AN: Just a side note…I wouldn't complain over a review or two. -.-
"I don't know what you're talking about," Scorchpaw growled after a few moments of shocked silence.
"You know perfectly well what I am talking about," Meadowpaw meowed levelly, locking her gaze on to Scorchpaw's.
"Um, no, I don't," the dark ginger apprentice repeated, turning around to follow after the rest of SkyClan.
"This isn't who you are," Meadowpaw persisted, racing after the tom. Scorchpaw sped up, realizing just how far ahead his Clan was. He didn't want to travel among them, but he certainly couldn't loose them with his father as well as Smokestripe counting on him to help take down Ravenstar. With bounding leaps, he distanced himself from the light brown she-cat, a group of cats coming into view.
Scorchpaw soon caught up with the rest of his Clanmates. They had halted in front of a fence that spanned across the edge of the grouping of trees. Forgot how to jump, have you? Scorchpaw thought rudely, glaring at Ravenstar. The black tom was always talking. Couldn't he just do something through showing for once in his life?
"…Beyond this fence lie a couple fields and what looks to be like some sort of twoleg building. We can't know what it is until we get there, so for now we will just slip through the bars of this fence and then see what happens."
We really could have figured that out on our own, Scorchpaw sighed inwardly, waiting for the rest of the cats to wriggle through the gaps in the fence before he followed. Meadowpaw leapt up beside him as he pulled himself through the rotting pieces of wood.
The two landed on the grass opposite the forest at the same time. Scorchpaw didn't have to look at Meadowpaw to know that the she-cat was watching him. "I wasn't kidding, you know," the apprentice mewed softly.
Scorchpaw lashed his tail. "About?" he questioned, beginning to pad across the expanse of grass at a brisk pace.
"This isn't who you are," Meadowpaw told him, repeating herself from earlier as she followed after Scorchpaw.
Turning around, Scorchpaw bared his teeth. "What do you know about me?" he growled, challenging the she-cat.
Meadowpaw didn't look phased at all. She watched Scorchpaw calmly, which only angered him further. "How could you possibly know who I am?" he continued, hoping to snatch a few words out of the she-cat who seemed to have made it her mission to annoy him. "Well, say something!" the tom yowled.
She slapped her tail over his mouth. "You'll draw attention to us," she warned.
"Why shouldn't I?" Scorchpaw responded angrily through a mouthful of fur. "You're not telling me anything!"
With a sigh, Meadowpaw removed her tail from Scorchpaw's jaws. Scorchpaw clenched his teeth, waiting for the she-cat to say something to him. He was already readying himself with a handful of insults and retorts as Meadowpaw seemed to contemplate her words.
"You won't listen if I do," she told Scorchpaw simply.
"Oh, believe me, you have my attention now," Scorchpaw snarled sadistically.
"Touched a nerve, have I?" Meadowpaw teased, the light of humor absent from her bright green eyes.
Touched a nerve? Scorchpaw thought. No! Never! What nerve? She hasn't even said anything. This she-cat is insane. Scorchpaw turned and continued following after his Clan, who were already at the next fence. He launched himself after them, hoping it would be fast enough for Meadowpaw to be left behind for once. But her steady pawsteps appeared at his side, a sneer building on her face.
"I told you that I know what you're planning," Meadowpaw persisted, matching his speed.
Scorchpaw skidded to a halt. It took Meadowpaw a few moments to do the same, pivoting to return to the tom's side. "And if you won't admit it, it doesn't matter. I'll tell Ravenstar, anyway."
"Tell Ravenstar what? What, exactly," Scorchpaw tested, taking a few pawsteps toward the she-cat so that the two were uncomfortably close together. Well, uncomfortable for her. Meadowpaw took a step back, a glint of fear shining in her eyes. Scorchpaw hid a smile, knowing it wasn't the time to break his character.
When Meadowpaw spoke, it was in a barely audible tone. Scorchpaw didn't know why, considering that the cats of SkyClan were already halfway across the next field. "You're planning to kill Ravenstar. To take over SkyClan," she whimpered.
"Who told you that?" Scorchpaw persisted, not currently planning on giving away that that was exactly what he planned to do.
"Y-you did," Meadowpaw mewed. "I overheard you and your father at the gorge, and again in the forest."
A loud growl escaped from Scorchpaw's lips. Meadowpaw shrank back, her fur rising in fear. "That's exactly right," the dark ginger apprentice purred cruelly. "Ravenstar will die, others may as well. Mention this again, and I'll put you at the top of the list," he finished, watching the tears spill over Meadowpaw's eyes. "Taught you a lesson, have I?" Scorchpaw taunted. She didn't respond, but Scorchpaw didn't need a response. "Good. I'll see you in the new SkyClan, then."
On that last fierce note, Scorchpaw backed away from Meadowpaw. He began running with quick, powerful leaps. He shoved his way through the second fence, bolting towards the group of cats that were beginning to come to a halt at the third twoleg fence. Scorchpaw focused on the movements of his limbs, trying to push Meadowpaw out of his mind. A niggling thought lingered in the back of his mind. You shouldn't have said all those things to her, it told him. She's too fragile.
Scorchpaw shook his head roughly to expel the thought from his mind. She's fine, he told himself, glancing behind him. Meadowpaw was trudging along, having just passed the second barrier. She'd catch up, or at least not fall far enough behind to get lost. Scorchpaw tore his gaze from her, looking up just in time to not crash into Aspenfrost. He slid to a stop, looking up at Ravenstar with cold eyes.
Ravenstar cleared his throat, looking nervous. "Before us lies what seems to be a home for extremely large monsters. We must cross by this platform, for beyond it lie the foothills which we are aiming for."
The leader paused as a few murmurs of shock passed through the crowd. "Calm down, calm down," Ravenstar told them, his tail twitching in annoyance. "It's not like I'm asking you to bolt straight through the crowd of monsters. We will pass around it as best we can. I'm merely alerting you of the danger."
A coherent speech, congratulations. Scorchpaw rolled his eyes. For once the leader had said something mildly intelligible and assertive. Too late now, though, for his death was already planned at the paws of three of his own cats.
Meadowpaw padded up to the group just as Ravenstar turned and crossed the final fence. Scorchpaw heard her ask Spottedpaw what was going on. At least she's not bothering me anymore, he optimized, a pit forming rapidly in his stomach.
He watched as the light brown she-cat crossed with Spottedpaw in the middle of the group of cats. Now you can be in silence again. Isn't that what you wanted?
Yes, yes it was, Scorchpaw told himself firmly. Focus yourself. Why do you keep thinking of Meadowpaw?
Deciding it would be better to leave that question alone, Scorchpaw joined his Clanmates on the other side as they began to file along the edge of a large twoleg nest. On the other side stood monsters bigger than Scorchpaw could have ever imagined, their height matching that of the twoleg den SkyClan was using to hide from them. Scorchpaw padded quickly along after the rest of his Clan, not wishing to stray too far behind by himself with the monsters nearby. He had never been particularly afraid of the monsters, but the ones on the other side of the twoleg building put all other monsters he had ever seen to shame.
Scorchpaw sighed in dismay as a large thunderpath came into view before him. Monsters—none as big as the ones he had just marveled at—whizzed back and forth almost constantly. On the other side stood the foothills of the mountains, but how many cats would make it across to the next leg of the journey?
With a deep breath, Scorchpaw padded to the head of the group to stand with Tawnythroat, Ravenstar, and Spiderpaw. Three monsters zoomed by before Gingerflight and Smudgenose dashed across with Sagepatch and Aspenfrost at their sides. Another six monsters sped past and then Smokestripe, Lionpaw, Darkmoon, and Mistpaw shot across the thunderpath, staying out of harms way. The next group was made up of Cloud-dew, Creampaw, Willowmist, and Meadowpaw. Scorchpaw found himself especially relieved that this group was ok.
Get a hold of yourself, he advised, bunching his muscles as he and the other three cats he was with prepared to cross the thunderpath. It was easier than he anticipated, his muscles much more energized than he had expected.
The entire Clan on the other side of the path, Scorchpaw watched Ravenstar put on a big smile.
"SkyClan," the large tom meowed with pride shining in his eyes. "To our new home."
Scorchpaw passed on the sarcastic remark as Ravenstar led his Clan pompously towards the mountains before them.