Chapter 2
The four apprentices sat in the center of the clearing with their backs to each other.
Demonpaw's ears swiveled at every small sound: leaves twisting in the breeze, the quiet breathing of his fellow apprentices, Stormpaw raking his claws over the earth in impatience.
The moon rose slowly, and he admired it glittering in Fogpaw's fur. Everything seemed brighter, louder, and more alive now that they held real positions in the Clan.
Demonpaw lashed his tail, trying to get rid of his extra energy. If any of them uttered a single word, or fell asleep, they would be looked down upon even more because they couldn't keep a single night's vigil.
He lost himself in his thoughts as the night dragged on. He loved the darkness. It cloaked him like a shield, allowing him to fly through the forest like a shadow. He imagined stalking enemy cats through the trees, barely making a sound as he crouched in the dirt. Muscles tensed under his sleek black pelt and he sprang at the unsuspecting victims. The nearest ducked and he glided through the air like a bat. Landing silently, he fixed a tabby with his burning gaze. The cat's eyes grew wide with fear, and he fled with the rest close behind.
Demonpaw blinked. He was halfway into a crouch position, a triumphant growl nearly formed in his throat. There was only a dense brush thicket in front of him: the warriors' den.
Out of nowhere, Fogpaw whacked his rump with her hind legs. He winced and spun around, glaring at her as if to say, "What was that for?"
She glanced at his tense paws, then at the wall of twigs and ferns, and stared back at him pointedly. You almost crashed through the den!
He rolled his eyes. Whatever.
He turned to check on Angelpaw. She was slowly nodding, and he flicked her gently with his tail.
She jumped and looked around at him. He mimicked her motions and her eyes filled with fear at the disgrace she'd narrowly avoided. He rubbed against her comfortingly and returned to his post as she began to groom herself.
As a dawn glow filtered through the mist, Demonpaw stretched and glanced at his companions. They looked back at him through glassy eyes, wide open from staring into the night. Blizzardfoot slowly padded out from the warriors' den and sniffed the air. He walked over to them and nodded approval.
"You should all go rest. The others will be waking shortly."
Angelpaw rubbed against him fondly as they trotted to their own den, leaving him standing in the clearing.
Stormpaw gave a huge yawn as he flopped down on the warm, fuzzy moss.
"That was the hardest thing I ever did," he declared.
Demonpaw's tail flicked the ground in irritation.
"If you could barely handle one night, what are you gonna do when we're warriors?" His eyes narrowed. "When you're a warrior, you have to go out on patrols all the time; at any hour. You have to be able to think fast even when it's totally dark outside."
Angelpaw nudged him gently. "We all need sleep for now," she urged, settling down against the wall of the den. "Otherwise one of the cranky old elders might put you to work," she smiled.
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A/N: It'll get going here shortly, I'm still trying to work things out and all. Hope you like it, the next one should be up in a few days or so.
--Ash