Warriors: The Darkest Shadow [Book 1]

Chapter 10

   (Cloudpaw!)

     Shadepaw layed in her nest, her leg burned, it felt as if bees had stung her countless times, Cloudpaw layed in the nest beside her, it had been a few days after the battle, Bluefeather went to the moonpool that night to receive Nightpool's message, the next morning she announced the dead medicine cat had told her to take on Birdkit as her apprentice, the naming ceremony had gone on that day, making two new apprentice's, Birdpaw and Blazepaw.

     Shadepaw suddenly realized she had been an apprentice for almost three moons now, while she was thinking the familiar Smallstar yowl broke her thoughts, "Tonight is the gathering, the cats to accompany me are, Gingerleaf, Bluesky, Featherstep, Hawkfeather, Shadepaw, Cloudpaw, Blazepaw, and Larkpaw you must come with us to make the exchange." Smallstar said, Larkpaw's face didn't light up with joy, but Cloudpaw's did, He's probably excited to see Spottedpaw. She thought bitterly.

     "Its ok Larkpaw, we'll still see each other at gatherings." Shadepaw said sympathetically, "It won't be the same, we won't be able to go chase prey together, or chat about the other clans on patrols." The ShadowClan apprentice sighed, "Well they can't force you to come back, if you say you wanna stay, then its your choice." She meowed to him, his face instantly brightened, "Your right! I gotta talk to Smallstar!" He replied as he sprung up and bounded to the leader.

     Larkpaw padded up to Smallstar with an anxious face, Shadepaw couldn't make out words but she knew what her friend was asking, when Greypaw walked by she stopped cold, for a second she saw the green eyes of Frogleap, then they were just amber.

     All I can think about is him! She thought, Shadepaw shook off her thoughts with confusion, than Larkpaw padded up with his head hung, a frown on his face, and unreadable eyes, "Did he say no?" She asked with expectancy, "He said, its up to me!" Larkpaw said happily, his eyes were glittering, "I'm so happy for you! But what about Darkstar? What will he say?" She asked him.

      His eyes suddenly darkened, "That's true." He replied, then she heard Smallstar call another meeting. What's this one for? She thought curiously, as she neared Highrock Shadepaw saw Greypaw sitting at the base, "Today, Greypaw leaves his apprentice days behind, and joins the warriors!" Smallstar started, Shadepaw saw Bluefeather sitting at the medicine den entrance, her eyes beaming proudly.

     "I call upon my warrior ancestors to stare down on this apprentice, for today he will leave his apprenticehood, and join  the warrior ranks. So, Greypaw, do you swear to uphold the warrior code, and protect ThunderClan, even at the cost of your life?" Smallstar asked the apprentice.

     Greypaw gulped in and stood up, Shadepaw would have loved to be the one up there, "I do." He replied, "Then, Greypaw from this moment on you will be known as, Greycloud! May StarClan light your path." The leader said to him, then suddenly the clan started yowling his new name, "Greycloud! Greycloud! Greycloud!" Shadepaw yowled, then the brand new warrior began towards the medicine den.

     Shadepaw sighed in annoyance, the happy feeling faded in an instant. Off to see Bluefeather. She groaned silently, Smallstar yelled to the clan, "Its sunhigh! The gathering awaits ThunderClan!" The small leader said, Shadepaw began towards her leader for the second gathering she would attend, this time her best friend would accompany her. And I will get to see Frogleap. She thought, her face warmed at the thought of the handsome tom.

     She followed Featherstep outside the camp, excitement flooding her paws, Blazepaw and Birdpaw padded beside their mother, Shadepaw then noticed Gingerleaf slowing down, and gasping for air, Shadepaw padded up to the senior warrior, her breath coming in rasping gasps.

     "You ok Gingerleaf?" She asked, the ginger she-cat flashed around, "Oh, Shadepaw! You startled me." She joked, Shadepaw knew something was off, the she-cat had her fluffy

 tail curved around her belly, it was twitching gently, "Why are you hiding your belly?" She 

asked, Shadepaw removed her ginger tail from her light orange belly, then she stopped dead.

     Her stomach looked kit swollen, she looked as fat as a kittypet, "Your expecting kits?" She whispered to the warrior. "So what if I am! I was about to tell Smallstar, but then he said I could go to the gathering, I couldn't say no to that!" Gingerleaf hissed to Shadepaw.

     "Who's the father?" Shadepaw asked her quietly, "Wormtail is, other than you he's the only one to know." The expecting queen hissed in annoyance at her, "Lets go, they're expecting us." Gingerleaf meowed, then their conversation was no more.

    Shadepaw crossed the WindClan border, a chill ran up her spine as she saw cream colored fur and blood stains splayed out around the border, Cloudpaw padded up beside her, "What's wrong Shadepaw?" He asked, she took a deep breath in before telling him, I don't want him to thin I'm scared of Ashpaw, or Scorchfang. Shadepaw thought carefully, "Nothing, thanks for asking though." She said, then began quickly trotting away from the death scene.

     The Great Pine Tree loomed over Shadepaw, a great shadow followed it, Shadepaw looked up to see three leaders, plus Smallstar. The first one was a slick furred silver she-cat with amber eyes, Shadepaw recognized her from the badger fight, Silverstar. She thought, the next was a pure white tom with sky blue eyes, "Who is the white tom? You know the bigger one, not Smallstar." The tiny mew of Birdpaw questioned.

     The small white apprentice had snuck up behind her, her blue eyes were shining with curiosity, "Oh that's Cloudstar, leader of SkyClan." Shadepaw said to her, "And the tan one? I know who Silverstar, Darkstar, Cloudstar and Smallstar are, but not the WindClan leader." Birdpaw meowed, "Well that is Swiftstar." Shadepaw replied with an amused purr.

     "Tell me about the other medicine cats, at least until ShadowClan gets here." Shadepaw said, realizing Birdpaw could be her way of bonding with Frogleap. "Well first, there's ShadowClan's medicine cats, Fernpelt and Emberpaw, I like Emberpaw, he's nice." Birdpaw started, but before she could continue a rustle sounded.

     A spine chilling breeze blew by, but Shadepaw couldn't feel it, because at the front of the ShadowClan cats, was no other than her father, Scorchfang.