The Fading Sky

Chapter 2

Pinetail watched the tip of Darkpaw's tail disappear into the brush.

Oh no.

He was going straight to Tabbysky to report that she had killed Drizzlestorm. And she would be in huge trouble. She might be put on apprentice duties or worse, be demoted from her position as deputy.

"Darkpaw!" She tore after her apprentice, running faster than most FireClan cats. "Darkpaw, please! Wait!"

She was relieved to see him stop in front of her. But he looked as though he was going to run again.

"You killed an innocent cat!" Darkpaw accused.

"Watch your tounge!" Pinetail snarled. "I'm deputy!"

"So was Drizzlestorm!"

"It was an accident!" she exclaimed. "Besides, he was trespassing! Great SkyClan, can't we just keep this a little secret between you and me?"

Darkpaw glared at her, even though he was far younger than Pinetail. "I won't betray the warrior code like you have!" Darkpaw began to sprint off towards the camp again, to tell Tabbysky what happened.

Pinetail started running again. She cried out in pain as her paw got tangled in a bramble thicket. "Fox dung!" She didn't have time to undo the brambles though so she ran with them.

Finally, they reached camp. Darkpaw was still ahead of her. She could see him running to Tabbysky's den. "Darkpaw!"

"What in the name of SkyClan! Pinetail, must you drag in the whole forest on your paw? And what are those scratches?"

Pinetail reluctantly turned to face Sorrelfern, the medicine cat. "Please, Sorrelfern, give me on second!"

Sorrelfern shook her head. "You can talk to Darkpaw later! Now let me pull off those brambles and fix up your wounds!"

Miserably, Pinetail sat in front of the medicine cat den and let Sorrelfern fuss over her. She kept an eye on the leader's den where Darkpaw and Tabbysky were talking.

Finally, once Sorrelfern had pulled off the brambles and was chewing up ointment for her scratches, she saw Tabbysky emerge from his den with Darkpaw a pawstep behind. And from the icy look her leader gave her, she knew that Darkpaw had told him all about Drizzlestorm.