AN. Enjoy! :D

Chapter Eighteen

Dawn wasn't even peaking above the mountain when Shadowsoul, leader of Dread Camp, padded over to Moonsong who laid on the stone cold mountain floor with her tail wrapped around her kits now a moon old. Shadowsoul scowled, "You've lacked duty lately Moonsong! SorrowClan do not tolerate lazy pieced of fox dung!" He had his teeth bared at her as though he were ready to snap off her head for it.

Moonsong gazed steadily at the cat she had once called her deputy. Deputy of what was once WhisperClan. "I have my kits to care for Shadowsoul. For them to survive I need to take care of them," she said calmly.

"The only work you've done is hunt and you end up feeding yourself before me!" Yelled Shadowsoul.

"I need it to supply milk for my kits,"

"You're kits come only after myself and those above them!" Shadowsoul said with a snarl. Then roughly, he dragged her to her paws causing her kits to squeal a bit. "You're going with Eve and Rust on territory patrol! Eve! Rust! Here!"

Eve appeared quickly with a rusty orange tom beside her. "Yes Shadowsoul?" She asked in a sweet voice.

"Take this lacking Clan cat here and take her on patrol! Be sure to make her useful." Shadowsoul ordered.

Eve nodded, "Yes," and just as roughly as Shadowsoul did, grabbed her by the scruff and pushed her towards the mountain base with a pleasing smirk on her face. Rust followed close behind allowing Eve to do most of the work since she seemed to be enjoying herself anyway.

But Moonsong protested, "Wait! What about my kits? I can't leave them!"

Her cries were ignored as Eve continued shoving her down the mountain path. Her kits squealed desperately, Shadowsoul turned towards them. They were only a moon old. He then grinned, only a moon old? The Dread Camp leader padded up to the four bundles of squealing fur. Smirking to himself, he began to carry each kit up high to where is own privet, personal den was located.

After just padding down from carrying up the last kit, a reddish brown she-cat stood in his way. "Why are you just standing their like a fox brained mouse?" Shadow soul demanded, "Work!"

"Why were you carrying away Moonsong's kits?!" Firepaw demanded back slamming her golden paw on the ground.

"Why are you questioning the leader?" Shadowsoul replied coldly. He eyes the apprentice, normally apprentices of her size and age would be commend warriors to StarClan by now. But so far SorrowClan hasn't had on apprentice been made a warrior. With the exception of poor blind Sightless who's warrior ceremony made a terrible turn when Bone showed up and took away one of her dear five senses and granted her a name that went with it. As a deputy of WhisperClan Shadowsoul had always found Firepaw to be the most annoying apprentice and wanted to claw her throat out. But, Firepaw, despite being a constant pain to his day, was a well built fighter. Her energy was irritating around camp, but useful in battles. Her teeth, though Shadowsoul hated to admit it, were very sharp, sharper than his own. Useful it was. As for the she-cats overall personality, that could hopefully be changed through discipline, roughness, strictness, and, if needed, torture as well. On the other hand her sister, Swanpaw, was quite, skilled, and does her job when needed. Not a worry for him. But Firepaw, with proper discipline can become useful after all the moons of useless annoyance.

Shadowsoul grinned, "Firepaw, you are the eldest apprentice here at Dread Camp no?"

Firepaw was taken aback by the sudden change of subject, but answered, "Yes,"

Shadowsoul called to a nearby pale furred rouge, "Twist! Go to Terror Camp and Mourn Camp and tell them to bring their eldest apprentices to Star Forest, close to Great Falls."

Twist nodded and sped off down the mountain with a large burst of energy.

Firepaw gazed up at Shadowsoul, "What's going on?"

"My, dear Firepaw, don't you want to become a warrior and be granted with a warrior name?" questioned Shadowsoul.

Firepaw paused, "Well, yes, but, but not under Bone!" she said stubbornly tuning her back, lashing her tail.

"Now Firepaw, what use would you be to your sister and you Clan if you're just a mere apprentice?" Shadowsoul stalked up beside Firepaw and hissed in her ear, "Act more like myself, prove your warrior skills and move up in SorrowClan ranks. Move up higher, maybe you'll be able to change the way the Clan is. Make it what you want."

Now Shadowsoul had caught Firepaw's attention. Firepaw turned back towards the Dread Camp leader, "Change it? Change everything back to the way it once was?"

"Similar, yes, perhaps. But, you never know young Firepaw. Power may make you…act differently perhaps?"

"No! Never! I want to change everything back to the way it was! Help everybody from Bone! Let us live in our forest the way we used to!" Firepaw stated.

Shadowsoul smirked, "Then, then you must earn the warrior title and fight for Bone to fight against him. The harder you fight, the more you'll be recognized, the more you'll be recognized, the more likely you'll be deputy, deputy leads to Camp leader, Camp leader may, one day, lead to Clan leader with all the power in your own paws to do whatever you want. You name it, you get it."

"I-I do want to help the Clan, and, I am just an apprentice," Firepaw pondered.

"Yes, you are just an apprentice. What threat are you? Come with me now Firepaw, to Star Forest." Shadowsoul motivated.

"But, why would you, a traitor who helped cause this, help an apprentice like me, turn it back?" Firepaw questioned suspiciously.

"I'm not helping you change it Firepaw. You must do that. I enjoy it this way. And," Shadowsoul then grinned mischievously, "I know, that you'll in the end love the power more than the Clan's themselves,"

At that Firepaw lashed her tail angrily, "I would use my power to help the Clans! I would! I would!"

"Really? Are you willing to prove that Firepaw?" Shadowsoul prompted.

Standing tall, Firepaw stated, "Yes! You'll see! I'll become a warrior! I'll fight the toughest battles, work my way to the top and bring peace back to the Clans! You'll see! I'll go to Star Forest and prove to that fox dung Bone himself!" Firepaw raced down the hill and towards Star Forest. Shadowsoul grinned evilly as he hurried down to catch up with the she-cat.

AN. So, tell me what you think about what's happening so far. Please review! I only write if you review. Thanks to all who've been reviewing!