Foxgaze's Haunting

Chapter 32

(Kitten above is Pinekit)

"Wolfpaw! Where have you been!", Foxgaze scolded him as he padded through the thorn barrier. Wolfpaw winced when he saw the shape the camp was in. The warriors den had partially collapsed and debris was scattered everywhere. Foxgaze's tortishell and white fur was dripping wet, and so were the other warriors. Snowpaw, with cobwebs around one of her ears, groomed herself.

"Hunting...", Wolfpaw mewed and glanced off to the side.

"Oh really?", Foxgaze said with a fake laugh, "I know you're a good hunter Wolfpaw, and you should know that prey likes to hide during a thunderstorm".

"Yeah....I know", Wolfpaw lied, "you never know".

Foxgaze didn't say anything. Then she made a disapproving grunt and walked off, calling out behind her, "Go help Tigerpaw and Beechpaw".

Wolfpaw sauntered off. He muttered to himself, "Thanks a lot Brightmoon, because of you all this stuff happened".

You're welcome.

***

"Show yourself!", Wolfpaw hissed at the dark void around him. Everything around him was dark, and he standing in what felt like grass.

"Very well", Brightmoon's voice snarled at him. A figure appeared from out of the void. Brightmoon was completely white, with yellow eyes. She looked partially transparent, the dark void behind her making her look hazy.

Something about her face was off. Part of it was bent and mangled, like it had been struck by some cat long ago. Her yellow eye on that part of her face was flickering. Wolfpaw felt the urge to hide from her frightening presence.

"You wanted to speak with me?", the demon meowed.

Wolfpaw narrowed his eyes but held his ground, "I want you to stay out of my mind from this point onward!".

Brightmoon purred darkly and wound her tail around her paws, "What's the matter with my favorite apprentice?".

"You heard me!", Wolfpaw cracked. He was still fighting the urge to flee in terror, "I want you out!"

Brightmoon paused for a second. Her flickering yellow eye made Wolfpaw feel uncomfortable. She then grinned an awful grin, "Fine".

Wolfpaw narrowed his eyes, "That's it?". He then realized what he had just started, but it was too late.

"I'll leave, but I'm only going to go into another cat", Brightmoon said evilly, "Lets see, how do you feel about Cherrypaw?"

Wolfpaw realized with horror at what he had just done, "No! No! Anyone but her! Please!" Cherrypaw doesn't deserve it! Because....because...I love her for StarClan's sake!

"Oh, so you have a little crush on Cherrypaw, do you?", Brightmoon smirked, "Such a pity, she's going to pay for loving a cat outside her clan!"

Like that, Brightmoon's fur began to melt and change. Her yellow eyes changed to amber and patches of ginger began to cover her white fur. Wolfpaw took a step backward, quivering with fear and horror. Brightmoon had taken the form of Cherrypaw.

In Cherrypaw's voice, she shrieked in fear, "Oh no! Wolfpaw! Don't hurt me! Please!"

"Shut up! Don't you lay a claw on her Brightmoon!", Wolfpaw yowled, "please, anyone but her!"

Fake-Cherrypaw stopped screaming and glared at Wolfpaw, "Anyone?" Wolfpaw felt a stab of pain in his chest as Cherrypaw's eyes glinted murderously at him. It's...It's not her.

Wolfpaw felt the ground beneath him crumble. He fell back into the dark void, Cherrypaw laughing at him and his heart breaking as he woke up.

***
(Foxgaze's POV)

About 2 moons had passed. Wolfpaw had grown considerably. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Foxgaze and above the other apprentices. It makes sense, Foxgaze had thought to herself one day as she watched him training with Falconpaw, he should be a warrior in nearly two moons.

Falconpaw landed a soft blow between Wolfpaw's eyes and meowed triumphantly, "Hah! Take that SeaClan scum!"

Wolfpaw laughed and flipped Falconpaw onto his belly, sprawling him into the dust, "This is my victory Falconclaw!"

Falconpaw grunted and swatted at Wolfpaw, "Not today Wolfpelt!"

Foxgaze smiled. It was amusing to see them acting like kits, already picking their warrior names. Falconclaw suited Falconpaw but she had different names in mind for Wolfpaw. He could be a Wolfheart, or maybe a Wolftail.

Specklefrost had another litter of kits with Orangetail. be their second litter of kits, after Foxgaze and Adderpaw. She had given birth to them a quarter of a moon early. Pinekit, a black tom and Frostkit, a white she-kit with a grey tail. They both were healthy despite their early birth.

Foxgaze looked over and saw Beechpaw training with Tigerpaw. The russet tabby darted to the side, quick as a hare and swatted at the brown tabby a little too hard. Foxgaze felt a prick of fear when she remembered how Wolfpaw had never mentioned where Brightmoon had gone to. Hopefully she just disappeared Foxgaze thought with thin hope.

Suddenly, there was a shriek and Falconpaw yowled, "Badger!"

"Wait... A what?", Foxgaze stopped the frightened grey tom in his tracks.

"I-It's inside camp!", Falconpaw stammered, "we have to kill it before it can get to Specklefrost's kits!"

Wolfpaw unsheathed his claws, "I'm ready!"

Beechpaw growled, "Me too!"

Foxgaze, with the group of apprentices behind her, ran down the path to camp. There was a large hole in the thorn barrier. The reek of badger made Foxgaze want to vomit as she pushed through the hole.

The badger, a big male was roaring and swatting at the cats, it's berry bright eyes glinting in fury. Another one, probably its mate, was fighting Rabbitpelt and Orangetail at the entrance to the nurserey. Foxgaze could hear the frightened squeals of the two kits.

Foxgaze yowled and jumped on the badger, digging her claws into its yellowed stripes and biting at its neck. The beast roared in fury and tried to shake her off.

Trying to win against the odds, the she-badger snapped where Foxgaze's tail would have been. Foxgaze thought triumphantly, Every seen a cat without a tail before? I think not.

The badger snarled and managed to shake Foxgaze off. Spitting, Foxgaze got to her paws and scratched it across the shoulder. Rabbitpelt sunk her teeth its neck, making it howl.

It looks like they got it under control Foxgaze thought to herself. She turned towards the other badger.

The boar was much bigger than the female. He barely had a scratch on him, while the other cats were all bleeding. Beechpaw had a large gash on her shoulder. Their attacks were futile against the badger.

Foxgaze ran forward, her claws unsheathed and fur bristling. The yowls of battle were making her angry.

The badger, instead of turning to fight Foxgaze, was growling at Wolfpaw who kept clawing at him and spitting. It raised a clawed paw in the air, aiming directly for Wolfpaw. Foxgaze felt dread stab her in the chest as she yowled, "Wolfpaw! Move before it-!"

It was too late. The badger struck Wolfpaw across the face in a giant splatter of blood. Her apprentice fell backward and collapsed in a puddle of blood.