Chapter Five
It had been nine days since Snowpaw had joined ThunderClan, and her training was progressing wonderfully. She had become fast friends with Moonpaw, Darkpaw, Thistlepaw, Drizzlepaw, and Barkpaw, and even managed to squeeze a compliment out of Oakpaw when she brought back so much prey, she and Stormpaw couldn't fit it all in two trips.
Oakpaw and Thistlepaw had told her about the gathering, and explained that there was a small stirring of trouble from ShadowClan, due to it's leader, Pebblestar, hinting that ShadowClan had less territory than Thunderclan.
She was learning much more about clan life, and she became acquainted with Swirlsplash (The brown and blue tabby queen), and several other warriors, including Lionmane, Diamondclaw(Who Rubyheart had a deep affection for.), and Gingerblaze(Flamestar's son.).
But she couldn't ignore the nagging suspicion that Rainpaw was up to something. Though she had followed him twice when he went out of camp, he never went anywhere near the ShadowClan border.
Her other worries were not groundless. What with Pinepelt seemingly breathing down her neck every time she was anywhere near Rainpaw, she was becoming as jittery as Moonpaw.
"You need sleep." Tawnyflower meowed calmly, pressing a cobweb onto Stormpaw's shoulder. He had been training with Rainpaw and had gotten quite a nasty scratch when his brother had taken a wild swing at him.
"I have been sleeping!" She insisted, as Stormpaw limped over to a bed of moss and sat down. "Just not very soundly."
"Well, I'll give you some poppy seeds, and tell me if you feel any better tomorrow." Tawnyflower purred, pushing the dried poppy head towards Snowpaw. "One or two should be enough. You wouldn't want to oversleep! Pinepelt would have you on elder duty before you could say 'mouse'!"
Unfortunately, this was perfectly true. Pinepelt was being exceptionally harsh to Snowpaw, and was starting to prevent her from seeing Stormpaw.
One morning, she was crunching into a mouse when Oakpaw approached her. "Darkpaw asked me to go out hunting with him! I said yes, but he's just so- So…" She broke off, and blinked slyly at Snowpaw. "Enough about me, what about you and Stormpaw?"
"What?" Snowpaw was confused.
"You do realize that if you don't break it up with Stormpaw, Pinepelt's gonna hurt him, and you." Oakpaw sighed. "He doesn't want his eldest son having a relationship with a kittypet." She padded away, still smirking.
Snowpaw sat there, still shocked. Then her senses caught up with her mind. Break what off with Stormpaw? We're friends, but nothing more than that! Then another, darker thought entered her mind. Suppose Pinepelt does hurt Stormpaw because we're friends? What am I going to do then?
Suddenly, something much more than friendship had become apparent to Snowpaw. It was a burning pain, deep within her heart. All-consuming, all-devouring, it clawed at her insides.
But this was bliss. Snowpaw felt none of the pain that she expected, only a deep calm, her mind stripped clean of everything but one thought.
Stormpaw.
"Can I go hunting by the Sky Oak?" she mewed, breathless, when Rubyheart told the apprentices to choose where they were going to hunt.
"Yes, but, Snowpaw, are you alright? You look a little sick." Rubyheart peered at her. "Do you want to go see Tawnyflower?"
"N-no. I-I'm fine." Snowpaw lied. In truth, she was fighting the urge to gaze at Stormpaw.
Rubyheart looked at her, then nodded. "Right. Off you go, then."
Once outside of camp, Snowpaw raced through the trees, determined to get as far away from whatever was causing her to feel so badly.
Stormpaw.
It was a constant thought, and she couldn't get rid of it. It burned her throat and ripped at her heart, slicing her mind into pieces and tearing her apart.
Stormpaw.
Is this what it feels like to love? Snowpaw thought, reaching the base of the Sky Oak. To love… She didn't, did she? Stormpaw was her friend. She couldn't love him. And yet, his name seemed to burn a hole in her heart, and she felt, again, that wonderful sense of bliss…
But no. She couldn't. She would not. She, Snowpaw, was not going to fall in love with him.
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A few days later, the burning passion had all but vanished. Her apprentice duties continued as usual. Snowpaw noticed that Pinepelt kept giving her ominous looks, but never said anything to Stormpaw in case it upset him.
Snowpaw was on a border patrol with Rubyheart, Gingerblaze, Lionmane and Darkpaw. They were padding down the ShadowClan border when a cat-scent caught Snowpaw's attention. It was close, and coming at them, fast!
"ShadowClan warriors!" She screamed as a dark gray tabby shape flew out of a bush and grabbed Rubyheart. Five more ShadowClan cats emerged from the bushes and flung themselves at the ThunderClan cats.
"Not so cocky now, are we?" A pale gray tom with black feet padded out of the bushes and faced the wrestling cats.
"Pebblestar!" Snarled Rubyheart, his eyes full of hatred as he shoved the dark gray tom off of him. Turning to face the ShadowClan leader, he growled. "What are you doing? This is ThunderClan territory!"
"Not for much longer." Pebblestar flicked his tail, and his warriors leapt to his side. He turned to gaze at Snowpaw. "Give the kittypet apprentice a good few wounds as a warning to ThunderClan."
The massive dark gray tabby grinned and stalked forward. "Boulderbash, give her a few wounds from me!" Jeered a murky brown tom. Boulderbash smiled still wider, and nodded.
"Get away from her!" Rubyheart shrieked, trying to fling himself at Boulderbash, but the murky brown tom pinned him down.
"Now, now. We wouldn't want you to hurt my son, do we?" He sneered. Boulderbash suddenly flung himself at Snowpaw, who dodged his massive gray body with ease.
Boulderbash let out a snarl of annoyance, and lunged again. Snowpaw moved aside with absurd ease. "How many moons have you been a warrior?" She jeered, dodging his furious paw swipes. "One, half, a quarter moon? Good StarClan, you are terrible!"
Boulderbash snarled with rage and flung himself at the white apprentice. Snowpaw ducked and the ShadowClan warrior crashed into a tree.
"Whoops!" She giggled as the large warrior staggered away from the tree, his eyes rolling absurdly as he shook his head.
"Boulderbash! Leave her alone. We don't want you to embarrass yourself any further." Pebblestar meowed, and Boulderbash looked furious. Nevertheless, he backed away, still snarling curses at the small apprentice.
Rubyheart shook the murky brown tom off of his back and hurried toward Snowpaw as Pebblestar meowed loudly. "This isn't the end, ThunderClan! ShadowClan will get more territory. Keep your eyes open!"
The ShadowClan cats vanished into the bushes. Rubyheart looked at Snowpaw, obviously worried. "Are you alright? Did he get you?"
"I'm fine, Rubyheart. That Boulderbash fights worse than an kit!" Snowpaw mewed cheerfully. She looked around at the four pairs of blank and startled eyes gazing at her.
"Boulderbash…" Meowed Lionmane, his golden eyes wide. "He is one of ShadowClan's best warriors. I received these scars from fighting him, and you came out without a scratch!"
"Oh…" Snowpaw gazed at the bushes where the ShadowClan cats had vanished.
"Let's get back to camp." Gingerblaze meowed, also looking into the bushes. "We need to tell Flamestar that Pebblestar was on our territory." He shot a sideways look at Snowpaw.
Once they reached camp, Snowpaw filled Stormpaw in on everything that had taken place by the border. He was just as surprised as the rest of the patrol.
"I've heard of Boulderbash." He muttered darkly, gazing at the nursery. "He's supposed to be one of the best fighters. Also, I've heard he's not very bright. No wonder you managed to outwit him!"
"Everyone else seems so surprised, considering he wasn't that good of a thinker!" Snowpaw mewed, also looking at the nursery.
Stormpaw chuckled. "Well, Boulderbash isn't the only one that most cats need to be wary of." He meowed. "There's his brothers. Gravelclaw, Rockheart, and Stonepelt. Then his younger brother, Hardpaw. It's a big family."
"Huh." Snowpaw's belly growled, and she laughed. "I'm rather hungry, and I'm betting you are too."
"You read my mind!" Stormpaw laughed as well. "Wait here, and I'll get us both something." He returned with a vole and set it down in front of Snowpaw. "Eat up!" he chortled.
As Snowpaw sank her teeth into the fresh-kill, she saw Pinepelt watching her from the other side of the clearing. His cold gray eyes bored into her own amber ones, and Snowpaw looked down at the vole, thinking.
What if Pinepelt did try to hurt Stormpaw? And if he did, what if it was Snowpaw's fault?
Snowpaw pushed the thought away. Stormpaw was Pinepelt's son. He wouldn't hurt him, as fathers never hurt their kits. Or did they?
Moonpaw had been avoiding the nursery lately, and both she and Stormpaw had agreed that it was because Crowclaw spent so much time in there. From what Stormpaw had said, Crowclaw truly believed that she-cats were not fit to be warriors. But was that enough excuse for him to harm his own daughter?
Full of confused and suspicious thoughts, Snowpaw lay down in her favorite corner, Stormpaw curled up beside her. But it was long after Drizzlepaw's snores filled the den that Snowpaw finally realized that the absence of Rainpaw's usual loud snufflings meant that she was not the only one lying awake.