Forgotten Whispers: Silent Echoes

Chapter 8

A/N So, I'm a little stooped at the moment as this is how far I've come with the beginning of the story. This does not mean I don't have plans in the future for this story. I hope you guys like it even if it is short.

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The sun started slinking over the trees as Partridge woke up with Honeycomb and Morning sleeping in their nests. A few cats were sitting and sharing fresh kill in the clearing which made Partridge's stomach growl. She then got up shakily and hobbled outside to see if there was anything to eat. To her surprise, Partridge saw Primrose sharing a rabbit between the other apprentices, except Meadow, near the bramble thicket near the apprentices' den.

Anger boiled in her blood, then she took a deep sigh, before grabbing a mouse from the fresh-kill pile, and sitting where she knew Primrose would see her. Primrose notices her but then turns and continues talking like she didn't exist. The fur on the back of Partridge's neck started standing on end until Meadow came from behind.

"Partridge, don't get mad at Prim. She came to check up on you while you were asleep after her training. Then, waited until Sun started shoving a rabbit at her to start eating." A warm smile makes her littermate's face glow.

"Oh, I...I didn't," Partridge stuttered, "Prim didn't even acknowledge I was over here," Partridge finished before taking bites from her mouse.

"She doesn't have to acknowledge you every time you breathe, Partridge," Meadow sighed, the scowl never leaving Partridge's muzzle.

"You know you're the one making me look like the one in the wrong. She said she was going to share fresh-kill with us when she got back from training." Partridge retorted, now directing her glare at Meadow. Meadow's fiery amber eyes stared back at her with just as intense of a glare.

Partridge then picked up the rest of her half-eaten mouse, hid behind the sunning spot near the Leader's den, and ate the rest of it. Then stared at the fresh bones wondering if she should bury them or not. Looking at her leg she decided not to, "it's just another mouse," Partridge thought before trudging back into the clearing.

Once she stepped in she trudged back to the medicine den and laid down bored out of her mind as the vigil was edging closer. This saddened her since the ceremony required everyone to walk to Hummockclan territory's border to watch the moon rise through the branches of the star tree and not to speak until the moon passed the tree's branches.

She had witnessed this as many cats do as Morning's words reverberated from yesterday. "All I can say is 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." The words pierced her as the sadness was growing inside her almost like someone had a grip on her neck but didn't know who her attacker was.

She then tried to brush it aside as she watched the light-blue sky turn, to a deeper blue, and then to black with the stars of silver pelt glowing like small white glowbugs. Dawnstar padded out of her den and snaked up the narrow path up to the top of the leader's ledge. Partridge watched as her mother watched the moon starting to peek over Nightclan's swamp.

"Cats old enough to catch their own prey meet under the Leader's Ledge for a clan meeting." Dawnstar yowled everyone coming out of their dens including the elders who sat in their regular spot near the front. Once everyone settled down Dawnstar began to speak, "I know last night was supposed to be when Duskclaw's and Swallowclaw's vigil were supposed to take place but since everything that has happened it will take place tonight." Dawnstar then looked up at the dark sky, " with our hearts heavy with grief we shall make way to Hummockclan's border. May Starclan welcomes them with full bellies," with an eye filled with sorrow the Birchclan leader bowed along with her clanmates. Leaving the clearing bone-chillingly silent for a few moments.

After their moment of silence, everyone headed to the lilyturf entrance behind Dawnstar, starting our tiring walk to the Hummockclan border. Partridge had been there once before during the tour of Birclan's territory which stretched from the smaller hills that bordered Hummockclan's giant ones that formed into highstones, to the river that separated Valleyclan, and finally to the edge of the woods where Twolegs hid in their tall nests.

Brushing aside her fatigue, Partridge pushed through the tight underbrush to keep up. A root or two from a stray pine tree tripped up her front paw, which made Honeycomb slow down to help her. As they reached the lower hills that marked the border the quarter moon was able to be seen with small wispy clouds gathering moonlight.