Chapter three: Grudges deepened
"You can do better than that!" Thistleclaw hissed scornfully. Sandpaw leaped back, panting, blood trickling from a nick in her ear. "In a real battle, if you had been that slow, your opponent could have dropped down, pinned you, and killed you!"
My roll wasn't that slow, Sandpaw thought irritably.
"Go again," Thistleclaw rolled his eyes. Sandpaw and Snowtuft faced each other once more. Sandpaw fixed her gaze on the white tom's paws, and he assumed she'd try to roll into his forepaws and knock him off balance once more. Snowtuft planted his weight on his hind legs, preparing to rear and pin Sandpaw as she approached. When the ginger apprentice charged, she slowed as she approached the tom. He reared too early, and Sandpaw launched herself into his belly, and while her claws and teeth were sharp, she was careful not to harm him too badly. The two cats tussled until Sandpaw ended up pinning the cat down, one paw on his neck.
"Well, as pitiful as your skills may be, you have a knack for predicting your enemy's next move," Thistleclaw praised. "Now, why don't we practice-"
"My kits!" A yowl from the living world wrenched Sandpaw out of her dreams of the Dark Forest. "Someone has taken my kits!" Sandpaw leaped to her paws and dashed out of her den. Dark clouds covered the sky, and the camp was in chaos, with Frostfur in the middle of it, wailing.
"Quick, search the camp!" Lionheart ordered, his eyes round with fear for his kits. "Whitestorm, remain where you are and guard the nursery, all kits are to remain inside. Warriors, search the ravine, apprentices, search the dens!"
"I was just sleeping in there, I doubt four kits would be quiet enough not to wake me up," Sandpaw said as Dustpaw headed towards the apprentices' den, who nodded and ran to the elders' den. Sandpaw went to the medicine cat's den, and realized the scent of Spottedleaf was stale, even though the storm was too close to breaking for her to be out in the forest.
Sandpaw heard Tigerclaw yowl, and the kittypet's anguished wail. Sandpaw saw the Clan gathering behind the nursery. The pale apprentice headed over, and was shocked to see the gentle medicine cat lying dead on the ground.
"Her life was taken by a warrior's blow," Bluestar murmured as she examined the body.
She must've seen who took the kits, Sandpaw realized, finding the scent of Shadowclan nearby. It doesn't surprise me that Brokenstar's fox-hearted followers did this.
"Yellowfang is gone!" Goldenflower exclaimed. "I was going to bring her a mouse, and she wasn't in her nest!"
"Yellowfang has killed Spottedleaf and taken my kits!" Frostfur screamed with rage. Lionheart hurried to comfort her.
"Yellowfang!" Tigerclaw spat furiously. "I always knew she was a traitor. Now we know how she managed to fight off the Shadowclan deputy. It was a setup to let her trick her way into the Clan!"
A setup? Sandpaw thought. That setup killed Rosetail! Those savages!
The Clan erupted into furious meows.
"Bluestar!" Darkstripe yowled over the crowd. "What do you say?"
The cats fell quiet, looking to their wise leader to figure out what to do. Bluestar's face was shadowed with grief and anger.
"If Yellowfang has killed Spottedleaf and stolen Frostfur's kits, she will be hunted without mercy. But we must wait, there is a storm coming, and I am not prepared to risk more lives. If Shadowclan has our kits, they will come to no immediate harm. I suspect Brokenstar wants them as recruits for his own Clan, or as hostages to force us to let him hunt in our territory. As soon as the storm has passed, a patrol will follow Yellowfang and bring back our kits," Bluestar decided.
"We cannot waste time, or the scent will be lost in the rain!" Tigerclaw protested.
"If we send out a hunting party now, our efforts will be wasted anyway. In this weather the scent will already be lost by the time we are ready. If we wait until after the storm, we stand a better chance of success," Bluestar explained.
A battle with Shadowclan to reclaim stolen kits? That will make me a warrior for sure. A battle in the rain? Sounds like a pain, Sandpaw thought. The rain began to fall, but didn't feel like going back to her den.
I'll check on Mother and my siblings, she decided, guessing that Goldenflower and her brother and sister would be scared in the light of recent events. With this, the ginger apprentice headed towards the bramble thicket and poked her head inside. Her mother was curled around a trembling black tom-kit, and a tortoiseshell she-kit.
"Are you all okay?" Sandpaw asked, crouching down beside her family.
"I thank Starclan, I took Littlekit and Redkit to the elders' den," Goldenflower sighed. "I'd be lost if something happened to them, especially after…" The pale ginger tabby trailed off, her eyes shadowed with grief.
"I wouldn't have stopped searching until they were back here with you," Sandpaw promised. She glanced at the kits and whispered, "I wouldn't have stopped until Spottedleaf's killer is dead. I hope I can go on the patrol, because Shadowclan has it coming for them."
"Bluestar will decide," Goldenflower meowed, giving Redkit a lick on her ear. "I would think you're too young to go on a battle patrol, but you're nearly a warrior now."
"I wish Redtail was here to see my ceremony," Sandpaw said softly. "It's sad, knowing these two won't ever know their father."
"Sandpaw?" Redkit squeaked, looking up at her older sister with her large amber eyes, so much like her father's. "Will you stay with us? I'm scared the Shadowclan cats will come back."
"Of course I'll stay with you," Sandpaw purred. Even though it was just past Sunhigh, Sandpaw was still tired from her night hunting lesson the previous night. She laid down in the nest with her mother and siblings, resting her chin on Goldenflower's flank. A small purr rumbled in the apprentice's throat when she felt her brother curl up against her belly.
"They're back!" Joyous cries woke Sandpaw. When she opened her eyes, she found that Goldenflower was rushing out of the nursery. Sandpaw hurried after her.
In the clearing, looking very pleased with themselves, were Graypaw, Firepaw, and Ravenpaw. Frostfur and Lionheart were happily reuniting with their four kits. Yellowfang sat beside the apprentices. Whitestorm was giving a report to Bluestar.
"They fought like warriors against Brokenstar's followers," the white tom was saying. Bluestar leapt onto the Highrock and yowled the summons.
"Firepaw, Graypaw, and Ravenpaw have proved themselves warriors by saving Frostfur's kits, driving out Brokenstar, and clearing Yellowfang's name!" The gray she-cat announced. Sandpaw's jaw dropped. Those furballs were becoming warriors?
She could barely believe what she was seeing as Firepaw was named Fireheart, Graypaw was named Graystripe, and Ravenpaw was named Ravenleap. She didn't call out their names like the rest of the Clan.
That should be me! She thought indignantly. I'm a better fighter than any of them! I can catch twice as much prey! I'm older! Why did they get to go on a special mission but not me? I was better qualified! Why isn't it ME?
"What in Starclan's name happened while I was sleeping?" Sandpaw hissed aloud.
"Bluestar sent out a patrol when the rain lightened up," Goldenflower explained.
"And you didn't wake me?" Sandpaw growled.
"You've been looking tired lately, and Whitestorm tells me you've been training harder than anyone," Goldenflower protested. "Have you been getting enough sleep?"
Of course not! It doesn't count as sleeping when you go to the Place of No Stars at night to train with Thistleclaw, Sandpaw thought.
"Of course I've been sleeping enough!" Sandpaw said. "I'd sleep even more if that stupid kittypet didn't snore all the time."
"He's not a kittypet anymore, you shouldn't call him that," Goldenflower scolded. "Whatever petty rivalry you've had with him should be put behind you. Besides, you won't have to put up with his snoring anymore, as he's a warrior now."
"He'll never be a warrior in my eyes," Sandpaw hissed furiously, going to her own nest to sulk.
"We're finally warriors!" She heard Graystripe purr as the three went to take up their station by the camp entrance for their vigil. "I've waited forever!"
I waited longer, Sandpaw glared at her nest like it was its fault she wasn't standing vigil right now. And I'm still waiting.
"We'll be the best warriors ever!" Fireheart crowed.
We'll see about that, Sandpaw scoffed.
"Your vigil is supposed to be silent!" Lionheart called across the clearing.
Sandpaw heard Ravenleap whisper. "Before we start our vigil, I have something to tell you…" Genuinely curious, Sandpaw poked her head out of the den and spied on the three new warriors as they sat beside the gorse tunnel, not far from her den. Sandpaw didn't manage to catch what Ravenleap was saying, but he seemed very anxious. Sandpaw looked around the clearing for Dustpaw, and spotted Tigerclaw glaring at the three young cats. In particular, his eyes were stabbing at Ravenleap. Sandpaw wondered why he would be looking at his former apprentice like that before shrugging and spotting Dustpaw exiting the nursery, she guessed he'd been visiting his older sister, making sure her kits were okay.
"This is so unfair," the tom grumbled. "We should be warriors, not those fools. Both my brothers, and a kittypet? What is Thunderclan coming to?" Shaking his head, Dustpaw went to his nest. Sandpaw, rested from her naps earlier, went to sit beside Tigerclaw.
"You don't seem happy your apprentice was promoted," she commented quietly.
"I'm not happy," he grunted.
"Why?" Sandpaw pressed.
"It's none of your business," Tigerclaw growled.
"If it's a problem, I could help more than those fools," Sandpaw offered.
Tigerclaw's stoic mood seemed to relent a little. "It's Ravenleap. He's been spreading these delusional rumors about me to his two little friends. I know those two can't keep their mouths shut, so I worry about Ravenleap's lies spreading to the rest of the Clan. You see, Lionheart isn't as young as I, and I feel I could serve my Clan best by being deputy whenever he retires or dies."
Sandpaw didn't comment on this, though she was surprised that he opened up to her.
"Ravenleap has been saying I'm a murderer, that I killed Redtail, Thistleclaw, Thrushpelt, and many other warriors," Tigerclaw continued in an undertone.
"Sounds like you need to stop these lies," Sandpaw commented.
"I need to get rid of the source," he said darkly. "I would never murder the Clan deputy, or my own former mentor, but some of our Clanmates? They'll believe any lie even if it screams in their face it's wrong."
"So you need to silence Ravenleap…" Sandpaw studied the small, jumpy black tom. "What do you have in mind?"
Tigerclaw glanced at her in surprise. "It could be dangerous… the Clan-"
"You know what, nevermind. I'll talk to you about ideas after training tomorrow, at the Owl Tree, it's too likely we'll be overheard in camp," Sandpaw hissed, going back to her den when she saw Lionheart leave the nursery after saying one final goodnight to his mate and kits. It took a while for Sandpaw to fall asleep that night, her mind chasing fantasies where she becomes deputy for uncovering Ravenleap's lies.