Ugh...stupid writer's block. *Hits forehead* Why must you hit me like a truck Every time?

Enjoy! Sorry for such a slow update.

Chapter 19

RiverClan

Tinypaw froze, bristling as the strange cats' threat reached her ears. She looked ahead over Softfur's white shoulder, and into the eyes of the black and white tom.

He had a black collar around his neck, the mark of a kittypet, but it had small, cone-shaped spikes lined around the sides. He had leering amber eyes that shone like fire, and his companion, a white tom, was hissing and spitting at the Clan cats.

Tinypaw looked down, into the Twoleg's yard, and saw with horror rising like bile in her throat that three more cats: a dark brown tom, a black she-cat, and a large silver tom: were staring at them, preparing to spring. Tinypaw saw that the new cats were narrowly outnumbered; seven Clan cats against five.

Tinypaw glanced in front of Softfur, where Skullpaw was hissing bravely at the two toms on the wall. Tinypaw felt determined; she wouldn't back down. Not without a fight.

Thunderbreeze, the second closest to the cats, was stating flatly, "We are going somewhere; past you!" with that, he leaped on the black and white tom, and both toms tumbled toward the ground, writhing and spitting as they fought. The other cats took this as a signal that the battle began, and suddenly Tinypaw was on the ground, fighting the black she-cat.

Tinypaw clawed at the she-cat's ears, who hissed and swiped her claws down Tinypaw's face; Tinypaw recoiled, and the black she-cat leaped on top of her, pinning her to the ground.

Tinypaw squirmed, trapped under the she-cat's gaze; she had a malicious sparkle in her yellow eyes as she leaned down to bite Tinypaw's neck. Hard.

Tinypaw felt her vision blurring, but suddenly the she-cat's jaws were ripped away as a white form came to Tinypaw's rescue. As her senses cleared, she saw with amazement that Skullpaw was fighting the she-cat furiously, sending blow after blow like there was no tomorrow. Tinypaw joined in, swiping her claws on the she-cat's eyes until she ran away back toward the front of the Twoleg nest.

Tinypaw turned to Skullpaw, who looked at her with exhausted eyes. "One down, four to go." He mewed, and Tinypaw nodded with determination. She looked around, and saw the lithe white tom sneaking away with scars on his pelt. Tinypaw leapt at him, and saw with satisfaction that there was fear in the tom's blue eyes as Tinypaw pummeled his stomach. He hissed one last time in fright and dashed away. Tinypaw suddenly was whacked on the side of her head by a dizzying punch, and she suddenly found her throat at the base of the black and white tom's paws.

"Stay away, Tinypaw. We know who you are, and we know what you know." The black tom whispered darkly in her ear; his sharp collar was scraping Tinypaw's face, and she choked for breath at his claws.

I'm going to die! Tinypaw thought as her breath escaped her. She felt the world around her going black, but then her captor suddenly jumped off of her, running away into the distance. Only the silver tom remained, but then he too, raced away; but it was toward ThunderClan territory.

"He's getting away!" Tinypaw's hearing was muffled, and she saw the shapes of her friends leap after the tom in hot pursuit.

They know...who I am? was her last thought before she blacked out.

When Tinypaw awoke, she was surrounded by murmuring ShadowClan cats that looked at her with dismay.

"A RiverClan cat getting hurt on our watch? This won't pass well with Blazestar..."

"Stupid rogues! How dare they attack ShadowClan on its own territory!"

"Fools. Blazestar won't be alarmed. Those rogues attacked everyone, and he's a good cat; he knows that ShadowClan has hit some rough spots..."

Tinypaw sat up, but immediately flinched as a throbbing pain entered the side of her head; she almost passed out again, but a soft silver tail brushing her flank calmed her slightly. She turned her head, slowly so as not to disturb the throbbing again, and saw the silver form of Dewheart, the ShadowClan medicine cat, staring at her with a warm expression.

"Take it slow," Dewheart mewed carefully to her, dripping water into Tinypaw's mouth from a patch of moss held in her jaws. "That was a nasty blow to your head and neck."

"How long have I been out?" Tinypaw asked.

"Since sun high."

Tinypaw looked to the west, where the pink rays of the sunset were already fading away to be replaced by StarClan warriors twinkling in the sky. She groaned; she was hardly helping with ShadowClan at all!

"Dewfrost? Can I, um..." Tinypaw lashed her tail.

"Yes?" Dewfrost inquired slowly.

"Can I...help with one of the patrols?"

Dewfrost gave her a look. Tinypaw sighed. "I know I'm a little injured, but I feel so useless. You should save your herbs for someone who really needs them."

Dewfrost looked her up and down, then purred. "Of course, Tinypaw. Go ahead." Tinypaw's tail shot up in delight, and she immediately trotted over to where Skullpaw was joining a hunting patrol in the deeper parts of ShadowClan territory.

"Hey," Tinypaw mewed as she approached them. Blackpaw, who was sitting nearby, lashed her tail and slit her eyes.

Skullpaw didn't meet her gaze. "Hey."

There was an awkward silence. "I...came to help hunt w-with you." Tinypaw stammered, feeling her ears turn hot.

Behind Blackpaw, Tinypaw saw Crowmoon pad towards the apprentices, a look of forced cheer on his features; Tinypaw could tell that he was still mourning for the loss of his father.

"All right. Treetail!" Crowmoon called over the RiverClan warrior from where she was standing by the queens. Once she trotted over, Crowmoon began. "Okay. We'll split up once we reach the hunting grounds. Let's go." Crowmoon's voice sounded lifeless, despite the cheer on his face. Tinypaw padded warily back into the forest, flinching as she once again saw the scorched trees and dead bracken. Skullpaw brushed past her, taking the lead behind Crowmoon. For a moment their pelts brushed, and both cats awkwardly let space grow between them.

Once the forest started to look green again, night had fallen and the stars of Silverpelt glimmered above them. Tinypaw's eyes weren't used to the darkness that fell upon them, and she vaguely wondered how she would hunt. ShadowClan cats were trained to hunt and fight in utter darkness, with nothing but the shadows for company.

The group split up, Blackpaw going with Crowmoon and Treetail going alone; it only left Skullpaw and Tinypaw.

Tinypaw pricked her ears and opened her mouth, a jumble of scents reaching her scent glands like a wave of fresh water. She slowly picked out the scent of mouse, and spotted it scurrying along in the undergrowth.

She dropped into a crouch, and started inching towards it. She felt silly, stalking prey like this, beneath the trees; she inched toward a shadow, and sat in it quietly, waiting for the mouse to come to her. It briefly crossed her path, and she lunged at it; the mouse gave a terrified squeak, however, and slipped from her grip into the bushes. Tinypaw landed hard on her chin, leaves drifting downwards around her from her leap. She shook one off of her nose and gave a frustrated sigh, sitting up again and massaging her chin with her paw.

"No luck?" Skullpaw's voice made her jump, and Tinypaw turned to see him emerge out of the shadows where the mouse disappeared, carrying Tinypaw's failed catch in his jaws. Tinypaw sighed again, her ears and whiskers drooping.

"No." Tinypaw sighed. "I-I'm only used to hunting fish and water voles, not rough mice and birds. I can't even see!"

Skullpaw laid down the prey, padding over to sit beside her. He laid his tail-tip gently on her shoulder in reassurance. "Do you want me to teach you?"

Tinypaw blinked at him. "You would do that?"

Skullpaw nodded. "Sure. I-I mean..." Skullpaw trailed off. "It...wouldn't be much use if you didn't know how to hunt in the undergrowth, if your going to help ShadowClan recover." Tinypaw bumped into his side playfully.

"All right. I accept your challenge." Tinypaw teased. Skullpaw laughed, and quickly located another mouse for her to capture.

"Now, the trick," Skullpaw whispered, "is to crouch down low enough and to pad quietly towards it; light paw steps can't be heard." Tinypaw nodded and copied the crouch he just went into. Skullpaw adjusted her, and Tinypaw began to quietly pace towards the prey, her paw steps light as falling leaves.

"And when your close enough," Skullpaw whispered, "Prepare to pounce!"

Tinypaw was mere whisker-lengths away from the mouse, and with a shake of her hindquarters she leaped at the mouse, silencing its cries as she bit it hard on the neck.

"Brilliant!" Skullpaw exclaimed, his yellow eyes reflected by the crescent moon. "You caught it like a true ShadowClan cat!" He purred, and Tinypaw's eyes flashed with warmth. Skullpaw picked up his mouse, and together the two set off for the ShadowClan camp.

As they padded through the moonlit forest, Tinypaw saw tiny lights glowing in the air and bushes around her, and she stopped to look at them curiously.

"Skullpaw," Tinypaw breathed, "what is this?"

Skullpaw purred, coming up beside her. "Those are fireflies. They're another sign that green-leaf's on the way." Tinypaw sneezed, and all of the little lights scattered and flew around in the air, illuminating their faces. Tinypaw looked at Skullpaw, who's eyes were shining as the fireflies danced around his face. They looked at each other, Tinypaw watching as the light played on his fur, and saw that his eyes were alight with something she had never seen before...only from...her mother...

As they stared, the fireflies began to fade around them, and soon the enchanting light they cast on the cats was nothing but a sweet memory; both of their faces were suddenly plunged back into darkness, and Tinypaw blinked.

After a moment of silence, Skullpaw murmured, "We should probably head back now; it's almost moonhigh." Tinypaw nodded.

They started to pad back, when Tinypaw stopped him. "Wait." she mewed. Skullpaw turned around. "I wanted to thank you."

"For what?" Skullpaw mewed.

"For...saving me from that cat back at the Twoleg nest."

"Oh." Skullpaw's eyes were trained toward the ground. "I-It was nothing." Skullpaw was about to turn away, when Tinypaw stopped him again.

"No, it wasn't. That cat could've...could've..." Tinypaw trailed off. She gulped, then mewed, her voice stronger, "You didn't have to save me, you know."

Skullpaw paused. Then, he meowed quietly, "I know. But I-" Skullpaw's voice faltered. He shook his head. "Let's just...get back to camp."

Tinypaw didn't stop him as he turned and trotted away, Tinypaw waiting a moment before following soon after.

Once the two had left, a shadowed form emerged from behind a tree, green eyes glowering as he stared after the spot where the apprentices disappeared. He flicked his tail, growled, and headed toward the Twoleg nest, the stars sparkling coldly above the still night.

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