Shadowpaw:
What have I got myself into now? Shadowpaw thought miserably, as she silently thanked StarClan that she was the only apprentice, so she would have less trouble sneaking out of camp. Why did I ever suggest this? She lay down in her nest quietly, careful not to draw attention to the apprentices' den while the night patrol returned and warriors padded back into their dens to sleep. Shadowpaw kept one eye wide open, deciding when to leave for the border with RiverClan.
Finally, she got the perfect opportunity. Moonblaze, who was out in the clearing, scanned the camp for any activity, then padded into the warriors's den, leaving the clearing deserted. Shadowpaw jumped to her paws. This is it.
Shadowpaw's green eyes gleamed as she stalked stealthily out of her den. Maybe it's best to look normal, and I could supposedly be going on a walk. She was halted by Moonblaze, who was headed for the dirtplace. "Where are you going?"
"For a walk. I can't sleep," Shadowpaw mewed, the lie tumbling smoothly out.
Moonblaze narrowed her eyes. "I hope it's nothing more."
Shadowpaw jumped in shock. Does she know? No, there's no way she could. "Of course not!" she mewed indignantly, trying to look as innocent as she could manage.
"Good." Moonblaze nodded, flicking her tail and padding away. Shadowpaw's fur bristled in the cold of leaf-fall, and she padded out of camp through the thorn tunnel, the only cat in the forest.
Shadowpaw headed straight for the RiverClan border, padding through the forest until she scented the fresh, cool air. She emerged into the open air and continued toward the border. Her black fur was barely visible in the dark night, but her brilliant green eyes were easily visible. There! The border was a few tail-lengths ahead, so she skidded to a halt as she smelled the scent markers. "Sunpaw?" she murmured. "Sunpaw?"
No reply.
Shadowpaw sighed and settld down in the tall grass, curling her tail neatly around her paws as she waited for her friend. Sure enough, a ginger form exploded from the reeds, panting. "Sorry!" Sunpaw gasped.
Shadowpaw laid a tail on her shoulder. "Doesn't matter," she whispered. The two apprentices stared at each other, lost in a long silence that seemed to last for hours. Is that it? Then, Sunpaw stood up and narrowed her eyes.
"First, you mentioned that something was wrong with your life already," Sunpaw mewed.
Shadowpaw nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "Yes." Sunpaw shot her a questioning glance, one that demanded that Shadowpaw explained. "My mother is Blackstream," she mewed. "I have no littermates. But Blackstream believes that she had given birth to two kits, not just me. No evidence for that, the clans says. I myself am not sure..."
Sunpaw placed her tail on Shadowpaw's shoulder. "I see. You might have a littermate, that disappeared."
"If so, where is it?" Shadowpaw snapped. "Only, I was born on the night of a RiverClan invasion..." She shot a teasing glare at Sunpaw, who flinched.
"Don't blame me!" she mewed. "I wasn't even part of the invasion!"
Shadowpaw sighed. "You know, you might be right," she mewed. "I might actually have a littermate, but... you don't suppose I have a littermate in RiverClan, do you?" She paused.
"No," Sunpaw mewed. "We're all... I mean, we all know our parents, and..."
Shadowpaw shrugged. "Yeah, what I said was probably really unlikely." She dropped her voice to when it was barely higher than a whisper. Her voice was full of bitterness as she spoke. "I don't suppose you have anything like that going on."
"Well," Sunpaw mewed, "actually, anyone would think I have the perfect life, nothing wrong. But... no. I mean, I just feel that there's something wrong, that I may not belong in RiverClan."
"What?"
"No, it's true."
Shadowpaw paused, her green eyes meeting Sunpaw's. "Also... why do we have the same eyes?"
"I... I'm not sure. No one in my family has green eyes," Sunpaw mewed. "Yet another reason why I feel that way."
"I see." Shadowpaw glimpsed the sky brightening, reddening. "It's nearly dawn, so I think we should get back to our own camps." Sunpaw nodded. "Goodbye, then."
"Bye, Shadowpaw." Sunpaw flicked her tail and padded away, and Shadowpaw sighed, heading back to camp. As soon as she padded through the thorn tunnel at dawn, Moonblaze confronted her.
"We're on the dawn patrol. And Silvergaze gave birth to one healthy kit, named Rainkit."
"Great," Shadowpaw mewed, stifling a yawn, not really feeling enthusiastic about the patrol. "Who else?"
"Ashfire, Dawnfang, Brightgleam, and Hawkfang."
"Okay!" Shadowpaw looked to the warriors' den and saw the two toms approaching. Ashfire purred as he saw her, and Shadowpaw waved her tail in reply. "Let's go!" Hawkfang purred as he saw Ashfire press against Shadowpaw.
"Where were you last night?" Ashfire whispered to her. "I wanted to tell you that you were on the dawn patrol, but you weren't in your den."
"I went for a walk," Shadowpaw mewed vaguely. "Nothing more."
Ashfire wasn't convinced. "Really?" His voice softened. "You can tell me, you know." Shadowpaw simply nodded and continued to pad toward the border with WindClan. Ashfire hissed as he saw forms already at the border. "Uh oh," he murmured. "WindClan ahead."
Moonblaze flicked her tail, signaling for them to crouch down. Shadowpaw did so, and, through the bushes, saw a few WindClan cats, enough to match their patrol, mark a border. "Isn't that the wrong-" she began. Ashfire flicked his tail over her mouth to silence her.
"Watch."
Moonblaze emerged from the bushes, her purple eyes vicious and glaring as she padded toward the cats. "What do you think you're doing?"
"You stole our prey," a tom mewed. Shadowpaw recognized him as Flashfur.
A she-cat, Lightwhisker, nodded, amber eyes flashing. "So, we're simply repaying the favor, just in another way."
"How dare you!" Moonblaze hissed, unsheathing her claws and stepping forward. "We never stole prey!"
Flashfur purred. "Just one cat isn't going to be enough to take on our patrol," he mewed, flicking his tail toward the four cats behind him. Moonblaze narrowed her eyes and flicked her tail, signaling the rest of the patrol to rise. Shadowpaw did, smirking as she relished the WindClan cats' appalled faces.
"Oh, I think the patrol will," Moonblaze mewed with false sweetness. She lifted her tail. "Attack!"
Shadowpaw winced. There's going to be a battle? Shaking off her fear, she launched herself forward, barreling into Flashfur himself. The huge black tom simply batted her aside and clawed her fiercely on one shoulder. Shadowpaw hissed and surged upward, bowling Flashfur over and landing on top of him, slicing his ears. She winced as Flashfur rolled over, crushing her beneath him, and clawed his back.
Flashfur hissed. "Not bad for an apprentice," he snarled. He leaped at her, making her yowl in pain as he held her down firmly and tore out clumps of fur. His pawhold tightened on her neck, making Shadowpaw gasp for breath. Shadowpaw saw black spots from the corner of her eyes, then a white flash.
"Leave her alone!" Shadowpaw could recognize the voice anywhere. It was Moonblaze. Thank StarClan!
Shadowpaw flung herself at Lightwhisker, who was pinning Ashfire down. "Get off him!" she yowled, taking her by surprise and bowling her over. She pinned Lightwhisker down and raked her claws across the pale tabby she-cat's face, making her screech.
"Thanks!" Ashfire panted, pinning down another she-cat.
Shadowpaw turned to see Flashfur hanging limply in Moonblaze's jaws, still flailing. The black tom screeched. "Retreat!" Moonblaze released him and watched, satisfied, as he fled across the border. Shadowpaw released Lightwhisker, who followed. We won.