ECHOES

Chapter Six

"Got a secret, can you keep it?"

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When Spark told her how she could do her favor, a nervous lump instantly formed in Flamepaw's throat. She felt a shiver travel down her spine . Flamepaw trembled slightly as she stood beside the she-cat, but hid her fear whenever Spark glanced her way.

If they were caught, both Spark and her would be killed by Archangel within a matter of seconds. She could already picture his claws slashing across her throat and her struggling to breath. But if she did not assist Spark as her favor, Spark would then tell Archangel about Ashwhisper and she would be murdered for her actions. At least they had a chance of getting away with this.

But at the end of this favor, Flamepaw knew that even if Spark and her didn't die, there would already be one death.

The thought of participating in another murder yet again made the she-cat tense up. She watched as Spark stood to her paws at the sight of their selected victim. She flashed Flamepaw a glance before padding over to the cat.

Flamepaw waited and stared down at her paws. Her paws shuffled back and forth as she struggled to remain calm. This wasn't the first time the she-cat had participated in murder. Killing a cat was an overwhelming feeling that would stick with her forever. Killing two cats? That was even worse.

Spark padded back over with the cat by her side. He had agreed to come along on their 'border patrol' as Flamepaw could predict. Spark nodded to Flamepaw, who stood to her paws and nodded back to the she-cat and the tom. There was no turning back now.

Her eyes narrowed as she followed Spark and the clueless victim out of EchoClan camp. Outside they were greeted by a gentle breeze and the tree branches swaying in the direction the breeze was blowing. The sun's rays peered through the branches the best it could and casted its light upon the leave covered, forest floor. Leaves crunched under their paws as they advanced through the forest. Birds sang melodies as well, joined by a few frogs and crickets. It was still the early morning, and most cats would still be sleeping in for a while.

That was why they selected this time of day. Most cats would still be asleep and wouldn't fully awake and tend to patrols until the sun breached the center of the sky. They still had to act fast enough and return to camp before any cat noticed they were ever gone. Their victim was a cat who usually woke up early to guard. He was devoted, and Archangel admired him deeply.

Flamepaw continued following after Spark. When the familiar scent of the border and the scenery appeared, Flamepaw froze in her tracks and watched as their victim strutted forward. He stretched his neck down and sniffed at the border line. Her eyes grew wide when she spotted Spark's claws unsheathe. The ember she-cat glanced over her shoulder and beckoned to Flamepaw to take to the side.

The apprentice nodded back and exhaled softly before stepping forward. She stayed to the side of their victim and watched as he began to raise his head. Suddenly, the tom was hauled back and yowled out in pain. Flamepaw's eyes skimmed over to see Spark's claws dug into his hind quarters and tugging him back.

"Flamepaw! Help me hold him down!" Spark ordered in a harsh hiss.

The ginger apprentice remained frozen for a second. The tom's gaze met her's and she could see that it was clouded with pain and desperation. She shook her head and bared her teeth. No...I have to do this.

Flamepaw flung herself forward and raked her claws across the warriors muzzle. He hissed out in agony and Spark shoved the tom to the ground. He flailed around, desperate to escape but Flamepaw laid a paw on his shoulder and the other down on his hind leg to keep him down.

Spark stood over the tom, her jaws parted to show her teeth. Flamepaw watched with wide eyes as she fastened her jaws around the tom's neck and he tried to let out a yowl of terror but all that came out was a gasp for breath. He struggled and his claws dug into the earth. His gaze met Flamepaw's again and a shiver raced down the she-cats spine.

Flamepaw's fur bushed as she watched the quick murder take place right before her, and she had helped it all. His eyes went blank and one last, immense gasp of breath escaped the tom. He went limp beneath her and Spark pulled away from the tom. Flamepaw stepped off of the dead tom's body and stared down upon it in absolute horror. A pool of blood formed around his neck. The murder had happened right on the border line.

Spark smirked and then turned back to Flamepaw. "Go wash off any blood on your paws in the pond nearby. I will mask our scent and any other evidence that is was us. Instead, we will make it look like the rebels did it all."

"And why did we commit this in the first place?" Flamepaw allowed the question to slide off her tongue, her eyes narrowed and her tail lashing to and fro.

Spark rose a cat brow at Flamepaw's question. "Every cat has their motives, and mine is to anger Archangel. Killing this cat we have selected will anger him to know that a rebellion cat has done this deed. He will instantly call for war and have no mercy on those rebellion cats. We can end them all, and finally go on to be a normal Clan."

"That's mousebrained," Flamepaw snorted, speaking her honest opinion. "We killed him just so more cats could die for a war that would eventually come anyway?"

Spark growled and pressed forward, now face-to-face with the apprentice. "Why don't you shut up! Do not question my motives or I will talk to Archangel about your little meet ups with the enemy. Now, go wash that blood of your paws! Never speak a word of this event anymore. Be quick, we need to get back to camp."

Flamepaw swallowed back a growl and nodded curtly. She turned and padded off in the direction of the pond, her tail lashing behind her like a snake that was lunging for its prey.

Once she arrived at the pond, the ginger apprentice sat down at the bank and stared down at her paws. Only the right paw was splashed with blood, the very paw she pressured onto the victim's shoulder. Flamepaw clenched her teeth and rose her right paw.

Extending her paw towards the water, she felt the cold feeling of the water the moment her paw reached it. She stared down at the water to see her reflection staring back at her, the paw in the center of her reflection. The blood snaked away from her paw and clouded around her reflection, her eyes wide at the sight.

Her ears fell back against her head as she pulled out her paw. It was now damp and moist but the blood was now where in sight. She rose to her paws and stared back down at the small cloud of blood in the pond. She sighed in relief when she finally came to a realization.

She was alive, but Chirpbark was dead instead.