Chapter Fourteen

Yowls of shock and grief filled the air as Ferntail returned back to camp. They weren't expecting her to return so early, or to look so ruffled as she dragged Mallowpelt's body into the cave. A trail of blood had followed where she went. That Sky Cat had done everything in their power to make sure that Mallowpelt's end was painful.

"Ferntail, what happened?" Shadestar was the first to approach her, followed by Marshfoot. Ferntail swallowed and stared at the two toms, unsure of what to say.

"I got trapped under a tree branch that fell while we were patrolling," she explained. "We were ambushed by…." She closed her eyes and struggled to figure out how to explain this. "We were attacked by a Sky Cat."

Gasps filled the air when she said that. Shadestar's eyes narrowed with fury when he realized what that meant. He turned towards the elders that had peered out of their den to watch.

"You once told me that it was just a tale to scare the kits, and now they are real," he spat, glaring at the elders. "What do you know of these… these demons?" Rustpelt flinched at the harsh word, but Quailnose raised her chin and glared back.

"The only story we know is the one we have already told you," she rasped. "The Sky Cats will come for us now that they know we are here. They will ambush us from the trees, and attack when we least expect it."

Ferntail stared down at her paws when she pictured Skypaw, her old apprentice, staring at them with utter shock. Mallowpelt had attacked her without warning. None of this would have happened if he had just stopped to think about what he was doing.

"We must prepare ourselves for the worst," growled Marshfoot. His eyes darted to Ferntail, who was still staring at the ground. "You know what they look like, was anyone else with this cat?" Ferntail looked at him in surprise before shaking her head.

I can't tell them about Skypaw. Not after the promise I have made to Shadestar. I'll be seen as a failure, she thought desperately. And yet she chose to save me. Even after I had thought she was dead.

"The best way to deal with them is by crippling them of their only strength: Their wings," Shadestar announced. Ferntail winced at the thought, and realized that everyone was yowling in approval. "Starting tomorrow I want everyone practicing their hunting moves on birds. Treat them as if they were your enemy. Make sure you take down their wings first, than you can jump in and finish the job." By now everyone was jumping to their paws and yowling in agreement.

Ferntail stared around in shock when she realized just how sick her Clan was. They were willing to kill these cats. True, these cats had caused a warrior to fall, but that was only because she was defending her apprentice he attacked first. Her heart sank when she realized that this was all her fault.

I'm sorry, Skypaw…. Truly I am.

...

"We cannot allow them to know we are real." Goldenstar's mew reached the medicine cat's den as she spoke with Nightwing and Halfcloud. "Leafstorm, you should have killed the other one as well."

Again Skypaw flinched at the term. She hated every bit of it. The fact that Leafstorm had killed Mallowpelt without hesitation was still too much for her. That Goldenstar would have wanted Leafstorm to kill again made her stomach clench with pain.

Nightwing had patched her up the moment Leafstorm returned with her. By now the Clan had heard of what had happened in CaveClan's territory. It was the day after that, and everyone was getting anxious about what Goldenstar would do next.

"I believe Skypaw has been through enough shock as it is for one day," Leafstorm replied. Her voice was low and angry. Skypaw couldn't help but wonder if her mentor was angry with her. "Besides, now we know where to look for them if those Cave rats show their sorry faces around us."

"Even if that were possible," Goldenstar began, "they will still try and attack us. Now that they know we exist, we will have to move."

Move? Skypaw had never thought of doing that. What would have happened if they had moved while she was bleeding out in the forest? She shuddered at the thought.

Slowly but surely Skypaw staggered to her paws, gritting her teeth as pain exploded within her. Nightwing may have done his best to patch her up, but that didn't stop the pain from following. She hated herself for feeling so weak and insufficient.

All four cats standing next to the den stared at Skypaw in shock as she stood in front of them. She mustered up all the courage she could to speak up.

"What good would leaving the forest do?" she asked, staring at everyone with a look of determination. "Wouldn't CaveClan just think that we are cowards? We can fight just as well as they can, if not better. We still have the element of surprise, while they don't."

Goldenstar tilted her head to one side, surprise lighting up in her eyes. Clearly no one was expecting Skypaw to speak up or stand so boldly in front of her leader, mentor and deputy. Nightwing simply nodded in encouragement when he realized what she had meant.

"Skypaw speaks like a warrior," Goldenstar sighed after giving her speech some thought. "Perhaps it would be unwise to move our Clan, especially with one of our queens so close to kitting. We must prepare ourselves for battle, if it comes to that."

Leafstorm and Halfcloud murmured in agreement. Once that was settled, Goldenstar swept Halfcloud away so that she could share a few words with her deputy. Skypaw let out a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she was holding.

"That was brave, and mousebrained," Leafstorm murmured to Skypaw. "I am glad that you have enough sense to see things through though." Skypaw looked at her mentor in surprise.

"I wouldn't have done that if I was still in CaveClan," she admitted.

"Then I am training you properly," her mentor purred.

Skypaw felt her fur ruffle in embarrassment at the thought. But she was still anxious about what would happen next. After all CaveClan now knew about WingClan. Surely Shadestar would make some kind of excuse to attack them?

"Would you have saved her if you were me?" Skypaw looked at Leafstorm warily, afraid of what her mentor would say.

"If she were my Clanmate, than yes, I would have tried saving her," Leafstorm replied after giving it some thought. "But she was not your Clanmate. You should not have risked getting caught; now we could all be doomed."

Shame crawled through her fur as Skypaw realized that Leafstorm was right. She didn't realize just how much trouble she had caused. All she had wanted to do was help her old mentor. Then it had to all backfire on her.

"We'll need to organize patrols on the border," Halfcloud meowed. "Grassfang, I want you and Lightbreeze to stay in the trees. They can't know that we're watching them. Take Flightpaw with you, but be careful with her."

Lightbreeze nodded and padded over to where Flightpaw and her siblings. They were clustered around the apprentice's den when she had joined them. Skypaw narrowed her eyes as she staggered back to Nightwing's den. She knew she wouldn't have any place there if she went back right now.

Everyone must hate me for what I've done, she thought bitterly.

"Wow, congratulations screw up." Skypaw froze when she heard Cinderstorm's voice. The ginger she-cat was glaring at her with a look of contempt. "And here I had hoped you wouldn't mess up until you were at least a warrior." Skypaw only returned the glare, but she didn't say anything. She knew better than to let Cinderstorm get to her. "I wonder what Goldenstar will do when CaveClan decides to attack? She might exile you, or even send you back to them where they can rip your wings off!" Cinderstorm let a mocking gasp at the idea.

Her claws flexed out as rage churned within her. Again though she didn't say anything. Instead she tried to ignore Cinderstorm as she continued hurtling insults at her. Cinderstorm didn't stop until suddenly a yowl sounded from the clearing. Skypaw looked up in surprise when she realized it was Shadowpaw who had shut the she-cat up.

"Would you shut up already?" growled the black-furred apprentice. His eyes were narrowed in annoyance as he glared back at Cinderstorm, who looked completely taken by surprise from his reaction. "She did nothing wrong, all she did was help someone after that storm!"

Cinderstorm's mouth gaped open for a few heartbeats, before finally she glared at Shadowpaw and stalked away from him, tail lashing in outrage. Skypaw watched until she was gone before sighing in relief.

"You didn't have to do that," she muttered.

"I can't stand how arrogant she is," Shadowpaw grumbled with a roll of his eyes. "Someone needs to put her in her place."

Skypaw nodded in understanding before turning back towards the medicine cat's den. Her shoulders still hurt from where Mallowpelt had attacked her. Luckily he hadn't gotten to her wings, but she knew it was only a matter of time before CaveClan learned how to rip them off. Redflower already knew how, and wouldn't stop at nothing to get rid of them for good.

"Thank you, but I think I can fight my own battles next time," she added over her shoulder, ignoring the look Shadowpaw was giving her.

I don't need anyone fighting my own battles, she told herself as she returned to her nest. She was getting tired of spending time in the medicine cat's den, but at least Nightwing was tolerable. Hopefully this time she wouldn't have to spend as much of her training recovering.

AN: Well, this was kind of a filler chapter, yet it was also an important one. It will be some time before anything important happens, but at least you get to sort of see what CaveClan has been up to ;)

Lightclaw's Shadow - Yeah that's for sure... I imagine the next few chapters won't be so pleasant either...

YelliGal - Yep, she did mean to kill him. And more of that will be explained at a later time ;)

.7315 - Yep, drama is indeed a good thing.

Foreststar of WindClan - Haha, I don't blame you for wanting that. Skypaw definitely deserves better.

Ginger Pup - Yeah, poor Skypaw definitely has been through a lot. Hopefully things will start getting better for her...