Cloverpaw's Shadow

Chapter 4

Twistedbrook didn't visit that night. Or the next night after that. Cloverpaw was starting to think she was imagining hearing his voice. She was glad she didn't have to face him again, but she had to admit, she was curious to see what he had to offer.

Cloverpaw yawned. She blinked open her eyes, waking up to a world of silence. She flicked her tail and exited the den. She looked around. No one was in the clearing, and the sun was halfway up in the sky.

She felt confused. Heading out into the forest, she decided Frostpetal must have all of them out hunting and on patrols. Which was strange, but who was she to question the deputy's decision? She scented the air, and dropped into a hunters crouch. She tracked a squirrel right up to the base of a tree, and leaped.

The squirrel looked up just in time to see Cloverpaw and tried to run. It was too late. Cloverpaw bit the back of its neck and sent a silent thanks to Starclan.

"Well done," A voice said.

Cloverpaw whirled around. "Twistedbrook!" She exclaimed.

She hesitated. "Am I dreaming?" She asked him.

He laughed. "In some ways, yes." He walked up to her and laid his tail on her. "Follow me."

Cloverpaw dropped her squirrel and scraped some dirt over it. She would have to come back to get it later. Trailing after Twistedbrook, she told him, "I've made up my mind. I'll join you."

Twistedbrook smiled. "That's good. We will be glad to have you join our forces."

They had entered upon a clearing. Cloverpaw looked around. She didn't recognize where they were at, and the trees loomed over her head. She was back in the Dark forest once again.

"So what am I going to do now?" She asked.

Twistedbrook led her over to a fallen tree. Leaping on top of it, he told Cloverpaw, "This is our regular meeting place. I want to introduce you to the others."

He let out a call, and cats started streaming in the clearing from the shadows of the trees.

When all of the cats had gathered, he said, "Cloverpaw of Thunderclan has decided to join us. She will begin training tomorrow." He paused. "Deathshade, you will train her." Leaping down, he padded up to her. "See you tomorrow."

Cloverpaw was excited to begin training. She bounded off into the forest. Crashing into a tree, she woke up in her nest. Sunlight was streaming in through the entrance, and she blinked.

She was going to train in the Dark Forest! She would learn things no other cat in Thunderclan knew! She trotted out of the den. All she had to do was wait for nightfall.

***

Cloverpaw rolled to the left. Deathshade's claws just missed her flank. She jumped up and leaped on him. She pinned him against the ground, and he heaved her off him.

"Good job," He said. Cloverpaw felt proud.

Deathshade paused. He scented the air, and growled. Whipping around, Cloverpaw saw another cat approaching.

"Junipercloud!" She exclaimed. Looking back at Deathshade, she felt lost. She knew she wasn't supposed to have any interaction with Starclan cats. They were evil and untrustworthy. At least, that's what Deathshade had told her.

"Cloverpaw," Junipercloud nodded at her. Then she narrowed her eyes at Deathshade. "What are you doing?" She questioned.

Deathshade held her gaze. "Training my apprentice."

Junipercloud frowned. Then she turned to Cloverpaw. "You shouldn't be here," She told her gently. "The Dark Forest is no place for you."

Cloverpaw scowled. "I like training here. I'm learning so many new things!"

Junipercloud sighed. "Starclan doesn't approve of you training here. We thought better of you."

Cloverpaw hissed. "I don't care what Starclan thinks! You obviously thought wrong." She turned around, facing her mentor. "Go away."

When she turned back around, Junipercloud was gone. Cloverpaw felt a pang in her stomach. She shook her head.

"You handled that well," Twistedbrook said, coming out of the trees.

Cloverpaw kept her eyes on the ground. Twistedbrook padded up to her. "Show me what you've learned so far."

Cloverpaw shoved any thoughts about Junipercloud out of her mind. She concentrated on her attack, determined to prove that she could be the best, most loyal Dark Forest cat. She didn't need Starclan telling her what to do!

The next day

"Cloverpaw!" Cloverpaw sat up. "What?" She asked. Her muscles ached. She had impressed Twistedbrook last night.  He had told her she learned quickly.

Nettlepaw stood over her. "Firefang and Berrypelt want us for battle training."

Cloverpaw held in a groan. She had trained all night! But they didn't know that. Sighing, she stood up and stretched.

Nettlepaw headed out of the den. Cloverpaw groomed moss out of her fur, and noticed a long scratch trailing down from her chest to her front leg. Luckily it wasn't bleeding. That would be pretty hard to explain. She smoothed her fur over the scratch, doing her best to hide it. She padded out of the den, excited to show off what she had learned.

Cloverpaw stumbled back as a screech echoed through the clearing. Sootfrost, Tallsky, and Aspenpool raced in through the bramble barrier. Tallsky was dragging something behind him.

Finchstar burst out of his den. "What in Starclan's name happened?" He demanded.

Aspenpool skidded to a stop. "The badger attacked us. Sootfrost is badly injured and..." She broke off with a strangled sound.

"Where's Stonetail?" Finchstar asked her.

Aspenpool shivered. "The badger got him." 

Finchstar closed his eyes. Cloverpaw stood there, not knowing what to do, watching as Tallsky laid Stonetail's body in the clearing. Sootfrost limped off to the medicine den.

Nightfeather came out of the nursery. "What's going-" She spotted her mate's body and let out a wail. Whiskerkit followed her mother as she laid down beside Stonetail.

Cloverpaw didn't know what to do. Why would Starclan let this happen? She thought angrily.

This is not Starclan's fault, Junipercloud's voice whispered in Cloverpaw's mind.

Cloverpaw closed her eyes. She didn't feel like arguing with Junipercloud today. She walked back into the apprentices den and curled up in her nest. She wondered what was going to happen next. How many more cats are going to die? She thought. Someone need to take care of that badger.

She sighed and fell into and uneasy sleep.