Author's Note: Hellloooooo again guys! Back again with Chapter Three of Slaves.

First of all, I want to apologise for how freakin long it took me to post the next chapter. I started writing this story at a really inconvenient time, since I'm preparing for some pretty big exams at Christmas, and my teachers are piling on the homework. Because of this, I literally just don't have the time to write 3,000 to 5,000 word chapters in a single week, which is why I'm not even going to try and keep an uploading schedule with this story. However, I am about to take an oath:

I solemnly swear to complete this story, no matter how long it takes me to do it, or how difficult a time I am going through.

So yeah. I promised you guys forty five chapters, and that's exactly what you're gonna get! XD

I'm really liking how this story is going so far. All of you seem to be really enjoying it, so I'm more than happy to get chapters out! Thanks a lot for your reviews. Here are my replies:

badguthrie: Thanks for reviewing again! Glad to know you're liking the story.

Foxtail of StormClan: That's really good advice! I'll try not to do that again in future, thanks. :D

Blackstar195: Thanks for reviewing, and yeah, that is a pretty sick idea. I'll have to take that into consideration for later chapters.

Mapleflight: Yep, this next chapter is from the POV of the ShadowClan prisoners, and I really appreciate you reviewing! :)

PopCat: I guess you'll have to wait and find out about Foxflame! And also, yeah, it is pretty sweet.

WildChild13: Whew! That was a long review! Thanks very much! And yeah, I guess it's a little strange for a cat to use the word sexy, but I couldn't think of a better word, and you know, it's slightly more threatening. Plus, forty five chapters is pretty long, isn't it? XD

Eagleshine: Really appreciate you favouriting it! As for a chapter from Foxflame's POV, you might get one soon, but the next one if from the POV of Smoketalon.

So this chapter, you guys get to meet the slaves in ShadowClan. So far, I've tried to emphasise the difference in how the slaves are treated in each Clan. In RiverClan, their main job is to hunt, whereas in WindClan their main job is to do jobs like collecting herbs and bedding. In ShadowClan, however, they're put through a bit more than that. Also, the first ThunderClan cat that survived the attack that isn't a warrior is introduced- Aspenpaw!

I should also point out that I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter. I feel like I could've done more with it, but I definitely owed you one after the three week wait, so I posted it anyways.

Hope you guys like the chapters anyways, and as usual, please RR!

Slaves:

Chapter Three:

'Stop! You're jumping too high. Do it like this...'

Smoketalon sat in the sandy hollow, watching the training session with vague curiosity. It was dusk, and the sun was sinking fast. Night was drawing in. ShadowClan preferred to hold their training sessions later in the day, when long shadows were cast on the forest floor. There was a reason for the namesake of their Clan, after all.

The two apprentices were grappling on the floor, hissing and snarling at each other ferociously. As soon as their mentor, Addertooth, spoke, they rolled away from each other and stood up. It was noticeable how one of them was covered in bleeding scratches while the other was not. Smoketalon's eyes narrowed at the sight. He wouldn't be if he was allowed to fight back, he thought spitefully.

The apprentice's name was Aspenpaw, a young, light grey tomcat with amber eyes. Usually, they would've been filled with bright enthusiasm, but his eyes were dull as he licked his bleeding wounds. Smoketalon thought that Aspenpaw could have beaten the other apprentice quite comfortably if he had been allowed to fight back, or unsheathe his claws. But of course, it wasn't meant to be a fair fight. Aspenpaw was a ThunderClan slave, and the other apprentice was being allowed to practice on him.

Addertooth took his apprentice, Wolfpaw, to one-side, whispering careful encouragement into the young cat's ear. The young tom nodded; his breath was fast and uneven. Aspenpaw turned his head towards Smoketalon, searching for advice, but the black tom looked away.

After a moment's pause, the two apprentices started sparring again. Wolfpaw's hissed with bitter ferocity, but Aspenpaw looked resigned and tired. Smoketalon shook his head. He doesn't have a chance anymore, he thought disinterestedly. He's given up.

The ThunderClan warrior glanced over his shoulder towards the entrance to the training hollow. A stockily built she-cat called Cedarheart stood there, watching him to make sure he didn't try to escape. Smoketalon sized up her up, icy blue eyes glinting. I could beat her in a fight easily, he thought. The she-cat was bigger than him, but Smoketalon was quicker, and much more intelligent. He'd have her in the floor in seconds. As soon as the she-cat noticed him watching her, her lip curled with hostility, and Smoketalon sneered back.

Wolfpaw had Aspenpaw pinned to the ground. The ThunderClan apprentice struggled weakly, but Wolfpaw's eyes were devoid of pity. He dug his claws into Aspenpaw's back. The grey tom grunted in pain, his voice muffled by the dirt.

'Submit,' Wolfpaw rasped.

Aspenpaw didn't reply.

The ShadowClan tom shifted his weight so that his paws were pressuring Aspenpaw's face into the ground. The apprentice flinched. 'Submit!' he commanded.

Aspenpaw somehow managed to summon the strength to hiss back at him, but nothing more than that. He shuddered, before muttering through gritted teeth. 'I submit.'

Finally, Wolfpaw withdrew, allowing him to stand up. Aspenpaw did so shakily. His pelt was littered with scratches, although they hadn't pierced his skin too badly. For a moment, the apprentice's yellow eyes met those of Smoketalon. The black warrior stared back unflinchingly.

Addertooth padded forward. 'Well done, Wolfpaw!' he praised. 'You fought well, using your speed and agility to outwit your opponent, and I have to say, I'm impressed.'

Despite the fact he was still out of breath, Wolfpaw puffed out his chest arrogantly. 'He was easy to beat,' the tom boasted. 'Did you see how I pinned him to the ground? He didn't have a chance!'

Aspenpaw's eyes narrowed with annoyance. He opened his mouth, tempted to react, but in the end he decided against it.

'Can we carry on training?' Wolfpaw pleaded. 'I was just getting into it.'

Addertooth glanced up at the sky thoughtfully. The clouds were turning black against the burning orange sunset. After a moment's pause, he shook his head. 'No,' he said. 'I'm due for the night patrol, and with all the new territory we've gained, ShadowClan will need as many paws in the camp as possible.'

The mere mention of ShadowClan's new territory made Smoketalon want to slit the warrior's throat. He unsheathed his claws, growling under his breath. ShadowClan fox-heart! he thought furiously.

Thankfully, Addertooth didn't notice him. Instead, the tom padded straight past him, Wolfpaw at his side, until they reached the entrance to the hollow. He whispered something under his breath to Cedarheart, who nodded, before disappearing into the forest.

The grey she-cat turned to face Smoketalon, her long, slender tail twitching. 'Come on,' she grunted. 'We're heading back to camp.'

Smoketalon's pelt bristled indignantly. 'I know!' he spat. 'Did you think I'm a mousebrain?'

Cedarheart's eyes bulged stupidly. 'Why you little-'

But the she-cat didn't get a chance to continue. Smoketalon had already darted past her and out into the dense undergrowth. He heard the she-cat hiss angrily, but she didn't seem willing to carry on the argument. Instead, she just watched him carefully from behind, making sure he didn't try to make a run for it.

Smoketalon ducked and weaved his way through the trees at pace, racing after the already fading scent of Wolfpaw and Addertooth. Aspenpaw followed him closely, trying desperately to keep up with the older tom. He was already out of breath from the training session, and his wounds did nothing to help him. Smoketalon could hear Aspenpaw's exhausted pants from behind as he followed in his wake.

'Smoketalon!' Aspenpaw rasped, breaking the silence. 'Please could you slow down? I can't keep up.'

Had it been any other situation, Smoketalon would've scoffed and told the apprentice to try harder, but Aspenpaw was clearly too tired to carry on, and it would've been cruel to make him. Reluctantly, the tom slowed his pace, allowing the Aspenpaw to catch up with him. The apprentice blinked gratefully at him, but Smoketalon didn't reply.

There were a few moments of awkward silence. Smoketalon kept his emotionless gaze fixed firmly ahead, but he could tell Aspenpaw was dying to say something.

'I'm sorry I lost the sparring contest,' the apprentice murmured. 'I should've fought back better.'

Smoketalon's tail twitched with vague surprise. 'You don't have to apologise,' he grunted. 'It wasn't a fair fight.'

'I know!' Aspenpaw said. 'But I saw the look on your face after Wolfpaw pinned me down. You looked ashamed.'

He trailed off when he saw the steely glint in Smoketalon's eyes. He waited for the warrior to say something, but when he didn't, the apprentice turned away, his tail between his legs.

Neither of the toms said anything else for the rest of the journey. It occurred to Smoketalon that the apprentice looked absolutely miserable. He considered asking him what was wrong, but quickly he decided against it. He's an apprentice, not a kit! Smoketalon thought firmly. He can take care of himself.

The ShadowClan camp was smothered in darkness. Cleverly concealed by a thick wall of trees and shrubs, you wouldn't have even noticed it was there had it not been for the overwhelming scent of cat. Addertooth padded confidently with his apprentice through the entrance, Smoketalon and Aspenpaw behind him. As soon as they entered, the ShadowClan warriors stared dangerously at the two slaves, their claws unsheathed and their fangs bared.

Addertooth padded up to the leader's den and ducked inside the lichen entrance, probably just to give Ravenstar the go ahead that they'd returned. After that, the tom went back to the warrior's den with Cedarheart to get some rest before the night patrol, leaving Wolfpaw to escort him and Aspenpaw back to the slave's "den".

In truth, it couldn't really be described as a den. It was more of a hole in the ground than anything else. The ShadowClan cats had dug it out for Smoketalon and Aspenpaw just after they'd arrived, but none had deemed them worthy enough of a proper place to sleep. The ThunderClan warrior wrinkled his nose as they approached. Not only was it small and confined, but it stank like crowfood.

Many of the ShadowClan cats growled and hissed as Smoketalon passed. Aspenpaw pressed closer to him, clearly unnerved by their aggression. The warrior made sure to keep his body firm and reassuring. It would do none of them good to get Aspenpaw into a panic.

'You know, I'm surprised you can actually live in that den,' Wolfpaw sneered, as they reached the hole. 'Why don't you just become a rat while you at it as well?'

Smoketalon's ears flattened in anger. You look like more of a rat than I do, he thought angrily.

'I don't know why Ravenstar even thought you'd be useful to this Clan,' the apprentice continued. 'You can't fight, you can't hunt, you can't even defend your own kits!'

It took all of Smoketalon's self control not to jump on Wolfpaw right there and then. He imagined sinking his fangs into the apprentice's neck, and watching him squirm in agony. That would show that piece of foxdung!

And had it not been for Aspenpaw, he might've done just that. The small grey tom's yellow eyes were wide and fearful. The ThunderClan warrior met the apprentice's gaze as levelly as he could. Something about his expression was somewhat… soothing.

Wolfpaw looked at him expectantly, anticipating a reaction. A look of frustration passed over his face when Smoketalon remained silent. 'Whatever,' he muttered, before turning around to leave. 'See you around, ThunderClan scum.'

As soon as he'd left, Aspenpaw turned to Smoketalon. 'I hate that arrogant piece of foxdung!' he growled viciously. 'He makes me wanna be sick.'

Smoketalon grunted in agreement, before ducking down and padding into the slave's den. The revolting stench was even worse when closer up. He and Aspenpaw had pulled together two makeshift dens the previous sunrise, just bearable enough to sleep in. They were damp and muddy. A small puddle of water lay at the bottom of the den.

Aspenpaw followed him in, looking like he actually was about to be sick. Smoketalon shifted his nest a little further away from the puddle. He glanced upwards at the sky disapprovingly. The outline of a few rain clouds hovered in the sky. When it rained, the water soaked into the den, and the small overhang provided little to nothing in terms of shelter.

'I'm not getting my pelt wet again tonight,' Smoketalon grumbled, as he moved the feathers. 'No way.'

When he finally managed to get comfortable in his nest, the black tom blinked, his eyelids feeling heavy. The beginnings of a yawn arose in his throat. He was just about to shut his eyes and go to sleep when he heard a grunt of pain come from the other side of the den. Smoketalon looked up to see Aspenpaw staring sullenly at the wounds that had been inflicted upon him earlier. The bleeding had ceased, but they hadn't stopped bothering him yet. Stinging pain was evident in the hunched over way he was holding himself.

All of a sudden, Smoketalon felt an unfamiliar burst of emotion. He couldn't quite place what it was. Regret? Annoyance? Pity? Whatever it was, the warrior knew he couldn't let the young cat suffer on his own.

'Make sure you clean those wounds,' he instructed carefully.

Aspenpaw looked up in surprise, but Smoketalon refused to let any emotion show on his face. 'Cleaning them will help to stop any infections from setting in,' he carried on, almost defensively. 'There's probably a lot of dirt in the cuts from earlier.'

For a moment, all Aspenpaw did was look bewildered, before turning away shyly. He began to lick his scratches with slow rasps of his tongue. Smoketalon watched, making sure the apprentice had treated every single one.

After he'd finished, Aspenpaw's amber eyes had lit up with a new found brightness. He opened his mouth to speak, but Smoketalon spun around before he could.

Just before the warrior could close his eyes, however, he heard a cautious whisper from the other side of the den. 'Thank you.'

Smoketalon didn't answer that one.

A rough shoulder nudged Smoketalon awake from his sleep. 'Wake up!' the voice commanded. 'We're going on a hunting patrol.'

Smoketalon blinked open his eyes to a see a ShadowClan warrior with a long pelt of shaggy black fur. He blended in perfectly with the darkness of the den, and Smoketalon could only make him out by the harsh glimmer of his amber eyes. The tom's name was Nightwhisper. He had led one of the patrols in the ThunderClan attack.

The thought of going on a patrol so late at night made Smoketalon's pelt crawl in annoyance. He glared unflinchingly back at him. 'A hunting patrol? In the middle of the night? We won't catch a single thing.'

Nightwhisper didn't budge. 'Perhaps a ThunderClan patrol wouldn't,' he said mildly. 'But we are not ThunderClan.'

Smoketalon hissed in frustration, but didn't bother arguing. The ShadowClan cat withdrew, allowing him to get to his paws. The puddle of water had grown in size since he'd fallen asleep.

Across the den, Aspenpaw stirred in his nest, but didn't wake up. Smoketalon glanced at Nightwhisper. 'Is he coming?'

He snorted. 'No. He'll just burden us.'

Smoketalon let out a short sigh of relief. The apprentice still hadn't fully recovered from his wounds, and he was in no condition to go out on another patrol. What Aspenpaw needed the most was some rest.

The ShadowClan tom padded out of the den, gesturing with his tail for Smoketalon to follow him. He did so reluctantly. It was cold and dark in the camp. The moon shown brightly overhead, with the constellations of StarClan burning beside it. Nightwhisper led him over to the camp entrance where the rest of the patrol was waiting. Addertooth was there, along with a she-cat called Whitepool. They acknowledged Nightwhisper's presence with a tip of their head, but no such respect was shown to Smoketalon.

'Good,' Addertooth said, addressing Nightwhisper. 'You brought the slave.'

'Of course,' Nightwhisper replied, much to Smoketalon's dislike.

The two tom's glanced to one side, before leaning in closely and whispering with hushed voices to each other. Smoketalon angled his ears forward with interest. There was a clear impatience in their expressions. He tried to eavesdrop, but he only picked up a few of the words, ones like "deputy" and "leaving".

Smoketalon's eyes narrowed. And they talking about their deputy behind his back?

Suddenly, a strong voice echoed from behind them. 'Ah. I see you're already ready.'

Smoketalon spun around. Instantly, his hackles began to rise and the tips of his claws emerged from their sheathes. It was Emberheart, the deputy of ShadowClan. Hatred burned inside his body like fire.

A memory flashed in front of his eyes. Blood soaking the stone floor. The screams of his clan-mates cracking in his ears. This was the cat who'd done it.

This was the cat who'd killed Beechfoot.

Smoketalon stared at Emberheart with more venom than he'd ever felt before. A long, low growl echoed from his throat. Luckily, the ginger tom wasn't looking at him. His suspicious gaze was fixed firmly on Addertooth.

Quickly, the senior warrior shook himself. 'Of course,' Addertooth said, a little nervously. 'We were just…' he glanced at Nightwhisper, 'waiting for you.'

Emberheart raised his head distrustfully, but didn't press the two toms further. Instead, he padded forward until he was standing beside them. For a moment, his and Smoketalon's eyes met. An emotion the ThunderClan warrior couldn't read passed over his face, but it disappeared faster than it had come.

'This should be a short patrol,' the deputy began. 'We'll catch as much as we can in an hour. After that, we'll come straight back to camp. I'm sure you're all very tired.'

'Will we hunt in our new territory?' Whitepool asked eagerly.

Emberheart returned her gaze cooly. 'Not tonight,' he replied. 'But don't worry, you'll get your chance soon enough.' He turned to the rest of the patrol. 'Have we all understood?'

Addertooth and Nightwhisper mumbled back their agreement. Smoketalon didn't say a word.

Emberheart nodded. 'Good. Let's go.'

It seemed to Smoketalon that it was even darker out in the forest than it had been in the camp. The thick branches of the pine trees smothered the faint light of the moon, casting eerie shadows across the forest floor. Emberheart led them gracefully through the undergrowth. Despite the fact they could hardly see their paws in front of their faces, all the ShadowClan cats seemed completely at home amidst the darkness. Smoketalon, on the other paw, could hardly bare it. He wasn't used to being completely reliant on senses other than his sight. How in StarClan's name do they know where they're going? he thought incredulously. Surely they must get lost.

He peered through the gloom, just about seeing Emberheart's flank through some thorn bushes. The mere thought of him made Smoketalon wanted to shout and scream.

Every time he saw the deputy, all he could think about was his brother's sightless eyes, glaring, motionless, back at him.

Finally, the patrol came to an abrupt halt. They'd arrived in a clearing. The trees parted away when they reached it, making way for some flat grass land. Smoketalon had a strange feeling he'd been there before, but he couldn't quite place it.

'Right,' Emberheart said, turning to face them. 'We'll hunt around this area. Addertooth, you can take Nightwhisper and Whitepool downwind. I'll hunt on my own.'

Addertooth nodded, and got up to leave, before stopping suddenly. 'Wait, who will take the slave?'

Smoketalon's felt his body go tense. For the first time, he was painfully aware of Emberheart's piercing green eyes strained upon him.

'I'll take him,' Emberheart murmured.

Nightwhisper looked doubtful. 'Are you sure you can manage him on your own?'

Emberheart's voice became stern. 'Of course I can,' he snapped. 'Do you doubt that?'

'No, deputy,' Nightwhisper said quickly, although it seemed to Smoketalon that was exactly what he was doing.

Addertooth led the other two cats away, before disappearing into some shrubs on the other side of the clearing. Emberheart turned around, looking at Smoketalon warily. The ThunderClan warrior's eyes were narrowed down to angry slits.

'Well,' Smoketalon said, almost challengingly. 'I suppose you're going to make me hunt while you watch from afar, right?'

Emberheart licked his chest. 'That is the general idea,' he replied, 'although personally, I'd rather not do that.'

'Why?'

'Because I wouldn't put it past you to make a run for it.'

Smoketalon's tail twitched. 'As if I'd be mouse brained enough to do that!' he retorted. 'Unlike you, I'm not a ShadowClan cat.'

'Watch your tongue, slave,' Emberheart growled. 'I'm the deputy of this Clan, and don't you forget it. I could make your life a misery if I wanted to.'

'What, more of a misery than it already is?' Smoketalon spat.

There was a moment of tense silence. Both toms eyed each other up, their fangs bared, teeth tapered down to deadly points. Smoketalon hissed at Emberheart threateningly. If he even tries to attack me, I'll rip his throat out!

Emberheart held his gaze for a second longer, before finally looking away. 'Look, you really don't have to be difficult about this,' he said. 'Just start hunting, then we'll go back to camp, okay?'

Smoketalon stayed where he was, paws rooted to the spot.

The deputy sighed in frustration. 'If it makes you feel better about it, I won't watch. Just come back in a few minutes with something to eat.'

There it was again. That emotion. The same from before. It passed over Emberheart's expression for just a moment, before evaporating again. And still, Smoketalon couldn't read it.

The ThunderClam tom shook himself. 'Whatever,' he snarled, before turning his back on the deputy and padding deeper into the undergrowth.

Stupid ShadowClan fox-heart, Smoketalon thought furiously, as he walked. I hate them. I hate them all! Especially Emberheart. One day, he'll pay for what he did to my brother.

The tom glanced over his shoulder, half expecting Emberheart to be tailing him, but to his surprise, the deputy hadn't followed. All the better. He wouldn't have to worry about another cat watching him.

The burning anger in Smoketalon's paws kept him walking for awhile, and it remained present even as he slowed down. He was angry at everyone. At ShadowClan, at StarClan, and even partly at himself.

He stopped just beside a large, rotting yew tree. It branches were withered and dying, and with Leaf-bare fast approaching, it wouldn't be long until it died completely. Through the clumps of bark and twigs, Smoketalon could see a faint glimmer of light. The moon and stars were shining even brighter than before.

It made him feel sad.

Beechfoot… he thought. Are you watching me? I hope so.

Smoketalon wasn't a sentimental cat. He rarely showed emotion, but this was different. This was Beechfoot, the only cat who'd ever understood him. Don't worry Beechfoot, he promised. One day, I'll avenge your death. One day, Emberheart will pay for what he did to you.

Suddenly, something cracked underfoot. Smoketalon spun around, his ears pricked. He could hardly see a thing, but he knew the scent of prey well enough to know when it was nearby. Mouse! he thought excitedly.

Instinctively, Smoketalon dropped into a crouch, facing the direction where he'd heard the noise come from. He breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of the mouse. Something told him the small, furry creature didn't know he was there yet. It was still sniffing around, searching for it's next meal. Soon, the mouse would be Smoketalon's next catch.

He began to creep forward, although he felt blind without his sight. He had to feel the earth in front of him every time he took a step, just to ensure he wouldn't step on anything that would alert the mouse. But slowly and carefully, he picked away forward until he was the perfect position. And then, he pounced.

The mouse didn't stand a chance. It was in his mouth in seconds. It squeaked helplessly, but any protest it may have had was cut short when Smoketalon expertly inflicted the killing bite. He sat back in pleasure, proud that he'd managed to catch the mouse despite his lack of sight.

The mouse tasted tantalising in Smoketalon's mouth. He wanted desperately to take a huge bite out of it; he hadn't eaten since last morning, but he knew he couldn't. Emberheart had told him to bring back something to eat, and much to Smoketalon's dislike, he knew he probably wouldn't be able to catch anything else in the darkness.

All the same, it was painful to know he had caught the mouse for a Clan he didn't even belong to.

The rest of the patrol was waiting for him when he returned to the clearing. Addertooth, Nightwhisper and Whitepool and pulled together a respectful haul, whereas Emberheart had managed to catch a squirrel. The deputy looked relieved that Smoketalon hadn't ran off after he'd let him hunt alone. Next time, you might not be so lucky, Smoketalon thought.

Addertooth sniffed at his mouth disdainfully. 'That's all you managed to catch?' he sneered. 'Pathetic.'

Smoketalon clenched his paws together, but just about managed to catch his tongue in time. Emberheart, for a ShadowClan cat, was soft. If he'd spoken back to Addertooth, the tom would definitely have made sure the news got across to Ravenstar.

And that was something he definitely didn't want to happen.

'Good work, everyone,' Emberheart praised. 'You all hunted well.'

Whitepool brightened up considerably at her deputy's praise, but Smoketalon noticed how Nightwhisper and Addertooth barely moved. He recalled how the two warriors had been talking about Emberheart behind his back earlier. Do they have some sort of problem with Emberheart?

As they padded back to camp, it occurred to Smoketalon that maybe some cats in ShadowClan disliked Emberheart just as much as he did.

Well there you have it! Chapter Three done! I guess the ending might seem a little abrupt, but I felt like the chapter would've dragged on too long had I continued it. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. Please RR, and I'll post chapter four ASAP! XDXDXD