Warriors | A Prophecy Reborn: Book 3. (A Dead Star)

~A Dead Star: Chapter 25~

"Over here?"
Ashpelt was sniffing around the camp while Whitestripe checked the dens as a precaution. Her brother was standing not far from where Russetfire had run.
"Yes, around that area," Whitestripe said, exiting the apparent nursery. "Follow me. We'll find her scent and, if we stay on the right trail, it should lead us to wherever she went."
"She may need help," Ashpelt agreed. "If she's in trouble, Specklefern will never forgive us... She's already lost Redpelt and Firpaw."
"And Russetwhisker," Whitestripe added. Moons ago, she barely even knew who any cat in ThunderClan, during her death, was at the time aside from Stonestar, Fernstar, Rockhopper, Grayfur and the other kits.
But after Spiraltail showed them the scene, and what Half-Sight had thought at the time, it was like seeing an old family member just disappear from existence.
They followed the scent for what seemed like ages until they came across a large tree standing in the middle of a clearing.
"The scent is fresh," Ashpelt commented. "Should we take a look around?"
Before Whitestripe could respond, she heard someone yell, "Help!"
Ashpelt and Whitestripe turned around and saw two blue shadows running straight at them. Before either could react, the shadows ran into them and continued on, laughing as they ran toward the tree that, after looking at it for longer than a few seconds, seemed to be dying.
"What was that?" Ashpelt growled, crouching.
"Help!" giggled one of the shadows, running around the tree.
"I'll catch you!" said the other shadow joyfully. The two shadow cats ran around the tree, chasing each other and play-fighting. "I am the mighty Halfpaw! Ha!"
The other shadow, the she-cat, giggled and ran further away from the young tom.
"What are you doing here?" hissed a voice from behind Whitestripe. She unsheathed her claws, thinking it was a real cat, but, to her confusion and relief, it was another blue shadow. Two blue shadows.
"Halfpaw, return to ThunderClan! You are not supposed to be playing with ShadowClan cats!" hissed the second shadow, a tom.
The young shadow of Half-Sight skidded to a stop behind the other apprentice, who instantly sat down, facing the two older cats.
"You told me my mother was in ShadowClan," Halfpaw said defensively. Whitestripe looked closer at the shadow clone and saw that this younger version of Half-Sight was not blind, which led her to wondering why his name was Halfpaw.
The shadow cat behind Ashpelt, the tom, answered her unspoken question as he said, "This is why your warrior name is going to be Halfear, because you barely listen."
"I was listening that time," Halfpaw pointed out.
"That's the only time you ever listen!" the she-cat snapped. The shadows shook, looking like they were disintegrating, but the shadows returned to their unnaturally normal cat form. "You're lucky Deadstar doesn't kill you, let alone find you playing with his daughter!"
"We're allowed to have friends from the other Clans," said the she-cat apprentice, sitting beside Halfpaw.
"Friends?" scoffed the older she-cat from ThunderClan. Now that Whitestripe looked again, the she-cat resembled someone... familiar.
Someone dead, of course, but someone... very old.
Whitestripe saw Ashpelt warily creeping toward the tree, still listening to the conversation of the ghost cats.
"Yes. Friends." The young apprentice, obviously from ShadowClan, sat next to Halfpaw with her tail curled around her paws.
"It's rare to find a ShadowClan cat with any friends at all," the tom said angrily. "No surprise you two get along. Halfpaw!" he said, turning away from the young she-cat. "Will you be returning with us and the patrol?"
Halfpaw looked reluctant, but stood up with his head down. "What... What will happen if I don't?"
Whitestripe felt a pang of pity for the younger Half-Sight as she listened to the other cat.
"If you do not return, we will exile you to ShadowClan. If you return with us, we will leave your apprentice friend alone."
"Sorry, Larkpaw. I have to go back," Halfpaw said.
Larkpaw nodded and ran off in the other direction, which apparently led to ShadowClan.
"Hurry up," the tom said impatiently to Halfpaw. Halfpaw growled quietly, gave the tom a hateful glare, took a final glance at the tree and followed his Clanmates.
"Whitestripe," Ashpelt whispered from behind the tree. "Look over here."
Whitestripe walked over to stand beside her brother and saw a tunnel in the ground beneath one of the tree roots.
"Should we follow it and see where it leads?" Ashpelt said.
Whitestripe looked around first. The blue shadows had completely disappeared, and where else could Russetfire have gone if not here? Her scent was stronger by this tunnel than further toward ShadowClan.
"Let's go," Whitestripe said.
Ashpelt nodded and led the way into the tunnel.