Warriors: A Dangerous Path - Book Five (Completed)

Chapter Three

Shadowpaw listened carefully as Sandstorm instructed him to head to the elders' den and help them get rid of their fleas. He nodded eagerly and made his way towards the den. As he neared them, he saw Smallear, Dappletail, and One-eye all lounging in the sun, just outside their den, seemingly lost in thought.

"Hello, Shadowpaw," Smallear greeted him, his voice a little scratchy. "Are you here to help us with our fleas?"

"Yes, I am," Shadowpaw replied, a little apprehensively.

"Don't worry, young one," Dappletail chimed in, "We won't bite."

One-eye snorted, "Speak for yourself!"

The elders all shared a chuckle, and Shadowpaw couldn't help but purr with amusement. They may have been old and grumpy at times, but they still had a sense of humor. As he began to groom the elders and search for fleas, he couldn't help but listen in on their conversation. They were sharing stories about their time in ThunderClan, and Shadowpaw was fascinated.

"It happened many moons ago," She began.

"Oh this tale again?" Rapsed Smallear.

"Shush!" Hissed Dappletail. "Continue, One-eye." She added, purring.

One-eye dipped her head then continued. "I was out on a hunting patrol with my mentor and some other warriors, and we stumbled across a badger's den. We knew it was dangerous to mess with a badger, but we wanted to make sure it wasn't a threat to our Clan."

As she spoke, Shadowpaw could see the memories playing out in her mind. He then felt a flea buried in her scruff. He bit down and heard a small crunching sound. He spit the flea out that was stuck in his teeth, then he continued searching for more fleas.

"We approached the den cautiously, but the badger was waiting for us." One-eye continued. "It charged out of the den, snarling and snapping. We fought it as best we could, but it was strong and fast. It managed to claw me in the eye before we drove it off."

Shadowpaw lifted his muzzle. "That must have been pretty bad." He scrunched up his nose in disgust at the thought of seeing such an injury. Her eye now was all healed and was just a scar. He felt another flea just below her shoulder. He bit down again and spit the remaining parts that stuck in his teeth.

"It hurt badly." She retorted. "My apprenticeship was delayed because of it." She softly hissed, bristling her fur. She then relaxed and continued. "Goosefeather, the medicine cat at the time, took care of me and I never let the badger get the better of me. I kept my spirits up ever since."

"Was your warrior name always One-eye?" He meowed, curiously. He then moved on to Dappletail. She had one flea just below her ear.

"Of course not!" One-eye rasped. "I was known as Whitepaw then. When I lost my sight, my warrior name was then White-eye. Then it changed to One-eye once I retired to the elder's den."

After finishing his duties in the elders' den, Shadowpaw went to find Sandstorm to report his completed task. He found her near the fresh-kill pile, sharing a mouse with Fireheart.

"Ah, Shadowpaw, you're back," Sandstorm said, noticing him approach. "How was it? Did you manage to get rid of all those pesky fleas?"

Fireheart got to his paws and shook out his pelt. "I'll see you later, Sandstorm."

Sandstorm dipped her head then turned her gaze back to Shadowpaw.

"Yes," Shadowpaw replied. "The elders were sharing some interesting stories too. One-eye told me about how she lost her eye in a battle with a badger."

Sandstorm nodded, her expression turning serious. "That's a tough story, but it's a reminder of how dangerous life can be outside of our Clan. We need to be prepared for anything, even badgers."

"You've heard it before?" Shadowpaw tilted his head.

"Of course. The elders tend to share the same stories, but they're really good overall to listen to for the apprentices. It helps keep them in line." She purred, amused by his curiosity.

The day seemed to have gone by slowly and he stayed him camp all day. He felt bored, but Sandstorm told him it was what all the apprentices had to do.

Once the sun began to set, Shadowpaw settled into his nest for the night, his thoughts kept returning to Waterlily. He had noticed that she had been more withdrawn than usual, and he couldn't help but worry about her. He knew that she had been close to Yellowfang, and her death had been a huge blow to the medicine cat.

Finally, he decided to take action. He got up from his nest and quietly made his way over to the medicine cat den. As he peeked inside, he saw the shelves were finally stocked, and the herb piles that were normally scattered around her, were now neatly tucked away in their spots. Waterlily sat at the edge of the small pool of water. She lifted her muzzle and purred warmly at his presence. "Shadowpaw, it's nice to see you again."

"It looks like you're doing better." He mewed, sitting down and wrapping his fluffy tail over his front paws.

Waterlily did the same and sat just a tail-length in front of him. "I am doing better." She confessed. "Though it was hard, I was able to come to my senses. My medicine duties should never be neglected. I feel like I let the whole Clan down." She looked down at her paws.

"No. You were just grieving." He meowed rather quickly. "Everyone knew that."

Waterlily looked back up at him and met his green eyes with her amber gaze. She softened her eyes and lightly purred. "I saw Yellowfang in StarClan and I was able to speak with her." She confessed.

Shadowpaw widened his eyes. "You saw her?" He didn't understand the ways of a medicine cat and had quite forgotten they could see their ancestors. Even though he knew StarClan existed, it was all a mystery to him.

"Yes. She was able to comfort me like old times." She purred, closing her eyes in memory of her old friend and mentor.

Shadowpaw nodded sympathetically. "I can't imagine how amazing that must have been. But you're not alone, Waterlily. ThunderClan is here for you, and so am I."

Waterlily purred gratefully at him. "Thank you, Shadowpaw. You're wise beyond your years."

The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, before Shadowpaw rose to his paws. "I should probably get back to my nest before someone notices I'm gone. But if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you."

Waterlily nodded, looking touched. "Thank you, Shadowpaw. You're a true friend."

With that, Shadowpaw made his way back to the apprentice den, feeling a sense of warmth and connection to Waterlily that he had never felt before; even more so when she first rescued him and brought him here to the Clan life.