Death
The ShadowClan apprentices nodded their appreciation at Cederpaw's confident introduction.
He smiled and his eyes gleamed. Then he opened his mouth to speak. "As you all know, we have recently suffered from a strange, confusing, and terrible happening. All of our superior elders have disappeared. Vanished. Just like that. I'm sure everyone is scared and confused. I'm sure you all are looking for somebody to tell you that it's going to be okay." His bright green eyes surveyed the group of cats. "I would like whoever has been at least slightly in control over these past few troubled days, of each Clan, to step up here and join me on the Great Pine."
Nobody moved for a second. Then Blackpaw slugged to his feet and lumbered up the tree. The branch bent under his weight and Cederpaw gave him a pointed look.
Then Maplepaw, a pretty calico she-cat of WindClan stood and leaped up the tree, taking place beside Cederpaw. She raised her head high, not meeting anybody's eyes. Soon after, Rainpaw, a gray RiverClan tabby she-cat followed her, perching nervously on the branch.
Cederpaw dipped his head to each cat. "This looks good. It is good to know that some cats have taken charge. This makes me very pleased. Now, I would like to introduce you to me two loyal and incedibly hardworking and brace companions."
"They must be really great," Lilypaw murmured to Smokepaw.
"You don't trust him," Smokepaw said. It wasn't a question.
"I'm just not sure yet," she said, "He seems too smooth. Too polished. Too...perfect."
Smokepaw nodded and then caught sight of the two cats Cederpaw had been speaking of, climbing up onto the tree.
One was a very, very beautiful she-cat with large, dark amber eyes, almost brown. A creepy half-smile was plastered on her face, and she looked out at the gathered camp through those gorgeous, dark eyes. Her fur was a dark, rich brown, close to black. It was thick and well-groomed. Smokepaw heard a few toms gasp and Hawkpaw twitched beside him. He himself found the she-cat incredibly attractive, but decided not to say anything. Not with Lilypaw beside him.
The other gave the opposite effect. Smokepaw felt a dark cloud of fear engulf him at the sight of the next cat. He was large, although not huge or brawny like Blackpaw. He was dark, dark gray with brownish hints tinging his fur. His eyes seemed to clash with his fur. They were the palest, icy blue, and they glinted out of dark, deep sockets. His gaze swept over the cats, and he grinned a toothy grin, showing every one of his long, pointed teeth. One of the cats closest too him shot backward in shock.
"Hey everyone," he said, his voice full of barely supressed mocking laughter. His awful gaze met Lilypaw's for a moment and she gave a tiny, fightful gasp. Smokepaw resisted the urge to press against her, comfort her.
"He's looking at us like we're prey," Lilypaw whispered, voice breaking. Fear was written all over her face and she was breathing hard. Smokepaw couldn't find the words to speak.
The two cats leapt easily on top of the tree, flanking Cederpaw. He nodded to each of them.
"This is Dawnpaw," he introduced, flicking his tail at the beautiful she-cat. She smirked out at the gathered cats, not saying anything.
"And this is Darkpaw."
The dark, scary tom with the eyes of ice flashed another predatory grin. Lilypaw gave a whimper and squeezed her eyes shut breifly.
Cederpaw nodded and smiled. "We think the best way for us to pull through these dark, frightening times is if we band together as one."
"Band together?" Somebody screeched from the little crowd.
Cederpaw's head flashed in the direction of the speaker, his eyes sudenly mutinous. The confident, proud smile was gone. His face was cold and hard, the sharp angles overly accented by shadows. "Yes," he said coldy, harshly.
"Why would we work with you?" The same cat snarled, unphased.
Cederpaw didn't blink. He stared. Hard. Cold. Angry. Lilypaw gasped and whimpered.
There was a crack and then a tree branch came spiraling down from overhead, right onto the speaker's back, who Smokepaw recognized as Rabbitpaw from WindClan.
"Ow!" He screamed, writhing underneath the heavy peice of wood. He struggled and yelped. "Owh, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Someone get it off! Oh get it off, get it off!"
Cederpaw looked back up at the whole crowd, ignoring Rabbitpaw's screams, which were growing shriller and shriller.
"As one group we can succeed," he said with a nod and smile. "We must band together. I would like each Clan to suggest a cat who will aid me in leading all of you. These cats will become like advisors, or senior warriors. I will have to advisors from each Clan. The 'leader' of course, and the certain cat we are about to chose. RiverClan first."
Nobody said a word. Rabbitpaw's cries for help grew shriller and shriller. Smokepaw glanced over at him and saw a dark red stain spreading from beneath him. Nobody was helping him. He felt sick and awful and looked away.
"Anybody?" Cederpaw prompted with a engaging half-smile.
Silence followed, except for Rabbitpaw's: "Oh help...please, please help me!"
"Rainpaw?"
Rainpaw, the RiverClan 'leader' jumped into the air, eyes huge and nervous. "S-sorry, sorry," she stuttered, "Uh...I reccomend...Emberpaw. Emberpaw, yes Emberpaw. Emberpaw."
Emberpaw, a sooty gray she-cat with amber eyes, leaped on the Great Pine.
"Good," Cederpaw said with a nod. "WindClan?"
"Quailpaw!" A voice called out, and then a small ginger she-cat padded onto the Great Pine and stood beside Maplepaw, the WindClan 'leader.' Maplepaw's eyes were huge and scared as she stared down at Rabbitpaw. His wails were growing less and less.
"ThunderClan?" Cederpaw asked.
For a second, nobody said anything, then Lilypaw, beside Smokepaw, gently called out, "Smokepaw."
Smokepaw jumped in surprise. He looked back and Lilypaw but she was staring up at Cederpaw, not meeting his eyes. He padded shakily up to the tree and sat beside Quailpaw. She glanced at him and then glanced away fast.
"This is excellent," Cederpaw said, "Rainpaw and Emberpaw from RiverClan, Maplepaw and Quailpaw from WindClan, and Blackpaw and Smokepaw from ThunderClan. These cats will aid me in my leadership of our new group."
Smokepaw could tell a lot of cats wanted to challange Cederpaw, but nobody said a word. Not after what had happened to Rabbitpaw.
"Thank you," Cederpaw said, "I would like my advisors to stay with me and live here on the island. All the rest of you can return to your camps. We will create an era of prosperity! We do not need warrors to survive!"
He leaped off the Great Pine, followed by Dawnpaw and Darkpaw. The other cats still sitting atop the pine glanced at each other, including Smokepaw, and then jumped down too.
Smokepaw's heart pounded in nervous anxiety. He didn't want to live on the island with Cederpaw and Darkpaw. But the other cats were padding away. He watched as the tip of Flamepaw's tail vanished through the bushes. Hawkpaw pushed after her.
Lilypaw! Where was she? He scanned the thin throng of cats, but didn't see her. His heart squeezed when he saw Rabbitpaw lying alone on the island, crushed underneath the branch. He was whimpering feebly. The ground around his was soaked in blood.
"Oh for StarClan's sake," snapped a voice from beside Smokepaw. He spun and saw Lilypaw. She was right there! He hurried after her as she sped to Rabbitpaw's side and crouched down.
"Help me lift the branch," she commanded and Smokepaw hurried to oblige. It was so heavy both of them could hardly get it off. When they did they tossed it aside.
"Help, help," Rabbitpaw whimpered as Lilypaw leaned gently over him. Smokepaw gasped and felt sick as he saw a deep hole in the poor tom's shoulder where the one peice of the stick had stabbed in. Blood bubbled wetly out.
"It's okay, I've got you," Lilypaw said gently. Her eyes were filled with worry.
"Poppy seeds," she whispered, "Cobwebs. I need that! Oh Smokepaw, go ask Cederpaw for some! Now!"
"I-" he started up her insistant voice made him leap to his feet and rush after the ShadowClan cat, who was resting on top of a rough mound of boulders. Darkpaw and Dawnpaw flanked him.
"We need cobwebs," he said with as much confidence as he could muster, "And poppy seeds."
"And why would I do that?" Cederpaw asked. Dawnpaw was smirking. Darkpaw was staring at Smokepaw like he was prey. A yummy peice of fresh-kill. A slight, toothy grin crossed his face.
"That cat is hurt!" He said, gesturing to Rabbitpaw, "He needs to be helped and my friend's a medicine cat"
"Did I chose her as the official medicine cat?" Cederpaw sneered, "I don't think so. So therefore, she doesn't get to use our resources."
"But-" Smokepaw said. Then he saw Darkpaw's feral grin. His icy eyes bored into Smokepaw's green ones. "Right." He said simply and then paced back to Lilypaw.
"They said-" Smokepaw began when he reached her. She was gently licking Rabbitpaw's wound.
She broke him off with a flick of her tail. "I think he's-" she began, but stopped.
"Ih hurz..." Rabbitpaw mumbled, his eyes cracking open.
"It's okay, Rabbitpaw," Lilypaw whispered, "I'm here. Just rest."
"Hurz zo bad..."
Suddenly, a cat Smokepaw didn't know extended a cobweb-wrapped paw. Lilypaw scooped the cobwebs off and pressed them onto the bleeding wound.
"I wan tuh go hom..." Rabbitpaw mumbled and his body relaxed.
"Rabbitpaw?" Lilypaw whispered.
He didn't move.
"Rabbitpaw no, no, no," Lilypaw rasped, voice breaking.
"He's dead," sobbed the cat that had given them the cobwebs.
"No, no, no," Lilypaw wailed. She rested her head on Rabbitpaw's unmoving form and sobbed.
"Oh no," Smokepaw whispered, feeling an angry, sad bile rise up in his throat. He hadn't even known Rabbitpaw but he felt sickened and upset at what had happened.
"He's in StarClan now," Smokepaw muttered to Lilypaw, resting his head on her shoulder.
"No," she murmured, tears leaking out of her eyes and onto Rabbitpaw's unmoving side, "StarClan isn't with us anymore."
--
Oh no! They've been abandoned by StarClan...or have they? Poor Rabbitpaw. Poor, poor Rabbitpaw. Killed by a mysterious falling branch. I actually thought that was really sad. What do you think about Cederpaw? And Darkpaw? Heh heh I just love knowing what happens when nobody else does. Hehe!
-Pan
