˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶THE BLACKENED ROOT ︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚

Instructions

˚₊꒷꒦︶ PROLOGUE: THE WHISPERING SOIL︶꒦꒷‧₊˚ “We’re going to be the finest warriors RootClan has ever seen.” Before the sun had even cleared through the heavy treetops the apprentice den had already started moving. Lynxpaw forced her eyes open, squinting at the hard morning light that poked through the bramble roof. Next to her Beepaw was already up, stretching his strong legs like he was ready for war. "Get up lazy bones! " Beepaw purred as he rubbed against Lynxpaw trying to get her up and out of her soft moss bed. His dark bee stripes blurred as he shook his fur getting the last of his sleepy-self out. " The mentors are waiting! So let's go! " Lynxpaw groaned but scrambled up anyway, shaking old moss off her back. She knew that if she was late for training Goldsky was going to kill her! She trotted outside, the air was crisp, smelling like pine and wet dirt from hunting tunnels. They headed towards the main clearing just as their other clan mates began to wake up. Over the fresh kill pile, Mudwhisker, the oldest elder looked at the prey trying to choose like it was a life or death situation. As he heard footsteps he whipped his head up, he had seen many battles and it showed, scars scattered across his face and neck with a nick in his ear. " You better get some food in your ungrateful stomachs before you leave! " He hissed in his deep, hoarse voice. " Can't hunt on an empty stomach! And don't you dare drag mud into the elders den later! " " We won't, Mudwhisker! " Beepaw called back, his leaf-green eyes had mischief lingering within them as he snagged a small rabbit for them to split. They swallowed the last few bites as their mentors called them over. Goldsky, Lynxpaw's mentor, stood straight and tight, her calico fur seemed to shine in the morning light. She was known for being the prettiest she-cat in the clan, but her amber eyes tracked them sharp, no nonsense look. Tearfall stood next to her, his deep brown pelt blending with the dark soil and trees. He was a weird tom. The light brown tear-like marks ran down from his eyes to his chin, it made him look ancient. The weirdest thing about him was the way he talked.. he never would talk like the rest of the clan, well unless he was sick. Like, very sick. Everything he said sounded like a riddle or a poem, there was a meaning behind everything, a very hidden one indeed. " The sun is up, but the dirt still remembers the frost, " Tearfall muttered, his cloudy hazel eyes stared at the sky instead of his apprentice, Beepaw. " Paws have to listen to the soil! " He snapped his head towards Beepaw, and stomped his paw on the soil. Goldsky comforted Tearfall with a simple tail touch, making Tearfall relax and sit down. Beepaw simply nodded and smiled, he was used to it by now. Goldsky laughed lightly, her graceful tail sweeping the ground. " Basically, we're practicing our root-running and defense. So lets get moving. Now. " They headed into the woods, the soil seemed to dry as the morning continued. Goldsky led them deep, into the thickest part of the woods where massive tree roots twisted together like large wooden snakes. " Alright, Lynxpaw, " Goldsky said, hopping onto a huge, slick root with effortless grace. " Watch how I balance. Keep low. If you're too high, you'll fall on your face before you even get a WHIFF of the prey. Now, give it a shot. " Lynxpaw swallowed hard as she nervously looked at the treacherous, gnarled, tree root beneath her paws. She bunched her muscles and leaped towards the first root, but her back paws instantly lost grip on the slick moss. " Claws in! " Goldsky hissed, her amber eyes flashed in annoyance as she lashed her tail. " Dig your claws into the bark just enough to anchor yourself. A RootClan warrior doesn't just skim the surface. We latch onto it! " Taking a slow, steadying breath, Lynxpaw dropped her center of gravity and tried again. This time, her strong digging claws slid perfectly into a groove in the rough tree bark. She found her footing, a triumphant smile spread across her face. A few tail-lengths away, Tearfall was watching Beepaw approach an old, hollow, tree stump. The odd warrior tilted his head, his hazy, unread eyes tracked the lifting shadows. " The dark must swallow the hunter, Beepaw. If your weight makes the forest scream, the teeth of the underground will find you. " " Right, keep the weight distributed, " Beepaw translated flawlessly. Flattening his ears, he lowered his frame until his striped golden belly brushed against the forest floor. With a sudden blast of power from his hind legs, he exploded forward. He vaulted clean over a massive, exposed root with jaw-dropping grace, landing silently directly behind Lynxpaw. "Pounce! " Beepaw yowled, tackling her playfully from behind before they were sent tumbling into a massive pile of dead leaves. " Get off, you big show-off! " Lynxpaw squealed, kicking him away { CONT. }