Shattered Heart

Book One of the Chasing What's Right Series by Splashcloud

Chapter One: Stormwing
A light wind blew through maples trees around a small clearing. Stormwing sat in the clearing, his gray tabby fur was ruffled up to keep the cold out, and his blue-eyes looked out into the woods in front of him.

Where's Ashpaw Stormwing wondered, He was suppose to be here at sunrise

It was now sunhigh, and Stormwing was contemplating going to look for his apprentice.

A little longer, then I'll go look for him.

Ashpaw, walked into the clearing a moment later looking rushed. "Sorry for not getting here earlier, Twilightshade made me clean out the elder's den,"

"Next time, make sure to have someone tell me, okay?"

"Okay," replied Ashpaw, "So, what do you want me to do?"

"I have been told to asses your hunting skills. You are to hunt around Fallen Oak at the edge of MapleClan's territory. Come back at sunset with as much prey as possible,"

His apprentice nodded, "Okay," and then took off.

Stormwing waited a few moments wanting for his apprentice to get a good distance ahead of him, before assessing his skills.

Right before he was going to go after Ashpaw, a familiar brown tabby pelt appeared.

"Rabbitwhisker!" Stormwing called out to his mate.

"Hello," she replied looking around.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," she answered.

"Okay, if something does happen, tell me,"

"I will, I have to go now, I'm helping Quietsong and Cloverheart gather herbs,"

"Bye then,"

Stormwing took off through the trees, following his apprentice's scent.

Chapter Two: Stormwing
Stormwing woke up the next morning to find Rabbitwhisker had already left.

Must have been on the dawn patrol,

The gray tabby tom stretched each of his legs before carefully walking out of the den, avoiding the still sleeping cats.

Blinking his sky blue-eyes as he exited the den, he glanced around to look for Ashpaw.

"Stormwing," called a voice.

Stormwing looked to his left to see the clan deputy, Twilightshade.

"I want you, Sneezetail, Redpelt, and Dewpaw to go on a hunting patrol, the fresh-kill pile is almost gone,"

"What about Ashpaw?"

"Ashpaw will help clean out the elder's den,"

Stormwing looked curiously at Twilightshade, "But didn't he do it yesterday?"

"Yes and he will do it again today, have a problem with that?"

"No,"

"Good, now go find the other cats in your patrol,"

Stormwing padded over to the warriors den. Usually apprentices switched out who cleaned the elder's den everyday, unless an apprentice got into trouble. Though, as far as Stormwing knew, Ashpaw hadn't gotten into trouble.

Oh well, I'll ask Mottledstar about it later,

"Sneezetail, Redpelt," Stormwing meowed as he arrived at the entrance to the warrior's den, "You're needed for a patrol,"

Sneezetail got up and padded past Stormwing, making sure to push him rudely. Stormwing just rolled his eyes ignoring him. Every since the two were apprentice, they have hated each other. It didn't help that Stormwing was given an apprentice when Sneezetail was a moon older than him.

Redpelt walked out of the den yawning. Redpelt was one of the oldest warriors, and was expected to retire after Dewpaw was made a warrior. But the old warrior has commented to Stormwing that he was going to go fighting, that once he could barely move, he was going to go out in the forest, and challenge the first enemy he could find. Stormwing had nodded respectively to the older cat thinking if he ever got that old, he would enjoy being an elder and watching the clan activities in peace.

So, Stormwing padded after them, waiting patiently as Redpelt retrieved his apprentice, and then walked out into the forest in search of prey.

"I think we should split up," commented Stormwing.

"I think we should stick together and was father out until we reach the Boulderpile," meowed Sneezetail.

Redpelt turned his head to look at Sneezetail. "Stormwing is the patrol leader, you're not. If you really want to hunt over there, you can go by yourself,"

Sneezetail snorted before walking off through away from the rest of the patrol.

Stormwing turned his head, to look to the left. "I'll go this direction, you two can go wherever you like,"

Stormwing headed to his left. The scent of a mouse caused him to stop, after a few steps. Crouching down, he located the rodent not far from him, hiding under a fern to his right. Crawly around the mouse, he made sure he was upwind from the mouse before turning to face it. Making sure to keep low to the ground he stalked towards the mouse. Silently placing one paw in from of the other.

"Someone, come quick,"

Stormwing stood up quickly scaring the mouse away. Recognizing the voice as Dewpaw he dashed towards the sound. After leaping over a log, he arrived in a clear. Dewpaw was there, her tortoiseshell fur was ruffled, and he could easily smell the fear scent coming from her. Following the gaze of her green-eyes, he noticed a cat covered in blood in the clearing.

The cat was unrecognizable under all the blood. Slowly walking forward, he was aware of Redpelt coming out of the trees.

"Who is it?" He asked.

Stormwing ventured closely, until he could see the cat's leaf green-eyes. "I don't..."

Stormwing visioned blurred, and he felt like he was about to faint. He recognized those eyes.

It was Rabbitwhisker.

Chapter Three: Ashpaw
"Foxdung," exclaimed Ashpaw glancing around at the oak trees protecting the elders den. A rose bush sat at the entrance to the den. The silver tom had been carrying the elder's old bedding out when he accidentally caught his tail on a thorn.

After a few moments of tugging, Ashpaw sighed. Why couldn't Snakepaw clean out the elder's den. It was his turn, but his mother was Twilightshade, and she always found a way for someone else to do it. He was only slightly mad yesterday when he told to clean it out, for the cat who was supposed to do it yesterday, Horsepaw had been sick. But Snakepaw wasn't sick. In fact noted Ashpaw looking across the clearing, he looked happier than most of the other apprentices.

Probably because all the other apprentices do his work,

Ashpaw sighed again before returning to his task of releasing his tail. Once he freed his tail, leaving a patch of silver fur, he discarded the old bedding, and gathered some new moss. Hauling it into the clearing, he ran into his sister, Amberpaw.

"Hey, want me to help you with that? Icysnow has given me the rest of the day off," she meowed happily.

Ashpaw nodded as the silver tabby she-cat took half the moss, and then ran over to the elders den. Ashpaw trailed behind wondering how his sister could be so happy.

He entered to find his sister putting down the bedding. As he dropped the bedding from his mouth. Loud yowls made him turn his head to look outside the den. He recognized his mentor's gray tabby pelt. Stormwing ears were flat against his head. His eyes look sad and lonely.

What's wrong? wondered Ashpaw. As he continued watching, he could smell blood. A moment later a dead cat was carried into camp.

Chapter Four: Stormwing
He could barely see where he was going. Stormwing didn't really even know if this was really happening. Every once in a while he told himself it was all a bad dream, and that when he woke up, it would all be gone. Though, every time he looked at Rabbitwhisker's body, he knew it wasn't a dream. That tomorrow when he woke up, she would still be dead. Sitting down as Redpelt and Sneezetail laid down her body, he barely noticed the alarmed meows around him.