Warrior Cats: Shademist's Destiny

Chapter 7

"S-Silv! It's me! Shadepaw!" I gasp as she stands over me, paw on my neck. She glares into my eyes.

"My sister is dead! She died in the tunnels!" She growls.

"No ,it's me! Dovewing and I were hunting and I chased some prey into the tunnel! It collapsed behind me!"

Her icy stare doesn't waver. Her claws slide out and press into my fur. I turn away.

"Just do it, Silverpaw. Kill me. After all we've been through, I dare you. The hawk, the battle, mom, everything. None of it matters." She hesitates.

Emberpaw shoves her out of the way.

"If you don't have the guts to kill this sorry excuse for a spy then I will. She's obviously lying. If Shadepaw was alive she would have marched right out of those tunnels back to her clan." He sets a massive striped paw on my neck.

I can't do anything but watch as he digs his claws in. Stars flash in my vision and my eyes close. Blood spurts out and bubbles from my lips. My eyes close and I hear a gasp.

"Wait, how would she know about the hawk if-" Silverpaw begins.

"Great Starclan!" Emberpaw snarls, lifting his paw away.

"Shadepaw!" Ivypool gasps.

"Stars above......" Squirrelflight mutters.

"I need cobweb, dock, and goldenrod NOW." Leafpool snarls. Two sets of pawsteps race off. I open my eyes and see the familiar faces staring down at me.

Their faces begin to blur together as the darkness comes. I fight it, but it keeps getting stronger and stronger.

"No! Stay with us, Shadepaw!" Leafpool growls, pushing something into my mouth. I chew and open my eyes a little. Something is smeared on my neck and secured with cobweb. The whole time, Silverpaw's nose is buried in my shoulder.

She's shaking with fear. The darkness recedes and I feel stronger. I pull away from the two apprentices. They both tried to kill me. It'll be a while before I trust them again, if ever. Leafpool helps me up and I smooth my ruffled fur.

"Let's get back." Squirrelflight suggests.

Ivypool steps over to me and supports me as we head through the forest.

"So what happened?" She prompts.

"I was hunting with Dovewing and I chased a squirrel into the tunnels. It collapsed behind me and crushed my leg. I couldn't really move and some cat had to help me out." She stiffens.

"Who?" I shrug. "Some loner named Raven. She was nice enough." She shrugs.

"Are you alright?" I wince as I step on a sharp rock.

"I think so." Silverpaw steps back to help me get it out, but I pull away.

Hurt flashes through her gaze as she walks beside Emberpaw.

"I wouldn't be surprised. We tried to kill her. Give it time." He murmurs to her.

Hah. Tried to kill me. They wanted my pelt mounted in front of their den! They wanted my head brought back to Bramblestar! I lower my head. I don't know what's worse, the fact they had no idea who I was or that they tried to kill me. All of them.

I pull back to walk alone. I'm not sure I'll ever trust them again. Leafpool falls into step beside me.

"You okay?" I nod, looking away.

"You know you smell like that loner,and that's why we didn't recognize you. Dovewing and Jayfeather said you had died. We stayed up for vigil all night."

I raise my head to look at the striped she-cat. Right, they hadn't expected me to come back. I guess I can forgive Emberpaw, but Silverpaw should have recognized me. She should have known it was me.

"Don't be so hard on your sister." Leafpool mews, reading my mind.

"She grieved the most, stayed up all night as everyone else dozed off. She was in so much pain,thinking she only had Lionblaze left."

I hadn't thought of it like that before. I dip my head.

"Thank you, Leafpool." She smiles.

"I'm just glad you survived." She sighs.

"My kin just seem to do amazing things, don't they?"

She's referring to her kits, Lionblaze and Jayfeather, two of the Three. We arrive back at camp. I yawn and head to Flatrocks, letting the bright sun warm my pelt. Dovewing bursts into camp.

"Shadepaw! You're alive!" She yowls. Cats lift their heads in surprise.

"She's alive?" Whispers run through the camp as my mentor runs over.

"I thought the tunnel crushed you!" I pull away as she licks my ears.

"I'm fine. Did you really mean what you had said before, though?" She bows her head.

"No. I didn't mean a single word. I was confused that you would keep something like that from the clan."

I nudge her.

"Let's talk away from prying eyes."

I suggest, seeing Applekit and Honeykit leaning in to listen to us. She nods and we head out. We stop in a clearing.

"I want to become deputy one day." I confess.

"And if the clan knows about my eye it will never happen. They will see it as a weakness and cats from every clan will look at me, saying 'look at that poor little cat! She only has one eye!'" I snarl.

She nods.

"Okay, I see where you're coming from, and I respect that. But you should have told me. I'll adjust your training so that your left side will be just as powerful."

I sigh.

"It's never going to heal, is it?" She looks away.

"You heard Jayfeather outside of the tunnel." I nod silently.

"She thinks that stupid excuse will make you trust her?" A voice scoffs in my ear. I flick my tail to send him away.

We walk back to camp, cats greeting me with gasps and yowls of surprise as they return from patrols. I yawn and head to my den, muttering good night to my den mates as I drift off.

Flashclaw steps up to me.

"Impressive. Your loyalty to your clan is amazing." He purrs.

"You're not mad at me for leaving last night?" I ask, astounded. He shrugs.

"Your clan needed you." I nod.

"Have you met Hawkfrost yet?"

Ha! This IS the Dark Forest! "

What was that voice in the forest?" I question.

"That was me." Snowtuft growls, stepping out of the shadows.

I turn to him.

"Why are you following me and trying to ruin my life?!" I growl.

He curls his tail over his paws. "I'm trying to help you become leader and be more powerful than your clanmates."

I blink away tears.

"I needed my mother!" Hawkfrost pads over.

"Your mother was a distraction." I bow my head. I'll act like one of them to gain their trust. But I will never be like them.

"Yes, Snowtuft, I praise you for your help in my training." He sits there speechless for a moment. Then he dips his head.

"Spoken like one of us. I look forward to helping you more." He pads over so that I can see his jagged fangs.

"Don't let any cat distract you again." He breathes in my ear.

Is that a threat?