Chapter Ten:

"Let all cats old enough to fight their own battles gather beneath Tallstump for a Clan meeting!"

It was only the sound of her leader's booming voice that made Whitepaw open her eyes, taking in the blinding light of the sun as it shone down on HailClan camp and into the medicine den at an odd angle. Rolling onto her back, Whitepaw rubbed her shoulders against the soft yet dense earth beneath them, feeling the muscles contract then relax. She sighed in gratitude, thankful for the feeling of ease and calm the stretching brought to her.

Just as Whitepaw was kneading her claws on the ground and dipping low so her back could stretch, Skystorm rushed in with a giant smile on her face. Whitepaw sent her mentor an odd look that clearly said 'Have you been eating catnip? Perhaps a little too much?'

"No I haven't, Whitepaw." Skystorm purred in amusement as if she could read Whitepaw's thoughts. "I'm just so happy for you!"

"Why's that?" Whitepaw questioned, raising a paw to take a step towards her mentor.

"Come outside and you'll understand." Skystorm meowed and then dashed away, back into the clearing and away from Whitepaw.

Curious yet slightly afraid, Whitepaw made her way out of the medicine den with tentative and alert senses, her ears pricked and her eye watchful for Blackpaw or any of the warriors. Her heart pounded in her chest, her blood racing through her veins... She was nervous yet felt she could die from the emotion.

So she simply shoved her emotions down into the recesses of her mind.

Up on Tallstump with his chin held high, Cliffstar stared directly at her. Chills crept through Whitepaw's spine as she sat down beside Skystorm with curiosity flashing in her eyes. What's he planning?

"I am honored," Cliffstar began, his voice ringing around camp, "to announce the ritual of a well-deserved apprentice ceremony."

It's probably Sunnytail and Batwing's kit, Whitepaw thought hastily yet didn't let her mentor see the angered look on her face. All of StarClan knows that Splashkit has been spoiled since the minute she was born...

"Whitepaw, step forward."

Her look of anger turned to shock, and the envious thoughts turned into ones of disbelief. The entire Clan turned towards her, the she-cat's all looking at her with smiles on their faces while the toms faces were contorted in anger and mistrust.

Whitepaw -with a shaking breath- took a step forward with her paw, suddenly forgetting how to put one paw in front of the other. The Clan was ecstatic as she passed each individual cat, all of the she-cats purring kind words to her, while the toms merely sat watching her through narrowed eyes. Before she could process everything that was happening, she felt Cliffstar's muzzle on top of her head before his voice rang around the clearing once more.

"Cats of StarClan, I present you Whitepaw, the medicine cat of HailClan. After much considersation and a long thinking process, I have decided to strip Whitepaw of her medicine cat title and-"

"So she's not in HailClan anymore?" Blackpaw's cold meow spoke up from the back of the group, and within heartbeats his muscular and lithe body was standing before Whitepaw, a sneer of triumph on his muzzle. "She's a rogue? A loner? A nobody? Oh, wait, she's always been that!"

"Blackpaw!" Silverbird's warning followed the harsh comment. "Stop this at once! Let your leader finish with the ceremony!"

"Silence, mother!" Blackpaw snarled, and Silverbird -much to Whitepaw's disappointment- obeyed her son and shut her jaws. Blackpaw let out a cackle and stepped towards his sister once more, his lips drawing slowly back to reveal his thorn-sharp teeth. "You are nothing, Whitepaw. You never have been wanted in this Clan, and now look at you! You're a loser, a loner and a nobody!"

"Blackpaw!" Cliffstar shouted above the smart remarks from all of the toms, while she she-cat's began to hiss and throw insults at Blackpaw.

But the black apprentice simply ignored his leader's order and continued to stalk towards Whitepaw, pressing her up against the flat of Tallstump so that she was cornered. "You're nothing to any cat, Whitepaw. You shouldn't have been born, because all you do is cause the rest of HailClan misery and pain! No compassion or love whatsoever, and it's all because of you!"

"Shut up, Blackpaw! Just shut up and leave me alone!" Whitepaw cried, shoving her brother out of her way and dashing out of camp, not caring to see if any cat was following her.

Whitepaw's lungs burned by the time she finally stopped running. She gasped for breath, her flanks heaving as she fought to catch it like her life depended on the air she was absorbing into them.

"You're on SunClan territory!"

She was suddenly knocked to the ground, the air she had gulped down heartbeats before out of her body, crushing beneath the mysterious cat's weight.

The strange cat was a tom, Whitepaw realized. He barreled towards the slim she-cat, screeching, a feral light in his eyes. His cry was wordless, failing to contain his fear and pain. Whitepaw simply neatly sidestepped the tom, flashing out a paw to trip him. As he staggered, she shoved another paw at his stomach, pushing him over to display his scarred stomach. Without pausing, she swiped her claws down the length of his body; from neck to tail. He let out another shriek- such a delicate cat, with such a feminine voice- and flung himself to his paws.

The black tom -looking identical to her brother- struck out blindly. Whitepaw seized his paw in her jaws and gave a tug, sending the cat sprawling next to her. She leaned down, and in a single fluid motion, grasped his shoulder in her jaws. Slowly, she pulled her head back, keeping her jaws in place with one paw atop his shoulder. There was a sickening pop that echoed through the clearing. The brief moment of silence was shattered by his agonized scream.

The SunClan cat flailed and managed to roll to his paws, dragging his dislocated leg with him. Whitepaw leapt after him. At first, she appeared to have miscalculated her jump entirely; she soared straight over his head. But her trailing hind legs struck his muzzle, knocking him into the ground. She landed, crouched, and spun around, a low growl emanating from her throat. The tom heaved himself to his paws and clumsily flung himself at the waiting she-cat.

The tom was now laying on the crimson-covered ground, panting from the ordeal he had just witnessed and tears flowing from his eyes at the pain in his shoulder. Whitepaw smirked at the pained look on his face. He would need to go to his medicine cat to get it treated, for she was from another Clan and wouldn't help him whatsoever. "Get up, crowfood." she snarled, and felt pity stab her heart at the way the tom grunted and hissed as he staggered to his feet, not putting weight on his right leg at all.

"Who in StarClan's name are you?" the tom demanded, hissing lightly as he put a small amount of weight on his right paw, only to draw back once it just barely touched the ground. "and why are you on my Clan's territory?"

He suddenly tilted his nose in the air and sniffed. With a snarl, his words were like ice around Whitepaw's throat. "HailClan. I thought I would be meeting one of you someday."

Whitepaw froze as she saw three other cats -two she-cat's and one tom- step our from among the bushes.

They had some company.