The Rise of a Tyrant

Chapter 12 // Shadepaw

It had been a while since Slugpaw got scratched by the bustard, and dear Cloudclan was he dramatic about it. It seemed to be his favourite passing-time to get Shadepaw to fetch water-soaked moss and a fresh mouse every hour from the Heathlands. Shadepaw almost felt relieved when he realised the night of the full moon had come.

And now, the Skybridge towered over the two toms as they sat and pondered in the sand before the sunset.

Slugpaw breathed in the view. "You know, I'm really starting to appreciate the Skypool." He mewed.

Shadepaw shrugged. "It's a shame the gathering is tonight, are you still sure about going?" He asked the dark grey tom. 

Slugpaw's vision didn't slip from the setting sun as he replied. "Certain."

So there they were, slipping across the Heathlands and beside the Pondlands, on their way back to intercept the Swampclan cats on their way to the gathering. Shadepaw had his doubts they'd even be allowed to go, considering they'd just ran away and hid for half a moon. However, he was surprised when he saw Silentcloud's expression as he emerged from the juniper bushes.

"You're back..." The dark grey-and-blue leader mewed, looking relieved rather than angry. Ivytwinkle, a cream-and-white tabby she-cat, and the clan's deputy, padded up beside her, saying nothing though displaying a look of shock at the two grey toms.

A few fox-lengths ahead of them, Shadepaw could hear the river that flowed into the Skypool. He knew that to the right, the rest of the Swampclan cats chosen for the gathering were soon to approach and find them as well, so Shadepaw had to act fast.

"We don't want to make a scene." He mewed, and his mothers relief faded.

"Is that all you have to say?" She hissed, before Ivytwinkle set her tail on the leader's shoulder.

"Wait, there may be a reason they had to leave." She mewed. 

Shadepaw didn't hint of an expression to any cat, but he felt his insides squish a little. He had to avoid giving a straight answer about the reason, or he would be confined to camp for Cloudclan knows how long, if Cloudclan really knew anything. Thing is, he just kind of hated his mother.

"We want to attend the gathering, please, ma'am." Slugpaw dipped his head at the leader. "We promise we won't cause problems, or anything. We just needed time to think."

Great, I'm going to be on bedding duty because of this sky-forsaken frog-brain. Shadepaw frowned at the dark grey tom.

"Very well," Silentcloud replied sternly. "But keep your word, something tells me this gathering won't be a normal one." She mused, looking at the horizon.

Shadepaw wondered what Silentcloud meant, but before he had time to think, cats gasped from his side. He whipped his head towards the right and his eyes adjusted cat's illuminated in the gloom of dusk.

"Shadepaw?"

He realised that he recognised that voice. It was Mossleap, looking at the tom in astonishment. Then her amber eyes flicked to Slugpaw standing beside him, and she let out another gasp.

"We've been looking for you two!" She mewed, running up to her brother. "What happened to you? Are you okay? What's wrong with your chest, why are there cobwebs?"

As she crowded Slugpaw with questions, Shadepaw looked back at the other cats, and groaned. Mangrovebranch appeared, along with Moonclaw and who he could only assume were now Amberpaw and Stempaw. Stempaw was Silentcloud's other kit, and Shadepaw's younger sister. 

Silentcloud kind of just... kitted Stempaw, then had to return to her "leader duties", leaving Mothmask, Amberpaw's mother, to look after her.

Another victim of my mother's cruelty. Shadepaw suppressed a sigh when seeing the light grey kit's upbeat demeanour. Just you wait...

"You're right on time, I guess?" Mangrovebranch mewed, trying to suppress his surprise.

"Yep." Shadepaw shrugged and turned around.

"I'm fine, Mossleap." Shadepaw saw Slugpaw glaring at his sister ahead, spitting her new name in a mocking tone. "Just leave me alone, okay?"

Mossleap's expression looked crushed as her brother trotted ahead, leaving her to walk alongside Shadepaw, who definitely wasn't in it for the talking.

"It's been a lot." He mewed simply at the grey-green she-cat, before trotting ahead to walk alongside Slugpaw again.

The sky was getting darker as the Swampclan cats moved closer to the Flatrocks, and Shadepaw soon realised that the clouds he and Slugpaw had once seen illuminated by the sunset were now dark and looming overhead, as if they had something to hide.

***

As Shadepaw stepped onto the cold hard surface of the Flatrocks, he looked up and noticed that other than the cold salty seabreeze, he couldn't sense anything else. Swampclan had arrived first this time.
Shadepaw frowned, Tideclan was usually the early one. They were the fastest, after all. It's not like Shadepaw was worried for anyone he didn't even know, he was just unsettled.

"So, want to tell me why you scared us so badly?" Mangrovebranch appeared from beside Shadepaw, startling him for a brief moment. The dilute tom's pale blue eyes stared into Shadepaw's dubiously.

Shadepaw scoffed and looked away, pelt prickling. "Whatever, you wouldn't miss me."

"Have you got mosquitos in your brain?" Mangrovebranch hissed. "We searched the whole day and night when you two left! I barely ate, or slept!"

"Why do you care so much?" Shadepaw retorted, glaring at Mangrovebranch. Other Swampclan cats moving around them who were trying to get onto the Flatrocks were shooting suspicious glances at Shadepaw, which only made him more angry. "I'm not talking to anyone tonight." He concluded curtly at Mangrovebranch, then turned around, stumbling off to sit by himself.

There were barely any dips in the cold stone ground, but it sloped upward the closer you got the waters of the Skypool. Shadepaw remembered watching the weird red water appear then fade just as quickly, leaving nothing but small traces of whatever turned it that colour. 

Maybe that had something to do with Tideclan's lateness, but he didn't know how something as weird as that could have anything to do with the gathering. Shadepaw walked further towards the direction of the Skypool, away from the other cats, but not too far. He stopped before it started to slope and turned around to view the groups of cats forming.

Not too long after, Shadepaw scented a long expected scent from his left. He glanced towards the direction of the rivermouth, sighing peevishly as he saw their big, white fluffy leader with brown patches leaping onto the rocks. 

Finally! Shadepaw vexed, lashing his tail. He then realised, as more and more Tideclan cats rose onto the rocks, the air grew more and more silent. The sand-smelling cats eyes were wide as they paused.

What are they looking at? Shadepaw wondered, before turning around. 

His ears fell flat.