Warriors: The Darkest Shadow [Book 1]

Chapter 7

     Shadepaw awoke the next morning, her fur was matted with moss and leaves, she decided to groom herself quickly before padding outside.

     When she made it outside the apprentice's den, Shadepaw was greeted by Greypaw, "Morning Shadepaw! You in the mood for some fresh-kill?" He asked with encouragement, "Of course! I would love some." She purred happily, Greypaw had a big rabbit behind him, he quickly turned to grab it.

     The prey dangled from his jaws, "Follow me, I know the perfect spot!" She meowed to him, Greypaw nodded in reply, then Shadepaw began towards an oak tree on the side of camp, near the nursery.

     They began to eat the rabbit, Shadepaw was silently thanking StarClan for the life this prey had served when Greypaw broke the silence, "So Shadepaw, I have an important question." He started, Shadepaw still silently ate her share of the prey, she nodded, the signal for 'go on', "You know how I'm about to be a warrior? Well what happens if I like a she-cat, who um-" He trailed off, Shadepaw's face suddenly felt hot.

     Is he talking about me? She thought, the more she thought about it the hotter her face would get, she looked to see Greypaw's face was as red as some of the leaves that were on the trees, "G-Go on." She stammered, eager and anxious to hear whom he was meowing about, "What if the she-cat is not a, w-warrior?" He asked, all the feeling in Shadepaw's body flushed down to her paws, she instantly knew who he was talking about, Bluepaw, she goes tonight to get her medicine cat name. Shadepaw thought, she tried to hide her rage and disappointment.

     "So what's should I do Shadepaw? My assessment is in two days, should I tell her after I'm a warrior, or while I'm still an apprentice?" He asked, He wants your advice, just give it to him and move on! Shadepaw thought with hurt, "You should tell her before she leaves, she knows your assessment is in two days, but I can't promise she will like you the same way." Shadepaw replied reluctantly, "Thank you Shadepaw!" He meowed happily, the grey apprentice threw his arms around her neck, "Of course, I will come with you, to watch you." She said through gritted teeth, "Ok then lets go!" He said.

     Greypaw was padding towards the medicine den, Shadepaw hot on his heels, "What does he see in her?" She muttered under her breath, "What was that?" Greypaw asked as he neared the entrance, "N-nothing!" She meowed back, as Greypaw began to turn around Shadepaw saw a familiar grey pelt pop out of the entrance, Greypaw rammed head first into it, "Bluepaw! What's up?" Greypaw meowed in surprise, "Hey, Greypaw? You need something? Me and Nightpool are about to go to the moonpool, so you need to make it quick." Bluepaw hissed urgently.

     Shadepaw could hear Greypaw take a big breath in, "I um, I kinda um, uh-" Greypaw stuttered and stammered, "You kinda, what?" The medicine cat apprentice asked with concern, "I like you!" He blurted, Shadepaw felt in raged the second Greypaw meowed those words, Bluepaw sat there with a red face, Shadepaw gritted her teeth when Bluepaw opened her mouth, "I like you too Greypaw." She replied, Shadepaw dug her claws into the ground, Where is Sparrowsong when I need her? Or Cloudpaw? She hissed to herself, "Really?" The warrior apprentice's face went red, "Yes." Bluepaw said as she intertwined her tail with his.

     Shadepaw knew they looked like the perfect mates, they were perfect for each other, but hurt still flushed the feeling down to her paws, a cool breeze blew by, Shadepaw begged StarClan to make a breeze big enough to carry her thoughts and hurt away, to a far away place. "Bluepaw! Lets go!" Nightpool hissed from inside the medicine den, Bluepaw padded away from Greypaw, her claws stung and ached when she finally sheathed them back in, suddenly she heard a familiar voice, "Shadepaw! Training. Now." It was the voice of Sparrowsong.

     "Now pounce." Her mentor meowed, Shadepaw jumped at a pebble on the ground, she felt triumph when the tiny rock sunk into the ground a little more when she landed, Sparrowsong nodded and began back, "Wait? That's it?" She questioned, "No were patrolling you mouse-brain." She hissed blankly. Rude. Shadepaw thought with bitterness and hurt, they were already near the border with ShadowClan, so Shadepaw expected to go that way, but Sparrowsong went straight, what? She thought.

     Sparrowsong padded straight for many many moments before turning right, then stopping at the border, a familiar scent fell over her nose, it made her eyes water, ShadowClan. Her thoughts hissed, but the stench was stronger here, more than just a border smell, "You stay here, catch something before you come back, this is a practice assessment." Her mentor meowed before turning and walking back to camp.

     Shadepaw stood by the border almost rooted to the spot, suddenly she saw something stir in the shadows, again, the pine forest felt like home, it was calling her. No mouse-brain! You are a ThunderClan cat through and through! She thought, Shadepaw began to turn around when she saw something move, she twisted back completely around to see a brown she-cat pelt silently moving in the shadows.

     Another pelt moved beside the brown one, a familiar grey one, Ashpaw! Her thoughts screamed with joy, but before she could yell out to her brother, she saw two more pelts behind them, another grey one, and a black one, Shadepaw recognized the black one. Larkpaw? She thought, when Shadepaw got a better look at the bigger grey one, she stopped cold. Scorchfang. Her thoughts hissed in rage, "Scorchfang? Where are we going?" Larkpaw asked her father, "You shall see, Larkpaw." He replied as he jumped over a fallen log.

     The four ShadowClan cats padded through the forest, getting further and further from Shadepaw's view, so she began to follow them, suddenly she saw Ashpaw trip in a rabbit hole, Shadepaw tried not to laugh, but her eyes watered with laughter.

     They walked straight for a long time, so long that Shadepaw lost count, all of a sudden she saw the glitter of the lake. Why are they going here? She thought, as the cats neared the lake they began along the shore, towards WindClan territory, Shadepaw still followed silently.

     "When will we be there?" Ashpaw groaned with boredom, "Soon, dear Ashpaw." The brown she-cat meowed with amusement, Shadepaw hated how this she-cat acted around her brother, her pelt shined even in the Leaf-bare sun, when the sky was extra gloomy, she looked as if she was still an apprentice, "Twigleaf is right Ashpaw." Scorchfang said to his son, the way he talked made Shadepaw's skin crawl, suddenly she saw the moors, where the oak trees fade into dead grass, and frosted ground, and then Shadepaw saw a cream colored she-cat walking along the border.

     Scorchfang padded up to her once she hit the shore, "Hello Harefoot, how are you?" He asked, it was hard for Shadepaw to hide and hear at the same time, she hid behind some dead brambles, which did not give lots of cover, "Where is our prey?" The ShadowClan deputy asked with greed, "Listen Scorchfang, Swiftstar is suspicious about the shortage in prey, and Juniperleaf just had three kits, could we slack down on the prey exchange?" The WindClan warrior questioned, Shadepaw saw Scorchfang's amber eyes were blazing with rage.

     "You dare defy us? We are ShadowClan! The greatest clan who has ever lived! No cat shall defy us, especially not you!" The deputy hissed maniacally, Shadepaw saw him unsheathe his long front claws, the cream colored she-cat cowered and shook as he lifted a paw, "So? Where is our prey?" The tom hissed again, Shadepaw saw Larkpaw staring in horror, his face reflecting hers, while her brother was watching with an anxious, yet evil glare, and Twigleaf's expressions was unreadable.

     "Like I said, my clan needs the prey, and I am a loyal WindClan warrior!" Harefoot hissed back at him, "Wrong answer." Her father said, suddenly the tom slashed his long claws across her neck.

(What's up guys! I just wanna give a shoutout to LemonSunset12345 for being my first follower! She has a fanfic to! You guys should definitely read it!!)