Shade

Chapter Fourteen

The moon's light burned into Shadepaw like fire. She cowered beneath it, hoping it would go away. She had attracted far too much attention. This wasn't good.

Silverstar was looking at her weirdly - no, not at her. Just past her, where Nutriver was poised on the branch at Shadepaw's shoulder. The apprentice looked at the StarClan cat, silently begging her to do something. The fighting had stopped, but only because she'd just followed a dead cat up onto the leaders' branch and had the moon shine on her like a spotlight. Shadepaw wanted it all to stop.

Nutriver blinked at her slowly, but instead of moving to help, she leaped off the branch and bounded into the sky as if running on invisible ground. A moment later, she reappeared among crowds of StarClan warriors of all sizes and colours and Clans, their pelts all sparkling with starlight. They wove between the cats gathered below, and at the touch of their starry pelts, each living cats began to relax, and look about them in wonder.

Shadepaw watched with wide eyes. She didn't dare blink, in case her eyes opened and she found herself in her nest, only dreaming. She barely noticed when Brambleberry came padding over to her on the air, and blinked in surprise when the former medicine cat touched her nose lightly with her own.

"Wh-" Shadepaw began.

"I think it's time for you to go back down now," Brambleberry purred.

"Yes." Shadepaw wanted to crumble with relief, but she held it together long enough to make her way back down to the ground.

Almost immediately, she was whisked away by Dewleaf and shepherded into a sheltered spot a little way off.

"Shadepaw, listen to me closely." The medicine cat was more serious than Shadepaw had ever seen her.

"I'm listening."

"You're to go back to camp with Featherbreeze, now. I don't know what possessed you to go up there, but whatever you did summoned the ranks of StarClan themselves."

"I just wanted them to stop fighting," Shadepaw mewed in a small voice. "I didn't think this would happen."

Featherbreeze appeared beside Dewleaf at that moment, matching her mentor's serious expression.

"Shadepaw, let's go," Featherbreeze meowed.

"Why do we need to leave so urgently?" Shadepaw asked, looking back at the StarClan cats who were mingling with the living cats. It was easy to tell the spirits apart from the living, because StarClan's pelts shone with stars and glowed with the light of the moons. Next to them, even the whitest Clan cat looked dark-pelted.

"Because when StarClan have left, cats will want to know what you were doing up on the leaders' branch, and ask awkward questions," Featherbreeze replied. "Not to mention Furzestar seems to have something against RiverClan. Even the full moon's truce might not stop him from trying something. It's easier if you're not here."

"So I go back to camp and pretend to the others that I never went to the Gathering?" Shadepaw didn't quite understand.

"No," Dewleaf cut in. "You pretend you didn't feel well, which is why you went back with Featherbreeze. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Shadepaw flicked her tail. "Can anyone know the truth?"

"It stays between the three of us, and Silverstar," Dewleaf said firmly. "No other cat."

"Okay." Shadepaw allowed Featherbreeze to lead her through the bushes around the gathered cats and through the island to the fallen tree. It looked dark and scary in the late night, especially with only the two of them.

"You go ahead," Featherbreeze whispered. "Then I'll catch you if you slip."

"That's not a very reassuring thought." Shadepaw shivered, and placed one paw on the bark. She always feared that one day the tree would collapse, that countless moons of cats walking across it and harsh weather would finally wear it down. All she could do was pray to StarClan that she wouldn't be on it when did.

After a couple of encouraging nudges from Featherbreeze, Shadepaw managed to cross the fallen tree with only one near miss. After that, they were safely back on Clan territory.

"Can't the Clan know about this?" Shadepaw asked as the camp loomed into view.

"No," Featherbreeze replied darkly. "No cat can know, do you understand?"

"Yeah, but... why not? What exactly are we hiding?"

Featherbreeze looked down at her cryptically. "You'll understand when you're older."

"I'm not a kit," Shadepaw replied automatically.

"Nor are you a warrior," Featherbreeze meowed firmly. Shadepaw fell silent.

Emberfur was standing guard that night, and bristled when he first noticed them but relaxed when he realised who it was.

"Hey, Featherbreeze," he meowed. "Is everything okay?"

"Shadepaw isn't feeling well," Featherbreeze replied smoothly. "I'm just taking her back early."

"Oh, okay then." Emberfur allowed them to pass.

"What are you doing back so soon?" Redpaw sneered, coming out of the apprentice's den to see what the commotion was. Shadepaw opened her mouth to answer with some snarky retort, but Featherbreeze cut her off swiftly.

"Shadepaw isn't feeling well."

"Nerves get the better of you, Shadekit?" Redpaw taunted. "Bet you're not so high and mighty now."

Shadepaw longed to sink her claws into Redpaw's fur, but she restrained herself and walked slowly with her head hung into the medicine den. Featherbreeze followed, glancing behind to make sure no cat was looking.

Shadepaw growled. "I'd love to get back at that filthy piece of mouse dung."

"I'm glad you held yourself back," Featherbreeze meowed calmly.

"How can you be so calm about it?" Shadepaw demanded. "You've seen how he treats me and Shimmerpaw, I won't stand for it!"

"Maybe, but fighting your Clanmate is not the way to do it," Featherbreeze replied. "Talk to him instead. That way, there won't be any bloodshed."

"Talking doesn't always work, though." Shadepaw settled down in a grassy spot with an angry flick of her tail. "Talking didn't work with the ShadowClan cats who took Marshkit."

"You can't fight your own Clanmate," Featherbreeze pointed out.

"I did once."

"And you were punished." Featherbreeze's tone had a definitive edge to it, preventing Shadepaw from arguing further. "Now it's late, and you should get to your nest. The others will be returning soon."

Shadepaw didn't bother to argue. She rose to her paws and brushed past Redpaw, not saying anything to him. She could hear the rest of the Clan pushing into the camp, but didn't want to face any cat, so she curled up in her nest and closed her eyes.