Warriors: Shadows in the Light - Veiled Stars

Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

SHELLPAW | SHADOWCLAN PINES

Pure terror was what fueled Shellpaw as he ran for his life. He didn't want to die.

Dangerously close pawsteps pursued him, giving Shellpaw another rush of adrenaline and terror.

Where did Maplefern send Littlewish and Gorgefall? The lake? I think so... Shellpaw swerved right, panting. When would this cat give up? They were in the heart of ShadowClan territory.

Shellpaw opened his jaws, trying to get more breath and yowl, but all he managed to get out was a strangled, breathless yelp.

Suddenly, the cat stopped. Apparently realizing where they were, they turned tail and fled, retracing the path. Shellpaw didn't stop though. He threw one glance over his shoulder, ensuring what he heard was true. He kept going until he saw Littlewish's familiar pelt.

"Littlewish!" he let out a choked cry. "Murderer - Maplefern - blood-"

Littlewish looked up, startled to see a branch-strewn, wide-eyed apprentice in front of her, claws unsheathed and moving restlessly.

"What? Maplefern is a murderer?" Littlewish looked extremely doubtful.

"No." Shellpaw gasped for air, his heart racing wildly. He felt the heartbeat against his chest, full of terror and energy. Terror-energy. Terrgy?

Littlewish wrapped her tail around his shoulders, trying to comfort the horrified apprentice. "Here, uh, sit by this tree while I fetch Gorgefall-"

"Don't leave me!" Shellpaw wailed like a kit. He didn't care if he sounded like a scaredy-cat. He didn't want to die. That murderer would surely come back for him.

"I-I won't." Littlewish immediately meowed, concerned for Shellpaw. "We'll go together."

Shellpaw walked shakily beside Littlewish, throwing glances over his shoulder every other second.

"Relax," murmured Littlewish soothingly, "you're with me. Whatever scared you isn't here."

"It was a cat." Shellpaw whispered, eyes darting to and fro. His tail lashed wildly behind him. "A SkyClan or ThunderClan cat killed-" his throat closed on him as he replayed the snippet he saw. Maplefern's thrashing, dying body in the jaws of the cat, lots of blood already pooled around her.

"Tell me what they looked like." Littlewish sounded like she believed him, but her eyes said the opposite. Shellpaw thought he heard her mutter under her breath: "I tried to steer him away from conversations about the murderer."

"Um - uh," why couldn't he just say it? "The cat - they had black fur and... uh-"

"Take a breath Shellpaw."

Shellpaw couldn't. His breathing came in quick and shallow while his heart still thumped wildly against his ribcage. He couldn't relax or take a breather. Littlewish's words couldn't calm him.

"Gorgefall, there you are." Littlewish's loud meow caught the attention of the ShadowClan warrior.

Gorgefall turned around. "Are we heading-" his eyes strayed over to Shellpaw. "Where's Maplefern?"

"Something... injured her." Littlewish meowed.

"No! A cat killed her!" Shellpaw cried out.

Littlewish turned to her apprentice and glared at him. Shellpaw had never seen this side of her.

"Shellpaw," she hissed crossly, quiet enough so Gorgefall didn't hear, "you don't know. When you are scared, your mind tricks you because it is scared. You see things that aren't there. It may have been a fox. Maplefern may be alive."

Shellpaw thought about the pool of blood. The black-furred cat. How could he imagine so much blood or such a detailed cat?

"Keep quiet and lead us to where you last saw Maplefern." Littlewish growled sharply.

Shellpaw swallowed a whimper. He trotted back into the forest, retracing the route he had taken. Was the turn here? No... a little farther. After lots of twists and turns, they arrived at the border.

Gorgefall let out a gasp. "Oh my StarClan!"

Littlewish looked startled, cringing away. Her nose crinkled. "The blood..."

Gorgefall approached with body warily, watching the border unblinkingly. Once he was at Maplefern's body, he investigated the bitemarks.

"A cat killed her by the look of it," he reported grimly, turning around to face them. "I can only smell ShadowClan and blood though. I don't know who..." he trailed off, unfocused as he looked over his shoulder.

Littlewish draped her tail over Shellpaw's shoulders. "Gorgefall, can you drag Maplefern's body all the way to camp?"

"I can try." Gorgefall grabbed Maplefern's bloody scruff, gagging. He shuffled backwards, gaining speed every step.

Littlewish turned to Shellpaw, looking guilty. "I'm sorry for not believing you," she whispered.

Shellpaw bit his tongue, looking away. He was upset she hadn't believed him. She thought he had been insane and hallucinated everything he saw. How could he just forgive her?

"It's fine." He muttered through clenched teeth, walking after Gorgefall, grabbing Maplefern's hind legs. Gorgefall shot the apprentice a grateful look, straightening his posture.

The sullen group walked slowly back to camp, uncertain what to say to one another. Upon entering camp, the cat guarding it, Dustcloud, regarded Maplefern's body with surprise.

"I-I'll go inform Snakestar," the ginger-and-cream tom murmured, clearly at a loss for words. He hurried away, disappearing into Snakestar's den. After a few moments, Dustcloud reappeared with Snakestar.

Snakestar hurried over, gaping at Maplefern's corpse. "How'd this happen?" He demanded.

"Someone killed her." Littlewish murmured, looking at her paws. "A SkyClan or ThunderClan cat. Black fur..."

Snakestar's remorseful eyes hardened. "Whoever killed her will pay." He growled, tail lashing. "At the next Gathering, I will confront Snowstar and Nectarstar until they confess-"

"Don't be too hasty, Snakestar." A new voice chimed in. Tawnythorn sat outside her den, tail curled around her body. "Accusing the other Clans will start a war, and we mustn't have that happen." Her eyes became wistful. "We have already lost some many cats these past moons..."

The camp fell silent, remembering the recent losses that had befallen upon them.

"What I am saying is," Tawnythorn's meow sliced through the still air, "we must not accuse any cat until we have lots of proof against them."

Snakestar bristled, not sure how to respond. Finally, the old leader dipped his head to the wise medicine cat. "I understand."

"Good. For now, let us grieve Maplefern..." Tawnythorn retreated to her den, probably going to fetch herbs to stop the stench of death.

Seedpaw watched, her yellow eyes wide with shock, meeting Shellpaw's gaze. She looked like she wanted to ask him what happened, but Tawnythorn called her inside to help her carry herbs.

Snakestar sighed, shaking his head. He climbed up a tree, shaking with effort, until he balanced on a branch.

"ShadowClan!" he yowled. "Maplefern has been murdered. She was a faithful, loyal deputy, and in her place I must appoint a new cat."

"Shouldn't we grieve for her first?" A warrior called.

"We will, but I want to appoint a new deputy." Snakestar dropped his head, thinking. He looked back up. "I have made my choice."

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any ideas to who killed maplefern? i believe we only have two suspects... unless the murderer isn't from thunderclan/skyclan? i don't know.

-artemis