Forgotten Whispers: Silent Echoes

Chapter 1

A/N Hey guys I'm sorry I didn't post last week I took a small hiatus and my family was doing a lot of things to keep us occupied during the thing that is going on. Please bear with me I will continue to update.

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  Near a stream at the edge of Birchclan territory that divided Birchclan from Valleyclan. Two young apprentices were learning to hunt fish with their mentors keeping a distance and giving corrections when needed. The reddish tabby she-cat latched onto a small perch backed up a bit the lash fish broke free from her mouth and landed pitifully on the pebbles.

  "Get the fish Partridge," a sharp mew came from Honeycomb. In reaction to that Partridge grabbed the fish and delivered the killing bite. Taking the perch in her mouth she turned to bring the fish over.

  "Nice fish Partridge this is only the third time fishing and you continue to surprise me," Honeycomb complemented.

  Owlscar, Primrose's mentor, looked at Honeycomb before commenting, "really, and the other time she brought home one fish." Owlscar murmured the apprentice in front of them clearly uncomfortable.

  "Owlscar, fishing is a lot harder than you make it out to be. Partridge making mistakes during her first attempt after a quarter moon of the basic. That also goes for Primrose as well." Honeycomb mewed before acknowledging the cream tabby she-cat glaring down the water.

  "And continuously giving compliments to your apprentice will only give her big whiskers," Owlscar replied before glaring at the tortoiseshell she-cat.

  The tabby dropped her fish before breaking their glaring as the darker she-cat's tail started to bristle, " you two know I'm right here right and Owlscar I'm sure you've noticed Honeycomb's only given compliments when they are due."

  Owlscar's yellow eye went from Honeycomb to Partridge before splashing and the clacking of disturbed pebbles caught everyone's attention. Owlscar was the first to react and help pin a bigger fish that Primrose was struggling with.

  "Well, I never minded the taste of fish, how about we go see how the rest of the hunting patrol is coming along?" Honeycomb mewed before Partridge picked up the perch in her jaws. Diving into the underbrush they dodged some trees that grew together densely. Until they came to a small break where Morning was sitting with a small cache of mice and a couple of squirrels.

  "Hey, Morning where's your mentor?" Honeycomb asked as she looked nervous and the prey still looked presumably fresh.

  "Umm...I haven't seen him since the hunting patrol was sent out and he told me to stay here," the older apprentice mewed her eyes at points looked at her cache.

  Honeycomb sighed before responding with an easing mew, "Alright, you two bring the fresh-kill back to camp and I'll go look for Duskclaw."

  Morning sighed before responding, "thanks Honeycomb. Let's go, Partridge." Honeycomb gave a purr of amusement before going back into the woods. Morning did all they could to bring back all the kill.

  "Starclan Morning, were you training for your assessment? We might have enough until Leafbare," Partridge commented, her muzzle carrying most of the mice and the perch was between her chin and chest.

  "I guess, but most were just begging to be caught," her mrowed muffled by the two squirrels she was dragging and a couple of mice.

  "I'm wondering when Lily is going to be made an apprentice? Even when she started her practices with Featherlight she looks more like an apprentice than Primrose and I," Partridge mewed which led them to find the front entrance to Birchclan camp.

  They both greeted Stormbounce before walking through. A grey tabby apprentice-sized kit watched with excited pale green eyes as the two apprentices set the fresh-kill on the fresh-kill pile which was shaded by part of the elder's den. Morning arched her spine before looking up at the sky.

  "It's about sun-high I wonder if the others are back yet?" The grey she-cat said before walking back into the clearing. The tabby from before now running up to them excitedly.

  "Partridge, Morning, I haven't seen you two all day and I got stuck with Featherlight teaching me how to apply cobwebs to a wound!" Lily meowed her banded tail twitched back in forth in annoyance.

  "Hey Lily, shouldn't you be playing with the other kits?" Partridge asked her.

  "Dove is literally the only other she-cat other than queens in there and the others are kind of boring. I miss having you and your litter-mates in the nursery," she complained her tail starting to fluff up.

  "Anyway, have you seen any of the other apprentices since we've been out?" Moring questioned while swiping her tongue across her own forelimb.

  "Hmm...Leopard and Bramble came back just before you came in, you just missed them." Partridge sighed in relief as Leopard wasn't the best she-cat to talk to, it was like talking to a stream. Make even a squeak and you're splashed in the face with cold water both figuratively and literally.

  "Since it's sunhigh, how about we try and sun ourselves until our mentors get back," Partridge mewed. Lily gave Partridge a small but not noticeable glare of annoyance before they went to the sunning rocks near the warrior's den which was an old fallen tree, near the leader's den, reinforced with bracken and a patch of naturally growing brambles growing around it.

  Once everyone gets settled, a light-brown spotted tabby bounds over to the sunbathing kit and apprentices dropping the used moss in her mouth. "What do you two think you're doing you two should be helping clean out the moss, some of the elders are having some tick issues, and Bramble is the only one doing that," Leopard yowled making the apprentices get up groggily.

  "We...*yawn*...just got back from a hunting patrol, so we thought a little break might be good for the health," Morning mewed groggily before letting out another yawn.

  "Just because your a senior apprentice doesn't mean you can slack on your duties. I mean who knows there might be so many cats in our clan we have to double the hunting parties," Leopard hissed although the grey she-cat paid no mind to her scenario.

  "All I can say if we lose a few cats, we lose a few cats and we can't change that. Starclan may have their way of doing things but we don't control life," Morning's tail twitched with a bit of annoyance.

  "I know..." Leopard wavered before finishing, "just go do something productive sorry I bothered you," Leopard mewed before stalking back to the moss she was throwing out.

  "That was a bit harsh even for you Morning," Partridge mewed before Morning got an idea. Looking around she essentially shoved Partridge near the dirt-place, just as Leopard came out she went to go and find fresh moss.

  They both walked through the fern entrance. Being careful not to touch anything nasty they picked their way to the back before snaking through the lavender in the back that usually deterred cats from leaving.

  "I don't know what smells worse the lavender or the dung, ick," Morning mewed while trying to get the scent out of her nose.

  "Your acting like a kit Morning you've been through that how many times. You probably like the smell more than anything, unlike me liking the taste of rabbit," Partridge meowed and trying to silence the last part.

  "I swear, you like rabbit like an old tom likes catmint," Moring replied as they continued.

  "Are you trying to say I'm a tom?" Partridge asked confusion making her pupils dilate.

  "Not unless you're addicted to catmint," Morning continued passing through the silver and dark brown trees.

  "Well, at least I wasn't the one who stole catmint from the store and mixed it up with yarrow. I had to hear that from Meadow since our apprenticeship," Partridge growled back playfully.

  "I have memories that I wish not to discuss," Morning meowed raising her head in annoyance before yowls of distress were heard along with loud barking.

  "Do any of the other clans bark?" Partridge asked.

  "No, but let's check it out," Morning replied before rasing ahead. Partridge doing her best to stay on her heels.