"Wrenwing! Lead a border patrol to the Shadowclan and Riverclan borders. Yarrowpelt, take the unclaimed territory and the Windclan borders. We're gonna need two or three hunting patrols, anyone want to take one?" Shadowblaze stood in the middle of the camp, directing the warriors on patrols. During the one month after she had become deputy, she had put most of the cats skeptical thoughts about her deputyship to rest.
"Shadowblaze." she looked at who had spoken, Twigstar had his head poked out of his den and was calling to her. She glanced around at the warriors and called to Birdsong, a senior warrior, "Birdsong, could you finish organizing the patrols?" she noddes and Shadowblaze dipped her head in thanks and ran over to Twigstar. "What do you want Twigstar?" "We have to talk about you mentoring Foxkit."
Shadowblaze nodded, Foxkit was excited to be the deputy's first apprentice, but Sandfire was highly annoyed, going off on long rants about how a filthy kittypet shouldn't be deputy and blah, blah, blah. "What about it?" she questioned, he paused and then said, "I'm holding his apprentice ceremony at sunhigh. I want you to tell Foxkit, but just Foxkit, I don't need an angry Sandfire running around camp." she nodded and slipped out of the den.
"Foxkit!" she hissed, "Foxkit, wake up!" the mound of gray fur awaoke and sat up, "Wha? Oh, hi Shadowblaze." she smiled as she looked at her future apprentice, "Get prepared, your ceremony is gonna be at sunhigh." his eyes lit up and he leapt up yowling, "YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! Y-" "OK! Enough!" Shadowblaze yelled, shaking her head to make her ears stop ringing. "Just don't tell your mom, ok?" he nodded. Shadowblaze then backed out of the den and bumped into a furry thing standing behind her.
A voice declared, "Why were you talking to my son?" Shadowblaze groaned, it was Sandifre. She turned around and rolled her eyes, "Can't I talk to my future apprentice?""Not if he's my son!" "Just go away." "NO! What authority do you have over me?!" "I'm the deputy." Sandfire let out and aggravated snarl and stalked away.
Shadowblaze padded back over to where she had been assigning patrols and caught up to the last hunting patrol going out. She followed the leader of the patrol who kept eyeing her as if he expected her to jump in front and take leadership of the patrol. She motioned for him to continue the patrol and he relaxed, going back to chatting with his fellow warriors until they reached the area where they were going to be hunting.
There they split up and went their own ways to go hunt.
When they rejoined back at their starting area everycat was loaded with prey. The leader of the patrol flicked his tail and led them back to the camp. As soon as they dropped off their prey and went about their own business Twigstar stood up on the Leader's Rock and called for a clan meeting.
The clan gathered and Twigstar called out, "Foxkit, come forward." the six moon old kit stepped out of the crowd and scrambled onto the Leader' Rock, Twigstar continued," Foxkit, do you promise to obey your mentor and be the best apprentice you can until you become a warrior?" "Yes." "Then from now on until you become a warrior, you will be known as, Foxpaw. Your mentor will be Shadowblaze." Shadowblaze stepped forward and Foxpaw bounded down from the rock and touched noses with her, accepting her as his mentor.
The minute the ceremony ended Sandifre darted out of the crowd and began yowling nonsense about kittypets and her son and everything that she'd been yowling about for moons. Everyone ignored her and went back to their usual business. Shadowblaze glanced over at Foxpaw and asked, "Do you want to go explore the territory?" he looked up, eyes glowing with excitement, and yowled, "You bet!" Shadowblaze grinned, "C'mon let's go find Hawkclaw, then we can go explore."
They walked around the camp for a while, searching for Hawkclaw, eventually Foxpaw spotted the dark brown tom snoozing in the shade of the warrior's den. Shadowblaze grinned evilly, "Let' scare him awake." Foxpaw tipped his head confusedly, "How, though?" Shadowblaze thought for a moment and her eyes lit up as she thought of a good idea, "I still have a shred of fox fur from that fox that we chased off the territory, I'm gonna go get it and stick it under Hawkclaw's nose, then we can slowly drag him away and he'll think that foxes attacked the camp and some of the foxes are dragging him away. Either that or he won't even wake up. You in?" Foxpaw glanced at Shadowblaze and then at Hawkclaw and then nodded.
"Ok, 3, 2, 1, GO!" Shadowblaze hissed, she began to drag her unconscious mate across the dirt floor of the camp, Foxpaw kept pace with her and held the scrap of fox fur to his nose. It only took a few moments before Hawkclaw woke from hitting a rock and then as he smelled the scent and began to spasm, he twisted and writhed like a worm and Shadowblaze burst out laughing, joining Foxpaw who was flopped on the ground, heaving with laughter. Hawkclaw stopped writhing and sat up, glaring balefully at the two cats in front of him, "It's not funny." he huffed. Shadowblaze looked up and smirked, "Have a nice nap, Hawkclaw?" he glared at her and muttered, "I'm gonna get back at you." Shadowblaze grinned, "So this is war?" "War." he confirmed. "Well, let's start later, right now you're coming with Foxpaw and I to explore the territory." Hawkclaw sighed in defeat ad meowed, "I'm coming." "Come on! Can we go now?" Foxpaw yelped as he ran around them in circles.
"Alright! We're going!" Shadowblaze yelled, "Race you to the entrance!" Foxpaw squealed, "Foxpaw! You're not supposed to-. Oh I give up." Shadowblaze muttered and then ran after her apprentice, Hawkclaw on her heels. She bolted to the entrance of the camp and found Foxpaw sitting there, a wide grin sitting on his face. "Come on you little piece of crowfood." Shadowblaze called as she ran past Foxpaw, not pausing to let him catch raced out to the big tree near the entrance of the camp and then stopped, waiting for Hawkclaw and Foxpaw to appear. A few heartbeats later the two cats came racing out of the underbrush and skidded to a stop in front of Shadowblaze. "Wha-what are we going to see first?" Foxpaw panted out. Shadowblaze grinned, "We're going to go see all of the borders and train at the same time." Both cats in front of her groaned and Hawkclaw grumbled, "Why did I get mixed up in this?"
Shadowblaze ran back into camp, sweat dripping off her pelt and her breaths came in sharp pants, leaves crunched behind her as her two companions slowed to a walk and caught their breath. She turned to her apprentice and meowed, "Go get something to eat, and then I suggest that you go get some sleep, we're starting at dawn." Foxpaw nodded mutely, too tired to speak. Hawkclaw trudged into camp after the apprentice and soon after Shadowblaze followed. She paused at the fresh kill pile and grabbed a mouse, then she slipped over to the shadow of the warriors den and settled next to Hawkclaw. When she sat down he lifted his head from his meal, a shrew, and grunted a greeting, she paused to give thanks for the mouse and then began to tear into the mouse ravenously. When they had finished eating Shadowblaze and Hawkclaw sat together and shared tongues until the sun went down.
Shadowblaze stood and stretched out, then she slipped into the den and curled up into her nest, smiling at the fact that she had her first apprentice. That night her mother appeared in her dreams.
"My child," she whispered, "Be aware, your enemy lurks closer, watch the ones you love, don't let terror rule your life." "What do you mean?!" Shadowblaze cried out but her mother vanished before she could answer and Shadowblaze awoke in her nest, curled up against Hawkclaw. She stood and shook out her pelt, trying to shake off the effects of the dream, like shaking off water. She padded outside and began to stretch and wash her pelt. When she finished she realized that it wasn't even dawn yet. Since she couldn't go back to sleep she padded to the entrance and told the guard that she was going hunting and slipped out into the forest.
The leaves were wet against her feet as she trekked through the dew filled forest, a rustling noise came from a clump of leaves and she paused, sniffing the air, a vole. She quietly settled into a hunter's crouch and began to stalk towards the vole. The vole kept going about its business, not noticing that it's death was drawing close. She pounced, the vole turned to look up and let out one tiny, frightened squeak before she snapped it's neck and stood, its carcass dangling from her jaws. She walked over to a tree and dug a shallow pit in its roots and placed the vole in it, she then returned to hunting. 3 mice and 6 shrews later Shadowblaze felt ready to go back, it was almost dawn anyway. She went back the various spots where she had buried her kills and dug them back up. She carefully maneuvered herself so that she could carry all the fresh kill in one trip. Then, with the prey in mouth, she began the long walk back to the camp.
When Shadowblaze stepped into the camp she found that there were a few warriors up already, she dropped her prey onto the prey pile and went over to the apprentice's den, all of the nests had been abandoned except for one, a heap of gray and orange was still snoring in his nest. Shadowblaze shook her head in amazement, how did he manage to sleep through his fellow apprentices getting up? When she'd been an apprentice she'd always been woken by the sound of the other apprentices waking up and getting ready. It'd been quite annoying when Twigstar, then Twigclaw, had given her a day off.
She padded into the den and poked the sleeping heap, Foxpaw mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Mom, let me sleeep." a few more pokes later the sleeping apprentice had only twitched and turned onto his side and Shadowblaze was getting frustrated. She finally decided to stop being nice and shoved him off his nest, out the entrance of the den and out into the cold morning air. At last the apprentice stirred and began to look around blearily. "Wake up! When I finish sorting out these patrol we're going to go hunting!" Shadowblaze called, "It's sooo early." Foxpaw groaned, but to Shadowblaze's immense relief he did as she asked and began to wash his pelt.
She darted hurriedly to the center of the camp where the clump of warriors was already waiting, "Sorry!" she called as she squeezed her way into the clump of warriors. When she reached her spot in the center of camp she lifted her voice and began to call out the patrols. Slowly one by one the patrols left and the sea of cts around Shadowblaze shrank, until it was just her and a few warriors that she sent off on a hunting patrol. She took a deep breath and turned to look at her apprentice, Foxpaw was still where she had left him, looking half asleep.
She grumbled to herself slightly but then shook out her pelt and prodded the drowsy apprentice into alertness, "C'mon, I'm gonna teach you how to hunt." at this Foxpaw bounced up, excitement in his eyes.
Shadowblaze padded back into the camp wearily, Foxpaw was anything but a good hunter. He had ran after rabbits, tried digging out mice and shrews, and got distracted by the smallest things. Sure he had enthusiasm but energy doesn't catch prey and it doesn't feed the clan. Most apprentices would be fairly good at hunting after almost a full moon of training, but Foxpaw's skills still stayed around the same skill level of a new apprentice. This worried Shadowblaze quite a bit, mostly because she wasn't sure what would happen to Foxpaw if he didn't manage to master the skills that every warrior needed to survive.
Another thing that she didn't feel good about, Foxpaw was failing at fighting, he would always hesitate when he was in the battle training ring, as if he was scared to hurt others. Obviously this was a huge weakness that the other apprentices exploited, they acted scared and Foxpaw would soften, and then they would strike, easily bringing him to the ground, where he willingly submitted and lost the fight. No matter how often Shadowblaze told him that in a real battle his opponent wouldn't hesitate to severely injure him instead of just letting him go, the stubborn apprentice refused to get better at fighting. It had gotten to the point that Shadowblaze had to take Foxpaw out of the normal training group and train him one on one because the other apprentices were getting better and Foxpaw still didn't know how to fend them off without getting knocked down.
The other members of the clan had had their doubts about whether it was Shadowblaze's training methods or the apprentice that was making the apprentice fail so badly in all aspects of being a warrior. So in the end to put the rumors to a rest Twigstar had had Shadowblaze switch apprentices with Gingerpelt to see if her training methods actually worked. Grasspaw, Gingerpelt's apprentice, had taken to Shadowblaze's training methods easily and when she was returned to her mentor at the end of the quarter moon her skills had improved drastically and she eagerly asked her mentor to do some of the drills Shadowblaze had had her do. Foxpaw on the other paw hadn't improved at all. Gingerpelt had agreed that he was practically untrainable.
Shadowblaze was warped back into the present when she ran heard someone calling her name quietly, "Shadowblaze! Shadowblaze, you might want to see this." she paused and turned towards where the voice came from, "Hawkclaw? What are you doing here?" he blinked and then said, "I was just passing by the medicine cat's den and I heard voices and so.." "You decided to eavesdrop?" he looked down embarrassedly. Shadowblaze just shook her head and asked, "What did you want me want see?" he nodded his head towards the medicine cat's clearing and whispered, "I think your apprentice is in there, talking to Fernshine." she tipped her head and silently debated whether it was worth sitting in a clump of prickly grass, finally she decided to find out what Hawkclaw was talking about. She let out an exaggerated sigh and flopped down in the grass next to Hawkclaw and peered through the ferns.
Sure enough Foxpaw was standing inside the medicine cat's clearing talking with Fernshine who was sorting herbs. He seemed to ask her a question and she looked surprised for a moment but then seemed to agree and then Foxpaw sat down next to her and she began to tell him something. Shadowblaze stood, she already knew what was happening here, she padded out of the grass and walked into the medicine cat's den, "-and this is feverfew it-" Fernshine looked up from where she had been talking to Foxpaw and up at Shadowblaze who stood there unmoving until she opened her mouth and asked, "Can I borrow Foxpaw for a moment?" Fernshine nodded mutely and Foxpaw stood, his body shaking slightly from fear, Shadowblaze beckoned for him to follow her and then when they reached an area outside the camp and Shadowblaze turned around to face Foxpaw who burst into a hurried explanation, "I- went-came-sorry- Fernshine teaching me- didn't mean to go behind your back-" "Foxpaw," Shadowblaze gently cut Foxpaw off, "Are you happy when Fernshine is teaching you about herbs?" he hesitated and then nodded his head. Shadowblaze nodded too and then finally asked, "Do you want to be a medicine cat?" Foxpaw shifted uneasily on his paws and mumbled, "Yes, but mom wanted me to be a warrior, I tried to be a warrior, I really did, but I'm failing! I just know it!" Shadowblaze looked at Foxpaw and meowed, "You are failing, but that's because it's not what you were made to be. You were always meant to be a medicine cat, don't let others control your destiny, make your own." Foxpaw nodded and then shyly asked, "So what are we going to do now?" Shadowblaze looked at him, "Now we go talk to Twigstar."
"Twigstar?" Shadowblaze called into the entrance of the leader's den and waited for the answer, "Come in." she paused for a moment and looked behind her, Foxpaw was lurking behind her, hesitance clear in his movements, she nodded reassuring and padded into the den. "Twigstar," Shadowblaze began, "Foxpaw and I have come to a decision, he doesn't feel that becoming a warrior is his path and I agree, we have come to request that he become Fernshine's apprentice, if she'll take him." Twigstar looked up, surprised, "And you're willing to let him follow that path, even though it will leave you without an apprentice?" Shadowblaze nodded. Twigstar nodded, "I may as well hold the ceremony right now." he heaved himself onto his paws and padded out of the den.
Shadowblaze and Foxpaw followed their leader out and reached the Leader's Rock just in time to hear Twigstar's summoning call. Shadowblaze nodded to Foxpaw and then took her place at the side of the rock. "We have gathered here today because we have an apprentice who is not on his right path, he and his mentor hae decided to allow him to follow his own path and so Foxpaw, please step forward." Foxpaw stepped out of the crowd and climbed up to where Twigstar stood, "I, Twigstar, leader of Thunderclan call on my ancestors to take this apprentice in front of me off their current path and place them on a new path." he then pressed his nose to Foxpaw's forehead and then called, "Fernshine, will you accept Foxpaw as your new apprentice?" Fernshine stood, a surprised expression etched on her face, "Yes, I will." Twigstar then nodded and finished the ceremony, "From now on this apprentice will train to be a medicine cat, may Starclan accept him." Foxpaw then bounded down from the Leader's Rock and touched noses with Fernshine. The clan sat in stunned silence for a moment and then Shadowblaze called out, "Foxpaw! Foxpaw! Foxpaw!" the rest of the clan unfroze and took up the call as well.
Suddenly a dark form slipped onto the Leader's rock and pounced onto Twigstar's back. Twigstar let out a yelp and Shadowblaze turned her head towards the rock and when she took in the scene she ran to edge of the rock and leapt onto the side and began to claw her way up. Three fourths of the way up another dark shadow leapt off the side of the rock and rammed into Shadowblaze. She lost her grip on the surface of the rock and plummeted down to the ground. The figure got off her and hissed in a familiar voice, "Stay out of it, I don't want you hurt." Shadowblaze didn't listen to the cat and bolted back into battle. She realized that only a few cats were actually fighting the shadowy figure, the rest were, helping, the figures. With the highly uneven numbers the loyal cats of the clan were quickly rendered immobile or dead. Shadowblaze struggled from underneath Wrenwing and Antpelt who had pinned her down and were holding her there. She managed to lift her head and saw Twigstar's body give one last twitch and go still, losing his first life. Shadowblaze hoped that these cats didn't know that a leader had nine lives but as usual luck wasn't on her side. As soon as Twigstar took another breath the cat up on the Leader's Rock sank their teeth into his neck and killed him. All Shadowblaze could do was watch in horror as Twigstar lost life after life until his body stayed still and he exhaled his last breath.
The setting sun illuminated the face of the cat crouched over Twigstar's dead body. Sandfire stood and grinned down at the camp, blood dripping from her whiskers. She then lifted her head and called, "My warriors! Thank you! We have won a great battle here! An unworthy leader has fallen and I have now avenged my dear mate!" she turned to the shadowy cats and said, "Thank you Gore for bringing your Gloomforest cats here to help me win this battle." the name Gloomforest sent shivers down Shadowblaze's spine, she unconsciously curled into a tighter ball at the mention. "Now I will travel to the Mooncrystal and receive my nine lives tonight. I have decided who my deputy will be, that pitiful kittypet wasn't even worthy of being a deputy," Shadowblaze spat at Sandfire and muttered, "You're not worthy of being alive." Wrenwing hissed, "Shut up!" and slammed her paw down on Shadowblaze's spine. Shadowblaze wisely shut up. A familiar figure began to make their way up the Leader's Rock, Sandfire turned to meet them and called, "Hawkclaw! Good to see you up here! I always knew that you had potential! Now you will be deputy of this new clan, Sandclan!" Shadowblaze had enough, she struggled fiercely and managed to break out from her immobile cage of paws. "Sandfire! If you think that you're so much better than me, fight me, or are you too much of a coward to do it?" Sandfire looked down at her from the Leader's Rock and laughed, "I don't have to answer to loyal filth. Wrenwing! Antpelt! Punish your prisoner." Wrenwing and Antpelt scurried out from the crowd and attacked Shadowblaze, she turned and flared up all three of her powers, blinding her enemies and turning invisible. She darted around the two and applied scratches to the pelts and face. But as suddenly as it had started her torture of her guards ended, a cat pounced on her back and the unexpected weight made her sink to her knees.
Wrenwing and Antpelt hurried over to her and held her down while her attacker stood and turned to face Shadowblaze. His eyes glittered coldly, "Apply the punishments." Wrenwing began to claw viciously at her pelt while Antpelt began to cuff her around the head solidly. Shadowblaze turned her head to the cat in front of her and coughed out, "Hawkclaw you're a traitor." The cat who had once been Shadowblaze's mate smirked sadistically and spat, "Don't think that you're the best just because you have your special powers, I've embraced my Gloomforest inheritance, the ability to see past any power a cat is using and my job? To bring them down kill them." Shadowblaze just stared at him, "Hawkclaw, what happened to you? This isn't you, why are you with Sandfire? She killed Twigstar!" it might've been her imagination but Shadowblaze thought that she saw a flicker of sadness in Hawkclaw's eyes before it vanished and anger took it's place. "Of course this is me! You just never saw it! I was angry beyond belief when Twigstar chose you as his deputy! IT SHOULD"VE BEEN ME! CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND? I WAS ALWAYS MORE WORTHY AND WHEN HE BECAME LEADER I THOUGHT THAT HE WOULD CHOOSE ME!" his voice dropped dangerously low, "Instead he chose a filthy kittypet who doesn't even know how chase her own tail." Antpelt then delivered the final blow to her head and Shadowblaze' consciousness left her.
A/N Guys, i'm so so so sorry for not updating for so long, I meant to update sooner but I just sort of forgot. hopefully this chapter will make up for that but i'll try to update more often. -Viper