Venom Within - WARRIOR CATS

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Slash that SnakeClan warrior's throat out!"

I leapt away just before a white and brown spotted paw flew out towards me. Sharp white claw tips gleamed a whisker away from my muzzle. The warrior flew towards me as soon as I had my balance once more.

I bared my teeth at her, revealing sharp white fangs. The warrior's eyes gleamed as they raced towards me. I focussed on a patch of earth where pale brown stalks of grass were emerging. Then, I bolted towards it.

The moment I pressed my left forepaw into the ground, sudden agony shot through me.

A moment later, I was being toppled over. My heart raced as I felt the cat's paws hook into my scruff. A moment later, I was being flipped so that my soft brown-cream belly fur was exposed.

"Had enough?" Sunslash smirked.

I was gasping too hard to speak. Her claws were a whisker away from my throat. I needed to get her off, but my leg-

"Pitiful," Darkember scoffed.

The black tabby strode towards me, tilting her head to one side. His amber eyes burned like miniature balls of fire prepared to inflict pain. I shrank beneath my deputy's piercing glare.

"When SnakeClan attacks," he added, lifting his voice to the crowd of mentors, apprentices and young warriors surrounding us. "I expect you to fight like my young daughter, Bearface, and not like this...cat."

There was contempt in his gaze as he whisked his tail for Sunslash off of me. I shook out my pelt, narrowing my eyes on her. Pure luck. You won't catch me off guard next time.

Shaking out my pelt, I watched as Bearface stride towards Owlpaw, chin raised. She was my friend's new mentor, since Adderlight had died.

"Will they really attack us?" some warrior called nervously from the back of the crowd.

"Oh yes," Darkember rumbled, padding towards me. "Like snakes, they are watching us from the shadows, completely poised to strike." He smiled, curling his tail around my shoulders. The next words were only for my ears.

"You would know a thing or two about that, wouldn't you, Pythonpaw?"

"No," I whispered through clenched teeth.

Darkember cocked his head to one side as he surveyed me. He seemed vaguely disappointed at my response, as though he wanted something more concrete.

Trying to distract my worries, I surveyed the training clearing I was in. The ground here was hard underpaw, and there were small, scraggly bushes which edged the clearing. A couple of prey bones were scattered around.

"Since Pythonpaw lost this round of training, she will play the SnakeClan cat again," Darkember announced to the crowd of DuneClan cats. "We need to train this little Scout up, which means I expect real claw swipes this time."

"Is that really necessary?" Dingofoot called from the back of the crowd.

I stiffened when I heard my mentor. He was pacing restlessly, a little ways away from the general throng of cats. I could see unease in his twitching tail. Nevertheless, his voice was calm.

"I believe it is," Darkember said politely. "After all, how else will you... fleapel- er, Scouts ever learn your lessons?" A small chuckle edied around the crowd, mostly coming from Darkember's two kits, Spidercloud and Sunslash.

"Who's going to fight her then?" Lizardtail asked.

Darkember smiled broadly, then flicked his tail to the left. I followed the gesture to where a smoky grey tom was settled a little ways away from the crowd, his tail curled around his paws. His fiery eyes were fixed on something far off into the distance.