Pantherpaw's journey Ch. 3

They crept across the cave to the entrance tunnel that led to the training cave.  Pantherkit paused to see if any cat had spotted them and saw Sunkit padding towards them from the drinking pool.  "Where are you going?" He called from across the cave.
"Hush!" Pantherkit hissed. "Do you want to get us caught?"
He ducked his head and hurried over to them. "But where are you going?"
Starkit's eyes gleamed as she announced that they were visiting the training cave.
Sunkit looked confused "Why?"
"We're bored!"
"But what if we get caught?"
"Look!" Pantherkit broke in, "I don't know about you, but I'm going." And with that she turned and started walking again.
"But it's against the warrior code." Sunkit complained, catching up.
"We're not warriors yet." Pantherkit stated simply as she entered the tunnel, but once the darkness closed around her, she began to have second thoughts there was no light here, and there never had been.  Only the sound of her denmates kept her going.  She couldn't let them think she was scared.  Just as she thought they were going to be stuck in the tunnel forever, the darkness began to thin.  Eager to be out of that tunnel, she charged ahead, her denmates struggling to keep up.  She threw herself out of the tunnel with a yowl of joy, which turned to shock as her paws hit water.  She scrabbled backwards to the wall and took a look at the cave.  There was water everywhere!  The whole floor was covered with it!  But as Pantherkit looked around, she noticed the ledges.  They were all over the cave, and they were big enough to stand on.  She walked over to one, and heard Moonkit call out to her.  "Look!" She replied, "We can climb onto these."  From her higher viewpoint, she could see that the ledges weren't that far apart, and she could jump from one to another without her paws ever touching the floor.  She turned towards the others, and with a twinkle in her eye, touched Sunkit on the shoulder.  "TAG!" She cried as she leapt onto the next ledge.  Before long, all four kits were running up and down the ledges, squealing at the top of their lungs.
"So this is where you are!"  All four kits froze at the sound of the voice coming from the tunnel entrance.  The deep voice was masculine and very familiar, and Pantherkit knew they were in trouble.
"Bramblestar!" Starkit squeaked.  He twitched his ear at the sound, but didn't reply.  He just turned back into the tunnel, signaling with his tail that they should follow.
As Pantherkit followed in the back, she felt embarrassment sweep through her from ears to tail tip.  Of all cats to catch her, it had to be the clan leader.  Just then, she began to notice that it was getting lighter.  Bramblestar stopped just short of the entrance.  "Go ahead." He murmured to the littermates, "I need to speak to Pantherkit alone."  They turned and left while Bramblestar sat and motioned for Pantherkit to join him.  "Do you know how much grief you've caused your mother today?" He scolded as she hung her head.  "The whole camp has been looking for you.  You do realize that if you hadn't run off, you would be out exploring the territory with Lionpaw and Tigerpaw right now?"  He asked slyly.
"Paw?" She squeaked.
"Yes, paw.  While you were running around like a kit, you missed your apprentice ceremony."
"Are you going to keep me from being an apprentice?"
"No, but you will not leave the cave for an entire moon.  You will stay inside and tend to the elders.  Whatever they tell you to do, you do it, and you will miss your first two gatherings." She dipped her head to Bramblestar.  She knew she had earned her punishment.  Bramblestar rose and she followed him out into the main cave.  He stopped next to the fresh kill pile.  "Thistlefang!"  Pantherkit flicked her ear in embarrassment as she spotted her father next to the waterfall.  When he saw Pantherkit next to Bramblestar, he turned and headed in their direction.
"I see one of our runaways has been found."  Pantherkit cringed at the anger in his voice.  Bramblestar had obviously heard it too, because he flicked his tail between the two of them.  He only left it there for a second, but the meaning was clear 'I'll deal with her punishment.'  Pantherkit was grateful in that moment that it was Bramblestar who had found her and not Thistlefang.  She knew her father would not have hesitated to rake his claws over her ear for her little stunt.  She could see it in his eyes.  She also knew from experience that he was quick to anger and not one to curb his blows.
"The other three have already joined their mother in the nursery."  Bramblestar told him, and turning to Pantherkit, he said "You are to sit here and guard the fresh-kill pile until I call you for the meeting.  You are not to move from this spot, and you are not allowed to talk or take any prey."  Pantherkit dipped her head and sat down.  Bramblestar nodded to her and turned to Thistlefang.  "Go out and find the two patrols that have been sent out to find her.  Tell them that the kits have been found and let them know that Pantherkit is not to be spoken to."  With that he turned and went to his den.
With Bramblestar gone, Thistlefang turned on her with rage blazing in his eyes.  "Do you know how worried your mother was?" he spat "When everyone realized you were gone, she flew out of the cave at top speed, calling your name.  Bramblestar had to send out a patrol to catch up to her!"  Pantherkit flattened her ears and bowed her head to her father.  She saw his paws as he stepped up next to her and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I will tell you this.  If you ever make Moonflower that upset again, I will claw you."  And with that, he turned and stalked to the waterfall, where the patrol was waiting for him.  He spoke to them briefly and disappeared.  Pantherkit watched him go and wondered how he could be so different from his brother.  Bramblestar was always so calm and understanding, but Thistlefang, he was not afraid to claw a clanmate if he got mad enough.  She had even heard stories of him fighting with his denmates as an apprentice.  She shook her head.  She would not let herself think about that!  She would just think about the ceremony at sundown.  She gazed at the waterfall and tried to guess who her mentor would be.

Pantherpaw was dreaming that she was fighting.  She circled, trying to get behind the pale tabby that faced her, but he read her movements easily.  He was battle-scarred and obviously not a stranger to fights.  He suddenly launched himself towards her.  Pantherpaw tried to dodge, but he was too fast for her.  His shoulder hit her in the chest and she landed on her side.  He came at her and jabbed at her shoulder.  She responded by slashing out at him with her claws.  "Keep you claws to yourself!" a voice hissed in her ear.  Pantherpaw opened her eyes and saw the pure white pelt of her mentor standing over her.  She jumped to her paws.  "Am I late?" She asked her.
"Late enough." The she-cat replied, drawing her tongue lazily over her paw.  "Or were you planning on missing the dawn patrol?"  She purred at Pantherpaw's excitement, and beckoned with her tail for Pantherpaw to follow her.  Pantherpaw followed her mentor across the cave and, for the first time, beyond the waterfall.

There were three cats waiting for them in the snow, a white tom with grey streaks on his face, a red-brown tom, and a silver she-cat.  "Sorry we're late Iceclaw."  Her mentor called to the white tom, who was obviously the leader for this patrol.  He nodded to her, and took off down the trail.  "Look well."  Her mentor whispered in her ear as they ran at the back of the patrol.  "We're at the highest point in our territory so this is the best view you're going to get.  The area around the lake belongs to Lakeclan.   The light green trees are oaks, and they mark Leafclan's territory.  The dark trees are pines, and they belong to Nightclan."  Pantherpaw stared, amazed.  The other clans had such big territories, and she could see that there was much more beyond it.  The world was just so big!  It seemed to go on forever.
"Snowfeather!"  Iceclaw's voice broke in.  Both she-cats jumped and looked up.  While they had been talking, the rest of the patrol had left them behind.  "I know this is Pantherpaw's first time out, but we need to reach the Nightclan border by sunrise."
Snowfeather flicked her ear at him.  "Sorry!"  She called back.  She nodded to Pantherpaw and the two she-cats took off together after the patrol.

They were running the border when the red tom suddenly stopped.  The rest of the patrol blew passed him and had to turn back.  "What's wrong Redfeather?"  The silver she-cat called
"I think I caught a whiff of twoleg, Silverleaf, but I can't figure out where it's coming from." He replied.
"Split up." Iceclaw said.  "Find the trail.  We need to find out which way it went, and make sure that it's not still on our territory."
Pantherpaw turned and followed Snowfeather as she turned away from the patrol, nose to the ground.  Pantherpaw couldn't believe it!  Her first patrol and she was already helping to protect Stoneclan.  Both she-cats looked up as they heard a yowl from the opposite direction.  "Silverleaf's found something!"  Snowfeather hissed, and they both turned back towards their clanmates.
They found Silverleaf in a small clearing waiting for everyone.  Pantherpaw saw Redfeather and Iceclaw arrive together from the other direction.  "I found the trail." Silverleaf said to the group, "It seems to head into our territory."
Pantherpaw sniffed and a rank scent filled her nose.  So this is what a twoleg smells like.  It stinks!
"Just a twoleg and its pet."  She heard Redfeather announce.  "Nothing to worry about."
"Sniff again," Snowfeather said "I can smell firestick.  This isn't just a twoleg, it's a hunter."  All of the cats in the clearing flicked their tails nervously and Iceclaw raised his nose and sniffed again.
"Snowfeather's right!" He announced.  "The twoleg was carrying a firestick!"
"But hunters don't come this early!" Redfeather cried, "It's not newleaf yet!"
"I know that." Iceclaw replied calmly, "But like it or not, this twoleg was carrying a firestick and it's probably still in our territory."
Snowfeather looked at Pantherpaw and saw the confused look on her face. "Hunters are twolegs that come into our territory every newleaf to hunt bears and foxes." She explained.  "We usually just avoid them because they kill the bears and foxes that come here every year.  In some ways, they even help us."
"It's not the twolegs that we have to worry about."  Silverleaf whispered "It's the dogs that are the problem.  Their twolegs teach them to hunt.  We've lost cats because they didn't know the dog was there until too late."
"Let's go back to camp and report this."  Iceclaw said.  "Bramblestar can send another patrol to finish…"  His orders ended in a yowl as a huge creature exploded out of the bushes.  The patrol scattered, and Pantherpaw turned to follow Snowfeather, but she wasn't fast enough.  She felt teeth meet in her scruff, and she was flying.  She heard her clanmates following, but the dog, it had to be a dog, quickly outran them and their cries soon faded into silence.  "Let go of me, you brute!"  She cried out as she flailed with her paws.  The dog was holding her tightly, but she thought that she might be able to get free if only she could claw the stupid thing!  She managed to get the dog with one of her hind claws, but instead of dropping her as she had planned, the dog only clamped down harder and she felt blood flowing down her neck.  Pantherpaw became desperate.  She knew that if she lost too much blood she wouldn't be able to get free, but no matter what she did, the dog wouldn't let go.  Pantherpaw refused to give up, but she knew that her blows were growing weaker.  Her paws dropped and her eyes grew heavy.  Suddenly the dog started slowing down.  Pantherpaw fought to open her eyes and saw that they had arrived in a small clearing.  There was a small triangle shaped pelt on the other side and a fire in the middle, but that was all that she saw because then she noticed the twoleg next to the fire.  It suddenly rose and turned in their direction.  The dog calmly walked up and stopped next to it.  She heard the twoleg cry out in surprise and flinched as it lashed out with its paw.  Pantherpaw expected to get hit, but the twoleg struck the dog instead.  The dog yelped and dropped Pantherpaw.  She hit the ground, hard, and lay there.  Pantherpaw knew that she had the freedom that she had fought so hard for, but she didn't have the strength to run anymore.  She looked up at the twoleg and knew she was at its mercy.  The twoleg reached out towards her, and darkness crashed over her like a dark wave.