What lies beyond the pack: The Quest Begins

Chapter five (Shadow)

5 moons later.....

"Wakie wakie pups!!" Pollen sing-songed.

Shadow woke up yawning, and padded outside the reed den. She went to the fresh-kill pile to get a fresh piece. 

While she was eating, she looked around and noticed many things different then her pack. First of all, there was way less wolves. Second, the den was made of reeds, not rocks. It was still nice, but she missed her old home.

Thorn padded up to her, and grabbed a piece of kill too. He gulped down the hare in a few bites, and started talking. 

"You don't look very happy. You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine." she snapped back at him "Look. I'm sorry. Just leave me alone for a while." she apologized. 

Thorn left her, and went to the den.

As Shadow was going to do the same, Pollen stopped her.

"Nuh, uh. You're about ready to be apprenticed. We don't do in in the evening, whenever we want."

 Does she not believe in StarClan? Meh. I'm probably thinking too much.

"Mkay." Shadow nodded.

"I'll tell Thorn too." she said and went to the den.

Later, Pollen was teaching them hunting techniques. In the pine forest, all she could smell was pine needles. But she smelt a hint of rabbit.

"What do you smell?" Pollen said.

"Hmm...Rabbit" Shadow answered sniffing the air. "And lots of pine needles."

"Correct." Pollen agreed. "Now what do you smell Thorn?" she asked.

"hmm.. rabbit."

"You're both correct." she replied.

"This is how you go to a hunting crouch." she said and stepping into one. "Go low, and make sure your prey doesn't see you."  she dipped low, and pounced on the rabbit giving it a ferocious bite. She then dropped it by the pups, and buried it covering it with leaves. 

"See? Now you try." She said nodding at Shadow.

Shadow sniffed the air. She caught a scent of mouse. She quickly, slowly, stalked the mouse. Then, she leaped at it. But she was too late. The mouse ran away before she could even claw at it.

"Nice try. Your balance is good, but you need to be faster." Pollen said.

"Now you try." she said pointing her nose at Thorn.

Thorn nodded, and sniffed the air. Shadow did too, and she got a scent of mouse. Thorn probably smelt it, because he was stalking the mouse. Before he could even leap at it, the mouse scrambled away.

"Your pawsteps are too loud. Try softer steps next time." she said. "Lets do more tomorrow. It's enough for today."

The pups went back to their tiny camp, and went in the den. Thorn was not in the den, so Shadow went for a small walk. She sniffed the air to see if she could catch anything. But instead, she smelt a weird scent. She never smelt it before.

What could that be? 

She went followed the scent and went to where it lead. 

The pine trees were tall, and covered most of the scent, but she could still have a glimpse of it. Not realizing she went out of their territory, she kept following it. 

When she went there, a stab  pushed through her heart.

Oh no!!