CHAPTER 1
Wind brushed past her fur as Willowpaw padded through the undergrowth. Her whiskers twitched with curiosity as she opened her jaws to taste the air. She was on a hunting mission; normally she preferred hunting in open territory, but today her mentor had sent her in thicker undergrowth. Leaves littered the ground, making it difficult for her to see where the prey was hiding. The acrid tang of pine trees made her nose wrinkle in disgust.
Willowpaw sank to the ground when she detected movement in the undergrowth. It could have just been the warm breeze that picked up. Or it could have been a snake winding it's way through the undergrowth. Either way she was about to find out if it was prey or a predator.
Her haunches wriggled as she leaped forward, claws outstretched. A squeal sounded as they landed on their mark. Sure enough a mouse had been hiding in the undergrowth, scuffling around for seeds and such. Willowpaw beamed as she made a quick kill. This would prove that she was a good hunter in both open territory and thick undergrowth.
She found a place to bury the mouse by an open clearing. This was where moss was gathered by the apprentices. Patchy grass grew around the edges of the clearing. Hard soil covered most of the area, making it unstable for apprentices to practice their battle moves. Orangestripe, one of the oldest cats in LeafClan, had once told her that the clearing had once had a pool within it. The pool had dried up many seasons ago during a terrible drought that wiped out many warriors.
I wonder if it's true, Willowpaw thought after she was finished hiding her prey. Because he'd once been a kittypet Orangestripe had a longer life-span than his denmates. He'd seen many elders come and go in his time. He was known for telling good stories and always had a good sense of humor around kits. Of course when we're around, he's usually just a cranky furball, Willowpaw added silently.
The silvery gray apprentice began to wind her way through the grove of trees that grew around the hill. This was where most of the prey was caught, according to her brother. Ghostpaw was always bragging about how much of a better hunter he was compared to her. She would roll her eyes at him and ignore him, but this time she was determined to prove that she was the better hunter. Her nose twitched as she detected the scent of a squirrel mixed with the scents of the forest.
"Willowpaw, I think you've caught enough prey." She stiffened when the squirrel raced away from her clutches. Anger pierced at her chest as she whirled around to face the source of the voice. Sure enough her mentor was standing behind her, eyes narrowed and tail lashing in annoyance. "I already told you to catch only what you can manage to carry," he added.
"And you think a couple of mice and a scrawny looking vole will feed the Clan?" Willowpaw spat.
"As your mentor I advise that you not argue with what I say," Birdclaw meowed calmly. She could tell that he was trying to control his temper. His fur was fluffed up only by the slightest, and his amber eyes were dark as he kept his gaze steady.
Gotcha, Willowpaw thought as she noticed a crack in his normally steely gaze.
"Oh, so you think Boulderstar, my father and former leader of ThunderClan would appreciate what you just said?" she asked coldly.
Again she winced as she mentioned her father. Boulderstar had never been close to his kits. They'd only been born because he felt a need to help the Clan grow in numbers. Their mother, Mistybird, had always been better off with someone else. Birdclaw's frame seemed to melt under her glare as she watched him carefully.
"I-I'm sorry," he muttered. "Forgive me, Boulderstar."
Willowpaw raised her chin as she looked around. The squirrel that she'd seen was no longer visible, but she could hear it's chatter. It must have climbed a tree, a place that Willowpaw knew she couldn't reach. She forced back a sigh of frustration as she went for the fresh-kill buried around the hill. Birdclaw would punish her when they returned to camp. She knew now that he was waiting for the perfect chance to punish her.
Once the prey was collected the two made their way back to camp. Willowpaw stopped by the fresh-kill pile to drop what she'd caught. Already it was full with what the warriors had caught in the morning. She supposed that catching more prey wasn't necessary like she'd first presumed. Birdclaw had been right after all, and that irritated her.
Ears flattened in embarrassment, Willowpaw began to make an assessment of the camp. Dens were lined around the edges of a clearing. A single old oak tree towered above the camp, and inside the oak was a hollow where the leader slept. The medicine cat's den was two stone walls that had collapsed onto one another. It provided protection for sick patients and the herbs. The nursery was a den made up of brambles and rose bushes. The queens had to keep their kits from getting stabbed by the thorns. The apprentice's den was located near the other side of the clearing. Most of it was open, but part of it had been covered by thick patches of dried moss. The elders' den was close by the apprentice's den, only it was wrapped around in tendrils of vines and branches weaved seasons upon seasons ago.
She fought back another sigh when she saw Ghostpaw whispering eagerly to Sparrowpaw, her sister. Sparrowpaw was training as a medicine cat, but spent much of her time with Ghostpaw. The two had always been close as siblings than she herself. She was always treated like an outcast around her siblings.
And I have no cat to blame but myself, she decided with a lash of her tail. I'm nothing but a mousebrain who always gets myself in trouble. Why shouldn't they treat me differently? It's not like I've done anything to keep our family together. Her heart ached a little at the thought.
"Hey Willowpaw, do anything interesting today?" Ghostpaw sneered when she approached them.
"If you mean making your mentor cry than yes, I have done something interesting today," Willowpaw replied without meeting his gaze. She was watching Sparrowpaw, waiting for her sister to say something that would go with Ghostpaw. To her surprise Sparrowpaw remained silent as she watched them exchange words.
"What did you do? Step on his tail?" Ghostpaw burst into laughter at the last question. Willowpaw dropped into a crouch, waiting for the perfect chance to strike.
"She's going to be cleaning out the elders' den for a moon," another cat growled. Willowpaw winced when she turned around to see a solid black tom standing behind them. His yellow eyes were narrowed into tiny slits as he glared at her. "Defying your mentor's words is punishable. And I won't stand for it."
It took every ounce of her being not to spit back in reply. Thornstar, Boulderstar's brother and her uncle, was never a cat that she trusted. The LeafClan leader continued glaring at her until she felt hollow inside. Nothing she said could fix the amount of hate she felt towards him.
Thornstar was beginning to pad away when she muttered something under her breath. The black tom whirled around to face her, pelt standing on end and eyes blazing with outrage.
"What did you just say?" he demanded coldly.
"I called you a foxhearted coward!" Willowpaw nearly screeched. She gasped when she realized that the entire Clan had heard. Honeypool, one of the queens, wrapped her tail protectively around her kits and glared at Willowpaw. Robinkit and Oakkit peered through their mother's fur curiously to see what was happening.
"And I shouldn't throw you out of the Clan why?" Thornstar snapped.
"Because you need me," Willowpaw hissed.
He doesn't need me, she thought as she glared at him. No one does.
"Willowpaw is right." Thornstar stiffened when another voice spoke up. "Boulderstar would never allow you in StarClan if you cast away his daughter." Willowpaw had never felt more relieved to hear Ruststripe's voice.
Thornstar looked like he was ready to argue with the medicine cat, but thought better of it. He let out another snarl at Willowpaw before padding over to Honeypool. The queen cast a glare towards Willowpaw. She gave her mate a comforting lick as they whispered to one another.
"Tell Ruststripe I said thanks," Willowpaw murmured as Sparrowpaw rose to her paws.
"Don't thank Ruststripe," Sparrowpaw sighed. "I'm tired of watching you get in trouble. You need to take better care of yourself." Her voice was laced with worry as her muzzle rubbed against Willowpaw's. Willowpaw took a step back in surprise at her sister's sudden fondness. "Ghostpaw is just acting like a mousebrain, don't let him get to you," she added before joining her mentor.
Ruststripe blinked sympathetically before disappearing into his den. Sparrowpaw quickly followed him, her tail waving in the air as she did so. Willowpaw sighed when she was left alone to do whatever she wished. Perhaps this was part of her punishment. Feeling bored was something that she rarely enjoyed. She preferred having something to do every day, especially when it came to practice her fighting skills or honing her tracking skills.
She glanced around and tried to think of what to do. Cleaning out the elders' den wasn't a good way to deal with boredom. Thornstar was likely to force her into cleaning it anyways later on. If she did something that would help the Clan, maybe he would forgive her.
Willowpaw suddenly scoffed at the thought of Thornstar forgiving her. She didn't need his forgiveness. Thornstar was nothing more than a flea-bitten fool who needed to be taught a lesson. Her claws scraped against the ground as she began to scheme. Maybe she would put fire ants in Ghostpaw's nest. That would serve her brother right for behaving like a mousebrain. Her eyes brightened at the prospect of watching him wake up and yowling in pain.
Of course I'll need to find fire ants before my plan can come into action, Willowpaw thought as she looked around casually. No cat would notice her disappearance. If she slipped away unnoticed she could come back with fire ants to torture her brother. And then I'll just tell Thornstar that we switched nests. He put the fire ants in my nest to punish me, but he ended up getting bitten.
She nodded in satisfaction as she padded through the tiny entrance that every cat used to make dirt. The air around here stank, but it was a good excuse to get out of camp and duties. She looked over her shoulder to make sure that no cat followed. When she was certain that she was alone, she squeezed her way through the brambles that lined the camp itself. Thorns stabbed at her skin as she did so, but she chose to ignore the pain. It would be worth it in the end.
Once she was outside the camp, she found herself enjoying the forest more than she realized. Birds were singing to one another as the sun began to sink. Insects buzzed around her ear as she caused them to stir with each pawstep. She flicked her tail from side to side as she padded through the undergrowth.
Hunting could be an easy prospect if she decided to linger, but she was determined to go through with her plan.
Willowpaw's eyes narrowed into tiny slits when she saw an ant mound nearby. She spotted a sparrow pecking at the ground as it searched for insects to eat. Willowpaw lashed her tail in frustration when she saw that she would find no fire ants as long as the sparrow was around.
"So remind me why we're in LeafClan territory?" Willowpaw stiffened when she heard voices in the distance. She dropped to a crouch and hid behind a log that had fallen during a storm.
"Don't forget what Rainstar said," another voice snapped. "We need to explore as much territory as we can without getting caught. Once we know the territory, we can take over."
Horror crept through Willowpaw's spine. A patrol of enemy warriors. Rainstar was the leader of DuskClan, and had always been ambitious. If she pulled through with her plan LeafClan would no longer exist. Willowpaw crept closer towards the source of the noise.
She recognized the two intruders from the previous Gathering. One of them was Fogwhisker, a pale gray tom with yellow eyes. The second cat was Rosefang, a creamy brown she-cat with blue eyes. Her gaze flickered towards Willowpaw's hiding spot, and the apprentice felt a rush of fear wash over her.
"Do you think they know?" Rosefang asked. "I mean, if they were about to be destroyed, you would think they'd send more reinforcements into the forest."
"Would you rather be destroyed yourself?" Fogwhisker scoffed. "Besides, it's better this way. DuskClan needs more territory with so many mouths to feed. LeafClan cats have always been soft-hearted, and will fall first."
"It just…doesn't feel right," Rosefang murmured. "We're intruding in another Clans territory…breaking the warrior code."
"Rainstar ordered us to do this," Fogwhisker countered. "If we don't obey her, than we will be breaking the warrior code."
Willowpaw quickly stepped back, unsure how to respond to what she was hearing. The two DuskClan warriors were spies, and would lead her own Clan into destruction. Her breath quickened as she began to race back towards the camp.
"An eavesdropper!" Willowpaw gasped when she heard Fogwhisker screech. "We need to eliminate her!"
She ran faster, her paws pounding against the earth as she raced for her life. Willowpaw knew that her running would get her nowhere. DuskClan cats were known for their speed, and they would easily outpace her. Trying was the only thing she could do if she was to get away from their clutches.
"Rosefang, she's getting away!" Fogwhisker snarled.
"Not if I can help it." Rosefang had suddenly lunged forward, her powerful back legs giving her an advantage. Willowpaw screeched in surprise when she felt dagger-like claws grip her shoulders. "I know exactly how to keep curious kits silent," Rosefang sneered as her claws dug into Willowpaw's spine.
Pain erupted from the sudden attack as Willowpaw struggled to free herself from Rosefang's grip. True to her nature Rosefang was nipping at Willowpaw any chance she had. Willowpaw yowled as loudly as she could, hoping that some cat would hear. She closed her eyes and willed the pain to end, hoping that StarClan would accept her despite the amount of hatred she felt towards Ghostpaw and Thornstar.
Suddenly the weight was lifted from Willowpaw's shoulders. She opened her eyes, her vision still blurry as she saw images flash by. Cats screeched in fury and fur flew as the fight fell into full swing. Willowpaw watched as the images grew faint. Shock was beginning to settle in, and she knew that when she woke up she wouldn't be in the forest.
A/N: Well I didn't get any reviews, but that's probably because I'm not a very popular author. More chapters will be coming later, and they'll be getting longer. Hope to see more reviews :)