Warriors: The Darkest Shadow [Book 1]

Chapter 17

(Smallstar!)

     Shadepaw curled up in her nest, it was so cold she could see her breath, Cloudpaw slept beside her, his scared eye was light red with black under his eye. He shouldn't have come with us, he would never had met Spottedcloud, and he would never had been hurt. She thought.

     Shadepaw got into another position, this time staring at Larkpaw, a small smile appeared on her face as his leg twitched, Shadepaw tried to rest, it was just starting to be moonhigh, and Smallstar had told them to get some rest before they leave for the moonpool.

     She still remembered the saddened look on his face as Tigerblaze padded into the elders den. He had been too upset to go at sundown, so Smallstar sent Iceheart to go tell Silverstar he would meet her tonight, she had returned a few hours ago.

     "Shadepaw, wake up." A voice rang in her ears, as a cat prodded her side. Shadepaw turned to see Birdpaw prodding her side, "Its time to go Shadepaw, wake Larkpaw." She whispered to Shadepaw, "Okay, is Smallstar awake?" She asked Birdpaw, the apprentice nodded and padded outside.

     "Larkpaw, wake up." She whispered in his ear, his paw twitched again, making Shadepaw giggle, she took both her forepaws and shook his side hard, "Larkpaw! Wake up!" She hissed in his ear, annoyance clouding her voice.

     The black apprentice sprung up, his green eyes were glazed with exhaustion. "Is it time already?" He mumbled, his eye lids were half open and his eyes themselves were barely concentrating on Shadepaw, but on something in the distance.

     "Yes, come on sleep-brain." Shadepaw joked as she bumped her tail on his jaw. "I'm coming." He muttered, his eyes a bit more lively.

     When they got outside the apprentice den, Smallstar and Birdpaw were sitting at the entrance to the camp, Birdpaw was grooming herself, while Smallstar stared into the distance, obviously lost in thought.

     Snow crunched under Shadepaw's paws, making Smallstar spring up, his eyes suddenly on her and Larkpaw. "Finally." He meowed, "Sorry, my fault." Larkpaw said, taking the blame. "I don't care, lets just go now." He sighed, then turned towards the camp entrance.

     Lionclaw and  Greycloud were on guard duty, Lionclaw was grumbling something she couldn't make out when they exited, "Good luck Smallstar." Greycloud meowed encouragement to the old leader.

      "And to you as well, I'm depending on you to keep the clan safe while I'm gone." Smallstar mewed to Greycloud, Lionclaw's fur bristled with jealousy.

     "Good luck." Muttered Lionclaw, his neck fur still bristling slightly.

     "Why is the moonpool so far!" Groaned Larkpaw, Smallstar ignored her complaining friend and trudged on, Shadepaw could hardly see his white pelt in the snow, "Don't worry Larkpaw, its not far!" Birdpaw meowed encouragingly.

     Just as the medicine cat apprentice started explaining, a small glittering pool caught Shadepaw's eye, "There it is!" She mewed, running up to the shining pool.

     The silver RiverClan leader sat beside the moonpool, her silver fur reflecting the moonpool, making her pelt shine as bright as a full moon. "You made it Smallstar." She remarked as she licked a paw, her feet were covered in snow.

     Otterpaw, Spottedcloud and a grey, dark blue eyed apprentice sat beside Silverstar, all their pelts were plastered to their body, yet Shadepaw could hardly see their ribs.

     "Otterpaw, Lakepaw." Silverstar mewed to the apprentices. "Yes Silverstar?" Lakepaw snapped his head towards the leader. "Lakepaw go sit guard with Larkpaw, Shadepaw, Otterpaw, Birdpaw and Spottedcloud, follow me." She meowed, the two toms padded to each side of the gravel path and sat down, their ears alert.

     Silverstar layed her head on the gravel around the moonpool, Smallstar layed beside her, "I hope StarClan speaks with us," Shadepaw heard Silverstar mew, "As do I." Smallstar meowed back as they stuck their noses into the water.

     Soon the two leaders breath slowed, their muzzles still tipped on the sparkling water. A glitter shimmered from the pool, Its the same glitter from the Gathering Island! She thought, another glitter shined from the moonpool, this time pulling her in closer,

     "Shadepaw? What are you doing?" Otterpaw meowed, the she-cat was right beside her, yet it sounded like she was on the other side of the forest.

     An image flashed through her eye, it was of her, touching the moonpool, sleeping. Shadepaw stared up at the sky and nodded, "Shadepaw?" Otterpaw mewed again, "Quiet." She whispered to the RiverClan apprentice.

     Sounds of paw steps sounded from beside her, but Shadepaw ignored them and stuck her nose in the water, cold water shooting up her nostrils. It took everything in her power not to jump up and run home. 

  

     Shadepaw awoke in a starlit clearing, surrounded by tall oak trees, "Hello?" She called out, "Brackenstar?" She meowed, but no brown starry tom appeared.

     A scent drifted through her nostrils, familiar, yet not. A white tom slowly appeared, with red patches and amber eyes. "Redheart!"  She exclaimed.

     "Hello, young Shadepaw." The StarClan tom meowed casually, he wasn't a full red elder no more, no grey tinged his old muzzle, he was white with red spots. This was the real Redheart.

     "Why are you here? Were you the one signaling me?" She meowed ecstatically, "Did you see Tigerblaze is an elder now! And Gingerleaf has kits! And Iceheart, well, you know, is Iceheart." Shadepaw said, excited to tell the dead tom all the news.

     "I have seen that all three of my kits are growing, but that is not why I have called you here, Shadepaw." Redheart said, his whiskers twitching with anticipation, "So, why did you call me here Redheart?" She asked.

     Redheart's amber eyes glared into the distance, Shadepaw followed his glare, to find a grey she-cat and a grey tom curled up together, sleeping soundly. "Bluefeather and Greycloud? What's so important about them?" She asked, curiosity pricking at her pelt.

     "As you know, mating with a medicine cat is against the warrior code." Redheart started, his eyes betraying nothing, "Mhm, I tried to tell Greycloud the day he told her, he wouldn't listen." Shadepaw said, recalling the day he truly mated with the medicine cat.

     "You Shadepaw have been chosen, too punish one of the two." He muttered to her blankly, "Punish as in- kill?" She glared at him, horror nagging at her mind.