Warrior Cats: Billypaw's Code

Chapter 8

Billypaw kept her eyes on the pheasant a few tail lengths in front of her. She was low to the ground, in a hunting position. She watched the bird for a few moments more, making sure it was completely unaware of her presence. 

She braced her legs and leaped on the pheasant, snapping her jaws on its neck, giving it a quick death. She shook her white paws out and looked around, the moon being the only thing illuminating the starry night.

She picked up the bird, clenching it firmly in her jaws. She quietly picked her way through the forest, swiveling her ears towards the slightest sound. She ran aspects of the warrior code through her head.

 Defend all Clans, even with your life. Your first loyalty is to your clan, but all who follow the code are your allies.An honorable warrior does not need to kill to win their battles. No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan. A kit must be 6 moons old to become an apprentice.

 Billypaw rounded a bush, and saw the MistClan camp outlined before her. She took a deep, shaky breath. Time to sneak in to my own camp to see Whitepaw. She moved silently through the camp, crouched low to the ground as if to avoid being seen by any of the MistClan warriors. The camp was barren. She heard the snap of the twig over towards the warriors den.

Billypaw panicked and darted into the medicine den. She stood still for a while, her fur on end. She strained her ears to hear anything else. Nothing. She tried to breathe in any scents, but the pheasant that was in her jaws made it impossible to smell anything else. She waited for moments longer, her heart rate slowly steading.

 Billypaw glanced around the darkened room. She heard the steady breathing of a young cat in front of her. Billypaw slowly picked her way to the sound. It was most definitely Whitepaw.

Billypaw set the prey she caught down beside the other apprentice. She sniffed at the sleeping cat's wound. It smelled better, less raw and angry. If only I was awake that night, Billypaw thought to herself, she wouldn't be kept to this medicine den for so long. Billypaw unsheathed her claws and dug them into the dirt. 

Stupid, stupid! I was so stupid to sleep that night, stupid, stupid! She felt the familiar darkness sink it's teeth into her mind. I don't deserve a friend like Whitepaw, she thought. I'm not good enough to be a warrior. Not strong enough. Not fast enough. I don't deserve this. My friends were right to chuck me into the river.

A weight pressed down on her shoulders. She began to shake as Ashkit flashed through her mind. Her paws were once again soaked in blood, her throat felt sticky with it. She saw her brother's mutilated body, his gurgles as his last breaths were choking on his own blood. Billypaw shook her head and backed up, heart buzzing like a bee.

"No, no," she murmured.

Whitepaw stirred,"wha- wh-"

"No, no, no! Stop it!"

Billypaw turned and bolted from the den, pushing her way through the brambles that blocked the entrance. She ran as fast as her legs could take her, the empty forest darkening around her. She ran, trying to escape her past. her fears. her memories. How could she have the darkness inside her ease up when even her own memories attack her?

Billypaw stayed awake the rest of the night, observing the stars and waiting for dawn. She watched as the sun slowly creeped up, turning the sky a odd color of violet. She stood and stretched, yawning. She could sense the darkness at the edges of her mind, waiting for an opportunity to swallow her up. Darksight's apparition solidified in front of her.

"Good morning," he meowed.

"How are you?"

"Okay..." Billypaw mewed quietly.