Beast of the Sea - WARRIOR CATS

Chapter 4

Let's just say, I said some not so nice things under my breath when he announced that Seastar's death hadn't been a planned murder.

"You go sit with the apprentices," Shadefang meowed briskly in my ear. "Aquastar's decided that we should have a seating arrangement for these meetings. Less chaotic that way."

I watched as my mentor padded over to sit with his mother, Goldspike. Now that was one intimidating cat. I'd watched her a lot; she treated everything like it was a battle, and every cat like they weren't her friends. No, that was an understatement. She treated cats like they were the enemy. Or, she did it to me, and I'd heard Ripplepaw complain about it too.

I noticed the gazes of several of my clanmates on my pelt as I padded towards the circle of apprentices on the outside of the knot of cats. I was keenly aware that one of these cats could in fact be planning my murder, because I knew the truth about Seastar.

"Hey look, it's Ferretpaw!"

I blinked as Mistpaw grinned at me. The fluffy silver tabby tom's eyes flashed with excitement as he beckoned me forward with one paw. His denmates....they didn't quite look so eager to have me, the feisty, scarred she-cat, join their group.

"Hey," Ripplepaw nodded formally to me from where she sat beside Mistpaw.

My sister then proceeded to try her absolute hardest to ignore me. She toyed with the moth wing on her ear, which Mistpaw had given her. I was pretty sure she was enamoured with him, which annoyed me. She was trying to push me out of her life. Because I make her remember the truth about our origin, our family, I thought bitterly.

Flowerpaw, on the other paw, was more than happy to make conversation with me. The rose coloured tom sidled up to me, a nasty sort of grin on his face. I'd heard stories about this cat. He was apparently my mentor's brother, and the son of two of the most powerful cats in the clan. They let him get away with everything.

"Nice to meet 'ya, Weasel," Flowerpaw chortled. "Had a nice sleep in the dead whale cage?"

"It's Ferretpaw," I snapped, unsheathing my claws. They were long, and they glittered in the pale dawn light.

Strikepaw instantly took a pace forward. The golden tabby was Mistpaw's sister, and one of the most quiet and precise cats I'd ever met. If her claws wanted to reach your throat, there wasn't a chance. If she held a grudge against a cat, it became her sole goal to make them miserable. Basically, if she wanted a cat dead, I'd imagine it would be done in a heartbeat.

"Don't think you're strong," Strikepaw snarled in a low voice from behind Flowerpaw.

I flattened my ears, flexing my claws in and out. The golden tabby she-cat seemed to loom above me, eyes cold as ice. Mistpaw and Ripplepaw had fallen silent, while Flowerpaw looked amused.

"Strikepaw," he patted his denmate on the shoulder, then chastised her. "No need to get all feisty. It's more fun if we don't immediately attack our friends."

Strikepaw's eyes flashed as she crouched, dipping her head to Flowerpaw. I flexed my claws in and out, ready to attack either one of them if they made so much as another comment about my looks. Maybe then, they'd have to make Strikepaw or Flowerpaw the Bottom Feeder instead of me.

Before our conflict had any time to escalate, though, there was a sudden yowl as a cat leaped up onto a massive, towering jet-black rock. I wasn't very tall, so I had to tilt my head practically vertically upright to see the cat that was up there. The rock they were standing on was sharp and jagged; it had to be at least ten cats high.

"Clanmates, thank you for your attendance," I blinked, not at all surprised to see Aquastar leaping up onto the black rock.

The cat behind him was more of a surprise. She had long, silky cream fur, and wore a pleasant smile on her face. I tried to recall who this cat was, but no words came to me. Silvershine was beside them as well, though the little Medicine Cat was dwarfed by her two other companions.

"Today," Aquastar boomed. "Today is a grand day for ShoreClan. We will be sending Ripplepaw to receive her power, and I have finally chosen my deputy." He shook his head ruefully. "StarClan knows Seastar's death hit me hard. But I have picked a cat more than worthy of your loyalty." He whisked his tail for the cat to step forward. "Dewocean has returned to us."

The she-cat smiled as she padded forward to greet the clan. I rationned that she must have gone on one of those deep-sea expeditions that warriors with strong water-powers could go on. I'd heard stories of beasts called sharks and dolphins. But, anger burned in my pelt as Ripplepaw glanced up at Aquastar with wide eyes. He had chosen to give her power, but not me.

"Thank you, Aquastar," Dewocean purred as she wove around the clan leader. "I am so proud to have this honour. I thank my littermate Goldspike for always pushing me to be the best warrior I could ever be."

I could hear the way my new clan deputy gritted her teeth as she mentioned Goldspike. In spite of the broad smile on her face, she must dislike her littermate. That was reasonable.

"And me?" Ripplepaw pipped up. She looked at the ground, visibly embarrassed by her outbursts, but then continued on. "Do I get to go get my powers now?"

She had bounded past me, but she stopped when Dewocean spoke, voice warm.

"Oh yes, I forgot about the little darlings that I left behind." She surveyed all of us apprentices with her eyes. I tried to pick out what colour they were, but I couldn't. "Oh yes, you were Ripplekit! Such a strong independent cat you seem to be. When I last saw you all, you were practically glued to your mothers." She turned to me, and her delight dampened slightly. She must have seen my scars. "And look at you all now."

"She's enthusiastic," I caught Strikepaw grumbling under her breath.

Mistpaw blinked. "She seems fun," he meowed happily. "Aquafl-star was kinda scary at times."

I was in agreement with Mistpaw on that one. Aquastar seemed even more imposing now that he was leader. Perhaps it was the black rock that he lay on, but something seemed much darker, much more intimidating about him now.

Dewocean spoke up once more. "While I was out at sea," she sighed. "There was so much that I explored. But most importantly, I received a prophecy. It spoke of...beasts that roam the land and sea that must be vanquished."

My mentor got to his paws, his amber eyes shone with eagerness. "The other clans?!" he asked. "Do we get to fight them?"

Dewocean blinked. "Who's this young cat? It couldn't be my former apprentice, Shadepaw, now could it?"

Shadefang nodded emphatically at her. "Yeah! And I'm a mentor now. I'm doing my best to make ShoreClan the strongest clan ever."

Dewocean smiled. It was almost as though she already knew that Shadefang was a mentor, almost as though she had expected him to perk up, because then she spoke.

"War is imminent, I'm afraid," she hummed. "But have no fear, Shadefang, for I will organise a force of the strongest clan cats, and we will prove ShoreClan's strength!"

"H-hold on there!" Aquastar turned on his deputy, eyes flashing. "We never agreed that we were going to war. Cats will die!"

Dewocean shook her head sadly, rubbing her tail along the clan leader's spine. "Everything will be revealed in time," she meowed. "For now, Ripplepaw must get her powers, and I must...catch up with my former apprentice on all that has been going on in ShoreClan. I hear there's been a murder?"

She turned her piercing gaze right on me. Then, she smiled right at me.

"Everything will be revealed in time. I will personally find the beasts that walk among us, and see that they are...punished."