Warriors: Shooting Star Book #1 A Star Is Born (#Wattys2015)

Chapter 15

"ThunderClan cats!" a short silver tabby tom hissed.

"What are they doing here?" a white she-cat with brown spots asked, unsheathing her claws.

Wolfpaw recognized Antpaw and Applepaw from the Gathering. Both apprentices looked at each other and the silver tom realized they were probably thinking about Silverpaw.

"Please, we got trapped down there and we were looking for a way out!" Wolfnose explained. "Just let us go!"

"No way!" Antpaw hissed. "You're in our territory! You must be punished!"

"Let's take them to Minnowstar," the silver tabby told his Clanmates, "he'll know what to do with them!"

They grabbed Wolfpaw, Meadowpaw, and Poundpaw by their scruffs and dragged them to the middle of their patrol. Meadowpaw pressed close to Poundpaw as Antpaw and Applepaw glared at them. The two apprentices were big and looked like they had seasons of training. They would probably be warriors soon. The RiverClan cats spoke to one another as they made their way to their camp. The silver tabby was Carpfin and the white brown spotted she-cat was Brightstream. Wolfpaw tried to keep a calm exterior, but the thought of him going to RiverClan camp frightened him. Would StarClan be mad with him for getting caught?

The cats padded through a swampy marsh as the smell of dead fish and smelly cats filled Wolfpaw's senses. He turned to see Poundpaw and Meadowpaw trying to hold back a sickening wail.

Just hang in there a little more, Wolfpaw urged, they can't keep us here forever.

He almost tripped when the patrol walked in to a camp. A fresh-kill pile, made mostly of fish, sat in the middle. Cats sat outside a den sharing tongues and eating the prey. Wolfpaw turned too smell the rest of the Clan. Elders were sound asleep in their den while kits played, or mewled in the nursery. The medicine cat, Rollingrock, was teaching her apprentice, Harmonypaw, what herbs to use for tooth ach. Minnowstar was speaking to his deputy, Snappingtongue, about the next patrol.

"Keep an eye on these three," Carpfin ordered the RiverClan apprentices, "we're going to go speak to Minnowstar!" he and Brightstream stormed to the leader's den. Antpaw and Applepaw turned to glare at Wolfpaw, Meadowpaw, and Poundpaw. Meadowpaw tried hiding herself behind Poundpaw, but the brown tom jerked away from her with a scowl.

Wolfpaw wished Foxkit was here with him, so he could show the sharp apprentice how to treat his sibling. Lowering his ears, Wolfpaw saw the sun was already beginning to set. They would have spent two days away from ThunderClan. He looked over to Antpaw and Applepaw and saw they had unsheathed their claws. Panic over came him. They weren't actually thinking about killing them were they? Wolfpaw couldn't let that happen, he still had moons and moons of training to do before he became a warrior. Meadowpaw and Poundpaw were staring at the two shocked and their ears were back. Poundpaw was slowly beginning to bare his teeth at the RiverClan apprentices. Wolfpaw would have to step in and stop them.

Luckily, Minnowstar walked out his den, his dark amber like eyes blazing. Brightstream and Carpfin headed over and retrieved their apprentices as their leader jumped up on a smooth stone. Snappingtongue sat down below him, her green blue eyes seeming to cut Wolfpaw open like prey. Meadowpaw and Poundpaw carefully went to stand behind Wolfpaw, fear showing in their eyes.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the rock!" Minnowstar snarled. Cats began to come out their dens and start gathering under their dark grey leader. "These three apprentices came from ThunderClan, saying they got trapped in the tunnels! Does any cat by this?" the Clan erupted in accusations pointed at Wolfpaw and his companions.

"They're probably here to spy!" Stormtail hissed, his dark grey fur bristling and claws unsheathed.

"Why would ThunderClan want to spy on you fish faces?" Poundpaw defended himself.