AN: there will be a few scenes in Rockpaw's POV from here forth…

Chapter 10, Rockpaw's confession

Nightpaw found herself always running into Rockpaw or Shadowpaw. They stayed away from each other. Every time Rockpaw walked into the cavern, Shadowpaw sort of disappeared with a mew of, "Good night," even if it was morning.

Rockpaw sort of steered clear of Shalepaw, too. He gave a sheepish grin when Nightpaw saw him sharing prey with her. Nightpaw didn't say anything, just walked away.

That evening Nightpaw entered the little cavern where Shadowpaw always was.

"Shadowpaw," she mewed.

Shadowpaw's tail flicked.

"Rockpaw's hunting," she said, "You can come out of this little cave."

"We have to move back to the camp," hissed Shadowpaw, "The bears are long gone."

"You're right," Nightpaw agreed. "I'll go tell Ravenstar."

XXX

Shadowpaw watched Nightpaw disappear. She was in a bad mood. She hated Rockpaw.

She heard the boulder slide aside and Flyingpaw padded in. Instantly he sat down next to her and wrapped his tail around her.

Shadowpaw sprang to her feet, green eyes blazing. "Who do you think you are, you dirty mouthed, maggot eating piece of crowfood?"

Flyingpaw sat there with his mouth slightly open.

"You think you have the absolute freedom to love any she-cat you want?" Shadowpaw snarled, her fur rising along her spine.

"I do not love you, not one bit, so stop bugging me and get on with your life!"

Shadowpaw leaped foreword and trapped Flyingpaw beneath her paws.

"Never get near me again!" she spat, "Do you hear me? I don't love you!"

Flyingpaw scrambled out of her grip and disappeared out of the cavern with nothing but a furious look at Shadowpaw.

Then, Rockpaw entered the den, without Shalepaw. He pressed his paws against the boulder when he heard the scrabbling of Shalepaw's paws on the other side.

"Er…" he began uncomfortably.

Shadowpaw shook her head, clearing her thoughts, although her heart still hammered.

"I'm sorry, Shadowpaw," he mewed, crouching down on his belly and inching toward her.

"Where is Shalepaw?" Shadowpaw asked in the brittle voice she had been using lately.

"Out there," Rockpaw jerked his head at the boulder which was rammed into the sand, allowing no cats in.

"She'll want you," Shadowpaw mewed and started to walk toward the boulder.

"Wait," Rockpaw said quietly, halting Shadowpaw in her tracks. He sat up and looked at her with a calm face and a slightly cocked head.

"Why do you hate me?" he asked.

Shadowpaw, to her own disbelief, couldn't answer.

Rockpaw tried again. "Shalepaw really likes me."

"I'm not blind," was Shadowpaw's answer.

"I like Shalepaw a lot, too," Rockpaw ventured. Shadowpaw twitched a little bit.

"But I also like you a lot," Rockpaw said cautiously.

Shadowpaw twitched again.

Rockpaw let out a big breath. His chest was roaring with ambition, but what was he ambitious for?

Shadowpaw fixed her almond shaped green eyes upon him, and Rockpaw sighed again. He liked Shalepaw, she was so pretty and nice, but he also liked Shadowpaw, She was so smart and silent. There was a huge difference in those things that defined the two cats.

Rockpaw sighed, deciding that he should choose between the she-cats later. He stood up and walked out of the cavern, to where Ravenstar had called a meeting of the Clan.

"Tonight is a Gathering," she yowled. "Brightheart, Thornclaw, Ashfur, Hollysky, Birchoak, Nightpaw, Shadowpaw, Skypaw, Leafpaw, Rockpaw and Darkpaw will go. The patrols have found no sign of the bears, so we will return to the camp after the Gathering. Also, Leaftail died when the badgers attacked, before Darkpaw received his name. So, from this moment on he will be known as Darkflame."

Rockpaw looked over at Skypaw, who had crouched to the size of an ant. He rolled his eyes. What was she embarrassed about?

XXX

Leafpaw watched as ShadowClan rushed into the clearing at Fourtrees. Cats were all around her.

She was listening to a few conversations when she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around.

"Hi," said the cat, who was medium brown with greenish-yellowish eyes "My name's Brownpaw. I'm Owlfeather's son. What's your name?"

"Leafpaw," said the bewildered she-cat. "What did you want to say?"

"Well…It's sort of boring right now. I have nothing to gossip about. You're from ThunderClan, right?"

"Yeah," Leafpaw mewed. Boy, this cat likes to talk. She thought. Well, so did she.

"Bears invaded or camp and killed my friend's mom. She was a medicine cat, and she fell in love…Oh whatever, her daughter's really nice. Her name's Skypaw and she's really cool."

Brownpaw looked uninterested in Skypaw. He seemed much more interested in Leafpaw.

"Hey," he said suddenly, "How about someday we meet at the border between ThunderClan and WindClan? We could get to know each other."

"Well…okay, when?"

"Tomorrow," said Brownpaw instantly.

Leafpaw noticed that her mouth was open and quickly closed it. "Well, goodbye," she said, stalking off.

There was a yowl from on top of the Great Rock, and Leafpaw looked up to see Ravenstar, Blackstar, Hawkstar, and Cederheart on top of it.

As soon as the crowd quieted down, Cederheart yowled into the night.

"Cat's of all Clans, listen!" he shouted, and Leafpaw could see his breath in the freezing night air.

"Tallstar died last night from old age, and his deputy, Mudclaw also died of a minor case of greencough. Our medicine cat, Barkface, said that I should be the new leader. And he has a new apprentice. Brownpaw is now the apprentice medicine cat of WindClan."

Leafpaw felt her jaw drop. Two deaths! But that wasn't what was really shocked her. It was that…that Brownpaw was a medicine cat!

"My name is now Cederstar," Cederheart said, his eyes glittering brightly. Then, he grinned, and it looked fake on his face, just like it looked fake when Mudpaw grinned.

Leafpaw watched him with transfixed eyes, until Blackstar's voice broke the silence. He talked about many random things. Then he was followed by Hawkstar, and finally Ravenstar. Then the leaders leapt off the rock and the Clans followed their leaders' home.

Ravenstar swerved into camp, smelled around and then charged through the gorse tunnel.

Everyone departed for the familiar dens. Leafpaw saw Shadowpaw glance over at Rockpaw and Shalepaw who were having a thorough sharing tongues session, then slip out of camp, her face stricken.

Leafpaw padded into the apprentices den and fell asleep, Brownpaw's face flickering at the edge of her mind

XXX

Nightpaw chomped into her mouse, looking around camp. She saw Ferncloud's almost six moon old kit, Hunterkit, pad over to the fresh-kill pile and take a mouse. His sister, Yarrowkit, was only two moons old.

Hunterkit took the mouse and jumped on top of the stump outside the apprentices den and chewed a little at it, then set it aside.

Nightpaw heard Ferncloud talking to Ravenstar.

"…he's six moons today. He'll have his apprentice ceremony tonight."

Nightpaw looked up at the kit. He was younger then Nightpaw, but already a bit bigger.

"Are you going to be an apprentice today?" She asked kindly.

Instantly, Hunterkit went bright red. He nodded, then stood up and tripped, sticking his elbow in his mouse carcass. It fell to the ground, and he dived after it, disappearing behind the stump.

Nightpaw smiled a little bit. Suddenly, two cats raced into camp, with their apprentices, Seapaw and Flamepaw at their heels. They were carrying a limp body in their jaws.

"Flyingpaw!" Nightpaw yelped. She saw Shadowpaw stalk past her, smirking.

"He's dead!" Snowfeather, Seapaw's mentor yowled. "We found him by the Thunderpath. We saw him. He must have been following someone, because he blundered right across it, and the monster came wheeling around the corner, and BAM! Nothing to it."

Ravenstar, who had been listening, nodded her head a little bit, and Snowfeather dropped him in the center of camp.

XXX

"Until this apprentice earns his warrior name, he will be known as Hunterpaw. Shrewtail, you will be his mentor."

Hunterpaw leaped off the Highrock and padded over to his new mentor, grinning. Nightpaw found herself smiling too.

Then Hunterpaw saw her and walked a few feet back, then tripped over his own paws. He stood up with his face as red as blood, and disappeared into a clump of nettles.

This is something in Hunterpaw's POV…

Darn! Hunterpaw thought angrily, how can I make her like me? Every time I see her I do something really dumb… He sighed. Maybe he should just wait until another cat came along.

Okay chapter. I think I have mates for Nightpaw and Leafpaw. Well duh, of course you know them…

I will be done with The Sight soon!! luv it.