Chapter Fourteen: Ambush

Lionpaw awoke the following morning feeling like he'd swallowed rocks during the night. His dreams had been troubled and dark, never making any sense, always creeping into the shadows. Ever since he'd returned with Rowanpaw last night with the herbs for Buzzardpaw, he'd not said a word to anyone, his mind too full of the terrifying question: was there a murderer within LightningClan?

Shaking himself, Lionpaw broke his muzzle in a yawn and sighed, flicking an ear. It was a fairly cool morning, with gold sunlight streaming into the clearing. His Clan was already awake, and he felt his chest swell as he thought again of the terrible secret he held.

Wishing more than anything he could talk to someone about it, Lionpaw sighed and padded from the den. The sleeping bodies of Rowanpaw and Frostpaw remained in the den as he spread into the sunlight, twitching his whiskers and yawning again.

Grasstail, Shiverpelt, and Rainheart trotted by, their tails high. Lionpaw nodded respectfully as the lionesses disappeared into the entrance, off to hunt. Suddenly thinking of food made his stomach rumble, and it felt like ages since he'd eaten last.

Sighing, the apprentice padded through his camp, busy and flicking with noise. The jungle was awake too, with far-off sounds of beasts calling and birds whistling echoing in their world. Lionpaw pricked his ears as he slipped around Dustleg and Ivytooth, who were sharing tongues, and recognized the striped pelt of Brightpaw at the entrance of the warrior's den.

Lionpaw opened his jowls to call to his friends when he stopped. A large paw swiped out of the den, and bowled Brightpaw over. Brightpaw laughed and jumped up, tail lashing, until a shadow slipped from the den, revealing Blackscar. Lionpaw breathed out in relief; it looked like the father and son once again shared their old bond, and Brightpaw was over whatever mood he'd been in when Lionpaw left to find the feverfew last night.

"Lionpaw!" Brightpaw called out, gave his father a last flick of his tail, and bounded over to his friend. "I haven't seen you in ages."

Lionpaw felt a rusty purr stroke his throat. Something warm washed over him, something like sunlight, as he felt his deep affection for his best friend splash across his body. "I know, right? But I'm here now. We should go on a hunt or something, I'm starving!"

"Don't forget the elders," came a sudden voice. The pair glanced up to see Curlclaw striding over to them, his handsome face amused. "You're still in charge of them, you know."

Lionpaw sheathed and unsheathed his claws into the dirt, tail lashing. He was full of energy, and wanted to escape from camp, to forget his concerns and just be with his best friend. "Please, Curlclaw? We could hunt for the elders..."

"But there's enough food here to give them," Curlclaw pointed out. Before either apprentice could speak, he rumbled, "Then again... I suppose one or two fresh rabbits might soften their attitudes..." His eyes twinkled.

Lionpaw beamed at Curlclaw. "Thanks," he mewed.

"Lionpaw," Brightpaw said suddenly, eyes swirling. "Before we leave, I want to check on Buzzardpaw. Did you ever find out if the feverfew worked?"

Lionpaw blinked as Curlclaw shook his head and padded away. He'd been so busy with the thoughts of that DarkClan apprentice and his shadowy words, he'd nearly forgotten about the sick apprentice. He sighed,
glancing at the forest; he wished more than anything at the moment that he could slip away from camp, but he knew it would be responsible to go check on his older friend.

"Alright," he relented. "Let's go."

Brightpaw twitched his whiskers, something flickering in his eyes, and Lionpaw froze, wondering how much unhappiness he was giving away. Would anyone pick up on his fear? Rowanpaw certainly was too thick to realize what the DarkClan apprentice's words had meant; and that meant Lionpaw was utterly alone in this.

But the moment passed as Brightpaw nodded, and trotted across the warm camp, towards the small, cool den where Pebbleheart and Amberpaw would be.

Brightpaw's shoulders twitched as he called softly into the damp darkness, "Hello?"

Eyes glinted in the shadows, and Lionpaw took a step back as Amberpaw raced out, tail high. "Lionpaw! I'm glad you came to visit! And Brightpaw," she added, smiling amiably at the striped apprentice. He blinked, and nodded sheepishly.

Lionpaw glanced at his sister. Her pale golden pelt and sparkling green eyes seemed darker than usual; he wondered what was wrong.

"Is everything okay?" he asked in a low voice.

Amberpaw blinked, and her eyes widened. Brightpaw frowned, looking between them.

"Is that Lionpaw?" came a sudden voice that broke Lionpaw's locked gaze with Amberpaw. His ears pricked to see Cricketpaw come racing from the shadows of the den, tail flicking. "Brother!" she purred, rasping a tongue over his ear. "You came to see Buzzardpaw?"

Amberpaw shook the unease from her green eyes and touched her tail to her sister's flank. Lionpaw tried to push away his concern and realized for the first time in days he was together with his sisters. Forcing a purr, he nodded. "He's better, right?"

From the look in Amberpaw's eyes, Lionpaw knew her worries had nothing to do with the older apprentice.

Cricketpaw's tail lashed, and her face softened. "Oh- yeah, he's much better. I stayed with him the whole time," she mumbled.

Brightpaw chuckled and flicked her with his tail. "He's very special, huh?"

Cricketpaw glared at him. "Hey!"

Amberpaw motioned to Lionpaw with her tail as Cricketpaw and Brightpaw began playfully quarreling, and he stepped aside, ears flattening as Amberpaw strode gently over to him. "Lionpaw, I'm worried," she confessed,
chest heaving. Lionpaw gazed into her eyes; he saw stars and moons glittering in their watery depths, and felt sadness brush his fur. He loved his sister, but she was already growing distant with the pull of StarClan.
Kneading his paws in the dirt, he nodded, deciding he'd do anything to help regain their old bond.

"I knew something was up," he murmured, trying to keep his voice low so he wouldn't get any other lion's attention.

Amberpaw swallowed hard, and breathed, "It's about Pebbleheart."

Something stirred in Lionpaw's chest when she mentioned the pretty medicine-lion, and he felt concern swarm over him. "What?" His thoughts scurried back to the ominous warning, Even monsters pretend to sleep.
Somehow, he had a bad feeling Amberpaw's next words had something to do with StarClan's shadowy warning.

She narrowed her eyes. "I... I'm not sure if it's anything. But whatever it is, it's hurting her healing... I had to do all the work for Buzzardpaw, and recently she stays in her den and I go collect herbs alone. We used to be close,
but..." Sadness shivered in Amberpaw's eyes like a green leaf breaking away gently from a tree. "Something's making her act weird."

"Is she ill?" Lionpaw demanded.

Amberpaw fidgeted anxiously, glancing around. Her whiskers twitched, revealing her barely-contained unease. "Emotionally, yes. She's having nightmares, and acting different. And... I hate to point it out, but whenever
Longfang comes around... she gets terrified."

Lionpaw's eyes widened. He instantly flashed back to that time he'd been alone with Pebbleheart and Longfang had purposefully shouldered his way into their conversation and made him leave. Yes, he decided, there was
something strange between Longfang and Pebbleheart.

"I've noticed the same thing," he admitted quietly, gazing into Amberpaw's anxious face. "There's something big hidden in our past no one wants to mention, and I think Pebbleheart and Longfang are connected to it; I just
wish the answer came more easily!" he spat with frusteration, raking his claws over the ground.

Amberpaw sighed, twitching her shoulder blades, and mewed, "I know. But I'd give anything to have old Pebbleheart back," she murmured, looking sadly towards the medicine-lion den, where Lionpaw guessed the slender lioness was sleeping.

Lionpaw bit his lip; he had the biting piece of information about one of Firerunner's Clanmates possibly being his true killer, and knew it had to fit into the puzzle of the haunting relationship between Longfang and
Pebbleheart. But where? And how? Feeling utter confusion wash over him, he opened his jaws, ready to tell Amberpaw about his dark findings last night, when there came a sudden voice.

"Lionpaw!" It was, ironically enough, Longfang. Feeling his spine quiver, Amberpaw gasped and slipped beside Lionpaw, startled by the huge lion's sudden approach. Yellow eyes glinting, the dark warrior strode up to them, eclipsing them in his shadow. "Curlclaw told me you and Brightpaw are supposed to be hunting for the elders, not gossiping with the medicine-lion apprentice." He glared at Amberpaw.

"Sorry," Lionpaw meowed roughly, staring into Longfang's face. He did not know much about the great lion; and despite all his power and glory, Lionpaw sensed something dark murking behind the well-featured face; something so mind-breaking he couldn't grapple at it.

"Well?" Longfang growled, lashing his tail once. "Go find your little friend and get hunting. Just because you're the leader's precious son doesn't mean you can slack off."

"Slack off?" Lionpaw snapped, growling low in his throat.

"Lionpaw, really, let's just go," Amberpaw urged in a low hiss, shooting Longfang a look.

Longfang took a large step back, eyes narrowed, as Lionpaw finally relented and padded away slowly with his sister, mind sparking with fire. "How could Snowstar chose him as deputy? He's just a-"

"Lionpaw," Amberpaw's steadying voice gentled his fire. "Relax. I know he's tough, but..." Her voice trailed off. She was clearly thinking of Pebbleheart, and the medicine-lion's growing-more-obvious fear of the deputy.

Lionpaw scoffed and lifted his tail, calling to Brightpaw, who was sitting alone by the medicine-lion den. Clearly Cricketpaw had returned to Buzzardpaw's side. "Brightpaw! Come on, we've got to go hunt," he called crossly.

"Bye Lionpaw," Amberpaw sighed, touching her nose to his. "Come by later. We're going to figure this out, okay?"

Lionpaw blinked slowly. He wished he could believe her. "Yeah. We'll try."

Amberpaw slipped back to her den and was replaced by Brightpaw, his yellow eyes curious. "Hey. What was that all about with Amber-"

"Drop it. I don't even understand it," Lionpaw replied, rasping a tongue over his friend's ear. Brightpaw frowned, but before he had a chance to reply, Lionpaw pounced across the clearing and bound into the leafy, thorny
bracken surrounding the LightningClan camp and into the jungle. He heard Brightpaw following, and Lionpaw stretched out, racing through the forest.

The sunlight washing across the sky warmed Lionpaw's pelt and turned it to gold flame as he pelted between the exotic trees and leaping ferns. Trying to calm his buzzing mind and focus on the jungle, he eventually
slowed and took a deep breath.

Brightpaw trotted over to him, sides panting slightly, eyes gleaming. He lifted his nose, and glanced around. But neither friend spoke. The air was too peaceful for that.

Lionpaw hesitated, heartbeat slowing. The jungle was oddly quiet. No beasts or birds called out, no hoof beats, no snorts, no roars. It was the quiet before a storm; the silence before a scream sliced the air. It seemed like
the whole jungle was holding its breath before the flames were unleashed.

"Something's wrong," Brightpaw hissed.

Lionpaw blinked, gaze flickering, as he tasted the air. Abruptly, the sunlight faded; it was like an angry torrent of water had thrown itself at the sky and put out the sun. Blue-gray shadows immediately followed, seeming to
whisper and hiss in warning as the whole world grew darker. A thick cloud must have slipped in front of the sun.

Glancing at Brightpaw, Lionpaw lashed his tail and took a step back. He suddenly felt cold fear trickle over him like water; he had totally forgotten about the Gathering last night. What had happened at it? No lion had mentioned anything, which surely meant things had gone smoothly. So there was no fear from WaterClan, right?

As if reading his mind, Brightpaw said in a low voice, "We're close to the WaterClan border." By the look in his eyes, he was vividly remembering their terrible run-in with his mother's sister, Featherfoot, and a couple of angry
WaterClan tigers. Had their anger carried to the Gathering? And would they launch their long-warned attack any time soon?

"We should go back," Lionpaw breathed, eyes wide, claws hooking into the warm earth below him.

Brightpaw took a firm step forward, muscles rippling; Lionpaw stared at him as a wind tugged at their fur. He was growing; no longer just the runt, his muscles were growing in, and he looked stronger than ever at the
thought of facing his mother's Clan in battle.

Suddenly, a single, frightening bird's cry shattered the silence, and Lionpaw looked up sharply, throwing his head back, to see a black bullet shoot through the air, crying, wings flapping powerfully. The bird had been startled by something, woken from his nest; but by what?

"Lionpaw." Brightpaw's voice was low, cracked; he didn't move, but stared, frozen, at one spot only feet before them. The bushes and undergrowth was rippling ever so slightly, and the sudden taste of WaterClan hit the roof of Lionpaw's mouth.

"Run!" Lionpaw gasped.

Oh great... she's left us at a cliffhanger again. Haha sorry, I seem to love these... review if you'd like to see what's going to happened to Lionpaw and LightningClan. Thanks for reading, love ya, see ya next update(:

~Sarafina