SeaClan's beginning

Twistedear and The Cliff ~ Part 2

"Twistedpaw get UP!" Stonepaw yowled, butting her head against his side. The day was just starting, and the air was still chilly on the cliff. Some birds chirped, and the waves crashed against the beach far down the side of the peak. Twistedpaw opened his eyes groggily, looking up at his sister. "We are going to be late! Aspenheart told me we won't be allowed to go if you don't get up NOW, and Holloweye is getting anxious!" She hissed at him, grabbing his scruff and trying to tug him towards the door. "Alright! I'm up!" He meowed, batting his sister on the head and shaking himself off.

The two apprentices made their way out of the den, and padded toward their mentors, at the edge of the cliff. As they drew closer and closer, Twistedpaw's breath became heavier, and Stonepaw glanced at him. "Are you okay?" she asked, starting to seem worried. He looked at her and managed to croak out "Yeah... I'm just nervous... sorry".

"Well it sure did take you long enough" Holloweye purred mischievously, licking her bright orange fur. Aspenheart glared at his friend for a minute, and nodded to Stonepaw, "We're going first. Come on, kit. Remember, stick as close to the rock wall as possible, and when you leap, be sure that you can make it". Aspenheart jumped down from the cliff side, and onto a ridge a few feet down. "Follow my path exactly!" He yelled as he leapt onto another ridge. Stonepaw eagerly jumped down, almost giving Twistedpaw a heart attack. He stood there, gazing down at the cats gracefully jumping down the cliff, motionless.

Twistedpaw's breathing slowly became even more shallow. Holloweye glanced with her single eye at him, and wrapped a tail around his shoulders. "Are you alright? You only have to do this once, and then you won't have to do it again" she asked the grey apprentice. He glanced at her, his eyes glazing over. "Holloweye, I can't do it. I'm terrified. I hate heights, I-I can't do it!" He mewled, backing away from the cliff. The orange mentor sighed heavily. "Twistedpaw, you have to. Going down the cliff is how you earn respect in this clan. I can't make you do it, and it is your choice. But please, if you care about your sister, jump."

He looked down at the churning mass of water so many fox-tails below him, and jumped. Twistedpaw landed hard of the ridge below him, and collapsed against the cliff wall. "Your doing great!" yowled his mentor above him, "Now just jump to the next one. Be brave!" The apprentice glanced all the way down the cliff, seeing a small brown and a small grey shape at the bottom, sitting in the sand. Twistedpaw took a deep breath, and jumped to the next ridge, and then the next one. The air was colder on the cliff, and the wind buffeted him from all sides.

The apprentice sat down, about halfway to the bottom, wheezing heavily. He glanced down at the ground, and closed his eyes again, deciding against looking down. Instead, he turned his face to the sky, and the beautiful sunrise. As Twistedpaw stood to begin leaping again, he was suddenly knocked onto his back, his head dangling over the edge of the ridge. In front of the grey tom-cat was a massive bird. It had brown feathers, and gold pierced through it. The bird had to at least be 12 fox-tails in wingspan, and the beak looked sharp enough to peck out an eye. Just like Holloweye.

Twistedpaw had no time to react as the bird dove towards him, its talons out stretching to grab him. Suddenly, and orange flash appeared on top of the eagle, and it plummeted onto the ridge. Holloweye was on the giant bird's back, biting furiously into its neck. Twistedpaw lay stunned, and then bolted onto the bird's wing, scratching up the fine feathers. The sounds of cawing were unbearably loud, and it thrashed around so much that it seemed as though it would take all three of them over the ridge. Finally, the massive bird shuddered once, and then stopped moving all together.

Twistedpaw stood breathless, and glanced to his mentor. He gasped as he saw her beautiful orange fur streaked with blood, and blood smeared all over her muzzle. She stood on top of the bird, and glanced at her apprentice, seeing horror covering his face. "Oh no! no I'm fine! its the eagle's blood!" She mewled out quickly, putting Twistedpaw into a much calmer state. "What do we do about the... eagle?" He asked, worried he might have to haul it down the cliff himself. "Pitch it over the side. The others will find it and we can all bring it back to camp. Are you hurt?" She mewled, concern finally appearing on her face. "Just a cut or two" He said as he shoved the eagle closer to the ridge.

The two cats let it fall, and Twistedpaw began jumping back down the cliff side, one ridge at a time. Finally the grey tom-cat touched down on the bottom, and collapsed in a heap, his terror from the height and the eagle slowly draining away. "Twistedpaw!" Stonepaw yowled, running up to him and licking his ears, worry clouding her face. "Are you okay? Was that an eagle? Why did it attack you? Are you hurt?" she mewled in between licks. "I'm fine" he managed to croak out, standing up on shaking legs. Holloweye gracefully landed beside him. "You did a good job, kit" the beautiful orange she-cat said, purring.

"Wheres Aspenheart?" Twistedpaw asked, wondering where his sister's mentor had gone. "He went back to get Maplesun in case you were injured." She answered, sitting beside him, looking at the waves. She seemed to brush off the height so easily, why couldn't he?

As Twistedpaw gazed into the sea, he could tell that he couldn't live anywhere close to this cliff.