In Halfstar's Shadow

Yes! Many new things coming up. I have a marvelous plan for these charries :) Expect to be surprised and whatnot! ( In further chapters also. )

Sorry I haven't edited in a while, my comp broke down, but now it's fixed! Yay!! =D

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~ SV ~

Chapter 9

** Late Leaf-Bare, Thunderclan **

"I've told you already, you cannot be a medicine cat!" A tabby tom whipped around, to face a saddened apprentice.

"But why?!" The cat's sniffles were pitiful, and he tried to put on a straight face.

"DO NOT CONTRADICT MY WORDS! You are not from Thunderclan! You do not have Warrior's blood pulsing through your veins!"

"But….You told me I was your so-"

"NO PITIFUL RAT OF A FELINE IS MY SON! YOUR MOTHER GAVE YOU UP, BEFORE DYING AT THE CLAWS OF ME! SO THERE! I killed your mother. But only because she was sick of having to care for a worthless KITTYPET!"

The "whoo" of an owl pierced the mid-morning air as the large tom dug his claws into sodden grass. The cat before him was trembling, and he gulped, blinking tears from his eyes. The chat of a robin and a warbler seized, halting all of the world.

"What about Chillpa-!"

A claw struck the side of the kit's face, blood streaming from cuts under his eye and across his cheeks, and he fell to the ground whimpering as his tormentor stood looking down at him.

"Let's see you treat those wounds, you two-leg licker!" Spitting at the small malnourished cat, the tom turned to address his clan.

"Only true blood runs through my veins. Burningstar was a fool! Being a rogue no less, his kittypet ancestors failed to survive in the wild, which is why my own son, a true warrior will be the new Medicine cat. Stone, you are to train him everything you know, and then leave the territory immediately. You are not worthy of the warrior's honor."

A gray she-cat nodded wearily, her body terribly skinny as she padded over to a strong-looking kit. She let tears fall as she roused the kit from sleep and padded into a cave, which she could no longer call her own. But the once-medicine cat shivered, knowing that this was the best she could get, death would be her only other option.

"I want Foxclaw and Owlwhisker to bury the old ones. They have paid for what they did to me!" The tom looked down at three un-moving cats, but truly they were only skin and bones, furry skeletons.

"New changes come to Thunderclan, noble cats! Under the leadership of my daughter, my son, and…. Well, a little friend of mine, we will overcome the other clans, and soon the day will be ours when all of the forest will bow to us, as we will rule the forest, victoriously!"

There was a small cheer from some of the warriors, and the loudest came from Briarthorn, after changing her name she licked her thorn-sharp claws, ready to sink her teeth into her sisters neck, wanting to taste the blood of her kin. Thunderclan was unbeatable!

** Shadowclan **

Sablewind's paws ached as she trudged along through the bushes, her eyes drooping and her tail hanging down. She moaned through a squirrel's gray fur and put it down in the hole she had dug, and began warily covering it up. She heard footprints slow, and then halt, and she spoke before the voice could reach her ears.

"I didn't get enough sleep, Fangshadow. I'm okay." The brown she-cat gave off a large yawn, as if to prove her statement.

"Alright, then. I was just confused as to why you're burying a stick."

Sablewind's eyes popped as she looked down, seeing a twig hanging out from one side of her hole, as her squirrel covered it. She growled tiredly and then picked up the squirrel, and began shaking it from side to side.

She licked her paw and drew it over her ear as she walked on, paws creating a crunch on the ground that was still covered in frost, but the sun was beating down and it would be gone by sun-high. She heard a flap of wings and Fangshadow came over to her, thrush in mouth.

"Nice catch." She mewed, yawning.

"Maybe you should get back to camp. I'm thinking vigil was a little too much for you."

"No, I'm fine.." She protested, turning away to hide another yawn.

"Okay, but hurry up. You're lagging behind." He trotted away, so Sablewind scented the air, knowing she should catch one more thing for the clan before returning home. The thoughts of home, of a warm nest and the darkness of sleep taking her over was so wonderful, but she was soon awoken into alarm by the call of a robin, and she crouched to the ground.

Inching forward, her underbelly shook with chill as she spotted the bird. She licked her lips hungrily and bunched up her haunches. She unsheathed her claws and jumped, landing square on the robin. It gave a cry of alarm before it hopped out of the way, the bushes rumbling behind it. Sablewind swore angrily, and looked up to see what had caused the leaves to rustle. A white she-cat padded out of it, and Sablewind gasped as she saw her. The she-cat's face was completely scarred, blood oozing from a wound that had obviously taken her eye, which had pus all around it. The she-cat was hideous, well, it was now, perhaps not before.
"Oh my! What happened to you?"

"You, Sablekit!" The cat gasped, looking at her.

"You know me?" Sablewind mewed, giving her a quizzical look.

"Yeah, you're Howlingstar's daughter."

Sablewind growled, whipping her head away.

"I'm Sablewind now." She turned back to her, a pouty look on her face.

"Oh, congrats. So, you're in Shadowclan now, eh? Do you have an apprentice?" She cocked her head to the side.

"I don't have time for chit-chat. What do you want?" Sablewind sighed, becoming annoyed with the she-cat.

"I wanted to get away from your father…He did this to me."

She looked up, hope in her eyes. "I want to join Shadowclan, so then I can fight against Howlingstar!"

"Woah, you're going a little fast. We're not going to fight Thunderclan, they've done nothing wrong to us." Well, not the rest of Shadowclan, anyway, she thought bitterly.

"But that's what…Oh, nevermind. Please take me to camp." She mewed, then gasped as blood fell onto her nose from a cut above her.
"Alright." Sablewind gave in, and padded towards Fangshadow's scent, before he ran into her, carrying the thrush he caught earlier. He gasped when he saw the she-cat, but before he could ask what happened, Sablewind explained to him.

"Of course we'll take you to camp. Come on."

They turned and walked, and Sablewind kept glancing back to the she-cat, to make sure she didn't stumble and fall to the ground, because of her lame eye.

Sablewind was wondering why so much stuff was going wrong in Thunderclan, and she wished she could've thought they were having a hard time with Leaf-bare, but she knew it was because of her family. What do the clans think of me? Am I a disgrace because I come from their family?

Sable was about to jump over a log when Fangshadow called out. "We're here." She miscalculated her jump and landed on top of the log. The she-cat laughed, "Walk much?"

"I know you won't if you keep it up like that." She narrowed her eyes at the white she-cat and scrambled up, glaring at her. They entered camp solemnly, Sablewind still bitter as she confronted Halfstar.

"This cat says she wants to join…" She mewed, whipping a look at her.

"My name is Scarface.."

"Okay. Lionflame, take her to the Warriors den to make a nest." Halfstar then turned around and started padding back towards his cave. The scent of Thunderclan was heavy in the air, from the she-cat, but Sableshadow was too shocked to notice it.
"Just like that? She's allowed in the clan?!" She burst out, stopping Halfstar. She bounded over to him, and looked at him quizzically.

"What if she is planning something? How do you know she's not still loyal to Thunderclan?" Sablewind insisted.

"Well, we'll just have to watch and observe." He mewed, shrugging. Silentpath and Starblaze were obviously shocked, also. Their mouths were in a mid-gasp when Bravepaw walked up, yawning.

"Hello, Bravepaw." Sablewind mewed, hoping her friend would forgive her.

"Hey." He mumbled, walking bye. Sablewind's tail drooped down as he walked bye, completely ignoring her. She wanted things to be better, to be able to talk to him again, to go hunting together. To have fun, but she suddenly turned bitter. It wasn't her fault she was made a warrior first, it was Halfstar's! But she knew she couldn't blame it on the tom, he only did what he thought was correct, but if only he had a clue.

Shadowclan, Later that day, Around Nightfall

Shadows crept up on Sablewind as she lay, twisting and turning in her sleep. She had fallen asleep around a little after Sun high, and oh, did she regret it.

Lights faded as she stood up, her head hurting like crazy and her paws feeling like they had been swept up beneath her. She looked around, and could see everywhere. Wind rushed through her face as she turned, only to see the wonderful sight of streams and mountains, and a beautiful valley lay below, grass and flowers and oh, how it was so peaceful, so much like a wonderful paradise.

Suddenly, a call pierced the air. A giant bird came swooping down, just over Sablewind as she ducked, gasping as the bird's talons caressed her back lightly. She hadn't been hurt, but it called again, and as she watched it in amazement, she wish she knew what it was called.

As she was watching it, she felt a push from behind. She had been completely absorbed in the bird, she had left herself almost idle, and someone had taken the chance. She fell, tumbling down as the earth itself gave way beneath it and she went hurtling into darkness, spiraling as the call of the bird echoed around her. She was not in the air, but she soon hit the ground, and hard. Her back began aching as she stumbled up, and looked around her. She felt another push and she staggered for a moment, then whipped around to face her attacker, but was disappointed to see no one.

"Come out and face me!" She called out. She quickly wished she hadn't.

A large white tom stalked out, and was he huge! His shadow fell upon Sablewind as she met his piercing golden glare, that had a small sliver of green and silver in it. He smiled maliciously, and gave out a wicked laugh, connecting it with the bird's call, and the sound rumbled like thunder in the small hollow she was in.

"Who are you..?" She mewed, her eyes wide. She felt she should be frightened of this tom, but yet, she wasn't. Only fascinated.

"Your worst nightmare." He replied.

"Hardy har har, very funny, mister." She mocked him.

"You wish it was a joke." He took a quick turn and suddenly she was falling, spiraling down towards the ground. It was so scary, but yet she was invited by the soft looking touch of the flowers. They were getting closer. She turned her head and saw some kind of water. But it was so wonderful. So large, so vast! She had never seen so much water in one place! "How did it get here?"

"No longer does StarClan guide the clans, to safety the darkest must lead them, for coming is a danger none like another, it's edges are sharper than most."

"Wh-what was that?" She looked around, thinking somebody was standing by her, but the moment she hit the ground, she remembered, with a gasp, she hadn't been standing.

Sablewind's eyes flew open as she jumped up, eyes opened wide, shaking. Blood rushed in her ears as she regained consciousness of what had happened.

"Who was that tom? Why did he… What did I …. To him? Ow." Her speech was still coming in breaths as she muttered to herself, and a black tail came to her shoulder as she walked out, startling her as she whipped towards the figure in surprise.

"Why… Do you ALWAYS scare me?!" She shook her head in dismay, her heart skipping beats. Bravepaw's eyes had narrowed a little but it's golden gaze was as firm as ever. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She turned, making his tail fall to the ground.

"Why do you have to be that way?" He asked, a slight growl to his tone.

"Why do I have to be that way? Why do you have to be that way? You've been ignoring me ever since I became a warrior! You know what, you're just sour because you weren't made a warrior, because you're too immature to know what's right and wrong!" She snapped back. "If you hadn't gone off and listened to me, you would've been a warrior, but it's all your fault you got in trouble!"

Her breath was out by the time she finished, and as their gazes met, her fury only grew more.

"Yeah, you're right. If I never listened to you. What was I thinking?"

Both of their ears fell to their head defensively, and Bravepaw shook his head in dismay, almost disbelief. Bravepaw had stalked away, and as she watched him leave, she felt an impulse to chase after him. So she did.