Warriorcats: The First Shadow

Prolouge

"I'm sorry Nightrunner, I just don't feel the same." A light brown she cat mewed.

      Frustration prickled under Nightrunners pelt. "I understand."  He mumbled. "I was hoping we could be mates."

     "You have Dovefeather, you know she loves you."

      "But I don't feel the same way about her as I feel about you." He looked into her green eyes. "I love you, Thislewisker. Nothing will change that."

      Dovefeather was going to be Nightrunners mate, but he had left her for Thislewisker. She has not talked to him since then, but he always catches her watching him with an angry gaze.  He was no longer sure she loved him, but he was now sure she hated him and would never take as a mate now. After he had expressed his feelings toward Thislewisker she had turned him down, unsure if she had felt the same way. She was supposed to love me! He thought angrily.

"Are you all right?"  The sound of  Thislewiskers voice shook him from his thoughts. She was staring at him with wide eyes.

Nightrunner had noticed his black pelt was bristled and his claws were dug into the ground.

He flattened his fur and let out a sigh. "Sorry, I guess I just need a rest." He turned toward the camp. "We should get back."

    Thislewiskers expression changed to a challenging look. "Race ya!" She yowled, sprinting across the moor.

    Nightrunner pelted after her. She was the fastest cat in Wind Clan. She always won races.  He was just behind her almost ready to pass her up.

     Nightrunner jumped back as the ground gave way under his paws. Thislewisker just beside him.

"Help!" She yowled "I'm slipping"

Nightrunner grabbed Thislewisker by the scruff just before she could slide to her death. The ground slid under his feet dragging him and Thislewisker closer to the edge of the falling earth.

     "Let go!" Thislewisker twisted in his jaws but he held on tightly. "We'll both fall if you don't, trust me, Nightrunner, just let me go!"

    "I can't!" Nightrunner muffled, mouth full of fur.
   Thislewisker twisted more in his jaws until his grip loosened and he let go.

    Nightrunner jumped back as the ground crumble where he was standing just a moment ago. Nightrunner knew  under all the dirt was Thislewisker.

     Nightrunner flung himself forward and started digging at the loose earth eager to find Thislewisker before it was to late.
        A clump of light brown fur appeared under the dirt, Nightrunner dug faster until he uncovered Thislewisker. "Thislewisker?" He nudged her limp body "Please get up!"

      "Nightrunner? What's going on?" A voice came from behind him.
     Startled Nightrunner spun around to face a black tom and a grey she~cat, must have been the hunting patrol.

       "Shes dead" Nightrunner mumbled "It's my fault, I let go of her."

       "Of course it's your fault" hissed the grey she cat "Any mouse~brain could see, you murdered her!"

          Nightrunners expression  changed from grief to anger. "Dovefeather, how could you say that?"

      "She never loved you, you couldn't stand it, so you pushed her into the collapsing tunnel." Dovefeather pushed past Nightrunner toward Thislewiskers body. "And now she's dead!"  She paused for a moment the looked to the black tom staring at Dovefeather in disbelief. "Rufflewind, do you believe me?"

        "I mean you could be right," he looked at Nightrunner "but I don't believe Nightrunner would do such a thing."

      Dove feather turned her back and trotted toward the camp. "We will see what Heatherstar says about this." She growled.

      Rufflewind and Nightrunner grabbed Thislewiskers body, and pulled it toward camp. No one will believe I did this, right? Nightrunner thought to himself. I would never hurt Thislewisker I loved her.

       When Nightrunner and Rufflewind dragged Thislewiskers body into camp, the whole clans eyes were on him. Heatherstar and DoveFeather sat in the middle of the clan. He knew what Dovefeather had told Heatherstar, that horrible lie, hopefully Heatherstar knows he would never hurt Thislewisker.

        "Nightrunner?" Meowed Heatherstar "Is what Dovefeather tells me true?"

     Nightrunner looked up at his great leader, her muscles rippled under her black,grey pelt as she stepped forward.

"Of course not, I would never hurt her! She fell!"

       "I'm sorry Nightrunner, but Dovefeather told me she saw you do it."

     "And you believe her?" Nightrunner lashed his tail in frustration

      "Why should I not?" Heatherstar shot a glance at Dovefeather .
"Dovefeather is a trustworthy warrior, why would she lie about this? There is no evidence that Thislewisker fell, Dovefeather would not lie to her leader."

      The whole clan gave worried and shocked glances, some mumbled harsh words. Nightrunner sat down and gazed at his leader "What do you mean?"

      "Nightrunner you are exiled from from Windclan, if you are caught on our territory you will be treated as a rogue,and will be chased off."

      The clan gasped with shock and some cats let out yowls of protest, but no one dared challenge their leader. If Barkfrost where here she would help me. Nightrunner looked around expecting to see the fuzzy black she~cat. Barkfrost was his mother who had died 2 moons earlier right before he was made a warrior. He was her only kit, after his father died before he was born, her kits were all she had. His sister died her first leaf~bare, he was all she had after that. She loved him more then anything else, he knew she would convince the clan he was innocent. Heatherstars growl interrupted his thoughts, she beckoned three warriors toward her "Escort him out of our territory."