StarClan's Secrets: New Beginnings(Warriors fan-fic)

Chapter Eight

   Willow trees waved in the breeze. Some leaves fell off as if the tree were weeping. Baby birds chirped in their safe nests, and mice chattered as they scampered from hole to hole. A stream ran down a slight hill, filled with fish of all sorts of colors. Lilypaw took her paw and swatted at a ruby red one. It swam away as she dipped her head to take a drink. The sun beat harshly on her back as the cold water slid down her throat. Yep, green-leaf was definitely here.

   Lilypaw breathed in the fresh air, then sat to rest her weary paws. She was on her first solo mission: hunting for the clan. It had been two moons since she left her abusive twolegs and started training with the clan. She loved it here, in the wild. And even better, Lilypaw had found her brother again. Lilypaw sniffed once more and caught a water vole scent. She dropped into a hunting crouch and stalked the vole. Lilypaw stared at it with sharp eyes as the vole ran to the stream to gather ferns and grasses.

   She reared in a squat and pounced. What she got was not what she expected. Instead of sinking her fangs into the vole, she got hit in the head. Lilypaw fell back as the vole ran to the safety of its nest. She took a paw and rubbed her head. 

   "Ouch! What was that?" Lilypaw asked to the air.

   "Lilypaw! I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were hunting that vole too!"

   Lilypaw looked up to see who spoke. Surprisingly, Hailpaw was looking at her with guilt in his eyes. "It's okay, Hailpaw. I didn't even know! You would've caught that vole if I wasn't here." Lilypaw praised.

   "Same goes for you. You were completely silent!"

   "Thanks." 

   Hailpaw sat down and licked his chest. "First solo mission?" He mewed.

   Lilypaw sighed. "Yeah. It's been fun out here, but I'm starving!"

   Hailpaw snorted. "The clan must be fed first." He mewed mockingly. "That's all I hear these days."

   "Is it your first solo mission too?"

   "No. I think this is my second or third."

   "Really? I thought it would be more. I mean, you've been an apprentice for a long time."

   "What? No, I'm Graypaw's brother. We were apprenticed at the same time. You know how new Graypaw is. And I don't look that old, do I?"

   Lilypaw laughed. "No, you just seemed so much more experienced."

   "Maybe I can share that experience. Want to hunt together?"

   "Isn't that technically a duo mission?"

   "Yeah, but no one will know. We just have to split up when we're done."

   Lilypaw thought for a moment, then mewed, "Alright. Let's do it!"

   "Where should we start?"

   "I think we should hunt by the stream at fourtrees. There's bound to be lots of voles and mice over there." Lilypaw mewed.

   "Okay. Race you!" Hailpaw bolted off towards fourtrees.

   "Hey! I wasn't ready!" She hissed playfully, then raced after him.

   Soon enough, she caught up with him and pounced on him in a playfight. "Hey! Now I wasn't ready!" Hailpaw yowled playfully. The two apprentices batted at each other, their eyes buzzing with dreams. It seemed so carefree to be playing like a kit again. Suddenly, Hailpaw put force on one side, making Lilypaw roll to the right. The roll soon stopped, and Hailpaw had pinned her to the ground.