Chapter 9

The shriek echoed in Bisonpaw's ears, over and over. A thick fog of confusion hung over the ShadowClan patrol and a cold breeze ruffled Bisonpaw's fur due to the openness of the moor. The once lively forest seemed to grow silent. Bisonpaw craned her neck, looking over the heads of her clanmates and realized it was Bunnypaw's shriek. Blossompaw had leapt at her, pulling her into a fierce tussle.

What is wrong with her? Bisonpaw felt like she didn't know the she-cat in front of her anymore.

Blossompaw fought fiercely, pulling at Bunnypaw's fur and clawing her ears. Bunnypaw yowled and clawed at Blossompaw's face in response, blindly flailing her paws in the other cats direction. Bunnypaw managed to make a hit, nicking Blossompaw's ear and taking a small piece out of it.

"Cut it out." Shadedbramble's sharp meow cut through the sound of the two struggling cats. The two apprentices pulled apart. Bunnypaw had a jagged gash where blood trickled down her side, and Blossompaw had blood rushing from her ear. Bisonpaw scrunched up her nose as the stench hit her.

"This is unacceptable." Shadedbramble was furious, her eyes were like smoldering wildfires ready to unleash their full wrath, "You should know better! You-" She hissed at Bunnypaw, "-get on your side of the border. It's not too hard to miss."

Bunnypaw nodded mutely, looking scared of the brown and black speckled bundle of anger in front of her. She scrambled away, quick to get away from Shadedbramble.

"And you-" She turned her fury on Blossompaw, who seemed unfazed, her face the picture of stony indifference, "-You know very well that this is unacceptable behavior. I'm very disappointed in you, but since I'm not your mentor, I'll let Twigbee decide your punishment."

"Do whatever you want. It's not like I want to be here anyways. Just make me more miserable." Blossompaw mewed defiantly, "I never wanted to have Twigbee as my mentor. I wanted Nightspirit, but no. You thought it would be better if I trained to do that." Blossompaw tilted her head towards Bunnypaw who was bounding over a rise in the grassy moor ahead.

Shadedbramble looked surprised, along with everyone else in the patrol, "Well- I-" She frowned, "Just go back to camp. Twigbee, I can take over the patrol if you would like to escort her."

Twigbee nodded, whisking by Blossompaw who fell in behind him. Bisonpaw watched worriedly as they left until Blossompaw's golden tail tip disappeared behind some brambles.

"At least I know what's going on with her now." Meadowpaw's voice was shaky as he watched his sister salk off behind her mentor. He then stared down at his paws with a sad smile on his face.

"I'm really sorry," Bisonpaw placed her tail gently on his shoulder, "I'm sure that everything will turn out okay."

"I'm sure it won't." Meadowpaw looked up to meet her gaze. His eyes were pools of foreboding sadness.

Bisonpaw felt a deep feeling of unease in the pit of her stomach. She noticed movement in the corner of her eye. Shadedbramble was flicking her tail back and forth impatiently.

"Start setting markers." Shadedbramble ordered, "We don't want another 'accident' like that to happen again." Then she pivoted around, heading closer to the border.

"C'mon," Bisonpaw nudged Meadowpaw encouragingly, "It'll take your mind off of your sister."

"You're right." Meadowpaw nodded, and the two got to work setting markers along the border together.

Bisonpaw found herself lost in the wonderful view of rolling hills ahead of her as she moved along the border. The birds chirped all around and the sun felt happier today. So she smiled. She would always smile. Even with the dread in her stomach.

"Let's move on." Shadedbramble's sharp meow cut through her thoughts and brought her attention to the present. The patrol had already begun to regather and Bisonpaw joined them, happier than before.

The ShadowClan patrol left the WindClan border behind them as they headed back through the pine forest and marsh towards camp. Bisonpaw felt the air become slightly warmer as the trees grew only slightly thicker, their thin branches only blocking some of the cold. Some. Bisonpaw shivered, at the thought of the upcoming leaf-bare. It would be her first experience of cold and sickness. And snow. She was excited to see snow. She had heard it was beautiful and freezing.

"You look happy." Bisonpaw jumped, her heart almost popping out of her chest as a voice sounded beside her. Bisonpaw realized it was Firepaw.

"When did you get here?" Bisonpaw asked, still a little shaken from the scare.

"I saw the patrol and I just thought I'd slip in since I already finished hunting for the day." Firepaw shrugged.

"It's barely past sunhigh and you've already finished?" Bisonpaw looked at the ginger and cream tom with a skeptical look.

"Yep," Firepaw puffed up his chest fur proudly, "I guess I'm just naturally talented."

"Get over yourself!" Bisonpaw rolled her eyes with a knowing smile..

"But I'm right, am I not?" Firepaw flashed a small, teasing smile.

"You're funny." Bisonpaw meowed sarcastically.

"I know."

Bisonpaw and Firepaw walked in silence for a while, traveling closer and closer to camp.

"What are you doing?" Meadowpaw interrupted the silence and padded up on Bisonpaw's other side.

Firepaw seemed to shrink slightly, growing quiet. His face formed a scowl as he mumbled, "None of your business."

"Hm?" Meadowpaw grunted, "What did you say?"

"Nothing." Firepaw hissed, his eyes flashing. He glanced between Meadowpaw and Bisonpaw before he mumbled a goodbye and disappeared away from the patrol.

"What's his problem?" Meadowpaw sneered rudely after him.

"I think it's you." Bisonpaw meowed innocently.

"You're blaming me?" Meadowpaw's eyes flashed, just as Firepaw's had.

"No!-" Meadowpaw cut Bisonpaw off before she could defend herself.

"I'm tired of people blaming me today!" He growled, "First Blossompaw, then you. Have fun walking by yourself." Meadowpaw huffed and pushed ahead, grumbling to himself.

Bisonpaw found herself alone. She frowned and stared at her paws as they moved, one paw after the other until the patrol stopped. They came to a halt in front of the camp entrance and, one by one, each cat pushed through.

Bisonpaw followed her clanmates through the entrance and sat by the fresh-kill pile by herself, still staring at her paws. Then, she felt a pelt brush hers and she looked up. Darkriver smiled sympathetically down her.

"I just came over to see if you were all right. You look a little down." Darkriver meowed in a sweet tone of voice.

"Erm.." Bisonpaw hesitated. She didn't want to tell this cat she didn't really know something so personal, but she found herself spilling out the story. It just felt right.

"I'm sorry." Darkriver paused for a moment, "Would you like to go hunting with me? I'm sure it will take your mind off of things." He smiled warmly.

Bisonpaw nodded eagerly, "Sure!" She stood up and flicked her tail excitedly.

Darkriver was slower to get up, "Where would like to go first?"

"How about closer to the ThunderClan border, by the Burnt Sycamore?" Bisonpaw suggested.

"Sounds good." Darkriver nodded, then flicked his tail and led Bisonpaw out of camp and back out into the territory.

I'm so sorry, this is so late! I've been do busy with school, and family, and it's just been so hard to find time to write. But I'm here! I don't really know what to say about this chapter...

Stay safe and keep reading!

-Theoneandonlylonelypotato