Incoming Storm

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Brownpaw felt every part of her fur fluff up in anxiety as she and her mentor Moonshade were brought unceremoniously into ShadowClan camp. She felt the stares of her denmates and foster mother bore into her as she padded along beside Moonshade, both tightly flanked by Woodstar and Yellowclaw. Brownpaw dropped her gaze to the leaf-littered floor of the camp as the stares of all her clanmates seemed to stare straight at her.

As soon as Yellowclaw and Woodstar had toppled her and Moonshade over by the Secret Caverns, they'd followed up by a rapid series of interrogation questions. Moonshade had responded to the questions Woodstar asked curtly and furiously. When Woodstar accused her and Moonshade of disloyalty, Moonshade had glowered at the clan leader and clamped his jaws tight shut. He hadn't spoken since then. Even now, as Brownpaw watched her young mentor pad at her side, Moonshade was glowering at Woodstar with undisguised contempt.

When the questioning gazes of Woodstar and Yellowclaw had turned to her, at the Secret Caverns she had frozen up. Disgruntled, Woodstar had decided to take the two of them back to camp for further questioning.

Brownpaw tried not to feel a deep rooted sense of fear as she saw that she and Moonshade were nearing the Clan Branch. Woodstar's frustrated gaze was flicking to and fro nervously, as though making sure that none of his clanmates had gotten in a fight with ThunderClan. He turned, and his gaze focussed on Brownpaw. Woodstar's eyes were oddly dilated, and he bared his teeth in a snarl at her.

ShadowClan really does hate me. Brownpaw felt herself sinking, falling, as she switched her gaze away from Woodstar. Maybe if I try harder, be a different cat... they'll like me.

"Stop here, and don't try anything."

Yellowclaw nodded to the charismatic Senior Warrior Snowshard, who stepped calmly forward, and positioned herself beside Moonshade. He stared at her furiously and uncomfortably, but the thick furred blue point cat pretended not to notice.

Brownpaw stared at Snowshard for a moment longer. There had always been something mysterious about her, and Brownpaw was desperate to know more. Maybe her secret would make her like the entitled older warrior more.

Brownpaw blinked as Yellowclaw turned to her and Moonshade. Her gaze flicked over them for a moment longer before turning away and leaping onto the Clan Branch.

Almost at the same moment, Woodstar called the summons. "Let all cats... er, guys, we're going to gather here," he mumbled.

Yellowclaw gave the old, fidgety tom a frustrated glance before raising her voice into a fierce yowl. "Every cat, gather!"

Brownpaw felt as though not even all the shadows in the first could hide her from her clanmates' belligerent gazes. She watched as brother and sister, Mistleflight and Spikefur, clearly in deep discussion, padded toward her and Moonshade. Leafpaw and Slickpaw were bounding a few paces behind, and Brownpaw could only just make out what they were saying.

"Leafpaw, I think you and Slickpaw should practise for your hunting assessment," Brownpaw heard Mistleflight's serious tone. "I'm sure your mother, Spikefur, would agree that you don't want to fail the assessment."

Spikefur wasn't listening, instead Brownpaw's foster mother's keen gaze was fixed on Snowshard, who was snapping at Moonshade.

"But, Brownpaw's my denmate," Brownpaw heard Leafpaw's uneasy mew as the brown and white tom swished his paw uneasily through peaty mud. "I don't want anything bad to happen, and I know they'll be hard on her after Sharpfl-"

Mistleflight shot his apprentice a look. "Do as you're told," he mewed wearily. "You know our very own elder, Frostdawn, recently died of greencough because she had been starving."