ASTERPAW

The copse of trees was alive with the calls of birds. Branches creaked as the wind swept through them, sending the leaves swirling, their rustling sound masking all others - including those of a cream-coloured cat as she stalked across the forest floor. Her green eyes focused on one thing: a sparrow that chirped not far away in the branches of an oak tree.

Asterpaw trotted with a certain skip in her step, her whiskers quivering and her ears pricked as she took in all that was around her. The she-cat's nose was raised, always moving as she used it to take in the scents around her and discover all of the things she was so curious about. Being so adventurous, as well as having such a keen sense of smell, made her want to explore as much as she could, despite the fact that she knew someone watched her while she hunted.

The scent this other cat invaded her nose and the light she-cat decided to ignore the forest around her, though it continued to call to the adventurous side of her, and turned to the task at hand. Approaching the oak tree, she sat at its base, green eyes gazing calmly up at the branches where the sparrow continued to sing, unaware of her presence. A small purr escaping her, she turned away and padded over to the neighbouring oak, small claws digging into its bark as she began to climb.

Being so small, the ascent took very little effort, and she was soon situated on a branch that hung just above where the sparrow perched. Her nose continued to twitch as she scaled the length of the branch, careful to keep her claws out to avoid slipping and falling to the forest floor below. The sharp and sweet scent of the sparrow made the she-cat's mouth water and the prospect of fresh-kill drove her forward. Bunching her muscles beneath her, the apprentice sprang off of the branch and into the neighbouring tree, aiming for the branch where the sparrow waited.

Her aim was true and she caught the sparrow with one paw, digging her claws into the branch with the other. Just like that, the bird hung limp from her claws and she let it drop to the ground below, the smell of death beginning to tinge the sweetness of its scent. This new scent, the dark and powerful one of death, brought horrible images to her mind and caused her to close her eyes.

But she was used to such interruptions; smells often reminded her of past events. Though her approach to blocking out these images was not very effective, she found them easier to block out now than before. The images faded quickly and she opened her green orbs to see the black pelt of a cat picking at the bird she dropped.

Yowling defiantly, she leaped from the branch, landing squarely on his shoulders. The raven-furred tom sprang away, hissing as the light apprentice began to purr. Bending over to check if the sparrow was still in tact, she turned to her mentor.

"How'd I do this time, Beetlewatcher?" she asked, a glimmer in her eyes. The apprentice knew that she had done well, especially with her decision to climb the neighbouring tree in order to get closer to her prey. It was a trick the black tom taught her and she always made sure to take his words to heart. He was the deputy and a great hunter at that, making him the best mentor she could have hoped for.

"You did very well, Asterpaw," he replied calmly. "I didn't expect you to use that trick, but you definitely surprised me." Beetlewatcher's fur was not yet lying flat after the scare Asterpaw gave him, and the apprentice enjoyed seeing the usually calm and collected tom slightly frazzled. Catching him off-guard was not a common occurence.

With a flick of his black tail, he turned back in the direction of the RockClan camp. Obediently, Asterpaw followed, the sparrow hanging from her jaw. She heard Beetlewatcher calling for his sister, Otterheart, who had come with them to the little copse of trees near the Carrion Place to look for herbs. Catmint, in particular, grew here, and with leaf-fall swiftly approaching the medicine cat did not want to be left without the only herb that was known to cure greencough. If not for Otterheart's need to stock up the medicine storage, Asterpaw might have been hunting lizards in the canyon instead. The Clan visited Carrion Place only when certain herbs that only grew nearby were needed. Otherwise, it was strictly off limits, especially to apprentices like herself. Being the apprentice of the deputy certainly had its bonuses, though it also meant he was busier than other mentors.

The trio set off, Beetlewatcher and Asterpaw with prey in their mouths while Otterheart carried catmint in her own, the leaves invading Asterpaw's nose with their sharp scent. Fighting the urge to sneeze, the apprentice inhaled the smell of the sparrow instead and, though she tried to block out the images the smell of death brought with it, it was to no avail.

Dark and heavy clouds hung in the grey sky and the snarls of felines rose to meet the heavens. There was no light, but teeth and claws continued to glint in the darkness and the mismatched colours of eyes glowed through the gloom. The smell of blood thickened the air, an unpleasant smell that left a metallic taste in one's mouth. Shrieks could be heard, as well as threats delivered in low growls, almost too soft to hear.

"Those kits will be the death of us," someone growled. "Let go of them or it'll be your body bleeding on the ground and not theirs." The rest of the words were lost as cats began to argue, voices rising in volume until they were screeching over one another. A smell joined the noise, one that tasted metallic, and yowls and screams and cries rose up, but the image was blurry and the colours too dark. The only thing to be seen was a pair of yellow eyes, filled with hatred and cruelty. The pupils shifted to meet Asterpaw's gaze and she felt her heart begin to race.

Frightened by the images, the apprentice dropped the sparrow and the smell of death receded enough for her to be able to push the images away. Breathing hard, she stopped to collect herself and Beetlewatcher and Otterheart halted, watching her with wide eyes. Dropping his prey to the ground, Asterpaw's mentor approached her slowly so as not to scare her and wrapped his tail comfortingly around her, murmuring soothing words until his apprentice's breathing began to slow and soften, her body no longer quaking with the sharp breaths. It was not the first time he had dealt with one of Asterpaw's flashbacks.

"I'll carry the fresh-kill for you," he whispered softly and Asterpaw just nodded. The feeling of failure filled her, but she refused to come near the sparrow. The images and sounds and scents of the flashback still filled her head and she was unwilling to have them repeat themselves. Falling into step behind her mentor as they continued back towards the camp, the light she-cat hung her head in defeat.

The grass under her paws soon turned to rocks and then into a plateau that lead to a canyon. The light of the setting sun made the red rock under her paws appear brighter and Asterpaw shuddered when she realized that it was almost the colour of blood. For some reason, she could almost smell that distinct scent that only blood had and taste the metal in her mouth, but the apprentice brushed it aside, thinking it to be a remnant from her vision.

Yet, the smell grew and the taste continued to inch into her mouth until all she could taste was that metal. The fur slowly beginning to rise on her scruff and back, Asterpaw raced past Beetlewatcher and Otterheart, who had not picked up on the scent yet. Noticing her agitation, the two sped up, following the she-cat as she raced off across the plateau.

The expanse of red rock ended suddenly in a steep cliff but Asterpaw continued to run, knowing there was a path that led down its side. Her claws provided a sort of grip on the rocks, which meant she could still travel quickly, though much more dangerously, down the canyon wall.

"Asterpaw, slow down!" she heard from behind her, but the smell of blood and death filled her nose and the apprentice was deaf and blind to all else around her. The path wound down the cliff face and she followed it blindly, her keen sense of smell having taken over all the others. The path moved past the warriors den, the highest den on the cliff face, then past her own, continuing on past the medicine den, nursery and elders den before reaching an end on the canyon floor.

Hopping down the last few tail lengths to the ground, Asterpaw twisted her head around the camp, searching for the source of the scent. Her eyes landed on a cat that was being carried in, its body limp. A blood stain stretched over its tortoiseshell pelt and, underneath the overwhelming smell of it, there was something else: poison.

The darkening sky was filled with voices, rising up to the clouds just as they had in her vision. The apprentice felt her heart rate quickening once more as the memory pushed at the back of her mind, begging to be let in even as she tried her hardest to keep it at bay.

Flinching away from the scene, the apprentice turned to leave before the scents became too strong and sucked her back in to another flashback. Beetlewatcher and Otterheart rushed past her as she did so, saying something that Asterpaw did not hear.

Cries that sounded very much like the name of RockClan's leader, Sparrowstar, rose behind her as she ran from the scene, her nose already picking out the scents of her siblings. If there was anyone who would be able to explain her flashback and why it had happened moments before the scene before her, it would be one of them.

A/N: Asterpaw is the first of the six POV's this story is written from. The next five will explore those viewpoints.