CinderStar's Broken Family

Chapter 9 ~ A Stray Kittypet?

The patrol moved in silence along the border with ShadowClan. We had met a ShadowClan patrol while moving along the border, and now both the patrols were moving in sync, many of the cats in conversation with each other.

BlackTail, a pale gray ThunderClan she-cat that lived up to her name, as she has a tail black as night, was leading the patrol, in deep conversation with BeaverScar, a tom that had
been leading the patrol of ShadowClan cats.

Another ThunderClan she-cat, SandShore, was padding a little behind BlackTail with CedarLeaf. They were talking with two ShadowClan warriors.

CinderPaw stayed behind the massive patrol, ears down, as she practically dragged her paws across the ground.

There was an... incident... at the gathering that was held a few nights ago. To put it simply, TalonStar, the WindClan leader, had found some excuse to start an argument with the ThunderClan leader, and after SkyStar had refused to speak up about something that didn't happen, TalonStar snapped and pushed the ThunderClan leader off the branch of the great oak she had been sitting on.

She did not look at all good when she had hit the ground, and has been in the medicine den with PaisleyPool and her new apprentice, HollyPaw, ever since. However, SkyStar hadn't recovered properly, and lost a life soon after the fall, so she was kept in the medicine den for a few extra days. In the meantime, CinderPaw has been apprenticed to SandShore.

SandShore was pretty, calm, and overall very kind, and she treated CinderPaw well, always encouraging her whenever she made a small mistake, and SandShore never failed to cheer CinderPaw up when she was feeling sad. And knowing that SkyStar was most likely going to be out and about again tomorrow, CinderPaw knew she would miss the pale ginger she-cats voice that she had gotten so used to hearing.

That's why CinderPaw, reluctantly, had decided that she would ask her mother if SandShore could mentor her. CinderPaw knew that many of the ThunderClan cats weren't too keen on herself and MistyPaw being trained by their parents, so it'd make sense in a way.

All while thinking about that, CinderPaw hadn't realized that RavenPaw, a black ThunderClan tom with white ears, a white tipped tail and a white, lightning looking stripe on his chest, and WhitePaw's brother, had slowed his pace so he could walk beside her.

"Ahh, so you're finally coming back to reality?" He asked in a smug tone, a smirk pasted on his muzzle. CinderPaw was confused, until she tilted her head and looked forward, only to realize that she had dropped so far behind, that both the ThunderClan and ShadowClan patrol had stopped entirely, waiting for the two apprentices to catch up.

"Did you slow down just to make sure I didn't loose the patrol?" She asked the black apprentice. "...maybe." Was his reply. After hearing that, they both began to sprint to catch up, and CinderPaw muttered a "sorry" to the group. They all nodded, some even replying with "it's fine" and "don't worry about it."

She still hung a little behind the patrol afterwards, but was paying more attention now, and she was in a deep conversation of her own with RavenPaw. Once the whole patrol was at the edge of the clans territory, they turned, the ThunderClan and ShadowClan cats bid one another farewell, and they turned and headed their separate ways, along the edge of the territory to finish up the patrol.

Only a few minutes pass, when CinderPaw's ears flatten, like everyone else's, when they all hear an ear piercing scream. Almost immediately, the whole patrol turns and charges to where the sound came from.

The cries grew louder as they got closer to the source, and CinderPaw wrinkled up her nose when the scent of blood filled her nostrils. Skidding to a halt on top of a small hill, she gazed down, and saw a light brown cat with a dark brown stripe of fur running down its back, withering on the ground in pain.