Dustpaw was still mulling when Wildpaw, done withhis training, padded up to Dustpaw. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked anxiously.
Dustpaw looked at him and smiled. "I do feel better," Dustpaw meowed, "but Moonfrost says I am still sick." She sighed. "I hope I get better soon. You know how frustrating it is to be sleeping all the time? Plus I have weird dreams"
Wildpaw cocked his head but said nothing. Dustpaw liked the way he minded his own business.
Dustpaw stood up. "I'm going to ask Moonfrost if I can get out of the Medicine Cat's den.." she meowed. She padded back into the Medicine Cat's den (which she had memorized in great detail, being in there so much), and looked around for the white she-cat. Moonfrost was found grounding a sweet-smelling herb into powder. "Moonfrost?" Dustpaw ventured.
Moonfrost looked up from her job, a friendly sparkle in her eyes. "Yes, Dustpaw? What is it"
"I feel a lot better now," Dustpaw explained, "I have been a lot less sleepy lately and have been more hungry. Am I better? Do I have to sleep here anymore?"
"Hmm." Moonfrost said thoughtfully, checking Dustpaw's temperature with the back of her paw. "Are you sure you feel better?" She mewed carefully.
"Positive," Dustpaw replied.
"Then you can go," Moonfrost nodded her approval and turned back to her herbs.
"Yes! Thank you, Moonfrost!" With that, Dustpaw ran out of the den and back to Wildpaw to share the good news. "Wildpaw!" she exclaimed happily, "I don't have to stay in there anymore! I can sleep in the apprentice's den now!"
Wildpaw smiled and mewed, "That's great! Now we can go and do stuff"
Dustpaw looked at the sky skeptically. "It's almost sunset. We wouldn't accomplish much"
Wildpaw looked up also. After a short pause, he sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right. What do you want to do now? We still have a few hours until dark"
Dustpaw sighed. "Maybe we could just go for a walk around the borders?" Dustpaw suggested. Wildpaw nodded and bounded towards the camp entrance, Dustpaw following closely. The two walked along and talked, until they reached fourtrees. Dustpaw had only seen this place during patrols, and had never been to a Gathering, despite her ten moon age. She wondered what it looked like by the light of the full moon and filled with mostly familiar cats.
She was suddenly reminded of her dream and the thickdarkness and shivered.
Just then,a rank scent then filled her nostrils. She looked in the direction the scent was coming from, and before she could do anything about it, a patrol from an enemy Clan, DarkClan, pounced from the undergrowth and siezed Dustpaw. One of them, a large black cat with white ears, tail tip and huge paws, hit Wildpaw on the head so hard that Wildpaw was knocked out cold. Dustpaw yowled in outrage and wriggled, trying to get free. Somehow she felt as if this scenario reminded her of something, or like she had done this before, but she shook it away and continued yowling and snarling incomprehensively. She soon began cussing and cursing at the cats, using words and terms not appropriate for the rating. One of the warriors, a large brown tabby, snorted. "You really are hardened against your new Clan," he spat, "I think we'll call you Rockpaw."
Dustpaw paused. 'Rockpaw? New Clan? Am I a recruit?' Dustpaw decided that it must be so. She also came to the conclusion that verbally abusing her enemies wasn't getting her anywhere. She fell completely silent, listening to everything said.
"You'll be taken to the leader, and initiated to the Clan," the tabby continued, "You will be guarded at all times, not to mention all the other warriors who might be watching you. So don't try anything"
As the patrol was heading to the heart of DarkClan territory, Dustpaw devised a plan. If she cooperated and pretended to be loyal to DarkClan, they might trust her enough to lay off on the guards. Dustpaw decided to try it. She was quiet throughout the rest of the journey, and even walked obediantly, following the patrol. Silently, she dispaired, 'My life just changed in about two minutes. What now?'
Eventually, the patrol arrived in the camp. The brown tabby at the head of the patrol cautiously and reverently approached a den entrance. He called out, "Fogstar?"
The patrol was very shocked to see Fogstar, a longhaired gray cat who had dark gray stripes, pounce out of the darkness to land barely a mouse-length from the brown tabby's nose. The tom leapt back in surprise.
Fogstar, the leader of DarkClan, narrowed his eyes. "What is going on? I smell BrackenClan filth in my camp"
Dustpaw seethed with rage. Before her was the cat who had once broken Eaglefeather's heart. If not for Samir, Eaglefeather would have given in and most likely died or waited until she had. Fogstar had also attempted to join forces with Shadowpelt, a former EarthClan warrior and actually Dustpaw's murderer. Thanks to Dustpaw's loyal friends, and a cat sent from StarClan, Dustpaw was still alive. Dustpaw vaguely wondered where Shadowpelt was.
The brown tom bowed his head. "We found this one-" he shoved Dustpaw closer, "-near Fourtrees. We thought we could use her. She seems quite close to Eaglefeather"
Fogstar blinked in thought. "She may prove useful. We shall keep her." he consented.
The brown tabby nodded. "What do we call her? She can't keep her old name"
Fogstar paused. "What do you suggest?"
The brown tabby mewed, "I was thinking Rockpaw, because she seemed to be hardened against our cause"
Fogstar nodded. "That will do. Now she needs guards. Falconwing, Flamefur! I want you guarding this apprentice constantly. If she gets away, you'llboth be penalized"
The named cats nodded and came forward, taking up posts on either side of Dustpaw.
Seeing how well she was guarded, and all the cats staring at her anyway, Dustpaw wondered if she would ever get away. Then her sadness was driven away by a wave of fury and determination. 'I have survived death,' Dustpaw thought grimly, 'I can make it through DarkClan.'
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Oh man, you guys shoulda seen the roleplay version of this...Dustpaw was really mad, ranting like a madcat. If there wasn't a ban on swearing on Neopets (which, I wouldn't swear anyway...) Dustpaw would really be cussing up a storm.
Anyway, review. And again: CRITICIZM ish GOOD!
Also, I do not know that Eaglefeather the Deputy person out there...
And, I bet you could guess what the dream means. EAGLEFEATHER, YOU DON'T COUNT.
Review please!