Silenced Nights - wc

[KESTRELPAW/5]

     I scaled the tree, attempting to latch onto it and not fall off, stopping upon a small branch low to the ground. My mentor, Vineflower, stood higher up, leaning down with a sigh. I grit my teeth, letting a hiss slide through my mouth.

     "Tell me why I have to do this again?" I spat out as I tried reaching the other one, although carefully slid back down with a frustrated growl.

     "We need to be better than the other clans in case of a war." She simply replied calmly, turning away.

    "Shade Clan doesn't climb trees, they slink in the shadows of them. Dusk Clan has no trees on their territory at all and Storm Clan's trees... they can't even climb up them because of how wiry and tall they are." I mumbled, casting a glance up towards my mentor, who didn't respond.

     I inhaled, trying yet again to make my way up to the closest branch, to which I scrambled onto as soon as my claws sank onto it. I grunted, closing my eyes as a wave of nausea hit me as I saw how far up. Normally, I wasn't one scared of heights, but when I knew for sure that I wouldn't be able to land on my paws, I was certainly frightened.

    My nose twitched as I hugged the trunk of the tree, gritting my teeth as I heard a voice call from below. I shivered, glancing down to see Jaystar and Tallpaw, their pelts blurry, although I could hear what they were calling out.

     "Is it alright if we come up now?" Jaystar yowled, making me turn to Vineflower, who was now only a branch above me. She hesitated, before nodding briefly, turning towards me.

     "Hurry up." She hissed, her eyes darting away, making my heart pound as I heard claws below me, making me scramble up to her branch. She had already started to scale the tree farther, her paw kicking at the wood below.

     I reached up to struggle up, furrowing my brows to see Tallpaw advancing towards me, making me hiss. He was a branch below me, his narrow, strong figure hopping up before his claws latched onto my branch. I hopped up onto the next one, shying out of the way as he slipped up and went past me and towards Vineflower.

     Jaystar was climbing up slower with more careful steps compared to Tallpaw, who was recklessly darting up without any words. I winced, giving up completely as Jaystar reached my branch. He nodded to me with a kind smile before reaching up to jump farther.

     I glanced down, hearing a cheer from above, making me look up to see that Tallpaw had passed Vineflower, who's paws twitched angrily. Jaystar let out an amused meow, hopping up to give him a proud lick on the head.

     Tallpaw smirked down at me, making me roll my eyes as Jaystar just purred teasingly to Vineflower, who clenched the branch harder as she listened, her eyes shooting down to me every so often.

     They started to scale down the tree, Tallpaw grinning as he slipped down, leaving Jaystar and Vineflower in the dust, although Vineflower attempted to catch up, her paws never landing upon the actual branch before she was in the air again.

     I grimaced, leaning down before hopping down carefully, keeping close to the branch as I saw the ground get closer... and... right before I landed on the ground, Tallpaw flew past me, his paws pressing against the ground as he yowled victoriously. I jumped down next to him, letting out a deep sigh as we waited for our mentors.

     "Does Vineflower even train you?" He meowed, eyebrows quirking up as I just turned away as our mentors landed carefully. Jaystar nodded to both of us, staring down at Tallpaw proudly.

     Vineflower stared at the both of them, her lip curled as she spoke in a hiss. "If you wouldn't mind, Jaystar, I would like to talk with my apprentice and go training with her myself." I wrinkled my nose as Jaystar just dipped his head acceptingly, dragging Tallpaw away.