Chapter Eight
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Amazingly Awesome Person thinks she's cool… You can kind of guess from her name.
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Anyways, before you read, I'm going on a holiday, so I won't be updating very often. In fact, for the next month, I might not update at all. Sorry!
On with the story!
Clearpaw shook snow off of her paws as she trooped through ThunderClan territory. It was the middle of Leaf-bare and prey was scarce. Beside her, Briarpaw grunted in discontent.
"Hey, at least we're not taking care of the elders!" She mewed. Silverpaw was punished by Cinderheart after fighting with Foxleap, and was now in charge of removing ticks with mouse-bile. Opening her jaws, she scented mouse and dropped into a hunters crouch. Flicking her ears at Briarpaw, she slowly stalked, being careful not to make noise in the crunchy snow. Swiftly, she pounced, killing it with a bite to its neck. She scraped snow over it and continued searching. Looking around, she discovered that Briarpaw had already brought down a squirrel.
"We might find more prey if we split up. The two of us trampling around together will scare all the prey from here to the old forest!" Clearpaw murmured agreement before padding softly toward the old twoleg nest. Out the corner of her eye, a tiny figure darted through the snow, barely visible. It seemed too large to be prey. Perhaps it was just an unusually plump vole. Opening her jaws to draw in the scent, she realised it was in fact, not some prey.
"Amberkit, Flamekit, Rustlekit, you can come out now. I know you're there." Moments later, a gray tabby, a light brown tabby, and a flame-coloured kit stepped out from behind a lump of snow.
"Go back to camp," she gently scolded, "Hazeltail and Lionblaze are going to have your tails if you don't go back soon!" Their eyes widened as if they really thought their parents would do that.
"We're uh…Lost." Amberkit mewed after a minute.
"Ugh." Beckoning with her tail for them to follow, she trudged through the snow once more to where she had met with Briarpaw. The bushes rustled, and a pinkish nose poked out. Briarpaw, she thought to herself. Shaking herself, she padded confidently to it. But instead of the friendly face of the brown she-cat, a muscular tom stepped out, his tabby pelt barely visible, though his solid amber eyes glowed defiantly. I must be seeing things, she thought. To the kits she said,
"Come on, it's this way." She was nearly in the clearing when she bumped into a familiar brown she-cat.
"Briarpaw, these guys are lost." Briarpaw glanced sternly at the kits, her gaze softening as she saw how cold they were. She glanced in the direction where they had buried their prey.
"You take them back to camp. I'll finish hunting." Briarpaw nodded; Clearpaw was the best hunter out of all the apprentices. Clearpaw watched as her friend trotted away, the shivering kits close behind. She chuckled to herself as she remembered some of the things she and her littermates got up to when they were kits. Opening her jaws, she drew in the scent of vole. She soon saw it scuffling among the roots of the tree. Dropping into a hunters crouch, she stalked slowly, her misty gray pelt blending in easily with the snow. Pouncing, she caught the surprised prey. Thanking StarClan for the easy catch, she buried it with the mouse and squirrel. Scenting the air again, no prey scent came. Deciding she had more then she could carry, she picked up the load of prey and started toward camp. A flicker of movement caught her eye.
"Who's there?" She asked around the prey in her mouth.
"Oh, just me." A dark tabby outline stepped out once more, and Clearpaw instantly recognised it.
"Go away."
"Go away? Is that how you greet your kin?" The dark cloud asked, his amber eyes narrowing.
"You're not my kin. You're barely even a whole cat!" She spat, realising this must be Tigerstar, the cat used in nursery stories to scare young kits.
"Oh really? I am your father's father. Dare say I'm not your kin now?" He took a step forward, his amber eyes smoldering and patronizing.
"I share no blood with a murderer and traitor." She mewed boldly, whisking around to run back to camp. A nose to her shoulder stopped her in her tracks.
"Join me!" He yowled.
"Never," Clearpaw hissed, still holding the prey in her jaws as if it could make Tigerstar go away.
"You will join me, or regret it!" He lunged at her, and though he was just barely visible, and she could see the snow encrusted trees through him, she could feel his snapping jaws a mouse-length away from her ear.
"I choose to regret it!" She sprinted to camp before he could respond. She half expected to feel his ghostly breath hot on her heels, but he no longer bothered her, even as she deposited her prey on the pile. Shakily, she took in a ragged breath, and sat down with a wood mouse. Though scrawny, it was enough to help Clearpaw through the tough leafbare day. Soon Silverpaw and Lighteningpaw joined her, each carrying a small pigeon.
"Tough day of hunting?" Lighteningpaw's mew was slightly muffled as he fluffed up his leafbare thick coat against the cold.
"Yeah..." She watched unenthusiastically as her brother ripped half-heartedly into the pigeon.
"What's wrong, Clearpaw. You're more jumpy than a rabbit!" Silverpaw exclaimed.
"Nothing, I'm just a bit… tired…" Silverpaw frowned and followed her all the way to the apprentice den.
"Briarpaw told me about how Amberkit and her brothers got lost. It reminds me of when Lighteningpaw led us through the forest. Remember how it started snowing? And you just ran blindly into the hollow?" Clearpaw blinked and nodded.
"Don't worry Silverpaw, it's nothing." She turned around and padded into the den. Sleep didn't come as easily as she had hoped. All the other apprentices had come in, and were sleeping soundly. Slowly, as her eyes started closing; a flicker of movement made her snap them wide open. Lighteningpaw? What's he doing up? She followed her brother out, not wanting to call to him in case she woke up the others. Walking silently past a bundle of tortoiseshell and silver fur, she raced out of the den and soon caught up to Lighteningpaw.
"Lighteningpaw? What are you doing?" It was then, that Clearpaw realised that Lighteningpaw was not awake – he was still asleep. Nodding to Cloudtail, she mumbled quietly.
"What?" He said.
"Lighteningpaw was a bit reckless and woke me up… We're just taking a walk." She mewed.
"Do you want me to go with him instead? You look exhausted. I'm sure Brackenfur wouldn't mind starting his duty early." Clearpaw shook her head.
"It's alright." She purred.
Clearpaw continued following him through the forest. He walked with a purposeful air around him, obviously oblivious to the world around him. With a jolt, Clearpaw realised that he was moving slowly toward the WindClan border. She recognised the steady lurch of the stream and she crept forward, just so that she could peer through the undergrowth. Lighteningpaw had crossed the stream, and was now on the WindClan side of the border. Keeping in a surprised gasp, she watched as Lighteningpaw chased a rabbit, pounced and took its life quickly. She struggled further into the undergrowth, as he sat down; amber eyes glinting, and began to rip happily into the prey. She was glad he couldn't see her as he padded past, and she lay hidden in the dark a few moments after he had gone. Realisation had stung her like bee; Lighteningpaw had been the one hunting on WindClan territory. Lighteningpaw was the one who was leaving remains behind. He was doing all this in his sleep. Lighteningpaw was causing a rift between the clans, and he wasn't even aware of it! Keeping this in mind, she sprang to her paws and ran all the way back to camp. Taking a deep breath to slow her breathing, she padded in tiredly into the hollow. Brackenfur nodded to her as she walked past. How am I gonna tell Lighteningpaw? She thought to herself. Hey Lighteningpaw, you sleep-walk, and sleep-hunt! Like he's gonna believe that!
When she went back into the den, he was curled up beside Silverpaw, his orange fur blending into her tortoiseshell pelt. She prodded him in the side.
"Lighteningpaw," she hissed when he still didn't wake up, "Wake up!" He lifted his head sleepily.
"I don't wanna join the dawn patrol…" He mumbled.
"Not that! I saw you leaving the den." She mewed, but he quickly interrupted.
"I haven't left the den Clearpaw. I've been sleeping this whole time." He yawned just to prove his point.
"No but you went to WindClan territory and hunted a rabbit! I saw you!"
"I think that you're just getting weird dreams from lack of food. Go to sleep Clearpaw." She growled softly as he fell back asleep. Why doesn't he believe me?