Chapter Fourteen:
The clearing was dark and silent as Whitepaw stepped out of the dirtplace and into the forest. A light breeze stirred her pelt, and the white she-cat blinked several times against the harsh light of the moon, trying to get her eyes to adjust. Leafbare had taken its toll on HailClan, making several cats -from the youngest kit to the oldest elder- sick with greencough. Even Cliffstar himself was coming down with something.
Whitepaw let out a low growl as she recalled Acornpaw's question to her just a sunset ago. She had been appalled by the intensity in his voice and eyes, and refused without a second thought.
"You are a sick cat!" Whitepaw had snarled, her ears flat against her head and her eyes narrowed in anger. "We're young cats, Acornpaw! How can you possibly think of such a thing now?"
"I'll be a warrior in a few days time." the light orange tom had replied hastily. "Which only leaves you to become a warrior as well." He took a step forward and stared into Whitepaw's eyes, his amber eyes filled with devotion and power. "Plus, I don't need your permission, you know."
"What do you mean?" Whitepaw has asked, her eyes growing wide in horror? This wasn't the Acornpaw she knew and loved... this was an entirely different cat!
"HailClan?"
The white she-cat jumped and spun around, hissing and unsheating her claws on instinct.
"Whoa, whoa! Easy there HailClan, it's just me."
Whitepaw stared into the bushes she faced, squinting as she tried to recognize the voice. "Shadowpaw...? Is that you?"
A small chuckle emitted from the bushes before a sleek black figure stepped out from them, its ocean blue eyes glimmering in the light of the moon. "You really couldn't recognize me, HailClan?" there was a hint of laughter and fake mockery in his voice.
Whitepaw purred warmly and stepped forward, touching her nose to his. "Well, you know, SunClan cats often talk the same."
Shadowpaw blinked warmly at her through his ocean eyes. "We have our flaws, I have to admit..." He suddenly disappeared for a split second, but just as Whitepaw was about to call for him she was suddenly laying flat on her back with Shadowpaw looming over her like a crow. "Bet you didn't see that one coming, did you HailClan?" He meowed, his eyes warm with the affection he held for her.
Whitepaw shrugged him off and sat up, grooming her paws neatly. "I didn't, to be completely honest. Except..."
"Except?" Shadowpaw's voice grew tight with worry and slight anger. "Except what, Whitepaw?" Whitepaw cowered away, afraid he would freak out if she told him about Acornpaw's offer to her. He stepped forward and studied her face with his clouded ocean eyes. "Come on, Whitepaw... I thought you loved me enough to tell me anything. We made that promise to each other, remember?"
"Of course I do, Shadowpaw." Whitepaw answered meekly, allowing the black SunClan tom to sit down beside her, close enough so their pelts were pressed against the other. She dug her claws deep into the frost-covered ground beneath them and blurted, "Acornpaw offered to become my mate once I was a warrior!"
Shadowpaw hissed and flattened his ears to his head. "That HailClan piece of fox-dung..." he snarled, his black fur bristling. "How dare he do something like that, even offer it to you like prey!" He suddenly turned to her, his gaze furious yet kind. "You... You didn't accept... Did you?"
"No!" Whitepaw meowed, shaking her head. "I wouldn't do that to you, Shadowpaw. You know that..." she leaned against the black SunClan cat, resting her head on his chest.
Whitepaw felt Shadowpaw's chest rumble as he let out a small purr and rested his head on top of hers. "I know, Whitepaw..." he murmured quietly, as if there were a cat watching them. "I know you wouldn't..."
"I knew it!" A sudden voice shouted through the trees, and Whitepaw and Shadowpaw jumped away from each other in haste. A light orange pelt bluntly stuck out against the bare trees.
"Acornpaw!" Whitepaw gasped, her eyes growing wide as she stole a glance at Shadowpaw. The black toms eyes were narrowed and he was snarling at Acornpaw as the light orange tom leapt out of the tree, facing them both with his teeth bared and hackles raised.
"So you're Acornpaw." Shadowpaw mused with a lash of his tail. "Never thought I would encounter you in a time like this."
"Yeah well," Acornpaw scoffed, shooting Whitepaw a harsh glare. "things can change in a matter of seconds. You should know that, being a SunClan cat and all."
Shadowpaw hissed at Acornpaw's remark. "You shut up, fox-dung! I know what you said to Whitepaw!"
Now it was the harsh gaze of Acornpaw on her instead of on Shadowpaw. "You told him, Whitepaw? You told that lying heap of dirt what we discussed?"
"I'm the lying heap of dirt?" Shadowpaw scoffed under his breath, letting out a snort. "You should look at yourself first next time."
"It wasn't a discussion either, Acornpaw." Whitepaw added, her voice shaking with fear that Acornpaw would attack her or Shadowpaw. "You offered it to me and I refused."
"So get over it." Shadowpaw growled, stepping up beside Whitepaw and standing in front of her protectively. "Whitepaw and I are together, and there's nothing you can do about it."
Acornpaw hissed and lashed his tail, narrowing his eyes. "You'll pay for this!" he snarled and leapt into the air, unsheathing his claws. Whitepaw -despite just becoming a warrior's apprentice a sunrise ago- leapt into the air as well, allowing Acornpaw to slash his claws across her face. Her right eye stung, her face was hot and felt like it was touching the sun... Time was slowing down, and she was suddenly laying on her side on the ground with frost melting and soaking into her white fur.
The last thing she saw was Shadowpaw leaning over her with his ocean eyes worried, and then saw the flash of Acornpaw's sharp claws slashing at his throat.
All right, guys! I didn't write this chapter in second person, I'm sire you're all glad! That last chapter was terrible ;-;. But at least you won't have to experience it again!
I'm now in Florida visiting my best friend! She and I play Minecraft an awful lot, and its super fun! Her parents let me come with them, and they live all the way up in Michigan! So I had to stay there for two days, and now here we are!
I'll try and update as fast as I can. If its not this week sometime, expect one on Saturday or Sunday. :)