Chapter 3, the other creature
Shadowflight raced back through the forest, angry at Rockpool. She was just mad at him. So fascinated in that stupid she-cat, Aspenleaf! No doubt he liked her!
Seething with anger, the black she-cat raced around a tree, and slammed on her brakes, spraying dirt into the air.
Something had been moving. Shadowflight flattened herself onto her belly and inched foreword. She saw to yellow eyes glinting in the dark.
Suddenly the moon came out and fell onto the creature. It was a cat! No, it was a…porcupine!
Shadowflight heaved herself away, but the porcupine had already seen her.
"Hey!" it shouted. Shadowflight turned around, preparing to be bashed to bits with the porcupine's quills.
But she hissed and bared her teeth.
"Demon," the porcupine grunted, "my, er, name, I know it's highly embarrassing. Don't hit me cat, please. I'm young."
Shadowflight stopped, a paw raised.
"My name's Shadowflight," she rasped.
"You're not dangerous!" the porcupine, or Demon, cried out, grinning, "You're blind!"
"Only in one eye," Shadowflight objected.
"Watch it, I can swat my tail, you know."
"Yeah I know," Shadowflight mewed dryly, already warming to the porcupine.
"Have you heard of the Clans?" she asked.
"Yeah sure, I just got kicked out of RiverClan."
"Can I come with you, I mean, to the camp?" he asked.
"Well yeah, as long as you don't swat."
"I won't," he grunted, and lumbered after her.
XXX
Shadowflight lay down in the warriors den. Demon had been accepted to stay in the Clan for a little while. He was sleeping out in the entrance of camp.
Suddenly Shadowflight looked around. She wasn't in the warriors den. She was sleeping!
Suddenly a cat came bounding up to her. He was fiery red.
"My name is Firestar," he said. "I am going to give you a well, an, er, something from StarClan."
"I'm waiting," Shadowflight said quietly.
Firestar stepped aside, and two cats appeared in the gloom. One was black, with a stream of blood running down it's side. The other was silver grey. They were both lying down on their sides.
"Nightwind and Seapaw!" Shadowflight cried out. Suddenly, Nightwind raised a paw and pressed it to Seapaw's face. "I'm sorry, I will explain later," the black she-cat mewed. After a moment she took her paw off.
Firestar stepped into view, and the two cats faded.
"You must do something," he mewed, "You must go to Nightwind's grave, and take what you find there to the safety of the Clan. Dig up Nightwind's grave. Keep what you find on her grave in the safety of the Clan until it dies. Then take it and Seapaw to the gorge, and press your paw to Seapaw's face and to Nightwind's at the same time. Watch what happens."
Firestar looked straight at her. "Take heed of Demon," he mewed, then, as he was walking away, he turned back and said, "The Search for Nightwind has begun."
XXX
Shadowflight crunched into a mouse. She looked up as someone padded over to her.
"Hi, Demon," she mewed. The porcupine had been let into the Clan a day ago.
"What do you do all day?" The porcupine asked, smiling at her.
"Oh, hunt and stuff."
"Want to hunt, then?" he asked. "I don't eat meat; I eat bark, but still…"
"Sure," Shadowflight stood up and Demon followed her out of camp. He was the same size as her, with black quills that had a faint white tip on the end. He had a long tail, that was covered in quills larger, longer and sharper them the rest of his body. His underbelly had small, prickly ones.
Shadowflight crouched down and scented the air.
"I smell mouse," she muttered. She dropped onto her paws. She leaped into the air and was met with a thousand pains.
She screamed and jumped back, her eyes blinded in pain. She cried and yelped. She could barely feel her body.
Then she opened her eyes. She saw Demon crouched right where she was going to jump. She had landed on him.
"What happened?" she asked. She saw four quills in her cheek. "Ow!" she cried angrily.
"Don't move!" Demon screamed, "Don't breath! Don't think!"
Shadowflight halted in her tracks. "What is it?"
Then she saw that the porcupine was crouched beside a large metal thing. It had large metal teeth.
"It's a trap," Demon said, "Twolegs put them out to trap animals. When you step on it, something makes the jaws spring shut on your leg. Then the Twolegs come and kill you."
Shadowflight shuddered. Her whole body was in pain. "Can you get these things out?" she asked.
"Not without sticking more inside you," he said, his eyes glittering.
Shadowflight walked foreword and sat beside him. "Er…thanks." She suddenly felt very self conscious, so she left.
XXX
Back in camp, Shadowflight started eating a mouse. Demon had walked in a few minutes ago. Ravenstar had pulled out her quills.
She saw two cats, Shalepaw and Flamepaw, walk by, giving her weird and disgusted looks. They vanished inside the apprentices den.
Then Shadowflight heard a conversation. It was Hollysky and Birchoak, talking with Sorreltail and Ashfur.
"I mean, I wouldn't believe it," Hollysky muttered, "It's really against the warrior code. Falling in love with a porcupine!"
"I don't think she knows it," Ashfur muttered.
"The other day they almost slept together!" Birchoak whispered excitedly. "I've been spreading the word. Shalepaw and Flamepaw are starting a black cats and porcupine hating club. I'm going to join!"
"So am I," Ashfur and Hollysky chorused.
"Flamepaw dropped me a hint that they are going to spy on the two of them," Hollysky whispered.
"It won't be long before she starts growing quills," Ashfur muttered, looking at his paws.
Shadowflight took a huge breath, basically bursting with anger. Who thought she loved Demon? Great StarClan, some cats had no sense! What was wrong with being friends?"
She clamped her jaw shut on a snarl of rage, and instead washed her whiskers. She was so mad. Who were these cats? One day hunting! In love?
Anyway, she thought, didn't Ravenstar tell me that I should teach him how to hunt?
She tried to dismiss it, but it was very hard. I think it will be good when he leaves. And I'll help him along in the process.
XXX
Leafcloud rushed up to the boulder beside Fourtrees. It was the middle of the night. She didn't know if Brownpaw would be there. He was always off trying to help Barkface.
Suddenly a medium brown figure came dashing through the grass towards her.
"Brownpaw!" Leafcloud mewed happily.
"Barkface is about to die! There is only one way to save him. There is an herb in your territory with dark purple leaves. And you need to be the one to give it to him. He said that theirs is something about the larger paw…"
"Will you do it?" he whispered.
"Yes," Leafcloud muttered and the two locked gazes. Leafcloud then turned and scampered away. She looked all over. Where was it? Then she looked up. She saw purple fungi growing on the highest branches of a tree. She clawed her way up the trunk. She saw that the fungus had tiny purple leaves.
She tore it from the tree and dashed back down. The taste made her mouth and eyes water, it was so terrible.
She ran back to Brownpaw and dropped it at his paws.
"There you go," she said.
"You need to give it to him," Brownpaw said.
Leafcloud picked it back up and followed him through the grass and into the WindClan camp.
Leafcloud tried her best not to stare at the other cats. She slipped into a dark den.
"Barkface," Brownpaw whispered, "Leafcloud-a ThunderClan cat- has the herb."
"No," he rasped, barely lifting his head.
Leafcloud dropped the herb by his mouth and he sniffed it. Then he took a couple mouthfuls.
"He's going to live," Brownpaw whispered excitedly.
"No," Barkface rasped "I'm too weak. Farewell, Brown…claw.
Brownclaw. Take my place and be strong."
"My name is Brownclaw?" Brownpaw asked, his eyes teary.
"Yes."
Barkface said his last word. Then his muscles loosened.
"I…it was the right herb," Brownclaw rasped angrily, pummeling the moss with a paw. "It was!"
Leafcloud gave him a sad look then padded out.
She was just at the border when a voice called out: "What are you doing on WindClan territory?"
It was Ashfur.
He he!! She's in trouble! Who liked Demon?? Next chapter tomorrow!!