Beast of the Sea - WARRIOR CATS

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

When we were finally certain that no cats were pursuing us, I turned back to Shadefang.

"So about this ability to change our appearance..."

It was still dark out, but I could sense that morning was on the horizon. The birds were twittering in the trees above our heads. When daybreak came, it would be significantly harder to hide from Dewstar and her mass of cats.

"I only found out about it a few days after Dewstar hurled you off the cliff," Shadefang meowed quietly, glancing around furtively.

Thankfully the only cats in sight were the ones who had come to infiltrate the major OceanClan camp. In the heat of the moment, when the OceanClan cats had poured into camp, we had lost Puddle, Bubble and Minnow. Thankfully, all three had managed to locate us again, though Puddle had acquired an unfortunate bite wound on his shoulder.

Shadefang continued speaking quietly. "Dewstar always knew I had some power from Night, but I didn't. Not until the dark of night came when I needed it more than ever."

His voice dropped so that it was barely a whisper. I glanced up at Littlepaw and Ripplepaw as they pressed in close to hear what Shadefang was saying.

"I was a Prisoner, as you know. I had been watching from behind the bars of my cage, learning how Dewstar was running the foxdunged clan, waiting for my opportunity to strike. There came a time when Goldspike decided to let me out of the cage. Perhaps my mother wanted to humiliate me in public to show her devotion to her sister."

Shadefang's lip curled angrily, but when he spoke, his voice sounded soft, almost broken.

"So she threw me in front of a circle of Dewstar's cats, and told me that I would be fighting an apprentice for their amusement and so that the apprentice was punished for speaking up against Dewstar. I thought it would be easy, but I was weak, underfed, and these cats wanted one of us to really hurt the other.

"The apprentice's name was Morningpaw. We circled each other, and she was the first to lunge. We scuffled, and while we did, I told her...I told her that she might have to...you know..."

"That's gross!" Minnow exclaimed.

"Quiet," Wolfwhisper rasped, glaring down at the younger cat.

"Right, sorry!" Minnow mumbled, then added, "but, why didn't any cat stand up to Dewstar? If there were so many of them?"

Shadefang stared up at her darkly. "Don't think there were some that tried. Most were tossed in cages like me, but some...well let's just say I think you heard what happened to Moonpoppy."

"We need to get to the point, though," he meowed briskly. "It was dark out that night, so dark that it was hard to see properly. Dewstar had used clouds to block out the stars and moon, for the first time. I was so angry that I was being made to fight a literal apprentice. That's when I felt Night's power awaken within me for the first time."

"I don't entirely know what happened, but Morningpaw struck a blow for my throat, and right before it landed, I felt myself shift. I transformed into a black cat, even darker than I am now. My form was exceptionally small and scrawny, and in the pandemonium, I managed to flee."

"How does that help us, though?" I grunted, just waiting for the sun to begin to rise.

"Because I feared for Morningpaw's life... I raced back towards her, and as soon as my paws brushed her pelt, she shifted too. I lost track of her, but something tells me that she's still alive."

Shadefang fell silent, gazing into my eyes as though willing me to understand. I nodded to him curtly, managing to fill in the rest of the pieces. He returned as a muscular rogue, swearing allegiance to Dewstar. He really was the bulky black tom who restrained me in that fight...