Owlstar's Secret

Chapter 7

       I'm so sorry I haven't updated in like 4-6 months! Please forgive me lol

        Enjoy! (The picture in the media is Sunfern ;) )

        Owlwhisper held his head high as he walked through the grassy meadow just outside of the camp. He still couldn't forget what Gatorfang had said before he dashed off. He tensed with anger just thinking about it. He couldn't get Sunfern off of his mind, either. The young Warrior was so timid and inexperienced. It made him uncomfortable. His thinking was interrupted as a thudding in the ground tickled his large paws. He had forgotten he left camp. It was a finch scuffling the ground for food. He crouched down and slowly walked toward it. It perked its head up and flapped its small wings. Owlwhisper leaped, making the bird flutter off, but he crashed his paw down on it, hooking his claws into its back. He ended the bird quickly.

        He walked back to StoneClan with the finch and a boney shrew dangling from his mouth. As he dropped his well-earned kill in the pile, he picked a rather plump pigeon from the pile. "Hey, Owl... Screech?" A voice mewed behind him.

        "Whisper. Owlwhisper." He corrected, still walking to the Warriors' den with the pigeon in his jaws. He rolled his eyes slightly as the other Cat's feet still sounded behind him.

        "I'm Bearfoot." She interrupted the short silence. She look up at Owlwhisper as she caught up with him. Her large brown feet cuffing the ground. Owlwhisper nodded in somewhat approval of her greeting. Her solid, dark brown fur shone almost white as the sun rays poured through the pine leaves above. "You don't talk much, do you?" Her voice changed from a sweet, greeting voice to a concerned, frustrated voice that made him feel guilty. 

        "My apologies. Ever since I got here, I've gotten hostile looks and comments and I dislike." He explained through the Pigeon.

        "I understand. I was taken in once, too. No one gave me a chance, even if I was only a young Apprentice." She assured him and swiped her thin tail over his back and and waved her tail good-bye. He nodded his good-bye and finally reached the mouth of the den. He ripped away some feathers as e got to the meat of the Pigeon. In a few good bites he was finished and he licked over his muzzle. He walked to the training hollow, hoping that Sunfern was somewhere around there. He felt bad for the newly made Warrior and wanted to talk to him. He craned his neck to see further, and his ears swivelled as he tried to single out Sunfern's scent from the other cats. "Owlwhisper! Owlwhisper!" A panicked voice squealed. He jumped and turned to see a black and white she-cat leaping toward him. "Owlwhisper, I can't find Sunfern anywhere! I got his scent behind the Apprentice den, but it was stale!" She was shaking terribly.

        "Alright, lead the way to where you last smelt his scent." Owlwhisper demanded. She nodded and bounded to the Apprentice den.

        "Here." Her eyes were clouded with worry as she put her paw on the place where she could smell Sunfern's warm, fear scent that had went stale over night. Owlwhisper smelt it himself. She was right, it was stale, but he could scent more going north-east.

        "Follow me, now." He said and began walking the direction he could smell the slightest gust of fear scent. He looked like a tiger compared to Icepaw's small body. He trotted through the bramble and ferns as he craned his neck to see over the tall, golden grasses. It wasn't long before he could scent a faint smell of blood. "You smell that, too, right?" He shivered. She nodded as her eyes remained wide. They look like beautiful blue moons. He quickened his pace as it got stronger and stronger, until he could see a black and white figure slink into a hole. He saw a pale ginger body lay on the ground, his fur stained with blood. 

        "Sunfern..." Icepaw squeaked out and she leaped over to him and licked his fur, rubbing her cheek against his. Blood smeared across her cheek as she rubbed against him. He slunk down and rested her head on her paws. 

        "I-I'm sorry, Icepaw." Owlwhisper spoke out and licked her forehead with sympathy. She remained silent. "Want to get his body to... Camp?" He suggested. He thought it was a good idea. The poor tom hadn't been a Warrior for more than two moons. He died so young. A badger killed him. She nodded and stood up weakily. Owlwhisper got part of Sunfern's body while Icepaw got the other side of him. It was silent the whole travel home. Owlwhisper could feel the blood of Sunfern trickle down his shoulder. His throat held a lump, and he couldn't gulp or push a tear out. Icepaw struggled to keep her head up. If she lowered her head, Sunfern would fall. As they walked into the camp, Cats who were out gasped and hurtled themselves to the three cats. 

        "What happened?" Bearfoot asked, her eyes filled with misery as she saw the dead cat who was once her friend.

        "A badger..." Owlwhisper choked out. His heart hurt. He laid Sunfern down on a patch of grass. Silverstar slithered out of his den. 

        "StarClan, why?" He murmured and a tear drop landed on Sunfern's now still body as Silverstar bent over him. "He wasn't even a Warrior for two moons..." He shook his head. Owlwhisper dipped his head as cats gently pushed by to say their goodbyes and prayers to StarClan. Sleetfur was in the back of the crowd. Her ears were folded and her eyes filled with hostility. Her claws where out, and they looked like silver shards in the sun. 'Those badgers!" She screeched and raked the ground with her claws. "My brother, now the sweetest Cat in StoneClan?" 

        "I know, Sleetfur." Bearfoot nuzzled her and stood with her. Everyone raised their heads as Silverstar disappeared to the High Stone. They all gathered underneath with grief still filled in their gazes like storm clouds that cover the sun and the blue skies. "Icepaw needs a new mentor." Silverstar spoke in a weaker tone than usual. "I say the words before the body of Sunfern to approve my choice of Icepaw's new mentor. Owlwhisper, you are ready to take on an apprentice, you will be Icepaw's new mentor. For such a short time, you have shown quality traits. Pass your strength and loyalty to Icepaw." 

        "I will." Owlwhisper nodded and touched noses with Icepaw who was still flooded with pain. Mews and yowls of protest filled the clearing. "He hasn't even been here for a moon!" A cat yowled. "He shows no loyalty!" Another hissed.

        "Enough!" Silverstar hissed, his neck fur bristling. "Owlwhisper is a loyal, strong cat. He will not disappoint me!" Some cats bowed their heads while others grunted with frustration and disapproval. Owlwhisper tensed and sighed. He waited until Silverstar dismissed the meeting to walk down from the High Stone. "Don't listen to them." A pale brown she-cat with long legs dipped her head. 

        "Thanks... Who are you?" He asked, looking into her yellow-orange eyes. He walked along side her.

        "I'm Deerleap." She said simply. "Wrenpaw! Hurry up!" She called to her Apprentice, a light brown tom with white specks lining his back. He padded to Deerleap obediently. 

        "Icepaw..." Owlwhisper didn't have to call as loud since she was talking to Amberpaw just a few foxlengths away. She looked up and waved her friend good-bye. 

        "Yes, Owlwhisper?' She asked, looking up at him. He looked at Deerleap.

        "Tomorrow us four will be training together." He tried to smile, but Sunfern's death still weighed him down. 

        "That'll be fun." Icepaw said, also trying to sound happy, but she couldn't either. Deerleap nodded her good-bye and went to say good-bye to Sunfern one more time with Wrenpaw since she didn;t get to for long. "Owlwhisper..?" Icepaw said quietly.

        "Yes?" He answered back, shaking his head to get a gnat away form his ear.

        "Why do badgers kill? They don't eat us." She asked, confused to why the badger killed Sunfern but didn't eat him like the forest cats did to their prey.

        "They don't go by StarClan. They kill to kill. They kill for territory. We kill and eat, but we thank StarClan for letting us take another being's life to help us live." He explained, trying not to get too explicit.

        "It's not nice." Icepaw said, more angrily than sadly. Her fur bristled, but grief pulled it back down. "He was so nice." She said went silent.

        "I know." That's all Owlwhisper could say.