Warriors: Dark Whispers

~Chapter 14~

Ghostpaw slinked out of his nest. The moon was just rising and all the cats were asleep except the guards. Ghostpaw slowly walked past them. Relief flooded over him until he heard a voice behind him.

"Hey! Where are you going?" It was Willowbreath, one of the guards.

Ghostpaw turned to face her. "For a walk," he lied. "I can't sleep."

Willowbreath still looked uncertain but let it go and sat back down. Ghostpaw sighed and kept walking. Finally, he got to where he had seen Crow while he was escaping his brothers stare. Their scents still hung in the air.

Finally, he saw her. Her black pelt blended in with the sky behind her. Ghostpaw padded up the meet her.

"Greetings, Ghostpaw," Crow whispered, her voice containing lust and plead. She thrust her muzzle by Ghostpaw's cheek and purred loudly.

"Don't do it," whispered a low, quiet voice. Ghostpaw spun around. A gray figure was outlined against the stars. Granitestar!

"Ghostpaw, only tragedy will come if you stay with her," this was a new voice, high pitched and corse from what sounded like a tom.

Beside Granitestar, Ghostpaw could make out another figure. A tom, like he had predicted, with ragged, unkept fur. It glowed a dull ginger in the moonlight and his head was held high next to Granitestar's shoulder.

Ghostpaw thought about leaving, then looked over at Crow's sparkling eyes. His heart ached with longing until he finally gave into her stare. "You can't tell me what to do,"
he muttered under his breath and launched himself at Crow playfully, a purr rising steadily in his throat.

A moon had passed since his first visit with Crow, and the eerie warning from Starclan. Ghostpaw laid by Crow, watching the sun rise and turn the sky a bright pink. He had suggested they start visiting outside of his territory so a patrol wouldn't pick up their scents.

"I best be getting back to camp," Ghostpaw murmured, standing and arching his back in a stretch. He licked Crow on the head before padding back to camp.

He stopped for a hunt before poking his head into camp with a rabbit in his jaws. Lostpaw noticed him and padded over.

"Ghostpaw, Beeclaw wants you on dawn patrol," he informed him before padding back to the group crowded around the deputy. Ghostpaw let out a snort and dropped his rabbit in the fresh-kill pile before standing by the entrance to wait for the rest of the patrol.

Soon, Shineheart, who had became a warrior a moon earlier along with Icefall, padded up to him with Raindrizzle and Thornear flanking her.

"Let's go," Shineheart ordered briskly, sliding her way to the head of the group. Ghostpaw fell in with Thornear at the rear. He yawned, tired from staying up all night.

Thornear growled suspiciously and turned over towards him. "Where do you keep going? The guards report that you leave every night."

Panic flared inside of Ghostpaw as he met his mentors angry orange gaze. "I thought I needed to catch up on my hunting and battling skills, so I go out and practice every night," he flicked his ear and let out a low growl when Thornear continued to stare in suspicion.

"You know, your final assessment is next moon," Thornear murmured with a sly smile. "Maybe I should train you harder to prepare you more."

Ghostpaw flexed his claws in excitement. "Really?" He squeaked. Though he had a cat he wished he would soon call his mate, his bloodthirsty ambitions had not changed. Ghostpaw crouched down and lashed out his thorn-like claws, raking across the air in a death blow. "When will we start?"

"After sun high, so be prepared and meet me in the training hollow," Thornear lashed his tail and leaped forward to catch up with the rest of the patrol. Ghostpaw followed eagerly.

Laying next to his brother, Ghostpaw gulped down the rest of his rabbit and looked at the sky. The sun was slowly descending from it's greatest height. Training! Ghostpaw thought, unsheathing his claws and sprinting out of camp, abandoning a bewildered Lostpaw.

Slowing into the training hollow, Ghostpaw spotted Thornear in the center, his razor-sharp clawed unsheathed, twitching impatiently. At the sight of Ghostpaw, Thornear leaped, claws outstretched. Ghostpaw let out a squeal of shock and excitement and rolled to the side, raking his claws along the side of his mentors flank. He gathered himself and launched again while Thornear was still unbalanced.

Ghostpaw landed on his shoulders and dug his claws into his fur. Scarlet rolled out from under his claws. Thornear whipped around in anger and threw Ghostpaw off his back. The apprentice looked up to see Thornear hurtling himself on top of him.

Thornear landed hard on Ghostpaw, knowing the breath out of him. Thornear raked his claws along the side of Ghostpaw's flank, leaving a deep gash. As the apprentice staggered to his feet, he leaped of again, crouched for the next attack.

Ghostpaw got up and shook his head. Thornear struck blows to Ghostpaw's face until the weary apprentice finally dodged, ducking and springing at his mentor's face. He raked his claws hard along Thornear's right eye until warm blood gushed out from under his claws. Letting out a growl of satisfaction, he dug his claws deeper.

Thornear let out a yowl of pain and shook Ghostpaw off, grabbing him by the ear and flinging his across he hollow. Thornear growled and spit out some of Ghostpaw's furry flesh.

Ghostpaw looked up, dazed. Blood trickled in his eye and the fresh notch in his ear throbbed in pain. Thornear stood over him, scarlet-stained claws outstretched, ready to deal another blow, when Sandnose burst through the entrance. She let out a gasp and shoved Thornear away.

"Were you two training with claws unsheathed?" Sandnose growled. "Let's get you both to the Medicine cat." She guided the two scowling toms back to camp to be met by shocked gazes.

The battered cats squeezed into the den, the smell of hearts tickling their noses. Fernwhisker let out a surprised squeal when she saw Thornear and Ghostpaw.

After she had treated both cats, she crouched, looking into Ghostpaw's clouded gaze. "Follow you instincts, Ghostpaw, do what is right, and for Starclan's sake, be carful."

//Yeah!! If you haven't noticed, I changed the cover!! And sorry about this chapter, it is a little messed up. It doesn't have much of what the cats are thinking. I apologize its screwed up :P hope us like it anyways//