Behind The Mask

Thirteen: Silence

Doom's PoV -

-

Doom yawned, following the black pelted apprentice up the path.Could she walk any slower? If Doom was in charge, they'd have been at the camp moons earlier.

"Please, Volepaw, speed up."Doom complained loudly, her voice cracking.

"Violetpaw."she hissed through gritted teeth, kicking a paw-full of dirt up behind her into Doom's face.

"Bless you."Doom grinned, bounding ahead of the Clan-rat.

Violetpaw let out a groan of frustration,
hurrying to catch up with Doom. "Look, you can't just waltz into the camp and demand to be made an apprentice!"

"I'm not,"Doom rolled her eyes. "That would be silly."

"Right-"

"I'm going to demand to be a warrior."Doom sent Violetpaw a fluttery smile, bounding over a stick.

Violetpaw hissed in frustration, leaping ahead of Doom to walk into camp.
"Brackenstar!"she yowled.

Doom watched with bored, dull eyes as a brown and white tom-cat slid out of a den, his fur pressed down on the sides and his eyes sleepy. "Yes, Violetpaw?"

"I found a rogue who wants to join."Violetpaw thrusted her nose toward where Doom sat.

"Is this true?"Brackenstar turned to Doom.

Doom nodded, beginning to groom her fur.

"Very well,"Brackenstar began. "I will talk this over with Beargrowl and Flyingfeather.What's your name, rogue?"

"Doom."she grinned, whisking her tail in the air.

Brackenstar's eyes widened ever so slightly, but he nodded, hurrying away.

Doom began looking around the camp, finding pretty boring stuff.A cat with a huge stomach was sitting outside a den, an OLD looking cat was sitting outside a den, and two young cats, about Doom's own age, were sitting outside a den.So she headed there, aware of Violetpaw following closely behind her.

"Hello-"one said, who was a tortoiseshell and white.She smiled brightly.

"State your names.I'm Doom."Doom snapped, eager to learn everyone's names quickly.

"Flowerpaw,"the tortoiseshell meowed. "and that's Beepaw.He can be kind of shy sometimes."

Beepaw shivered under Doom's close stare, pressing his fur into Flowerpaw's.

"Don't be scared, handsome, I don't bite."she grinned, the flirting coming easily off her tongue.
She flirted with almost everyone, it was just what she did.

Beepaw remained silent, flicking his gaze back and forth between Doom and Violetpaw with wide eyes.

"What? Cat got your tongue?"Doom purred, rubbing herself along Beepaw's side and resting her tail on his back.

Violetpaw stiffened.If Ashenpaw was here-

Flowerpaw stood up quickly, sending Beepaw falling over into the dirt. "Doom, stop it! He's taken!"

Doom paused, paw in the air above Beepaw's shoulder. "Oh-? By you?"

"No.By me."Ashenpaw snarled, slamming into Doom's side and sending both of them flying onto the ground.

Doom felt teeth in her tail and shrieked, shoving her legs into fur and flesh. Ashenpaw leapt away, then pounced on her, placing both paws on her chest and pinning her down.

Beepaw gazed at his paws, Violetpaw at Doom's angry face and Flowerpaw at Ashenpaw.

"I'm sorry for flirting with Beepaw,"Doom gasped as Ashenpaw let her go.She sat up and shook her fur. "I should have been flirting with you~"

Ashenpaw groaned, whirling around and stalking over to Beepaw.Flowerpaw sent Doom a disappointed look, before scrambling away for the apprentice den.

Ashenpaw began licking Beepaw over the head and chin, then led him to the apprentice den.

Violetpaw and Doom shared gazes for a while, greenish yellow eyes locked with blue-gold-green-amber ones.

"I'm sorry, Doom."Violetpaw whispered.

"For?"Doom snorted.
She didn't want or need people to be sorry for her.Especially for no reason.

Violetpaw didn't answer, slipping away into the apprentice den.

Doom felt an odd feeling grow in her chest.She twitched her whiskers in cold amusement.She liked Violetpaw.They would be good friends, she hoped.

-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&

Violetpaw curled up in her nest, thinking about the events of the day.
She'd never thought Doom could create so much drama within the Clan.

She felt Flamepaw curl up beside her, and for once she didn't pull away.She was sad, and longed for touch.Not in any way other than comfort.Mostly, she longed for a mother who loved her and comforted her.She only had Tawnyfur, a mere foster.Sure, she loved Tawnyfur, but not in the same way some loved their blood-mothers.

She closed her eyes so the tears wouldn't escape as easy, and felt herself drift slowly asleep.

-

Violetpaw padded through a dark forest, stepping on twigs and leaves, yet no sound came from it.
The air was cold and crisp, and Violetpaw could see her breath billowing in front of her muzzle.

She shivered, side stepping a puddle, even though she'd probably just go through it and still be dry.
She glanced up at the sky and saw it was a dark black, with thundering gray clouds. But she didn't hear anything.

This place was silent. Quiet as anything.

She saw mice scattering past, but didn't have the instinct to leap at them.She didn't feel anything at all.Just void.

She didn't even feel like a cat.

Frantically she looked down, sighing in relief to see that they were her own paws.Sleek, fuzzy, and shiny.

As she continued down the path, she felt as if she was being watched, and glanced all around.
She looked behind her to see eyes gleaming out of a bush.

Cardinal.

Barring her teeth, ready to fight her mother.She unsheathed her claws.

But, the eyes disappeared.

What?

Then, words started swirling around her, howling in the wind.Violetpaw strained her ears to understand them.

......The paw of a purple flower ......will be trampled by ......a dooming fate.....

"What's that supposed to mean?"Violetpaw snorted crossly, looking all around for Cardinal.
"I must of heard it wrong."

Suddenly, a flash of paws and fur zoomed toward Violetpaw, and sharp claws pierced her pelt.

Then, her vision flashed white and she awoke.