Foxgaze's Haunting

Chapter 34

(Cat above is Galaxystar)
The moon was a round pale eye in the sky as Cherrypaw snuck out of camp. It was the time of week she would meet Wolfpath, and she was swift about it. Getting caught could cost her the chance of becoming a warrior. She had already taken her assesment and she would get her name in the morning along with Fernpaw, Dawnpaw, and Volepaw.

He'll be waiting, Cherrypaw thought to herself as she leaped over a boulder. The oak where they had been meeting was just down the path.

When Cherrypaw was a kit, her mother Blackfur died. Marshclaw, her father didn't like his two daughters as much. After all, Blackfur had starved to death during a tough Leaf-bare; and he believed it was their fault. Cherrypaw was only a moon old at the time, and she still needed milk, so Yelloweye adopted them, along with her only surviving daughter, Dawnkit.

Marshclaw was killed in a battle a few moons later, his flame colored pelt red with the blood of his enemies and his own.

Cherrypaw could smell IceClan scent as she drew closer to the tree. The apprentice purred, He's already here.

"Wolfpath!", she whispered loudly. A bird somewhere in the bushes chirped in distress and flew up into the night sky. A shiver went down Cherrypaw's spine.

Cautiously, Cherrypaw inched forward into the clearing. "Wolfpath? Please answer me", she mewed, hackles raised.

"Hello darling", a voice in the bushes mewed. Cherrypaw relaxed.

"Wolfpath! Oh thank StarClan...I was so-"

Cherrypaw screeched as a cat, definitely not Wolfpath, leapt out of the bushes and sunk their claws into her throat.

***
(Wolfpath's POV)

"Cherrypaw?", Wolfpath called out as he drew closer to the tree. He could smell her scent, but another that made his heart freeze. Blood.

Oh StarClan no! Wolfpath yowled, "Cherrypaw!" Claws unsheathed, he ran into the clearing and froze.

"Cherrypaw!", his voice cracked when he saw the awful scene before him. The sweet she-cat he loved, was lying at the feet of shadow-cat. Her sides were heaving as blood leaked out of her mouth out of a large bitemark on her neck. The dark shape looming beside her had a paw on Cherrypaw's neck, in a place where he knew that if struck, Cherrypaw would die on the spot.

Wolfpath glared at the shadowey cat before him and snarled, "You....how dare you! Who are you...why would you do this?".

"It is the only way", the cat hissed, Wolfpath gasped.

"Beechpaw?", his ears pressed flat against his head, hackles raised as he took a step back. Rage and betrayal burned inside him as the russet tabby took a step over unconscious Cherrypaw.

His sister's muzzle was wet with blood and she licked her chops, making Wolfpath shiver. He felt the urge to both kill her and nuzzle her comfortingly because of the monster her mind had become. Maybe....

"What do you have to say to me Wolfpath", she spat out his warrior name like it was a bad peice of squirrel.

"Why would you attack Cherrypaw?", Wolfpath whimpered. "For all I know, she could be dying!" He looked away from her bloodsoaked form, lying limply in the dirt.

Beechpaw blinked slowly, "She is dying. But she deserved it. You're breaking the warrior code by meeting with her Wolfpath".

"You're breaking the code by attempting murder!", Wolfpath hissed at her. He unsheathed his claws. "I want you to leave!"

"Leave what?", Beechpaw giggled madly.

Oh sister, what have you become? Wolfpath lashed his tail. "Leave the territory! Leave IceClan! Leave my life!", Wolfpath screeched in fury. "You are the lowest cat I've ever seen, one who commits murder and laughs, so just get out!"