StarClan isn't real..

Chapter 10

Yellowpaw struck out with a forepaw, catching Finchpaw on the nose. The silver she-cat hissed and ducked away, then rushed forward to unbalance Yellowpaw. Familiar with this move, Yellowpaw dodged out of the way. But Finchpaw was swifter, and managed to swerve around and then tackled Yellowpaw.

With a grunt, Finchpaw slammed Yellowpaw to the ground. She grunted and tried to bat her adoptive sister away with her hind paws, but Finchpaw had too good of a grip on her, and Yellowpaw couldn't break free. Annoyed, she went limp, and allowed Finchpaw to step off her. The silver apprentice lifted her chin smugly.

Scrambling to her paws, Yellowpaw felt a pang of anger. This was the second time Finchpaw had beaten her. She had been battle training all day, but her ego seemed to have gone down, while Finchpaw's may have well grown wings. 

"Good job," Vixentalon, Finchpaw's mentor, purred.

Sighing, Yellowpaw began to groom her fur. "Not now, Yellowpaw," Fallenthroat hissed. "You still have more battle training to go through, and you'll just get dirty again."

Groaning inwardly, Yellowpaw looked at Finchpaw. She and her mentor were heading across the moor, away from the Outlook Rock where the mentors and apprentices were training. Fallowpaw had gotten scratched by Finchpaw, and was back at camp, and that just left Yellowpaw and Larkpaw. The handsome brown she-cat looked distracted, her gaze quite misty and distant.

"Go on," Fallenthroat urged.

"Huh?" Larkpaw looked up, then her gaze switched to Yellowpaw. Seeming to understand, she padded forward, each step looking like she was dragging herself. She looked like she was filled with grief and despair.

Fallenthroat purred. "Go!"

Yellowpaw started to circle Larkpaw, but the apprentice didn't move. She still looked distracted, and a bit puzzled. The sun was beginning to go down- maybe she was tired? Larkpaw finally seemed to realize she was in training and she started to circle back, though her gaze was still quite distant.

With a yowl, Yellowpaw lunged. Larkpaw let out a shriek, and Yellowpaw flinched backward. She stumbled, and Larkpaw's chest started to heave.

"What's wrong?" Fallenthroat hissed.

Larkpaw glanced wildly around, and Yellowpaw immediately understood. She thought that she was going to be attacked, as her sister had been. Yellowpaw wished she could get over it, but at the same time, she had no idea what it was like to have kin die, as she was never close with her mother.

With a whimper, the apprentice turned and raced across the moor. Yellowpaw took a step back, feeling guilty. Fallenthroat sighed. 

"Let's get back to camp," The torbie mewed. In the half-moon that had passed since the strange meeting, Fallenthroat had seemed to be forcing a cheerful attitude, but recently she hadn't tried as much, and looked tired instead. She walked slowly as she headed across the moor.

Once the two cats had reached camp, Yellowpaw went ahead of her mentor, through the heather tunnel. In the cleariing, most of the cats were simply sharing fresh-kill and chatting, but Oatflower was huddled with her daughter, Larkpaw, at one side of the clearing. She gave her daughter's fur soothing licks.

Am I that scary? Yellowpaw wondered.

Fallenthroat emerged from the tunnel. "Go get yourself some prey," She rasped. She padded across the clearing to Aspenwing, who was sitting beside Logpaw. The gray and black apprentice was grooming himself, a serious look on his face.

Sighing, Yellowpaw headed towards the fresh-kill pile. She picked out a vole and carried it across the clearing, towards the apprentices' den.

Fallowpaw and Finchpaw lay outside. Fallowpaw flicked his tail to beckon Yellowpaw over. Happy that she had someone to talk to, Yellowpaw padded over and laid down beside Fallowpaw. He was eating a small rabbit, while Finchpaw had a plump mouse. Yellowpaw took a bite of her vole.

"What happened with Larkpaw?" Finchpaw asked.

Yellowpaw blinked at the silver she-cat, then shrugged. "I don't know," She admitted. "We were going to fight, and when I jumped at her, she... screamed and ran away." Yellowpaw flexed her claws into the earth.

"Weird," Finchpaw scoffed.

About to speak to Fallowpaw, Yellowpaw opened her mouth, but was distracted when Specklebird padded over to her. After the strange day, he had gone back to a serious, kind deputy. "Yellowpaw, may I speak to you?" He asked. He sounded friendly, and Yellowpaw felt like she could trust him.

"Of course," She mewed. She padded after the deputy as he headed towards the fresh-kill pile and sat down beside it.

"Yellowpaw, I saw something strange when I was out hunting," The tom mewed. "I thought you might want to see it. Would you like to check it out?"

Me? Why did Specklebird keep choosing her for important things. "Um... sure."

Specklebird nodded. "Good." The way he said the one word reply made it seem like an order. Slightly creeped out, Yellowpaw followed the blue-gray deputy towards the camp entrance. The tom's tail swished with something like excitement. What did he find?

The two cats exited the heather tunnel and then cut around the edge of the camp. Yellowpaw noticed Specklebird was heading towards the ShadowClan border. Why?

As they kept walking, Yellowpaw was aware of a musty scent. At first, she thought it was just the thunderpath, but then she could smell blood, and the pulsing of a living creature. A badger? A fox? She couldn't tell. Maybe another cat? But what feline would smell as foul as a thunderpath, and why did Specklebird want to show her something like that?

Specklebird stopped before he reached the thunderpath. He was looking at a small hole in the ground; an abandoned badger set, by the look of it. It was under a gorse bush, almost hidden. How did he find it?

"It's just a badger set," Yellowpaw hissed.

There was no reply.

"Specklebird?" Yellowpaw backed away. The sun had gone now, and the deputy had vanished. Confused and creeped out, Yellowpaw backed away, into the long grass of the moor. She felt as if a million pairs of eyes were on her. "Spe- Specklebird? Where did you go?"

Suddenly, the grass rustled, and something exploded from the plants. Sharp teeth tore into Yellowpaw's left ear. She yowled in pain as she felt her ear get tugged, and then there was a ripping sound of skin. She screeched and spun around, scared out of her mind. Agony split through her, and then claws scraped her wrist. More pain exploded in her body. Claws hit every inch of her, and she heard the splat sound as blood hit the grass.

She felt teeth and claws sink into her face. Glowing, dark eyes flashed in front of her face, and the gleam of white teeth and shone in her face.

Then agony tore through her face and everything went dark.