I don't own Warriors!

The Quest of Shadows

Chapter 10

Maplebreeze sat in the medicine den, her tail flicking back and forth anxiously. It had been two days since the apprentices had been gone. Two days of Sunstar's pure, non concentrated fury.

A white tom padded into the herb-scented den, his green eyes darting around nervously. Everyone had been a bit on edge since the apprentices' disappearance. "Maplebreeze," he meowed softly. "You asked to see me."

"Of course," she replied quietly. He sat down, his eyes still darting around.

"Cloudheart," the medicine cat said gently, "Stormpaw, Wolfpaw, they set off… they set off to do something. Something important."

"What?" Cloudheart fixed his green eyes on her. "What do you mean?"

"They didn't just leave for fun," she replied, avoiding the question. "They needed to do something."

"How do you know?" Maplebreeze didn't answer, she merely shook her head.

"They're just apprentices, Cloudheart, both you and I know it. They're hardly even more than kits. They can't do something like that alone." Maplebreeze fidgeted. She hoped she didn't sound too motherly about the two.

"So, what do you want me to do about it?" Cloudheart inquired.

Maplebreeze leaned closer to the white tom. "We need to find them, Cloudheart," she said quietly, her green eyes full of urgency. "We need to train them. At least a little. They won't survive out there."

Cloudheart shook his head. "Why me?" he asked.

Maplebreeze let out a small smile. "We trained together. We were denmates. I know you, Cloudheart, and it's getting harder and harder every day to truly say who you know."

"Where are they?" he asked.

"ShadowClan," she replied. "I saw them leave with a ginger tom."

Maplebreeze waited for him to show some form of hesitation, some sort of suggestion they didn't do this. And he did.

"I have kits," Cloudheart said. "I can't let them grow up without a father."

"They won't," Maplebreeze mewed fervently. "I promise. I swear by StarClan." She watched as the white tom stared at the ground, debating whether or not he should go. Finally, he looked up.

"Okay," he said. "Let's go."


Ivykit watched as all of ThunderClan held their breath in silence as Sunstar sat on the High Rock. He had called them all for a Clan meeting, but no one knew what it was about. They had heard rumors about the narrow escape of the two newest apprentices, Wolfpaw and Stormpaw, but they didn't know what the leader would do about it. It seemed like they were about to find out.

"Cats of ThunderClan!" he boomed, voice relatively calm but eyes flashing with unspoken rage. "As I am sure you know, two apprentices have narrowly escaped our grasp. They have taken off, it seemed, without reason, despite our warnings about the dogs." He paused, absorbing the terrified looks of his cats. Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"One of our warriors has helped them flee," he continued, his eyes smoldering. "Sprucebrach," he commanded, and the pale tabby she-cat padded forward, limping slightly.

"I am most disappointed and heartbroken to discover that my own daughter, Fawndapple -" she spat the name out like crowfood, "- has committed treason against the Clan." At that moment, Talonclaw and Whitetuft appeared, shoving Fawndapple along. The she-cat was badly bruised and scratched, fresh blood still dribbling out of a wound in her stomach. Ivykit felt fear shoot through her veins. What would happen to her?

"Therefore," Sunstar meowed, "we have decided the only befitting punishment will be . . . " He paused. "Execution." At those words, Mintsplash, her mother, immediately began to herd Ivykit and Oakkit back into the nursery, but Sunstar saw her.

"No, Mintsplash," he said. "The kits should see this. Let them know what happens to the traitors in the Clan." Mintsplash hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly stepped aside, giving Ivykit a full view of what was about to happen.

"Fawndapple, you have committed high treason against ThunderClan for conspiring with two apprentices to help them escape. Why you did, we might never know." Sunstar grinned menacingly, showing his sharp fangs. "But no matter what happens, we will always win," he sneered. "Any last words?"

Fawndapple straightened and looked at Redflame and Roseheart, who were sitting in the front, their eyes widened in shock and fear. She nodded slightly, communicating a message only the siblings would understand. Then, she turned her attention back to Sunstar.

"You'll never win," she said in a low voice. "Stormpaw and Wolfpaw will defeat you, you'll see." Sunstar threw his head back and laughed.

"Two weak, puny apprentices, beat me?" he sneered. "I'd like to see them try." He looked at Sprucebranch. "Kill her."

Ivykit shrunk inside her pelt, her green eyes wide. Sprucebranch stepped forward, her unsheathed claws glinting in the late morning light. She loomed over her daughter.

Quicker than a snake lunging for prey, the deputy lashed out, slicing Fawndapple's neck. Blood poured out of the wound, staining the ground with red stains. Ivykit gasped in horror and felt tears prickle at the edges of her eyes. Her breath came out unsteadily.

I don't want to grow up like this, she thought. The cats waited for a moment, watching the light fade from the beautiful she-cat's eyes, then began to disperse slowly, not a word coming from their mouths. Ivykit tentatively stepped forward towards the body. She stared at it in horror and shock. How could Sunstar do such a thing? And Sprucebranch . . . she had killed her own daughter . . .

Ivykit could feel the doubt and uncertainty churn in her stomach. She didn't even notice when a shadow of a cat loomed over her.

"Hello, little one." Ivykit jumped, looking up to see Sprucebranch standing over her. Her claws were still stained with Fawndapple's blood. "How did you like our little show?"

"I, um," Ivykit stammered. She didn't know what to say. One wrong word and she could end up like Fawndapple, her throat torn, bleeding on the ground. She was only a kit. Surely Sunstar wouldn't hurt a kit, would he?

"It was, um, interesting," Ivykit finally managed to get out. Her voice sounded squeaky. "I bet no one will want to betray ThunderClan now."

"Yes. After all, this is only a little taste of what we can do. ThunderClan is the most powerful clan, after all," Sprucebranch meowed, her gaze off into the distance. She back looked down at Ivykit. "Who do you want to be your mentor?" she asked.

Ivykit scanned the camp. "I don't know. Maybe Sharpwhisker."

"Hmm. I'll see what I can do," Sprucebranch mused, then added, "You have a bright and promising future, Ivykit. Just make sure you make the right decisions." And with that, she was gone.


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