Warriors: Shadows Of The Night

Chapter 12

"So Shallowstar decided not to make you a warrior after all," Sandpaw's voice echoed around the apprentice's den, waking Ravenpaw from her sleep.

"Don't be rude!" Graypaw hissed. Ravenpaw opened her eyes just in time to see Graypaw giving Sandpaw a hard shove. The two apprentices were sitting side by side in the middle of the den looking at Ravenpaw. Graypaw's yellow eyes were full of sympathy, while Sandpaw's were teasing.

"No," Ravenpaw growled bitterly, glaring at Sandpaw, "I'm still going to be a warrio, just not today!"

"Yeah," Graypaw meowed, "It won't be long. You heard Shallowstar."

Sandpaw shrugged. "We'll see."

Ravenpaw realized it was night now. She wondered if the two apprentices had been up talking for a while before choosing to wake her up.

"Why are you still awake?" Ravenpaw sighed, sitting up.

"Sandpaw was out on the dusk patrol with Blacktail, Thistlefang, and Birdflight." Graypaw explained. "She just got back. I'm sorry she woke you."

Ravenpaw stood up and stretched. She rolled her eyes. Of course it was Sandpaw who had to wake her up for no reason!

"I'm going to the dirtplace," Ravenpaw muttered, pushing past the two younger cats. She padded out and looked to see who was on guard. It was Shadepelt. Her brother was sitting upright in front of the entrance with his was pricked toward the forest beyond the camp.

Ravenpaw wanted to talk to him, but the urge to make dirt was too strong. She hurried to the dirtplace and made her dirt. She gazed into the woods beyond, suddenly remembering the eyes she had seen in the forest. The thought made her shudder, and she turned to leave the dirtplace. As soon as she stepped out, a cat was suddenly in front of her. She let out a hiss of surprise and jumped back, her fur bristling.

"Calm down! It's just me," Shadepelt whispered. Ravenpaw glared at him.

"Don't do that to me," she gasped, "You nearly scared my fur off!"

"Sorry about that," Shadepelt said a little sheepishly, "I heard you going to the dirtplace though, so I thought I'd check on you." His yellow eyes grew worried.

"I'm fine," Ravenpaw meowed, "Shouldn't you be guarding the camp?"

"Relax. I'll go right back to it," Shadepelt said, "I just wanted to know if you're feeling okay? After what happened."

"I'm a little upset about not being a warrior," Ravenpaw replied, although she felt quite more than a little upset. In fact, she felt angry enough to tear the pelts off every cat in DarkClan. If it weren't for them she'd be a warrior already !

"It's so wrong!" Shadepelt hissed, his yellow eyes flashing. "You should've been made a warrior alongside me!"

"I will be soon," Ravenpaw promised, giving her brother's shoulder a lick.

"Yes," Shadepelt agreed with a sigh, "I just want to be a warrior beside you."

"Don't worry," Ravenpaw meowed, trying to be cheerful. "I'll prove to Shallowstar that I'm ready! You'll see!" She yawned.

"I'll let you get back to your nest," Shadepelt meowed. "Good night." He turned and padded back to the entrance to guard it. Ravenpaw hurried to the den and slipped into her nest.

Sandpaw and Graypaw had curled up in their own nests by then. As Ravenpaw lay down, Sandpaw lifted her head.

"What will you do if I become a warrior before you?" Sandpaw asked in her mocking voice. Ravenpaw's tail twitched irritably.

"That won't happen," Ravenpaw muttered, closing her eyes.

"Yeah," Graypaw agreed, "You'll be a warrior long before us. After all, you've been an apprentice for moons and we've only been apprentices a few days."

Sandpaw said nothing, to Ravenpaw's joy, and Ravenpaw was able to finally close her eyes and drift off into a deep sleep.

Ravenpaw gazed around. Tall skeletal trees loomed above her, and a thick fog swirled around the forest. It was dark, although there was a strange eerie light that seemed to come from nowhere yet everywhere all at once.

I've never been to this part of the forest, Ravenpaw thought, glancing around nervously. She tried to look through the trees into the distance, but the fog was so thick that she couldn't see beyond trees a few fox-lengths away from her.

"Hello there," A deep voice meowed. Ravenpaw jumped and whirled around to see that a black cat had padded over from behind, where the trees appeared to grow closer and where there was undergrowth.

"H-hello," Ravenpaw said nervously. She glanced warily around from the cat to the fog-shrouded trees beyond.

"Are you lost?" The cat asked softly.

"Yes," Ravenpaw replied, "I mean, I think so." She glanced around but still had no clue where she was. Then she stopped and took a moment to look at the cat.

It was a large muscular black tom with amber eyes that seemed to glow with the odd light. His fur was smooth and black and his muscles rippled beneath his pelt. His shoulders were broad. He certainly looked like a powerful cat.

"Who are you?" Ravenpaw asked. The black tom gazed at her for a moment before responding.

"I'm Nightshadow. Your father."