Warriors: Shadows Of The Night

Chapter 6

Ravenpaw knew that StarClan gave leaders nine lives, but she had never seen a leader lose a life before. She watched with shock as the wound across Shallowstar's chest slowly closed up. StarClan healed the wound that caused a leader to lose the life. She watched, transfixed, as her leader opened her eyes and sat up.

"Shallowstar," Silverflight gasped, crouching at the leader's side. "How do you feel?"

"Not great," Shallowstar sighed, shaking her head. "Losing a life never feels good."

"I'm sorry," Silverflight murmured. Shallowstar reached with her tail and brushed it against the medicine cat's flank.

"It wasn't your fault," Shallowstar told Silverflight gently, "It was Boulderclaw's. The injuries he inflicted were so deep that there wasn't anything your herbs could've done for that life."

Ravenpaw shuddered as she thought of the DarkClan deputy. He was known for his brutality in battles. But the warrior code said not to kill unless it was necessary, and it was the code that all Clans followed. Yet it appeared that DarkClan didn't care about the code. Ravenpaw had been told stories about DarkClan ever since she was a young kit, and most of them had been about past battles between WoodClan and DarkClan.

"I have to tell the Clan that I lost a life," Shallowstar sighed, standing up. Silverflight' eyes widened.

"Are you sure? What if the Clan starts to worry? After all, this is your last life!" Silverflight meowed.

Ravenpaw's ears twitched. She hadn't realized that the WoodClan leader had lost so many lives already. She'd heard that usually only the medicine cat knew how many lives a leader had left, but Shallowstar apparently told the Clan every time she lost a life. I wonder why.

"They shouldn't worry," Shallowstar mepwed, "I mean, I'm no different from them now that I have only one life, right? And we have Palefoot to take over if something happens to me."

"Alright," Silverflight sighed, "You can tell the rest of WoodClan after I check to make sure the rest of your injuries are tended to." She sniffed at the leader's flank, occasionally parting the fur with her paws.

"Well," Silverflight meowed, "It looks like you don need more attention from me at the moment. You are free to tell the rest of the Clan."

"Thank you, Silverflight," Shallowstar meowed, dipping her head to the medicine cat. "I'll go call a Clan meeting." She looked at Ravenpaw. "Is she able to attend?"

"Of co-," Ravenpaw began as she stood up, but a sharp pain shot through her shoulder, and she lay back down with a hiss. Silverflight hurried to her side and sniffed her shoulder.

"No," Silverflight shook her head. "She needs to rest. I'm afraid she can't walk right now." Ravenpaw's heart sank and she sighed.

"Alright," Shallowstar meowed, "I guess that's a good idea. I hope you feel better soon, Ravenpaw." She have Ravenpaw a sympathetic look before slowly walking out of the medicine den. Silverflight started to follow, then paused and looked back at Ravenpaw.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Silverflight asked.

"No thanks," Ravenpaw meowed with a greatful blink. "I think I'll just sleep."

"Okay then," Silverflight meowed, "Just call out for me if you need me, okay?"

Ravenpaw nodded as the medicine cat slid out of the medicine den. As soon as she was gone, Ravenpaw rested her head on her forepaws with a sigh and closed her eyes.

"Ravenpaw, are you awake?" Silverflight' voice woke Ravenpaw up from her slumbers. Pain instantly clawed at her as soon as she was conscious.

"Yeah," she muttered, sitting up with a wince. "I'm up."

"Shadepaw's here to see you," Silverflight meowed, stepping into the den and sitting down. Shadepaw instantly slid past her and hurried over to Ravenpaw.

"How are you feeling?" Shadepaw asked, crouching beside Ravenpaw and licking her neck gently.

"In pain," Ravenpaw admitted, sighing and lifting her head.

"Did you see Shallowstar lose her life?" He asked, his yellow eyes wide. Ravenpaw nodded.

"She did," Silverflight meowed from the spot where she was sitting, "She was there when it happened." Ravenpaw shivered at the memory. It had both been terrifying, yet miraculous.

"How are the others?" Ravenpaw asked, shifting uncomfortably in her best.

"The entire Clan is upset about the battle," Shadepaw admitted, looking down at his paws. "They think that we should go and attack DarkClan."

"So do I!" Ravenpaw growled, flexing her claws in and out of their sheaths. "That battle happened for no reason! We need to teach those fox-hearted fools a bit about respect!" Shallowstar didn't have to lose a life over that!

"Our Clan isn't in any state to be going and attacking another Clan," Silverflight meowed, "Our warriors are still recovering from this skirmish, and we don't have very many cats in the Clan right now."

Ravenpaw nodded. She knew their medicine cat was right; it wouldn't be wise to fight when there were so few able-bodied cats in WoodClan st the moment.

"We should fight them one day," Shadepaw muttered, lashing his tail. Ravenpaw nodded.

"Yes," Ravenpaw growled, "When the Clan is stronger!"

A cat brushed through the entrance of the medicine and padded over. It was Thornwhisker.

"Ah, there you are, Shadepaw," Thornwhisker meowed as he sat down near Ravenpaw's nest. "Thistlefang is looking for you. He said he has something important to tell you."

"Okay," Shadepaw meowed, rising to his paws, "I'll go talk to him. See you later, Ravenpaw!" He hurried out of the den.

"Come back and tell me what your mentor said!" Ravenpaw called after him. She let out a sigh, wishing she could go out of the den already.

"How are you doing?" Thornwhisker asked, sniffing Ravenpaw's flank. He drew back as she flinched.

"Sorry," she sighed, "I'm not feeling very good. Everything hurts!"

Thornwhisker gazed at her for a moment. Then he narrowed his eyes. "You should've stayed in the camp."

"I know," Ravenpaw murmured, looking at the ground. "I'm sorry! I really wanted to help them fight! They were outnumbered..."

Thornwhisker touched his nose to her ear gently. When he lifted his head, his green eyes were full of warmth.

"I understand," Thornwhisket murmured,"But Shallowstar ordered you to stay in camp for this reason." He flicked his tail at the bite wound on her shoulder and she shrugged, though the motion sent pain shooting through her shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess," Ravenpaw muttered, looking away. "I just hope I can still become a warrior!"

"Of course you will be a warrior," Thornwhisker meowed, giving her uninjured shoulder a flick with his tail. "It was just a mistake, that's all! Shallowstar won't deprive you of being a warrior for that. Every cat makes mistakes. I'm sure you've learned from it, haven't you?"

Ravenpaw nodded, suddenly relieved. What Thornwhisker said was true; she had learned from her mistake. Then, she thought for a moment. Was it really a mistake, though? I just wanted to help the Clan! What if I hadn't come? Would Shadepaw have been hurt worse by Wolfpaw and Flealeap?

"When is Ravenpaw going to be well enough to go back to her duties?" Thornwhisker asked, turning his gaze on Silverflight, who was still sitting there watching with gentleness in her blue gaze.

"I'm not sure," Silverflight replied, "Only tone will tell. But I want her to stay in my den for tonight so I can look after her."

"Alright," Thornwhisker stood up and dipped his head, "Thank you, Silverflight." He then turned and said to Ravenpaw: "I'm going to let you rest now, but I'll come by and visit you tomorrow."

"Thanks," Ravenpaw mewed, blinking greatfully at her mentor as he padded out of the medicine den. A few moments after he left, Shadepaw came hurrying back into the den. He rushed over to Ravenpaw with his tail flicking back and forth energetically.

"Guess what?" He purred, "Thistlefang said that I'm going to become a warrior tomorrow!"