Bloodshed

Chapter Nine

Shadepaw tracked the scent along the border. Soon, he saw the kittypet, huddled over the river to drink. She was shivering from cold; Shadepaw guessed that she wasn't allowed to leave her twolegs often.

She was smaller than Shadepaw, but he guessed that she was around his age. Her fur was long and ginger with brown mixed in. He snapped a twig as he got closer, causing her head to shoot up. He noticed for the first time that her eyes were the most beautiful blue.

He broke into a sprint, determined to chase off the kittypet. She spun and ran, ears flat against her head. All thoughts of the hunting competition forgotten, Shadepaw raced after her.

His paws began to ache as he ran on and on, snaking around boulders and trees, whisking past the tallrocks, and not coming to a stop even after they passed the mooncave. Finally the end of the island appeared, where the land fell away into a cliff with waves crashing dangerously at the sides.

The kittypet skidded to a halt just before plummeting over the edge. She gasped, spinning around to go the other way, but Shadepaw was already there. Realising that she wouldn't get away without a fight, she pressed her belly low to the ground and surrendered.

"Please don't eat me!" She cried. Shadepaw almost laughed.

"Why shouldn't I?" He growled, taking a dangerous step closer to her. She whimpered, pressing even lower to the ground.

"Leave me alone, please! I don't mean any harm!" She was shaking now. Shadepaw, feeling bad, sat down beside her.

"I won't eat you. I'm no dog!" He laughed, "I'm just chasing you off my territory. This land belongs to MudClan!" Guiltily Shadepaw remembered that he wasn't supposed to be loyal to any Clan. Shouldn't he allow a kittypet into his territory?

Then an idea hit him. He needed to build an alliance, then an army, then he would destroy any cat that didn't bow to him until he ruled the island. Who said that his army must be made of only Clan cats?

"My name is Shadepaw." He said, "I won't hurt you."

Cautiously, the kittypet stood up. "Sh-Shadepaw? What an odd name." She flinched, expecting him to hit her.

"Yeah, one day I'll have a better name." Shadepaw shrugged, "But now I'm an apprentice, so I have to keep it."

She nodded slowly. "W-Well, my housefolk named me Sparkle."

"Okay." Shadepaw stood up, circling her slowly. "So what are you doing in our territory, Sparkle?"

"Our? There's more than one of you?" She gasped, digging her claws into the earth. Shadepaw almost laughed again.

"Two Clans full. And I'm only an apprentice.. The warriors are bigger and stronger than me, and they wouldn't have stopped chasing you. You'd be prey, Kittypet."

She shivered. "Th-That's terrible. Thank you for being kind to me.."

"You look hungry. Don't your twolegs feed you?"

"Of course they do! I just.. Decided to go exploring.. And now I'm lost." She admitted, curling her brown tail around her paws.

Shadepaw considered leading her back to twolegplace, but that would be foolish. He'd never see her again! Surely this kittypet could be of some use to her? He could teach her to hunt and fight..

"I know somewhere where you can sleep for the night. Follow me!" He whipped around, checking to make sure she was following. Then he raced off, purring as she pelted behind him.
They came to a stop near the mooncave, where several other caves were dug into the mountain. Shadepaw padded into one, scented the air for badgers, then summoned Sparkle in with his tail. "Stay here. Can you hunt?"

"No." She whispered, beginning to dig up a clump of moss for a nest. "I'm sorry."

"I'll catch you something.." Shadepaw suddenly remembered the hunting competition. Jaytail was wondering where he was! "But I have to go now see you later BYE!" He dashed off without another word.