ForestClan Adventures - Chocolatemeerkat (Echopath) (primary phonics txt) 📗

around to follow her clanmates, but Crowpelt ran after her and licked her cheek. "Travel well." He murmmered, admiration shining in his eyes. "I'm glad you're my sister." Dawnsong smiled at him warmly, and gave him a swift lick on the ear before dashing off with her friends. She was delighted to see that she and Crowpelt's friendship wasn't broken, despite being in seperate clans now.

Sunset came by rather quickly. The clan were starving, as the patrols brought back barely anything. Of course, queens, kits and elders got most of the share. So Dawnsong got lucky with prey.
"What is it like, raising a family?" She asked the other queens. Specklenose let out a small yawn and turned to the younger grey she-cat. "It's tiring, but a very rewarding job." She meowed with another yawn. "First litters are a challenge, but once you get another one, then it is a lot easier." Her tail then flicked towards her sleeping kits. "These three aren't too demanding, much to my delight."
"Are they your first kits with Tigerpelt?" Dawnsong questioned. Specklenose nodded her head quickly. "My old mate was killed in a battle with rogues. We had Pigeonwing first, then Pinewhisker and Snakebite. Tigerpelt became my mate and obviously, we had Secretkit, Cloudkit and Mysterykit."
"Have any other queens had more than one litter?" Dawnsong asked.
"Well, Frostear had Leapthroat before Gorgekit and Heatherkit. Poppyfoot's only had one litter, and Silverleaf had one kit, but he died in a snowstorm at the age of 2 moons." Specklenose yawned again. "I think I'll get some rest. You look after those foster kits of your's."
I don't remember Bramblestar having one son.

Dawnsong realised. Perhaps Silverleaf will tell me if I ask nicely.

"Dawnsong?" Bramblestar appeared at the entrance of the den with Galekit and Flashkit. "I think these two escaped your sight and into my den."
"Sorry, Bramblestar. I'll keep an eye on them." Dawnsong meowed, feeling a bit embrassed and guilty. The leader padded over to Silverleaf and murmmered some words in her ear. She sighed and turned away, her eyes filled with tears.
"Could I ask about your first son, Silverleaf?" Dawnsong meowed calmly. Silverleaf turned to the little grey she-cat. "He was called Gorsekit, born in at the end of leaf-bare. And I tell you know, he was the liveliest, bravest and brightest kit you'd ever meet. The clan adored him." She started slowly.
"What did he look like?" Dawnsong questioned.
"He was a litte scrap of dark brown with a white splash on his chest and blue eyes." Silverleaf told her. Dawnsong nodded, and she let the silver queen continue. "The snowstorm came not long after Bramblestar became leader. Prey left the forest, leaving us thin and starving. We lost two elders before I realised that Gorsekit had caught a fever. I asked Oakpelt to check on him, and he concluded that he was ill."
"Go on."
"I prayed to StarClan that they would guide Gorsekit away from death, but the snowstorm got worse. A blizzard came one morning while the kits were out playing. Gorsekit didn't get back inside, and when I found him later, StarClan had already claimed him." Dawnsong could see that Silverleaf's words were full of pain and sorrow for her lost kit, so she gave her a comforting lick on the ear. "I'm sure your kits will pull through this time round."
As Dawnsong was about to settle down for a nap, Oakpelt appeared at the entrance of the nursery. A worried look crossed his face as he padded in. "Has anyone seen the apprentices and Brokenheart?" He asked.
"Nope. Why do you ask?" Frostear replied sleepily.
"It's because they went on patrol and haven't returned!"

~6~

"I see that not a lot of prey is here anymore?"
"No, Bramblestar." Echopath reported. She had been chosen to lead a small hunting patrol, consisting of Spottedlark, Ghostfire and Runningbreeze. "Prey is scarce is the forest. Ghostfire only managed to catch a skinny rabbit."
"Thank StarClan I found it." The young she-cat added. "Cloudeye is looking very frail at the moment." Echopath nodded her head, and nudged the rabbit at Ghostfire's paws. "I think the elders need this. I'll go and check on the warriors, just to see who also needs prey."
"Well, Tigerpelt doesn't seem to need any." Spottedlark chuckled, flicking her tail towards the senior warrior. "He's the plumpest of all of the warriors!"
How could that be? He hasn't been hunting for a while, and he constantly complains about feeding the clan first!

Echopath thought privatly. This strange case smelt fishy to her.
She decided to take her mind off Tigerpelt and check up on her denmates.
In the warrior den, about half of the wariors were resting in here. Echopath could see that some cats were still recovering from the ReedClan attack a few nights ago, but many of them were very thin. Lionclaw happened to be one of them.
"Great StarClan!" Echopath murmmered to herself in horror, padding over to the tom. He greeted her warmly, like a leader welcoming a new warrior to the clan.
"You're so thin." The silver she-cat told him, twitching her whiskers. "You'll only be a pile of bones if you don't eat up."
"The clan comes first." Lionclaw meowed, locking his gaze upon Echopath's pelt. "The hard-working warriors like you need prey, but the queens and elders come first." Echopath let out a loud sigh and drew a paw over her ear. "The whole clan needs prey. You don't need to go on hunger strike to let your clanmates survive. It seems like the right thing to do, but you're not doing yourself a favour."
As Lionclaw was about to reply, Echopath felt little teeth nipping at her tail. She swiftly turned around. Nothing.
"I think you're looking for this little one here." Lionclaw purred in amusement, picking up a little scrap of fur in his jaws. Echopath could now see that it was Flashkit, one of the kits Dawnsong had brought back yesterday. She stared at him, her eyes gentle. "Yes?"
"I was fighting a enemy warrior!" Flashkit gasped, her little tail twitching. Echopath chuckled a bit. "Well, you've certainly made a enemy of my tail. Why don't you play-fight with one of the younger apprentices, or one of the other kits?" She let out a loud yawn. "I'm going to get some rest."
"Ok." Flashkit looked disappointed, but she disappeared into the nursery, her tail still twitching. Echopath hadn't realised until now that Lionclaw had pressed his massive body against her silver pelt. Her brain was telling her to go, but her heart told her to stay and enjoy the tom's company. So she decided to listen to her heart, and rest her head on his shoulder.
"Are you two mates?" A little voice asked from behind them. Echopath quickly dislodged herself away and turned round. It was Galekit, Flashkit's brother. The silver she-cat spoke swiftly. "No."
"Really?" Galekit rolled his eyes sarcasticly. "The clan has been spreading rumors about you two. And Lionclaw does have emotion for you in his eyes, whenever any cat speaks of your name, Echopath." He then giggled. "I bet you'll be having his kits within a few moons!"
The warrior blinked in suprise at the thought of the clan talking about her behind her back. She knew that she couldn't be angry with the kit, so she just sighed. "Dream on, Galekit. The only cat I have ever loved is Eagletalon."
"Then why are you going around with his brother?" Galekit questioned, flicking his ear. Echopath was about to open her mouth when Lionclaw walked in front and brushed his tail against her muzzle for silence. "I am helping Echopath train Featherpaw and Chickenpaw, seeing as I mentor one of them." He meowed quickly. "Why don't you go and find them?"
"Actually, Oakpelt told me that all of the apprentices and Brokenheart have disappeared." Galekit announced smartly. Echopath's jaw dropped in horror as the kit spoke. She

was meant to be caring for her niece and nephew, but now they had vanished!
This is my fault!

The silver she-cat thought, feeling dreadful. I promised to look after them! Have I been too close to Lionclaw to let them slip away, just like that? I should have been watching them!

"Lionclaw," A voice called from the leader's den. "can we speak to you please?"
The golden tabby tom gently brushed his pelt against Echopath before rushing off to Bramblestar's den, leaving Echopath alone. "I'm going for a walk." She mumbled to herself.

The cool breeze ruffled Echopath's fur as she treked through the forest. Nothing stirred, the only sounds were the wind and the warrior's own heartbeat.
She then stopped and sat down, looking up at the dark sky. Moonhigh was coming soon, and the apprentices were nowhere to be found.
"StarClan, help me!" Echopath yowled. "What should I do?"
The wind got up, making the she-cat shiver, but she stopped when she caught a strange, yet comforting scent from the bushes. Echopath stumbled up to her paws as a starry figure appeared. It was a StarClan warrior who the silver she-cat couldn't reconise, but her eyes were friendly. "I will not hurt you, little warrior. My name is Lightleaf. I was a former warrior of your clan." She explained.
"I'm Echopath. Are you here to tell me of the apprentices?" Echopath asked hopefully. The StarClan cat shook her head. "I am here to help you." She spoke softly. "You are torn between looking after those two apprentices, and your feelings for Lionclaw. Do not deny this, for StarClan can see into every cat's heart. We know that you care deeply for him."
"My problem exactly." Echopath sighed. "Featherpaw and Chickenpaw are great young cats who had a terrible start in life. They need my care to guide them, despite Featherpaw also relies on Swiftpaw for help. Lionclaw is different." Her voice trembled with guilt as she told Lightleaf of her troubles. "He is all I have left. He is the last cat I can really love. But I don't want to hurt him, or neglet Featherpaw and Chickenpaw's training."
"You must decide soon." Lightleaf told her. "Time is running out. You have something besides your promises to forfill. But for now, little warrior, go and rest. Sleep will help you."

>7>

Swiftpaw felt dizzy and afraid. His head was