City of Polaris (Warriors, Book 1)

Chapter 10

"Clan meeting!"

Ravenshadow shambled over to the other cats. It had been only three days since Boldstar was leader, and he was bossing EVERYONE AROUND. It was like being an apprentice all over again! Speaking of apprentices, their were three new warriors; Cactusprick, Dunewalker, and Sunkissedmoon, aswell as two new apprentices, Moonpaw and Blossompaw. There were also two new kits; Stoatkit and Littlekit.

Boldstar spoke, his voice confident as usual. "Cats of the Clan, we have a ceromony to hold. Duckkit, please step up."

The tiny kit Duckkit was a pretty nervous kit, whose parents were Whitestar and Violettail. He had been pretty sad when his father had died.

"This kit has reached the age of six moons," Boldstar was saying. Ravenshadow felt his eyes rake down on her pelt, then the sensation disappeared and he continued. "and is now ready to be apprenticed." An awkward silence came across the WindClan camp, before Boldstar coughed apologetically and continued. "Duckkit, from this moment on, until you recieve your warrior name, you will be known as Duckpaw." There was a pause. "And your mentor will be... Ravenshadow."

Ravenshadow was taken by suprise for a moment. An apprentice? I have to waiste my time on a puny apprentice?

As she felt Duckpaw's cold nose touch her's, the excited yet nervous squeak of his voice sounded to her. "What are we gonna learn?"

"Battle training."

***

Five moons had passed since that fateful day.

Ravenshadow and Wolfspark, the ShadowClan cat from the Gathering, had been meeting in secret. But that wasn't the best part of the past moons...

It was now time for Ravenshadow's big plan; to get a few cats off her kill-list. She was on a requested border patrol with four cats on her list; Duskflower (who had talked the deputy into letting her go because she was still a little young, and not a very old elder), Cactusprick, and Sunkissedmoon. Better yet, they were going to mark the gorge. So all she had to do was shove them into the foaming waves, then tell the Clan rogues or foxes or something did it.

Now she padded across the moors, edging closer to the salty scent of the gorge. Her claws tingled with excitement as the cats crouched beside the border. Then, when Ravenshadow was sure the time was right, she aloud her claws to slid out.

She'd start with Duskflower, Ravenshadow decided. Letting out a small hiss, Ravenshadow readied her claws. This was it. Her mother. The one who had lied to her. This was the cat Ravenshadow wanted dead the most, and now... now she was finally getting her wish. Duskflower'd get what she deserved.

Without a second thought, Ravenshadow spun around and kicked Duskflower into the rushing waves.

Just as a small mew of confusion came from both Cactusprick and Sunkissedmoon, Ravenshadow bounded over to them, then happily raked her claws against their sides, then proceded to lash out with her back legs. The satisfying sound of their screeches echoed through the gorge, now Ravenshadow just needed to act sad and terrified-

"Ravenshadow!"

The voice was achingly familiar. It was the voice of Swiftrunner, Ravenshadow's dad. Well, then. Thought Ravenshadow. Four kills today.

Suddenly something hard blunded into Ravenshadow. The ground all disappeared from her head, and she realized quickly she was dangling over the gorge. She let out a small screech, then slashed her claws across where Swiftrunner's neck (probably) was. Just as she hoped, her claws connected.

But she could take it farther than that.

Ravenshadow immiedatly leapt to her paws, away from the gorge. Then she lunged towards Swiftrunner's scent. She landed decently on his back, then felt along his fur, before finding his neck. She drew back her lip in a snarl, then opened her maw and dug her teeth into her father's throat.

There was a soft gurgling sound, like a bubbling river. Than Swiftrunner's shallow breath stopped.

Revenge... Thought Ravenshadow, grinning. I love it.

***

Ravenshadow's claws dug into the bark of a tall aspen tree, and she hunched herself onto the next branch using her muscles. As she sat down on the sturdy wood she pressed her pelt to Wolfspark's, purring. So many moons had passed. She had mentored three apprentices. She was now, what... sixty moons old? Duskfoot, Stoatheart, and Fluffytail would be the best warriors in WindClan now, thanks to Ravenshadow.

"I finished mentoring Fluffytail," Boasted Ravenshadow to Wolfspark. The tom let out a little snicker. "I got my second apprentice," He snorted back. "Her name is Sunnypaw."

"Ah, yes." Ravenshadow remembered at the last Gathering two nights ago when Nightstar had shouted Sunnypaw's name. She is probably bright colors, Ravenshadow had thought. Or she has a 'sunny' personality.

They had spent all night climbing the large aspen tree near the Carrionplace, and Ravenshadow already felt the lukewarm feeling of the dawn sun creeping onto her pelt. "Oh, great." She teased Wolfspark. "We spent so long climbing now we need to go home." She hoped Wolfspark didn't notice that she was in an awful rush to go back to camp. She had an important plan tonight.

"Alright," Purred Ravenshadow. She felt his nose nuzzle her cheek.

She let out a purr than leapt down the tree, knowing that the big bags of twoleg stuff was beneath the tree. Sure enough, after a bit of a scary fall, she landed as gracefully as she could on the wrinkly bags. Great. Stupid, wet twoleg stuff.

She shook out her pelt, then purred a goodbye to Wolfspark and darted off across the hard surface of the thunderpath.

***

Ravenshadow's paws pounded against the grass, and, relying on the strength in her hind legs to guide her, she pounced. Her claws connected with fur, and she bit down on the hare's throat. The cold night wind ruffled her pelt as she thought of the new deputy. Dunewalker. Cinderfoot had retired to the elders' den right when Ravenshadow had gotten back from camp. She snorted, then dragged her hare to where she knew a clump of ferns was.

I need to do this, She thought. Ravenshadow squeezed underneath the ferns. They brushed against her pelt, but nonetheless she settled down and bit into her hare while reviewing the plan in her head.

Its night. As my clanmates have said, I have a black pelt. So, I should be able to leap into camp, after hiding my scent with mud, kill Dunewalker who SHOULD be chatting with Boldstar about hunting like they do every night when they share prey, then sneak off. I'll come back from camp, hopefully with prey, and by then Boldstar will hold the ceromony. He HAS to chose me. I'm his own apprentice, and I've mentored three of my own. Then, I just need to be patient. Wait for blood to be spilled. When Boldstar is on his last life, I'll finish him off. I'll exile the cats who hurt me. I'll do it. Blood must be spilled... no, not blood. REVENGE. Revenge must be spilled. Be silent, like a shadow. Its in my name. And the cats on my kill list... Moonstorm, Blossomfang, Dunewalker, Boldstar... they'll be dead too.

Ravenshadow swallowed the last bit of hair, licked the prey clean off her muzzle, then squeezed out of the ferns. She padded over to the spot near the training log where it was always muddy. She wrinkled her nose, but rolled in the sticky thick stuff anyway.

When her pelt was completely coated, Ravenshadow padded over to the scent of camp.

When a thorn stabbed her pad, she knew she had reached the thorn and gorse barrier of the WindClan camp. She yanked the thorn out angrily, then slinked down into the hollow, darted into the bushes near the prey pile, filled with tension.

"...and that rabbit might as well have been a bird!" It was Dunewalker's annoying voice.

Boldstar laughed. "Hah! Rabbits can jump so high!"

I've killed his littermates. Ravenshadow thought as her claws silently slid out. Suddenly, a feeling of guilt jabbed her, and memories of blood spilled into her mind. No, She ordered herself. If you take a cat's littermates... well, might as well let them reunite.