Skypaw's Fury

Chapter 3

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather around High Ledge for a Clan meeting!" Twigstar yowled once Smokeleaf's escorts returned. They had lead the huge tom towards his Clan. Skypaw padded to to High Ledge to listen to what Twigstar had to say. Snowpaw sat down next to her after a couple heartbeats. "I wonder what Smokeleaf told her," Snowpaw murmured to Skypaw. Skypaw nodded. She watched all of her Clanmates join the gathering of cats. The Queens stood outside the nursery, obviously interested, with their kits batting at the Leaf-fall leaves. All of the Queens, Flowertail, Oakclaw, and Earthfur whispered anxiously to each other. Skypaw turned her head towards the apprentice den. Grasspaw padded out of the den. He was obviously in the middle of grooming himself when the meeting was called. His ginger fur was smooth and shiny on one side, and ruffled and dirty on the other. Woodpaw and Rosepaw padded away from Tree Stump. Skypaw shifted her gaze towards the warrior den. Longear stumbled out if it, obviously sleepy. Smalltail came out a heartbeat later, not groomed. She looked around again. Gorsetail- her father- padded towards High Ledge from the clearing with Pineneedle at his side. Lakeheart came out of the shade of a gorse bush with Leafpelt. Skypaw noticed Leafpelt's belly was getting plump. She purred happily. She nudged Snowpaw. "Look at Leafpelt," Skypaw whispered. "She's going to have kits!" Snowpaw looked up and purred. "That's wonderful!" He mewed. "They are obviously Lakeheart's, look at the way he wraps his tail around her." Skypaw noticed too. "Smokeleaf has told me some information!" Twigstar announced. Skypaw's head whipped up. "Shh!" She hissed to Snowpaw. But her brother was already staring up at High Ledge. "He has told me that," Twigstar paused and sighed. "That WindClan has spotted some Rouges on the borders." She finished. Shes lying. Skypaw thought to herself.

"Tell us the rest!" A cat from the back of the crowd yowled. Every cat in the Clan turned their head to look at who said it. "Woodpaw," Twigstar mewed politely. "I was getting to that." Woodpaw sat down, embarrassed. Twigstar dragged her gaze from the rude apprentice and fixed gaze on her Clan. "Smokeleaf told me that WindClan has taken a secret contest," she began. "What?" Skypaw whispered to Snowpaw. Snowpaw just shrugged, his eyes still fixed on his leader. "The contest was who was the best Clan in the forest," She went on. "WindClan has nominated themselves as the winners, and we've got last place," She took a breath before going on. "So, they demand our territory and we find somewhere else to live." She finished. Yowls of protest came from the crowd.

"They can't do that!"

"Who do they think they are?"

"They should have let us agree first!"

"They've been watching us this whole time?"

"Cats of ShadowClan!" Twigstar yowled. The yowling died down. "I know, this is preposterous, and we will stand!" She hissed determinedly. "Then why did you let him go?" Smalltail hissed from the front of the crowd. Skypaw glanced around wildly. "They can't do this!" She yowled to Twigstar, leaping to her paws. Twigstar lifted her tail for silence. "I know," She meowed. "I am still thinking about what we should do." The roar of the crowd started again.

"Raid their camp!"

"Drive them out!"

"Attack them!"

Then, Skypaw heard a loud yowl. She whipped her head around looking for who made the noise. It was Leafpelt! "Everyone!" She hissed. "Stop being worried kits and listen!" She took a couple deep breaths, then sat back down with Lakeheart. Her mate stroked her shoulder with his tail. "Calm down," Lakeheart whispered to her. Skypaw looked back up at Highledge. Twigstar was staring at the plump she-cat. "Thank you, Leafpelt," She mewed quietly. Leafpelt nodded. Twigstar went on. "I have some ideas," She mewed. "We could maybe schedule a meeting with them and work this out," She took a breath again. "But if they don't agree with us," She paused for affect. "Then we will fight!" She yowled triumphantly. Yowls of approval came from the crowd. Skypaw herself was yowling excitedly. The kits at the nursery were running around together. "This is so exciting!" One named Cardinalkit squeaked. "I can't wait to fight!" Her mother Oakclaw pulled her away from the yowling cats with her tail. "You can't fight until you are apprenticed," She explained. "And that won't be for a while. "But that's not fair mother!" Another kit yelled. "It's very fair, Spottedkit," Oakclaw mewed. "You could die because you don't know hot to fight yet." Spottedkit waved her tail in the air. "Sure I can!" She squeaked berfore jumping on Cardinalkit's back. "Ha!" She squeaked. Cardinalkit screeched in protest. "Get off!" She mewled. "Never, WindClan scum!" Spottedkit yowled. Skypaw purred. She couldn't wait until she had kits of her own. "That won't be for a while." She said to herself quietly. "What's that?" Snowpaw asked. "Nothing," Skypaw said quickly.