Moonpaw stared at her fellow apprentice in wonder. What did he see? She awaited Lightningpaw's answer twitching her tail impatiently. "Today, Poisonfang and I were on patrol and I smelled WindClan, and prey," he paused and swallowed, glancing around the camp. "I followed the scent all the way to the border with WindClan and smelled the prey across the border. The scent was stale, but WindClan definitely stole some prey from us."
He stopped and looked at Dovefeather, who gave a curt nod and allowed her to step off the branch. Once he did so, yowls of outrage rang through the ShadowClan camp and seared into Moonpaw's ears. "We should attack!" The shout was from Ashpool. His long-haired, gray pelt bristled and his different colored eyes glittered with pure fury.
"They think they are weak!" Runningpaw hissed, bringing his tail over Lightningpaw's shoulder. "We should wipe their Clan out and show them!" Dovefeather lifted a paw and twitched his tail, silencing them. "No! We will not attack them. We are new ShadowClan, not the savages we once were in the forest," she meowed. "If WindClan feels like they can invade our territory and take our prey then they are dead wrong," Dovefeather hissed. "It is against the warrior code to trespass and steal prey. I will mention this at the Gathering tonight. If Willowstar and her warriors are honorable enough, they will stop breaking the warrior code, but if Willowstar will not cooperate, then we will attack."
Moonpaw froze, her blood turning to ice. "The meeting is dismissed," Dovefeather mewed, "Return to your normal duties." she padded away to her den and Swanfern raced after her. All of the other cats returned to what they were doing, but Moonpaw remained numb. Were they really going to attack WindClan? "Did you hear that, Moonpaw?" Moonpaw whipped her head around. Starpaw and Tawnypaw were bounding up to her, tails flicking in excitement. Tawnypaw knocked her over and stared at her, his dark eyes glittering with happiness. "Did you hear that, Moonpaw? We are going to attack WindClan!"
Moonpaw blinked in disbelief at her brothers. Are Starpaw and Tawnypaw really happy about this? "Our very first battle!" Starpaw mewed at Moonpaw, his pelt bristling with excitement. His blue eyes shone like they were about to become warriors. "I'm so excited!" answered Tawnypaw.
Frostpaw raced over to Tawnypaw and Starpaw. "A battle!" she meowed "I'd claw any mangy WindClan warrior ears off if I got my paws on them!" Moonpaw rolled her eyes. No harm done, just a couple of arrogant siblings, that's all. Eclipsepaw padded over silently to Moonpaw and sat down with her, resting her tail over Moonpaw's shoulder.
"They just can't wait to battle, can they?" she purred.
"I think they will be quite surprised when they face WindClan," Moonpaw mewed in response, feeling comfort surge through her body.
Starpaw pricked up his ears. "Us? Scared of WindClan?" he meowed in disbelief. "Never!" Tawnypaw added after him, "We are the strongest warriors in ShadowClan!" Darkleaf padded across the other side of the camp and gave a snort. "I am an elder and I could beat you in a fight without trying," he growled. Maplepaw padded up to the apprentices and gave a loud purr. "If you two want to be the strongest in ShadowClan," Maplepaw paused and dropped into the hunter's crouch. "You are gonna have to catch me first!" Maplepaw took off sprinting around the camp with Starpaw and Tawnypaw at his heels, pushing and shoving each other to catch up.
Moonpaw closed her eyes and looked to Eclipsepaw. "I'm going to walk out into the marsh. I-I need to think," she slowly meowed. "Okay, but don't be long!" Eclipsepaw mewed. "I heard the mentors talking that the apprentices are going to have special battle move training!" Moonpaw's eyes widened. Her sister was all about the battle, too? Moonpaw bounded over to her mentor, Twistclaw. She turned her head away from Embersong and looked at Moonpaw, her emerald green eyes shining with the thought of vengeance. "Hi there, Moonpaw. Do you want to get to training now?"
Moonpaw stared. "No, I just… want to go out in the marsh, by myself. Can I?" Twistclaw blinked and gave her a curt nod, "Just be back by sunhigh. I want to you to be ready if WindClan does not cooperate," she mewed. "Okay, I will!" Moonpaw meowed, racing out into the marsh. The scents of the fresh soil filled her nose. Her paws sprinted from underneath her and she felt like she could jump up and fly.
She sped along the marshy ground and let the moist bark of a log graze her paws as she leapt over it. Stopping abruptly at the border with ThunderClan and observed the leaves swaying in the sweet, Greenleaf wind. Blinking slowly, she observed the WindClan border out in the distance, her eyes clouding over with dismay. Her whole Clan was obsessed with this battle that might never happen. Why was this all of ShadowClan always looking for a way to seek justice against other Clans, It was only one piece of fresh kill! But then again, it is against the Warrior code to steal prey from another territory. Maybe this Gathering will be the end of WindClan bothering ShadowClan.
Moonpaw shivered. What if just talking to WindClan wasn't going to cooperate? What if WindClan decides to steal more prey and ShadowClan starves. Was fighting the only way? Moonpaw blinked at the open moor of WindClan territory. WindClan wasn't easily persuaded. They did what they had to do if they were to prosper. Even at the cost of the suffering of other Clans. This was the only way. The soft ShadowClan breeze ruffled Moonpaw's pelt.
Moonpaw padded back to the camp, passing her brothers tackling each other in practice for the battle with WindClan. But she turned away from them and headed towards the apprentices' den. Once there, she found her place to rest, Moonpaw laid her head down on the moss. As soon as she closed her eyes she found herself in the forest, surrounded by fighting cats that seemed to take no notice to her. Unknown cats struggling to keep the upper-hand.
Moonpaw looked in horror of all of this. Dying kits sprawled across a camp nursery, and a dark cat with one pure white spot on her forehead, tending to them. Moonpaw assumed it was a medicine cat, but whose? As she gazed at the cat, it became more and more familiar; as if she had seen it before, in a memory of some sort. Then, she realized it was herself.
The world around was a blurr. Except for one wailing kit behind her. Moonpaw turned around to see the kit that had been wailing in the grasp of the shadow-like medicine cat. Moonpaw went wide-eyed, but the other cat simply nodded her head and bounded away in the darkness, leaving Moonpaw awestruck.
There was a voice. A voice she had never heard of before. It was calling her name.
"Moonpaw, turn around."
Moonpaw turned around to see Sootstar, the former leader, standing behind her. "Sootstar, what are you doing here? I thought you were dead."
"Moonpaw, I need to tell you something. It is very important that you listen."
"Yes, Sootstar."
"Moonpaw, you and your littermates are more important to the safety of ShadowClan than you realize. You need to keep them safe, Moonpaw. You need to be the one StarClan can rely on for interpreting prophecies."
"How? Should I become the fiercest warrior?"
"No, something different. Think about it. But for now, I think Frostpaw and Tawnypaw are very worried about you. Until we meet again, sweet Moonpaw"
"What? Sootstar, wait. Come back! Tell me more!"
As Sootstar's ghostly shape disappeared, Moonpaw felt something stabbing her in the flank. She blinked and woke up on the ground, with Frostpaw prodding at her side. How did I get here? Moonpaw thought. The last time she checked, before the vision, she was in the apprentices' den. But now, she was in the middle of the marsh.
"Moonpaw! Thank StarClan you are okay!"
"Wha-what happened? Where am I? How did I get here?"
"You walked here. We asked where you were going, but you didn't answer" answered Tawnypaw
A wave of confusion inundated over Moonpaw as she gazed around her surroundings. She was practically alone except for Frostpaw and Tawnypaw and in a part of the marsh that she did not recognize. She noticed that it was moonhigh. "Never mind that! Let's just get back to camp, it's already dark." Moonpaw spat.
"Right, um, that way," Tawnypaw pointed towards a large rock, " right?"
"How am I supposed to know?" questioned Moonpaw, trying not to show any fear. "If I can't remember getting here then I definitely don't remember how to get back!"
"Um, okay"
Moonpaw let out an exasperated sigh. At least Frostpaw knows the way back, I know I can always rely on her. Moonpaw padded up to Frostpaw, leaving Tawnypaw at the rear. She still wondered about what her dream meant and how she got this far into the forest unnoticed by most. There's probably a patrol out looking for us, Moonpaw had no idea how long she had been walking or how long she had been there.
"So, Frostpaw?"
"Yeah?" Frostpaw turned her attention towards her.
"Don't you still have that bee sting?"
"Mossheart has given me some of her herbs to make the pain bearable, she says I'll be able to train like a real apprentice with you by tomorrow. Anymore questions?"
"Yes, actually. How in the name of StarClan did I get here!"
Frostpaw laughed and began explaining that during the time that Moonpaw thought she was in the forest, she was actually just walking on a strange path to the middle of the marsh, when she suddenly stopped and dropped on the forest floor. By the time Frostpaw finished explaining, they were already at the camp.
Not wanting to draw too much attention to herself, she bounded back into the apprentices den and tried to fall back asleep. Several things were bothering her; the possible attack on WindClan, her vision, and Dovefeather. She assumed Scarface was the cause of this all, but she had no proof. All she could do now was just sleep.
