Shadowstripe's Treachery

Chapter 3

((^^Birchstar^^))

"...from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Larkpaw. Your mentor will be Sungaze." Meowed Birchstar from atop the highrock. It was finally time for the two kits to be apprenticed, and both of them stood proudly on the highrock with Birchstar.

Shadowkit watched as the light brown tom came up to touch noses with his sister. He waited anxiously for his turn, giving his chest fur an extra lick to make sure he looked his best when he became an apprentice. He could see the proud looks in Thrushpelt, Duskheart, and Juniperheart's faces when Larkpaw received her name and mentor. I bet they won't look that way when I become apprenticed, he thought with bitter resentment.

"Shadowkit!" The sound of his name jerked him back to attention. He turned his head to his leader in anticipation, "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Shadowpaw. Your mentor will be Badgerclaw. I hope that he will pass down all that he knows onto you."

Shadowpaw's eyes widened with surprise. Wow! I got Badgerclaw?! He watched as the huge, muscular tom pushed his way up to the front to touch noses with him. He was the biggest cat in the clan, and his muscles rippled through his sleek black pelt. He had to strain his neck to reach up to touch noses with him. He could hear his clanmates chuckle in the background at his struggle to touch Badgerclaw's nose.

"Larkpaw! Shadowpaw! Larkpaw! Shadowpaw!" Snowpaw and Oakpaw started the chant, and soon the rest of the clan joined in.

"Meeting dismissed." Birchstar called, leaping down after Shadowpaw and Larkpaw.

All of the cats surrounded Larkpaw, giving her compliments and congratulating her, but no one really came to say anything to Shadowpaw. He watched jealously with his dark amber eyes, stupid Larkpaw... always getting the attention... He started to turn around, when all of a sudden he felt a tail on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw it was Snowpaw.

She smiled at him with her sky blue eyes, "I'm really glad you get to be in the apprentices den with me-I mean us. Sorry. I didn't mean me, I meant us, I mean, well-" she stuttered.

Shadowpaw rolled his eyes, "Thanks, Snowpaw. I'm glad I get to be in the apprentices den with you, too." He lied with a fake smile.

She let out an excited squeak, but then awkwardly backed away. She walked normally until Shadowpaw couldn't see her anymore, and then he heard her let out another loud squeal of excitement from the apprentices den. He shrugged and padded towards his mentor, who had an amused look on his face.

"What's so funny?" he tilted his head.

"Somebody has a crush!" he purred.

"What?! Me? No way!" he hissed, feeling sick just thinking about having a crush on that annoying she cat.

Badgerclaw sighed, "No, not you, mouse brain! She is the one with the crush. Can't you see it?"

"Umm no I can't." he shuddered. And I don't want to... "But anyways, are we going to do something productive or just sit here all day?"

This day was the moment he had been waiting on for moons: the day he could actually be a help to his clan and get closer in his plan to beat Larkpaw. He watched her talking with Cinderpaw, a large grey tom. She was obviously trying to impress him, and it was working. Uggh, she just became an apprentice and she's already flirting with a tom cat.

"Well if you're ready to get started, then let's go." he mewed in a deep voice.

"What are we doing first?" Shadowpaw asked.

"Well, I thought we'd collect some bedding for the elders-"

"What?!" he interrupted, "But why?"

He looked at him sternly, "Because that is an apprentice's job, and I will have no complaining from you about it. Do you understand?" He got right in Shadowpaw's face.

"Er yes?" he mewed, mostly wanting to get out of the uncomfortable situation with his intimidating mentor.

Badgerclaw backed off, "Good. Now after you get that done, we can do the fun stuff. So the quicker you learn how to do it, the quicker we can be done. Let's go."

Shadowkit followed behind him, grumbling angrily under his breath, "Stupid, good for nothing elders... nothing but nuisances to the whole clan..." His first day as an apprentice wasn't seeming to turn out like he had planned it all those moons ago.

***

After a long day of exploring the territory and beginning to train, Shadowpaw plopped down on his new nest in exhaustion. He was glad to be out of that cramped nursery, and very pleased that he would never have to be in there again. Larkpaw was not taking to the new den quite as well. She was huddled in the corner, looking very lonely without Thrushpelt by her side. He felt something inside tell him to go sit with her, but he ignored the thought. She wouldn't do the same for me, so why should I bother?

He yawned, watching as more of the apprentices made their way into the den. Please don't let Snowpaw be next to me, please Star Clan don't let her be next to me! Snowpaw padded into the den and smiled at Shadowpaw. He cringed, forcing himself to smile back at her. He sighed in relief when she took a nest next to her brother, Oakpaw. He purred, I think that's all the apprentices. I guess I will get a lot more space since nobody took the nest next to me! He stretched out, taking full advantage of both of his nests. He closed his eyes.

"Umm... uh... um excuse me..." he opened his eyes again to the sound of a shy voice. A small tabby tom stood over him, looking slightly scared and very shy. It was Littlepaw.

Oh great... I forgot about him... "Uh, yes?"

He looked at his paws, "Umm, well.. you are kind of... in.. uh..."

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I know, I'm in your nest. Here, take it back..." he mumbled grumpily, moving back to his own nest.

He could see the tiny tom curl up into a tight ball, and he fell asleep almost instantly. Shadowpaw closed his eyes more slowly and drifted off into a troubled sleep.

He awoke soon after, surrounded by a barren forest that looked like it had been devastated by fire not too long ago. This wasn't the forest that he had seen in his kithood dreams, but this forest was one he recognized all too well. He gasped when he realized that the destroyed forest he was in was his home. Oh no! This is horrible! How did this happen?

He could hear whispers all around him, but he could barely understand what they were saying. A sudden wind blew all around him, and the forest around him turned to ash. The soft wind blew harder and harder until all of the ashes around him were blown away and he was surrounded by darkness. He looked down at his paws and saw that they too were swiftly dissolving into ashes, and it was spreading up his body. He was going to disappear just like the rest of the forest!

"No!" he cried, trying to run away, "No, I can't be the ashes! I must be the fire! No, please! Somebody help me! I don't want to disappear!"

He woke up again in his nest. He was out of breath, and was shaking everywhere. He licked his fur that had puffed out in fear during his dream. Once he had calmed down, he looked all around him and saw that everyone was sleeping soundly. Cinderpaw and Sharppaw, the oldest apprentices, were curled up together. Littlepaw was next to his sister, Ravenpaw, and Snowpaw, Oakpaw, and Larkpaw were all huddled together as well. Their chests were all rising and falling in the same rhythm, and they looked peaceful. He sighed, I wish I could feel peaceful like that... even if it was just one time in my life.

He walked out of his den, taking a breath of fresh air. Maybe taking a walk will help... He nodded to himself and padded through the thorn tunnel that lead to the forest.

((soo just to let you guys know, it will get a whole lot more interesting when he becomes a warrior. I am not going to focus a whole lot on his apprentice life, but I will go more into detail when he gets to be a warrior. hope u enjoy! :D))