Warrior Cats Book 1: A Dark Path- Dusk of the Clans

Chapter 14

Shadowpaw padded into camp, trailing behind the medicine cat, lost in deep, focused thought. "Can you go check on Foxpaw for me please, Shadowpaw?" Ivyleaf asked. The black she-cat nodded and trotted across the soft grass, which reminded her how nice it was to be back in her own clan. She ducked through the undergrowth into the medicine clearing. Foxpaw sat in the shade of his nest, licking a paw. Mintpaw, whom was sitting beside him glared at her, her eyes showing a small flash of anger before she covered it up.

"Hello Shadowpaw." Mintpaw purred through clenched teeth. Foxpaw's eyes glinted as he looked up at Shadowpaw with a joyous grin, "Shadowpaw is it true you chased off the fox?!"

Shadowpaw laughed and padded over, sitting on the other side of Foxpaw. Mintpaw cast another fiery sideways glare, but Shadowpaw ignored the other she-cats hostility. Shadowpaw laughed, "You just wake up and the first thing you want to know about is the fight."

Foxpaw smiled sheepishly, "Elders told me you chased it off alone." Shadowpaw shrugged and shifted her paws, her ears hot. "It didn't take much, just a lucky strike."

Foxpaw shifted with a wince to turn more toward Shadowpaw, and her ears perked, "Easy you'll hurt yourself!" Foxpaw laughed, "Yes, mother." He mocked.

Shadowpaw laughed, gently nudging her friend with her twisted paw. Mintpaw snarled silently, Foxpaw's back now facing her, she stood and stomped off. Foxpaw tilted his head, "Whats her problem?" Shadowpaw grinned mischievously, "Maybe she finally caught a good whiff of your stench!"

Foxpaw laughed and joked, "But I just rolled in fox-dung to make me smell better!"

Shadowpaw giggled, "No wonder you still smell better then usual." Foxpaw laughed again, and Shadowpaw heard the ferns shake as Ivyleaf appeared through them, "Okay you two jokesters break it up, Foxpaw needs his rest." Shadowpaw grinned and meowed her good-byes before padding into the quickly darkening clearing.

Shadowpaw stretched and picked a mouse from the fresh-kill pile, her aching paws reminding her of the long walk. Shadowpaw finished up her meal in a few ravenous bites, then slunk over to her nest in the apprentices den.

Shadowpaw closed her eyes with a yawn, shifting into the nest. Sleep seemed to come as soon as her eyes closed, a dark tide washing over her in a whirling torrent.

Shadowpaw woke up in a familiar forest with dark ominous trees, and slick marshy ground. Shadeheart padded from the shadows, "Greetings death-bringer." He meowed in a deep voice.

Shadowpaw dipped her head, raking her claws over the marshy ground, "Hello Shadeheart, what am I learning today?" The dark warrior thought for a moment, shadows swirling through his pelt and around his paws as he walked a circle around her.

"Let's continue practicing free form fighting." He decided eventually. Shadowpaw didn't pause, she whipped around to face him, swiping for his muzzle, but the warrior sidestepped quickly.

Shadowpaw ducked under his next blow, and took in a deep breath, feeling her surroundings slow. Shadowpaw saw Shadeheart move slower as he prepared to strike, and she darted around him, aiming quick sharp blows to the skin between his ribs.

Shadeheart yipped, and Shadowpaw didn't see his paw until it was too late, his blow connecting to the side of her head and sending her sprawling out of her slow-time.

"That's a good trick, but stay focused, don't let yourself get distracted, focus on my moves and use my strength against me." He advised. Shadowpaw nodded determinedly, slowing things down in her mind once more.

Shadowpaw saw him rear up, his large paws arching for her once more. Shadowpaw turned, sliding out her hind leg to sweep his hind legs out from under him, sending the large tom crashing down.

Instantly Shadowpaw struck his stomach with staggering accuracy. Shadeheart grunted, "Very good." The two cats exchanged well placed blows, Shadowpaw finding a strangely calming rhythm in the flow of motion, swipe, duck, twist, kick, dodge, swipe, duck, twist, kick, dodge.

Shadowpaw felt the steady rhythm in the fight, and although blood pounded in her ears, she was able to remain icy calm during the fight, leaving her mind open for quicker reactions and direct accuracy.

"Very promising." Shadeheart growled, ducking under a swipe aimed for his ears. The two exchanged blows and dodges in an ever changing rhythm for what seemed like ages.

Finally the two broke apart panting, "Sit, its time for you to know our plan. It's not the full thing yet, which is where you come in." Shadowpaw sat, searching his eyes as he spoke, her ears pricked intently as she listened to her well-respected dark forest mentor.

"We are training a pawful of warriors and apprentices from each clan, and when your ready I will call the meeting for all of them to join, where they will all meet each other for the first time, and where they will meet their leader."

Shadowpaw blinked, "Leader?" Shadeheart nodded curtly before continuing, "Their leader will address them, introducing a new rule."

Shadowpaw nodded slowly, "Who is this leader? If you know." Shadeheart grinned, "The leader, young death-bringer, is you, of course."

Shadowpaw felt her heart skip a beat, but couldn't decide whether it was from excitement, or nervousness. Shadeheart nudged her with a dark grin, "When your ready to meet your... starting alliance, let me know."

Shadowpaw's heart raced at the thought, leader of these cats? Me? I don't know if I'm capable enough...

Shadeheart looked at her with a slight frown, "I can see the doubt in your eyes, I will tell you what you should work on. I have seen the thirst for blood within you, you have to be ready to shed blood at any time, yet not let your clan cats be suspicious. You will need to work on hiding the emotion in your eyes, I want it to be like looking at a stone. Finally, you should work on moving silently, I don't want to hear a single noise as you walk, now rest, gain your strength, we have a lot of training ahead of us."

(Yay another chapter! And it didn't take 29372 days!! Comment your thoughts and comments of course! Hope your enjoying the book <3 Jade)