Tales Of ForestClan, Chocolatemeerkat (Echopath) . [phonics reading books .TXT] 📗

Dawnsong looked upon the sun as it started to fade away behind the trees. Today had been strange for her, yet it didn't bother her.
I should have been at the battle last night.

She thought guiltly. Leapthroat and other cats almost died because I didn't actually bother to convince the CourageClan warriors.

Her gaze then hardened, and her claws scraped at the soft earth beneath her paws. But no one cared that I was gone! No one likes me here! And it's all because of Tigerpelt!

"You seem troubled." A small voice chuckled from close by. Dawnsong flexed her claws out and slowly turned around to face Otterswim. "You seem to be a spy." She retorted.
"Relax, I'm passing by." The brown warrior told her, flicking his ear. "Like I would spy on a cat of my birth-clan and my home. Unless they are acting suspicious, there's no point in spying on cats that you've grown up with."
"I take your point." Dawnsong grumbled, stalking away. Otterswim just ignored her and padded back.
Stupid furball. Can't stand him.

Dawnsong thought angrily.
A memory then attacked her mind, like a enemy warrior. It was when CourageClan attacked ForestClan when Dawnsong was still Dawnpaw. A very close friend of her's, Flashpaw, had been slaughtered by a warrior of CourageClan. Dawnsong never found out who had killed the young white and ginger she-cat, but she didn't like to think about the battle that had taken away her best friend.
"Dawnsong!" A voice cried. "Could you do me a favour?"
Oh for StarClan's sake...

Dawnsong padded into the clearing and found Brokenheart. She seemed a little distressed and anxious as she looked up. "One patrol has scented your brother on our territory. Could you check it out please?"
"Crowpelt? But how?" Dawnsong questioned. "I told him to stay off ForestClan camp unless it was urgent!" Brokenheart sighed. "Pigeonwing said she heard two kits wailing too. Maybe we are getting more warriors."
"I'm going to find him." The young grey warrior hurled out of camp, desperate to find her brother.

Dawnsong was deep into the forest when she could smell a strong scent of her brother. Crowpelt!

She started to prick her ears up and follow the scent, her heart pounding with excitement and pure fear. What would Crowpelt say when she found him?
"I can scent you." A low voice meowed, a hint of amusement in the mew. "I may look mouse-brained, but I'm not." Dawnsong reconised the voice to be a cat she knew very well, so she ran to the sound and found and young black tom with two kits. They looked up, and the black cat smiled. "We meet again."
"Crowpelt! What are you doing here?" Dawnsong asked in a loud whisper. Her brother nudged the kits. "Hazelfoot and I believe these two were sent as a sign from StarClan. They were found outside our camp, and they just have that look of wisedom. Bravestar doesn't believe us, and she wants these kits taken away so another clan can deal with them instead of us."
"Do they have names?" Dawnsong questioned.
"Hazelfoot called the dark brown tom with the lighter brown paws and chest Galekit, and the white she-cat with ginger patches Flashkit. I know how much your clan despearetly needs more apprentices, so would you give these kits a chance?" Crowpelt begged. "They'll die if no one helps them."
"Fine." Dawnsong meowed grumpily, wrapping her tail around the young kits. "I can probably get Specklenose to look after them." Crowpelt dipped his head. "Thank you. I will tell Hazelfoot about this. Hopefully I'll see you at the next gathering?"
"Yeah, whatever." As her brother padded away into the distance, Dawnsong cried after him "Send my greetings to Noblespirit!"

"Do I have to?"
"Yes, Chickenpaw. The clan needs prey, especially at this time. Newleaf is late, and prey is becoming scarcer. Do you want to starve before you recieve your warrior name?"
"N-no Sandtail."
"Good. If you catch some good prey, I'll let you off for most of the day tomorrow."
"Alright!"
Swiftpaw chuckled in amusement as he eavesdropped on Sandtail's conversation with Chickenpaw. He was laid out in the grass lazily, watching the sun set. The sky was red from the sun's light, but it wouldn't be for long.
The black and white apprentice then felt a paw gently nudge his side. "Hi. I saved you a pigeon." A familar voice murmered in his ear. Swiftpaw looked up and realised it was Featherpaw. He greeted the she-cat, and motioned for her to sit down. He then sat up and took a small bite out of the pigeon. "Thanks, Featherpaw. Do you want some?"
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt." She meowed, crouching down to eat. Her eyes then turned to the sun. "Wow. What a view."
"It's nice." Swiftpaw said quietly. "Peaceful."
"You sound like one of the elders." Featherpaw purred in amusement. Swiftpaw then laid on the floor and made his voice all raspy. "StarClan help me, I've got a tick! It's going to eat all my fur off!"
"Respect your senior members of the clan." Tigerpelt growled from close by. "They have served well and shouldn't be taunted."
Mouse brain.

Swiftpaw thought bitterly. He then turned back to Featherpaw, who was streched out on the soft green grass. Swiftpaw laid down beside her, resting his muzzle in her warm pelt. "Sleep." He murmered to her gently. The young she-cat licked his ear, but then noticed a wound on her friend's shoulder. "What happened?"
"A thorn got stuck in my shoulder." Swiftpaw told her quickly. "I was going to see Oakpelt, but I forgot."
"Then you're going." Featherpaw said firmly. "Go and see the medicine cat now!"
Swiftpaw slowly rose to his paws and padded away towards Oakpelt's den.
The den was silent when the apprentice got in, only Flowerpaw was in there, mending to injuries on other cats. She motioned for Swiftpaw to wait, as she was checking on Gorgekit's claw. "If that gives you any more pain, tell me or Oakpelt and we'll help you."
"Thank you." Gorgekit squeaked, running out and back to the nursery. Flowerpaw then padded up to Swiftpaw. "What have you done now?"
"Thorns again. One scratched my shoulder." The black and white tom said. The medicine apprentice nodded and went off to find some herbs.
Does Flowerpaw love me?

Swiftpaw wandered. She'd better not, or I'll rip her whiskers off.

Flowerpaw then returned with some cobwebs, and applied them to Swiftpaw's wound, which was now bleeding. Her gaze focused on his scratch, but then she stared at the young tom. "Can I talk to you please, in private?"
"Why?" The apprentice questioned suspiciously. Flowerpaw just sighed. "You are facing a great battle. And you know who is fighting who. It is crystal clear."
"What in the name of StarCl- oh hang on!" Swiftpaw then realised what the young she-cat meant. "You wouldn't dare!"
"It's the truth, and you know it. Only you alone can stop it." Flowerpaw growled. Swiftpaw hissed. "If you lay a claw on her, I'll.. I'll rip you to pieces."
"Why would I harm her? If she's related to a old friend of mine, why? And who told you that you can attack medicine cats?" Flowerpaw retorted.
"Keep away, or I will tell Oakpelt why you are fighting!" Swiftpaw growled angrily, stalking away.

Eagletalon continued to repeat the prophecy quietly to himself, ignoring everything around him. He had

to find out what it meant!
Just as he finshed speaking, Pebblestep padded in with Foxtooth and Leapthroat. They had been out on hunting patrol, and they looked exhausted. Eagletalon rose to his paws and greeted the warriors. "What did you bring back?"
"Leapthroat caught a squirrel, Rainpaw killed a shrew and Foxtooth got two hares. I caught a small blackbird." Pebblestep told him with a yawn. "My hunting's been a tad rusty."
"Speaking of hunting, have you seen Willowstream anywhere?" Eagletalon asked, tilting his head to the side. "She went hunting and hasn't come back yet."
"Give her time. She was with Tigerpelt, Ghostfire and Spiderleg." Pebblestep meowed gently. "She won't have gone far."
I hope so.

Eagletalon thought. Please StarClan, guide her and the other warriors safely back home. We can't afford to loose any cats at this time. ReedClan were defeated yesterday and could seek revenge at any time. CourageClan are still a threat to us also. Send Willowstream and the others back to camp unharmed. Please.

A little while after sunset, the patrol still hadn't returned. Eagletalon was out in the forest, trying to look for them. He cared about his clanmates deeply, especially Willowstream.
The air was cool and mild, and the forest was shockingly silent. The tom couldn't hear the trees brushing against eachother as they swayed in the wind, the birds calling out to eachother, or the pitter patter of little tiny paws as prey escaped. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
A high pitched scream then rung out. Eagletalon jumped back, but then followed the noise in curiosity. His ears were pricked, listening out for any noises. Never before had he felt so alone, so afraid.
A sick feeling was building up inside the ForestClan warrior as he continued to venture forward, futher away from the safety of camp. Eagletalon was shivering all over, like a kit out in the snow. He had to find out where the cry came from, and most importantly, who did it.
Eagletalon then stopped when he saw a little patch of blood in the grass. He sniffed it, and realised it carried the scent of a warrior of his own clan. There were some more splotches of blood, some of them splatted on the trees. It was enough to make any cat feel ill. Despite this, Eagletalon continued to followed the trail of blood into a clearing.
In the clearing, there was a large patch of blood. But it was surrounding a strange object that Eagletalon had never come across before here. Tufts of fur laid scattered over the ground, some ginger and some covered in blood so that Eagletalon couldn't make out the colour.
There must have been a fight here. This looks all too familar.

As Eagletalon looked around, he caught a glimpse of ginger fur against the object covered in blood. Anxiously, the tom padded over and sniffed it. The fur smelt of blood and death, but it also had a familar, sweet scent about it.
"No!" Eagletalon cried out. "No, StarClan, please!"
The object lying there, covered in blood, was a fellow ForestClan warrior. But it was more