Shadows (Zombie Warrior Cats)

Chapter Three

Crowflight's POV

Just as my dreams were becoming more vivid, I was woken up by a small prod in my side. I groaned and twitched my tail over my nose. Whoever it was that was touching me didn't give up, though. "Crowflight, get up! We need to go out." An unknown soft growl came from in front of my face. I blinked open my eyes. A set of wide, blue eyes were right in front of my face. I gasped and rolled out of my nest. Silverstar stood up straight.

"You know," I started, groggily sitting up, "you should have just kept nudging me instead of getting in my face." Silverstar shrugged. With my pelt sticking up everywhere, I stalked out of the den with RockClan's leader right behind me. She seemed to be stuck in her own world at that moment. "Whatever, but we have to go. I have an idea." She meowed once we got out of the warriors' den. I rolled my eyes and silently sighed. More ideas? I wondered, glancing over at the silver she-cat as she lead the way out of camp.

As soon as she got out of the camp, she picked up a coiled, silver wire. It had spikes jabbing out dangerously every few tail-lengths. My heart skipped a beat out of fear. What in SoulClan's name is she going to do with that? I wondered, flicking my tail.

The moon was half way down the sky, but the galaxy above was still navy blue. The stars were hidden by misty clouds that softly cascaded down the sky. Few SoulClan cats were out that night. My eyes felt heavy as I struggled to keep them open, but as we padded out of our territory, the more I woke up thanks to the cool, newleaf air. The ground was wet and mushy, sinking in between my toes.

I turned to the small she-cat. "So, what's your idea?"

With a twisted smirk, she gave me a side glance. "We are going to capture an infected cat, then we will tie it to a tree where we battle train..." She trailed off then looked me dead in the eye. "Do you see where I am going with this?" I nodded wearily. I stopped looking her in the eye because of a slice in her lip from the wire. Blood beaded up at the wound as we kept padding on, then rolled down her jaw, and dripped onto the ground every few paw-steps. It was a deep cut that would have to be treated as soon as she entered camp, I guessed.

By the time I stopped looking at her mouth, the sound of growling floated over to us. We were at the field. The long grass waved in the breeze, whispering silently to us.

"Are you crazy?" I asked, astonished that we were actually doing it. Silverstar's ear twitched, but she kept her gaze forward as she took a step over the lowest board of the fence. "What if it gets loose? What if it actually gets to an apprentice?"

She paused. It took Silverstar a few heartbeats to look at me, but she eventually did. My heart was beating as fast as a rabbit could run. "We kill it and if the apprentice can't fight it off then they could never live and protect our Clan anyway." She simply answered, bowing her head to me as she went into the field. Touche. I thought, giving myself a small nod.

I hurried to catch up with Silverstar. She paused and waited for me to come in beside her. Dropping the wire, she nodded towards it. I looked at her, then to the wire, then back at her. She blinked at me, but that was all.

"You want me to get it? You want me to complete the idea you made up? I don't even agree with this, yet you're actually asking me to fetch a flesh-eating, stink-bag for you?" I shook my head, narrowing my eyes at her.

Silverstar stayed silent for a few heartbeats. Then she hissed very low, "You are my deputy, I am your leader, and you will obey my commands, Crowflight." Anger boiled in my veins as I snatched the wire.

Curse you, Marshstar, for choosing this insane she-cat as our leader! I snarled in my head. Two infected cats came towards me, moaning and drooling blood, from a dead dog's mauled carcass. I felt sudden rage, and it threatened to burst as I hurried to the first infected cat. With a hefty kick, I sent the first cat - a cream-colored one - to the ground easily. It let out a twisted yowl. The other one, an amateur ginger maine coon, stumbled over on three good legs. It back leg seemed to be broken, snapped at the knee like a thin twig, it's useless broken limb dangling at the joint.

I twisted the wire around the neck of the cream cat then went over to the other one. At the perfect moment, I used my back leg to swiftly kick the front legs of the cat. They both easily snapped and to my relief, the cat hit the ground face first. It continued to moan with it's face in the grass.

It tried to scoot itself toward me with open, dirty jaws, but I easily padded away. The cream cat was up now, staggering on twisted legs. I dashed in behind it, grabbed the wire, and began to drag it toward my precious, awaiting leader. She dipped her head to me in approval and started to pad off. I followed with a sour face.

Within what seemed to be seasons upon seasons, we made it to the battle area. My neck and legs were beginning to fail me from the loud, wriggling infected cat as it struggled to get free. It made odd groaning noises as the wire tore at it's throat.

"Tie it to a tree, I don't care which one." Silverstar demanded.

I wanted to snap at her but I bit my tongue. Huffing and puffing, I dragged the annoying cat to the nearest tree and wrapped the free wire around it. It was a small, yet durable, pine tree. Melting snow layered it's branches.

I padded around the tree, keeping my distance away from the snapping cream-colored cat. With spit flying, it snapped at me. It kept trying to claw free from the wire as if it was stuck under a tree. It's growl was twisted as the wire choked it and tore the rotting skin open. Blood didn't pour out like it would on a live cat or dog or anything alive, instead it just oozed puss and other strange liquids.

Silverstar's rough meow broke my concentration. "Alright, let's go back,"

Out of respect, I kept my mouth shut again and followed the silver leader. Neither of us spoke to each other on the way back, but I didn't mind. Everything that came out of that she-cats sour mouth was rude and self-centered anyway.

By the time we hopped up onto the camps' rocks the sun was making its way over the tree tops across the lake. As soon as we entered camp, worried warriors hurried to speak to Silverstar and I. "We started hearing a roaming infected cat or dog, should we go out and find it? What if Tigerstripe is injured?" Snowfern's eyes were filled with great concern. Foxtuft and Pebblepaw stood in beside her, also concerned. Blossomfrost sat angrily by the nursery, her tail twitching.

"It is only the infected cat Crowflight caught. We will be using it as a practice-cat for the apprentices..." Silverstar reassured them, her eyes narrowed.

"What? That's so dangerous! What if it gets loose?" Foxtuft scoffed, her ears flat to her ginger head. Silverstar's tail lashed from all of the disapproval. A few more cats bombarded her with questions over and over until the stressed and embarrassed leader blew. "It doesn't matter!" She snapped, quieting the Clan instantly, "I am your leader and my word is your hope. What I say, is what you do!" Shocked glances peered back at her. A few of them looked at me, but I had nothing to say.

My stomach growled and my muscles screamed, but my day had only just started.