"We should see what they're talking about," Hollypaw suggested mischeviously. Echopaw gave her a stern look.
"That's not our place. I don't want to get in trouble for sneaking around like a dirty mouse our first hour of being apprentices." She glanced over her sister's shoulder. "Besides, Coyotepaw's coming our way. Don't you want to see what he has to say?" Hollypaw turned excitedly, her tail swishing back and forth.
"Well, come along, kits," he mewed teasingly. "Cloudflight told me it's my job to show you around the apprentice den, and get you she-cats comfy cozy in there."
"You can't call us kits anymore," countered Echopaw as she twitched her ear. "We're apprentices now, after all."
"You'll always be kits to me," Coyotepaw replied as he began to lead them to the huckleberry bush that concealed the apprentice's den. "Even when we're elders."
"That's not fair," Hollypaw complained, but she didn't sound like she really minded much. Coyotepaw seemed to ignore the remark as he slipped under the leaves.
"Watch your step, kits. There's a drop." Hollypaw disappeared after him, and from the sound she made, she hadn't been too careful. Echopaw sighed softly at her sister before ducking under the leaves, watching her paws. The ground sloped down, and she found herself in a dugout below the bush. Moss beds were around the edges, a few more than were necessary. The moss looked soft and fresh, though, and Echopaw began to sniff around to see who slept where.
"You can pick whatever's not being used," Coyotepaw meowed, sitting on his own bed. Hollypaw, as expected, sniffed the beds closest to him, but her ears drooped, and she headed to the other side of the hollowed out den.
"Don't you get muddy and rained out laying in a hole?" Echopaw asked, even as she pawed some loose moss into a bed for herself near the door.
"No, not really," came a new voice from the entrance. Mothpaw had entered the den, and was looking at Echopaw curiously, even as he answered her. "We have brambles and things surrounding the edges of the hole, you see? That way not only does it block most of the rain, but if an enemy cat tries to come inside anywhere but the entrance, they get a face full of thorns."
"Oh," Echopaw mewed thoughtfully, looking around and now seeing the brambles she had missed earlier. "That's clever..." She felt a bit silly not seeing them, now, but instead focused on building her bed.
"How was the dawn patrol? Did you really smell a bunch of ForestClan that close?" Coyotepaw questioned his friend.
"We did!" Mothpaw replied, turning his attention away from the new apprentices, his tail flicking excitedly. "I was the one who smelled that they had forgotten some buried fresh kill, and Snowtail told me I had a keen nose. Maybe I'll be able to attend the Gathering now." Coyotepaw looked far less enthusiastic.
"Forgotten?" He meowed worriedly, glancing at the other two before getting to his paws. "Maybe we should talk about this with Cloudflight and the other warriors... It might not have been forgotten..."
"You mean you think they left it and wanted you to find it?" Echopaw interjected. The toms exchanged a look, before Coyotepaw nudged his friend out of the den.
"That's none of your business," Coyotepaw snapped.
"But you just said-" Echopaw tried to argue, but the older apprentice was gone.
"If they wanted the kill found," Hollypaw mewed, moving to sit beside her littermate, "that would be a threat, wouldn't it?" Echopaw's whiskers twitched a bit as she looked after the toms.
"Probably... Coyotepaw's right when he says it's not really our place. We're still too young to understand all of that right now." Echopaw sat down on her bed of moss, realizing, for perhaps the first time, how vast and complicated the forest could be, and she felt a tremble of apprehension and fear at the thought of all she didn't know and understand. She had always been considered wise and clever compared to the other kits, but being an apprentice or warrior was a lot more dangerous and complex.
"Hmph." Hollypaw made a sound of annoyance and returned to trying to get her bed together. "I'm tired of always being too young." Echopaw couldn't help but agree.
"Why don't we go see if our mentors have any tasks for us?" Echopaw suggested, trying to change the mood. "Surely we can't waste the whole day here in camp. They must have something for us to do."
"Alright," Hollypaw conceded, heading out of the apprentices' den into the rain. She ducked back inside a moment later. "It's a downpour out there," she lamented, her fur wet already. Echopaw hesitated, but then fluffed up her fur.
"Then let's go and see of the Elders need anything from us. Cinderstep always says their bedding gets really wet after heavy rain."
"You go," Hollypaw sighed, shaking her fur off. "I'd rather stay dry, since Silverdream told me to get my rest for tomorrow."
"Suit yourself," Echopaw meowed. "I'll bet Nettleflower will be awfully impressed that I'm taking initiative." She tried to convince her littermate with her tone, but still exited the den alone. Echopaw gasped, and quickly understood why. The rain was heavy and thick, and Echopaw found she could barely see a few tail lenths in any direction. The black she-cat shivered, but then determinedly set off towards the elder's den. She saw that most cats had retreated indoors, except for a miserable looking apprentice just leaving the Elder's den. He caught sight of Echopaw and shook his fur as he approached her.
"Hey, Echopaw, what're you doing out in this weather?" he meowed. "I thought I heard Nettleflower and Silverdream give you and Hollypaw the day off."
"She did," Echopaw replied, now regretting she hadn't just stayed inside. "But I know how the queens and elders have a hard time with heavy rains, so I was going to see if they needed anything." The older apprentice gave her a strange look.
"Well, Halfsight's sent me to get fresh kill for the elders. You can go and do that, if you want, while I check on the queens."
"Alright," Echopaw answered enthusiastically, hoping to brighten the tom's mood. "Will you tell all of the queens I said hello?"
"I suppose..." The older apprentice passed her. "Go and get two rabbits for the elders, and be quick about it."
"Alright! See you around, Tawnypaw!" Echopaw called after him. He didn't respond, and she let her tail and ears sag a little, before heading to the fresh kill pile. Nettleflower was there with a lovely gray she-cat, burying the kill that wouldn't fit under the stack of branches designed to keep it dry.
"Echopaw?" Nettleflower gave her apprentice a puzzled look. "What are you doing? I told you to go get rest." For the first time, Echopaw wondered if she was going to get in trouble for not relaxing.
"I'm sorry," she mewed shyly. "I just ran into Tawnypaw, and I offered to help him take care of the Elders. I need two rabbits, please."
"Best not get used to this," the other warrior meowed, amused. "Tawnypaw complains about every little task he's assigned now. The enthusiasm of apprentices is a fleeting thing."
"Well, if Mouseberry doesn't mind you doing half her apprentice's work, then help yourself," Nettleflower replied finally. Echopaw, relieved, gathered up two of the rabbits, but then looked at them curiously. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to carry two of them when they were each almost as big as she was, but she finally grabbed them by the scruffs of their necks and began to carry them across the clearing.
Her neck and jaw strained under the weight of the rabbits, and she nearly tripped over them several times, but was determined to carry them all the way to the elders' den. Soon the weight was relieved as Nettleflower fell in step with her, taking one of the rabbits. She didn't speak until they reached the entrance to the ferns that made up the elder's den. Then she set the rabbit down and shook off her wet fur.
"You're a determined one, aren't you?" she meowed. "You better take the rest of the day off, and get plenty of sleep." Her tail flicked back and forth and she trotted off again. Echopaw looked after her, and got the suspicion that the she-cat was planning something. Ignoring her feeling, she ducked into the den.
The three Clan elders were huddled together in their beds, and, as usual, Cinderstep was complaining, loudly.
"Blasted cold. And damp, too. I'm sick of this rain. I'm sure if we were deeper in the forest, and not in a clearing-"
"Oh, give it a rest," the other she-cat snapped. "No wonder Halfsight's gone deaf. Your mewing must have worn out his ears." Echopaw purred in amusement as she listened to them, and approached, dropping the rabbit in front of them.
"Oh, Echopaw," Halfsight mewed. His voice sounded strange, since he could barely hear himself now, but he was kind and enjoyed Echopaw's company. He was Darkthorn's father, and being her kin, had always had a soft spot for the young cat.
"You and Hollypaw must be apprentices now. I could even hear everyone calling your new name."
"Yes, we were named this morning," Echopaw meowed loudly, hoping he'd be able to hear her. "My mentor is Nettleflower." From the way he titled his head, it was clear her grandfather had barely heard a word she'd said.
"That's nice," he replied, trying to sound encouraging.
"Where's Tawnypaw?" Bluetalons interrupted. "I thought he was going to be bringing us our lunch."
"Oh, he went to help the queens," Echopaw answered, pushing the rabbit closer. "I have another outside I'll go and fetch." Cinderstep nodded to excuse her, and the young apprentice proudly grabbed the rabbit, dragging it back to where Halfsight and Cinderstep had already begun to eat.
"Thank you, Echopaw," Bluetalons mewed gratefully, giving the black kit a little nuzzle. "Now you go and stay dry."
"Is there anything else you need, though?" Echopaw asked worriedly.
"No, little one," Bluetalons answered. "And if there is, we'll have Tawnypaw assist." Echopaw said her goodbyes and headed back into the downpour, retuning to the apprentice den, where her sister was napping. She decided, since there was nothing else she could do until the rain subsided, that a nap sounded wonderful, and soon Echopaw was fast asleep on her new bed.
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When Echopaw awoke, there was sunlight streaming through the wet leaves of the huckleberry bush, which had been dripping on her nose. She shook her head and pawed at her muzzle to wipe away some of the damp and looked around. She was alone in the den, and leaped to her paws immediately, worried she'd missed something important. Bounding out of the den, she found a few warriors milling about, but had her eyes out for her sister. She could still smell her littermate in camp, and soon caught sight of her, sitting almost ashamed as Silverdream and Fernflicker sat in front of her.
Great, Echopaw thought with a small sigh, twitching her whiskers. She was probably sneaking around like she wasn't supposed to. Echopaw waited until the two warriors moved away, before hurrying to her sister's side.
"What did you do?" She mewed worriedly.
"I didn't do anything," Hollypaw answered miserably. "Mothpaw did! He dared me to go and climb the old owl tree, and I almost got eaten!"
"Eaten?" Echopaw's eyes widened in fear.
"I woke up the owl and it scared me out of the tree, so now that the old owl's awake, Fernflicker and the warriors have to be extra careful to keep guard on camp." Hollypaw looked downcast. "And Silverstream's disappointed in me, and she said that my training tomorrow is going to be extra difficult."
"Maybe it won't be so bad," Echopaw mewed, trying to encourage her to lighten up a little, though she did feel bad for her littermate. "If it starts off hard, it can only get easier."
"I guess," Hollpaw replied glumly, though her ears perked up a little at the thought.
"Come on," Echopaw meowed, batting at her sister's ear. "Let's enjoy the warm weather, and climb some safe, small trees."
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