Warriors: The Darkest Shadow [Book 1]

Chapter 14

    (Spottedcloud is the image above)

     Shadepaw padded excitedly beside Cloudpaw as they crossed into RiverClan territory, the scent of fish overwhelmed the smell of cat.

     "Hey glad you could make it!" Silverstar meowed to them as they neared the camp, Shadepaw saw that there were still bloodstains from the badger fight, "Silverstar? Will I be allowed to play in these contests, even though I'm a RiverClan apprentice?" A small brown she-cat asked from behind her, making Shadepaw's fur fluff up.

     "Of course Otterpaw, every apprentice will take part in the games." The leader meowed back to Otterpaw, "Okay! Thank you Silverstar!" The apprentice said energetically.

     As the brown apprentice walked past Shadepaw, a star twinkled in her green eyes, suddenly time froze for a few moments, The Otter is to be close to the Shade, to reveal the location of the Lynx. A familiar call sounded from a distance.

     "Wait! Otterpaw right?" Shadepaw spoke as she raced to catch up with the RiverClan apprentice.

     "Yeah, who are you?" Otterpaw said turning back to her, "My name is Shadepaw, how long have you been an apprentice?" Shadepaw said, starting the conversation casually. "I've been an apprentice for about four moons, you?" Otterpaw replied with a happy glitter in her eyes.

     "Three and a half moons." Shadepaw continued, another twinkle flashed in her eyes. Shadepaw stop stalling! Just ask her if she knows something about the 'Lynx'! Shadepaw's thoughts screamed at her.

     "So, do you know something or some cat with Lynx in the name?" Shadepaw asked, trying to speed up this conversation.

     Otterpaw's eyes suddenly darkened, and she glared at Shadepaw with pure curiosity and question, "Y-Yes, I had a brother named Lynxpaw, then he left RiverClan to become a kittypet." The apprentice said as a drop of water slid down her cheek.

     "Its ok Otterpaw! We can change the subject for a while ok?" Shadepaw said to her, trying to make this source of information calm down, "O-Ok, tell me about ThunderClan." Otterpaw said as she began walking towards a familiar she-cat and tom.

    "Its great! You haven't lived until you've tried mouse, or bird, or even rabbit!" Shadepaw said happily as they turned away from the talking apprentices under a familiar willow tree.

     "Well, I for one couldn't live without fish, it is so-" Otterpaw started, but was cut short bye a yowl from Silverstar.

     "Cats from all clans! RiverClan thanks you for coming to attend this special vigil, first we will have some apprentice games, there is a warrior section for any cat who wishes to talk to other warriors, then at sundown we will carry Spottedwing's body to the moonpool and bury her there." The leader spoke, then Scorchstar stood up beside her and began speaking.

     "ShadowClan will be playing four of our apprentices in the games." He said, then the other leaders began sharing information.

     "All the apprentices follow me!" Silverstar yelled to the five clans, and many different colored apprentices began separating themselves from their clans, "I will be cheering for you Cloudpaw." Shadepaw heard the gentle affectionate purr of Spottedcloud, Shadepaw turned around just in time to see her brother give Spottedcloud an affectionate nuzzle, then he ran off.

     "The first contest, will be a prey catching contest, the boundaries are the RiverClan markers, you have until sunhigh to catch all the prey, my apprentices to play will be Lakepaw and  Mistypaw, Smallstar who are your apprentices?" Silverstar asked her leader.

     Shadepaw hoped she wouldn't be picked, she wanted to do something else, like tree climbing, or racing, or even battle practice. "Hmm, Cloudpaw, and Blazepaw." Smallstar said as the two tom apprentices stood beside Lakepaw and Mistypaw.

     She sighed in relief as Silverstar called on Cloudstar next. "I wonder if we will be in the same contest together?" Otterpaw whispered to Shadepaw as two ShadowClan apprentices padded up beside Cloudpaw and Blazepaw. "Maybe." Shadepaw replied with no real hope. Doubt it. She thought.

     "Ok, on your mark, get set, hunt!" Silverstar said excitedly as all the apprentices sped off towards different areas, Lakepaw and Mistypaw neared the water and crouched, then Silverstar told all the other apprentices to follow her.

    "The next contest is a battle contest. My player is Fishpaw, Smallstar?" The RiverClan leader passed on the talking privilege to the ThunderClan leader, "Shadepaw will be my fighter," He said as the leader nodded to Swiftstar.

     Wait, I'm fighting a five moon trained apprentice? Shadepaw tensed inside, Fishpaw was a silver-grey tom with piercing milky blue eyes. "I can see you staring at me, I'm not blind you know. " Fishpaw meowed jokingly, making her face go red with embarrassment.

     "Well don't think just because your older than me, doesn't mean you will win, my mentor is a strong she-cat, she has taught me greatly." Shadepaw said confidently to the apprentice.

     "Fighting time! Fishpaw of RiverClan will fight Runningpaw of WindClan, Shadepaw of ThunderClan will fight Ashpaw of ShadowClan, and Flarepaw of SkyClan will sit out." Silverstar said, Shadepaw stopped dead as a smokey grey apprentice stepped in front of her.

     "Hey sis, great day for a fight, don't you think?" Ashpaw hissed to her, hiss fangs were bared, "You know this is a friendly fight right?" Shadepaw tried sounding casually, but a fear kept tugging at her pelt.

     Run... Run to the Lark...

     What was that! Who was that? What did they mean? Shadepaw's thoughts questioned, "No brambles to save you now 'sister'." The ShadowClan apprentice hissed again. "Ready, set, fight!" Silverstar yelled excitedly, then Ashpaw jumped at her, claws unsheathed.

     Shadepaw tried dodging his blow, but the apprentice got her on the side. "Agh! That hurt!" She screeched, blood started trickling down her side, staining her side crimson.

     Ashpaw jumped at her again, this time he shoved her on her side, leaving her right side exposed. "Looks like my revenge is near!" The apprentice rasped in her ear, he then slashed at her flank, reopening the scar he had given her before. "Help!" She tried to scream, but Ashpaw shoved dirt up her nose, making it almost impossible to breath.

     Her brother bared his fangs at her, then bit down on her neck as if she were a mere piece of prey. Shadepaw's vision started blurring, black started to push its way through her eyes, she tried to move, but her legs didn't even twitch. "Ash... paw." She rasped, through the blurred vision, Shadepaw saw her brother glaring into her eyes, a proud glare spread on his face.

     "Just die!" He hissed to her as he slashed his claws on her throat, the last thing Shadepaw heard was a distressed wail from Larkpaw, then her conscience slid away into blackness.

(If you want a shoutout you need to comment now, there are only nine spaces left. remember if I get 1.k readers I will make a requested warriors x reader, and if you want your OC to make it in I will happily do it, just do your name, clan, appearance, etc.)