Warriors: A Warriors Quest. Book 1

chapter 4

Shadowpaw was returning to camp with the thrush she found, a vole and a mouse. The mouse was the thinest mouse she's ever seen, same as the vole. The trushes feathers are fallen off, so it must be an old one. Shadowpaw surely wasnt the best hunter in Dawnclan.

"Not much of a catch hu?" Mewed a voice. Shadowpaw turned her head around, it was bluepaw.

"No not really" she answered. Bluepaw snorted. Shadowpaw walked over to the fresh kill pile and layed her catches down.

"I bet a just born kit could eat that tiny mouse of yours in one bite" Shadowpaw turned around and saw Bigkit and Oakkit. Shadowpaw hissed at them and swung a claw at them.

"Shadowpaw where are you!" Shouted Amethystscar from across the clearing.

"Oh crap, i forget i had some task to do for her today" mewed Shadowpaw and ran over to Amethystscar's den.

"What is it Amethystscar?!" She shouted in panik.

"Shadows are strong, but will be weaken by the moon" mewed Amethystscar. That old medicine cat, what is she talking about? Thought Shadowpaw. Suddenly the old medicine cat began choking.

"Amethystscar are you alright?!" Shouted Shadowpaw in panik.

"I cant.... feel my paws" she exclaimed and fell to the ground.

"Do...dont worry, i'll get help!" Mewed Shadowpaw and ran to the clearing, and over to Sparrowfeather. He was standing at the entrence to the camp, with cherrypelt and Trushwing. Waiting for the day patrol get back. Shadowpaw ran over to him.

"Sparrowfeather i need help!" She shouted. He quickly looked at her. Truswing and Cherrypelt amidiantly looked at her.

"Shadowpaw, whats wrong?" He demanded.

"I dont know but, Amethystscar needs help, i dont know what to do!" She shouted in panik. All the other cats from the clan, walked into the clearing. Sparrowfeather stormed over to the medicine den. Suddenly, Shadowpaw remembered Amethystscar's words. Shadows are strong, but will be weaken by the moon.

"How is she?" Asked Shadowpaw. Sparrowfeather let out a groan.

"Someone gave her death berries" he explained. Shadowpaw's blood froze.

"Who would do that?" She asked him. He shrugged.

"Is she alive?" Asked Shadowpaw. Sparrowfeather looked up.
"Barely, But her legs and paws were out of reach to save. She needs an Apprentice as soon as possible"

"From this day and forward, until they have earned their warrior names, these Apprentices will be called Seasonpaw, Lilypaw and bigpaw" anounced goldenstar from the high rock. Its been a few moons since Amethystscar was poisened, and they still havent found out who tried to kill her. Seasonkit and the others have reached six moons and are ready to become Apprenticeses.

"Lilypaw your menter will be Ticcispeak. Meanwhile Bigpaw your mentor will be Furyfang" he mewed. Furyfang lowered her ears in rage. Quess she doesnt like to take care of an Apprentice. Thought Shadowpaw. Bigpaw and Lilypaw, who were standing beneath the highrock, looked at their new mentors. Ticcispeak and Furyfang walked over to them, and touched their noses.

"What about your mentor?" Wishpered Shadowpaw to seasonpaw.

"Dont worry, im sure he saved the best one for last" she said and swung her tail in the dust.

"As everyone knows, Amethystscar was about to join our ancesters in Starclan, but my brave deputy Sparrowfeather saved her" he said proud. Have he forgotten me? Thought Shadowpaw.

"She needs an Apprentice to fufil her duties, also i fear that she doenst have much time left. So Seasonpaw, your mentor will be Amethystscar and you will train to be a medicine cat" he anounced. It was all quiet in the clearing. No one mewed.

"Yes....Goldenstar" she obeyed sadly and walked over to the other Apprenticeses. Her ears, shoulders and tail were lowered by sadness and anger.

"Mouse dung, i missed" hissed Bluepaw and swung his paw at the ground. He, Flamepaw, Sparrowfeather and Shadowpaw went all out training together.

"You need to be quicker, but also less noicy" mewed Sparrowfeather. Bluepaw turned his head away in embarrasment.

"Come on. Take your prey and lets get back to camp" said Sparrowfeather and turned around, and walked away.

Sparrowfeather was up front, Shadowpaw was behind. when they walked into the gorse tunel, Shadowpaw could smell something horrible.

"What is that smell?" She asked. She pulled her paw up to her nose, to cover to smell.

"It smells like... cats?!" Sparrowfeather ran into the clearing. Shadowpaw and the others came behind. Seeing a empty clearing. All the cats got into their dens. The fresh smell of many unknown cats hung in the air. Even claw marks on the ground. Sparrowfeather's wishkers were twitching.

"Bluepaw you'll go check the elders den to see if their okay. Shadowpaw you'll take the nursery. And Flamepaw, you will go to the medicine den. I'll check the warriors and Goldenstar's den" ordered Sparrowfeather and fleded. Flamepaw ran over to the medicine den. Bluepaw walked over to the elders den. Shadowpaw was on her way to the nursery. Please be that nothing have happend to Energytail. Prayed Shadowpaw. She managed to squish herself through the brambles, and into the dark den. To her surprise Dustheart was in fighting position. Behind him was the queens and Pheonixkit.

"Is everyone okay here?" Asked Shadowpaw. Her eyes widened when her gaze meet her mothers. Her fur was filled with blood and scratches. Shadowpaw couldnt tell if it was her mother's blood, or anyone else's blood. Her paws covered the little Pheonixkit. Shadowpaw scratched her paws against the muddy ground.

"What happend?" She demanded.

"I'll tell Sparrowfeather when he gets back, not an Apprentice" snarled Dustheart. Shadowpaw hissed at him.

"Sparrowfeather is back!" She growled at him and moved a side, so he could pass through the hole in the wall.

"Energytail, what happened?" Asked Shadowpaw and looked at Energytail. Energytail's eyes turned dark.

"Plenty of rouges attacked while you were gone. Goldenstar lost a life, and bladepaw...." she stopped and looked out in the clearing. Shadowpaw got scared. Wha...what happened to bladepaw? She thought. She turned around, and ran through the brambles. A loud yell in sorrow was heard from the medicine den. Shadowpaw ran over to see what was happening. Inside the den was Goldenstar, ticcispeak and cherrypelt, waiting to get treated. Shadowpaw realized that Flamepaw was standing over....bladepaw's dead...body. Shadowpaw's ears layed down. Her fur raising in anger.

"Who did this? Who killed him?" She asked and looked around. Everyone was silent. Seasonpaw padded over to another cat, after another cat. Treating them with some leaves.

"I dont know, some cat with a color on" explained Seasonpaw while was treating cherrypelt's wounds.

"He needs some horsetail!" Amethystscar shouted from her den.
Shadowpaw looked at the warriors. They eyes filled with terror, and ticcispeak. Bladepaw was his son, he must feel guilt and terror. She padded over to Flamepaw. She placed her tail on his cheeks. He was moaning over his litter mates death.

"Do you think...do you think he's up in starclan, watching us?" He asked and sniffed. Shadowpaw felt guilt. I've should have been here, then maybe bladepaw would still be alive. She thought and placed her paw on his shoulder.

"I dont know if he'll be watching me, but i bet he's watching you and your dad right now" she cheared and licked him between the ears. He looked better.

"Thanks" he asked and sniffed

"Can you let me be alone with him. I want to say goodbye, please" he asked. She nooded and left the medicine den. She saw Sparrrowfeather standing where the fresh kill pile should be, but the rouges may have stolen it while they were at it.