Chapter 7
As the moon's tip passed the treeline, Duskshine sat sharing a squirrel with Brightfeather near the center of the clearing. Most of the other cats were sleeping, hunting, or doing other things.
"So," meowed Duskshine between a gulp of fresh-kill. "How's being the medicine cat's apprentice going?"
"Oh, it's great!" meowed Brightfeather. "I'm learning about all sorts of herbs and remedies. I don't even know if I can remember them all!"
"That's great!" purred Duskshine. She stopped as Badgerfang padded up to the two. "Hello, Badgerfang." meowed Duskshine.
"Good evening, Duskshine." meowed Badgerfang. "I want you to go on patrol with Appleheart, Dawnlight, Rainpelt and Icefur. There'll be another cat going with you, so don't leave camp until they're with you."
"C-Can I come?" asked Brightfeather nervously.
"No," meowed Badgerfang. "Sorry, but medicine cats and their apprentices don't go on warrior patrols." He then turned and padded away.
"O-Okay..." mewed Brightfeather. She then turned to Duskshine. "Goodbye, Duskshine."
"Bye, Brightfeather," sighed Duskshine, getting up. "Sorry you can't come." Turning around, Duskshine ran to the warrior's den. Poking her head inside, she found that her friends were the only ones sleeping in the den at that time. "Psst! Wake up, you guys!" she whispered.
Dawnlight was sitting up in a heartbeat. "I'm not sleeping, silly!" she giggled. "I'm still awake!" She then jumped up and bounced over to Duskshine.
Appleheart was next to wake up. She sat up and yawned a long, luxurious yawn. "Wad'ya need, sugar cube?"
"Yeah," hissed a pile of blue-gray fur. "What do you need?" Rainpelt lifted her head. "Some of us are trying to sleep."
"Badgerfang sent me to wake you guys up so we can go on the evening patrol," she meowed. "He said to wait for another cat to come with us." With a groan of disliking, Rainpelt got up and joined Duskshine with the others. Icefur then followed behind, having had stopped to thoroughly groom her pelt. All five friends then padded to the camp entrance to wait.
"Who are we waiting for again?" Rainpelt asked after some time. Her tail was twitching with impatience.
"I don't know who," meowed Duskshine. "Badgerfang just told me to get you guys and wait here for someone else for the evening patrol." Just then, a long, silver she-cat with sparkling blue eyes ran up to them. This was Duskshine's mentor, Silvertail.
"So sorry I'm late!" meowed Silvertail. She stopped for a moment to yawn."I had to chase a rogue cat off our territory this morning. They were in the very middle of it, so I had to chase it far. I got tired, so I came back to camp to rest and Badgerfang told me to come on the patrol."
"It's alright," meowed Duskshine. "Now let's go on the patrol." Turning around, Duskshine padded out of the exit with her friends following. Once she was sure everyone had followed her out of the bush tunnel, she picked up pace and raced left through the trees. Cool night air brushed past her face as she ran over tree roots and pebbles.
After what seemed like only a few heartbeats, she slowed down as the acrid stench of the Thunderpath greeted her. Scrunching her nose in disgust, Duskshine padded out into the open and onto the gray stone surface that lay next to the long, black Thunderpath.
"My goodness gracious!" coughed Icefur. "What a horrible scent!"
"It smells like garbage," hissed Rainpelt, bristling her fur.
"Ooo, shiny!" meowed Dawnlight, hopping onto the edge of the Thunderpath. She then walked up to a shiny Twoleg thing near the middle of the Thunderpath.
"Ya'll get back here before a monster comes by," called Appleheart. As soon as this was said, the ground beneath the six cats began rumbling.
"Dawnlight, get over here!" yowled Silvertail over the growing rumbling. A monster then appeared on the horizon, its small eyes glowing in the moonlight. As the monster grew closer to the cats, Dawnlight turned and gasped, the monster not many fox-lengths away from her.
"PINKIE PIE!!!" yowled Duskshine. Making last second calculations, Duskshine leaped onto the Thunderpath, crouching down and pushing Dawnlight out of the way of the monster that now passed over her head.