CHAPTER 3
Although they had heard the story enough times to know where the abandoned badger set was, Mosspaw and Fernpaw still had never actually been out of the camp alone. By the time the two found the set, it was already dark and heat lightning crackled in the air, making Mosspaw nervous. "Stripekit! Stripekit!" Mosspaw yowled, and in reply came a faint squeak. Mosspaw continued in the direction of the noise until she found Stripekit in the crevice of two boulders. "There you are!" Mosspaw breathed. "Did you hear that?" Fernpaw raced up to Mosspaw, his fur bristling. "What are you talking about?" Mosspaw asked nervously, trying to keep her voice from quivering. Suddenly, a deep growl came from the trees. Mosspaw pushed Stripekit further into the crevice, "Stay here until I come and get you, and no matter what, don't make a sound." As Mosspaw backed away from the rocks, lightning split the sky, followed by thunder. No, not thunder, a growl. Before she could react, Mosspaw was thrown to the ground. Scrambling to her paws, Mosspaw heard Fernpaw shriek in pain, and saw the giant figure of a cat standing over her brother. Straining her eyes, Mosspaw could make out the white, muscular body, giant black paws, and amber eyes filled with hatred. Than those amber eyes focused on her, and the cat rushed forward. Mosspaw tried to fight back, slashing with unsheathed claws, but she had no training, and her blows only seemed to anger her enemy further. Trying to remember some battle move, any battle move that could possibly help her, Mosspaw lost her concentration and a huge black paw swiped across her face, knocking her backwards. Mosspaw struggled, trying to stand up, but she could only lay there helplessly. Mosspaw blinked as blood rushed into her eyes. Mosspaw let out a pitiful whimper as the cat stalked forward and began to talk, "I've been waiting for you kittypet! You think I had forgotten about the scent I had found on my territory all those moons ago? Well you were wrong! ThunderClan may have shown mercy by adopting you into their Clan, but I wont! Tell your puny Clan that they will pay, and that this was only a preview of what's to come! Remind them that ShadowClan is the strongest Clan on the lakeside. But first, let's just hope you make it back alive." and than he was gone. When she was sure the cat had gone, Mosspaw stumbled over to her brother, grabbed his scruff, and pulled him over to Stripekit's hiding spot. "Stripekit, we're going back to camp." Stripekit peered out from behind the rock, his eyes wide. The kit followed silently as they padded through the forest. Mosspaw was disoriented and had no idea which way was home. After what seemed like a lifetime of wandering, Mosspaw sat down, exhausted. "Can we p-please sleep?" Stripekit asked. The poor kit was in shock, and as much as Mosspaw wanted to curl up with him and sleep, she new that if she did, neither her or Fernpaw would wake up. Mosspaw scanned her surroundings, and realized they were familiar! "No, we have to keep going, we're almost there" Stripekit looked up at her "Please, I'm so tired! Can't we rest for a little while?" the kit pleaded. "Climb on my back, and I'll carry you the rest of the way." Mosspaw mewed. She winced as the kit's tiny claws dug into her back, but she waited patiently until Stripekit was settled in her thick fur. Mosspaw continued walking, and even with Stripekit weighing her down, she didn't have to go far before she spotted the entrance to the camp, and heard the concerned mews coming from the clearing. She shuffled through the entrance, trying to avoid the brambles, and into the clearing where most of the Clan was waiting anxiously. Stripekit shuffled off her back and ran to Squirrelflight, who cried out in relief. Mosspaw opened her mouth in a silent cry and dropped next to Fernpaw, a pool of blood forming around them.
When Mosspaw woke, she found herself in the medicine den. Mosspaw looked around, taking in her surroundings, which was kind of hard with cobwebs plastered to the rights side of her face. On the left side of Mosspaw was Icecloud, who was asleep, her body pressed close to Mosspaw's. On her right side was Sandstorm, who had her head turned away. Stretching her neck to see over top of Sandstorm, Mosspaw could just see Fernpaw, who's right side was completely covered in cobwebs. Sandstorm turned her head, just noticing Mosspaw was awake. "My precious kit." Sandstorm murmured, licking Mosspaw's cheek, "How do you feel?" Mosspaw rested her head on her paws "Sore" she growled. Mosspaw glanced at Icecloud "How long has she been here?" "She's been by your side ever since you stumbled into the clearing with Fernpaw and Stripekit. She blames herself for you getting hurt." "But it's not her fault!" Mosspaw snapped, "I was the one who said we should go off alone" Mosspaw wailed. "It's not your fault" Sandstorm soothed "You saved Stripekit and Fernpaw, and that's all that matters." "How long has it been...." Mosspaw trailed off. "Three days." Mosspaw's jaw dropped. Three days, she had been unconscious for three days?! As she let that sink in, Jayfeather entered the den. "She's awake." he sighed with relief. The tabby tom sniffed the cobwebs covering Mosspaw's head, and than turned to Sandstorm "Firestar has called a meeting and I think he should hear Mosspaw's story" he glanced at the apprentice "If she's ready." Mosspaw nodded and followed Sandstorm and Jayfeather out of the den. The quarter moon rose high in the sky, providing little light for Mosspaw, but once her her eyes adjusted, she could see Firestar and a group of his most experienced warriors gathered below the highledge. Mosspaw padded up to her father and sat next to him. "Now, we need you to tell us exactly what happened" he paused "If your up for it" he added softly. Mosspaw took a shaky breath, "After the patrol left, Fernpaw told me he knew where Stripekit had gone. He thought he had gone to an abandoned badger set, the one Lionblaze and Breezepelt had fallen in when they were apprentices." "Why would he go there?" Brightheart asked. Mosspaw shuffled her paws. "Well?" Spiderleg asked impatiently. "Because it was his favorite story" Mosspaw continued "Fernpaw and I used to tell it to him all the time And than the morning of our apprentice ceremony, Cinderheart was telling the story to them, when Stripekit said he was going to go there, but Shrewkit said he couldn't" Mosspaw's voice quivered. "We thought if a patrol found him and found out that we had told him the story, we would be punished, so we went out alone." "That's crazy!" Brackenfur exclaimed. " Why would you think we would punish you?" Sorreltail asked. "It's not like you told him to sneak out of camp." Brambleclaw added. Mosspaw knew their words were meant to comfort her, but she only felt guiltier. "We found Stripekit, and we were going to bring him back when Fernpaw started hearing noises. At first I thought he was crazy, but than I heard them too. I hid Stripekit and than went to Fernpaw, but before I reached him, we were attacked." "What attacked you?" Thornclaw asked. Mosspaw tried to remember, but couldn't. "I don't know, I mean I don't remember. I, um, I think it was a badger." she guessed. "No, your injuries were from a trained warrior." Jayfeather mewed. "Well than, who attacked you?" Cloudtail asked, and the rest of the group joined in "Come on, tell us!" "You must remember something" "Well?!" Mosspaw shrank back, trying to escape their questions, than the flashbacks started. "Enough!" Firestar yowled. Every cat's eyes locked on Mosspaw, who was crouched down, eye wide, claws unsheathed, and fur bristling. "He was white" she hissed "With giant black paws" "Blackstar?" Dustpelt growled with disbelief. "Who?" Mosspaw asked. "ShadowClan's leader" Graystripe hissed. "But doesn't that make sense?" Millie asked. "When Mosspelt found her, she was on the ShadowClan border, which means Mosspaw must have traveled through ShadowClan's territory after she escaped from the twoleg nest. Blackstar than must have found her scent on his territory, and thinking we had taken in another kittypet, he attacked." "Sure it makes sense, but that's no reason to attack her, or Fernpaw!" Dustpelt yowled. "And they were untrained, defenseless!" Graystripe added. When all the cats had quieted, Brambleclaw turned to Firestar "What do you want to do?" Firestar didn't reply at first, but after a few moments, he narrowed his eyes and hissed "Attack".
Okayyy, very long, one of my better chapters, in my opinion. Hope you enjoy it (:
Iceclaw 
Silverstream 
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