Chapter 5, barrier

Rockpool woke the next morning with nothing to do. He didn't want to go on some patrol, he wanted to lead one. A part of him yearned to be deputy. But he knew he was much too young. But he could tell that Ashfur would certainly enjoy sending him on patrol after patrol after patrol. So he just skipped out of camp. Hew would bring home a lot of prey at the end of the day.

He found his paws carrying him over to the ShadowClan border. He found himself gazing into the marsh and pines on the other side, and he wondered what he was looking for. He brushed against a large bush growing right at the border.

He marked his scent on the bush then leaped onto a large flat boulder that was on the border and lay, licking his paw.

Suddenly he heard the voices of a ThunderClan patrol coming along the border. He could here Ashfur with them. Scared of being caught wasting his time on a boulder, he leaped down and began to stock some nonexistent prey.

"Rockpool!"

Rockpool ignored Ashfur's call, because he had really seen a mouse. He leaped as the deputy called again, and the mouse disappeared.

"What are you doing?" Ashfur asked as Rockpool padded into view.

"Oh…I marked my scent. I was hunting. My mouse just got away."

Ashfur raised his eyebrows as it he didn't believe the young tom.

"Well, I was going to have you join this patrol. I would stay back and organize the rest. But you were gone."

He glared down at the sturdy-legged dark grey tom, his eyes angry.

Suddenly there came the sound of happy voices and Shadowflight dashed into view, with Demon beside her.

"Oh, hi," Shadowflight muttered.

Rockpool decided to clean his pelt. He had heard the gossip about the porcupine and Shadowflight liking each other. It was all rubbish of course; he didn't believe a word of it. But it still made him sort of angry when he saw them.

"Oh it's you," Ashfur said in a bored voice. "Come on, join our patrol. You too, Rockpool."

He sighed deeply as he padded over to stand beside Demon.

Ashfur veered away into the middle of the forest.

Demon was talking quietly to Shadowflight, and Rockpool pointedly angled his ears away. Then Shadowflight bounded ahead. Demon watched her for a while then leaped foreword suddenly, with incredible speed. Rockpool saw his tail go out, and Shadowflight slammed headlong into it.

Ashfur and Rockpool leaped foreword at the same time, while Demon screamed. Ashfur barreled into him, carefully placing a paw on his neck.

"WHAT?!" the deputy screamed, "Why did you hit her!? What are you doing?!"

"Get…" Demon rasped, "away from that tree." He turned his head and gazed at the whimpering Shadowflight.

Ashfur backed off him, and he walked over to Shadowflight, but Ashfur tripped him on his way, and put a paw carefully on his back.

"Did I hurt you?" Demon whispered to Shadowflight.

Her usual reply would be, "Can't you see you hurt me?" But instead it was just a whispered, "No."

Surprised, Rockpool found himself feeling like a barrier. His mind disappeared in thoughts.

It was clear that the two liked each other. More then just friends. He could tell they did. He didn't want to stand between them. There were plenty more she-cats in the Clan. He felt sick and dizzy, as if he was going to throw up. He understood now that he must never by with Shadowflight, that he must always stay away from her and Demon.

Not that Demon didn't like him. The porcupine didn't seem to see that Rockpool had large feelings for Shadowflight.

Maybe, he thought, I should just go up and confess my feelings, have her say that she liked someone else, then maybe…maybe…maybe go to ShadowClan. Go and be with Aspenleaf. Maybe even battle Owlclaw.

Suddenly he saw a picture of Aspenleaf strewn on the ground, a bunch of rouges above her, one pounding Owlclaw into the ground. Then he would be there, killing every rouge. He would grab her and take her to safety.

He felt stupid afterward, because it was so dumb and pointless. He decided he didn't want to be here anymore.

XXX

Shadowflight whimpered in pain, this was the second time Demon had hit her.

"Was there another trap?"

"Yes," Demon answered, "over by that tree. You were going to get caught in it."

Shadowflight felt her head spin with dizziness. She had to be more careful. Every time Demon saved her, he smashed more quills into her body.

She looked at the scars the other ones had left in her leg. This time one was pierced into her blind eye. She pulled out the one in her shoulder, then five in her haunch.

She felt someone pull the one in her eye out, and saw that it was Rockpool. She looked away; his eyes were wide with a thousand different thoughts.

Ashfur was still holding Demon down. Shadowflight saw that the porcupine was smashed in the dirt, his chin on the ground, his yellow eyes directed right at her.

"I'm…" Shadowflight rasped, "going back to camp." she turned around and began to limp away.

She entered the almost empty camp. Almost everyone was on a patrol or hunting. Hunterpaw, Flamepaw and Shalepaw remained outside.

Flamepaw and Shalepaw were muttering together. They saw Shadowflight, exchanged a glance, then sauntered over.

"Oh hi," Shalepaw drawled, smirking, "where's your mate?"

"My mate?" Shadowflight was confused.

"I mean the sharp guy."

"Demon? He's back in the forest."

Flamepaw giggled. "When are the kits going to be born?"

Shadowflight felt her blood boil. StarClan!

She heard the rattle of quills. Stay away, Demon, she thought desperately, please stay away.

"So, when are they due?" Shalepaw prompted.

"NEVER!" Shadowflight roared, "DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW FLYINGPAW DIED? I KILLED HIM! I CAN DO THAT TO YOU TOO! SO IF YOU DON'T SHUT UP THIS INSTANT I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE THAT YOUR LIFE IS NO LONGER CONTINUED!"

The two apprentices stared at her with shocked, almost frightened looks in their eyes. Flamepaw raced away, but Shalepaw stood up, her face an inch from Shadowflight's.

"WANT TO KNOW WHAT I THINK OF YOU? YOU'RE A CAT WHO IS SO CLOSED MINDED AND STUCK UP THAT YOU CANT TELL THAT YOU'RE REALLY HURTING SOME OTHER CAT'S FEELINGS! I DIDN'T REALLY LIKE THE WAY YOU TOOK OVER ROCKPOOL!"

Shadowflight took a huge breath and shouted back, "YOU KNOW WHAT I THIHK OF YOU? YOU'RE A BIG MOUTHED, DUMB HEADED IDIOT WHO THINKS SHE CAN GO AROUND NUDGING INTO OTHER CATS' BUSINESS! I SUGGEST YOU FIND A SOCIAL TOM WHO ACTUALLY LIKES YOU, AND TELLS YOU THAT SOME CATS HAVE MATTERS THAT AREN'T FOR STUPID LITTLE APPRENTICES!"

That shut Shalepaw up. She sat down, her face flushed and her eyes glimmering. Many cats had gathered around to watch the shouting contest.

Shadowflight's throat felt scorched. She sat down, feeling almost panicky; her lungs seemed to have frozen up. All the bullying Shalepaw had done to her…it made her so…furious.

"Interesting choice of words, girls," Ravenstar mewed, trotting over. "This is going to make you angry Shadowflight, but I've had this planned for a few days. I have a few warriors I want to make. And some apprentices."

She leaped atop the Highrock, calling the Clan around her.

"I would first like to congratulate Snowfeather on her first litter of kits. Thornclaw is the proud father. And I do believe they will be born quite soon."

She gave Snowfeather a smile. "Also, Ferncloud's kit and Hunterpaw's younger sister, Yarrowkit, is ready to become an apprentice."

A small dark brown and black kit with orange streaks leaped on top of the rock beside Ravenstar.

"Until this kit earns her warrior name, she will be called Yarrowpaw. Shrewtail will be her mentor."

"Thirdly," Ravenstar yowled, "I would like Flamepaw and Shalepaw to step up here."

Shadowflight clamped her jaw shut on a loud snarl as the two apprentices leaped up beside their leader.

"I, Ravenstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the way of your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors, in their turns."

Shalepaw looked down at Shadowflight and smirked.

"Shalepaw, Flamepaw, do you promise to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"I do," Flamepaw said.

"Yes," Shalepaw said stupidly.

Is she trying to make a scene or what? Shadowflight thought angrily, unsheathing her claws.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Shalepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Shalepelt. StarClan honors you. Flamepaw, from this moment you will be known as Flametail. StarClan honors you, too."

"Yeah!" Shalepelt screeched. Shadowflight tried hard not to throw up.

"We are warriors! We are warriors!" They screamed.

"Shalepelt! Flametail!" the Clan cheered with way to much enthusiasm for Shadowflight's liking.

"Shadowflight!" Shalepelt shouted, sauntering over.

"What is it?" she snarled.

"You didn't shout out my name." she strutted in front of the black warrior.

"Well, I'm waiting. Start praising me."

"Why should I praise you? I killed Flyingpaw. I could easily do the same on you."

"Ravenstar!" Shalepelt screeched suddenly, "Shadowflight killed-,"

Shadowflight lunged through the air and placed a paw on the stupid cat's mouth.

Ravenstar came over. "What were you going to tell me, Shalepelt?"

"S-Shadowflight killed Flyingpaw!"

"Is this true?" Ravenstar asked.

Shadowflight clamped her jaw shut.

"Shadowflight? Is this true?"

Shadowflight still didn't answer.

"Answer me!"

Shadowflight didn't breath.

"ANSWER ME NOW!"

Shadowflight glared into the deep amber eyes that glowed in the evening light. Shalepelt was stunned. Both cat's eyes were glowing, drilling into each other.

Shadowflight didn't breath. Neither did Ravenstar. Any cat watching would notice how similar they looked, same height, same eye shape, both had dark pelts.

The moment of stillness between the two of them seemed to last forever. Then, without any warning, both cats leaped at each other in one silent, swift motion.

Shadowflight slammed her paws into Ravenstar's chest, and promptly felt teeth in her ear. She pulled back ward, throwing the leader to the ground, and using her claws to tear out hunks of dark tabby fur. She felt teeth tear into her forepaw, and she leaped backward. Ravenstar leaped at her and they were wrestling madly.

All the cats had gathered around to watch. They couldn't tell who was who, it was to dark, but they could see the occasional flash of green or orange light, and the glimpse of a shiny white fang.

Shadowflight leapt foreword, wrapping her strong forelegs around Ravenstar shoulders, but the leader threw her to the ground, pounding her claws into Shadowflight's shoulders. They were locked together, snarling and yowling with rage. Shadowflight was on her belly. So was Ravenstar. She could feel the teeth clamping down on her shoulder, right beside her neck, and Shadowflight slammed her paw into Ravenstar throat.

The teeth beside her neck bit harder, and Shadowflight tried to pull back, but Ravenstar had her locked in.

Then the teeth were gone. Someone screamed really hard. Shadowflight leaped away.

"YOU TRIED TO HURT HER!"

Shadowflight heard the voice, but couldn't see anything, so she prepared to battle off who ever had shouted at her. But no one came. Quickly her eyes adjusted, and she saw Demon standing over the whimpering form of Ravenstar.

"Oh Demon," Shadowflight rasped, "No."

Then Ashfur came charging at him, with Shalepelt, Flametail, Birchoak, and Hollysky behind him.

"RUN!" Shadowflight screamed. The porcupine leaped away from Ravenstar and bolted into the forest.

"After him!" Ashfur shouted, leaping foreword.

Shadowflight felt her heart start screaming. She leaped at the small party of cats, without even really meaning to. Something was driving her to do this.

She clawed and bit so hard that she couldn't believe what she was doing.

Shalepelt threw herself foreword, and Shadowflight swung a paw around, and it exploded into Shalepelt's side. The she-cat was thrown far away, and she banged hard into a tree.

Shadowflight wondered where she had gotten this strength. She was acting like Mudpaw, the robot she had fought four moons ago.

Ashfur bounded foreword, and Shadowflight could see he was quivering with strength and rage. She curved both her paws through the air, and they hit his back. He let out a scream, and pulled back, then leaped foreword.

Ashfur smashed into his side, and he fell onto the ground and didn't stand up.

The rest of the cats sprung backward, and Shadowflight whirled around and tore after Demon. Her heart was beating a thousand times a second, and her breath was shaking her whole body. She didn't even know if she would find the porcupine, she just had to run.

Then she saw him.

Demon was sitting behind a tree. His tail was lashing behind him, making quills fall to the ground.

"Demon," Shadowflight rasped.

He looked at her, his eyes wide, yet calm. "Shadowflight," he rasped, "I try to save you. But I hurt everyone every time I try. I am only an extra in the Clan. The Clan doesn't need me. I'm going to leave. Nobody will care."

"I will care," Shadowflight whispered. And she didn't surprise herself by saying it. She had meant to say it. "Demon…" she didn't know what to say. She had a terrible headache.

"Then I'll stay," he meowed. "Go back in the morning, Shadowflight, and explain to Ravenstar that you were in a bad mood or something. You'll be fine."

She lay down, resting her head on her paws.

Then she felt spiky fur against hers.