Owlflight groaned inwardly as his paw sank into the boggy ground. He pulled it out with a wet squelch and looked in disgust at his white paw, stained brown as the peat.
Shadeclan wasn't really this marshy, it's just a small patch right by the border. Of course, in order to mark the border they had to trek through it. Owlflight took another few steps shivering as the cool mud covered his feet.
Looking up ahead, he could see that Frogjump was having the same problems. Frogjump was Owflight's best friend-had been since they were kits. And now Frogjump was deputy. It was amazing, really. It didn't change the way Owlflight thought about him though, to him Frogjump was still the apprentice that got them stuck changing bedding for a moon and got their warrior ceremony postponed not once, but twice.
Owlflight saw Frogjump look over his shoulder then fall back slightly so they were walking side by side.
"You know, you're supposed to be leading the patrol." Owlflight whispered.
"Aw, the patrol can lead itself. I wanted to spend time with my favorite buddy!" Frogjump whispered back, before giving Owlflight a playful shove. Owlflight stumbled, then shoved Frogjump back, causing him to fall sideways into the muck.
"Great." Frogjump hissed. "Now my fur is all brown!"
"Uh...its always been brown."
"Whatever." Frogjump rolled his eyes. Then his gaze drifted over Owlfight's shoulder. "Uh oh. Well, I'll be going now." He leapt forward, back to the front of the group. Owlflight smirked when he saw Crowfrost glaring at Frogjump. The last cat on patrol-Featherfur- was gazing moony-eyed at Crowfrost, who glared pointedly ahead.
Owlflight shook his head, then looked back up at Frogjump. He lead the way confidently, very sure of himself. That's what Owlflight admired about him. He, himself had always been more of a follower, that was part of the reason he was drawn to Frogjump.
There was no doubt about it. Frogjump would make a great leader.
The sky glowed golden as the sun sank below the horizon. Owlflight had just finished washing the mud off his paws. He looked up as loud laughter came from just outside the camp. Frogjump. Sure enough a few moments later, he bounded through the thorn tunnel, a squirrel hanging from his jaws.
"Hey, Frogjump!" Owlflight called. "Wanna share a thrush?"
Frogjump nodded, his eyes sparkling, as he grabbed a bird from the Freshkill pile and trotted over.
"So hows it going with Roseheart?" Frogjump meowed teasingly. Owlflight froze, suddenly hot under his fur. He couldn't keep the image of the beautiful she-cat out of his mind. Her snow white fur with grey patches, her bright green eyes, her-
"Owlflight? Owlflight? Hey!" Owlflight was jolted back by Frogjump. Frogjump smiled slightly as he looked at him.
"You really love her, don't you?"
"Yeah...But she barely even looks at me..."
"Young love, so tragic!" Frogjump snickered.
"I'm serious!"
"Yeah, yeah...well, I gotta go and meet Tawnyfang-something she wanted to tell me." Frogjump climbed to his paws and walked away, waving his tail to Tawnyfang, the calico she-cat with odd eyes. One blue one green. Shifty.
Just then Owlflight made a split second decision. As Frogjump headed out of camp with Tawnyfang at his heels, Owlflight followed.
He crept along through the ferns careful not to rustle any branches. He followed the pair for a long time, with neither of them making any sound. It was night now, the only light was the stars, for it was new moon tonight.
Finally, they stopped in a clearing and Owlflight crouched down behind a bush and waited. Frogjump and Tawnyfang talked for while- he wasn't really paying attention. At least not until this:
"It's a shame about Stonepelt." Tawnyfang meowed. Owlflight's ears perked. Stonepelt had been the deputy before Frogjump- he had died just a quarter moon ago, by the border with his throat slashed open. Frogjump nodded sadly when she mentioned the past deputy, but said nothing.
"It must be hard to become deputy so young," Tawnyfang purred silkily, talking about Frogjump now. "And then to have it all, ripped away..."
Frogjump looked up sharply. "Wh-what do you mean?"
"Why Frogjump, I have to become deputy somehow." Tawnyfang turned to him, her fangs glinting in the starlight. "I'm surprised you didn't find out sooner that Stonepelt's death wasn't an accident, you seemed so smart."
A cloud passed over the stars.
And Tawnyfang pounced.
It happened so fast, Owlflight couldn't move.
She had him pinned for a moment,
Then she lowered her head to his throat.
"It's all part of the plan." She whispered. "Goodbye, Frogjump."
Her fangs sunk into his throat. He struggled for a moment, then fell limp. Tawnyfang let go of her grip and there was a muffled thud as Frogjumps head hit the ground. She curled her lips in disgust as she looked down at his body.
Back in the bushes, Owlflight was still frozen. He couldn't feel anything.
Not fear...
Not sadness...
Nothing.
And then a small seed of anger rooted itself in his heart. It grew until all Owlflight could see was the glint of Tawnyfang's fangs in the starlight and Frogjump's limp body. And he wanted revenge on the cat that had done this to him, the cat that had taken away his best friend. I will get you, Tawnyfang, Owlflight thought.
And.
I.
Will.
Make.
You.
Pay.