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

spinning with what had happened. He couldn't remember everything, let alone where he actually was.
It then came back to him. He was doing a training session with the other apprentices and Brokenheart. There was a strange cat watching, so they chased him away. Swiftpaw couldn't remember the rest, but it didn't matter, because he couldn't see Featherpaw, the she-cat who was his best friend and devoted companion. He needed to know that she was safe.
A bump then startled him, and Swiftpaw realised that he was in a cage by himself. Desperate to escape, he started clawing at the bars and biting hard on them, trying to break them. But his teeth ached after a few seconds. It was hopeless!
"StarClan help us!" A voice rasped from above. Swiftpaw looked up and saw a small scrap of yellow and white fur. He reconised this as Chickenpaw, Featherpaw's brother.
"Chickenpaw!" He called. "It's me, Swiftpaw! Are you alright?"
"I'm tired, but I'm good!" Chickenpaw replied with a cough. "Brokenheart's here too, and all of our denmates."
"And Featherpaw?" Swiftpaw pressed. There was a tense silence and a couple of murmers until Brokenheart piped up. "I really don't know how to exactly tell you Swiftpaw, but when she tried to protect you from the Twoleg that tried to set it's dog on you, she got wounded really badly. She fainted due to blood loss and hasn't woken up since. I'm really sorry Swiftpaw, I think she's gone."
No! That's not true!

The black and white apprentice then found a catch on the cage. Quickly, he figured out that if he undid the catch, he would be free. So, although it took a fustrating few minutes, he was out of the torture trap and trying to find Featherpaw. He eventually found her lying down in a smaller cage, blood gushing out of her shoulder, back and face.
Terrified of loosing her, Swiftpaw undid the catch and crawled in. He dipped his muzzle in her blood stained fur before remembering everything else.
When they had chased the loner away, a Twoleg had come out and shouted at them. The cats had attacked it, and unfortuantly a dog found them and started to attack. Swiftpaw managed to scratch the Twoleg's face, leaving a bleeding cut. The Twoleg, in pain and anger, set the dog to kill him. Featherpaw had seen this, and when Swiftpaw had been knocked over, she dashed to his rescue and attacked the dog. The tom had blacked out and didn't see the extent of this attack, but he now knew that the Twoleg had captured them all.
Remembering his injured friend, Swiftpaw crouched down beside her and licked her ears, trying to wake her. The apprentice didn't twitch.
"Come on Featherpaw, wake up!" Swiftpaw urged desperatly. "We can fight this! Please, for me, wake up!"
He could has sworn that Featherpaw twitched her tail, but perhaps it was a vision. Her eyes slowly slid open, raising Swiftpaw's hopes. "Swiftpaw?"
"Featherpaw!" The tom nearly fainted in relief. "Look, we can help you! Just fight your injuries, and we'll still be together! Nothing will seperate us, remember?"
Mouse dung! I think I might have made Chickenpaw jealous.

Swiftpaw turned round and saw his friend's brother bristling with anger. Well, his loss. He isn't helping his sister, I am because I care.

"I take your point." The white and brown she-cat croaked. "But I can't feel my paws. I feel dead."
"But you're not dead." Swiftpaw pointed out unhelpfully. "You're still here, which is all that matters. Anyway, I owe you my life. Thank you, and sorry for almost killing you."
"I am just returning the favour." Featherpaw smiled at this point. Swiftpaw had saved her from a ReedClan warrior when they invaded, and hadn't stopped looking out for since.
"I

will return my

favour soon." Swiftpaw purred quietly, rasping his tongue over her cheek.
"Would you two lovebirds like to help the rest of us?" Clawedpaw called out sourly. Swiftpaw whipped round and shuddered. Since Eagletalon's youngest son had become a apprentice, he was starting to cause trouble. His siblings were very different to him, but Swiftpaw didn't understand why.
With a quick lick on Featherpaw's ear, the black and white apprentice leapt up onto the cage and tried to help Brokenheart escape. He was using logic and letting the older, more expreineced cats out first so they could help. Luckily, the cage opened within seconds.
"Thanks, Swiftpaw." The senior warrior purred. "I'll help to free these apprentices while you get Featherpaw up here."
Swiftpaw rushed back into Featherpaw's cage and gazed at her face. Blood was still trickling out and her face was a look of terror. She was petrified, and Swiftpaw could sense it. So, he grabbed her scuff quickly and carefully dragged her out.
However, as the apprentices came out, Swiftpaw could feel Chickenpaw's icy gaze resting on his pelt, which didn't comfort him, as Chickenpaw was Featherpaw's brother.
"I have a idea for escaping." Rainpaw muttered. "If someone distracts the dog, then the Twoleg will stop and try and silence us. Then, we can jump out and we're free."
"That sounds like a plan. Good thinking, Rainpaw." Brokenheart started to take responeblity of the apprentices. "Clawedpaw, Moonpaw and Chickenpaw, distract the dog. Rainpaw and Leopardpaw, if the Twoleg tries to get us back into our cages, attack it. Featherpaw and Swiftpaw, you can come with me and keep watch."
The plan got into action shortly afterwards. Swiftpaw sat on a long, grey beam with Featherpaw nested beside him, her injuries bleeding still. The young tom apprentice licked them slowly. She's still my friend, I need to look after her, like a little sister.

Swiftpaw then heard some loud yapping sounds, and some angry snarls. The dog was furious. He could now hear the monster screeching to a halt.
"It's working!" Brokenheart whispered in delight, getting ready to spring. The Twoleg swung the door open and the ForestClan cats jumped out, but Swiftpaw was nudging Featherpaw along. He was determained not to let his friend die.
"Just leave her behind, or you'll never escape!" Clawedpaw yowled. "She's dying, StarClan are calling!"
"I will not leave her." Swiftpaw growled. "You will have to kill me first."
"And what will Poppyfoot think? And Chickenpaw?" Clawedpaw hissed, lashing his tail. "If you may not have noticed, Featherpaw is his sister. He thinks you both are too close, and he doesn't approve."

^8^

Eagletalon felt like he was floating.
Perhaps he was dreaming, or it was just a feeling. The tom opened his eyes and realised that he was surrounded by thick woodland, with moonlight shining through the few gaps in the trees.
He then heard breathing, perhaps made up of four things. Eagletalon crouched down and snarled, his fur bristling. "Come out! I am not afraid of you!"
Four starry figures appeared, their paws like liquid fire. One of them, a young she-cat with ginger fur, stepped towards Eagletalon and touched noses with him. "Welcome, young one." She purred gently. "Do not be alarmed, you are in safe paws. We have fortold something that you need to know."
"Come back now, Willowstream." A cream coloured she-cat meowed. "The other cats are here who need to hear this."
Willowstream!

Eagletalon's lost love had found him, and she had now joined the shining ranks of StarClan.
"Come out, young ones." The cream she-cat meowed. "Do not be afraid."
Eagletalon watched as two small she-cats padded out from the trees. He turned his attention to a pretty silver tabby, who's eyes shone in the dim moonlight. Echopath!

"Hi." Echopath said awkardly. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Me neither." Eagletalon admitted. "Who is the other cat with you?"
"Dawnsong." Echopath replied, nudging the young queen forward. She quickly dipped her head to the gold and white warrior, and he nodded.
"There should be four of you." Willowstream said, her eyes narrowed. "Where is the final cat?"
"Tonight, we are unable to reach Swiftpaw." A dark brown tom meowed with a sigh. "So we will be able to find him another night." The cream cat who had spoken earlier nodded, and padded forward. "Do not be startled, youngsters. I am Lightleaf, a former warrior of your clan." She turned to Eagletalon. "Your arrival came a few days after my death. That is why none of you have never met me. But you should know Willowstream, who only died a few nights ago. You do not know these cats, however." She flicked her tail towards a huge dark brown tabby with emerald green eyes. "This is Thistlestar, leader of ForestClan before Bramblestar. His sons were Tigerpelt, Otterswim and Rabbitleap, and his mate was Stoneheart. She walks these skies too."
"I have been watching all of you as you progress in clanlife." Thistlestar gave a rusty purr. "Your lives have taken dramatic measures, yet you continue to try and become the best warriors you can be. On behalf of your deceased clanmates, I thank you."
Eagletalon watched as Lightleaf turned to the other dark brown tom, who he thought he reconised somewhere before.
"This is Galewind, one of the ancient warriors of ForestClan. He was a deputy, but bravely killed protecting the nursery from foxes."
"I am honoured to meet you all." Galewind meowed. "You have brought great things to my old clan."
Echopath then jumped forward so she was face to face with Lightleaf. "Do you know where the apprentices are?" She demanded. "I need

to know that Chickenpaw and Featherpaw are safe!"
That was a bad move to make.

Eagletalon thought anxiously. He turned his attention to Willowstream, who had now stepped forward to speak. "We are unable to reach any of the apprentices, but we know that they are safe. You will find them sooner than you think."
"Why are we here, can I ask?" Dawnsong questioned, flicking her tail towards the forest they had come from. "It looked like Echopath and I came out of the Dark Forest." Thistlestar chuckled in amusement, and looked up at the sky. "You are not posessed by evil, do not be afraid. But a evilness lies within every cat, even in cats that you trust."
At this point, Echopath's cold glare turned onto Eagletalon's pelt.
StarClan are helping us, surely? I would rather not having a friend turn against me because a former leader suggested it.

"A great danger has frightened all of you." Thistlestar continued. "Dawnsong, your loyalty has been doubted because of your bloodlines, and they still are. There is something you are keeping. But we'll leave that." He turned to the other silver she-cat. "Echopath, you want to keep Roseheart's promise and look after her two kits. But you are afraid that Lionclaw is affecting their training."
Eagletalon sprang to his paws instantly and growled. "How is my brother interfering with apprentice training?" He spat at his friend.
He watched as Echopath shuffled her paws in embrassment. "I would rather not bring that up, thank you." She muttered bitterly.
"And you, Eagletalon. You are the wisest of the four, yet Echopath has been in the clan longer." Thistlestar meowed. "We know your's,