Daylight

Chapter 18

Cloverpaw paced back and forth in front of Firepaw, no less panicked-looking than when the two had had the interview with the senior-ish (Firepaw had learned that Longtail had only been made a warrior three or four moons before) warriors. It feels like so long ago... the tom couldn't help but think before shaking himself out of his thoughts to face the present hurdle to hop. Cloverpaw.

"Why me?" Cloverpaw groaned, tail sweeping the hard, frozen, ground, sweeping up the few leaves that had managed to cover it. "Why, StarClan, did it have to be me?"

"Why did what have to be you?" Firepaw pressed, for the eighth time, forcing back an eye-roll at his brother's hysterics. "If you won't tell me what's wrong, I can't help you."

The brown tabby tom in front of Firepaw fixed him with his light green gaze, freezing as ice, intense as fire. "If I tell you, they'll kill you."

Firepaw blinked. "What?"

"If I tell you," Cloverpaw mewed, ear flicking, walking back and forth over the ground, having finally healed, "they could kill you. Like they almost killed her."

Okay... so it's a she-cat. Whatever this is. "Cloverpaw, who almost killed... who?" That felt redundant. And so he rephrased the question: "What I mean is, what cat was killed, and who tried to do it?"

The tabby paced more, tail twitching wildly. "When I was there... he tried to get me. Told me it was by orders of the 'leader', whoever that is. Then they were discussing killing her. So if I can stop her from dying, we should be good..." he muttered to himself. I should take him to see Spottedleaf.

"You feeling okay, Cloverpaw?" the flame-colored tom asked his brother, ear twitching in concern. "Maybe we should go to the medicine-" before Firepaw could even finish his sentence, Cloverpaw whirled around, fixing him with his wild gaze.

"NO! We cannot go see Spottedleaf, that's what they want!"

"Um... well, what about seeing Graypaw? I'm sure he could help..." Firepaw spoke, startled and trying to get his thoughts together. This whole thing must have something to do with Spottedleaf... but what could it be?

Firepaw took a deep breath, then offered up another option. "Are you sure you don't need help? Maybe Luna would be of... assistance...." He finally trailed off, not knowing where he was going with this. He felt like he was crazy. What help would Luna be? She's not a medicine cat! His gaze flitted back to Cloverpaw once more, who was shaking his head vehemently. I guess... Cloverpaw isn't either, and he's pretty good with plants.

"We CAN'T see ANYONE about this, not NOW, not EVER! They will KILL EVERYONE." Cloverpaw shook his pelt, and like that, he seemed to snap out of it. "I'm going back to camp," he murmured, turning his back to Firepaw and starting off.

With wide eyes, Firepaw gave a small nod, not sure what had just happened. Maybe... he was rabid? he guessed, before quickly dismissing the idea. Rabid animals have foaming mouths. As crazy as Cloverpaw had been, he wasn't foaming.

From the bushes behind him emerged Runningwind. "Firepaw!" called his mentor, sounding relieved. "I've been looking for you all over. Come on, Whitestorm wanted to go over the warrior code with all of the apprentices."

"All of the apprentices?" the apprentice questioned, brow furrowing. Runningwind gave a fast nod, movements swift as ever.

"Yes! Right now. In the training hollow."

"Cloverpaw just went back to camp... I can get him, if you'd like," Firepaw offered quickly-maybe a little too quickly-before Runningwind shook his head, then nodded in the general direction of the training hollow.