Warriors #2 - Attack of the Clones

The Assassin

Skypaw paced around the entrance of the Meeting den, fluffing his thick pelt against the cold breeze.

"Wasn't she excited to see me?" he muttered.

Though he knew Heathersun had greeted them amiably, he wished she had been more enthusiastic.

He had missed her every day since they parted.

Thinking about the beautiful she-cat made him overcome the other Padawans' taunts about him being a slave, harsh comments from Amethystgaze, and even his nightmares about Mistymoor, his mother.

"Skypaw, focus!" Hazeldusk meowed from above, a frown on his face.

'I've gotta work on my mind-shielding skills.' Skypaw flinched, wondering how his Master had sensed his jumbled-up thoughts.

"I am focusing!" he yowled back, wondering why he felt so irritated.

"Don't try to fool me, Sky. I know a moony-eyed look when I see it." Hazeldusk's reply was merely a wry snort.

"Please don't tell me you are thinking about Heathersun." he sighed.

"Well, I bet you are thinking about Lotusbloom right now!" Skypaw hissed.

It gave him satisfaction to see Hazeldusk's pelt fluff up with a flustered look in his eyes.

"No, I'm not!" the auburn cat hissed back.

"Besides, she is my kithood friend, nothing else."

"Is that why you follow her around back at Dawnclan?" Skypaw hid a smirk.

"I'm going to make you clean the dirtplace if you don't-" Hazeldusk narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, fine." Skypaw's claws furled and unfurled as he looked away.

"We are on a mission, so for the last time, focus." the auburn cat sounded satisfied as he leaped back to his post.

A shadowy figure slipped silently among a thick clump of pine trees, where on a branch, a silver cat with his face veiled by a mask was waiting.

"Is she dead?" he growled at the newcomer.

"I did place the Puffball Pods at the landing platform, but only her skystreaker didn't make it." the black she-cat answered, amber eyes glinting in the moonlight.

For a moment, the silver cat stayed silent; his only movement was the occasional twitch of his tail.

"We'll have to try something more subtle this time, Marrowpelt." he retorted gruffly.

"My client is getting impatient, Silverstorm." Marrowpelt narrowed her eyes.

"Take these." Silverstorm handed her a sack with something writhing inside.

When the black she-cat saw what was inside, her hackles went up, and her tail began to bristle.

"Those are-"

"Deathgrippers," Silverstorm said mildly as if the worms were no scarier than a dead mouse.

"Careful with them. They are very poisonous."

As the black cat turned away with the sack gripped firmly in her jaws, she heard Silverstorm growl a warning.

"There can be no mistakes this time."

"Any activity up there?" Skypaw asked his Master after a while.