The warriors of Shadowclan stalked along the edge of the pines lining the clearing. The mesh borders of twoleg territory gleamed in the rays of the setting sun on the other side. The alien wall worked well as a defining line between kittypets and warriors, but not recently.
Eaglepaw peeled his lips back, his brown and white fur bristling along his spine at what he saw in the clearing. Three kittypets clustered around the half-eaten body of a peasant, a rare delicacy in Shadowclan territory. They chewed loudly, happily mewing away over their kill.
A tail tapped Eaglepaw's shoulder, and he dragged his gaze away from the insulting display to acknowledge his mentor and deputy, Duststripe. The large warrior signaled for Eaglepaw and the rest of the Shadowclan patrol to form up for attack. Silently they branched out, forming a semi-circle around the unsuspecting kittypets just beyond the tree line.
On Eaglepaw's right was his best friend Roguepaw, who was staring intently at a black-and-white kittypet, zeroing in on his target. On Eaglepaw's right was Duststripe, tail raised. Once the deputy slapped his tail down, that would signal the attack. Eaglepaw shifted on his paws impatiently, his muscles twitching with pent-up anticipation. His golden eyes remained focused on the black tip of Duststripe's tail. Hurry up! Eaglepaw willed his mentor, feeling as if he were about to explode.
The tail went down, the weight of it making a soft Thwak in the dirt.
Eaglepaw let loose a yowl as he and his Clan mates erupted from the trees. The kittypets jumped to their paws at the sound, heads whipping around to face the threat. When they realized that they were hopelessly outnumbered they began to dash back to the safety of the mesh border. It was too late though, they were fat turtles compared to the hardened wild cats.
Working his legs as fast as he could, Eaglepaw took a flying leap to hook his claws into a gray tabby's flank. He squealed as Eaglepaw dragged him back. The kittypet jerked to face him, swinging his unsheathed claws at his face. Eaglepaw loosened his hold to dodge the blows, but Fogeye and Leopardclaw were there to help him take the cat down.
The kittypet writhed and shrieked as the three Shadowclan cats clawed and nipped at him. Too many times had this tom trespassed onto their territory and stolen their prey. Continuing to return after being chased off so many times was an insult, one they wouldn't suffer any longer.
"Let me go, let me go!" he wailed, blood weeping from several wounds.
"That's good enough," Leopardclaw meowed, stepping back. Fogeye gave the kittypet one hard bite before he too backed off.
Eaglepaw leaned in until he was eye to eye with the kittypet. "Don't come back if you value your life," he snarled menacingly. The tabby blinked, but didn't reply. After a few heartbeats Eaglepaw released his hold, and the kittypet scrambled to his paws. With a parting glance he pelted up and over the shiny mesh, one of his mangled friends following a heartbeat later.
"Stop! I beg you!"
The three of them turned to see the third and last kittypet cowering beneath the weight of Thorntooth. She thrashed beneath his claws and only his. Roguepaw and Mothflight watched from a tail-length away as he tormented her, unsure of what to do.
"You deserve to die," Thorntooth snarled, his thick gray fur sticking up. "You fat, spoiled menace!" He slashed at her muzzle, and she cried out again.
"That's enough!" Duststripe ordered, trotting over from where he, Sharpears and Loudpaw had attacked the second kittypet, who had long since fled. "Littlestar never said anything about killing them."
Thorntooth's cold gaze remained on the terrified kittypet. "He didn't say anything about letting them live either."
"Do you want the twolegs on our territory as well?" Duststripe snapped. "Trapping and killing us like they did the bear? Because that's what will happen if they find out wild cats are killing their pets."
Thorntooth ignored him, raking his claws along her flank. She was so exhausted that she only groaned. The warrior then leaned in, jaws gaping, to deal the death bite.
With a growl Duststripe strode towards the gray warrior, barreling into him. With a surprised grunt, Thorntooth stumbled away from the she-cat. She took advantage of her freedom to escape. Once she was safely across the border, Duststripe rounded on Thorntooth.
"You will remain in camp for the next three days for ignoring direct orders," the deputy meowed. "During which you will assist the apprentices in all of their duties and do whatever a warrior asks of you. Maybe then you will learn how to obey."
Thorntooth glared at him with barely concealed rage. "I have an apprentice to manage."
"Fogeye can take Loudpaw for now," Duststripe said. "Maybe even until his ceremony, if I see fit."
Thorntooth bristled. "You can't do that!"
Duststripe stepped forward until he was standing over him. "I suggest you don't try me." He then whipped around until his back was to the gray warrior. "Lets go," he said to the rest of the patrol, leading the way back into the pines.
His heart still beating fast, Eaglepaw fell in with Roguepaw near the back of the patrol. "That was intense," he muttered.
"What do you expect," his friend replied quietly. "It's only been two moons since the bear was killed, and since then it's been one kittypet after another." He glanced at Thorntooth, who was stalking along the edges of the patrol as far from Duststripe as he could get. He was whispering in Loudpaw's ears as Roguepaw spoke. "I wonder how the rest of the Clan will react to his punishment."
It was something to think about. Although the weather was warmer, and the prey running almost to regularity again, Shadowclan was competing with a large band of kittypets for food. They came in groups of three or four, stealing a thrush here, or a squirrel there. Just a few days ago, Eaglepaw overheard Duststripe telling Littlestar that in total there were eleven individual kittypets regularly stealing prey. As of now, there were only eight warriors to fend them off. Because of this, bellies were growling, tempers were fraying, and the tensions slowly beginning to break.
Eaglepaw couldn't believe that Thorntooth could so easily ignore Duststripe like he did. As the deputy's apprentice, Eaglepaw found it hard not to get frustrated with him, but he still knew better than to disobey him.
The way he viewed the hierarchy in his Clan was simple. As an apprentice, you listen to everyone. As a warrior, you listen to the deputy and leader. As a deputy, you listen to the leader. As the leader, you listen to Starclan. That's how it worked. Diverge from those positions, and you unbalance the Clan. Thorntooth was renowned for his hot temper and harsh ways, but not for ignoring orders. Clearly hunger and frustration were changing his viewpoints.
The entire patrol was silent and high strung as they journeyed back to camp. The dimness beneath the canopy of pines made it a little harder to read some of the faces, but the shadows didn't conceal the edginess.
Suddenly, Sharpears broke away from the patrol, snaking quickly along the forest floor and disappearing behind a rotted log. A squeal could be heard, and to everyone's surprise she padded out with a hare. It was half her size!
"Great Starclan!" Mothflight exclaimed. "What's a hare doing so deep in our territory?"
Sharpears shrugged, a recent scab on her shoulder from a Thunderclan dispute stretching with the effort. "I just heard it sniffing right outside one of the old rabbit tunnels. Thought I'd take advantage."
"Who cares how it got here?" Fogeye crowed. "What's Windclan's loss is our gain!"
Duststripe padded to Sharpears' side. "Amazing work, as always," he meowed. "You get first pick of the pile when we get back, and I'll make sure to let Littlestar know who caught this feast."
The patrol's spirits were much higher after that. Many congratulated Sharpears on her catch. She was swiftly becoming the best hunter in Shadowclan, now that Darkshade had retired. Only Thorntooth remained unaffected by their improved mood.
"Wow," Eaglepaw meowed, shaking his head. "I can't wait till I'm that good."
To his surprise, Roguepaw scoffed. "I'm sorry, Eaglepaw, but you'll never be as good as Sharpears. You're the worst hunter among the apprentices, setting aside Poppypaw, of course. But considering she's been one of us for less than a moon, that's not much of an accomplishment."
Eaglepaw puffed his fur up in indignation. "I'm not that bad!"
Roguepaw shook his head. "Remember last moon's assessment? You did so badly that I had to sneak some of my catches on your pile so you could pass! And don't think Duststripe didn't notice. He had you on nothing but hunting patrols for half a moon."
"Well I've gotten better since then haven't I?" He retorted meekly, ears hot with embarrassment.
"Your strength isn't in tracking and catching prey, Eaglepaw. That's mine and Goldenpaw's." His friend rested his tail on his shoulder to take the sting out of his words. "You're the fighter. To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if you become the best in Shadowclan."
"You think so?" Eaglepaw asked, perking up. He could just imagine the kind of appreciation he'd get from that title.
Roguepaw purred with laughter at his excitement. "You'll have to get past Duststripe to achieve that status though. And I've noticed that Leopardclaw is getting a reputation of her own too."
They gossiped and strategized about the special skills of each warrior on their last leg of the walk back to camp. They were the last of the patrol to make it through the entrance tunnel and by then much of the Clan were gathered around Sharpears and Duststripe. Most were asking about the attack, some were in awe over the hare. Either way, it was all mostly good news.
Duststripe pushed through the throng of cats until he found Eaglepaw and Roguepaw on the outskirts. "You both did well today," He meowed. "Get some sleep, Eaglepaw. Dawn patrol tomorrow."
Eaglepaw groaned as his mentor padded over to Thorntooth to take him before Littlestar.
Soon enough the crowd dispersed enough for Roguepaw and Eaglepaw to get close to the fresh kill pile. The hare was nowhere to be seen. Most likely it was being torn up to share between the queens, kits, and elders. The two friends took their pick and padded over to the mouth of the apprentices den, where Goldenpaw, Poppypaw, and Loudpaw were eating.
"I don't want to follow Fogeye around for three days," Loudpaw complained as Eaglepaw and Roguepaw settled.
"Well just imagine how Thorntooth feels," Goldenpaw, his sister, mewed. "I think he's worse off then you are."
Loudpaw was unaffected. "Fogeye will just slow down my training!" he whined. "How's a cripple warrior with one eye supposed to teach me anything?"
"He's not a cripple!" Poppypaw mewed angrily, jumping to the defense of her father. "And he has two eyes! One is just blind."
Loudpaw rolled his eyes. "I stand corrected," he muttered.
"I wonder if Thorntooth will have to sleep in the apprentices den with us," Eaglepaw wondered, whiskers twitching with the amusing image in his mind of the large warrior squeezing in among the five of them.
Goldenpaw purred at that. "I hope they make him clear the elders' ticks tomorrow! His long claws will work in his favour!"
They all laughed at that, except for Loudpaw. "Very funny," he growled, turning to glare at Eaglepaw. "This wouldn't have happened if your mentor wasn't so stuck up!"
Eaglepaw bristled at that. "Thorntooth tried to kill that kittypet! Its against the warrior code!"
Loudpaw scoffed. "You're just putting Duststripe's words in your mouth. Honestly, Eaglepaw, do you ever think for yourself?"
Hot anger clouded Eaglepaw's vision, and it took all four moons of Duststripe's special self-control training to keep him from flying at Loudpaw. Two or three moons ago, he would have done it, but since then he'd started learning how to pick and choose his battles. Duststripe helped him conquer his anger day and night, and slowly Eaglepaw was gaining control. Most days he succeeded, some days he didn't, but he was trying.
"Oh please, Loudpaw," Goldenpaw meowed. "Killing that kittypet would have brought the twolegs here quicker than a rat on a carcass."
"She's right," Roguepaw said. "Better safe than sorry when it comes to twolegs."
"No one asked you, reject!" Loudpaw snapped back.
Roguepaw didn't dignify that with a reply, just simply took another bite of his snake, slowly tearing off the scaly skin.
One of these days I'll teach that Loudpaw a lesson, Eaglepaw vowed, anger rising at the jab towards his friend.
…
Despite Eaglepaw's assumption, Thorntooth didn't sleep with the apprentices that night.
A draft woke Eaglepaw up, and even half awake he knew what the cause was. Turning slightly, he gazed upon Roguepaw's empty nest, proving himself right. Every few nights Littlestar would take Roguepaw out for special training. Shadowclan apprentices all received night training, but not nearly so much as Roguepaw.
Eaglepaw stretched, knowing that sleep would elude him so long as Roguepaw was gone. The thought of the Clan leader and his apprentice wandering around the deepest parts of the territory in the middle of the night with hostile kittypets around made Eaglepaw uneasy. And so he decided to get some fresh air as he waited.
The sky was free of clouds that night, and Silverpelt shone clearly. The camp was unusually bright, as the moon was almost full. The next Gathering would be within the quarter moon, Eaglepaw didn't doubt.
"Where are we going?" a tiny voice mewed to Eaglepaw's side. He looked towards the nursery, where Shadowclan's newest queen, Snowbreeze, was leading her three kits out into the late newleaf night. The kits had been born two moons ago, right after the Battle of the Bear, as the Clans were now calling it.
"Its time you three heard the story of your ancestors," Snowbreeze purred, herding them towards the bramble tunnel.
The two she-kits were Snowbreeze and Duststripe's natural born daughters. Nettlekit was the biggest, with a dark tortoiseshell pelt and big green eyes. She was also the brawniest sibling, and many suspected she will inherit her father's skill for combat.
Dewkit was smaller, more lithe like her mother, but what she lacked in size she made up for in wit. Her pelt was completely black except for the white tips of her ears and a few sparse hairs lining her cheeks. Her eyes were the same as her mother's, a deep gray-blue.
Trailing behind them was a tiny tom by the name of Moorkit. Two moons ago Littlestar and Nightfrost visited Riverclan shortly after the bear was killed. They came back with a dark brown kit, apparently the son of Berryfoot, a Windclan queen. She had four other kits who together used up all her stores of milk. To save Moorkit from starvation, Littlestar offered to take him to Shadowclan for Snowbreeze to adopt, as she had more than enough milk to spare with only two kits. Being the compassionate she-cat she was, Snowbreeze welcomed the helpless kit and began to raise him as one of her own.
Many among Shadowclan were not happy with their new addition. Moorkit was not only a sickly runt, but he was also of Windclan blood. Thorntooth and Loudpaw were among the few who treated Moorkit with open hostility. Most, like Fogeye, Sharpears and Goldenpaw refused to acknowledge the kit until he proved his worth.
Some, like Duststripe, Nightfrost and Squirreltail were sure that Moorkit would grow up strong enough to be a worthy warrior of Shadowclan, so long as he's given the chance to prove himself. Eaglepaw agreed with them. He needed only to look upon Roguepaw to remember that such things were possible.
Sunstep was on lookout, and she gazed fondly upon Snowbreeze and her kits as they crossed the clearing. "To the training pit?" she asked.
Snowbreeze nodded. "Tonight's as good a night as any." She noticed Eaglepaw watching them from the mouth of the apprentices den and she beckoned him with her tail. "Want to come with us to keep a look-out?" she meowed. "I would ask Duststripe, but he's always so tired. I don't want to disrupt his sleep."
One of the many traits that set Shadowclan apart from the other Clans was that the kits were allowed outside camp so long as they were protected. Thunderclan especially had a strict policy against kits leaving the camp before their sixth moon, but the kits of Shadowclan were smarter, quicker, and wise enough not to stray. But it was still a privilege that was treated carefully, and Snowbreeze wasn't about to leave camp without at least one escort to keep an eye on her kits with her.
"Why not?" Eaglepaw meowed. "I could stretch my legs."
Together the five of them padded toward the training pit not too far away. Nettlekit jumped ahead of them, running her tiny claws down every tree. Dewkit followed close behind, pausing to investigate every bush and branch. Snowbreeze warned her not to leave her sight. Moorkit stuck close to his adoptive mother, eyes wide with curiosity.
Soon enough they reached the pit. Nettlekit mewed with surprise at the slippery sand, sliding down to land in a heap. Dewkit and Moorkit followed more gracefully. Eaglepaw remained at the top while Snowbreeze gathered her kits at the center of the pit. He watched the trees, wondering if he would spot Roguepaw and Littlestar.
"I brought you three here tonight because this is where you can see the sky without trees blocking your vision," Snowbreeze was saying. Her kits strained their necks to gaze up at Silverpelt as she began to teach them about Starclan.
"If our ancestors are up there," Dewkit mewed after Snowbreeze finished. "Does that mean we will go there when we die?"
Snowbreeze leaned in to nuzzle her between the ears. "That won't happen for a very long time, my sweet," she purred. "But yes, one day we all join the ranks of Starclan to watch over our living descendants."
"But is it just for Shadowclan cats, or do the other Clans go there too?" Moorkit asked.
"Every Clan cat is welcome in Starclan," Snowbreeze said. "Only bad ones don't get to go."
"Where do they go?" Nettlekit meowed.
Snowbreeze narrowed her eyes. "There's a legend that says the bad cats go to a place called the Dark Forest, where there are no stars, no prey, and no friends."
That surprised Eaglepaw. He'd never heard that story before. What good were the elders if they didn't tell him all of their history?
Nettlekit shivered. "I don't want to go there."
"And you never will," Snowbreeze assured her. "So long as you are good and true at heart, Starclan will always be waiting for you."
"What about Roguepaw?" Dewkit mewed. "He's not really Clan born. Will he go to Starclan?"
Snowbreeze hesitated, glancing up at Eaglepaw for a heartbeat before gazing upon Dewkit again. "Blood does not determine worth," she said. "It is what we do with our lives that determines who we are. So long as you have the heart of a warrior, just like Roguepaw does, then you will have a place in Starclan."
...
ALLEGIANCES SHADOWCLAN
Leader: Littlestar—small ginger tom with icy blue eyes
Apprentice, Roguepaw
Deputy: Duststripe—large thick-furred brown tom with one black stripe from his forehead to his tail tip
Apprentice, Eaglepaw
Medicine Cat: Nightfrost—large scruffy black tom with a scar over one blue eye
Warriors: (toms and she-cats without kits)
Leopardclaw—beautiful golden she-cat with black spots and green eyes
Apprentice, Goldenpaw
Mudeyes—red-brown tabby tom with brown eyes
Sharpears—black-and-white she-cat with blue eyes and a short scar along her shoulder
Apprentice, Poppypaw
Thorntooth—thick-furred sooty gray tom with a shredded ear
Apprentice, Loudpaw
Sunstep—light golden she-cat with brown eyes
Fogeye—brown tabby-and-white tom with one green eye and one blind gray eye
Mothflight—brown-and-white she-cat with amber eyes, mate of Fogeye
Apprentices: (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)
Eaglepaw—brown tom with white paws and tipped tail, has piercing gold eyes
Poppypaw—small black she-cat with green eyes
Goldenpaw—bright gold tabby she-cat with green eyes
Loudpaw—gray tom with black tabby stripes
Roguepaw—small red-brown tom with golden smudges and one chipped ear, has amber eyes
Queens: (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Squirreltail—dark ginger she-cat with a white belly and sweeping plume of a tail, half kittypet, mother of Gingerkit
Snowbreeze—lithe white she-cat with blue-gray eyes, mate of Duststripe, adoptive mother of Moorkit, mother of Dewkit and Nettlekit
Kits: (less than six moons old, living in the nursery)
Gingerkit—orange tom with white spots on his head and neck
Moorkit—very dark brown tom with speckled black spots, has amber eyes (formerly of Windclan)
Dewkit—black she-cat with white ear-tips and gray eyes
Nettlekit—dark tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes
Elders: (Former warriors and queens now retired)
Featherpelt—thick-furred white tom with blind blue eyes
Darkshade—old, scruffy, very dark gray battle-scarred tom
Ancestors: (descendant of known clan cat)
Leopardclaw, Thorntooth, Eaglepaw, Goldenpaw, Loudpaw