement about?"

Aspenleaf looked as if she was bubbling over with anticipation and amazement, and she couldn't control her happiness. When she spoke, it was slurred and so fast that Echopaw couldn't make out what she was saying. "Immamom!"

Echopaw looked at Cloverpaw, who shrugged; neither of them had understood what she had said. Echopaw turned back to Aspenleaf and asked, "Uh, what?"

Aspenleaf took a deep breath and told them more slowly this time, but still just as excited. "I'm having kits! I'm going to be a mother!" she purred.

"And I'm a father!" announced Creekfall excitedly.

Aspenleaf purred louder than Echopaw thought was possible. Echopaw purred with amusement and flicked her tail, signaling to Cloverpaw that they should get their meals now.

As they walked towards the fresh-kill log, Cloverpaw meowed, "Finally the Clan is getting more kits. Hopefully they'll be born in time for Raykit to actually be able to play with them."

"Yeah, he's been pretty lonely with no littermates."

"Hey! Hailpaw and I were there to play with him!"

"Yeah, but still."

"Huh," sighed Cloverpaw as they reached the fresh-kill pile.

Echopaw saw a plump squirrel and her stomach growled; it looked really tasty, so she started to grab it. As she locked its tail between her jaws, it became stuck and she couldn't pull it out of the pile. She yanked, but it just wouldn't come loose.