Ghosts of the Clans

Chapter 8

"Pouncetail!" Redpaw skidded into camp, his flanks heaving. "Penny..." He did not have to finish his sentence before his father's eyes darkened with rage at the sight of the dried blood on Redpaw's chest. "I'll kill her!" he cursed, long claws flicking out. "Wait. She asked that Olivepaw and I come with you," Redpaw panted, stopping him just in time.

Pouncetail's amber eyes widened. "No!" he hissed protectively, curling his tail over Redpaw's shoulders. "I'll do it by myself... you two are too young to survive her if she chooses to attack and attempt to kill all of us."

"No, we are not." The new voice came from Olivepaw, who emerged from a prickly bush nearby, shaking out her fur. She stared boldly at their father, her expression almost identical to Penny's. Redpaw recognised the resemblance between mother and daughter, and it was clear that Pouncetail did to- his dark brown tabby fur pricked up along his neck. "Very well. But tell me what happened," he sighed at last.

Redpaw recounted every detail of his meeting with Penny. "She wants you to meet her at sunhigh, in a half-moon's time." He finally finished, looking at the steadily darkening sky. Before Pouncetail could meow a single word, Whitewater dashed into camp, closely followed by Crowfrost and Russetfur. "Blackfoot! We still can't find- oh," the long-furred white she-cat cut herself off when she noticed Redpaw at the side, with Pouncetail and Olivepaw.

The ShadowClan leader strode out to look down at him, his amber eyes stern. Behind him was Sol, looking as lazy and insolent as ever. "Redpaw, where have you been? Whitewater, Crowfrost and Olivepaw have been worried sick- and so has the rest of the Clan. We thought you were missing. And Pouncetail, Olivepaw, why did you two not report to me immediately?"

Pouncetail ducked his head awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Blackfoot. I was questioning him about his whereabouts earlier, and was planning to tell you after that. Redpaw told me about the evidently disastrous training session, and that he walked into deeper territory while calming himself, and got lost. He also got scratched wriggling under a thornbush."

Blackfoot eyed Redpaw's chest wound, noticing it for the first time. "Right. And next time, Redpaw, do not ever do this again. Go and get the wound treated, and you shall be doing tick duty for the next moon, and whenever you leave camp, a warrior must go with you. You will also carry out apprentice training as usual. Understood?" he issued the punishment briskly, not showing any signs of concern. Sol licked a paw and drew it over his ear, not seeming to focus on the tension at all.

Redpaw bowed his head in shame. "Yes, Blackfoot," he mewed meekly, though in his head, he was screeching about how unfair the punishment was. It was all Whitewater's fault for not training him properly! Sol eyed him sympathetically, and Redpaw knew what they were both thinking. The warrior code...

When he went to his nest that day, he found himself in a dark forest, with looming shadows surrounding him. Upon looking up, he let out a gasp. There were no stars, no moon, nothing to light up the forest, though it was in an eerie glow.

A big, dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes padded out from a clump of wilted ferns nearby. "Welcome, Redpaw, to the Place of No Stars. I'll be helping you with your training from now on, together with a few others."

Swallowing, Redpaw questioned him, "How do I know that you are really going to do what you promised? And... what's your name?"

"Ah, my bad. My name's Tigerstar, and if you've heard nursery tales you can answer your own question."