Before I go on about the story, I would first like to thank NanoApocolypse for reviewing! You guys make me so happy ^-^ Now that the second chapter is complete, I'll be getting to work on chapter three. If there are any questions about the story, don't hesitate to ask. Onto the next chapter, and enjoy!
Lion closed her mouth when she heard the word slip out of her mouth. It was a choice she had always wanted, but she had not thought about Dandelion or her kits. She now was going to break the queen's heart yet again and have to take the blame of it all. Lion's anxiety caused her to tremble and collapse to the ground. Lunarstar padded to her side, lifting her chin up with his forehead. His soothing tone calmed Lion, and forced her to relax.
"You shouldn't feel so guilty about the choice you've made, Lion." Lunarstar told her, "Your foster mother will find someone else to take care of her; I'll make sure of that." Lion's eyes stretched wide as she looked up at the ShadowClan leader. "H—How are you planning to do that?" she stammered, trying to hold back the rest of her tears. Lunarstar pointed with his tail into the forest. "I know a loner that lives at the edge of my territory. I'm sure he would be grateful to have an extra friend by his side, so I'll send him the queen's way." Lion gave the tom a weak smile of gratitude. "Thank you so much." she whispered thankfully. Lunarstar bent down and licked away the tears from her cheeks. "Don't worry about it."
A distant hoot of a howl caused both of their heads to turn to the forest. Feathers scattered above their heads as the brown bird took flight into the night sky. Lion shuddered when she saw the owl's sharp, pointed beak and terrible talons; she was afraid of what it would feel like to be carried away by such a dangerous predator. Lunarstar stared at the owl and watched it until it flew out of sight. His hazel eyes narrowed and he gave out an annoyed snort. "We'll have to watch out for that. Several seasons ago, we lost a kit to them, and I'd hate to have it happen again." The dark tabby padded forward, crossing the border into the woodland. His tail flicked behind him, summoning Lion to follow. Taking one last glance over her shoulder at the barn, Lion hesitantly followed the ShadowClan leader into the forest.
The forest was surprisingly amazing to Lion. The part of the woods ShadowClan lived in were inhabited by lush greenery of bracken, pine trees, willows, and ferns. In the dark, shaded parts of the tree roots there grew mushrooms and toadstools. Some of the fungi were poisonous, which came as an attracted, golden color. Others were just a pale gray, which was safe in circumstances to eat and to carry. By Lion could see, most of the trees she had passed were pines, but in the large clearings there were several willows. Pine needles rested at ground-level over the black-brown soil. Lion found it very uncomfortable to walk on them, but she knew that her pads would harden and get used to the prickly sensation. The ground below their paws was hardened though there were a few soft areas, especially around the tree roots. When living in the pine trees, the sky was more visible than the lands where ThunderClan lived. Lion was excited for her new life to begin.
In the corner of Lion's eye, she noticed a squirrel sniffing along the roots of a pine tree nearby. By instinct, Lion pressed herself to the ground and slowly began to creep forward. Lunarstar watched, his whiskers twitching in anticipation. Lion was about a fox-length away from the squirrel and reared back to leap. But before she could do anything else, a gray tomcat appeared out of the shadows and gripped the squirrel in his jaws. With a quick bite, the squirrel hung lifelessly from his mouth. Lion raised her head from her crouch, her amber eyes widening at the sight of another wild cat. When the gray tom noticed her, he dropped the squirrel to the ground and curled his lips back into a menacing snarl.
"Mousenose, it's alright! She's no threat!" Lunarstar yowled, running out from behind a pile of ferns. The gray tom's fur rose from the unexpected sound, then lay flat when he noticed the tabby come out from hiding. He let out a relieving sigh, then anger flashed in his dark, blue eyes. "Where have you been?!" he demanded, facing the ShadowClan leader. Lunarstar stopped beside Lion, giving back the tom an apologizing look. "I met this young cat in the fields at the edge of our forest. She was interested in our way of life, so I told her everything about it. Because of her curiosity, I've let her join our Clan."
"Excuse me?" Mousenose nearly choked out the words, "I know you're Clan leader, but are you mouse-brained? The Clan will never accept her, no matter how good her skills are!" Lunarstar rose his chin up so he was looking down at the warrior. "They will have to live with it. My word is law, and that is final." Mousenose opened his mouth to argue, but quickly closed it. Knowing that he lost, he hung his head down and muttered, "Yes, Lunarstar." The ShadowClan leader gave him an acknowledged nod. "Good. Take the squirrel back to camp and tell them of our arrival. We will be there shortly." Mousenose bent down and picked up his fresh-kill by its neck. Turning his back to the two cats, he charged for the nearest clump of bracken and leaped through it. The leaves rustled for a moment before they were still.
"Was that one of your warriors?" Lion asked, looking up at Lunarstar. The ShadowClan leader closed his eyes, letting out a troubled sigh. "I'm afraid yes, and one the seniors. If he doesn't agree with your stay, then we're going to have more of a challenge accepting you into the Clan." Lion gave him a nod of understanding, then pressed against his foreleg with her cheek. "I thank you for all that you're doing for me. Really." she whispered. Lunarstar purred, giving her back a sweet smile. "It's my pleasure. Now, are you ready to meet your clanmates?" Lion's eyes brightened. "Yes, I'm ready." With a silent command, Lion followed Lunarstar into the bracken where Mousenose first disappeared.
After several minutes deeper into the forest, the two cats came across a ravine. It sloped downward into a hole that disappeared underneath the roots of a large willow tree. With the moon's light glistening through the willow's leaves, the path in front of Lion looked like a road of silver. They padded down the steep path until they were underneath the tree's draping roots. In front of them were large clumps if false indigo bushes that grew from the ground and covered the dirt walls. Lunarstar came forward, lifting up the bush with one paw to reveal a hidden passage. His hazel eyes turned toward Lion, and he gave her a nod. "Go on ahead; I'm right behind you."
Lion was cautious when she slipped through the secret entrance. She carefully crawled through the narrow space, keeping her eyes locked on the light ahead of her. Just as she was about three mouse-lengths away from the end of the tunnel, she stopped. Taking a deep breath in, the she-cat pulled herself through the wide opening and found herself inside a large ditch.
"Intruder!" came a shout. Wild cats slithered out of the shaded grounds and into the clearing. Lion froze when she saw the cats' unsheathed claws and glistening teeth as they stationed themselves for battle. In the midst of the crowd, Lion could see Mousenose standing up tall with his tail lashing. His dark blue eyes were looking cold enough to make Lion flinch with terror. Before the cats could lay their claws on her, Lunarstar leaped out of the entrance, his hazel eyes blazing. "Enough!" came his angry call. In an instant, each ShadowClan cat sheathed their claws and looked at their leader in shock.
"Mousenose!" Lunarstar snarled, his eyes searching for the gray tom. Mousenose scowled, padding forward so he was in front of all the warriors and apprentices. Lion could feel no guilt sparking off his fur, but saw a look in his eyes that showed he was ready for another argument. Lunarstar unsheathed one pair of his claws and rose it into the air. "I told you my word, and my word is law. You disobeyed my orders, and now you must be punished." Mousenose hung his head down, his eyes still glaring at his leader. "Yes, Lunarstar." Lion felt a knot tighten in her stomach as she stared at Lunarstar. She had never imagined the large tabby to give any cat a punishment, but then again he was the ShadowClan's leader. If he didn't put charge, then someone would take his place.
"I can't punish you by mentoring this young cat, because you already have Whitepaw to teach," Lunarstar though out loud, "But you do pride in the power you have as a senior warrior." Mousenose rose his head, staring straight into his leader's eyes with a look of concern. "I—I don't know where you're heading with this." he mewed. Lunarstar gave out a low growl. "I don't see any better of a punishment then having you become an apprentice again."
"What?!" Mousenose exclaimed, taking a step back. "Lunarstar, that's too much of a punishment!" Lunarstar raised an eye at him. "Really? Because I see it as a perfect opportunity to realize that you're a warrior, not a leader." Mousenose once again knew that this was an argument already won, and he had to take the punishment. Lunarstar lashed out a curved claw, sending it across the gray warrior's ear. The thin skin tore, creating a cut from the edge of his ear to the middle. Mousenose clenched his teeth in pain as blood dripped down and stained the ground. A small tortoiseshell began to approach the tom with herbs in her mouth, but Lunarstar flicked his tail at her to stand still. Finishing the punishment, Lunarstar yowled to the warriors, "Mousenose will be stuck as an apprentice for a full moon. Until then, everyone must call him Mousepaw. Since Whitepaw is without a mentor, Coalfur will replace Mousenose's position."
"I accept my punishment, Lunarstar." Mousenose muttered, flicking his ear in irritation. With a sweep of Lunarstar's tail, the tortoiseshell came forward and led the gray tom away to a den in the back of the ditch. As Mousenose walked by, a black warrior mocked him saying, "Have fun in the medicine den, Mousepaw!" Mousenose gave out a hiss of annoyance before disappearing into the den with a lash of his tail. All eyes turned back to Lunarstar who was making his way to the back of the camp with Lion at his side. They came up to a large, black crystal that came from out of the ground. Lunarstar walked up to the tip of the crystal, standing above all of his warriors. Lion timidly came up next to him, looking nervously at all of the cats below her. Clearing his voice, the ShadowClan leader spoke again.
"You all may have been wondering where I was today. While I was bordering our territory, I came across this young cat that was curious about our traditions and ways of living. After teaching her all that I knew about the Clans, I have allowed her to join our Clan." There was a moment of silence until angry yowls began to fill the clearing. Most of the warriors unsheathed their claws and lashed their tails in disagreement. Lion flinched from the feeling of hate that the ShadowClan cats showed her. She felt that wherever she looked, there was always a pair of glistening eyes that gave a cold glare. But when Lion came eye-to-eye with a pair of bright, amber eyes, she was surprised to find calmness and a look of interest. As Lion looked at the rest of the cat, she found that the amber eyes belonged to a ginger she-cat.
"Lunarstar, I disagree with your choice!" a silver she-cat exclaimed, leaping onto a ledge below the tip of the crystal. Lunarstar's hazel eyes rested on her and narrowed. "Moonshine, my deputy, why do you go against my decision?" he demanded coldly. Moonshine flicked her tail to silence the rest of the yowling warriors, drawing all attention to her. When Lion's attention was on the deputy, she was amazed to find herself drawn to Moonshine's eyes. The color of the silver warrior's eyes was such a light shade of blue that they were almost clear. Lion thought that the color was beautiful, and immediately felt respect for the warrior. Though Moonshine was against her presence in the Clan, Lion still admired the deputy.
"Have you forgotten what Clan we are?" Moonshine asked back, raising an eye at the dark gray tabby. Lunarstar lowered his gaze, staring straight into the deputy's eyes. Lion could see that he was interested in her opinion, but at the same time felt betrayed by her because she was judging him. "We are ShadowClan." Lunarstar simply replied. Moonshine gave him a nod. "Yes," she mewed, "And ShadowClan's pride will be destroyed if the other Clans find out we've let in an outsider."
"Then the Clans can go and choke on a bone!" the ginger she-cat from before exclaimed, getting to her paws. Moonshine turned her head around to look at the warrior. There was anxiety in her light gaze as she calmly answered, "It is not your place to speak, Scarletberry." Lion looked up at Lunarstar, expecting him to be furious. But the ShadowClan leader showed no signs of anger; he was in shock for seeing one of his warriors backing him up. Knowing that he wasn't going to speak just yet, Lion turned back to Scarletberry, who was still arguing with the deputy.
"Our Clan can make our own decisions, and the other Clans should not be involved!" Scarletberry insisted, her eyes determined. Moonshine rose her tail to silence the warrior. "But we need to show the other Clans that we are not weak, or they will take the advantage to attack!" Scarletberry rolled her eyes at the silver warrior, twitching her whiskers mockingly. "How can you be so blind about this, Moonshine? You're the deputy!" Moonshine froze, struck by the ShadowClan warrior's comment. "What are you playing at?" she demanded, her ears twitching in annoyance.
"Won't we be prepared to face the other Clans? We're being given an extra warrior if she comes into the Clan! ShadowClan won't be weak; ShadowClan will be strong!" Scarletberry yelled out her final words. The other ShadowClan warriors paused, pondering the thought. After a few moments of complete silence, a slim, brown tom padded to Scarletberry's side. He looked up at Moonshine and bowed his head respectively. "I know that you are the deputy, but I have to agree with Scarletberry. I want this newcomer to join ShadowClan." Lion let in a silent gasp. She was coming to believe that she would never live in the Clan when Moonshine disagreed, but now her hopes were rising.
"I wish her to join as well!" another silver she-cat called out. A white tom with ginger paws smiled as he rose to his paws as well. "I want her to train with us!" he added. Instantly, a white she-cat shouted, "I too want her in our den!" More and more ShadowClan cats raised their voices, telling the deputy that they wanted Lion to join. Lion smiled, thankful for all of the support the warriors and apprentices were giving her. Her amber eyes gazed down at Moonshine, wondering how the silver warrior was reacting. As Lion had guessed, the deputy was staring at her clanmates in astonishment. At the beginning of the meeting, all odds had turned against Lunarstar's choice of letting Lion into the Clan. But now that most of the Clan agreed, Moonshine had lost the fight, and Lion was allowed to train as a warrior.
"If the Clan agrees, then I have no choice but to accept." Moonshine murmured, bending her head down. Lunarstar bowed his head back to dismiss his deputy, and the silver warrior padded back into the crowd of warriors. As Moonshine padded past the ShadowClan cats, they murmured in her ear and licked her cheek with comfort. They waited until the deputy sat down before they could begin the ceremony. Lunarstar's eyes shined in excitement as he threw his chin up toward the star-lit sky.
"I, Lunarstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look upon this kit. Though she comes from outside our bloodline, please accept her as she becomes an apprentice. Lion, do you wish to train to become a warrior of ShadowClan?"
"Yes." Lion answered, making sure her voice was heard throughout the entire camp. Lunarstar smiled in pride at the young she-cat. His eyes closed as he finished the ceremony. "Then by the power of StarClan, you shall no longer be known as Lion. From now on, you shall be known as Lionpaw until you receive your warrior name. I will decide your mentor later, but for now, you shall share the apprentice's mentors." Lionpaw licked Lunarstar's shoulder thankfully as the ShadowClan cats called out her new name. "Lionpaw! Lionpaw! Lionpaw!"
"I would like the all of the warriors and apprentices to get some good sleep tonight, because we will be doing some hard work in the morning. I will leave Moonshine to give out all the duties, but for now, I would like the apprentices to show Lionpaw to her new den. That will be all." Lunarstar added before padding away from the tip of the black crystal. Lionpaw watched the ShadowClan leader slip into the hidden cave of his den. Once his tail disappeared, Lionpaw padded down the side of the crystal and to the apprentices that were waiting for her. She was afraid as she came closer and closer to the young cats because Lionpaw didn't know what to expect from them. All she hoped was that they would accept her as part of the Clan.
"Hey there, Lionpaw!" a brown she-cat with ginger stripes meowed a greeting, flicking her tail in welcome. Lionpaw gave out a weak, nervous smile. "I'm Rowanpaw, and this is my brother, Thistlepaw, and my sister, Fernpaw." the brown apprentice continued, pointing to a silver tom and dark gray she-cat. As Rowanpaw said this, three more cats came up to them. One was a white tom with ginger paws, another was a white she-cat, and the last one was a golden she-cat with a white underbelly. Lionpaw suddenly became shy at all of the cats around her. "You know me already." she whispered quietly. Rowanpaw blinked in confusion.
"There's no need to be scared; we won't hurt you. In fact, we're excited to have you here with us." Rowanpaw sounded enthusiastic. Lionpaw looked up to stare straight into the brown she-cat's amber eyes. To her relief, the apprentice's eyes were sincere about what she said. Lionpaw smiled.
"We're the older apprentices of the den, and we're going to become warriors soon." the white tom butted in, puffing out his chest with pride. The white she-cat let out a purr of amusement. "This stupid furball is Patchpaw, and I'm Whitepaw." she quickly explained. Lionpaw looked at the golden she-cat, expecting her to say something, but she remained silent. There was a longing look in her green eyes as she turned her back to the group and padded away. Lionpaw stared after her, wondering if she did something wrong.
"Don't mind Griffonpaw," Rowanpaw reassured the new apprentice, "She's probably nostalgic right now. It happened ever since she became the only kit in her litter." Lion didn't respond.
"We better do what Griffonpaw is doing and get inside the den." Whitepaw suggested, glancing warily at the warriors staring at them. Rowanpaw followed the older apprentice's gaze, and quickly nodded her head. "Agreed." Fernpaw waved her tail at her friends. "I'll see you all tomorrow. Let's hope you don't get any wounds." A few whispered 'goodbye' before the dark gray she-cat stalked to the den where Mousenose was first led into. Lionpaw watched the apprentice, and tilted her head to the side. "Isn't she supposed to sleep with us?" she asked, turning around to the apprentices. Rowanpaw closed her eyes and shook her head. "Fernpaw's a medicine cat apprentice, so she sleeps in the medicine den with her mentor." Lionpaw felt like smacking herself on her head. Lunarstar had told her that already. Seeing Lionpaw's frustration, Rowanpaw suggested, "Come on, let's go back to the den and get a good night sleep. You must be exhausted."
Though Lionpaw was excited to start her duties, she knew that the brown apprentice was right. If she wanted her energy to work tomorrow, then she had to get her sleep. Lionpaw let out a yawn as she followed Rowanpaw all the way to the apprentice's den.
Lionpaw opened her eyes to everlasting darkness. She was falling deeper and deeper into the endless mist, unable to bring herself back to the surface. None of her muscles were able to move except for her eyes. As Lionpaw looked downwards, she saw the familiar, misty figure of Mistfang. The silver-and-white tom was being consumed by the darkness with his face still sticking out. His right foreleg was stretched out to the sky, pointing to where Lionpaw was falling. His hazel eyes were pleading in agony as he mouthed, "Help me." Though his voice was lost, Lionpaw could tell what he was saying. Surprisingly, she was able to reach out a paw back to him. Mistfang struggled to grab her, his toes wriggling to stretch farther out. Just as Lionpaw was about to grab his paw, a light blasted out behind her. Lionpaw's eyes glanced over her shoulder at the bright light, and her eyes widened when she heard a voice call out her name.
"Don't leave me here!" Mistfang mouthed again, but Lionpaw couldn't hear him. She whirled her body around and floated toward the light. Her eyes closed as its warmth touched her fur, warming up her whole body. A distant voice called out to her. "Lionpaw?" The light swirled around her as the voice came again louder. "Lionpaw!" Lionpaw breathed in the fresh air and started to relax. "Lionpaw!" a voice hissed into the apprentice's ear.
Lionpaw opened her eyes and saw Thistlepaw's annoyed, dark blue gaze. His rose his head away from her nest, snorting angrily. "That took you some effort to wake you up. What are you, a dormouse?" he growled irritably. Lionpaw rolled onto her paws and shook the moss out of her fur. "Ha, ha, very funny." she replied, slightly offended by his tone. Thistlepaw looked over at the entrance to the den. "Moonshine said that you and I are sharing mentors today. She wants us to do border patrol because it would be a good for you to see the territory." he explained.
"Great! When do we go?" Lionpaw asked excitingly. Thistlepaw flicked his gray, spiky tail at her to follow. "Right now." he answered, padding out of the den. Lionpaw didn't hesitate to walk after him. As she stepped into the clearing, sunshine blinded her for a moment. After blinking a couple of times to adjust her sight, Lionpaw could see cats working all over the camp.
Moonshine was sitting on her ledge on the black crystal as she gave orders to warriors without jobs. A rare, tortoiseshell-and-white, tom sat next to a black tom in the middle of the camp as they spoke directions to Patchpaw and Whitepaw. The small tortoiseshell from the night before was sitting by the entrance to the medicine den with Fernpaw right beside her. Flicking her tail, the small tortoiseshell led Fernpaw to the entrance of the camp and disappeared. Mousenose peered out of the medicine den with balls of moss hanging from his jaws. Slowly, he slipped out of the den and into a thorn bush which hid the entrance of the warrior's den. Rowanpaw, Griffonpaw, and Scarletberry entered the camp with fresh-kill dangling out of their mouths. They made their way to a stump which was the fresh-kill pile. A small pool of water lingered in between the warrior's den and the apprentice's den. A silver and golden she-cat spoke with each other there as they lapped the cool, fresh water.
"Lionpaw, over here!" a brown tom called out, Thistlepaw next to him. Lionpaw ran to them, her tail straight up in the air. "Are we leaving now?" she questioned. The brown tom purred, giving her back a smile. "If you're ready, then we're ready. Let's go." Thistlepaw was the first one to crawl through the camp entrance. Lionpaw waited for the tom to go first, but he encouraged her with a dip of his head. "It is my duty to look after you, so go ahead." Lionpaw's ears turned hot with embarrassment for being shown such kindness. She pushed herself to the ground and carefully came forward into the tunnel. Lionpaw could hear Thistlepaw's mentor come in behind her as she continued out of the camp. Once out on the other side, she waited until the brown tom appeared before going up the ravine together. They stood at the top and took the time to shake the dirt out of their fur.
"My name is Bearstep, if you didn't already know." the brown tom introduced himself. His blue eyes rested on his apprentice. "And you already know Thistlepaw." Lionpaw looked over at the silver tom. When the two of them met eyes, Thistlepaw looked away, his cheeks turning red. "So, where are we heading next?" he asked, trying to change the subject. Bearstep closed his eyes and sniffed the air. "I think we should explore all of the territory just for Lionpaw's sake. Let's make our way to the WindClan border and on our way show our friend Shrub Hill and the Ghost Tree." Thistlepaw and Lionpaw nodded their heads in agreement.
As the three cats continued to walk, it wasn't before long they came into a clearing full of fungi. The ground was slanted upwards into a hill with mushrooms and toadstools growing along the side of it. Bearstep stopped in front of the two apprentices, pointing with his tail toward the hill. "This is Shrub Hill. Our medicine cat, Spottedheart, usually comes here and gather herbs to make poultices. Warriors aren't allowed to hunt around here because Spottedheart is afraid we'll destroy the year's harvest." Lionpaw curiously sniffed a golden mushroom, and drew back when a disgusting scent filled her nostrils. Thistlepaw behind her let out a mrrow of laughter. "Careful, herbs bite!" he taunted. Lionpaw lashed out a sheathed paw at him playfully. Bearstep purred with them. "Come, while we still have daylight. We need to get to the WindClan border."
On their way to the WindClan border, they stopped again at a place called Ghost Tree. It was a pure, white willow tree with branches that hung down gloomily. Lionpaw shivered when she first saw the sight. The feeling of being around the tree was overwhelming because it felt as if it were a sacred place for the dead. To Lionpaw, the Ghost Tree was a place for spirits of old to move on. "Whenever a warrior dies, we gave a ritual for them in our camp and bury them in front of the Ghost Tree. It is a place for ShadowClan to mourn the warriors that have passed on into StarClan." Bearstep had told her as they left the clearing.
Finally, they came to the WindClan border. Bearstep explained that borders marked the edge and start of each Clan territory, and that each Clan borders two other Clans. He showed the two apprentices how to mark the border and let the two of them try it themselves. Just as they were about finished marking their territory, a WindClan patrol came near, their eyes narrowed.
In the front of the WindClan patrol was a ginger she-cat with black stripes and a white underbelly. Right beside her was a scrawny, light brown tom, a black tom, and a small gray tom with a white muzzle. Each of them had a dark look in their eyes as they stared at the ShadowClan patrol across the border. The ginger she-cat whipped her tail across the ground, her fur bristling.
"What is ShadowClan planning to do this time? Murder more WindClan warriors?" the leader of the patrol growled, unsheathing her claws. Bearstep ushered the two apprentices behind him, his blue eyes looking straight into the WindClan warrior's eyes. "We aren't looking for a fight," he reminded, taking a step back, "We're only marking the border." The ginger warrior grinned. "Aw, what's wrong? Is ShadowClan afraid of getting blood on their claws?" The other warriors in the patrol snickered in delight. Lionpaw was amazed of how Bearstep controlled his temper. Instead, he held his gaze and stood proudly in front of the WindClan warriors as if all of StarClan was on his side. He was a loyal, responsible warrior that would do anything to protect his Clan and clanmates. "Well, Bigfoot? What are you going to do about us?" the ginger she-cat chuckled, beginning to advance.
"It's against the warrior code to cross the border." Bearstep calmly replied. "As long as we are in our boundary lines, then we're safe." The ginger warrior took a glance at her clanmates, then gave out a snort of disbelief. "You mouse-brained fools," she growled, "Boundaries will never keep us from getting our revenge!" Without warning, the WindClan warrior stepped across the border and into ShadowClan territory. Lionpaw held her breath, her eyes stretched wide in terror. Looking over at Thistlepaw, the silver apprentice was crouched down, ready to spring at a nearby warrior. He curled his lips back, letting out a loud snarl as the other WindClan warriors followed their leader. Bearstep's large paws unsheathed their claws, preparing to lash out at his first opponent.
"Lionpaw, Thistlepaw, get out of here!" Bearstep hissed when the first WindClan warrior leaped. The two apprentices jumped out of the way as the WindClan warriors bowled the ShadowClan warrior over. Lionpaw could hear the breath being driven out from Bearstep's body as he was hit with hard blows to his face and ears. Thistlepaw lashed his tail back and forth while he watched his mentor being attacked by three WindClan warriors. Lionpaw nudged the apprentice, but he wouldn't budge. "Come on! Bearstep told us to go, so let's get some help!" she exclaimed, loud enough for the enemy to hear. The small gray tom pulled away from Bearstep, his face smeared with freshly spilled blood. His blue eyes were filled with a burning fire that held a bitter grudge. Rearing his lips back, the WindClan apprentice revealed blood-stained teeth.
"ShadowClan thinks that they're so great, but they're wrong! We're taking back our respect!" the apprentice roared, charging at the two cats. Lionpaw expected a head-on attack, but the apprentice leaped into the air, his tail curling toward his stomach. With a flip, the WindClan apprentice's tail lashed down with a strong force. It hit Thistlepaw square on top of his head, sending him tumbling to the ground. The silver tom's chin pounded against the hard soil with a sickening thump and crack. Thistlepaw opened his mouth to yowl, but the pain was too overwhelming to make a sound. Lionpaw took a step back as the WindClan apprentice placed one paw against Thistlepaw's neck, his blue eyes filled with amusement. "I always knew that ShadowClan apprentices were weak, just like the warriors. Maybe they're even a little weaker." he whispered, grinning. Thistlepaw tried to speak back, but it only came out as a weak rasp.
Lionpaw knew what her duty was: she had to get more ShadowClan warriors. The golden apprentice forced her paws to move and began to run in the direction of the Ghost Tree. It would be the first landmark that would help Lionpaw find her way back to the ShadowClan camp. But as the mysterious, white willow came into sight, a black tom, one with the smell of WindClan stepped in her way. As Lionpaw came to a halt, the scrawny brown tom from before came in behind her, blocking the last place to escape. While standing underneath the hostile gaze of two WindClan warriors, Lionpaw couldn't do anything but tremble.
"I don't think I've ever seen you before. What do you think you're doing here?" the black tom scowled as he looked down at the apprentice. Lionpaw remembered seeing Bearstep's thrashing body as all of the warriors in the WindClan patrol laid their claws on him. It wasn't hard to think of Thistlepaw's crunching jaw and painful breaths with the WindClan apprentice standing over him in pride. Lionpaw knew what these warriors could achieve, and she was afraid of what would happen to her next.
"He asked you a question, kit!" the scrawny tom hissed behind her, "Now answer him!" Lionpaw could not help but to flinch. Her eyes closed, and she felt tears beginning to form at the edge of her eyes. "I—I'm a ShadowClan apprentice." she whispered, barely enough for the WindClan warriors to hear. The two toms burst out laughing, their loud voices causing birds to fly from the branches they were once sitting on. Lionpaw pressed herself close to the ground, and even put her ears against her head. When the warriors stopped laughing, the black tom's chin lowered and his green eyes gave off a menacing glare. Taking a step forward, the two of them began to advance.
"Alright, kit. We'll play along." the scrawny tom snickered, his claws unsheathing. The black tom's whiskers twitched in amusement, and he curled his lips back to reveal his sharp, pointed teeth. "Since you're an apprentice of another Clan, then we have no choice but to defend our territory." Lionpaw's eyes stretched wide, letting her first couple of tears pour down against her cheeks. She stammered as she tried to speak back. "B—But this is ShadowClan's t—territory!"
"Not anymore." The last couple of words spoken by the warriors shook Lionpaw cold. More tears fell from her eyes as they stained the ground darker. The WindClan cats drew closer and closer until it was too uncomfortable to bear. Lionpaw's eyes closed shut and she braced herself as claws and teeth met her flesh.
"Lionpaw! Lionpaw!" an urgent voice called out at the edge of Lionpaw's mind, leaking into her head and echoing in her ears. Lionpaw's amber eyes opened, and she found herself standing in the familiar, misty grounds of a dark dream. Looking down at her paws, Lionpaw found that they were see-through like a ghost. She jumped at the sight, and squinted to get a better look. Lionpaw was horrified when she noticed that her whole body was getting brighter, or in other words, becoming solid.
"You have a paw in two worlds." a well-known voice murmured as Mistfang stepped into the clearing. Lionpaw flinched as she stared wide-eyed into his hazel eyes. She could see misery dwelled within Mistfang's gaze, but what astonished her was the look of compassion he gave her. Lionpaw had not expected this side of the silver tom before, especially since the time she had first met him. When she had tried to talk to him, he turned her away and forced her to leave. Perhaps, Lion thought, there was something more to the tom than she already knew.
"I knew you wouldn't survive long in the forest. How could a barn cat like you turn out to be a strong warrior like me?" Mistfang mewed sarcastically, his whiskers twitching. Lionpaw's generous feelings for him faded without question. "WindClan wasn't supposed to attack us! We were in our own territory, and I didn't have any training to defend myself!" she exclaimed, anger beginning to well up in her chest.
"WindClan? Lionpaw, what about WindClan?!" the mysterious voice above came again. The muscles in Lionpaw's head tensed from the overwhelming sound that pounded in her mind. She clenched her teeth and let her head drop to try to withstand the pain. Mistfang smirked, looking up to the faint light that stood out within the black clouds of nightmares. "I don't believe it," he breathed, "You really don't give up on a fight, do you?" Lionpaw glared at him, forcing out a growl from the breath she had left.
"Lionpaw, Lionpaw! Don't lose us now!" A scream escaped Lionpaw as the pounding amplified, driving the breath out of her chest while she tried to breathe. Mistfang began to look cautious when he saw the effect of Lionpaw's headache. He raised a paw out to her, but Lionpaw stumbled back away from his grasp. "Don't touch me!" she screeched, her ears flat against her head. "Stop hurting me!" Mistfang's eyes narrowed, and he curled his lips back into a snarl. "If you just stop fighting it, then you won't suffer!" he insisted, his teeth bared.
"I'll never let go! I'm not going to die!" Lionpaw hissed, struggling to keep standing. Mistfang froze with his eyes opened wide. He had not seen such determination come from a cat that has been raised in a barn for its whole life. His expectations were to see the she-cat give up and live her life on with no pain and distress. Her body would have been buried, and eventually a cat from StarClan would come down and guide her to paradise. Mistfang tried to comprehend why Lionpaw would want to continue living the life of the warrior, even though she had been nearly murdered by WindClan warriors. Though he didn't understand why, he still knew that this was what Lionpaw wanted the most.
"Don't you recognize those voices?" Mistfang asked, looking back up at the dim light above their heads. "I—I hear Rowanpaw, Scarletberry, a—and Fernpaw." Lionpaw cringed as she strained to listen closely to the voices. Her amber eyes suddenly blazed as she studied Mistfang with a stern look. "You can hear the voices too?!" Mistfang lowered his chin to face her. "Yes. The light above our heads is the tunnel from the real world to the dream that we are in now. Unfortunately, because you are still linked into two worlds, the voices can still be heard from above. They can sometimes hear you speak with me, but they will only be able to catch a few words. If you wish to stop the pain, then you have to remain in one world and leave the other behind."
"Great, then I want to go back!" Lionpaw exclaimed, hope rising in her chest. One of Mistfang's ears twitched, and he gave out a scowl. "It's not as easy as you think!" he spat. "Your body is dying, so it's being drawn into this world we're in now! If you wish to return to the world above, then you'll need help from someone that's already dead!" Lionpaw flicked an irritated ear back at him. "You're dead." she stated, her eyes narrowing, "Now help me."
"I was talking about StarClan," Mistfang muttered, "I prefer staying here in my own world...alone." Lionpaw stared at him in disbelief. "Don't you get lonely?" she asked. Mistfang turned his back against her. "That's none of your business. I think it's best for you to start praying to StarClan, because you're looking for help in the wrong places." With that, he began to walk away. Lionpaw looked after him in agony, giving a silent prayer to StarClan for assistance. She could slowly feel her pain ebb away with every second passing. Her body was no longer see-through, and Lionpaw was able to touch her own body without going through it. The voices in her head began to fade away, leaving Lionpaw to lose hope in everything she believed in. Lionpaw was seconds away from being completely dead.
"Mouse-brained fool!" Mistfang spat as he leaped behind Lionpaw, pressing his paw against her back. Lionpaw gaped, letting in a silent gasp as she glanced over her shoulder at him. Mistfang's paw began to glow with a brilliant light, and sent a jolt running through Lionpaw's entire body. Lionpaw froze as she was engulfed with the energetic power. The light coming from Mistfang's paw ran up the tom's arm and caused him to explode into sparks. A big, potential energy ran through Lionpaw one last time before she became see-through again. Her paws lifted from the ground, sending her toward the light that grew brighter as she came closer. The sunlight burned her vision, causing Lionpaw to become blind which seemed like eternity. But when she opened her eyes, Lionpaw, though her eyesight was blurred, found the face of Rowanpaw staring straight at her.
"F—Fernpaw!" Rowanpaw squeaked in shock, "Lionpaw is awake! She's awake!" Lionpaw couldn't turn her head, but she could hear Fernpaw's paws shuffling against the needle-covered ground as she came forward. "Impossible." the beautiful she-cat muttered, standing next to Rowanpaw. After taking one glimpse at Lionpaw, her eyes immediately stretched wide and her voice was in excitement and panic. "Scarletberry! Get me some cobwebs and—and some comfrey root!" Lionpaw tried to speak, but it only came out as a groan.
"Lionpaw, what happened? You were mumbling while you were unconscious, and we thought you died! No one could have withstood those wounds!" Rowanpaw mewed, trembling from the sight of her injured friend. Though Lionpaw couldn't find her voice, she still had the strength to put her paw onto Rowanpaw's. She gave her a weak smile, then lay her head back and forced herself to relax as Fernpaw came over with the treatments.
The dark gray apprentice began to get to work. She first took off the blood-filled cobwebs and took out a leaf that held the comfrey poultice. Fernpaw smeared the moist substance all along Lionpaw's body where the worst injuries were. A few other poultices were applied to the wounds including horsetail, marigold, and goldenrod. Because Lionpaw wasn't able to eat on her own, Fernpaw took chamomile in one paw and helped the golden-brown apprentice chew the herb and swallow. For the final touches, Fernpaw wrapped Lionpaw in fresh cobwebs so that any other bleeding would stop.
"The patrol found Bearstep and Thistlepaw." Scarletberry informed the medicine cat apprentice as Fernpaw took a step back to look at her work. Rowanpaw tensed as she met the eyes of the ginger warrior. "How's my brother?" she asked in a small whisper, half wanting to receive an answer. Lionpaw's ears pricked up when she heard this. She remembered the condition Thistlepaw had been in before Lionpaw decided to run and fetch help from other ShadowClan warriors: his jaw was broken and twisted in an ugly manner, his face was bruised with intense blows, and there were several flesh wounds along his neck and legs. Despite his jaw, Lionpaw thought that he was alright. Well, at least she hoped he was alright.
"Their injuries are deep, I'm afraid," Scarletberry replied, "But it looks as if they're going to make it. Out of the three of them, Lionpaw was the one that came out the worst." Hope glistened in Rowanpaw's eyes, and she let out a sigh of relief. "Thank StarClan." she breathed. Lionpaw shared the same thoughts, but Fernpaw thought differently when her whiskers twitched with anxiety. "I hope that Spottedheart is seeing to them, or they really will die." Scarletberry rested her tail along the apprentice's shoulders for comfort, and gave her a smile. "Do not worry about them; they are in her paws already."
"Speaking of which, I should probably bring Lionpaw back to her. Rowanpaw, go back to the Clan and tell them that Lionpaw is alive. Scarletberry and I will bring her to camp, so hurry." Fernpaw instructed, flicking her tail in dismissal. Rowanpaw gave a curt nod of her head, turned, and raced in the direction of the camp. Scarletberry examined Lionpaw's broken body and asked, "How will we pick her up?" Fernpaw rolled her eyes at the warrior. "She won't die if we move her. Just pick her up, but try to keep her as still as possible; there a few broken bones that need to heal properly." After taking a couple minutes of adjusting Lionpaw on their backs, the two cats carried the apprentice back to camp.
As they came to the ravine, the three cats met a ShadowClan patrol that was waiting for them by the camp entrance. In the lead was Coalfur with his apprentice, Whitepaw, and Goldenpool right behind him. The jet black tom took a glimpse at Lionpaw's body, and rose a suspicious eye. "Rowanpaw came back to the camp telling all of us that Lionpaw is alive. Did she die on the way?" he demanded, craning his neck to get a better look. Whitepaw's tail drooped and Goldenpool just stared in shock. "But this must not be StarClan's will!" the golden she-cat protested. "Why would they let a kit like her die on the way over? Surely our ancestors wouldn't be that cruel!"
"Now stop this nonsense," Scarletberry snapped at the two warriors, "We sent Rowanpaw to tell the Clan that Lionpaw is still alive, and she is! If you would be so kind to stop your little gossip, we would be happy to go and get Lionpaw the treatment she needs." Goldenpool didn't hesitate to step aside along with Whitepaw, but Coalfur glared at the ginger warrior with a warning look as if to say, "Talk to me like that again and I'll rip you to shreds." Scarletberry huffed at the black tom and pressed herself down to the ground. Fernpaw released the other half of Lionpaw's body onto the warrior's back, and after making sure that she was firmly on, Scarletberry crawled into the tunnel.
Scarletberry pulled herself out on the other side and into the camp clearing where she was greeted by the medicine cat. Spottedheart flicked her tail at the ginger warrior, ordering her to follow. The two she-cats padded toward a log entrance at the back of the camp near the leader's black crystal. They walked along the wood surface for several steps until they came inside the medicine den.
The medicine den was familiar to every cat because it was the only place for them to heal their wounds and illnesses. The ceiling of the den was covered in thick roots with water dripping from the ends of it. The walls had been caved into small holes that were perfect for storing herbs, poultices, and different types of fungi. A little pool had formed in one of the corners with bedding placed along the edge of it where patients could get a cool drink. Two of the nests were occupied by the sleeping, cobwebbed bodies of Bearstep and Thistlepaw. Right next to Thistlepaw's nest was a warm place where Spottedheart wanted Lionpaw to stay for the next several nights. Scarletberry leaned her head down and lowered her forelegs. From the slant of the ShadowClan warrior's body, Lionpaw easily rolled off of her and landed in the nest with a grunt.
"When are visitors allowed to come in?" Scarletberry questioned in a hushed voice. Spottedheart closed her eyes and pondered for a minute. "All I know is that they need their rest if they are to recover their lost strength. Bearstep has some pretty bad wounds, but since he is a strong warrior, I know he'll pull through quickly. Thistlepaw is young, but he is also courageous. I have no doubt that he will survive as well."
"What about Lionpaw?" The room became quiet enough that Lionpaw was able to hear the soft breathing of the two cats beside her. "It was a miracle that she overcame the death that awaited her, but since I haven't checked her properly, I don't know will become of her. I will need a couple of days of her to myself before anyone else can visit. Do you understand?"
"I understand completely, Spottedheart. I will see you tomorrow." Scarletberry gave her farewells and walked out of the den. Lionpaw was grateful for the compassion the ginger warrior had given her, especially for preparing her such a soft nest. It was comforting against her aching muscles and broken bones. Because she could barely breathe, let alone move, all Lionpaw wanted to do was have a long rest. Closing her eyes, Lionpaw let darkness overcome her and send her into her dreams for the night. As she slept, Spottedheart watched the forced and painful rising of Lionpaw's chest. Her green eyes rested in pity at the young apprentice, and she glanced at the night stars in a silent prayer. "Please StarClan," the medicine cat whispered, "Please strengthen these cats in their sleep. And please make sure Lionpaw becomes the warrior that she is destined to become."
So basically Lion(paw) was beaten to death by WindClan warriors, and Mistfang surprisingly helps her so she can continue to live her life. But, what happened to Mistfang, and why does Spottedheart doubt the recovery of Lionpaw? That will be explained in chapter three.