Raine's Stained Paws

Chapter Four

Bloodpaw stalked from behind a tree. A black tom Infront of her walking carelessly under the pine. Bloodpaw carefully moved forward watching each pawstep she placed. The tom took no notice of her and continued on.
She slunk forward and prepared to leap. Bunching her muscles Bloodpaw leaped, snow flying in her wake.
The tom seemed surprised and dodged out of her way.
Bloodpaw acted fast her claws sheathed as she hooked the toms paws out from under him.
The tom looked bewildered as he fell into the snow and Bloodpaw pinned him down.
"Alright let me up!" The tom bellowed.
Bloodpaw stepped back triumph in her eyes.
"Did I do good Nightstar? Was I quick and quiet?" Bloodpaw asked quickly.
"Yes, yes." Nightstar said as he shook his fur sending snow out of it.
"I think my ears are betraying me!"
"Nope! I was just to quiet for you." Bloodpaw boasted.
"Yes yes of course, a leader beaten by his apprentice. How lovely. I'm just old that's all." Nightstar excused as he stood up tall.
"You are old." Bloodpaw said with a murmur of laughter.
Nightstar's face shifted to amusement. "I might be old but I can still run faster than you!" He bellowed as he ran quickly through the snow towards camp.
"No fair!" Bloodpaw called as she raced after him.
Bloodpaw pushed forward. I'm gonna beat him! She thought as she ran through the stone arches. She turned around sharply.
"Ha! I beat you-" Bloodpaw said before she realized Nightstar was no where in sight.
"Nightstar?" Bloodpaw cooned as she walked back through the arches. I can't even smell him! She thought.
"Now that I think about it, I never ran past him either..." She said aloud as she began to slowly retrace her steps.
Bloodpaw sniffed sharply looking for any signs of her temporary mentor.
"Nightstar!" She called, to which she got no response.
She perked her ears at the sound of heavy breathing. "Nightstar?"
Bloodpaw quickly followed the sound, terrified to see her mentor laying in the snow with ragged breaths.
"Nightstar!" Bloodpaw called as she ran to his side.
Nightstar looked up at her with fear and panic in his eyes. He slowly lifted his head only for it to fall to the side, exposing a deep gash in the toms neck.
"Nightstar!" She yowled.
"I- I'll get Hawkthistle!" She said as she raced back through the snow and into camp.
"Hawkthistle! Something attacked Nightstar!" She yowled.
Her clanmates shoved their way into the clearing with concerned looks.
"What happened Bloodpaw?" Featherpaw asked as she ran up to her.
"I- I don't know. We where racing back to camp for fun and I found out he was no longer behind me. I went back to see if he was okay and..." Bloodpaw hesitated to continue.
Hawkthistle quickly bounded up herbs in his maw. His flicked an ear as a sign for Bloodpaw to lead the way. Bloodpaw nodded and ran out of camp, Hawkthistle at her heels. Bloodpaw pushed forward through the snow. Please starclan! Save him! Bloodpaw thought as she rounded the tall pine where Nightstar lay.
Hawkthistle came to a stop as he placed down his herbs.
He slowly inspected Nightstar's wound and sat back with a grim look.
"I don't know what did that, but Nightstar has joined Starclan. That was his last life." The tom said as he hung his head.

***

Bloodpaw sat in the clearing, her ears pinned as she watched Greyfern, the deputy leave the camp with Hawkthistle.
Nightstar lay in the middle of the clearing. The tom was positioned so it looked as though he was sleeping.
Bloodpaw looked up to see Brittlethorn step forward with a scowl.
Where has he been? She thought.
Brittlethorn has recovered just in time for him to resume Bloodpaw's training. He didn't look to happy about it.
The tabby tom sat down. He looked at the dead leader with a stoic expression before he got back to his paws and went to the warriors den.
Bloodpaw rolled her eyes as she prepared herself to spend the night out in the cold.
Bloodpaw sat up right as her eyes began to shut. I must stay awake! She thought.
But her head began to lull and she drifted off to sleep.
"Bloodpaw." A cat whispered.
Bloodpaw opened her eyes to the dawn light.
Cloudpaw was next to her nudging her awake.
"Greyfern has returned." Cloudpaw explained.
"Is he leader now?" Bloodpaw asked.
"I don't know he's about to call a meeting."
Bloodpaw got up into a sitting position, her limbs stiff from laying on the cold ground.
"All cats strong enough to climb the sharp rocks gather beneath the rock pile for a clan meeting!" Greyfern bellowed.
The clan was already in the clearing, murmuring together about what happened.
"My clan it is unclear about what happened to Nightstar. But he was a good leader and an even better friend to most. I hope I can follow in his pawsteps well as starclan has gifted me my nine lives." Greyfern said as he addressed the clan.
"Greystar! Greystar!" The clan chanted.
Greystar flicked his tail for silence.
"I must pick a new deputy now. While I was on my way to the moon river I had time to think. Hollygrass will be Sharpclan's new Deputy!" Greystar yowled.
The clan erupted into cheers for the new deputy.
Bloodpaw was chanting along before she noticed how upset her father looked. He seemed angry.
Did he want to be deputy? She thought.

928 words.