A/N
Sorry for being gone so long...two years to be precise... Finally we get to the good parts! Gotta love me drama to come!
Chapter 2: Sight
"Littlelight is looking for you, Skykit!" Poppykit meowed, and Skykit turned her head as she heard his small paws pad towards her.
Skykit smiled with glee, nuzzling her brother. "Thank you!" She dashed off, following the scent of the the medicine den.
"I'm here, Littlelight!" Skykit called out. Fallenleaf trotted up behind her, her spicy scent wafting to Skykit's nostrils.
"Hey, Skykit," Fallenleaf purred, giving the kit a lick behind the ear. Skykit squeaked as her wet tongue brushed her fur.
"Your tongue is cold, get off!" Skykit laughed, throwing her paws playfully out at Fallenleaf.
"This is your last celandine treatment, Skykit," Littlelight purred proudly. "And you can remove the cobwebs and finally see the world."
Skykit fidgeted. "I'm a little scared," she gulped. Fallenleaf's tail brushed her spine.
"You'll be fine," Fallenleaf assured her. "I'll be right here when you open your eyes, like it should've been when I found you."
"We'll all be here," came Poppykit's voice. Skykit could scent Raventalon as well, her adoptive father.
"Open," Littlelight ordered. Skykit peeled off the cobwebs, blinking as she saw colored blurs that Littlelight told her were browns and greys, with some supposed golds. The celandine liquid seeped into her eyes, and she blinked, rolling her eyes to spread it evenly.
"You can open again now," Littlelight meowed softly. Skykit kept her eyes closed, nervous and visibly shaking.
She felt Fallenleaf's paw on hers and their whiskers touched. "I'm right here."
Skykit let out a shaky sigh, and slowly fluttered open her eyes. She blinked a couple times, her vision clearing. Skykit gasped, stumbling backwards.
She could see! Tears flowed down her cheeks. "I-I can see!" Skykit sobbed, laughing joyfully. She stared at the ashy grey she cat with darker flecks before her.
"Fallenleaf?" She asked hesitantly. It smelled like her, like spice and dust. The cat's eyes twinkled and she nodded.
"You're so pretty!" Skykit exclaimed. She met her friend's eyes. "What color are your eyes?"
"This is green," Fallenleaf purred. Skykit's eyes gleamed.
"Green!" She gasped. "I wanna see grass!"
She stopped, recognizing the mingling scents of Poppykit and Raventalon. "Papa! Poppykit!"
"I love your pelt, Poppykit!" Skykit cried out. "And your eyes are yellow, dad!"
Skykit brushed past them, standing in awe of the camp. She spotted stalks of green sprouting from the ground, and she stroked them with her paw. It was grass!
"Is this grass?" Skykit breathed, turning to Fallenleaf. The warrior nodded.
"What's blue look like?" Skykit gasped, darting away. Fallenleaf chased after her. Skykit stopped, noticing a pebble on the ground.
"A rock! It's grey!" Skykit observed. She giggled, then gasped again as she noticed a flower.
"That's a daisy," Fallenleaf chuckled. Skykit stared in awe at it.
"There's different colors on it," she sounded puzzled and awestruck.
"Yes, the petals are white, center is yellow and the stem is green," Fallenleaf explained. Skykit stood again.
"Can I see water?" She asked brightly.
"There's a pond by the nursery, I'll take you to it," Fallenleaf agreed. Skykit bounced up and down the entire way, asking questions.
"What's that?"
"It's moss."
"It's a different green. Do all colors have different shades?"
"Yes."
"There's so much green here!"
"Yes, there is."
"Is that Grassblade? With Bluekit and Ashkit?"
"Yes."
"She's got grey fur! So does Ashkit. Is Bluekit's fur really blue? It looks more grey to me."
"It's a blue-grey. His eyes are more blue."
"Can I go see?"
"After we see the water, maybe."
"Hey, Fallenleaf?"
"Yes, Skykit?"
Skykit shuffled her paws. "What… what did Dovekit look like?" Fallenleaf stopped short.
"Well, she was white all over," Fallenleaf started. "With light grey splotches, here, here, here, here, and here." She pointed to Skykit's neck, left eye, back, nose, and right hind leg.
Skykit sighed. "I wish she was here. Becoming an apprentice beside me."
Fallenleaf licked Skykit's cheek comfortingly. "I'm sure she's looking happily at you from StarClan." Fallenleaf stopped at a circle in the ground. "This is the pond, and before you ask, yes, it is blue."
Skykit leaned down, looking in amazement at the water, then staggered away as she spotted another cat. "Who's that? Is... is that me?"
Fallenleaf purred. "Yes, silly. Why don't you look?"
Skykit reluctantly peered at her reflection, observing herself cautiously. She was white, with grey and blue grey stripes. She frowned as she noticed the color of her eyes.
"What color are my eyes?" Skykit asked, bewildered.
"Violet, my dear. It's a shade of purple," Fallenleaf smiled. Skykit purred softly.
"Violet," she remarked, staring them back in the pool.
"C'mon!" Fallenleaf tugged on Skykit's scruff and she yelped. "I'm sure Nettlestar is getting ready for your apprentice ceremony.
Skykit gasped. "My ceremony!" She whipped her head around to Fallenleaf. "Could you be my mentor?"
Fallenleaf laughed. "I wish! I don't think Nettlestar would, though. He'll probably choose someone more qualified." She snickered, as if hiding something.
"Are you not telling me something?" Skykit teased. Fallenleaf laughed awkwardly.
"What? No way!" Fallenleaf looked away, and Skykit raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, fine," Fallenleaf admitted. "I'm not going to be your mentor. Nettlestar asked me to be Bluekit's mentor."
Skykit jumped up in glee. "We can still train together!"
"I suppose, I'm just afraid I'm not experienced enough," Fallenleaf sighed, chewing nervously on a claw. Skykit swatted away her paw and smiled warmly.
"You'll be perfect, you furr-ball," she insisted. Fallenleaf sighed in relief.
"Thanks, I needed to hear that," she kicked a pebble across the ground. "Frostygrass and Sunhawk think Snowlion is getting an apprentice, with him being the responsible one."
Skykit gave Fallenleaf a playful nudge. "Snowlion is a stuck up." She turned her nose up and smirked.
Fallenleaf snickered. "Yes, of course." Fallenleaf gasped as they got back to camp. "Nettlestar's already called a meeting!"
She sprinted forward, zigzagging through the pine trees and into the hollow. She skittered to a stop, Skykit just behind her. Fallenleaf nosed her up to the Tallrock. "Go on!" She whispered with an encouraging grin.
Skykit looked down at her fur. It was clumped with pine needles, moss and grass. She glanced over at her siblings with their neatly groomed fur. She blushed heavily as she felt her clanmates' judging eyes on her. Or at least that's what she assumed their eyes were saying, she wasn't very good at reading emotion yet.
Grassblade shook her head and groaned, ashamed Skykit looked like a mangy fox in front of the entire clan. Skykit fidgeted embarrassedly.
"Bluekit, Ashkit and, um, Skykit, you have reached the age of six moons," Nettlestar's voice trailed off slightly, sending Littlelight a look, as if unsure he should make Skykit an apprentice. The small she cat have a curt nod. Skypaw felt a pain in her chest. Dovekit should be beside her.
"And now it is time for you to be apprenticed," Nettlestar announced. "From this day on, you shall be known as Bluepaw. Your mentor will be Fallenleaf. I hope she will pass down all she knows to you."
Nettlestar turned to the ashy grey she cat, who had climbed up the Tallrock to meet her new apprentice.
"Fallenleaf, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received exceptional training from Cinderfrost and you have shown yourself to be determined and nimble. You will be the mentor of Bluepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him," Nettlestar announced.
Bluepaw gave a cocky grin and hastily touched noses with Fallenleaf, resulting in a somewhat hurtful collision.
"Ashkit, from now until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Ashpaw. Your mentor will be Sootfall," Nettlestar turned to the bulky dark grey tom. "You have received excellent training from Dryleaf, and you have proven yourself to be courageous and brave, and I trust you to pass all you know to Ashpaw."
Sootfall and Ashpaw politely bumped noses with calmness glinting in their eyes. Ashpaw looked slightly nervous, but Sootfall gave him a reassuring flick of his ear. Ashpaw's yellow eyes twinkled in relief.
"Skykit, from this day until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Skypaw. Your mentor will be Lionshadow," Nettlestar greeted the golden and brown tabby tom with a friendly blink. "You have been trained well by myself, and you have shown great initiative and wisdom, and I trust you will pass all you know to Skypaw."
The muscular warrior padded up to Skypaw, his amber eyes alight with intelligence and wit. Skypaw's lean legs shook in anxiety, intimidated by his intensity. Skypaw found herself unmoving and frozen. Even in her previous blindness, she had found Lionshadow to be daunting, his voice deep and resonating from higher than her, indicating he was tall and large.
Skypaw gasped as Lionshadow's black, damp nose touched her tiny pink one. His eyes now glinted with amusement of her jumpiness.
The clan started to cheer their new names, but Littlelight clambered into the Tallrock, Poppykit beside her.
"Cats of ShadowClan, as you know, I will not be around forever," Littlelight began, her voice echoing around camp despite her soft tone. "I have chosen a new apprentice. The next medicine cat, shall be Poppykit!"
"Poppykit, do you accept the post of medicine apprentice to Littlelight?" Nettlestar asked, turning his broad face to the golden tabby.
Poppykit nodded enthusiastically. "I do!"
"Then from this day forth, until you earn your medicine cat name, you shall be known as Poppypaw," Nettlestar bellowed.
"At the next half moon, you shall travel to the Moonpool with Littlelight to share dreams with StarClan and be accepted by your ancestors," Littlelight purred, meeting noses with her new apprentice.
Poppypaw bounced with glee, skipping towards Skypaw with gleaming, yellow-green eyes. "So?" He asked.
"So, what?" Skypaw asked, tilting her head.
""How do you like it? Everything? The world?" Poppypaw asked, his ears perked up. Skypaw's violet eyes lit up.
"It's beautiful!" Skypaw exclaimed, dancing around her brother. "I really like green! It's so pretty and everywhere! Blue is amazing too!"
"There is a color that's a mix of the two," Poppypaw chuckled. Skypaw's face went blank in shock.
"No way!" She giggled, bouncing up and down. She hugged him tightly. "I'm glad I can finally really meet you."
Poppypaw pushed her off with a laugh. "You already knew me, Skypaw. I'm your brother." He lolled over her, resting his side against her dramatically.
"I mean getting to look at you, you bee-brain!" Skypaw cackled, shoving him off. He collapsed with a grunt and a dust cloud puffed up in the air.
Poppypaw huffed and glared up at her with a raised eyebrow. He leapt up with a playful roar and tackled Skypaw to the ground, nipping at her ears.
"Get off, you lump!" Skypaw laughed, swatting harmlessly at his cheeks. Poppypaw growled, tossing her across the ground. Skypaw grunted, shaking the dust from her fur.
She pricked her ears, listening for him to make a move. Poppypaw's feet scuffed the ground, and he starting running. Skypaw gasped, realizing she hadn't been focusing on her eyes but instead of hearing.
"Oof!" Skypaw gasped, getting the wind knocked out of her as she was pinned to the ground.
Poppypaw pulled himself off her and stared at with confusion. "You saw me coming." He stated, his voice puzzled.
Skypaw shuffled her paws embarrassedly. "I-I didn't? I mean, I did but I didn't focus on that. I wasn't seeing what I was seeing… Does that make sense?"
Poppypaw shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose. You've been using your ears and nose your entire life. And suddenly you have this whole new sense you never knew before. Of course your instincts wouldn't be to rely on it."
Skypaw sighed, nervously flexing her claws. "Maybe I should've become a medicine cat with you, Poppypaw."
Her brother gasped and shoved her. "No way! You're going to make a great warrior one day. I just know it! Just have faith."
She looked up at him with round, damp violet eyes. "You think?"
Poppypaw nuzzled her cheek with his own. "I know so." He insisted. His eyes drifted towards Lionshadow, who has began walking towards them.
"I think Lionshadow wants to take you out to see the territory," Poppypaw nodded his head towards the golden and brown tabby. Skypaw swung her head around and mewed a goodbye to her brother before slipping away.
"H-hello, Lionshadow!" Skypaw stammered, trying to puff her chest out. He purred in amusement.
"Come on, Skypaw," he chuckled deeply. His voice was thick like honey and deep like a toad croak. "I don't bite." He teased and he gave her a playful nudge, but he unbalanced her and she stumbled over slightly.
"Whoa, ahaha," Skypaw laughed nervously. Am I sweating? I can't tell if he likes me. Oh StarClan I think he hates me! She fumbled after him, panting as he broke out into a run through the thorn tunnel.
"Ah! Urgh, come on!" Skypaw groaned, trying to keep up with him. She grunted as her paws seemed to catch under every tree root and fern.
Lionshadow hadn't turned to see if she was catching up or not. Skypaw cried out as she had forgotten her use of her eyes and slammed right into the trunk of a pine tree.
Skypaw whimpered softly, rubbing her muzzle. She heard Lionshadow's paws halt and march towards her.
"Are you okay?" Lionshadow asked hesitantly, his voice thick. Skypaw groaned, staring in bewilderment at the red droplets on the ground. "It smells like blood." She stated dizzily.
Lionshadow hurried to her side, inspecting her bleeding nose. "That's because it is."
"Oh," Skypaw mumbled, her head spinning. "How was I supposed to know?" She felt woozy.
Lionshadow looked at her with confused amber eyes. He raised an eyebrow, showing he didn't understand.
"I was blind," Skypaw laughed, almost sarcastically. "I don't know what anything looks like." Blood continued to fall from her nose. "I won't make a good apprentice." She laughed again, this time sadly and more of a scoff.
Lionshadow licked the blood from her nose and helped her up. "I can teach you." He looked away timidly. "I've never had an apprentice before."
Skypaw stood up shakily, her muzzle throbbing. "Then it'll just be harder." She sighed, arching her back.
"Look," Lionshadow sat her down and sat next to her. "I know how you feel."
Skypaw pushed his paw off hers with fury. "No, you don't! How could you?"
"I do know, Skypaw," Lionshadow insisted. He stared at his paws. "I had a son. He was blind at birth, but Twolegs fixed him."
Skypaw lifted her head. "That's great! But, why isn't he here with you? If you joined the clans why wouldn't he?" Her voice grew hesitant.
Lionshadow stirred up dead leaves with a swish of his thick tail. "He killed himself. Ran right in the path of a monster."
"Oh, my StarClan!" Skypaw gasped. "That's horrible! Why would he do that?"
"I think you know the answer to that question," Lionshadow meowed gruffly. "You said it yourself."
Lionshadow stood and helped her find her paws as well. Skypaw thought for a moment as they slowly walked through the forest.
"He didn't think he'd make a good cat?" She wondered aloud. Lionshadow's eyes dulled.
"He thought he was useless," Lionshadow's voice was bleak. It reminded Skypaw of the color grey, which she found more of a sad color as well.
"He was too overwhelmed by his newfound sight, too many sounds, scents, colors, he had told me," Lionshadow's voice grew softer with every word. He cleared his throat. "But I can't change it. What I can change, is you."
Skypaw flicked her ears in confusion. "What do you mean?" She yelped as Lionshadow scooped her up by the scruff and carried her over uprooted tree roots.
"I can help you grow accustomed to your new sense," he meowed, Skypaw looking down at her paws and carefully stepping over the dips and stones in the ground.
"It's just so weird," Skypaw mewed. "I'm so used to just listening and smelling my way around." She gasped as Lionshadow swiftly leaped over a fallen log. He nodded for Skypaw to try.
Skypaw wiggled her haunches, her eyes focused on the log. "Remember!" Lionshadow called out. "Just use your eyes!"
Skypaw forced her breath to even out, but her heart still thrummed quickly, echoing in her ears. She exhaled sharply, breaking out into a sprint.
Her paws glided over the grass, and she laughed within the run, feeling free. Skypaw sprang up, but her strides were too narrow for her to make it.
She crashed into the log, the upper half of her body hanging over it. She scrambled up, clawing at the log with her claws and pulling herself over it. Lionshadow's eyes were twinkling with amusement.
Skypaw gave a short exhale and puffed out her cheeks. "Don't laugh!" She groaned as she noticed Lionshadow's small smile.
"No, no!" Lionshadow pleaded. "I'm not laughing. I'm proud. I didn't expect such a good running stance from you."
Skypaw raised an eyebrow as she picked bits of leaves and twigs that caught in her fur when she had fallen. "What's that supposed to mean?" She spat out a piece of bark.
Lionshadow sighed and rolled his eyes. "C'mon," he flicked his tail for her to follow.
Skypaw crawled up, marching after her mentor. A sappy, squirrelly scent drowned her nose and she felt sick from it. She screwed up her nose and stuck out her tongue in disgust.
"What in StarClan is that smell?" Skypaw gagged, coughing as they approached a greener area with thick undergrowth and tall oak trees.
"ThunderClan," Lionshadow spat, his eyes centered on something behind Skypaw. The she cat spun around and hunched down as several cats approached them.
"Yellowscar," Lionshadow growled, his eyes slitting. The bulky, tannish-cream tabby tom scoffed.
"Lionshadow," the cream tabby snarled. His yellow eyes settled on Skypaw. She felt like her pelt was on fire.
"Who's the little scrap with you? Some stray, like all ShadowClan scraps?" Yellowscar spat harshly, his voice gravelly. It made Skypaw's fur bristle.
"At least I have a scrap of a good personality!" Skypaw snapped back, her words spewing out with no filter. Her eyes sparked like the beginnings of a wildfire.
Yellowscar recoiled in surprise at her hasty retort. He growled under his breath and leaned into her face, his hot, smelly breath on her whiskers. He looked her up and down with a disdainful look.
Skypaw swished saliva in her mouth and spat it at him. Yellowscar flinched back in astonishment and disgust. He swiped his paw over his muzzle and groaned.
"You should teach your apprentice to curb her rude manners," Yellowscar scoffed with a scornful glance at Skypaw.
"Yes, of course, Yellowscar," Lionshadow meowed in a fake cheery voice. Skypaw looked up at him like she'd been betrayed. Lionshadow gazed down at her briefly with a sly gleam in his eyes.
"Perhaps she will when you learn how to freshen your breath and not be an arse," Lionshadow chuckled, still maintaining his polite-like tone. Yellowscar stood offended and thrown off guard.
"Good day to you," Lionshadow dipped his head courteously and ushered himself and Skypaw away calmly.
A light brown she cat with a paler underbelly jabbed Yellowscar in the side. "Yellowscar!" She gasped. "Aren't you going to do anything?"
"Shut up, Dustcloud," he barked, pushing her to the side. She shamefully looked down at her paws and bit her lip.
"S-sorry, jeez," she muttered dejectedly, kicking up a clump of soil and grass.
"I said shut up, you fool!" Yellowscar howled, his muzzle in her face. Dustcloud leaned back and nodded meekly, her ears flat against her head.
"Are all ThunderClanners like that?" Skypaw asked, shaking out the chills that Yellowscar had given her.
Lionshadow picked at a clod of dirt. "Well, no." He beckoned her to come closer. "They all are different, like soil. There's the hard earthy kind, the soft squishy kind, and then there's plain mud."
Skypaw nodded, feeling the earth with her paw. "It's such a nice brown color! And soft too!" She noticed, her eyes round in awe.
"Yes," Lionshadow agreed. "But no matter how different the soil looks and feels, it will always be soil."
Skypaw thought for a moment. "So, no matter how a ThunderClan cat acts, they're always ThunderClanners?" Skypaw realized her words. "They'll always be ThunderClan, but then if they act different, what really is a ThunderClan cat?"
"A stuck up," Lionshadow growled, flicking the dirt clump away. "They want to fix the problems of every clan, butting into our business and think they're the best."
"They have no right doing that!" Skypaw gasped. "We can fix our own problems if one should arise."
Lionshadow purred. "Well said, Skypaw," he chuckled, swishing his tail as he padded forward. Skypaw scampered after him proudly.
"What are the other clans like?" Skypaw asked, her legs beginning to feel weary, but she pushed on. Fallenleaf had told her she'd get used to walking so much.
"RiverClan are avid swimmers," Lionshadow's back tingled with chills as he spoke. "They're almost always plump, with their large build and availability of food throughout every season."
Skypaw giggled. "They sound funny!"
Lionshadow purred rumbly. "I suppose so, but beware, their smell of fish might drive you away."
"Ew!" Skypaw gasped, giving him a playful push and laughing. Lionshadow snickered softly and grunted as he bumped into Skypaw, as she had frozen.
"What's the matter?" Lionshadow meowed, his voice alarmed and fretful. Lionshadow peered at her, walking around and standing in front of her. Tears were forming in her round eyes.
"Is something wrong?" He asked, clearly worried. Skypaw brushed past him, her eyes wide and unblinking.
The rows of pine trees had come to a stop, but instead replaced by light brown and lime green plants were scattered along the pale tan ground.
Glistening, sky blue water stretched for hundreds of fox lengths, the sun shining off the water and sparkling on the surface. Mounds of bright grass could be seen in the far distance, presumably WindClan territory.
Tears found their way into Skypaw's eyes and rolled down her cheeks. "It's… so beautiful," she breathed, gasping as she was breath taken.
Lionshadow seemed to sigh in relief. "I suppose it is." He agreed, staring across the lake.
"C-can we go to it?" Skypaw asked, bouncing up. Lionshadow purred and nodded.
Skypaw laughed and raced forward, her paws throwing up soil behind her. Skypaw skidded to a halt once her paws reached the sandy soil. She stared down at the ground and rubbed her paw pads against the grit.
"What… what is this?" Skypaw asked, taking wary steps backwards.
"It's called sand," Lionshadow snickered as Skypaw chewed on a claw that got sand stuck in it.
"It tastes bad!" Skypaw spat, licking her fur to try and get the taste of it off her tongue.
"You're not supposed to eat it," Lionshadow sniggered. Skypaw huffed and whirled around at him.
"I know that!" Skypaw protested. "It got all in my claws." She grumbled.
"It does that," Lionshadow growled, now picking at his own claws. "Perhaps we should get back to camp."
"Camp?" Skypaw jumped in surprise. "But we're supposed to learn to hunt! And fight!" She swung her tail back and forth. "Can we go hunting?"
Lionshadow purred in amusement. "I don't know what thistledown the warriors have been putting in your head, but most apprentices only look at the territory on their first day."
Skypaw sunk down in sorrow. "Oh." She crawled over towards the shore and began picking at the soft sand-soil. The water pulled out, Skypaw venturing forward.
"I wouldn't advise you to do that!" Lionshadow yowled after her.
Skypaw shrieked as the water began rushing back to shore, the wetness touching her paws. She cried out and raced back to Lionshadow.
She crawled under him and poked her head from under his chest. "It's cold!" She whimpered.
"It almost always is," Lionshadow meowed, holding in a laugh. "Come on, we can tell Bluepaw and Ashpaw all about your adventure."
"They don't like me," Skypaw stated. "I wanna tell Poppypaw. He likes me."
"Why don't they like you?" Lionshadow asked, concern flickering in his eyes.
Skypaw shrugged. "I dunno. They say Grassblade doesn't love me like a daughter. That she liked Dovekit better, or didn't even want she kits."
"Well, is it true?" Lionshadow meowed. He draped his plump tail over Skypaw's back.
"I'm not sure," Skypaw confessed. "Grassblade started acting differently when Littlelight's treatment began working. I think it's because everyone thought I was useless when I couldn't see."
"That's certainly not true," Lionshadow insisted. He flicked his ear. "I thought you were pretty brave. So did Fallenleaf and Shadygrass."
Skypaw's shoulders stood higher. "I suppose they did," she meowed slowly. "But they have a strong connection to me. They're the ones who found me."
"We like you, Skypaw," Lionshadow stated out of the blue. Skypaw tilted her head in confusion at him.
"We don't think you're useless," he meowed, meeting her eyes.
Her shoulders sagged. "Blacktooth does."
"Blacktooth is sensitive about rogues. They killed his sister and mother," Lionshadow sighed heavily. "Sweetshade and Crowpaw." He meowed with sorrowful sympathy.
"I'm not a rogue though!" Skypaw growled. "I'm a ShadowClan cat! It's not like I'm the one who killed his family!"
Lionshadow huffed with exasperation. "You know that's not what I meant."
"But it's what you said!" Skypaw cried out. "You don't think I'm a ShadowClan cat! You think I'm scum! Just some bad rogue!"
"No! I don't think you're a bad rogue!" Lionshadow insisted with persistence. "You're just the product of bad rogues."
Skypaw flinched in surprise at his words. She stared up at him with fury and tears. Lionshadow looked like he regretted what he said.
"No, ugh, that's not what I meant either!" Lionshadow yelled after her as Skypaw began hurriedly pacing away from him.
"I know the way back to camp," Skypaw hissed sharply, her voice breaking. "I think you should too." She sprinted away, bumping into ferns along the way.
Tears streamed down her face as she ran, her throat hot and dry now. Skypaw cried out as her paw caught under a dip in the ground and she rolled down the mound and skidded into mud.
Skypaw picked herself up, wincing as her paw twinged with pain when she stood on it. Her ears echoed with the taunts of her denmates and the words of both Yellowscar and Lionshadow.
"What an impurity!" "She could never breed with purebloods like us!" "All rogues are good for nothing trouble!" "She'll bring dishonor to ShadowClan!" "We should never have let a blind cat into our clan!" "Who's this scrap? A stray?" "Just the product of bad rogues!" "Bad rogues!"
Skypaw picked herself up, now coating in mud and her ruffled fur stuck up in different angles.
Skypaw sniffled, swallowing dryly. She limped forward, wincing as her foreleg throbbed with pain. Skypaw slunk through the thorn tunnel of camp hurriedly, running into the broad chest of a sooty grey cat with a grey throat.
"Watch where you're going!" The cat- Blacktooth- snapped at her. His rotted looking teeth split into a sinister smirk. "Oh, right, I forgot. You can't."
"I'm not blind anymore, Butttooth!" Skypaw spat back. Blacktooth laughed sarcastically at her.
"But do you really use your eyes?" He growled, shoving his muzzle up to hers. "You can't even see how much you are not welcome here."
Skypaw sunk down, her tail between her legs. Blacktooth smiled at the reaction he received.
"Aw, is poor little Crypaw sad?" Blacktooth mocked. "Don't worry, mommy and daddy will comfort you." He grinned to himself again darkly. "Oh, I forgot again! They're dead!"
Skypaw's chest tightened and her claws sunk into the earth. She kept her head down, just as Littlelight told her to if he was provoking her.
"At least your sister wasn't a useless, blind mute!" Blacktooth snarled, giving her a harsh push. "Say something, you runt!"
Blacktooth scoffed, rolling his murky yellow eyes. "You're just as bad as those good-for-nothing friends of yours. Always fooling around and talking back to us responsible warriors."
"What friends?" Skypaw choked out.
"Why, Fallenleaf and Shadygrass, of course," Blacktooth meowed gruffly. "It's a shame too, I trained Shadygrass myself but Nettlestar only called him that because he's got grass for brains. Fallenleaf isn't any better. She's irresponsible and reckless. I'm surprised Nettlestar gave her an apprentice. She should just walk off a gorge!"
Blacktooth began to cackle, but he stopped as Skypaw pounced on him with fury, slashing aimlessly at his shoulders and ears, biting him wherever she could.
No one, and I mean NO ONE insults Shadygrass and Fallenleaf and gets away with it! Skypaw screamed in her mind, chomping down on his foreleg.
Skypaw felt as she struck flesh, his dark ash fur getting embedded in her claws. Skypaw cried out as Blacktooth's hind legs jabbed into her belly and threw her off. Skypaw coughed out dust, staring at her paws, which were coated in dried mud.
A shadow loomed over her, and Skypaw whirled around to see Blacktooth standing victoriously over her. Skypaw spat out blood that had welled in her mouth.
"Don't test me, runt," Blacktooth growled. "I will end you, and your sad, pathetic life and friends."
Blacktooth began to walk away, but Skypaw called out after him. "Don't touch Fallenleaf. You can degrade me however you wish, but you so much as let her exquisite name roll off of your vile tongue, I will be the one to end you."
Blacktooth glanced back at her. His face revealed nothing as to what he was thinking, with his buck tooth from his bottom jaw sticking out and his yellow eyes slitted.
Fallenleaf entered camp, a plump rabbit in her jaws. She gazed about, dropping her prey when she noticed Skypaw injured on the ground.
"SKYPAW!" Fallenleaf shrieked, bounding over to her and scanning her for serious wounds.
"Are you okay?" Fallenleaf's scent surrounded her, warm and spicy. It reminded Skypaw of a soft crimson color.
"Yeah," Skypaw breath, her mind spinning with Fallenleaf's sudden presence. Fallenleaf's paws held one of Skypaw's paw. It made her heart stop and her breath catch.
"Are you sure?" Fallenleaf asked gently. "You have blood on your face." She noted, leaning in and licking the corner of Skypaw's mouth, cleaning away the blood that Blacktooth had drawn.
Skypaw's face felt hot and her heart was now beating heavily and fast like raindrops falling on the ground. She nodded absently.
"I'm…" Skypaw gulped, her attention drawn away by Fallenleaf's grass colored eyes. "Just fine!" Skypaw laughed nervously, painfully pulling herself up. Her body ached with bruises but she barely felt it compared to the feeling she got when she looked over at Fallenleaf only to see she was looking too.
"Where's Lionshadow?" She asked, looking about.
Skypaw hung her head. "We got into a fight. About my parents."
"Grassblade and Raventalon?" Fallenleaf asked in confusion.
"No!" Skypaw said quickly. "My real parents! Everyone assumes because they weren't clan cats that means they're bad!" Tears began to form in her eyes quickly. "I bet they loved me and Dovekit a lot, and I wish cats didn't judge me because they were rogues!"
"Skypaw," Fallenleaf began gently. She wiped away the hot tears that had began to fall down her cheeks. "I'm sure they did love you. A cat wouldn't die for someone they didn't love, and that tom in the fox den died for you and Dovekit. The fact you are safe shows how much they wanted to protect you."
"Then why do other cats think they were bad?" Skypaw sniffed.
"I don't know," Fallenleaf admitted. "But they're wrong. I know it. You know it. And that's what really matters."
Skypaw leaned her head against Fallenleaf. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Skypaw," Fallenleaf purred. "And just so you know, I love you as well."
Skypaw felt a rumble in her own chest. She closed her eyes and imagined Dovekit beside her. As Dovepaw. Things weren't perfect, but they were going to be okay. After all, with Fallenleaf by her side, what could go wrong?
A/N
Well, gee, that ominous ending sure doesn't have any darker implications AT ALL. Anyways, this has been dead for so long and I got in the mood for it so I decided to finish the third chapter! Below are the allegiances by the way!
ShadowClan
Leader: Nettlestar: a dark brown tabby tom with a pale underbelly and long claws
Deputy: Cinderfrost: dark grey she cat with lighter flecks and blue eyes
Medicine cat: Littlelight: a small, dappled brown-golden she cat with honey colored eyes
Apprentice: Poppypaw
Warriors
Raventalon: a black tom with white paws, chest and yellow eyes
Apprentice: Wildpaw
Gemclaw: a black tabby tom with a white and grey underside and green eyes
Blacktooth: a dark soot colored tom with a white throat and yellowy teeth
Starkwing: a dark grey tabby tom with yellow eyes
Apprentice: Icepaw
Goldenrain: golden tabby she cat with amber eyes and a brownish cream underbelly
Grassblade: a dark grey fuzzy she cat with bright green eyes
Olivefur: a dark brown tom with black paws and tail tip
Berryclaw: a dark cream tabby tom with light blue eyes
Apprentice: Flamepaw
Sunhawk: golden and orange tom with amber eyes and long claws
Fallenleaf: ashy grey she cat with darker flecks, mottled and pale green eyes
Apprentice: Bluepaw
Whitelight: a pure white she cat with sharp amber eyes
Apprentice: Acornpaw
Lizardwhisker: a dappled brown tom with almost greenish tints
Sootfall: a dark grey tom with one white paw
Apprentice: Ashpaw
Minnowflash: a grey and murky brown she cat
Lionshadow: a golden and brown tabby tom with silver-blue eyes
Apprentice: Skypaw
Mothpond: pale golden tom with light cream paws
Snowlion: large white tom with dark brown accents and deep blue eyes
Cloudheart: a slim white she cat with dark green eyes
Apprentice: Redpaw
Thornfang: a brown and grey splotched tom
Frostygrass: light brown she cat with silver flecks and green eyes
Ferretstripe: a light brown and cream tabby tom with a puffy tail
Apprentice: Cloverpaw
Barkshade: a handsome tortoiseshell tom
Pinepelt: a dark reddish brown speckled tom with round green eyes
Apprentice: Mudpaw
Shadygrass: brown tom with black dapples and green eyes
Pouncetail: a dark ginger tabby tom
Apprentice: Vixenpaw
Apprentices
Poppypaw: a light golden tom with dark orange-bracken colored stripes
Wildpaw: black, brown and white speckled she cat
Icepaw: a white she cat with dark green eyes
Snowpaw: a white she cat with one green eye and one yellow eye
Flamepaw: a light ginger tom with white paws and tail tip
Bluepaw: a dark blue grey tom with grey paws and blaze
Acornpaw: a caramel brown colored tabby tom
Ashpaw: a light grey speckled tom with a white chest and yellow eyes
Skypaw: a white and silver tabby she cat with lavender eyes
Redpaw: a tall, dark reddish brown tom with golden eyes
Cloverpaw: a dark brown and caramel mottled she cat with white paws and green eyes
Mudpaw: a dark brown she cat with black paws, ears and splotches
Vixenpaw: a dark red she cat with black paws, ears, cream underbelly and a fuzzy tail
Queens
Raggedfern: a dark brown she cat with pale green eyes and ruffled fur (mother of Sneezekit, Emberkit and Mosskit; four moons old)
Gingerbreeze: a thick haired ginger she cat with darker paws (expecting Pouncetail's kits)
Sorrelsong: a small, long legged calico she cat with soft blue eyes (mother of Seedkit, Tawnykit, Willowkit and Sagekit; three moons old)
Elders
Dryleaf: brown and black mottled she cat; eldest in ShadowClan
Shredear: a dark grey and white speckled tom with scarred ears
Palefog: a light grey tom with hazy blue eyes
Kits
Sneezekit: a white and grey splotched tom
Emberkit: a dark ginger she kit with lighter flecks and black paws
Mosskit: a pale brown she cat with grey eyes and stripes
Seedkit: a light yellowish tom with brown stripes, chest and ears
Tawnykit: a light brown, blue-grey and white splotched tom
Willowkit: a beautiful silvery tabby she kit
Sagekit: a solid black she kit with round green eyes and long legs
ThunderClan
Leader: Duskstar: a dark, blue grey tom with black paws
Deputy: Amberfern: a dark ginger-brown tom with small ears
Apprentice: Bramblepaw
Medicine cat: Hollythorn: a lean, elderly black tom with amber eyes
Apprentice: Leafwind: a tiny, brown tabby she cat with grey eyes
Warriors
Daisystalk: a pale cream she cat with amber eyes
Apprentice: Squirrelpaw
Sprucefoot: a dark brown tom with white stripes
Newtfeather: a sleek, brown-grey she cat with black swirl-stripes and yellow eyes
Apprentice: Stormpaw
Birchleaf: a tall, light brown tabby tom with a white chest and paws
Dewwing: a short-legged, pale blue-grey she cat with a white underbelly and mask
Paleclaw: a light creamy tom with dark blue eyes
Apprentice: Lilacpaw
Yellowscar: a bulky, tannish-cream tabby tom with various scars
Pebbledust: a pale, smokey grey speckled she cat
Orangeflower: a light amber colored tabby she cat with a paler underside
Apprentice: Brightpaw
Smokeheart: a grey she cat with a white chest
Apprentice: Lambpaw
Quailclaw: a dark grey tom with black and white flecks
Webshade: a pale silver she cat with odd white stripes
Dustcloud: a light brown she cat with a paler underbelly and amber eyes
Apprentices
Bramblepaw: dark brown tabby tom with a paler underbelly and amber eyes
Squirrelpaw: a light grey tom with a thick tail and amber eyes
Stormpaw: a light grey and black tom
Lilacpaw: a silver tabby she with narrow blue eyes
Brightpaw: a white and ginger tabby she cat
Lambpaw: a grey-white, thick furred she cat with amber eyes
Queens
Honeybee: a light ginger she cat with black swirl-stripes and white paws (expecting Duskstar's)
Rowanfoot: a light brown she cat with dark brown swirls (mother of Darkkit, Tigerkit and Fawnkit; five moons)
Elders
Smallwhisker: a black she cat with a white chest, tail and paws
Bearclaw: large brown tom with long fur, black spots and a cream muzzle
Kits
Darkkit: a dark brown tom with black splashes
Tigerkit: a dark ginger she kit with dark brown eyes
Fawnkit: a reddish tom with white speckles
RiverClan
Leader: Featherstar: a sleek dark grey she cat with white flecks
Deputy: Paddlefoot: a silvery grey tom with black paws
Medicine cat: Mossfoot: an amber tom with black stripes, white underbelly and green eyes
Apprentice: Puddlepaw
Warriors
Redthorn: a light ginger tom with white paws and chest
Dovesplash: a light grey she cat with white splotches
Mistsky: misty grey she cat
Apprentice: Shellpaw
Hailcloud: a white and grey tabby tom
Willowthorn: greyish white she cat with green eyes
Apprentice: Timberpaw
Whitepetal: white she cat with green eyes
Morningpelt: ginger tabby tom with paler underbelly
Gooseleap: a grey tom with darker grey mottles
Brightmask: ginger mottled she cat
Apprentice: Patchpaw
Podwhisker: dark grey tabby tom
Apprentice: Spiderpaw
Rainpetal: a white she cat with black splashes
Hollynose: a dark reddish tabby she cat with a greyish nose
Russetstripe: a dark reddish tabby tom with black ears
Apprentice: Snakepaw
Apprentices
Puddlepaw: a handsome, small blue and greyish tabby tom with bright yellow eyes
Shellpaw: an albino she cat with pinkish eyes
Timberpaw: a white she cat with dark brown flecks
Patchpaw: a pudgy, calico she cat with long whiskers
Spiderpaw: a light brown tom with long legs and a short tail
Snakepaw: a tortoiseshell tom with a white underbelly
Queens
Waterbreeze: a pale, blue grey tabby she cat (mother of Oatkit, Tumblekit and Violetkit; one moon)
Lilypuddle: a pale silver mottled she cat (mother to Smallkit and Littlekit; three moons)
Ravenfall: fluffy black she cat with ruffled fur (mother of Lizardkit and Loudkit; four moons)
Elders
Pepper: a black and grey tom
Clamheart: old grey she cat with thin black markings
Lakepool: thick furred grey tabby she cat
Scorpionheart: a dark tom with ginger streaks
Kits
Oatkit: yellowish brown tom with darker flecks
Tumblekit: a dark grey she kit with a blue grey chest and tail
Violetkit: grey and white she kit
Smallkit: a light brown and white tabby she kit
Littlekit: a thin white and grey tom
Lizardkit: black tom with green eyes
Loudkit: white tom with yellow-green eyes
WindClan
Leader: Swiftstar: a black and white splotched tom
Deputy: Sharpsnow: a caramel brown tom with a white underbelly and legs
Apprentice: Olivepaw
Medicine cat: Crimsonpool: deep ginger tom with dark cream underbelly and lime eyes
Apprentices: Berrypaw, Mudpaw
Warriors
Jaystreak: grey tabby tom with blue eyes
Deerheart: brown and white she cat with light green eyes
Apprentice: Lichenpaw
Nightmist: black she cat with silver flecks
Frecklefur: light grey tom with dark brown and light ginger spots
Ripplestep: cream tom with tabby stripes
Apprentice: Eaglepaw
Smokepool: smokey grey tom with white smears
Apprentice: Spottedpaw
Waspwing: a narrow faced dark ginger she cat with black paws
Curlleaf: chubby brown tom with curly fur and green eyes
Beescar: light brown tabby tom with darker flecks and small scars all over
Leafcatcher: cream she cat with darker dapples
Apprentice: Sedgepaw
Swampgust: dark brown she cat with dark green eyes
Apprentice: Avianpaw
Ivyscratch: skinny silver and grey tabby she cat with shaggy fur
Timberlurk: tall dark brown tom
Foxnose: a ginger tom with darker ears, legs, strikes and black spots
Apprentices
Olivepaw: a dark brown and grey speckled she cat
Berrypaw: reddish brown she cat with yellow-green eyes
Mudpaw: light brown she cat with one dark brown paw and half of her tail
Lichenpaw: a silvery grey tom with thick, messy fur
Eaglepaw: a dark brown tom with a white mask and paws
Spottedpaw: a thin, tortoiseshell she cat with yellow eyes
Sedgepaw: a murky, grey-brown speckled tom
Avianpaw: fluffy dark brown she cat with darker ruffles
Queens
Wavesong: grey and dark grey she cat with blue grey ring marks and blue eyes (mother to Splashkit, Cometkit, and Bloomkit; two moons old)
Kindleflame: skinny taupe brown she cat with long legs, tail and fur (mother of Buzzardkit, Logkit, Softkit, and Tawnykit; five moons old)
Elders
Crescentmoon: a grey she cat with amber eyes and white splashes
Snakegrass: an old, dark brown tabby tom
Mottlefur: a long legged, tortoiseshell tom with faded blue eyes
Kits
Splashkit: white she kit with black splashes
Cometkit: a dark grey tom with distinct amber eyes
Bloomkit: a grey tabby she cat with white stripes
Buzzardkit: taupe brown tom with black ear tips, paws and tail tip
Logkit: a brown tom with darker flecks
Softkit: a fluffy cream she kit
Tawnykit: a brown tabby tom