Thank you guys so much for the reviews!

zebra3stripes: ahhhh that means so much to me thank you!

JaySand: Thanks! I mostly use random name generators and collections of prefixes and suffixes to try and come up with somewhat unique names that still work.

The MoonClanner: I'm so glad you're happy! I'm thinking of making her the medicine cat apprentice but I haven't decided yet. She does have the blue-grey spots listed on her description on the first page, but it's kinda long to add it on whenever I describe her so I just shorten it lol. And I believe grey (or gray) can be interchangeable. Online I've seen that it's Gr(A)y in America and Gr(E)y in England, but I don't know how accurate that is because I think I tend to lean more towards "grey" and I'm in the US lol.

Chapter 10

Hidingpaw padded back into camp beside Littlemoon and Nettlefire, full moon shining bright above them. Bubble sat in the center of the clearing, gazing up as if it held all of the answers. StarClan hadn't spoken to Halfmoon at the moonpool, but for some reason, Jaystar maintained patience with the small she-cat and insisted she recieve training while she stayed in the Clan. RiverClan had almost completely stopped with the straying patrols, and Jaystar was finally beginning to relax his border watch. Rainpaw and Ravenpaw had been made apprentices earlier that day, but Jaystar had insisted that they remain in camp for this Gathering, much to the young cats' dismay. "You have to tell us everything!" The pair had begged.

Grassdaze had been made a warrior several sunrises ago. Hidingpaw noticed that she didn't go over to talk with Sparrowpaw very often anymore, not since they had come back to camp with Bubble. She'd overheard the black she-cat gently explaining to Sparrowpaw that she didn't think they'd make a good fit as mates. On top of that, Raydawn had her kits a bit early, on the night of the new moon. The joyous occasion had been tainted when Bubble had insisted that there were dark times coming for those kits due to the circumstances of their birth.

As her Clanmates returned from the Gathering, Rainpaw and Ravenpaw came bumbling over, tails straight up with excitement. Hidingpaw noticed with alarm that the black tabby she-cat was dragging her feet a little bit, and moving a little slower. "Ravenpaw, are you alright?" Hidingpaw asked at the same moment that Rainpaw gasped breathlessly, "What happened at the Gathering?"

Ravenpaw dipped her head. "My paws feel heavy is all. I think they aren't aware that I'm awake yet," She mewed, twitching her whiskers with amusement. Rainpaw nudged her sister out of the way, standing in front of Hidingpaw to get her attention. "The Gathering, mouse-brain!" She hissed, "What happened?"

Hidingpaw's whiskers twitched. She thought back to the Gathering. There had been a hushed silence among the many cats, and RiverClan's group was pitifully small. The deputy did not go to the Gathering. Otterstar said nothing more about the illness, and didn't remark about her missing deputy, but Hidingpaw had noticed how Halfmoon's eyes were wide with concern as she shared tongues with the other medicine cats, especially RiverClan's medicine cat, who's mouth seemed as tied shut as before.

"It was... interesting," Hidingpaw mewed finally. "There weren't many RiverClan cats there. And their deputy was missing. But Otterstar didn't say anything about it." Ravenpaw gasped while Rainpaw gazed at the older apprentice with wide, attentive eyes, eating up every word. "What else?" Rainpaw demanded, and Hidingpaw shuffled her feet. "There wasn't much else. No cats seemed to want to talk to each other, so that was weird," The tortoiseshell concluded, looking longingly towards the apprentices den. She hadn't had a chance to rest before the Gathering, and she wanted to check in with Sparrowpaw. He seemed pretty down after his conversation with Grassdaze.

"What are you two, a bunch of kits? Apprentices should be in bed this late!" Nettlefire growled, shooing the she-cats with his tail. "If you don't watch out, Jaystar will assign you to dawn patrol tomorrow for staying up this late."

Ravenpaw's eyes widened with fear, but Rainpaw merely looked excited. "Cool! I haven't gone on dawn patrol yet!" Ravenpaw exchanged a word with her sister, and the dark grey she-cat reluctantly followed her into the apprentices den. An uneasy shiver down Hidingpaw's spine as she noticed that Bubble had swiveled her intense gaze from the moon to the pair of apprentices, specifically Ravenpaw. Bubble didn't seem to be connected to StarClan, from what they had seen so far, but she seemed to sense certain things that no one else knew. Hidingpaw recalled the small silver cat's statement towards Littlemoon, the first day she'd come to the clan. "I know of Little Moon. You are the catalyst." A cold chill had swept down Hidingpaw's pelt at the words, and she'd wondered if what Bubble meant had anything to do with the large secret that ShadowClan's most trusted members were hiding. She knew that Sparrowpaw thought the small she-cat's brain was full of bees, but Hidingpaw wasn't so sure.

Trying to shake the thoughts from her mind, Hidingpaw turned her expression towards Nettlefire, blinking at him gratefully. He merely huffed and padded off to the warriors den.

Staring after him, she noticed how his fur color matched his father's. Hidingpaw and Sparrowpaw had decided that there wasn't much they would be able to accomplish at this time by letting such a blasphemous secret loose, so they had remained silent. However, every day, Hidingpaw felt the weight of that secret, so heavy that it was beginning to affect her training. The pair had overheard Halfmoon talking to Jaystar about how StarClan refused to talk to her. What did it mean for ShadowClan if their warrior ancestors turned their back on their leader and medicine cat? Were they any more than rouges without the warrior code?

Hidingpaw shook her head. She glanced around for Littlemoon to wish her good night, but the white she-cat was chattering excitedly outside the warrior's den with Breezeheart. She's happy. There's no reason to stir up trouble. With that thought, Hidingpaw headed for the apprentices den, unable to think of anything else except curling up next to Sparrowpaw in her comfortable moss.

"Alright Ravenpaw, I want you to try jumping on Hidingpaw as if she were a fox. Remember that foxes are a little bigger than cats, so try to jump higher than usual. Hidingpaw, when Ravenpaw springs at you, kick out your leg to try and unbalance her fall," Webpelt instructed. The two apprentices nodded while Rainpaw stood on the sidelines, excitedly shuffling her paws. Sparrowpaw observed with his tail curled over his paws. Fawnspring was feeling achy in her legs, so she was staying in the medicine den for the day so that Halfmoon could look after her. Webpelt had decided that it would be a good opportunity to train the apprentices together.

"Ready?" Webpelt asked, glancing at the two apprentices. In response, Ravenpaw dropped to a crouch, eyes narrowed in concentration. Hidingpaw tensed her legs, readying herself for the attack.

Without warning, Ravenpaw shoved her paws against the earth and made a dash at Hidingpaw. The young apprentice was slow, however, and when she bunched up her legs for the leap, something went wrong. She lost her balance and only managed to get about a tail-length off the ground before crashing to her side. Pine needles scattered towards Hidingpaw; the small apprentice was still several tail-lengths away from her victim. Sparrowpaw let out a mrrrooow of amusement, and Rainpaw lashed her tail irritably. "Come on Ravenpaw, quit messing around! I want to try!"

Hidingpaw watched worriedly as the small she-cat rose to her paws, tail drooping with doubt. "I'm sorry," She mumbled, "I just stepped wrong, I think."

Webpelt nodded. "It's okay. You're still learning. Let's try it again. Try to run a little faster and put more power behind your leap." Ravenpaw nodded, determination setting in her gaze as she padded back to where she was. Bunching her muscles again, the young apprentice ran towards Hidingpaw and pushed herself off the ground into a leap. However, Hidingpaw could see the uneven gait of the she-cat's run, as if she had several thorns in her paws and was struggling to set her feet down correctly. Once again, Ravenpaw fell short of her target by several taillengths.

Webpelt stepped forward, nodding with his head for Ravenpaw to sit beside Sparrowpaw. "We'll try that again in a minute. First, Rainpaw, how about you give it a try. Maybe it will help Ravenpaw for it to be demonstrated first." Rainpaw bounced forward excitedly, touching noses with her sister before dropping into a crouch, hindquarters waggling. Ravenpaw trudged over beside Sparrowpaw, looking embarrassed. Hidingpaw shot her a sympathetic look before focusing on her new target.

Immediately, Hidingpaw could see the difference in the young apprentice's dash. She was as quick as a rabbit, and her leap was even and well-aimed. The tortoiseshell barely had time to react before Rainpaw was on her back. "I did it!" She announced proudly, hopping off of her. "Well done," Hidingpaw mewed, shaking any pine needles from her fur. "You were so fast I couldn't even react. Can we try again?" She directed the question towards Webpelt, who nodded encouragingly.

Once again, Rainpaw dashed seemingly flawlessly, throwing herself into the air. This time, however, Hidingpaw was ready. She jumped into the air at an angle to meet her assailant, catching Rainpaw on her back and twisting as she fell back towards the earth. This caused the young apprentice to unbalance and fall to the side rather than on top of her target.

Webpelt added a few notes about each of the apprentice's techniques, and the training went on for several more hours. When Ravenpaw started training again with Sparrowpaw, however, she had the same issues every time. Sparrowpaw was beginning to get annoyed, and he lashed his tail irritably. Eventually, Webpelt encouraged the three to work together on their own while he tried to help Ravenpaw figure out the best technique. Hidingpaw held back and observed the small black she-cat, letting the eager Rainpaw and determined Sparrowpaw practice on their own.

Webpelt began by trying to focus on Ravenpaw's tail, to see if that was causing her any balance issues. However, no matter what techniques she tried, she always seemed to lose balance and struggle to put power behind her run or leap. Hidingpaw was growing more concerned for the apprentice by the minute. The small she-cat seemed to struggle most with the movements of her hind legs.

As the sun grew lower in the sky, Webpelt announced that the training session was over, and encouraged the group to work on those techniques in their spare time. Ravenpaw trudged back to camp, her hind paws dragging a bit behind her, appearing forlorn and dejected. Hidingpaw hung back to walk beside the she-cat, concern blossoming in her pelt.

"Are you alright?" Hidingpaw inquired, watching Ravenpaw carefully. She couldn't forget about how Bubble had stared so intently at the young she-cat. Ravenpaw shrugged off her concern. "I'm fine," She mumbled, "I just need to practice, is all."

Hidingpaw was doubtful, but Sparrowpaw called her over, and with a wave of her tail, she padded ahead. He focused on the route ahead of him, and Hidingpaw wondered if he were going to say anything at all. It wasn't until Webpelt and Ravenpaw had passed them that he spoke. "Do you think Webpelt knows?"

Hidingpaw blinked. "I don't know," She confessed, "I would imagine so, but he treats them like he's their real father, so it's hard to tell." Sparrowpaw nodded thoughtfully. "I think we should talk to Webpelt first," He mewed. Hidingpaw stared at him as if he had two heads. "What purpose would that serve?" She asked, alarmed. She'd thought Sparrowpaw wanted to keep it a secret, but perhaps it had been weighing him down as well.

"Webpelt is our deputy. And, aside from Littlemoon and Nettlefire themselves, he's the only one who hasn't actually broken any warrior code. Even if he knows, he might be able to guide us on what the right action would be." Hidingpaw had to admit that Sparrowpaw had a point. Plus, the idea of getting this horrible secret off her chest made Hidingpaw want to cry with relief. "Okay," She mewed. "Let's do it."

The pair ran to catch up to Webpelt, who was talking to Ravenpaw encouragingly. Hidingpaw could see it wasn't having much effect, however. "Webpelt, can we talk to you alone for a moment?" Sparrowpaw asked. Webpelt looked surprised but merely nodded for Ravenpaw to go on ahead into camp. "What's wrong?" Webpelt asked.

Sparrowpaw looked pointedly at her. Great, of course he's going to make me say it, Hidingpaw despaired. She hesitated. Anxiety pricked the fur on her spine. Webpelt seemed to notice that she was uneasy, and narrowed his eyes. "You two can talk to me," He assured them.

Hidingpaw took in a deep breath. "When Littlemoon and Nettlefire became warriors..." She began, casting her gaze down to her paws. "I, um, may have saw something."

Webpelt blinked, and unknown expression crossing his gaze. "What was it?" He pressed. "Well... I noticed Halfmoon appeared sad at the ceremony, and I wanted to see if she was alright..." Hidingpaw explained what she had witnessed in the medicine den.

Webpelt's expression was unreadable. "And have you told anyone?" He glanced at Sparrowpaw. "Besides Sparrowpaw?" Hidingpaw shuffled her paws uncomfortably. "No," She mewed, "We thought it would do more harm than good. We didn't know what to do with such a secret."

Webpelt closed his eyes, pelt rippling with pain. "That was a wise choice," He remarked. "Yes, it's true. Littlemoon and Nettlefire are Jaystar and Halfmoon's kits." He opened his eyes, gazing at the pair intently. "You understand why it's remained a secret," He meowed seriously.

Sparrowpaw lashed his tail. "But it isn't right! StarClan refuses to guide ShadowClan because of it! They're putting the whole Clan at risk!" He growled. Webpelt glanced up towards the fading daylight. "I know," He whispered. "But what can we do? StarClan gave Jaystar his nine lives, even knowing what he was doing. Clearly, he has their support. Halfmoon may have refused to give up caring for her Clanmates, but we will soon have a medicine cat apprentice that StarClan does speak to. It will be sorted out soon." Hidingpaw thought he was talking about Bubble, but she felt uncertain. Surely StarClan would give more of a punishment to ShadowClan rather than simply refusing to speak to Halfmoon?

"Shimmerleap, Littlemoon and Nettlefire's mother - my mate - she was Jaystar's sister. She insisted that it was her duty to protect her brother, even if it meant going against StarClan. Her loyalty was always towards him. They needed parents, and there was no way Jaystar and Halfmoon could provide that for them while still following their destinies. I loved Shimmerleap, and I love my kits. Even if they're not mine." The white and black striped warrior gazed at the pair seriously. "My loyalty is to my leader, as should yours be, per the warrior code. He may have made - and continues to make - mistakes. But, when it comes to the Clan, he always does what he thinks is best. Halfmoon has known that her options were to stop seeing Jaystar or stop being a medicine cat. In refusing to choose either, she bears the brunt of StarClan's disapproval."

Hidingpaw stared at her mentor, mouth agape. A turmoil of feelings washed over her. Understanding at the wise warrior's logic, worry over what this means for the Clan. But Webpelt was right. What else could they do?

Waving his tail to draw the conversation to a close, Webpelt ran to catch up to the younger apprentices. Hidingpaw and Sparrowpaw padded forward more slowly, and Sparrowpaw pressed his pelt against hers, as if to assure her that everything would be alright. She blinked gratefully at him, expression weary. At least she had Sparrowpaw by her side. As long as she had him, she could handle anything.

She wasn't running this time. Hidingpaw stood in the moonlit clearing of the deserted camp, gazing around in horror. All cat scents were stale, and not even the sound of deep sleep breathing filled the night air. "Hello?" She called, trying to control the terror that threatened to overwhelm her.

Almost as if responding to her call, a cold numbness began spreading up her legs. Hidingpaw gasped at the chill, eyes widening with fear. "No! Not again!" She cried, desperately looking around for something that would help. Her hazel eyes settled on the pine tree at the edge of camp, and she immediately began lumbering over to it. Each step became more and more heavy, but she was determined not to let the coldness win this time. As she approached the pine, she launched herself at the bark; but the power in her back legs was being sapped by the second, and she barely made it a taillength off of the ground.

Hidingpaw clung to the tree mostly with her front paws, her hind legs scrabbling nearly uselessly behind her as she lost control of her hind paws. Taking a deep breath, she hauled herself up the tree, branch by painstaking branch, desperate to get out of reach of the numbness.

Her vision was darkening with the effort and her muscles were screaming. She only stopped, gasping for breath, when she felt the pine sway with her weight. Hidingpaw looked down; the height was dizzying. She had lost complete use of her hind legs, and they hung limply over the side of the branch she lay on.

"Hidingpaw." A tiny voice mewed, and the apprentice nearly fell out of the tree from alarm. One branch above her was a tiny tortoiseshell kit. She looked oddly familiar, as if Hidingpaw had met her before.

"Speckledkit!" Hidingpaw cried. "Be careful!" The tiny she-kit with stars in her fur looked back at Hidingpaw, the joy of their previous encounter replaced by a solemn sadness. "She's running out of time, Hidingpaw," Speckledkit mewed quietly. At once, Hidingpaw felt the coldness begin to spread again, up her tail and back, and slowly spreading to her front legs. "No!" She cried, eyes wide with terror as she struggled to keep hold of the branch with paws that were no longer her own.

"You can't save her," Speckledkit mewed a little louder as the coldness spread up Hidingpaw's neck and to the tips of her claws, which desperately clung to the tree. "You have to help him. It is your destiny."

That was the last thing Hidingpaw heard before her claws lost grip and she fell with a yowl towards the earth.

Hidingpaw shot up with a start, gasping desperately. Her eyes adjusted to the early morning light, and Sparrowpaw was peering at her with concern from his nest. It was the second time Speckledkit had visited her, but the first time that she had appeared in Hidingpaw's recurring nightmares. With a sinking feeling, she knew instantly that they were more than just dreams. They were warnings.

Hidingpaw forced herself to her paws. "Sparrowpaw," She whispered seriously to her denmate, trying not to wake Rainpaw and Ravenpaw. His ears pricked towards her curiously. "Speckledkit came to me in my dream."

Instantly, Sparrowpaw's eyes were alert, and he leapt to his paws. He gestured for the entrance to the den, indicating they should continue this conversation outside.

The dawn patrol had left, and Sparrowpaw led her to a quiet corner of camp before whirling around, eyes alive with curiosity and pain. "Are you sure? What did she look like?"

Hidingpaw closed her eyes, recalling the first dream she'd seen Speckledkit in. "She had long tortoiseshell fur, but her fur was more spotted rather than dappled like mine. A really fluffy tail. She told me that her name was Speckledkit. She seemed very cheery the first time I saw her."

Sparrowpaw was incredulous. "The first time? Why didn't you tell me?!" He cried, hurt reflecting in his eyes. Hidingpaw looked away, pelt prickling with embarrassment. "I wanted to, but I thought it was just a dream. I thought it would just upset you, and you were so close to Grassdaze at the time..." She shook her head, tail drooping unhappily. "It was only that once. I was sure that it was just a dream, but then..." Hidingpaw swiveled her hazel eyes towards Sparrowpaw, fixing him with a fearful look. "Sparrowpaw, she came into my nightmare. I think something bad is coming, but I don't know what."

Hidingpaw was so afraid that Sparrowpaw wouldn't believe her again that she found it hard to meet his eyes. When she did, however, she saw that his jaw was agape with astonishment and concern. After a long, silent moment, Sparrowpaw said one thing:

"Hidingpaw, we have to talk to Halfmoon."

What do you guys think about Hidingpaw and Sparrowpaw? When I first wrote this I shipped them but now I'm not so sure. I kind of like Grassdaze, but she hasn't played a huge part so far. I usually kind of let the character's write themselves and when I try to write Grassdaze x Sparrowpaw it seems to go smoothly but Hidingpaw and Sparrowpaw feels a little more forced sometimes. At least from Hidingpaw's perspective. I feel that because she's so young she hasn't really been focusing on love all that much. Maybe it will go smoother with time.