Chapter 11

Firestar circled in his makeshift den, belly letting out a growl of hunger. The hunt had not gone well, for none of the forest cats knew how to hunt in Twolegplace. Graystripe had managed to pin down a scrawny mouse and Shade had caught a pidgin, but there was not enough to feed them properly. The fog had lifted and the rain gone, but the damp chill still hung in the air. Firestar shivered. Nightpaw had not come back last night and Shade was as mad as a badger, so he didn't ask. Sandstorm seemed to have sensed his movement, for she turned over, eyes full of concern. "You still worried about Nightpaw?" She asked in a whisper. Firestar nodded. "Don't worry, she's strong enough to take care of herself. Sure, she's pretty stubborn, but that doesn't change my opinion. She'll make a great warrior one day." Sandstorm leaned over and licked Firestar between the ears. "Now get some sleep."

He did lay down again, but he didn't sleep. He kept wondering how his apprentice was fairing. Would she be searching for them after the rain, or would she be trying to get out of Twolegplace? He had promised Star he would keep her safe, but keeping tabs on this little she-cat was like trying to catch a fish with both paws tied behind his back. He felt his mind start to grow fuzzy, and thoughts of his apprenticeship flitted through his mind. Flashes of his one of his first solo hunting patrols entered his mind. He remembered finding and fighting Yellowfang and his punishment of taking care of her. The cranky old elder reminded him of Nightpaw, strong willed and strong headed. Finally, the last wisps of sleep enclosed him, sending him to a fitful sleep.

He had not been asleep for long when a cold voice called through his dreams. "Firestar." It was Graystripes voice, but it sounded weak and horse.

"Hmm?" He rolled over and blinked in the moonhigh glow. He looked into his friend's panic stricken eyes. "What's wrong?" He scrambled to his paws as he saw at least twenty cats surrounding him, Sandstorm and Graystripe. But the numbers of the cats wasn't what shocked him. It was the fact that every single cat was wearing a kittypet collar studded with teeth and claws.

"Hello, Firestar." A cat stepped out from the crowd. The way the others shrunk away from him told Firestar that the tom was the leader of the cats. "I am Lightning. And I believe you've already met my most trusted spy." Two cats with studded collars shoved a cat into the clearing. Shade raised his head.

"You-you-" Firestar tried, but the hurt inside him stopped the words from coming out. Finally, he suppressed his pain of betrayal. "I trusted you!" He cried. "I trusted you and you betrayed us!" Beside him, Graystripe crouched with hackles raised and Sandstorm spat her fury. "I trusted you." His voice was barely a whisper.

Shade looked straight into Firestar's eyes. They were full of regret and sorrow. "I'm sorry." He breathed.

"Awe, ain't this heartstriking. Guards, take our little prisoners to their quarters. At last, I'll be the most powerful cat in the world!" Lightning meowed. He turned sharply and stalked off into the shadows. Eight tough looking cats stepped forward, studded collars catching the rays of brightening sunlight. Firestar felt hopelessly outnumbered, but he still crouched down with hackles raised. Sandstorm copied and Graystripe spit with fury. The Thunderclan leader felt reassured with his oldest friends at his side. At least he would die in companionship. Before Firestar knew what was happening, the three forest cats had leaped on the guards and the clearing was filled with hissing and spitting.

Firestar saw the swiping paw bash his head before the pain registered. He had just enough time to look into the sorrowful eyes of Shade before his world started to go dark. He staggered, swayed and then fell, and heard a soft whisper in his ear. "I'm sorry, old friend."

* * * * *

The echoing drips of water awoke Firestar, splashing his fur with cold. He slowly stirred, trying to sit up, but his muscles screamed in protest. His mind was still groggy, and at first he did not recognize the strange smell that surrounded him. Then he remembered the battle, and scrambled to his paws. Where am I? Is Sandstorm and Graystripe here?

"You awake?" a horse voice croaked from behind him. As Firestar spun around, he hit his head on the low ceiling of the small cave. He couldn't see anything in the darkness, but the steady breath from be him told him there was someone in there.

"He-hello?" He asked quietly.

"Hello." It was Shade. In the shadows, the figure arose, stretching his legs one by one. "Sorry 'bout that bump on your head. I had to get to you before anyone else did. They kill for fun." He yawned slightly, then came closer to Firestar. "Don't worry, your friends are here too."

"What about Nightpaw?" He asked. He had totally forgotten about the apprentice till now.

Shade was quite for a moment. Then he answered slowly, choosing his words carefully. "She's somewhere in Twolegplace, but I don't know if she's captured or not. She ran off, but it is safer if she's not with us." Shade sighed. "She might have a chance at escape."

"You seem to calm for a cat with 'no chance at escape.'" Firestar commented, looking the loner in the eye.

"Trust me, I am notcalm." Shade mewed. "I'm just so used to having to mask my emotions. Old habits die hard, I guess." He turned and licked his shoulder fur.

"Why?" Firestar was tired of secrets. He had to know this cat, and not just that he was a loner, but where he came from, what he stood for, and why he was so secretive. "Why?" That was all he could ask. He wanted to yowl in his face, demand what his problem was, but held it in.

"Why?" Shade let out a half-hearted chuckle. "That is a very general question, Firestar."

"Stop playing around, Shade. I want to know why you led us here, where you came from, and where are you going?" Firestar felt a shiver of anticipation run down his spine as he looked the loner head on.

To his surprise, a small smile flitted across Shades face. "Oh, if only you knew." He closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "Firestar, the reason I brought you here is because Lightning told me to. I didn't want to, but I cannot refuse him. He let me live."
"What?" Graystripe asked. He had awoken while the other two had been arguing. "What do you mean, 'let you live'?"

"Ah, I see your friend is awake. Graystripe, that is a very excellent question." Shade turned to Graystripe and then back to Firestar. "But I still cannot tell you." He turned back to the shadows of the cave, but Graystripe was faster.

"Okay, fuzz-for-brains," Graystripe shoved the loner up against the wall, claws at his neck. His golden eyes fired in fury. "If you don't tell us what in Starclan's name is going on here, I swear I'll-"

"Graystripe, release him!" Firestar yowled in a commanding voice. The gray tabby warrior let go reluctantly, eyes fixed on the loner. "We're trying to question him, not smash the life of him."

"Touchy, isn't he?" Shade mewed, rubbing his neck along his shoulders. Firestar froze for a moment. He had heard that before, some time, long ago. He shook off the feeling; it probably wasn't important. "I swear, he has a temper worse than Lightning."

"So you are affiliated with these strange cats?" Firestar asked, puzzled. When Shade nodded his head like it was common knowledge, Firestar continued. "Then why are you thrown in here too?"

"That," He mewed, "Is an excellent question." When he stopped and started to the back of the cave, Graystripe took a step forward. Shade paused, then turned around again to face them. At Firestar's side, Sandstorm stirred. She looked up, green eyes glowing in the low light.

"What's going on?" She mewed sleepily. She pulled herself to her paws, shaking the last of sleep from her mind. Twisting her head around, she mewed "Where are we?"

"Under an abandoned Twoleg nest. Don't try getting out, there's a slab of wood in the way, only movable from the outside." Shade replied, looking around at the cave. "Looks like we're somewhere in the center of this massive rat hole."

"Oh, it speaks!" Graystripe growled sarcastically. "Now we know who somebody'sfavorites are."

"Shut up." Shade growled, flashing his razor sharp claws.

"Make me!" He challenged, sounding like a little kit. Shade turned without hesitation, locking his jaws down on his the gray warrior's neck.

"NO!" Sandstorm and Firestar yowled in unison, leaping at the loner. Before he knew what hit him, Firestar felt a pain claw into his ears. Shade had struck out with his hind paws, locking them onto Firestar's head as swatting Sandstorm away with a well aimed flick of his paw. Before the two cats could right themselves, Shade released Graystripe and jumped back.

"I would like a bit more respect from you, tubby." He growled. Shade shook his head and continued to look around the den like nothing had every happened. "We're obviously near main camp, but..." His voice trailed away into an inaudible mumble.

"How did you do that?" Firestar asked, stunned. Graystripe was one of the strongest cats in the clans, if not the strongest. A loner should surely not be able to knock him off his paws in one swipe!

"Do what?" Shade asked, still looking around.

"How did you take down one of Thunderclan's strongest warriors?" Sandstorm spluttered, amazed.

"I've been training the last eight moons of my life to take down the strong. After a while, I guess it just becomes habit." Shade seemed to have found what he was looking for, for he crouched low and sniffed.

"What do you mean? Tell me!" Firestar took a step towards Shade, frightened but strong. "Tell me why we are here, what you keep hiding from us."

"Fine. You want to know the truth? Then sit down and I'll tell you." He swept his tail, motioning for the three cats to be seated. When they had settled themselves, he sat as well. "No questions till the end." Shade took a deep breath, then started. "I do know these cats. They are my friends, acquaintances, and enemies. Eight moons ago, my home was invaded by these cats. They killed my mentor then took the barn where I lived as a homestead. They would have killed me, too, if Lightning hadn't gotten to me as soon as he did. He said that he had never seen such a small cat give such a big fight. He took me in, trained me, and taught me the way of his clan. Soon I had become stronger than any cat there was, besides Lightning himself, of course. Then one day, Lightning told me why he had decided to spare me. He told me there was a group of cats, living over the mountains. I had seen them leave just a while before, but I decided to listen. He told me to find the one they call Firestar and bring him here." Shade looked down for a moment, and Sandstorm leaped on the chance to speak.

"Why?"

"Why? Because he had potential of a magnificent leader. Lightning saw that as a threat. All threats must be eliminated for the clan to survive." Shade turned away as his words sunk into Firestar's mind. He was not sent to heal cats, but to be killed by them. He had been so stupid, thinking that Shade actually cared, so stupid to think that-

"But along the way, I started to realize how stupid it was. Firestar would never do anything to hurt out clan. Lightning was wrong. Bloodclan can survive." Shade mewed.

"Bloodclan!" Graystripe, Sandstorm, and Firestar all mewed together. Before any cat could ask more questions, Shade held up his tail. Stones clattered around them, and a cat poked his head through the entrance.

"Oi! Lazy fur! 'Avin' fun down there?" The cat mewed in a strange accent. He let out a raspy cackle before continuing. "A, I just pokin' fun atcha, Shady! Lightnin' found a lil' kit wonderin' around. I met 'er just a bit ago and I don' think she's quite right in the head, if you know what I meen. She keeps mumblin' some'in about 'findin' pappy'. Ha, an' she's cute, too. I think you might actually like thisin one, Shady!" The strange cat pulled his head away for a moment, and muffled voices came from above them. "Oh, yeah... Me an' Les'll keep watch down there while you gone."

Shade squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as he explained. "That would be Jim and his brother Les. Just behave and they won't give you trouble." He opened his eyes and called out to the cats. "Coming!" He turned and stalked out of the low cave. Two cat's came in, tails swinging in unison. As far as Firestar could tell in the dim light, one had pale, spiky fur that stuck up and yellow-gray eyes shone from under the mess of fur, giving Firestar the strange feeling that they could see strait through him. The other's sandy fur was ruffled but not unkempt like the others. It had shining blue eyes that were filled with a nervous edge.

"Oi! Jim's the name, and this is my brother, Les the mess!" Jim rumbled.

"Oi." Les's accent was less apparent, and his voice was softer than his boisterous brother. He smiled sweetly and shrunk back shyly, avoiding Snadstorm's fiery green gaze.

"Any-who, we'll be you' guards until Lightnin's done talkin' to Shady." Jim looked up and around, taking in the cave. "This place wasn't anythin' like Shady described it. Than again, the poor lil' scrap probably think this place was grand compared to where he used to live." Jim chuckled.

"You mean, you knew Shade before he joined Bl-" Firestar caught himself. "Before he joined you?"

"Yes." It was Les. His voice was soft and sweet, like honey on a leaf-bear morning. "He was a rather timid fellow, nearly died of fright when our scouting party came into the barn."

"Wait, wait, wait. Back up, Mess. Scouting party?" Graystripe asked.

"Oh, I guess I'd better staurt from the beginnin'. Bloodclan was lookin' for a place to live and extend our territory, since your clans left and awl. Lightnin' took me, Fang, Cane, and Crystal to go huntin' for a new place to live, and when we found the barn ,we thought it'd be a nice place to stay the night. Unfortunately, Shade was away, and we didn't smell him till he got back from hunting, and boy, did we scare him. He was awl sniffily, I later figured out he had just buried his dead mentor, and only recently healed battle scars, so we assumed he was one of you. We tried attackin' him, but he was a strong fighter. It took all five o' us to pull him down, but..." Les looked at his paws, unable to finish.

"...But Shady took Crystal with him." Jim finished for him, eyes filled with sadness. "She was his mate, you know."

"I'm so sorry." Sandstorm gazed at Les, eyes filled with pity. "You must really miss her."

"There isn't a day go by that think of her." Tears shimmered in the corners of the toms eyes, but he blinked them back down. "But that's not the point. After we had Shade under control, Lighnin' himself told the litl' cat he had makings of a fine deputy, and possibly even leader. Lightnin' never takes apprentices himself, but he practically raised him. He told him he needed to be striped of his old name and become a true member of Bloodclan. He was great. Lighnin' had turned the timid little cat into the strongest, toughest, most skillful cat you'll eva meet." Les finished. Sandstorm, Graystripe and Firestar all stared at the strange cat.

" What was his name before this?" Sandstorm asked with a slight air of suspicion. Les looked up in surprise.

"Ravenpaw."