Chapter 16

"You have to eat something." Airpaw pressed, pushing a vole to Shadowpaw. The black tom huffed and shoved it away with his paw. For weeks, Shadowpaw had never come out of the apprentice den; he sulked around and crept in the shadows ever since his mother abandoned him.

"I'll eat later." Shadowpaw grumbled.

"Shadowpaw…you haven't eaten for two days!" Airpaw fussed, her white fur was bushed.

Shadowpaw rolled his eyes and faced his back to her, although the smell of the vole was tempting and his stomach howled. Airpaw sighed and turned her back to him, her tail tip barely touching Shadowpaw's.

"Just eat it now…please." Airpaw moaned.

Shadowpaw hesitated but turned around and grabbed the vole in his mouth, scarfing it down when the flavor of the animal hit his tongue. Airpaw sighed in relief and looked over her shoulder, Shadowpaw had his back turned to her with slumped shoulders.

"Thank you." She whispered. Shadowpaw snorted and twitched his whiskers.

Shadowpaw listened as Airpaw padded out of the apprentice's den, his stomach howling for more food. Shadowpaw didn't want to leave his nest…to look at his mother…to receive scowls from his Clanmates. Shadowpaw huffed and let his body relax in his nest.

I could just die right here; with no regrets…StarClan wouldn't accuse me of being a murderer. Shadowpaw was so weak and helpless, he didn't like submitting to defeat of life…but he didn't want to hear the awful words of his Clanmates.

Shadowpaw scented a familiar scent at the den entrance. The black tom rolled over to see the eyes of his mentor. Shadowpaw sighed and rolled back over, not wanting to talk with anyone at the moment.

"Shadowpaw…what are you doing with yourself?" Galestar mewed pathetically.

"Go away…I don't want to talk…or live." Shadowpaw groaned.

"Get up." Galestar mewed tersely. Shadowpaw narrowed his eyes and looked at his mentor. Galestar flattened his ears sternly and Shadowpaw sighed, standing on long legs. "Come with me."

Galestar and Shadowpaw left the apprentice den the two trying hard to ignore the sneers and hisses aimed at Shadowpaw. Galestar scaled the rocks above SkyClan's camp, motioning for Shadowpaw to follow. The black tom effortlessly jumped to the top with a strike of three leaps, Galestar widened his eyes as he watched his apprentice fly to the top of the camp wall. Shadowpaw ignored his mentor's aweing gaze and flicked his tail in annoyance.

"Where are we going?" Shadowpaw aggressively

"Just follow me…" Galestar mewed, his eyes lowered. Suspicion bubbled at Shadowpaw's pelt before the mew of SkyClan's deputy interrupted the two.

"Where are you going?" Fallowfur called. Her dusty-white fur ruffled.

"I'll be back, Fallowfur." Galestar called. Shadowpaw curled his lip in annoyance; he just wanted to know where they were going. "Let's go."

The two padded deep into the forest, Shadowpaw secretly enjoying the crisp leaf-bare wind blow in his fur as he walked. Though he didn't want to smile…be could help but twitch his whiskers as the leaves on the forest floor crunched beneath his paws. Galestar purred at Shadowpaw, the black furred apprentice instantly stopped and padded ahead of his mentor.

"Shadowpaw…stop." Galestar mewed. The black apprentice turned and watched as Galestar guiltily sat down behind him. Shadowpaw timidly walked up to him and sat down, wrapping his tail neatly over his paws.

"What is it?" Shadowpaw mewed nervously, sensing the tension waving off of Galestar's fur.

"Tell me…" Galestar mewed with a slight growl to his voice. "What happened the day Scar was killed?"

"I didn't kill him!" Shadowpaw yowled in his mentors face. He was so sick of cats accusing him for something he couldn't help.

"I never said that." Galestar mewed calmly. "I just want to know what happened the day he was killed. I just want to know…okay?"

Shadowpaw flicked his tail and thought whether he really wanted to repeat the story or not…but the look in Galestar's eyes made the tom give in. Shadowpaw sighed and looked down at his paws.

"I was guarding the badger's den entrance…when, Scar came after me." Shadowpaw mewed. Galestar looked up with confused eyes, but Shadowpaw kept going. "He attacked me…he only stopped when the badger came bounding over and grabbed my father in his teeth. Shaking him around…I jumped on the animals back and tried hard to get him off. But I was too late; the badger had snapped his spine."

Galestar flattened his ears. "Why would your father attack you?" Galestar mewed accusingly.

"Mistyfern…they," Shadowpaw fidgeted, he didn't like talking about his mother now since she neglected him. Galestar waited patiently. "The two had started quarrelling…I guess he just needed something to take the anger out on."

Galestar looked at his paws a moment before perking his ears. "So the night you were attacked…that was Scar this whole time?"

"Yes." Shadowpaw subsided. Galestar's neck fur began to ruffle in anger but he quickly pushed it down, the ginger and brown leader looked at his apprentice once more.

"Why didn't you say something?" Galestar pressed.

"Scar threatened to kill me…" Shadowpaw became agitated at the touchy subject. "But this doesn't matter! What are we here for?"

Galestar looked over his shoulder with a frown. "I've come to make you a deal." He mewed.

"What kind of deal?" Shadowpaw growled.

"I've seen how the other cats treat you…and it's not fair to you, or to me." Galestar mewed solemnly. "I can't allow myself to let you go on living like this…"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Shadowpaw meowed tensely.

"I'm giving you one moon." Galestar mewed sternly. "If I don't see the warriors treat you like you're a piece of crow food by the end of the moon…you can stay in SkyClan. If they still treat you harshly by the end of the moon…I will exile you to live with the kittypets."

"Are you fox-brained? You want me exiled for something I didn't do!" Shadowpaw caterwauled.

"I'm doing this for your own good!" Galestar growled. "The warriors don't trust you; I can't let them ruin your life forever."

"Ruin my life?" Shadowpaw hissed irritably. "What about the warriors that do trust me! Are you going to exile them too?"

"The only cats that believe you aren't a killer are me and Airpaw!" Galestar growled.

"Why don't you just tell the clan I'm innocent, and that Scar was trying to kill me, huh?" Shadowpaw screeched.

"I can't do that, Shadowpaw." Galestar mewed.

"Why not," Shadowpaw arched his back in complete fury.

"Because…" Galestar mumbled. "Scar was my brother…if the warriors find out; they will think I'm an abuser too. I can't let that happen."

"But you'll let it happen to me though?" Shadowpaw screeched. "Fine, give me one moon…I'll show you!"

"Fine"