Cloverpaw's Shadow

Chapter 10

The clearing fell dead silent. Cloverpaw glanced around, baffled. 

Everyone who was awake turned to look at her and she squirmed under their stares. The battle hadn't been real!

She remembered her own wounds. They certainly were real. She had been trying to blame them on thorns and too much strain in her muscles but maybe...

"Cloverpaw?" Finchstar asked quietly, interrupting her thoughts.

She held her head high. She was to be proud of this. Snakepaw would be if the roles were reversed. She had defeated an enemy warrior! "I didn't think that move was that strong," She mumbled to herself. "I'll have to tell Twistedbrook." Then she nodded. "Yes," She shrank back as Finchstar's gaze turned to stone.

Murmurs and whispers rose up. "I'm sure you'll take care of this properly," Jaystar said. He dipped his head and he and his cats slipped out of the entrance.

Finchstar called, "Everyone back to what you're supposed to be doing." Then he led Cloverpaw into his den.

The sounds were muffled and the it was cold inside of her leader's den. She shivered.

Finchstar sat faced away from her. "Why?" He asked quietly.

Cloverpaw shuffled her paws. You have nothing to be afraid of, A voice whispered. He should have been stronger.

Cloverpaw took a deep breath. "I did nothing wrong."

Finchstar whirled around. "You killed a Shadowclan apprentice! Thats against the warrior code! Not to mention that you have to have crossed into their territory to do it!"

She hissed at him. "I didn't set a paw into Shadowclan's territory."

Finchstar tilted his head. "What?"

Making a decision that was sure to change her life forever,  she told him everything, from the first moment she met Twistedbrook, from all of her moons training. The only thing she didn't tell him about was the prophecy.

Finchstar was silent when she finished. Then he spoke.

"Why train in the Dark Forest?"

Cloverpaw raised her head. "Because Starclan can't be trusted and we need to stop them."

Finchstar gasped. "How can you say that?" He demanded. "How do you know the Dark Forest cats are right?"

She hesitated. The she met his glare. "How do you know Starclan is right?"

His only reply was a snarl.

Cloverpaw continued. "They've been lying to us for moons. They can't be trusted and never will be. They need to be taken down."

Finchstar stalked closer to her. "Any cat who disrespects Starclan and the warrior code has no place in Thunderclan. You're banished."

***

Cloverpaw streaked out of the den as fast as her limp would let her. She kept her head down, not caring that cats were starting to stare. She had almost made it to the entrance when Poolpaw stepped in her path.

Cloverpaw skidded to a halt. "What?" She asked harshly.

Poolpaw tensed. "What happened?" She asked.

Cloverpaw hissed. "Why don't you ask your precious leader? Or Starclan? They seem to know everything."

She swerved around Poolpaw, but she blocked her. Furious, Cloverpaw leaped on the medicine cat apprentice. Poolpaw dodged, but it wasn't enough. Cloverpaw's claws slashed over her face, and she took a bite out of Poolpaw's ear. Cats around her gasped and started yowling.

Finchstar rushed up. "Stop!" He commanded.

Cloverpaw rolled under Poolpaw and dashed out of the entrance. She glanced back once and saw looks of pain, fury, and dismay on her former clanmates. Then she raced into the trees.

***

Poolpaw limped back to the medicine cat's den and lay down in her nest. Finchstar entered the den.

"Are you okay?" He asked her gently.

Poolpaw buried her head. "What happened?" She asked, her voice muffled.

Finchstar sighed. "I banished her."

Poolpaw sat up abruptly. Pain shot through her leg, and she gritted her teeth. Facing Finchstar, she said, "That's going to make it worse! She's training in the Dark Forest, and now she hates Thunderclan!" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "She's going to want revenge."

Finchstar tensed. "I made a mistake," He said.

Poolpaw closed her eyes. A vision passed behind her eyes, and she gasped.

"What?" Finchstar demanded.

Poolpaw opened her eyes. "Do you know what she's going to do?" She asked him quietly. Not waiting for a response, she said, "She's going to train harder. She's going to stop at nothing to get back at Thunderclan." She sighed. "When I met her in the forest that day, I heard her Dark Forest mentor tell her, 'You need to train harder. You won't get away with that lack of skill in the upcoming battle.'"

Finchstar fell silent. Then he spoke.

"Does that mean they are planning an attack?" Finchstar asked.

Poolpaw sighed. "I don't know. I didn't think Cloverpaw would willingly attack Thunderclan, but that was before. Now..." She trailed off.

Finchstar rose and trotted to the den entrance. "Thank you for telling me. I might have to send out patrols, but we'll find her." He exited the den.

Poolpaw sighed and closed her eyes again. The vision passed before her eyes again and she tensed.

"The darkness is approaching," She whispered. "And only one cat will be able to stop it."