Shadowpaw yawned and stretched, sitting up in her nest. The former SwampClan apprentice scratched idly behind her head as she blinked sleep from her eyes. A bird was chirping loudly in the bushes close by, the high notes jarring her ears. Sighing softly, the near-black cat recalled SwampClan territory.
When she closed her eyes, Shadowpaw could see Rockplace, with its tall stones that apprentices always dared each other to climb to the top of. She could feel the tug of the infamous Sucking Marshes on her paws, and relive the time she and an apprentice called Sixpaw had played in the mud nearly all day, coming back to camp dark and dirty. There were few trees, and few chirpy birds. The main danger was hawks, but even then, you could handle yourself if there was a warrior nearby who knew what they were doing.
SwampClan territory had also been a bit more...shady. Yes, there was never really any bright sunlight there. But Shadowpaw had been forced to leave her beloved Clan lands by an evil warrior call Thornheart. She had heard gossip that Bugwing, a dead cat, had been reborn as Breezepaw, and together with Sixpaw...Sixclaw...he had driven out Thornheart. But it was unlikely. No warriors were reborn into Clans. Once you joined StarClan, you stayed there...Right?
Shadowpaw padded out of the den, her ears pricking up as she heard murmurs of "kittypet" and "StarClan." Didn't Promisepaw say something about a dream with a kittypet from StarClan in it? the young cat wondered. She did! And he gave her a prophecy from StarClan! What was it, though...Something about Hope and Shadows...Fire and Water...saving a Promise...The Promised Clan! That's what it was. She stopped dead. Wait. I'm dark-pelted...and my name is Shadowpaw...Could I be the Shadows in the prophecy?
The dark she-cat sat down beside the other apprentices: Wavepaw, Sunpaw, Bearpaw, Greatpaw, and Summerpaw. Wavepaw tapped her with his tail in greeting. Sunpaw mewed a friendly hello. But Promisepaw's siblings were deep in discussion. Shadowpaw ignored them.
Riverstar was atop Tallrock, Sunface beside her, along with Promisepaw, and an unfamiliar ginger tom. Shadowpaw gazed intently up at her leader. "Cats of PromiseClan," Riverstar began, "I am sure you have all heard of our newest addition. His name is Trickpaw, and he comes from Twolegplace."
"Is he a kittypet?" a warrior by the name of Pyrefoot asked. "He certainly looks like one to me. Not to go against your judgement, Riverstar, but do you really think he's fit for Clan life?"
"Kittypets have collars, though," a she-cat called Owlfur spoke up. "And his name is Trickpaw. Pyrefoot, I know you've been a Clan cat for many moons, but there are some things only Clanborn cats know. And one of those is that kittypets always wear collars. He's probably a rogue."
"A rogue in PromiseClan?" Fishtail asked.
Hexmind looked over at him. "My family were rogues," she pointed out mildly. "Myself, Wovenpelt, Pyrefoot, and Sparkfur. If he is a rogue, he won't be the only one in this Clan." Fishtail dipped his head and sat back down.
"I admit, it may not be a popular decision, but I have decided to test Trickpaw," Riverstar continued. "Kittypets do not have warrior skills, such as fighting and hunting. If Trickpaw can do these things, I will take him into PromiseClan."
Shadowpaw stood up and padded over to the Tallrock. She looked up at Trickpaw, who stared back down at her. She sniffed the air. "He smells a bit like Twolegs," she mewed softly. "But he isn't soft and fat like a kittypet. And anyways, he still smells like a tom,. So he hasn't been taken to the Cutter yet." With a leap, Shadowpaw was on top the Tallrock. She put her tail in front of Trickpaw's nose. "Tell me what territory I came from."
The rogue/kittypet obediently sniffed. He hesitated for a few minutes, then meowed, "It's faint, but I can smell wet places...marshes and swamps...But now you smell mostly of forests."
Shadowpaw nodded. "Good." Turning to Riverstar, she mewed, "He's likely a rogue since he has a Clan name." Without another word, she jumped down and sat back with the apprentices.
"Thank you for your input, Shadowpaw," Riverstar said, clearly a little taken aback by the bold move by the normally shy apprentice. "I agree." With a gaze at the crowd, she added, "I will mentor Trickpaw myself, and make sure he accepts the belief of the Clan, as well as its traditions."
Riverstar turned her head and touched her nose to Trickpaw's. The ginger tom dipped his head respectfully to his new mentor. Trickpaw jumped down from the Tallrock. But instead of the usual meows and greetings that were associated with a new apprentice being named, there was only silence. No cat wanted to be the first to welcome this rogue/kittypet/Clan apprentice. Trickpaw's eyes grew wide with despair.
Promisepaw stepped forward, touched her nose to his, and mewed, "Hey, Trickpaw!"
"Trickpaw, how's it going?" Bearpaw asked, padding over to the new apprentice.
Shadowpaw padded up with the rest of the apprentices, all of whom were making up for what the warriors refused to do. They greeted Trickpaw numerous times, differently with each meow.
"Great name, Trickpaw!" Summerpaw mewed.
"Hey, you're one lucky cat to have Riverstar mentor you, Trickpaw," Greatpaw added.
"Welcome to PromiseClan, Trickpaw!
"All right, Trickpaw!"
"Trickpaw, do you want me to show you where you can sleep tonight?"
"Hi, Trickpaw!"
Shadowpaw, not one for saying much, merely pressed her nose into his fur. She meant to nuzzle him, but she went about it wrong, and came out of the encounter with a secret...a secret that no other cat could know. There was the definite scent of Twolegs on the new apprentice's fur. He had let them touch him, play with him, and even lived in their nests. Trickpaw wasn't a rogue.
He was a kittypet!
After the apprentices were finished, the warriors were still uneasily silent. Still, none dared to be the first warrior to say Trickpaw's name and acknowledge him as an apprentice warrior of PromiseClan. Riverstar's tail bristled uneasily, and her eyes were full of fear. Shadowpaw understood her anxiety. If the Clan as a whole would not welcome an apprentice, then the apprentice was not welcome. She would have to drive Trickpaw out, but he was her apprentice now. According to the warrior code, a mentor could not put their apprentice knowingly into danger. Riverstar had trapped herself in a loophole of warrior decrees.
Shadowpaw gave Trickpaw another nuzzle, this time on his cheek. The tom licked behind her ear, whispering, "Thanks. You guys are the best."
Summerpaw's ear twitched. "Don't mention it," she murmured. "You're an apprentice now, and we have to look out for each other."
Trickpaw purred happily. Shadowpaw shifted her attention to the crowd of warriors, who were silently watching the apprentices. She spotted Riverstar's former apprentice, Riverpelt, nudge both her brothers and step out of the group. "Yo, Trickpaw! Any reason for the name?" she asked. "Are you a tricky little thing?" There was a good-natured glint in her eyes.
As if she had given some silent cue, the rest of the warriors started to chant Trickpaw's name and meow welcomes to him. The ginger tom purred, a little uneasily. Their pawsteps were slow as they padded over to him, almost like they were being sucked down by boggy ground. After they had finished, Summerpaw flicked her tail, and the apprentices gathered around the newest addition to lead him to the den.
.-''-.-''-.-''-.
Shadowpaw sat in her nest, gazing intently at Trickpaw's sleeping form. Her amber eyes glinted eerily in the darkness of the den. She willed the newest PromiseClan apprentice to feel her stare prickling the back of his neck. She had done it before, she would do it again. Come on, Trickpaw...
It was then that Shadowpaw noticed a catch in Trickpaw's breathing. There was a lapse in the gentle rhythm; he breathed in one short gasp, then a long slow rush. He had woken up, but was feigning sleep. Most other apprentices would have given up, but SwampClan trained their own to be fiercely persistent. Shadowpaw gritted her fangs and kept up her stare, doubling the fire in her eyes. "Trickpaw!" she hissed.
The ginger tomcat gave a fake start and rolled over onto his side. His blue eyes glinted in the low light. "Promise...Summer...No, Shadow. Shadowpaw?" he mewed softly. Shadowpaw padded over and sat beside him, her thin gray tail wrapped around her paws.
"Yes. I am Shadowpaw. Trickpaw, I need to speak with you." The tom started to close his eyes sleepily, but Shadowpaw could see the glint of alertness behind the mask of haze. "Oh, don't even try to put that foxdung past me," she growled. "You've been awake for a few minutes now." Trickpaw sat bolt upright, looking incredibly surprised. "Listen, Trickpaw, I know you're not who you say you are. The stench of Twolegs is too strong on your pelt for you to just live near them. You were a kittypet, I know you were!"
Trickpaw's eyes filled with fear. Shadowpaw kept her gaze neutral. The young tom stuttered softly for a few seconds, then squeaked, "M...my name is Trickpaw. It was given to me by StarClan. I swear!"
"What was your name before that?"
"Tr...Trickster..."
Shadowpaw nodded. "Tell me everything."
"Promisepaw and I both had a dream. In hers, I appeared with a prophecy. In mine, she came out of the forest behind my Twoleg's gardens and told me that StarClan had chosen me." Trickpaw turned his blue gaze upwards, as if he were asking StarClan for strength. "She was going to come by my garden that evening and lead me here, but a kittypet friend of mine took me around the neighborhood and got me lost. StarClan guided me here..."
Shadowpaw's whiskers gave a disbelieving twitch. StarClan wouldn't guide a kittypet anywhere. It must have been sheer dumb luck that he found the PromiseClan camp. With a soft sigh, she shrugged and returned to her nest.
"Um...Shadowpaw? Why doesn't Promisepaw sleep here? She is an apprentice, isn't she?"
"Promisepaw is the medicine cat apprentice," Shadowpaw replied, rolling over to face away from Trickpaw. "She sleeps in the medicine cat's den, which, for your reference, is just across the camp, in that old hollow tree. You can visit her tomorrow or something."
"She's very beautiful," Trickpaw mewed.
"You won't be allowed to have kits with her, even when you're both warriors."
"Why not?"
"Because a medicine cat's love must go to our warrior ancestors first. Kits would only incapacitate her healing abilities. Find yourself another she-cat, Trickster."
"It's Trickpaw, Shadowpaw."
"Not on your life, kittypet."
Shadowpaw heard a soft sigh from Trickpaw as he lay back down. She didn't care if her words had been harsh. It wasn't such a big deal if a rogue decided to join a Clan, but...a kittypet? That was like declaring that PlagueClan was full of cat-saints. The dark she-cat gave her whiskers a light touch with her tongue to smooth them out.
A kittypet in PromiseClan, and Shadowpaw was the only one who knew aside from Promisepaw. The former SwampClan cat rolled onto her back and batted lazily at the den roof. StarClan...did you really send us this kittypet? Can Trickster really fit in with us? With a sigh, Shadowpaw rolled back onto her side and fell asleep once more.
