CHAPTER 3
My paws were numb by the time we were deep in unknown territory, but I shoved that out of my mind and trudged on, padding beside a black tom called Fallenhope, a DarkClan warrior. He'd come from his territory to fetch the WindClan cats so DarkClan could save their territory from vicious rouges.
Fallenhope kept telling me it was just through this small forest and then through a smaller twoleg place. That it wouldn't be far, but I ignored him and focused on Echofur, a white DarkClan she-cat that was purring at Mousefang who sent mixed signs at my denmate, Icepaw.
I was sure Icepaw was trying to ignore him, padding beside her mentor, Littlecloud and Sweetheart who was talking to Nightfur, DarkClan's deputy, who is in charge of this patrol, Wildpaw was padding beside him.
The sun had sunk beneath the trees and the moon was out, Nightfur stopped and turned to face us. "Icepaw and Sweetheart, you will go hunting. Jaypaw, you look for moss with Mousefang, Littlecloud take Echofur and grab bracken. Let's make some nests." His eyes flashed with the challenge.
Deathpaw watched, feeling as if he was blending in as everyone else rushed off to do their duties, Jaypaw was throwing moss as Nightfur while Echofur was easily dragging bracken to ten different places and Nightfur filled them with moss.
He stood up and began to help Nightfur until they were done and the moon was high in the sky. He picked a random nest, next to the forest so he could watch for intruders, and settled down, waiting for Wildpaw and Sweetheart to return with prey.
Wildpaw suddenly walked in, three mice, a blackbird, and two starlings in his jaws he set it down in a make-shift fresh-kill pile and Sweetheart entered after with four mice, three robins, a small rabbit, and a blue-jay.
Icepaw tossed me a blackbird and I ate it quickly, not even going to question how they hunting so fast I enjoyed the last bite, savoring the sweet, tasty flavor in my mouth I licked my whiskers and then tucked my tail over my nose, half listening to Nightfur tell a story about battling three foxes single-pawed.
The voices began to fade and I felt myself drift to sleep in the soft nest.
"Deathpaw, get up!" Sweetheart snapped.
I sat up, shivering I looked at the sky, it was dawn and the sky was pink and purple and beautiful.
Standing up I shook the moss out of my pelt and grabbed the last mouse, eating it quickly I looked at Nightfur who was already leading the patrol through the trees and I hurried to catch up.
Sweetheart is padding padded beside Mousefang who was talking to Nightfur about the new DarkClan camp while Wildpaw and Icepaw were mumbling quietly with Littlecloud and Echofur who were talking happily, as if catching up.
Fallenhope fell in step beside me again though now he was rather silent.
I watched the trees pass by, and I jumped over a rock and there started the small twoleg place. There were many gardens that I was studying.
"This is where you must stay close to me. If none of you step out of place we'll be at camp by sunhigh," Nightfur told us, jumping onto a fence he raced forward and I followed after, hearing the thumping of the cats behind me we turned a corner where we walked in between two nests, jumping onto the roof of one Nightfur led the way across the hard, black surface until we stopped at the edge.
Fallenhope got down low, focusing on the fence that was more than five fox lengths away he lunged, grabbed onto the fence a loud growl made my pelt bristle. Then a large black dog lunged at the fence.
"Aim for the fence. If you miss I'm not going to save you," Nightfur instructed and I got into a battle crouch and then lunged, closing my eyes I felt the fence under me and I quickly scrambled up onto it, breathing heavily I hissed at the black mutt.
Sweetheart, Echofur, Icepaw, and Nightfur had jumped onto the fence and Wildpaw was focusing, his eyes narrowed and he lunged, landing on the fence perfectly, Nightfur padded onward, reaching a corner where a forest sat he jumped down and flicked his tail. "Right there." He pointed at nothing but the empty forest.
Squinting my eyes I suddenly saw the red barn in the forest and as we walked on I felt myself get excited, letting it burn through my stomach I smelled the DarkClan scent markers.
"Nightfur?" an unfamiliar voice greeted our patrol leader.
He peered into the bushes and then grinned. "Everyone, meet Leafchaser, Rainwhisker, and Reedfeather."
When they'd came out of the bushes Sweetheart and Mousefang rushed forward to greet Leafchaser and Rainwhisker, only flicking their tails at Reedfeather in greeting.
"Come on, we'll escort you to the camp," Leafchaser purred and then raced to the red barn, a strong smell coming from it.
Prey, herbs, and blood… I felt myself quiver with excitement as we entered the barn, a gray she-cat with a white paw sat in beside a yellow den with a gray tom nest to her, they were sorting herbs, an orange she-cat tossed a moss ball for five kits who faced after it, and a small brown tom padded up to greet us.
"That's Shrewstar," Sweetheart mumbled.
He smiled but I could see the worry flicker in his eyes though he smiled and I could see the specks of white on his muzzle. "Nightfur, you're back! We've had more attacks, each of them brutal. Petalmist is in the medicine den with a stomach ache and one of the cats hurt Willowsky's back leg, he's healing, but slowly."
Fallenhope let out a whimper. "We'll have defeat these rouges and kill them all!"
"No," Littlecloud interrupted, stepping forward. "Clan cats do not kill. If you're a Clan you must act like one!"
Shrewstar dipped his head. "Yes Littlecloud, of course. DarkClan doesn't fully obey the warrior code, such as the six-mooned apprentices but that's it."
Littlecloud raised his head high, mewing loudly for every cat to hear, "I'll need two brave and fast cats."
A gray-and-brown tom stepped forward with an orange tom and the gray-and-brown tom mewed, "I'm Russetheart and this is Spottedberry. We wish to do what you want us to."
Icepaw's mentor smiled. "You two are going with Deathpaw to the rouges camp. Then you'll provoke them and then race back here where we will launch an attack outside of the barn."
Deathpaw felt himself smile as he exited the barn and let Russetheart take the lead, showing him to the rouges' camp while Spottedberry was glaring at the ground, his eyes narrowed.
Soon I could smell the rouges scent. It was strong, stronger than most rouge scents. We just entered the camp where the rouges stared up at us, wide-eyed and confused.
"Where's your leader?" I demanded, my eyes glaring at the many cats that were splitting apart to let a well-fed white she-cat through.
She stood over me, hissing, "I'm Star, and what do you want?"
"We've come here to kick your mouse-brained tails!" Spottedberry hissed, hitting her across the muzzle with his claws I could see the blood.
Star flinched, turning back only to look furious. "Rouges kill them!" As many rouges-more than you could think of-raced forward, Spottedberry, Russetheart, and I turned around and fled towards the barn.
It wasn't far away at all; in fact we'd almost reached it, and as we raced past it Shrewstar, Littlecloud and everyone else attacked them.
There are more of us now, but how strong is DarkClan? I asked myself, raking my claws down a black tom and then pushing him into a smaller brown she-cat who fell over and began to claw at the tom.
"Make a circle around them!" I yowled, forcing unknown DarkClan cats around them, taking my place in the last hole I caught sight of Icepaw and Wildpaw clawing at rouge to get him inside the circle I'd made.
Star was being thrown around while to other rouges were bowing down to us, defeated while Star kept fighting, losing easily.
"Don't give up you fools!" She hit Shrewstar with a paw and Spottedberry bit her tail while the other cats began to attack us again but the circle began to get smaller and smaller until they were mushed together, growling at each other.
"Will you leave DarkClan alone?" Shrewstar asked. "And give us our territory back?" He lashed his tail in anger, his eyes blazing with fury.
Their leader faced him, claws digging into the ground. "You may have your land back but I cannot promise I'll leave you be!" She shoved passed him and raced away from the Clans cats, but one rouge looked at Shrewstar calmly.
"I wish you join your ranks. Clans are together on everything and I wish you join that," he mewed, raising his head a little higher.
Shrewstar nodded, his eyes shining. "What's your name young 'un?"
The dark brown tom with yellow eyes dipped his head respectfully at him as he replied, "Mud."
"I name you Mudpaw, for your brown-colored pelt," Shrewstar mewed. "Reedfeather will mentor you."
Reedfeather touched noses with the new apprentice and Mudpaw purred at her.
"Mudpaw! Mudpaw!" the Clan cheered happily, obviously glad to have a new apprentice.
Wildpaw padded up to me, smiling happily. "I was such a brilliant fighter!"
I nodded. "That was great! I kicked some little apprentice's tail!" I purred, my eyes shining I caught sight of Jaypaw who was carrying herbs to a white she-cat that I didn't know and I turned to Sweetheart who is padding toward me.
"Littlecloud and Nightfur are talking about us staying here until the full moon so we can teach them thoroughly," Sweetheart explained. "You will be teaching the kits tomorrow morning, Jaypaw will be teaching the medicine cats, Icepaw will teach the apprentices, and the warriors will teach the warriors besides Littlecloud who'll teach the deputy and leader."
I nodded and then turned around only to run into an orange she-cat and a ginger-and-white she-cat who had several kits racing after them.
"C-Can I help you?" I asked, my eyes flicking down to the kits who stared up at me in awe.
The ginger-and-white she-cat purred, "I'm Lightheart and this is Amberfall. These are her kits-" she nodded down at a lovely orange-and-black she-kit and a gray tom. "Foxkit and Dustkit. And these are mine." Her eyes flickered to a ginger-and-white tom, a brown tom, and a fluffy white she-kit. "Brackenkit, Adderkit, and Frostkit. You will be watching them tomorrow."
"Nice to meet you all," I mewed with a smile. "I'm Deathpaw. Sweetheart is my mentor. I can't wait to teach you tomorrow!"
Frostkit stepped forward, her head high she purred gently, "I am very glad to be your friend, Deathpaw. Soon I will be apprenticed ad perhaps I'll be able to visit you." Then she turned around and led the kits to the barn and slipped inside, their mothers following after them.
A beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat slipped beside me. "They're beautiful, aren't they? Mousefang was mine along with his two sisters, Petalmist and Whitepelt …" She smiled at me, her light blue eyes flashing.
"You're Daisywing," I exclaimed, remembering Mousefang's stories about his mother. "Mousefang talks highly about you."
"Who're you?!" Jaypaw's familiar voice made me turned around and I saw a black tom that is crouched down low beside him.
The tom looks frightened as Shrewstar approached him. "I-Is this where I can find the four Clans?"
Shrewstar growled, "This is DarkClan! The four Clans are far off rouge!"
Littlecloud stepped forward, mumbling something to the brown tom and then replying, "The four Clans are through a twoleg place and then a small forest. I am from WindClan, one of the four. What do you need?"
"W-WindClan, isn't that the Clan that Whitefoot is in?" He got a little taller, his eyes shining a leafy-green color.
I bursted through the cats. "How do you know my mother?!" I snarled, glaring at the older tom.
"Because she's my mate." He gazed down at me with cold eyes and I flinched, backing away.
This rouge is my father? I felt myself burn with disappointment.
I felt Icepaw's fluffy white pelt brush mine, her eyes filled with pity. "I know the feeling… Windflight being my father makes everything different: you'll have to try harder to be a better warrior."
"Buddy is my name, I was once a rouge near the Clans and I'd wandered into WindClan territory where a tom named Grayclaw and Whitefoot where arguing about something called a ShadClan or something…"
"ShadowClan!" Littlecloud growled, digging his claws into the dirt. "Keep going!" he urged.
Buddy nodded at him and then continued, "So I walked over to see what was wrong and they said something about Grayclaw having a kit, Larkkit or Lark… Anyway, Grayclaw explained to me about the four Clans and how he mated with a kittypet and gave his one kit to ShadowClan. Whitefoot told me to get lost and I did. But later that night I came back and she was there… We mated and had him." The black tom nodded at me.
"Deathpaw," I growled. "And if it weren't for me you'd have two more healthy kits!" My eyes narrowed. "In her stomach I slit their throats, as far as I know at least."
Sweetheart stood beside him, her eyes blazing in anger and disappointment. "Deathpaw, stop!" She snapped and looked at Littlecloud seriously. "Is Larkkit Larkstar? Did Grayclaw want this to happen?"
The question rung in the air and I felt myself get angry, furious even as I whipped around and raced off into the forest, not caring how many leaves, sticks, and branches hit me in the face.
I found myself in a small clearing. My chest was heaving as I fought for breath and then Petalmist-Mousefang's sister-entered the clearing, her head tilted.
The black, white, and orange she-cat flicked her tail at me. "Though that rouge is your father, that doesn't mean anyone thinks you're disloyal."
"I'm not!" I replied quickly, almost too quickly because she backed up, her eyes flashing. "I-I'm not… WindClan is the only thing I'm loyal too." I held my head high and glared at her.
She nodded. "Good, because it's time for us to head home." She nodded at the sun that was already beneath the trees.
My ear flicked and I turned around, slowly padding back to camp I could hear her following after me.
After I'd followed my pawsteps back to camp I found Littlecloud telling Shrewstar we'd be leaving tomorrow at sunhigh.
Icepaw was beside me now. "How sad…" she muttered. "We should be able to stay and help them be better fighters."
Jaypaw now blocked my view of the other cats. "Windfeather and Rainflight taught me more about herbs!" he purred, a smile across his face. "Oh, Deathpaw, I heard we're taking Buddy with us." He flicked his tail, shrugged, and padded away.
Wildpaw growled at Jaypaw as he passed him and then looked at Icepaw and I. "Nightfur taught me another brilliant way to hunt rabbits!" His eyes shone. "Hey Icepaw, want to practice fight?"
My denmate nodded eagerly and then raced forward; tackling him they rolled away while Mudpaw inched to my side.
"Can I help you?" I snarled down at him, my eyes glaring.
He shook his head. "Star might've been an odd, vicious leader, but she did give life lessons: Don't spend life in the dirt because you only get one!"
"Very lovely," I snorted and stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do!" Then I padded away towards a cat I didn't recognize.
The large black tom looked up at me, drawing his white paw across his ear he smiled. "Can I help you Deathpaw?"
I shrugged and sat down beside him, watching Mudpaw bounced over to Reedfeather, Jaypaw nodding at Windfeather as Rainflight brought herbs to him, Icepaw pinning Wildpaw down while he begged for mercy, Sweetheart and Mousefang talking white a she-cat named Blazesong, while Littlecloud sat on the edge of the clearing with Shrewstar, each of them sunning themselves quietly, and Nightfur sat by himself, his eyes wide as he started at the ground in front of him while the kits raced around him.
"Quite a beautiful day," the large tom purred softly before gasping. "Where are my manners?! I'm Thistleclaw!" His eyes shone but he seemed quite troubled.
"Nice to meet you, Thistleclaw," I mewed and looked back at the Clan. "What's troubling you so greatly?"
Thistleclaw looked down at me. "It's Nightfur. He's getting old and becoming an elder seems quite likely right now."
"Agreed," I commented dryly. "Will you tell Shrewstar?"
His whiskers twitched. "When you've left tomorrow I'll gladly tell my leader." He got up and padded away after saying that.
I noticed the moon was shining through the trees now and I stood going to WindClan's make-shift den I settled down in my nest, feeling Wildpaw and Icepaw at my sides I drifted to sleep quickly.
My eyes flickered open quickly and I gazed around, panicking at the sight of an unfamiliar den I began to bristle until it all came back to me: Dark needed help, the fight, leaving today…
Everyone besides Mousefang was gone; he was on the other side of the den though so I knew I couldn't wake him by cleaning myself.
I began to thoroughly groom myself, getting the moss and feather's out of my fur I stretched and then exited, seeing the sun was already a quarter up in the sky till sunhigh.
"Deathpaw, over here!" Littlecloud called, waving his tail where my Clanmates stood with fresh kill surrounding them.
"Shrewstar gave us permission to hunt and we did," Icepaw explained while Jaypaw padded over and grabbed a mouse, nibbling it.
I snatched up a rabbit and ate it hungrily in two bites before seeing Mousefang exit the den and come to us.
"Good morning!" Icepaw purred at him glanced at the ground beside her; he sat and grabbed the last mouse, eating it.
Sweetheart stood. "We should head off!" she called to Shrewstar who nodded but continued talking to Thistleclaw.
My heart fluttered as I saw Nightfur nodding beside them and then Shrewstar let out a loud yowl, "Everyone with peace, please gather beneath the Hay Pile for a Clan meeting!"
Everyone exited the barn and quickly gathered, but the WindClan cats stayed where we were, watching with curiosity.
Shrewstar continued loudly, "As you all know, Nightfur has lived a long life, but he wishes to retire to an elder. Nightfur, do you agree to this?"
Nightfur nodded. "I do, Shrewstar." Then he turned to the Clan. "I've fought many battles and I've had many times in my life where everything was perfect, but now I'm too old."
The DarkClan leader smiled. "Then Nightfur, I retire you and a new deputy must rise." He cleared his throat loudly, examining the cats he called out, "When Lightheart's kits are apprenticed she will become deputy, but until then Fallenhope will be deputy."
"Lightheart! Lightheart! Lightheart!" DarkClan cheered, as did Mousefang and Sweetheart.
When the meeting was over Littlecloud led us towards the twoleg place and away from DarkClan, Buddy trailing after us.
When we'd reached the twoleg place we climbed the fence Sweetheart turned to us. "You must suck in all your breath if you want to make the roof shot, alright?"
I nodded quickly and watched Littlecloud make it, then Mousefang followed by Icepaw, then it was my father's turn.
The dog was attacking the fence now, but Buddy sucked in his gut, focused, and then lunged, letting out a small screech as he missed the roof and fell to the ground with a sickening thud.
"Buddy!" I screeched and on instinct jumped down on the dog as he raced for him. My claws dug into the mutts pelt and I snarled, pushed off on him the dog rolled into the fence while I darted to my father. "Stand up!" I growled.
He rose to his paws and we jumped back on the fence, this time Buddy made it and it was my turn. I sucked in my gut, my eyes narrowed and I lunged, catching the roof with my claws I pulled myself up and the other's jumped across.
We than slid down the roof and onto the ground where monsters sat on a Thunderpath, looking at us dangerously.
Buddy fell in step beside me and he nodded. "T-Thank you for saving me back there… With the dog, you have amazing fighting skills."
I shrugged simply. "Don't mention it," I replied and walked a bit faster so I was beside Jaypaw who kept falling into holes.
He smelled the air and grunted. "Hi Deathpaw," he mumbled.
"Jump," I commanded and he did, jumping right over a rock. "Good to see you still listen," I purred at him.
Jaypaw's eyes rolled and he padded forward.
I felt myself feel better. If Buddy wants to join WindClan, I'll make sure he dies very quickly.
