A Spark in the Night, part one: The Spark Ignites

Chapter seventeen

Four moons had passed since Shiningpaw's first day as an apprentice, and she was still getting better every session. "Shiningpaw, you're doing well, but it's time for you to head back to camp."

Shiningpaw nodded. "Okay, Softcloud!" She bounded off, and Softcloud turned around to do some hunting.

Softcloud buried her thrush and turned around, immediately scenting vole. She dropped into the hunter's crouch and began to move towards it. She tensed as it looked up, and let out a breath of relief when it didn't see her and continued digging at the dirt. When she was about a fox-length away from it, she prepared to pounce, but a snap of a twig sent it scurrying away.

"Mouse-dung!" Softcloud growled in frustration, then realized that she hadn't stepped on the twig. She tasted the air and caught the scent of the only two cats in her Clan she wished she'd never have to see again.

"Leafclaw, Grasswhisker." She hissed, trying to ignore the trepidation building in her chest. "I know you're there."

The ferns rustled as the two toms stepped out. Leafclaw smiled "We are ready now. Before, we failed, but now we will succeed. We have something you could call a secret weapon." Softcloud narrowed her eyes at them and unsheathed her claws, ready to defend herself yet again.

Leafclaw lunged towards her, and she dodged to one side, then leaping the other way, managing to trip him up. He swiped at her again, and she jerked away before his claws could make contact with her pelt. She felt a sharp pain in her back; Grasswhisker's claws dug into her pelt as he clung to her back. She stumbled under his weight, and felt her legs buckle beneath her. She struggled to pull free, her claws tearing at the ground.

"Stop struggling. You won't achieve anything." Leafclaw sneered, stepping close to her, and stretching his neck out so that their muzzles were a whisker apart. "You're stuck now. We've won. Just accept it."

She reached out with unsheathed claws, swiping at his foreleg. "Let me go!" She hissed.

"I don't think so." She heard Grasswhisker's taunt, before speaking to Leafclaw. "Just like we practiced. I'm already in position."

Leafclaw raised his paw, claws unsheathed, and began lowering it towards her throat. She kept tugging at the ground, wishing the soil wasn't so loose. His claws made contact with her neck and he slowly started adding more pressure. She kept pushing and struggling in Grasswhisker's grip, but it was hopeless. She left Leafclaw's claws pierce her skin and suddenly got an idea. She let herself go limp, hoping they'd fall for it. She held her breath for good measure.

"Hah!" She heard Leafclaw's voice. "That was too easy."

She heard Grasswhisker chuckle darkly as he got off of her. "Shouldn't we make sure, just in case? Rip her pelt off, and if she screams, she's alive." Oh, no! What now? She was relieved to hear some cat entering the clearing. Please let them stop this. She recognized Strikestone's choked voice. "You've just killed my mate!" He wailed. "The least you can do is respect her body!"

Oh no, Strikestone! She wished she could tell him she was okay, but she had to keep herself from revealing to Leafclaw and Grasswhisker that she was alive. She heard Strikestone staggering towards her, and felt him press his muzzle into her fur.

"Oh, well," she heard Leafclaw. "Why not? We've won anyway."

As soon as the two were out of hearing range, she whispered, "Strikestone, I'm fine. Don't worry, I'm fine, I'm fine." She looked up, seeing Strikestone, his face still buried in her fur, but she felt him relax, and he pulled back to meet her gaze, happier than she'd ever seen anyone before.