Warriors: A Forbidding Prophecy #1: The Cliff Slide

Chapter Five

"Tigerleap! Tigerleap! Tigerleap!" Jaypaw heard the whole clan shouting the new warriors name.

Icepaw was shouting the loudest beside him. Jaypaw didn't dare join in. He didn't like Tigerleap at all. When everyone was going over to congratulate the brown tom, Jaypaw slicked off to where his sister was chatting with Firepaw, his brother ,and Snowpaw. Jaypaw sat beside Squirrelpaw, where she was lying. "Hey Jaypaw," Waterpaw noticed him first.

"Hello," Jaypaw responded.

The other apprentices then noticed him, and all greeted him. They started speaking and having a conversation about the new warrior. "Tigerleap, I suspect his name was chosen because he leaped into action with whoever he saved," Firepaw started the conversation.

"Does anyone know who he saved?" Squirrelpaw asked them.

"I do," Jaypaw answered her and told everyone. "He saved Icepaw from a fox."

Jaypaw watched as all the apprentices reacted in some certain way. Waterpaw's ears twitched at hearing that. Snowpaw turned her head towards Jaypaw. Firepaw and Squirrelpaw both looked at each other before turning to face Jaypaw. No cat said a word for a few seconds before Waterpaw did. "Tigerleap is planning something," Waterpaw muttered quietly.

"I agree," Firepaw quickly said.

Squirrelpaw quickly looked at Firepaw before saying anything. "I don't like it, whatever Tigerleap is doing," Squirrelpaw spoke very slowly.

Snowpaw got up from the place where she was resting. "I'm going to go over and talk with Icepaw," Snowpaw told them before leaving them.

"I guess our conversation about Tigerleap made her uncomfortable. Well, I guess I'm going to talk with Troutpaw. It might be good to congratulate Tigerleap, so we don't seem rude," Squirrelpaw said as she got up to leave.

Jaypaw watched his sister walk towards the crowd of cats, which had scattered a bit since. Jaypaw turned his focus on Firepaw and Waterpaw. Waterpaw started to stretch as he got up and nudged his brother. "Come on, let's go congratulate him. It would be best," Waterpaw told Firepaw and waited for him to get up.

"Hold on, I want to talk to Jaypaw. You go ahead," Firepaw explained to Waterpaw.

Waterpaw waited silently for a moment before walking towards the crowd of cats. When Waterpaw was far away from them, Jaypaw turned to look at Firepaw. Firepaw had gotten up from his spot and signaled with his tail to follow him. Jaypaw followed Firepaw out of the camp and to an open area circled with trees. "Why did you want to speak you me out of camp?" Jaypaw asked when they stopped.

"So no one can hear us. I wanted to warn you," Firepaw told him while checking the surroundings and sniffing for scents that may hint to them being followed.

"Warn me about what?" Jaypaw questioned the ginger tom.

"Tigerleap," Firepaw said when he knew that everything was clear. The ginger tom faced Jaypaw and continued. "He's a dangerous cat. I would advise... for my brother's sake... try to keep Icepaw away from him."

Firepaw had spoken much quieter when talking about his brother, which Jaypaw didn't quite catch. "How is he dangerous? I know something seems weird about him," Jaypaw wondered.

Firepaw sat down and placed his tail resting on his paws. "I'm not supposed to say, but it will make a bit more sense if I do. Do not tell anyone about what I am about to tell you," Firepaw sternly told Jaypaw.

Jaypaw didn't know whether or not he should leave. If he can't tell anyone about what he is about to hear, he doesn't know if he could keep it secret. "I promise I won't tell anyone," Jaypaw said very reluctantly.

"Good," Firepaw said quickly before going on with what he wanted to tell to Jaypaw. The ginger tom looked around once more to double-check the surroundings before turning back to Jaypaw. "I visit a place, and Tigerleap does too. This place is very dark, and the cats there seek revenge. It's not a very good place to be. Tigerleap follows these cats hard. He is loyal to the bone."

"If it is so bad, why do you visit there?" Jaypaw asked Firepaw.

Firepaw seemed to get nervous instantly. "I said all that I can say. We should go before any cat notices we are gone.

-

Jaypaw struggled to sleep with the information that he had been given. It was even worse now, as Tigerleap was watching camp for the night. When Jaypaw finally went to sleep, he woke up in a very strange place. It was dark, pitch black, and no stars to be seen at all. He walked around this very murky and dark place for a bit until a white tom jumped on him. The white tom placed a paw on his throat and had a very tight grasp. The tom snarled at Jaypaw and was about to bite him until another cat intervened. "Wolfstrike, let the apprentice go," a she-cat spoke.

"He is not welcome here," Wolfstrike growled at the she-cat.

"Neither did I, but we can't kill him. His clanmates will notice right away. Who knows, maybe he'll join us," the she-cat told the white tom, sounding closer than last time.

"Fine, I'll let him go. But I'm keeping a close eye on him, Sharptail," Wolfstrike snapped at the she-cat.

Jaypaw felt the white cat's grip loosen and got up when he was free. When he was up, he noticed a golden-brown she-cat standing close to Wolfstrike. Her green eyes were dark, and had no sparkle were in them. Wolfstrike's yellow eyes glared at Jaypaw until he disappeared into a bush covered with thorns. "Follow me apprentice. Don't you leave my sight," Sharprail hissed at Jaypaw.

Jaypaw followed the she-cat, terrified and scared about what would happen if he didn't. They walked farther along to dark woods, and his paws began to feel more stickier as they continued. He stopped walking as he heard a cat screech. The screech was close by, and Jaypaw saw the cat who made the terrible sound. Firepaw had his back arched, facing toward a black-and-gray tom. "How could you let the medicine cat find out of our secret," the gray tom snapped at Firepaw.

"I didn't realize he was there. I checked twice," Firepaw responded, his voice raised.

Jaypaw looked away as the strange cat lifted his paw up with his claws out. "Jadestar is teaching him a lesson, good," Sharptail murmured under her breath.

"Why is he hurting Firepaw?" Jaypaw asked, his voice shaking.

"Firepaw, let it out to the medicine cat apprentice about this place. Those injuries are lessons, a reminder. You could join us. He'll learn much more than what Moonclan can teach you," Sharptail told Jaypaw.

Jaypaw looked at horror at Firepaw, who now had a wound across his face. Jadestar had scratched the apprentice from his forehead to his nose, and it was bleeding. He did not want to be a part of this and ran as hard as he could back the way he came from.

-

"Jaypaw! Are you alright?" Jaypaw was suddenly jolted awake by a cat shaking him.

The cat was Flowerpaw, who had a concerned look in her hazel eyes. "Yes, I'm fine," Jaypaw told her, catching his breath.

"You made your nest a mess. It seemed like you were having a terrible dream," Flowerpaw explained to him, sounding worried.

"Thanks for checking on me," Jaypaw thanked the white she-cat.

"No problem," Flowerpaw said drowsiness before going back to her nest next to Firepaw.

Jaypaw glanced at Firepaw before going back to sleep. He realized that the scratch was still there, and Firepaw seemed to be trembling in his nest.