Chapter 6

Duskpaw hurried through the woods. She was looking for catmint. Seakit and Heronkit had escaped and went on an expedition in the woods yesterday and Seakit had ended up falling in a stream. Now he had a serious case of greencough and they had no way to treat it. To top it off Snowypaw wasn't reacting to the medicine they were giving him and they were supposed to go to the Star Tree in two nights but she didn't see how they could leave all these sick cats.

"Stupid cold," she growled under her breath. Trudging through the snow she caught the sweet scent she was looking for. She began to burry in the snow. There, she thought when she saw some green shoots. Reaching down she nipped them off and put them in a pile next to her. It was a pitiful pile, hardly enough for Seakit to have a mouthful. She dug deeper.

Black. Under the snow the catmint was black. It was dead. Determined to find more Duskpaw grabbed what she had found and raced off before the disappointment could sink in. Ducking under a nearby thorn bush she searched for any that might be thriving under the plant. Nothing. Crawling out, she went to the next bush. Nothing.

She hopped from bush to bush but the outcome was always the same. Nothing. It was all gone. The cold had killed all of it but what she had found. She looked at what she was carrying. It wasn't enough for Seakit. If she couldn't find any catmint she'd have to find something else. Picking the bundle back up she began to search for tansy.

Once again she hopped from bush to bush. Her search for tansy was more successful than the search for catmint but it still wasn't much. Disappointed she picked up the herbs and headed back to camp.

"Where have you been?" Twigshade asked when she crawled into the medicine cat den. She dropped the herbs at his paws.

"I was finding these," she growled. Her pawed at them.

"That's all you got?" he hissed. She nodded, too tired to come up with a comeback. Twigshade sighed before picking up the herbs and heading to the nursery. Duskpaw wanted to go with him but she was exhausted.

She walked to Snowypaw and checked on him before curling up in her nest. Her fur was wet from the snow but she was too tired to wash it. Cold and tired she drifted to sleep.

"Gentlekit," a voice purred softly. Huh, Duskpaw thought. She tried to open her eyes but she couldn't. Terrified she attempted to get up but her legs were to week to hold her. Her heart beat fast but Duskpaw tried to calm it. She pricked her ears for any sign as to where she was.

"They're beautiful," another voice whispered. It was deep and she assumed it was from a tom.

"Look at Softkit's head. It has a tear on it," a third voice mewed. Duskpaw wiggled, trying to get comfortable, when she brushed against another cat. She sniffed at it. It smelled like Silverpaw! Surprised, Duskpaw nudged her sister. Silverpaw wailed in protest. Duskpaw prepared to do it again but gentle teeth pulled her back.

"Perhaps we should have named Softkit Gentlekit instead," the tom teased.

"Birdflight," the first voice mewed in indignation. "Gentlekit just wants room to milk. Softkit's taking up the whole nest," she mewed. Softkit, Gentlekit. Who are they? Duskpaw wondered. A tail stroked her back. "You have room now little Gentlekit," the voice whispered in her ear. What? I'm Duskpaw not Gentlekit. I'm not even a kit anymore, she thought. She longed to scream those words out but when she opened her mouth all that came out was a tiny wail.

Silverpaw wiggled beside her and accidently punched her in the shoulder. Ow, she thought. I'll get you for that Silverpaw. "Look Softkit's a warrior already," Birdflight purred. Softkit. That's Silverpaw. She's an apprentice.

Duskpaw wailed in confusion. She felt a tongue lick her head. "Hush. It's alright. Your safe in the Moonclan nursery," the first cat mewed. Moonclan nursery!

"Sunwing you know she can't understand you," the third voice mewed.

"You never know Leafcloud," Sunwing pointed out. "Now go to sleep," she whispered to them. Sunwing continued to lick Duskpaw and soon she felt very drowsy. She tried to think about what was going on but very soon she was asleep.

Duskpaw felt cold. A biting wind was whipping through her fur. She shivered. Attempting to open her eyes she discovered she still couldn't. Pricking her ears she could hear howling wind. And paw steps. Large paw steps and oddly familiar paw steps. She sniffed. Silverpaw. She was beside her. There was another scent. She couldn't smell it well because the wind was blowing it away but she knew she had smelled it before. She took a deep breath trying to figure out who it was when-

Duskpaw blinked open her eyes. She was in the medicinecat den. Snowypaw was sleeping in his nest across the cave from her. Twigshade had entered and was now asleep in his bed. Duskpaw yawned and stretched. Blinking sleep from her eyes she headed outside.

The sun was just coming up and the first milky rays of dawn stretched across the sky. Wow, she thought. I slept for a long time, she realized. Then a thought struck her. Last night it seemed like something had happened. Something important. She thought but was unable to remember what it was. Shrugging she turned to where Shardclaw was ordering the patrols.

"Foamfur your training Silverpaw today," he mewed. Duskpaw pricked her ears. What was wrong with Paletree. "Paletree has been given the day off," was all Shardclaw said. Interested Duskpaw headed to the warriors den. Looking inside she could see Paletree sleeping peacefully.

"Why did she get the day off? She looks fine," Duskpaw wondered out loud.

"She's grieving," Maplestar mewed. Duskpaw whipped around. Maplestar was watching her with careful eyes.

"Why is she grieving?" Duskpaw asked.

"Twigshade said he didn't think Snowypaw was going to get better," she said quietly. Duskpaw was taken aback by the news. It was true Snowypaw wasn't responding to the medicine they were giving him but they hadn't tried everything yet. They still had numerous poultices to give him.

"We're not sure yet but I think there's a chance he'll pull through," Duskpaw mewed. Maplestar looked at her.

"But Twigshade-" she began.

"Twigshade doesn't know everything," Duskpaw insisted.

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Silverpaw lagged behind Foamfur as she lead her through the woods. Orcafin was behind her. He had insisted on going with them for safety. Silverpaw would have preferred it if Snowypaw was with them but he hadn't awoken yet. She sighed.

She missed him, every seal-brained joke and every pointless comment. She also missed his pelt. She missed his fluffy white pelt that would curl around her on cold nights. The pelt that made him, such a great hunter. The pelt that made him Snowypaw. Tears formed in her eyes so she looked down to hide them. Looking down she didn't see Foamfur stop and she crashed into her, pushing her into a bramble bush.

"Hey," she growled. "What was that for?" Silverpaw looked up in surprise.

"What are you doing in there?" she asked, completely baffled.

"You pushed me seal-brain," she snapped as she attempted to pull herself out. Orcafin rushed to help her. He bumped into Silverpaw when he passed and sent her into another bramble bush.

"Hey," she hissed at him. He didn't even glance at her. Foamfur didn't either. They only looked at her when Orcafin had freed Foamfur.

"This is part of your training," Foamfur mewed. "We are going to go somewhere in the woods and when you get loose you have to find us." With that she twirled around and raced into the woods. Orcafin ran after her. Silverpaw sighed.

She struggled to get out of the brambles. Every time she moved they scrapped her. She tugged and some of her fur came loose but she was still stuck and moving made even more get tangled. Hissing in annoyance she gave one finial yank and managed to break free. Looking back she saw half of her pelt hanging on the bramble. Fox dung, she thought. Shrugging she searched for her temporary mentor's scent.

She headed in the direction they ran off and followed their scent. It was heading towards the Oceanclan border. Already the trees were beginning to thin and she could see clear land ahead. Still the scent went forward. She followed it to the border, there it became mingled with all the other scents and Silverpaw lost it.

"Fox dung,"she muttered. She sat down and tried to detect the scents of Foamfur and Orcafin. Paw steps thundered behind her but she didn't notice. Suddenly a heavy paw smacked her in the side. She skidded over the border. Dazed she lay still, waiting till she could move. Her attacker wasted no time in coming back.

He clawed her back and twisted her leg. She struggled to see who it was but the sun was too bright and it glared in her eyes. Sniffing, all she could smell was fox dung. She struggled to her paws but he knocked her down.

"Help," she screamed. A dark paw shoved her muzzle into the earth, blocking any more noises. She struggled against him but he pressed her legs to the ground. He pressed her muzzle harder until she couldn't breathe. Her gaze grew dizzy and soon there were red dots swimming in front of her eyes. I'm going to die, she thought. Terrified she struggled harder but she was too weak.

"You'll be just like Snowypaw, only it will be Oceanclan who finds you," a mangled voice growled in her ear. Pain thundered through her as he sunk his claws in. Good bye Duskpaw, she thought as her vision went black.

"Get off of her," a new voice growled. Suddenly the weight vanished. Silverpaw gasped for air. Blinking to get her vision back she saw a dark cat running into the woods. A silver tom was standing at the border. His eyes followed the cat. When he was out of sight he turned to Silverpaw.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Silverpaw blacked out.

A/N:

So how'd you like it? Is it interesting? Please tell me. I need to know what kind of stuff you like and what you don't. I'm sure you're forming clues about who's attacking the cats but I doubt you'll guess who it is. But I do want to see who you think it is. (you have already met him) Anywho here are some random facts about the characters.

Silverpaw is taller than Creamfoot. Duskpaw is still shorter than Snowypaw and has to cock her head to look at him. Orcafin is almost as big as an arctic fox. When Maplestar was Mapleleaf she was in love with Shardclaw but he loved Lichenheart, then Lichenpaw. Blackice is the oldest cat in the clan. Coming up: Duskpaw goes to the Star Tree (their Moonpool) and Silverpaw, well you'll just have to read to find out. Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.