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Chapter 7

"I…" Faithpaw stared at Siftpaw, who was dancing on the tips of her feet, trying to see Clockpaw better. "I'm not sure I want to save her."

Siftpaw whirled. She shot through the air, knocking him over and holding him there with one paw. Teeth bared, she stuck her face right up to his and snarled, "You're going to help her NOW!"

"Y-yes…" Faithpaw knew he could never beat an apprentice who could fling she-cats into the air. Siftpaw got off, once more looking calm and relaxed. Faithpaw glanced at her uneasily. Maybe I should be a little more careful with her, he thought.

Siftpaw gasped. "It's a bear! Come on, Faithpaw!" Without waiting for an answer, the silver and grey tabby she-cat sprang to her paws and dashed over the border. The AirClan apprentice skidded to a halt. Faithpaw hurried after her.

A huge black bear with a tan muzzle was bending over Clockpaw. She was screaming as he slashed at her face, trying to worm away. He didn't let her go.

Siftpaw leapt into the air. She sprung higher, higher, higher, then latched onto the bear's shoulders. He roared, lifting up into the air. He shook back and forth, but Siftpaw hung on hard to his matted fur.

Faithpaw stared up at her, unable to move. Clockpaw was struggling to her paws, dragging herself away from the scene. Siftpaw hung on. And blood was pouring from the bear's back, making his matted fur even more matted. Siftpaw's claws were rooted in, and her teeth had sunken into his shoulder.

"FAITHPAW! BEHIND YOU!"
Clockpaw's warning yowl jolted him out of his trance. He glanced around and saw a bear nearly twice the size of the first one lumbering right at him.

Faithpaw didn't wait. He shot foreword, his hind legs propelling him across the ground. He took a flying leap and dashed behind a tree, and right onto Clockpaw.

She sprang away from him, looking revolted. "You better help Siftpaw," the grey and brown tabby meowed. "She's got two bears to herself."

Without another word, Clockpaw shot foreword. She too sprung into the air and latched onto the bigger bear. Her claws tore down his back, making long red tracks.

Faithpaw sprinted across the ground. He leaped up too. He rose higher, higher, higher, and then he lashed through the air and caught Siftpaw's bear between the eyes.

He roared. He twisted his head and groaned. Faithpaw slammed his claws into his face. He stared to shake back and forth.

"HANG ON FAITHPAW!" Siftpaw yowled. He watched her from the corner of his eye as she opened her mouth wide and closed it around the bear's neck.

Then she fell down….down….down….

And crunched into the ground, lying on her side, completely limp.

But the bear was falling too. He began to come down. Faithpaw leaped off of him before he hit the ground so he wasn't squashed.

"Siftpaw!" he yowled, fighting to get away from the falling body of the bear. "Siftpaw!"

He collapsed to the ground and dragged himself to her still form. There was a small trickle of blood coming from a sharp dent in her head.

Clockpaw dropped off of her bear, who lumbered off into the forest. She padded over.

"Siftpaw?"

Faithpaw glanced up at her, then carefully touched Siftpaw's face with his paw. It tingled.

She was still. Her blue eyes were glazed white.

"Siftpaw?" Clockpaw whispered softly again.

"Get away, you gay she-cat!" Faithpaw screamed at her. He was so upset, so angry, he had to yell at something.

Clockpaw's unblinking amber eyes met his black ones. "I'm not gay," she whispered. "I swear upon everything in the world that I'm not gay."

He stared at her. She stared at him. Then he looked back at Siftpaw, who was still motionless.

"Siftpaw…" he whispered.

And she opened her eyes. The foggy blankness cleared out of them. She blinked and looked up at him. "Faithpaw? Sorry, I must have spaced out for a moment there. Wow. Did we really kill that bear?"

"You killed it," Faithpaw said. "It wasn't me."

"Well," She said, her normal dreamy, strange tone returning, "You helped me. So you get some of the credit."

He looked into her dark blue eyes. "It wasn't for that."

She shrugged, looking away. "I really have to go back now. My Clan'll be missing me."

Clockpaw looked up at her. "Goodbye, Siftpaw. Bye, Faithpaw. Thanks for helping me." She raised her tail and sunk into the darkness of the trees, disappearing.

"She's not gay," Faithpaw said instantly.

"Of course not. It was just a rumor." Siftpaw said calmly, padding back in the direction of the border. "You thought it was true?"

"Yes. What else could she be?"

"Normal?"

"Well…she seems so strange."

"Do I seem strange?"

Faithpaw looked at her, then thought about her dreamy, calm way of talking. She was as strange as Clockpaw, in her own way.

"I guess so." He muttered.

"And you seem strange to me. Come on, you should get back because I bet everybody in your Clan is hyperventilating."

"Because I'm gone? That's sick."

Siftpaw glanced at him, smirking, "You seem to have forgotten you're the only tom, Faithpaw."

He shrugged. "Whatever."

She moved foreword and gave his ear a lick. His head swam. "Bye, Faithpaw."

She was interrupted by a shout. Then some MidnightClan cats crashed into view.

"There you are! Faithpaw, we were worried crazy about you. And who's this—A she-cat from another CLAN?" It was Northwing speaking, and with her were Brownclaw and Whitefoot. Sunpaw also emerged from the underbrush, and she gave a smoldering look at Siftpaw, enough to make anyone cry.

"I think you've got plenty of mate choices in MidnightClan, Faithpaw," Whitefoot hissed. "Now come along. And get the heck out of our territory, you little witch!" She added the last comment to Siftpaw in a deadly snarl.

Faithpaw followed the patrol back to camp, his tail hanging low. Sunpaw gave him a loving look, but didn't fall in beside him. He was glad. He didn't have the energy to make her go away.

They were back at the camp in no time. Whitefoot led them in. She instantly went to Brightstar. They spoke in low voices, looking over at Faithpaw the whole time.

Finally, Brightstar leaped on top of the Highledge. She called out the summoning yowl, and the cats slowly began to gather. As soon as they were fully assembled, Brightstar began to speak.

"Faithpaw, I have just been told that you were found with a she-cat from another Clan, and she was licking you.

Gasps and moans of hurt echoed from the cats. Faithpaw bristled.

"Why are you choosing cats from other Clans? The no cross-clan mating rule applies to you too. What is it with MidnightClan? Are we not good enough for you?"
Faithpaw stared up into Brighstar's eyes. He narrowed his own. They he snarled, "Yes."

A few of the she-cats broke down sobbing, and had to lean against their friends for comfort. Faithpaw spat at those cats.

Brightstar looked down at him, eyes glimmering. "I am sorry to hear that. But Faithpaw, we cannot have you going with out-of-Clan cats. We are lucky to have the only male in our Clan, and we will take advantage of it! Faithpaw, you are to stay in camp always, except for training."

He stared up at her, furious. This was crazy! Confined in camp so he could get to know his Clanmates and mate with them, not the cats of his choice? This was crazy. He braced his legs to keep the fury from spilling, then turned and stomped into the den.

A few seconds later Earthpaw arrived, and she sat across from him. He curled up, turning away. He felt her gaze on his pelt.

"Faithpaw," She whispered, "Can I talk to you a sec?"

He paused, then moved his head over so he could see her. "What?"
"I just wanted to talk." She stepped a little bit closer.

"Did you like the cat you were with today."

"Course not. I don't like anybody."

"Oh really?" she said playfully, then hurried foreword and snuggled up to him. She dashed back before he cold shy away.

"Faithpaw…" Earthpaw muttered. She came up to him again and lay her head on his shoulder.

"I love you."

He shot to his feet. She backed away.

He leaped at her like Siftpaw had, pinning her down, holding her there with a paw. His teeth bared.

"I HATE YOU!"
Tears leaked from her eyes as he released her. She continued crying on through the night. Faithpaw couldn't get any sleep, and it was not because of Earthpaw's crying.

It was because he suddenly couldn't handle his own emotions.

Review! Predictions, anyone? Thanks to all you loverly reviewers, and I'm sorry I can't reply to you all, it's kinda hard because I get like nine reviews for this story every time I check my inbox. Just know you are well thought of. :) Thank you.