Warriors: Shadowstrike's Sacrifice - Book 2

Chapter 2

So it's true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love.

I miss you so much, maybe too much, sometimes I feel I won't be happy again until I'm gone and with you again.

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Shadowkit padded alongside Shadekit as Dawnstar called them forward, Nettlepaw and Fernpaw were standing next to their new mentors, Treefall and Leafblossom.

"Shadekit and Shadowkit, you have reached the age of six moons and it is time you are apprenticed." Dawnstar called, his slim light brown tail tip slightly flicking with an emotion Shadowkit couldn't depict.

Turning his icy cold eyes towards them so they stared into Shadowkit's bright green eyes, "From now until you become a warrior, your names will be Shadowpaw and Shadepaw, your mentors will be Wildtuft and Sunlight."

Shadowpaw bounded over to Wildtuft and let the older tom lean down and touch his nose her her's. Turning around she watched her sister glance at Sunlight, before ignoring him completely and sitting down next to Darkspirit.

She flattened her ears slightly at Shadepaw's rudeness, and watched as Shadepaw's narrowed amber eyes followed her father's identical gaze to the Shadowclan leader.

"I have one more announcement, Breezepaw, Blackpaw, Redpaw, and Stagpaw, step forward." The young cats bounded forward, excitement glittering in each of their different gazes.

Dawnstar smiled slightly before leaping down and resting his muzzle on Breezepaw's head, "From now on, you will be known as Breezesong, we honor your knowledge and vigilance and welcome you as a full warrior of Shadowclan."

He went through the next three as swiftly as Breezesong, giving them the names of Blackheart, Redheart, for their close friendship and skill, and Stagstep, for his careful personality and his wisdom.

As Shadowpaw tried to focus, trying to depict the emotions swirling in Darkspirit's cold dark amber eyes, she was surprised when the clan suddenly started calling out, "Nettlepaw! Fernpaw! Shadowpaw! Shadepaw!"

Shadowpaw glanced up as her heard Wildtuft next to her chuckling softly, when he caught her gaze he smiled and said, "Weren't expecting that, were you."

When Shadowpaw shook her head in response, he chuckled once more before saying, "Training begins at dawn, don't be late." Then he got to his paws and trotted over to his brother, Hawkcry.

Her clanmates slowly moved away from the meeting place and back into their normal daily lives as the sun began to set. Shadowpaw bounded over to her sister and father, smiling a greeting at them, and only getting a glare in response.

Shrugging off the angry silence between the 3, Shadowpaw looked up at her father, "So, who was your mentor?"

With a grunt of surprise, Darkspirit tore his gaze away from Dawnstar and looked down at his daughter, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, who was your mentor." Shadowpaw said, saying it slightly slower in a sort of mocking tone. Darkspirit slightly smirked as he easily found her tone as a joke and he he finally said, "Midnight, former rogue and father to Breezesong and Blackheart."

Tilting her head to the side, she asked, "What happened to him, I've heard of him, but never seen him. Did he go back to being a rogue?" Shaking his head he growled, "He was killed by rogues, probably for showing more loyalty to Shadowclan than he did to them."

Darkspirit looked down at her again, glancing in between her and Dawnstar, "Maybe you should go to sleep, training begins soon." Smiling up at father, she nodded and trotted off towards the apprentices den.

It wasn't long before Shadowpaw woke up, with the sun still hiding behind the trees, barely peeking through the lower branches on the pines.

Her green eyes flickered open, and with a low yawn, she stretched and slowly rose to her paws. Shadowpaw trotted out into the open, the clan was mostly silent, but soft murmurs from a few cats still rang softly through the air.

"So, are you ready?" The soft voice of Wildtuft said behind her, and turning around, she was met with the kind face of her new mentor.

Nodding eagerly, Shadowpaw followed behind Woldtuft as he started trotting towards the entrance to camp. As they pushed out of camp and into the forest, Shadowpaw was met with many new scents as they flooded her nose.

As they trotted through the forest, Wildtuft was explaining the places as they toured the territory, and Shadowpaw bounded happily behind him, a bright smile painted on her fluffy face.

Soon they arrived at the Riverclan border, where out of nowhere, a familiar scent flowed over Shadowpaw and she froze, followed closely by Wildtuft.

Dropping into a crouch, Wildtuft stalked towards some bushes, gesturing to Shadowpaw to do the same. She did what she was told and as she and her mentor poked their heads through the bushes, they were met with the sight of Darkspirit.

While Shadowpaw's green gaze held only confusion, Wildtuft's yellow orbs held anger, suspicion, curiousity, and a slight bit of confusion.

Darkspirit swiftly passed over the Riverclan border and into the enemy territory, looking more worried at the thought of someone seeing him rather than attacking him. Wildtuft and Shadowpaw followed him, making sure to stay downwind and to stay a good distance away so he wouldn't hear them, smell them, or see them.

Soon they arrived at the border between Riverclan and Windclan, where Darkspirit stopped and sat down, as if waiting. It wasn't long before Shadowpaw's father's ears perked and he rose to his paws, before slinking away into the bushes with his ears flattened to his head.

The two Shadowclan cats followed their clanmate until he stopped at the bushes around the clearing. Shadowclan took a small risk and peered through the bushes, where she was met with the sight of two unfamiliar cats.

The holidays are here, yet everyday I have never felt more alone.

The most painful goodbyes are the ones that are never said and never explained.