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

Chapter Six

Stormpaw awoke, what felt like moments later, to the sound of voices. She forced open one of her eyes, keeping it narrowed to seem as if she were asleep.

Dawn sunshine fluttered through the open sky. At the head of the den sat the blue-gray she-cat from yesterday and a red tabby tom. Stormpaw squinted, getting to her paws. She let out a gasp in pain at her sore muscles. The cats at the head of the den jumped, whipping around with spooked looks on their faces. The she-cat's face lit with relief.

"Oh, for the stars, you nearly made my pelt fly off!" the she-cat sighed. The tom grinned, two top teeth sticking out from under his lip.

"You're just a scaredy cat, Lapis," he teased.

"Adder! Shush!" the she-cat snapped. Adder rolled his eyes, amusement glazed within them.

"Whatever," he shrugged, padding towards Stormpaw. Stormpaw felt a rush of panic and slowly stepped back. Adder seemed to notice this, for his eyes softened. "Hey," he meowed, his voice gentle. "I'm not going to hurt you. Great stars, what happened to you?"

"I-I-Why would you want to know?" Stormpaw spluttered. "A-Are you just going to attack me or something? Like those other cats?"

"No!" Adder backed off a little. He sat down. "I just want to know if I can help you, that's all. You look pretty bad."

Stormpaw's eyes narrowed. "How can I trust you? I don't even know you!"

"I'm Lapis, and this is Adder," the blue-gray she-cat meowed, padding forward. "We're members of BloodClan. Most of the time, we just stand guard or patrol Main and Birchfork, but you know..."

"What's BloodClan?" Stormpaw inquired.

"It's the name of our Clan of city cats," Adder meowed. "Long ago, our Clan was founded by a cat named Scourge. Now, I don't really agree how he ran the place, but he was killed when he tried to take over a forest full of Clan cats and now, many generations later, we're lead by Kestrel."

"Lapis and I aren't really loyal to the Clan. We disagree with most of their tactics, but it's all we've ever known. We can't really just leave if we wanted to anyways," Adder finished with a shrug. Lapis seemed slightly unnerved.

"Alright," she meowed wearily. "So you know about us. How about you?"

"I'm Stormpaw," Stormpaw replied slowly. Guilt instantly rushed through her. Am I sure they are who they say they are..? She asked herself. She shook the feeling off. They wanted to help, didn't they?

Stormpaw explained what had happened to the two cats. Their eyes were wide with shock by the end of her tale.

"Oh my stars!" Lapis gasped. "You poor thing!"

"I've got an idea," Adder muttered. "It won't be easy, but it can get you out of here."

"Out of here? Why?" Lapis asked, looking to Adder. He returned her gaze.

"I don't know much about the Clans along the lake," he meowed. "But it's kinda like here. She's got to be loyal to wherever she lives. We have to help her!"

Lapis seemed doubtful for a moment before she sighed.

"Fine," she huffed. "Tell us the plan."

"Okay," he meowed, a glimmer appearing in his eyes. "Here's the plan..."

~~~~~

"Up!" a voice hissed. Stormpaw felt a harsh prod on her side. She opened an eye and saw Snake. "Our co-leader wants to see you," Snake smirked. Stormpaw only grunted in response as she hauled herself to her paws.

A few days have passed since Adder and Lapis agreed to help Stormpaw leave the Twolegplace. The plan would launch tonight. As Snake lead Stormpaw out of the prison (Adder told her it was called an alley, though prison seemed more fitting to Stormpaw), she remembered her conversation with Foxspots.

"But you have to come!" Stormpaw protested. Her mentor shook his head.

"I'm too weak," he croaked. As much as Stormpaw hated it, he was right. His wounds were beginning to crust around the outside and a sour smell radiated from them. Stormpaw was no medicine cat, but she knew the wounds were infected.

"B-but how can you just expect me to leave you here?" Stormpaw whimpered.

"Listen to me," Foxspots told her gently. "You must be brave. Go home and tell Featherstar about what happened. She will know what to do."

Anticipation knotted in Stormpaw's belly, but she shook out her fur. I have to be brave. For Foxspots, she reminded herself.

The duo of cats padded in a single file line. Stormpaw took a glance across the flat, harsh smelling surface. There were odd silver cylinders against another blood colored wall. Two cats were standing next to it, their pelts bristling. Stormpaw noticed a pile of mush; the sight of the slimy thing made her fur crawl. They were both ragged and their ribs could be seen from their fur, even from Stormpaw's view.

The first cat leapt with a snarl. The other cat snarled in retort, clawing the first cat in return. They wrestled along the surface until the first cat had the second cat pinned. It sunk it's claws into the helpless cat's neck. Stormpaw quickly turned away as the cat let out a crackly cry.

"Hurry up!" Snake hissed. Claws raked down Stormpaw's cheek, but she didn't feel any pain. The shock of those two cats had overcome her. "Come on," Snake's rough but urgent growl filled her ear. "Get moving."

Stormpaw reluctantly followed him. How could they do this...? She thought with dread. That cat killed for... for that piece of slop!

"In here," Snake's growl broke through Stormpaw's thoughts. She was pushed into a Twoleg structure.

Inside, two cats sat. Stormpaw didn't recognize either of them. One of the cats was a black and white patched tom while the other was a gray she-cat with white splotches.

"Who is this?" the black and white cat snarled, swishing his thick furred tail at Stormpaw.

"The cat Kestrel requested," Snake responded. Stormpaw noticed that there wasn't any source of anger or agitation in his voice. In fact, there may have possibly be a sense of fear.

"Very well then," the cat snapped. "Take my place."

Snake moved quickly to his spot. Stormpaw was frozen to the ground as the huge tom padded forward.

"Hmm," the cat muttered as he looked her over. "She'd make Kestrel a nice toy." He made his way around Stormpaw's backside and towards her face again. He froze when he reached the spot where Stormpaw's cheek dripped with blood.

"Snake," the tom snarled, whirling around. "Why does this cat have a fresh injury on her face?"

"I-I had to in order to get her to move, Patch sir," Snake whimpered, shuffling back. Patch walked slowly towards him, unsheathing his long claws.

"I specifically told you no injuries whatsoever."

"I-I'm sorry Patch sir!"

"Sorry isn't good enough!" Patch snarled. He raked his claws down Snake's throat. The tom let out a screech that was cut short as he fell limp to the ground.

Snake was dead, and Stormpaw didn't do anything to save him.