Book 2: Cinderpelt's Story

Chapter 4

"Blackpaw?" Cinder breathed.

"Cinder?" The tom asked. "Cinder!" He pressed his muzzle to her cheek and Cinder stood motionless.

"Blackpaw, y-you're here!" Cinder meowed.

"It's Blackfoot now, I got my warrior name. I missed you!" He meowed. One question was in her mind as she remembered the wound on the she-cat.

"Wait, why did you hurt that she-cat?" Cinder asked moving her head back to look into his amber eyes.

He looked at her wounds and looked into her crystal blue eyes.

"I had to, it was orders from Brokenstar, the leader of ShadowClan." He tried to press his muzzle to her cheek again but she recoiled in sadness.

'He was so nice when I meet him, when I was kit, but now he's hurting cats? Is this a life of a warrior, harming cats?' She wondered to herself.

Cinder backed away and Blackfoot flatten his ears in shame. She heard a growl come from the den entrance. Blackfoot and Cinder looked at the entrance to see Longtail with a bloody cheek and shoulder.

"Longtail!" Cinder gasped as she saw blood drip to the ground.

Blackfoot unsheathed his claws and was ready to leap at the pale tabby. Cinder wanted to stop the fight, but was scared she would making things worse. Longtail's fur bristled in rage as Blackfoot got in front of Cinder.

"Stay away from her!" Snarled Longtail.

He lunged at Blackfoot and scratched his muzzle. Cinder quivered in fear as she watched the two toms fight.

Blackfoot kicked Longtail's underbelly with his back hind legs, which sent him through the den entrance. Blackfoot quickly glanced back to see Cinder crouched down in horror.

"I'm sorry." He whispered and licked her forehead before headed back out.

Cinder padded to the den entrance to see the two toms fighting again. She saw a brown battle-scared tom fighting with Darkstripe. Cinder froze as she stared at the brown tom.

She couldn't see the camp anymore she saw a white she-cat pinned down by the brown tom. He smirked in her direction as she was pushed back by Blackfoot.

"Watch as your mother dies in front of you!" He snarled.

He lifted his paw, claws unsheathed and sliced Frost's throat. Cinder screamed in grief as she ran towards her mother.

"Mama! Please don't go!" She wailed.

Frost gasped for air as she gazed at her daughter.

"I will always love you, Cinder. The reason that we came into the forest was... for you to see... your father." Frost rasped.

Confusion over took Cinder and she shook her head to find herself in the den again with herbs. She knew the name of the murder, Clawface.

A wave of grief and loss overtook her and she fell to the ground sobbing. Cinder covered her face with her paws as she remembered her mother's cold dead body lying motionless.

She heard some cat yowl retreat and the clearing fell silent. Cinder heard cats hiss at the few cats left the camp. But she continued crying softly to herself.

"Why? Why did he kill her?" She asked out loud.

"Who killed who?" She heard a cat ask.

Cinder looked up to see Longtail. He leaned down and licked her forehead. She looked into his eyes and tears started to form again.

"What's wrong?" Longtail murmured. Cinder pressed her muzzle to his cheek, quivering.

"Clawface killed my mother when I was a kit. And she told me, before she died, that the reason that we went into the forest was to meet my father." Cinder explained between sniffs.

She sat up and wiped her tears away with her paw. Longtail looked at her with warm green eyes.

"So your father was a Clan-cat?" Longtail asked.

Cinder had not thought if he was part of the clans or not. She really didn't know.

"I don't know, anyways are you alright?" She asked, looking at his wounds.

He looked at his shoulder, which was bleeding. Longtail started to lick his shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding. He stopped and looked at her with a weird expression.

"What was B-." He was interrupted by Yellowfang coming in with the dusky brown she-cat.

"Longtail, can you make a nest for Mousefur?" Yellowfang asked. Longtail nodded and went to the back of the den to bring back moss in his jaws.

He made the nest and the she-cat laid down in it with her eyes sparkling at Longtail. Cinder felt a knot of jealousy twist in her belly. She took a deep breath and stepped out if the den, to be welcomed by a fresh breeze of newleaf.

"Where are you going?" Longtail's voice sounded from behind her.

Cinder glanced back to see him coming out of his den. She looked back in front of her to see the result of the battle.

"I'm going to find my home. I'm not needed here, goodbye." Cinder murmured sadly.

She wanted to be with Longtail, but she didn't know if this was right or wrong, to be with him or not.

Bluestar padded up to here before she could exit the gorse tunnel. She stepped in front of her, hesitantly flicking her tail as she gazed at Cinder.

"Cinder, I would like to ask you if you would like to join ThunderClan?" The she-cat asked.

Cinder dropped her mouth opened. 'Was this the answer? To be part of ThunderClan, so I could be with Longtail?' She wondered excitedly.

"Yes I would like to be a part of your Clan." Cinder agreed. "But, why would you give me the offer? I don't have experience of being a warrior."

"I know that there is something special about you, Cinder." Bluestar spoke wisely.

Cinder dipped her head towards the leader. From now on she would be training to become a ThunderClan warrior. She would be able to be with Longtail without being in trouble.

But one thought in the back of her mind still lingered.

Can I trust Darkstripe?