The Shadow

"Here's your mouse," spat the tom Wildpaw had learned was Slashclaw. He tossed a scrawny mouse at her paws and stalked away, muscles rippling powerfully. She gulped it down in quick, famished gulps. She had to escape! She glanced around her small sheltered hollow, a tail-length thick of sharp thorns. She glanced at the entrace and saw the tom with blood red eyes guarding it. She shivered; she hadn't known it was possible to have red eyes until she had met the DarkClan deputy, Bloodpool. She crept behind him , praying that what she was about to do was with the protection of StarClan.
"I have to make dirt," she mewed, her pelt hot with shame. Bloodpool grunted and ignored her statement. Fury grew in Wildpaw as the heartbeats stretched on and he ignored her.
"Did you hear me, you piece of crow-food!!! I need to make dirt!"she hissed, regretting it instantly. The tom looked sharply over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed dangerously. He turned towards her and advanced slowly, his tail flicking to and fro. Wildpaw edged back , a lump forming in her throat.
"I just have to use the dirtplace! Honestly," she growled, feeling braver as she spoke. The tom hissed again, his Clan mates filing in behind him. Wildpaw pushed herself into the thorns, her pelt being pierced like a hunted mouse's last moments at a cats hungry claws. Bloodpool was two tail-lengths away, coming closer ever heartbeat. Wildpaw had to do it.
"MRROWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" she yowled as she plunged through the thorns, embedded in her skin. She ripped through tendril after tendril, astonishing mews behind her. Her paws were pierced with thorns, embedded deep in her pad. She wrenched through the last few thorns and pelted into the dakr territory, the dark-hearted warriors after her.

~♥~

"Lilypaw......Lilypaw!" Spottedpaw poked the tabby she-cat with her paw. The apprentice sat bolt upright, her amber eyes wide.

"The night is going to swallow the wild!" gasped Lilypaw. An icy chill ran down Spottedpaw's spine. She had heard that in her dream, which is why she had been waking up her friend, Lilypaw.

"She's all alone......" Lilypaw trailed off, looking at her with fear in her eyes. Spottedpaw decided right then they were going to Tornadostar right THEN.

"Come on! We have to see Tornadostar!" she hissed, tugging the relunctant apprentice with her.

~♥~

Moonleaf laid in the mossy nest, her eyes fixed on her paws. She just starred blankly as if they were horrid snakes. Horror shadowed her blue gaze and no one could comfort her. NO ONE!

Wildpaw was my responsibility! I should of went with her! wailed MOonleaf. It was all her fault and no cat could help the apprentice because her mentor had let her go hunting by herself.

She recalled her Clanmates empty words, but they plastered a fake hopeful look on their faces. She wished she could rake their ears off! COULDN'T THEY SEE WILDPAW MIGHT BE DEAD? Didn't they realize that the worse may still come?

"We will find her," Tornadostar had said. Moonleaf could see she hadn't meant it but had just nodded in agreement to shut her leader up. She gritted her teeth. She was going to find Wildpaw.

~♥~

"Ooof!" came the forced breath out of Hazelcloud's mouth as she ran head-on into Berrysplash.

"I-I-I'm-m s-s-s-soo sorry-ry," she stammered, looking at the winded tortoiseshell warrior. Berrysplash heaved herself to her paws and looked at Hazelcloud closely.

"You didn't mean to," she started, peering at Hazelcloud again. Fear pricked her paws. "But you weren't thinking about the Clan. You were thinking about Tux." Hazelcloud's mouth dropped open as the she-cat boldy accused her of thinking of him.

"No, I WASN'T! I don't even know a cat by the name of Tux," she hissed, and stuck her nose in the air and sniffed. She stalked away, her tail high. She heard Berrysplash call her name.

"What?" snarled Hazelcloud. Berrysplash looked at her challengly.

"I know you met him at the half-moon. I saw you," she mewed, a knowing glint in her eye.