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DISCLAIMER: I do not own warriors.

Chapter 3

ShadowClan

Fuzzypaw grabbed a bundle of tansy in his jaws, flicking his tail over Skullpaw's ears next to him.

"Come on. I've got the tansy; we can go now." Fuzzypaw mewed. Skullpaw blinked dully at his brother, awakening from his daydream.

They were near the RiverClan border, collecting bundles of herbs to store for the coming leaf-bare and leaf-fall. Skullpaw was supposed to have been collecting the plentiful supply of yarrow and tansy along with his brother near the lakeshore, but he had frozen to the spot at the sight of the sun setting over RiverClan territory in the west. He had been suddenly overcome with an intense feeling of longing and remorse, unable to move a muscle.

Fuzzypaw broke him out of his trance, annoyed with his brother's feeble supply of two yarrow leaves. "We're going to need a lot more than that if we're supposed to live this leaf-bare, Skullpaw." He shoved his brother's side, making Skullpaw hiss in surprise. "Get a move on!" Skullpaw growled grudgingly as he watched Fuzzypaw's tail disappear into the brush.

Ever since Fuzzypaw had been re-apprenticed as a medicine cat, he had become a stuck-up snob; nothing like the reserved and frightened brother he had been as a warrior. Skullpaw sometimes was annoyed with him immensely, but he knew that Fuzzypaw was trying to impress their father and make him know that he had made the right choice.

Still, though, Skullpaw had better things to do than be dragged along by his brother to collect stupid yarrow. He collected a bit more and stacked the thick leaves into a pile. He then hid them underneath some tangles of roots where he could pick them up later, and headed across the lakeshore.

As Skullpaw walked along the pebbles, he began to see the vague, hazy outline of the MonsterPlace ahead, which marked the border between ShadowClan and RiverClan. The scent of water and foul monster fumes reached his nose, and he wrinkled it; he walked on, though, and soon saw that he was beneath the half-bridge.

He sat down, and watched the lights of the sky change from pink-orange to the deep blue of the night sky; the light stained the lake pink and glittering, dazzling Skullpaw's eyes momentarily.

Being in this place reminded him of his mission; to gather allies to aid Napoleon's shrouded plan, and eventually make Skullpaw leader of ShadowClan. Skullpaw knew that this would be extremely easy with his new friends in ThunderClan and RiverClan; it was WindClan he was worried about. He knew that the young cats he met would make loyal friends, but he had to get past their suspicions of him. Skullpaw knew for a fact that ShadowClan was always the Clan that was looked down upon for past deeds, and Skullpaw wanted try hard to convince these swift cats that he wasn't like the others.

Skullpaw lowered himself to the ground. He knew that, whoever became friends with him, that it wouldn't last long. The fact that he would eventually have to tell them all the truth about Napoleon made him nervous; what if they wouldn't accept him anymore? What if they rebelled themselves? Skullpaw knew he shouldn't worry about it now, but still he fretted.

Skullpaw watched the sky darken even more, and saw the first stars of Silverpelt appear overhead and on the surface of the lake; silver-stained water lapped at his paws, freezing cold. Skullpaw stood, and began to head back to his territory before he was missed.

"Come on, Skullpaw. don't be such a priss." Blackpaw teased him as Skullpaw gingerly licked dried mud off his paws while flicking his tail back and forth irritably. Their mentors, Bearstripe and Pondripple, had taken them to the marshiest part of their territory to collect mud-covered reeds to patch up holes in the nursery entrance; they often did this toward leaf-fall, since all of the mud would cake and dry firm in the hot moon before the cold breezes set in.

Blackpaw hissed as Skullpaw threw a chunk of mud at her head; she ducked to avoid it, the mud pile instead hitting Deathpaw square in the back of the head. "For your information, white fur is much harder to clean than black fur when this mud dries, Blackpaw." Skullpaw mewed pointedly; he was trying not to giggle as Deathpaw furiously whipped his head from side to side, looking for the culprit who splattered mud on the back of his head; he sent a heated glare to Skullpaw and Blackpaw, and they hastily turned away.

Once the reed collecting was finished, the troop began to head back through the pine forest to camp. Skullpaw felt chilled by how few pine needles there really were; now, what had been growing steadily over the past two moons was slowly wilting in the heat, and Skullpaw knew that they wouldn't last through leaf-fall. It felt like the fire had been so long ago, but the evidence of the scorched pine trees brought back fresh memories; Skullpaw's back began to ache with his old scars.

As they arrived back at camp, it seemed as if a commotion had started at Fallen Tree; warriors were pacing in front of it anxiously, and Nightheart and Littlefern were heading into the safety of the nursery, in deep discussion. Duskstar was nowhere to be seen, and Fuzzypaw and Dewheart were darting in and out of his new den with frightened expressions.

After setting down his reeds in a pile at the camp entrance, Skullpaw trotted over to an anxious Lightfeather, who was sitting outside of Duskstar's den with her tail lashing back and forth in agitation.

"What happened?" Skullpaw demanded, worry for his father rising like bile inside of him.

Lightfeather's eyes were glazed with sorrow. "Duskstar...bitten by..." she broke off mid-sentence and let out a caterwaul. Skullpaw didn't think that was such a good sign; he rushed into Duskstar's den at the stump of Fallen Tree, brushing past worried warriors and anxious apprentices.

The steady coughing of a sick cat alerted Skullpaw, and he froze. Duskstar was lying at the center of the den, rasping and coughing; every wheeze seemed to cause him immense pain.

Skullpaw saw that Deathpaw had beat him to his father's side, and saw that his brother's face was glazed with horror. Skullpaw tapped him on the shoulder and asked him slowly, "What happened?" Skullpaw was surprised by how calm he felt despite the gaping cavern that erupted inside of him.

"He was...bitten by an adder; many of them. Dewheart said that the venom was already too hard to extract. She said...he might lose..." Deathpaw choked. Skullpaw was shocked with horror. His father couldn't...he can't possibly...

Duskstar suddenly sucked in a large breath, and released it in a fit of coughing; blood spattered the ground. Dewheart, sitting silently in the corner, padded to Duskstar's side and closed his clouded eyes. Duskstar let out another ragged breath, and lay still.

There was complete silence in the den as the entire company held their breath. Skullpaw couldn't take his eyes away from Duskstar's unmoving shape.

Skullpaw took a step back, eyes glimmering with shock and fright. His father was joining StarClan? Would he return? Skullpaw tried to count how many lives his father had lost, but his mind worked jaggedly and slow.

For several heartbeats, Duskstar didn't stir in the slightest. After what felt like moons, Duskstar's flanks began to rise and fall normally again, his eyelids fluttering.

Skullpaw, Deathpaw, and Fuzzypaw all let out a simultaneous sigh of relief. They rushed to their father, but Dewheart held them back with her tail acting as a barricade.

"Your father needs his rest." Dewheart explained quietly, and Skullpaw stepped back weakly. It seemed as if he had been suddenly drained of energy.

Skullpaw felt as if a choking, black abyss had opened up inside of him, and he knew that it wouldn't leave. He had just witnessed his father losing a life, and then coming back to life again; proof that StarClan had spared him. Skullpaw knew he should feel happy that his father was still alive, but a sense at the back of his mind told him, No.

Skullpaw staggered out of the leader's den, unsteady on his paws. Immediately, Blackpaw rushed to his side to steady him; he heard her say something, but it was as if she was speaking underwater. As if in a dazed dream, Skullpaw found himself being led to the apprentices' den, and being settled down into his nest.

He had the vague sensation of Blackpaw's warm pelt against him before everything went black.

When he woke, it was night. The nest beside him was cold, telling Skullpaw that Blackpaw had awoken before him. He blinked his eyes and yawned, stretching as he sat up to get out of the den.

The ShadowClan clearing was dark and quiet. Skullpaw padded across to the Fallen Tree, leaping gracefully onto the top of the trunk; his paws made a dull clunk as he landed, sending vibrations across the trunk. Skullpaw sat quietly with his tail wrapped around his paws, thinking.

The stars of Silverpelt shone their light upon him, turning his white pelt a glittering silver. Skullpaw sighed and his breath let out a cloud of vapor into the air.

It's so peaceful. If only it could be like this all of the time...Skullpaw thought to himself. He closed his eyes to enjoy the night.

A stir at the back of the clearing caught his attention. He opened his eyes and turned his ears toward the sound. He heard the soft patter of footsteps trotting across the clearing, and he smelt fresh grass and morning dew.

"Skullpaw." Skullpaw turned around at the sound of his name, and gasped. A beautiful, silvery she-cat with stunning amber eyes was standing below him. Her pelt was littered with starlight, and she seemed to float toward him as she leaped up onto the tree to sit beside him.

"Who...are you?" Skullpaw breathed, amazed by the she-cat's sweet gaze.

"I am Silverblaze. I used to be ShadowClan's deputy before you were born." Her voice was smooth as honey.

Skullpaw blinked. "Why are you here?"

Silverblaze laughed, a joyous sound that reverberated in Skullpaw's skull. "Curious aren't you?"

Skullpaw looked around. ShadowClan looked different than it did during the day, and the sky seemed larger, more in focus.

"Am I...in StarClan?" Skullpaw exclaimed, alarmed. Why was he here? He wasn't dead! Or did he die from grief for his father...

Suddenly, the memories of the past couple of hours rushed back to him, and he staggered backward from the sheer amount of emotions coming at him now.

As if sensing his unease, Silverblaze touched her tail to his shoulder and the flood was barricaded; a peace swelled over Skullpaw, and he sighed.

"Do not fret. You have not passed." Silverblaze cooed in a soothing voice. Skullpaw sat down again, calmed.

Skullpaw looked up at the sky, starlight reflecting in his yellow gaze. "Why...am I here..." Skullpaw repeated, quiet.

Silverblaze looked at him, eyes ablaze. "There are challenging times ahead of you, Skullpaw; you will have to choose between many things, and your choices will depend on who you become." Skullpaw looked at her, confused. Silverblaze closed her eyes, and let out a sigh. She began to fade, stars suddenly whipping around her form and back into the sky.

"Wait!" Skullpaw yowled, but she was already gone. Silence returned to the scene, and Skullpaw felt himself awakening.

Skullpaw blinked open his eyes, squinting in the morning light. He had slept through sun high, and now it was morning! Skullpaw scrambled to his feet, stirring Blackpaw beside him.

She blinked open her eyes and yawned, standing as well. "Up so early?" But Skullpaw wasn't listening. He ran out of the apprentices' den.

The camp was silent, the songbirds beginning to wake in their newly built nests. The light of dawn was breaking just on the horizon, bathing him in a milky-blue haze. Skullpaw slowed and padded up to Fallen Tree, crouching and springing onto the large trunk.

Skullpaw, once on top, looked up to the sky. The stars had long ago faded, but he still felt their presence in his heart. His head was swimming, and he sat down as his dream flooded back to him.

What did Silverblaze mean? Skullpaw didn't know, but he aimed to find out about her...and possibly what she meant.

Blackpaw had come to the base of the tree. "Skullpaw? Are you okay?" came her worried mew.

Skullpaw looked down at her. "I'm fine." He breathed, and hopped down again. The camp was beginning to stir, and warriors were beginning to organize the dawn patrol. Skullpaw quickly volunteered, but he knew that the patrol wouldn't leave yet without Softfur or Duskstar's permission.

At the thought of his father, Skullpaw's heart sunk. Blackpaw must have sensed his anxiety, because she silently laid her tail-tip on his shoulder in support.

Skullpaw had almost completely forgotten about his father. Now that he remembered, he felt bitter and angry; why did Duskstar have to go and get himself killed like that? And why did he have to lose his life in front of his sons?

Despite his fiery thoughts, Skullpaw still found that he had reason. True, Duskstar frightened him, but it wasn't entirely his fault. Skullpaw should learn to forgive and forget.

Waterpaw hopped out of the apprentices' den, greeting Skullpaw with a warm mew and then stopping short to gaze at him curiously.

Skullpaw looked at him, annoyed. "What?"

Waterpaw blinked. "You're Duskstar's son."

"And?" Skullpaw felt impatient with the apprentice.

"...He lost a life you know." Waterpaw mewed, eyes unblinking and serious.

Anger swelled up inside Skullpaw. "And you think I don't know that?" He snarled, making Waterpaw jump in fright. Waterpaw yelped and bristled.

"I'm sorry." He cried, and raced back into the apprentices' den.

Blackpaw gave Skullpaw a look of disapproval. "What was that about?"

Skullpaw slit his eyes. "He shouldn't have pried," Skullpaw growled. To his surprise, Blackpaw withdrew from his side. Skullpaw looked at her, hurt in his eyes.

"Look," Blackpaw mewed, shaking her head, "I know you're hurting, but you shouldn't have...exploded like that." Skullpaw opened his mouth to protest, but Blackpaw was already walking away toward the fresh-kill pile. Skullpaw closed his mouth again, guilt welling up inside of him.

Oh, why does it matter that she disapproves of me? Skullpaw thought darkly. Skullpaw shooed away the thought, wondering where that had come from. Skullpaw stole one last glance in Blackpaw's direction, then headed toward the gathering dawn patrol.

Here you are, long and juicy like I promised! XD Please review!