Lies, Secrets, and the Storm | Book One of the LSatS Trilogy

Chapter Five

Stormpaw stalked forward, her heart pounding in excitement. A fat thrush was oblivious to Stormpaw, who was stalking upon it. She leaped a moment later. The thrush let out a squawk but it was cut short as Stormpaw broke it's neck with a swift bite. Thank you StarClan for this prey's life, Stormpaw thought as she sat up. Foxspots padded out of the canopy.

"Nice catch!" Stormpaw's mentor commented. She felt pride ripple through her body at the praise.

"Aw man!" Hawkpaw complained as he padded through the undergrowth after Foxspots. "I haven't caught anything yet..."

"It's not very likely that an apprentice catches their first prey on the first day of training," Hawkpaw's mentor, Brindlelight, commented as she padded through after her apprentice. "Don't worry, you'll catch something eventually!"

"Yeah," the russet tabby apprentice sighed.

"Don't worry, Hawkpaw," Skypaw encouraged next to him. "I haven't caught anything either. We'll get there."

"Okay, Skypaw, let's get going to the training hollow," Raspberrypelt meowed, flicking her tail to her apprentice. Skypaw nodded to her mentor before meowing a goodbye to Stormpaw and Hawkpaw and padding after Raspberrypelt.

Stormpaw smiled to herself as she watched the two leave the clearing. It was this very sunrise that Featherstar had made them apprentices. Stormpaw was still worried that they would keep her up all night with endless talking, but the chances were very slim.

"Let's head back to camp," Foxspots meowed, flicking his tail tip. Brindlelight nodded.

"Hawkpaw and I are going to tour the territory," Brindlelight meowed. "Come on!"

The four broke apart into pairs, going in opposite directions. Stormpaw assumed that Brindlelight would be showing him the WindClan border first, since it was the closest to them.

"You're doing very well in your training," Foxspots meowed as they walked. "You know-" Foxspots was cut off as a branch cracked. He whipped his head around to look at Stormpaw, urgency in his eyes.

"Quick, climb a tree. I don't recognize this scent," he muttered urgently. Stormpaw blinked quickly as she darted aside, abandoning her thrush and scrambling up a tree. She hissed inwardly as he ripped a claw. Stormpaw looked down at it and saw blood oozing out of it. She winced and began to silently clean it as she clung to the branch with her other claws. Stormpaw watched Foxspots out of the corner of her eye. He was in a defense stance when a small patrol of cats emerged.

The first cat was a large, burly gray tabby tom. Battle scars flanked his pelt, the very thought of where they came from made Stormpaw shudder.

The next cat was a blueish gray she-cat. Scars also flanked her pelt. The she-cat's deep blue eyes were narrowed.

The third and final cat was another tuxedo cat, but with splotches of brown. The she-cat seemed laid back, a smile across her face and a carefree look in her bright orange eyes.

"You're trespassing on ThunderClan territory," Foxspots growled. "Leave now!" The burly gray tom let out a deep laugh.

"I have no quarrel with you, puny Clan idiot," the tom snickered. Stormpaw's pelt crawled. How dare he! The tom's attention turned to the thrush that Stormpaw had caught. "Though, that thrush looks delicious. I'll take that off of your paws." The tom commented as he padded towards it.

"Oh no you don't!" Stormpaw yowled, launching herself out of the tree. She landed on the tom's back, sinking her claws deep into his pelt. She wouldn't watch these rouges take her prey.

The tom grunted in surprise. He shook out his pelt in attempt to throw Stormpaw off, but she clung on with her claws.

"Stormpaw! I told you to hide!" Foxspots hissed as Stormpaw struggled to keep her grip on the tom.

"Enough of this!" the tom spat, throwing himself onto his back. Stormpaw gasped as the air was knocked out of her. Pain surged in her chest, as if a car were digging it's claws deep into her flesh. Her grip loosened and the tom got up and whirled around, pressing a paw to her neck. The tom let out a harsh laugh. Stormpaw got a better look at the tom. Bloodlust glimmered in the tom's ambitious golden eyes. A strange colored strap was wrapped around his throat, large teeth sticking out of the side. Stormpaw feared how the tom got them in the first place. He turned his head to Foxspots.

"Give up your prey or this kit gets it," he spat. Foxspots' eyes flashed with alarm.

"Okay, okay. Just don't hurt her," Foxspots meowed, padding forward. He stopped hesitantly next to the gray tom before giving it to the she-cats next to them.

The gray tom flicked his tail tip. Stormpaw's eyes widened as the two she-cats tackled Foxspots. Stormpaw thrashed beneath the tom. He simply chuckled darkly, lifting a paw and hitting her in the side of the head with a large paw. Everything went dark.

~~~~~~~

Stormpaw wearily forced open her eyes. Her head slightly throbbed and she winced. Darkness filled her vision. She blinked a few times and allowed her eyes to adjust. She found herself on a cold, stone floor. Cracks ripped through the surface, giving a rough texture with it. The walls around Stormpaw were an unnatural light red, making her pelt prickle. The sight reminded her of blood.

A small grunt made Stormpaw jump. She whirled around and saw a figure towards the back of the den. Cautiously, she raced over.

"A-are you okay?" she meowed. The cat turned its head towards her and her eyes widened. "F-Foxspots...?"

"Stormpaw..." he let out a croak, his dull eyes filled with relief. "You're... okay..."

"Far from it!" she snorted in retort. "Where are we? What happened to us-?"

"Hush!" a snarl cut Stormpaw short, making her flinch and whirl around. At the end of the cracked stone flooring and the blood-like walls stood a large black-and-brown tom. His eyes were narrowed to slits, while the tan tabby next to him flexed his claws with bloodlust.

"Shall she receive punishment?" he cackled evilly. The black and brown tom looked at him for a moment, as if in thought. Feeling a surge of fear, Stormpaw pressed herself against the floor and slowly began to back away, terrorized by the thought of claws raking down her pelt. I wish I would have paid more attention in battle training!

"No," the tom's voice replied, sending a rush of relief and surprise through her. The tan tabby seemed to share her feelings.

"What?!" he hissed. "But Slash, she-!"

"I said no, Snake," Slash meowed, a snarl in his voice this time. The tan tabby huffed in defeat, settling back down.

Stormpaw, who wasn't too sure what to do, padded back over to Foxspots. Blood stained her mentor's ragged fur, so she settled down and began to clean the stained clumps from his fur.

"Thanks," Foxspots croaked quietly. Stormpaw flicked her tail in acknowledgement; she didn't want to be the victim under Snake's claws. So she cleaned his fur. She slowly grew tired, and judging by the darkness of the sky it was just after dusk. Slowly, she fell asleep, the dread that was knotted in her belly subsiding enough for her to drift into the darkness.