Warriors: The Blood Moon Rises

Chapter Seven

Sunsetpaw's heart skipped a beat as Sandshredder seriously sniffed the air. The forest was quiet, and only scents whirled in her head.
"Where are the intruders?" Sunsetpaw breathed.
"I don't know. Get behind me." Sandshredder dropped to a crouch and his eyes shot from left to right. Sunsetpaw did the same, but she couldn't pinpoint where the scent was coming from or hear anything. Sandshredder perked his ears and scanned for any sounds. Suddenly, they heard voices. They were extremely faint, and they sounded like younger cats.
"I got it!"
"Yeah, but we crossed the WindClan border! We have to get back before we get caught!" The voices were anxious and urging.
Sandshredder sprinted in that direction, Sunsetpaw at his feet. There, at the edge of the border, were two older apprentices. A crimson and brown colored she cat and a chocolate tom stared wide eyed, frozen in place. The she-cat sent a pleading stare at Sunsetpaw, as if to say, "Please help me get out of this!" They had a juicy rabbit laying at their feet, and the she was still crouched down. That's a huge rabbit! I wonder if I'll be able to catch stuff like that when I get a bit older!
"You two need to get back to your camp. I know it was a mistake, but when you're a warrior, we won't let that slide," Sandshredder warned calmly, not baring his teeth. They both nodded, eyes still wide with fear. The tom slowly nudged the rabbit toward Sandshredder before turning around.
"Hey! You can keep this!" He said, pushing it back. "Looks like a good catch. Now hurry back."
The tom nervously nodded, picked up the rabbit and sprinted away, followed by the she-cat. They scrambled away. like they were running for their lives. Sunsetpaw could hear them arguing as they ran off.
"I told you we should've let it go! You almost got us killed! You're lucky the deputy is nice!"
"Oh, shut up! Look what we're bringing back!"
Sandshredder shook his head with amusement. "You'll never be as clumsy as them, not while you're my apprentice you won't."
"I promise I'll never ever break the warrior code!" Sunsetpaw promised, her eyes narrowed across the border.
"Let's head back to camp."
Sandshredder and Sunsetpaw trotted back to camp, with the occasional explanation of different birds and holes. Sunsetpaw really admired Sandshredder. He was so noble and strong. He was an amazing deputy and was so organized. Sunsetpaw was so exited to be his apprentice! She'd out-apprentice any apprentice, and when she became a warrior, she'd be the best one WindClan has ever seen! One day, she'd be leader of WindClan, helping her clan and battling the fiercest battles. She didn't have time to find a mate like Sandshredder.
"Hey! Are you awake? What are you thinking about?" Sandshredder inquired. Sunsetpaw shook her head.
"Nothing, I just really want to be the best warrior ever!" Sunsetpaw couldn't contain her excitement to continue her training.
"I know that you'll be a great warrior someday." Sandshredder assured as they entered the camp.
It was just past sunhigh, and the sunbeams were shining on her flame-colored pelt. 
"Hey, Zipperpaw!" Sunsetpaw greeted the brindled sand-colored apprentice. "Guess what! We found ThunderClan apprentices on our territory!"
Zipperpaw's eyes widened. "Whoa! Did you fight them? Did you kill them?"
"No! That's against warrior code! It was an accident. They accidentally chased prey over the border. They looked super scared and ran away!"
"Aww, that's no fun," Zipperfur complained. "Well anyways, they should be scared. Sandshredder is super strong!"
"Hello!" Yochapaw greeted, trotting up to the two apprentices. She had an odd accent, but Sunsetpaw didn't mind. "Did you know that beyond StarClan, there is another place where cats go called the Place of No Stars. It is where all the bad cats go after they die."
Sunsetpaw stretched her eyes wide. Place of No Stars? She didn't want to go there! The very thought made her shudder.
"Ravenstar told me that at first, it may appear nice like a meadow, and a cat will ask if you want to train with him. Don't say yes! They take advantage of you and turn you against your clan! Ravenstar said any cat can be tricked into going in their dreams." Yochapaw continued, being sure to emphasize the dangers.
"Right. I don't believe in any of that Dark Forest mouse dung." Zipperpaw dismissively flicked her tail and walked away. Yochapaw hung her head with disappointment.
"I believe in the Dark Forest! I'll be sure to watch out for them in my dreams." Sunsetpaw smiled, not wanting Yochapaw to feel left out. Yochapaw smiled back, pushing her a mouse.
"Hey Sunsetpaw! Eww, why are you hanging out with Yochapaw? She talks weird," Goldpaw commented as he padded up to the fresh kill pile.
"Hey! Don't say that! It's not her fault!" Sunsetpaw defended.
"Who cares? She probably can't understand us anyway. We don't like you!" Goldpaw enunciated, spitting in Yochapaw's face. She looked down as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Anger boiled up in Sunsetpaw. How dare he say that about her! Without thinking, she yowled and pounced on Goldpaw at full force. He slammed into the ground, eyes wide in shock. She gave him a few blows to his flank before Goldpaw kicked her off. She hit the ground hard, but quickly scrambled back up. She slid under his belly, kicking him and sending him flying. He hit the ground and scrambled to his feet, eyes wide.
"Don't you ever mess with her again! Don't even look at her!" Sunsetpaw screeched, bouncing on her toes. Goldpaw tripped as he ran away, a terrified look on his face. Yochapaw's jaw was on the ground and her eyes bulged out.
"You-you fight amazing!" Yochapaw said in awe.
"Nah, I was just making sure he didn't do it again." Sunsetpaw flicked the dust out of her tail. That's when Sunsetpaw realized that all of camp was staring at her and whispering. She felt her face get hot.
"Sunsetpaw!" Sandshredder called, bounding toward her. "I know I shouldn't be saying this, but those battle moves wee extraordinary! You're so strong already!" Sandshredder complimented "Next time though, don't use it on your clanmate."
"I'm sorry, but Goldpaw was being a fox-heart to Yochapaw." Sunsetpaw shuffled her feet embarrassingly.
"Yes, and I'll have his mentor talk with him about that, but in the meantime, only use those moves on enemies or during training."
Sunsetpaw nodded. Her stomach grumbled, so she shared a piece of fresh-kill with Yochapaw.
"You know, you really did not have to fight for me like that!" Yochapaw remarked between bites.
"I'm sorry. I was just really mad. Did you want to fight him?"
"Oh no! You're just so brave!"
Sunsetpaw blushed and her fur ruffled. She and Yochapaw sat and talked until the sun set.
"Hey! It's time to sleep, Yochapaw. You too, Sunsetpaw. A good warrior needs rest," Ravenstar advised, smiling warmly.  Yochapaw and Sunsetpaw padded to the apprentices den. Zipperpaw was already snoring, and Goldpaw was tossing and turning in the corner. Sunsetpaw curled up on a nest, and fell immediately to sleep.
"Sunsetpaw." A silky voice whispered. Sunsetpaw jolted awake. She looked around, but she wasn't in her den. It was morning, and the sun was shining. She was in a field of tall, green-yellow grass. More than a few fox-lengths away from Sunsetpaw sat a slender calico cat with elegant freckles and deep jade green eyes. She was smiling warmly, her eyes shining in the sun.
"Sunsetpaw." She called again. Sunsetpaw cautiously padded up to her.
"Hello. I think I'm lost! Can you tell me where WindClan is?" Sunsetpaw nervously asked, her tail twitching.
"You aren't awake, silly. You're dreaming." She calico replied, her whiskers twitching with amusement.
"Oh. Who are you?"
"My name is Rosethorn."
"That sounds like a ThunderClan name."
"Smart young she-cat! I'm not alive anymore though, so does it really matter what clan I'm from?"
"Guess not."
"Anyways, I saw you fighting that young apprentice today. You're a very strong fighter. Do you want to learn more?"
Sunsetpaw had no idea how to answer this. She had just met this strange cat, who wasn't even real, and was from ThunderClan.
"I know you hold the warrior code very dearly. You just want to help your clan, and I admire that." Rosethorn's silky voice tickled her ears.
"If it means I'll be a better warrior..." Sunsetpaw hesitantly meowed.
"That sounds like a yes to me! Here, follow me so we can start training." Rosethorn walked past Sunsetpaw and into a dark forest that Sunsetpaw hadn't noticed was behind her. Sunsetpaw slowly followed, her heart beating fast as the forest got darker and darker. Suddenly, a pungent smell hit her nose like a rock.
"Ick! What's that horrible smell!" Sunsetpaw grimaced and wrinkled her nose.
"You'll get used to it." Sunsetpaw was petrified of this place. This wasn't the graceful field she was in earlier! She could hear screams of agony. She tried to shut them out, but they invaded her head.
"Wh-where am I?" Sunsetpaw trembled. "Is this what StarClan looks like?"
"No. You'll find out soon enough. Now that we're here, show me the attack you used on that dreadfully fat apprentice." Rosethorn smiled slyly. Sunsetpaw whiskers twitched as she stifled a giggle.
"I mean, I don't really remember. I was just really angry."
"Well then how about we make you remember." Rosethorn's fur slowly started to turn a golden color.
"What a midget! You'll never be a warrior!" Rosethorn shrunk down to Goldpaw's size.
"And that odd Yochapaw will never be one either! She won't even go to StarClan!" Rosethorn's head dissapeared, and in its place was the smug expression of Goldpaw, sneering at her face. Rage bubbled up inside Sunsetpaw. She knew it wasn't really Goldpaw, but she still wanted to shred him just as bad. Nobody hurt her pride. Nobody.
"Yes. Feel the hatred." Rosethorn's voice pounded in her head. Sunsetpaw yowled and flung herself as Goldpaw. She used the same attacks as she had before, striking hard blows to his belly.
"This isn't the clan anymore! Unsheathe your claws!"
Sunsetpaw didn't have to be told twice! Her claws came out with a "shing!". She raked his fave and belly. Suddenly, Goldpaw's huge paws pinned her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Frantically, Sunsetpaw looked for a way to free herself. Sunsetpaw lifted her back leg and sliced open Goldpaw's belly. His eyes widened as he fell to the ground, gasping for air. Blood trickled out of him and onto the grass. Goldpaw disappeared with a poof, and back in his place stood a proud Rosethorn. The grass she stood on was stained with fresh blood.
"That was amazing. A bit messy, but we can fix that another day. Do you know why you attacked so well?" Rosethorn inquired. Sunsetpaw shook her head.
"It's because of your anger and hatred. They fueled you to take everything out on him. It seemed though, you were at your angriest when he mentioned this Yochapaw. What connection do you have to her that caused you to be so upset when he talked about her?"
"I don't really know. She's my friend, and everyone in the clan bullies her, so I just wanted to help her out."
"That's not a good thing, dear. She can't depend on you forever, and at some point, she'll have to fend for herself. Maybe you should tell her to come here and learn to fight! You have to depend on yourself. It's every cat for themselves, even if you are in the same clan."
Sunsetpaw nodded. "Is this StarClan or something? It smells awful bad. I mean, it is a bunch of dead cats," Sunsetpaw remarked.
"Oh no. This is not StarClan." Rosethorn almost looked offended. "This is quite the opposite, actually. Welcome to the pace of no stars!"
Place of No Stars? Wait...Yochapaw warned her about this place.
"The-the Dark Forest?" Sunsetpaw trembled and tried to scramble away, but green ooze pulled her back in. It smelled horrid, and it bubbled. The thickness smothered her. She tried to come up for air, but the ooze was too heavy. She tried to scream, but her cries were muffled as so sank into darkness.