Chapter Ten

Ok, I'm SO sorry I took FOREVER to update. Basically, when I got home, my computer was the only one whose internet WASN'T working. I won't bore you with details why though. Anyways, thanks to all you reviewers, especially Banana Llama and JayxWillow for reviewing Chapter Nine.

Enjoy!

"I think you missed one at the base of my tail. It's itching up a fury." Mousefur said, flicking her skinny brown tail in discomfort. Silverpaw suppressed a shudder as she carefully pressed the mouse bile against the plump parasite buried in the old she-cat's tail.

"Silverpaw!" An annoying voice Silverpaw would have been happy to never hear again sounded behind her. The russet warrior appeared beside her. Even though Cinderheart had since recovered from whitecough, Foxleap continued to boss her around, taking any chance he could get to step on Silverpaw's tail or to provoke her. That was how she ended up cleaning the elder's den and checking them for ticks. She had pulled a harmless prank on the infuriating warrior, slipping some crowfood into his nest. He, however, took it too seriously and told on her, immediately landing her in the elder's den.

"What is it Foxdung?" She snapped without turning to face him. She remembered her assessment a few days earlier, and Firestar's promise to make her and her littermates warriors within the next moon or so. Excitement rushed through her, and for a few moments, she forgot the annoying cat beside her. She snapped back to reality when he started talking, however.

"Look, I'm sorry for getting you into trouble." He sighed, looking at her with sad eyes.

"Great StarClan, the world is ending. Foxleap just apologized." Silverpaw cried out loudly. Foxleap slapped his tail against her mouth. She snapped her teeth lightly down on them, and he pulled quickly away. He glared at her for a moment, but finally took a deep breath.
"I'm really sorry, Silverpaw. I've come to help you with the elder's. The sooner you finish, the sooner you can go." He said. Silverpaw couldn't help the surprise that crossed over her face, and she stared suspiciously at the russet warrior.

"Well, I wouldn't say no to an offer like that." She said slowly, trying to push her suspicions aside. She gazed at him warmly, ignoring the visions of him soaking her in mouse bile or pushing her into a creek as they flashed through her mind. For some reason, Foxleap brightened visibly, and began to check Longtail for fleas. With Foxleap's help she quickly finished tending to the elder's and was free from her punishment. She couldn't help but feel weird. A quarter moon ago, Foxleap had fallen into a stream, and she had saved him. He had been arrogant about it, saying he could fight off a whole patrol of WindClan cats, and a 'stupid' stream had got him. Silverpaw rolled her eyes at the memory. But even though he was still annoying and arrogant as ever, every now and then he showed this strange, nice streak. Perhaps he was trying to make it up to her for saving his life.

"Thanks Foxleap." She said happily, waving her tortoiseshell fur in delight. He met her gaze and stared at her, his intense amber gaze burning into her green eyes. She looked away and mumbled incoherently.

"What?" He asked, the intensity in his gaze fading to a mere playfulness.

"Squirrel." She said, louder.

"What?" And at that moment, a stiff squirrel wacked him upside the head. "Ow!"

"Told you I had your back, Silverpaw!" Clearpaw exclaimed, dropping the squirrel. Foxleap whipped around to glare at Clearpaw before stalking off. Clearpaw squeaked and darted off.

"I THOUGHT YOU LIKED SILVERPAW!" She shrieked, tossing the words over her shoulder. If it was possible, Silverpaw's fur flushed even hotter as several warriors and apprentices in the clearing turned to gaze at her and Foxleap, who was also staring around the camp with an embarrassed gaze. Trying to change the subject she followed her mouse-brained sister and stared at her in what she hoped was intimidating.

"Where in StarClan did you find a stiff squirrel, when there's barely a mouse on the pile?" Silverpaw quizzed, staring suspiciously at her sister, who shrugged her fluffy grey shoulders.

"Saved it." She said. Silverpaw narrowed her eyes.

"When the clan is starving?" She asked, in a slightly scolding tone. Clearpaw nodded.

"I'll make it up to the clan." She said confidently. Silverpaw rolled her eyes. Her sister was annoying, and extremely immature. How could she whack Foxleap with a stiff squirrel?

"How?" She asked, knowing the answer already.

"We're gonna go hunting!" She exclaimed, waving her plumy gray and white tail towards the entrance.

"I'm not going hunting. I just spent the whole day tending to the elder's and all the sane prey will be curled up in their nests by now." Silverpaw complained. "It's icy out there."

"Then let's catch all the insane prey!" Clearpaw exclaimed, racing out of the camp without pausing to wait for Silverpaw. She sighed tiredly.

"Why do I let her get me into these things? We almost always end up in trouble." She said, wearily following her overactive sister who was paused just outside the camp. Happily, Clearpaw padded alongside Silverpaw, and a few moments later, the grey apprentice already had a mouse dangling limply from her jaws. Silverpaw rolled her eyes at her sister's smug look as a skinny mouse disappeared into a hole.

"Not funny." She said, accidentally strolling right into a thorny bramble bush. Clearpaw couldn't stop her laugh this time, rolling around on the snowy ground. However, she stopped quickly her eyes widening in fright and scrambled quickly to her paws. Silverpaw followed her gaze, not understanding what had spooked her. As Silverpaw saw what she was staring at, her now-frigid body turned even colder. She remembered a few moons ago, the tabby clouds with amber and blue eyes, and instantly realised what was happening.

"T-Tigerstar?" Clearpaw stuttered as the tabby outline, a bit more visible than the last time Silverpaw had seen him, stepped out from the cover of dead bracken.

"Hello Clearpaw, Silverpaw. I believe we have already met." Silverpaw shot a glance at Clearpaw who looked away, not meeting her eyes.
"Last time we met, you both decided to run. Well now you have nowhere to run. Out in the middle of the forest, all the warriors in camp. You will join me."

"I'm not afraid of a faint outline! You're not even a real cat anymore, just some insane spirit! You think you're smarter then a mouse, but you're not!" Silverpaw flinched visibly; Clearpaw was never that short-tempered, and nobody had ever dampened her energy so quickly. Heaving with all her might away from the bramble bush, she tried not to wince at the several clumps of tortoiseshell fur that remained. She stood up tall, mentally berating herself for wincing at some of the harmless scratches from the bramble bush.

"Run." She muttered to Clearpaw. Clearpaw shook her head ferociously. Tigerstar laughed harshly, his amber eyes faintly amused.

"What a brave offer on behalf of your sister. Maybe you should take it. After all, two little kits in ThunderClan are no match for me. Join me!" He said, his voice echoing sinisterly on the last words of his small speech.

"Tigerstar, when will you learn? You're dead. You've made the same mistakes over and over. And you know what they are? Underestimating your opponent, and thinking too highly of yourself. I've heard the tales. You thought you could drive out BloodClan, that you were almighty, and that you had 9 lives to lose." Silverpaw said, letting her tone become cold and calculating, to let him know that she was not some useless kit, but an apprentice soon to be a warrior that knew Tigerstar's weaknesses. "But you were wrong. You died the most humiliating death possible, with all nine lives ripped away by a cat half your size – who was soon to be killed by your mortal enemy, a kittypet no less. You thought your plan was secret, foolproof, once you were deputy in ThunderClan and that no one could stop you, but the same kittypet destroyed you. And now, you think that your grand-kits- and the kittypet's grand-kits- will join you without question, and your plan won't fail. You're wrong. We'll never join you, and your plan will never work." She hissed the last words, fear making her paws shake that he would react badly. But respect shone in the dark tabby's amber eyes and he dipped his head.

"Maybe I did misjudge you, but that means nothing. Be smart like your brother, and join me. I can lead you to power. This is an open invitation, and for now, I will leave you. But I will be back. Again and again. And you will join me." Clearpaw gasped beside Silverpaw, and the tortoiseshell felt dread make her paws heavy. Both thought the same unspoken message.
"Lighteningpaw?" Clearpaw stuttered. Tigerstar nodded coolly. Silverpaw took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure.

"I will never join you." She said clearly and strongly, Clearpaw nodded.

"And neither will I." Tigerstar narrowed his eyes, and lunged for the two sisters. At that movement, both of them raced away, though determined not to show how completely terrified they were.

"So…. Hungry…." Silverpaw groaned, huddling up to Briarlight, staring miserably at the empty patch where the fresh-kill should have been. Briarlight nodded her agreement. Prey was still scarce, even with Newleaf on the way.

"If only it were Greenleaf." She complained. At that moment, the hunting patrol arrived. The two she-cats looked up eagerly, but were quickly disappointment. There was barely enough to feed the queens, meaning that they would go hungry tonight, again. Foxleap dipped his tabby head at the two she-cats as he grabbed a skinny rabbit to give to the queens. Briarlight let out a purr and blinked warmly at the reddish tabby tom.

"Isn't Foxleap so great?" She asked dreamily, as soon as the young warrior was out of earshot. Silverpaw, who had been staring at the pile, willing it to fill itself up, looked up in surprise.
"You like Foxleap?" She stuttered in surprise. Briarlight nodded happily, watching the red tail disappear into the tangle of thorns.

"What's not to like? He's smart, strong, handsome, and he fought off that whole WindClan patrol. I never told you this, but when I was a kit, me and Blossompool snuck out of camp and got into huge trouble with a fox. And he saved us, even though he was still an apprentice. I mean, he's not perfect, but he's not bad enough that I should hate him." She said. Silverpaw narrowed her eyes skeptically.

"There were two cats in that hunting patrol. One was a new apprentice, and the other barely a warrior! Besides, don't you find him a bit… arrogant?" She asked, not understanding the jealousy that was rising up in her throat like bile.

"No. Besides, what's it to you if I like someone a bit conceited? At least it means he has confidence." Briarlight argued. Silverpaw's slight jealousy was replaced by confusion as a whole mess of mixed feelings spun around her head, making her dizzy. She shook her head, trying to shake free of her strange thoughts. Why did she care that Briarlight liked Foxleap? He was annoying, bossy and arrogant. She shook away the thought at the back of her head, screaming in agreement with Briarlight. Staring levelly at her friend, she told herself she just didn't want to see Briarlight hurt by a stupid arrogant tom.
"I guess you're right." She sighed, too hungry to keep arguing. Pressing her chest to the ground and stretching her forepaws forward, she settled down again trying to salvage what was left of the setting sun. Briarlight nodded.

"By the way, what was with you and Clearpaw earlier today? You went out hunting and came back with no prey, looking as if you seen a ghost!" Briarlight asked. Silverpaw felt a ripple of fear down her spine and forced her fur to lie flat. Lighteningpaw probably wasn't even training with Tigerstar. Tigerstar was just lying, that's all, trying to convince them to join him. She shook herself.

"Oh nothing, we were just spooked, that's all. Clearpaw thought she saw a err… What was it again? Oh yeah, a fox cross badger mutant thing…" Silverpaw shrugged. She faked a yawn. "Anyways, I'm exhausted, I'm just gonna go sleep." Briarlight shrugged, getting up as well.

"I might as well too." She said. Silverpaw padded quickly away and curled up in her nest. Beside her, Clearpaw was already fast asleep, mumbling some incoherent words. Suddenly, Lighteningpaw got groggily to his feet and Clearpaw was wide awake. The fiery red apprentice padded slowly out of the den and disappeared. Clearpaw let out a low, menacing growl. Silverpaw blinked her sky blue eyes at her sister in surprise, but Clearpaw didn't notice, curling up in her nest grumpily again. What was going on? Why was Lighteningpaw leaving the den when it was after sundown? Why was Clearpaw annoyed with him for doing it? Why was her brother so incredibly restless that he had to go out?

She dismissed the questions whirling in her head. Lighteningpaw was probably going for out for some hunting because he was excited about how well their final assessment went, and Clearpaw was probably annoyed because he woke her up. Silverpaw shrugged lightly and curled up in a tight ball, tucking her small pink nose under her tail. It felt like seconds later that harsh dawn light shone into her eyes. Wait; in Leafbare, even with Newleaf on the way, dawn light wasn't that strong. Dawn light wasn't even that strong in the height of Greenleaf. She blinked her eyes open in a panic and scrambled blindly to her paws. As her eyes focused, she realised that next to her, Clearpaw was fast asleep, her fluffy gray fur ruffled from restless sleeping. She looked around, and realised that she must be dreaming, for her nostrils were clogged with the delicious scents of prey, reminding her of another day without prey, and the dizzying hunger in her belly. Moonlight shone silver on the healthy leaves that surrounded her, making a small clearing. But even the moon, round and full wasn't providing enough light for the blindingly glowing clearing. Taking a step forward, she found the mysterious source of light. A pool was glowing brighter than the moon. Silverpaw stepped closer again and stared cautiously into the pool. Strangely, there was no reflection, the pool only continued to glow blindingly bright. She dabbed it with her paw, gasping at the cold, and tilted her head confusedly. The brightness wasn't disturbed at all from the ripples that her tortoiseshell paw had sent. An amused purr sounded from behind her and Silverpaw nearly fell in, grasping desperately at blades of grass as she scrabbled backward.

"You know, it's no deeper than a puddle. It wouldn't be that big a deal if you fell in." A deep, familiar voice sounded behind her and she spun around in surprise. She was definitely dreaming.

"B-Brambleclaw?" Her father blinked. He was lying on the ground, his humungous paws tucked neatly under his large, dark tabby chest. His amber eyes sparkled warmly.

"At least, I was Brambleclaw last time I checked." He shrugged his massive shoulders. "You know, your sister's a really deep sleeper. Most cats who visit StarClan have woken up by now." He got up and stretched, his star-dappled coat turned a strange colour by the glowing pool.

"Well, we better wake her up, or I won't get the message to you two." He said, prodding her gently with a paw. She shot up instantly her eyes very panicked. Silverpaw wondered if that was she looked like when she woke up.

"Brambleclaw?" Clearpaw asked, her eyes widening further, if it was possible. Brambleclaw nodded. His amused eyes quickly turned serious.

"I have a message for you two. It's extremely important, and you must not forget it. The prophecy shall be fulfilled soon, and the danger is near. Be careful, or you could lose something important to you." He said. Clearpaw looked wildly around.

"Where's Lighteningpaw?" Silverpaw asked curiously at the same time as Clearpaw mewed, "What prophecy?"

Brambleclaw's eyes darkened.

"That is not for me to say." Silverpaw looked at Brambleclaw suddenly. His mouth continued moving but no words came out.

"I can't hear you. What's going on?" She asked. She looked to Clearpaw and doubled over in surprise to see her sister slowly fading.

"You're fading Silverpaw!" Clearpaw cried. Sure enough, she could see the undergrowth through her paws, and it was slowly getting clearer.

"And so are you!" Silverpaw cried.

"Silverpaw! Silverpaw! Silverpaw!" A paw roughly nudged her awake. She was in her den, and Foxleap was staring at her. She stole a quick glance at Clearpaw, who was mumbling worriedly in her sleep.

"Foxleap! What are you doing in the apprentice den?" She asked, puzzled, and annoyed that he had taken her from her father.

"Want to go hunting?" He asked, in an uncharacteristically shy voice. Shaking her away her dream, she nodded suspiciously. He brightened, and they left the den. When she went outside, she realised it was sunhigh – no wonder Foxleap had woken her. But the thoughts of the glowing pool wouldn't leave her mind. What was the great danger that was coming, and why was Brambleclaw so jumpy when they mentioned Lighteningpaw?

Ooh, wonder why Brambleclaw hates his son. LOL :). Anyways, REVIEW PLEASE. You're review means a lot! It makes me wanna keep writing :)

Anyways, because I took FOREVER, I'm posting Chapter Eleven as well, now. :)