Realm of Shadows

Chapter Two

Claw indicated the boulder with a flick of his tail. "We call this the Meetingrock, because that's where I call the cats for a meeting. This is my den—"

"Wait," Flarepaw, Sunpaw's brother, interrupted. "Those are just dips in the ground. Where are the actual dens? Like, with moss, twigs, brambles and stuff."

Claw's torn whiskers twitched with amusement. "What's your name, young cat?" he asked the ginger apprentice.

He puffed out his chest. "Flarepaw."

Claw drew himself up so he towered over him. "Tell me, Flarepaw, do you see any moss or brambles?" he sneered.

Flarepaw glanced around, then shook his head.

The leader thrust his head forward so that their noses were almost touching. "Yeah, because they don't grow here, and just so you know in the future, no one interrupts me. Got it?"

Sunpaw's brother shrunk into his fur, his eyes wide and paws quivering. "Y-yes, Claw."

"Good." Claw started to pad away, but Aquapaw called out, "Um, Claw, if you don't mind me asking, how do you survive in the desert? There's no water or prey anywhere!"

The gray tom whipped around and purred at her. "Good question, young one. Now, follow me in this tunnel, and some of your questions may be answered." He stepped over the withering bush that blocked the entrance before disappearing into the shadows.

Leafstar followed him first, with Hollypaw after. There were binds wrapped around Aquapaw, trying to keep her in place, but she stretched against them and padded after her Clanmates. This place is horrible, and I want to go back to Felidae, where the trees block out most of the sun and there's plenty of food and water.

As she walked through the tunnel, it seemed to get colder and colder. She fluffed out her fur, shivering, as Claw called out, "Our ancestors gifted us with this water source, so any time we're thirsty, we go here to get a drink."

Aquapaw shoved her way through and gasped. In front of her was a glittering cavern, with a big pool of water in the middle. The stone was freezing under her paws, and when she tasted the air it felt frosty and earthy on her tongue. How is this even possible? she wondered.

Leafstar's green eyes were wide with surprise, too. "What happens if you run out?" she asked the gray tom.

"We don't. Our ancestors have amazing powers that constantly refill this pool. Unless they or their powers die, this cavern will stay here forever."

"That's convenient," Sunpaw whispered in her ear. "Although it doesn't make me like this place any better."

She nodded, her heart aching for her old life.

"Claw, what type of prey do you catch?" Bramblespots piped up, shaking out his shaggy pelt. "I'm starving."

"Ah, of course. Elders do have to eat." Claw slid out past them and continued, "We also keep the prey in a hole in the ground, so they're out of the way of sandstorms."

"Sandstorms?" Aquapaw echoed, falling into step behind him. "What are sandstorms?" The Realm of Shadows came with so many unfamiliar words. How was it so different from Felidae?

"Just what it sounds like," Claw muttered. "What are you Felidae cats, dormice?"

Leafstar tilted her chin up. "Our Clans live in totally different worlds. If you visited our home, you would be surprised."

"I doubt it. I can't feel anything anymore," he meowed, but Aquapaw couldn't question his choice of words because bright sunlight dazzled her vision. They were back out into the camp.

"Lots of prey live in the desert, but there are predators, too," Claw warned as he stopped by a ditch near the camp entrance. "This is the fresh-kill pile. We mostly hunt mice and lizards, but sometimes we can catch a rabbit or a deer. Take what you want, and I can show you to the elders' den," he addressed Bramblespots.

The tortoiseshell peered in and took a plump mouse. Claw nodded to the black tom from before, Pit, and beckoned him.

"You don't want me to chase them off, do you?" Pit growled as he joined them, shooting a glare at the Felidae cats.

Aquapaw rolled her eyes. We'll be Clanmates for a while, so get used to it.

Claw shook his head, tail flicking irritably. "I'm going to take this elder to where he belongs. Show the rest of these cats around while I'm gone." He swept away with Bramblespots on his paws, leaving a snarling Pit behind.

"All right, you forest animals, follow me. If you don't, I swear I'll shred your pelts off!" Aquapaw tried to stifle a purr as Pit stomped off. "Better stick close," she whispered to Hollypaw, her whiskers quivering.

The black she-cat wasn't amused as she heaved herself off her paws. "Yeah," she mewed unhappily, but trotted off before she could say anything.

"Hey, Aquapaw, are you coming?" Her eyes tracked up to Sunpaw, who was waving his tail.

"Coming!" she called, and sprinted after him.

Pit showed them around the rest of the camp, as grumpy as usal, but it was probably just the heat getting to him. Hollypaw looked miserable, too, with her tail in the dust and her head bowed. Maybe they should go into the water cavern to cool off, Aquapaw thought, observing her friend across the clearing.

"Do you like it here, Aquapaw?" She looked up to see Firesplash flop down beside her, a mouse at her paws. Her ginger pelt gleamed in the fierce sun, and she panted in the heat.

The gray she-cat rolled her own mouse around, fur collecting sand. Every Felidae cat chose a mouse, absolutely refusing to go anywhere near the lizards. Well, everyone except Dawnheart, she thought wryly, glancing at her Clanmate trying to swallow it down. All the mice ran out, so Dawnheart had to grudgingly pick a lizard. By the look of it, she wasn't enjoying it too much.

"Not at all," she eventually confessed. "I miss Felidae a lot, and I would do anything to go back."

"Me too." Firesplash took a bite of her prey and swallowed. "But this is the only place for us that's gifted by our ancestors, so we have to stay. You don't want to go live with Twolegs, do you?"

"No!" Aquapaw hissed. Who wanted to live with filthy Twolegs? "This place just gives me a bad feeling."

"I feel it, too," the warrior agreed. "You know leader's word is law, Aquapaw."

She was about to reply when Claw yowled, "I have an announcement!"