THE STOLEN || OLD - being rewritten

Chapter 13 - { The New Order }

I heard you humming and crying out the back door last night
but when I went to take a look, you were gone after I turned on the light.

By the time Darkpaw awoke, Shadowpaw had already left the nest. She suspected that Shadowpaw was out training with his new mentor Sandfire and that they had left quite early. As the lithe tortoiseshell she-cat exited the Cadets den, many cats were milling about their day, wandering around and going about their business as usual. Flicking her tail, she ignored her growling belly as she spotted Webkit sitting anxiously on her own, fidgeting with her silver paws and watching with wide eyes as cats passed by.

Padding over to the small she-kit, Darkpaw lowered her head to meet the she-kits gaze. "Hey." Darkpaw mewed in a gentle voice with a soft smile.

Webkit nearly jumped out of her fur, her eyes wide. "Blood. Blood. So much blood." The kit stuttered.

Darkpaw frowned, her gaze widening as she sat beside the kit immediately, wrapping her tail around her. "Shh.. Hey." Darkpaw whispered. "You're safe."

Webkit trembled, looking up at Darkpaw with a wide, terrified gaze. "No. It's a lie. A big, big lie. Mama's dead. Papa's dead. Flowerstar's dead. Rowanstep's dead. Blood. Blood. Blood everywhere." Tears swelled in the she-kit's eyes.

Dead? Flowerstar's dead? Rowanstep is... dead? What? Shock gripped her as she stared deep into Webkit's traumatized eyes. No way this kit was making this up...right? But she couldn't be! She was shaking, trembling as she spoke about it! Just as Darkpaw opened her mouth to speak, she was interrupted by Redflame who looked at Darkpaw through a passively threatening gaze. "Is there an issue here with little Webkit, Darkpaw?" The russet furred queen asked, her gaze fiery with a cold, icy warning.

Darkpaw exhaled slowly, pausing before she spoke. "Webkit just had a bad dream I think." She mewed. A lie. A blatant lie. And Redflame knows it.

The queen narrowed her gaze briefly, lashing her tail as she drew in a deep breath. Redflame blinked, shooing Darkpaw away and sweeping Webkit towards her with a swift swish of her tail. She gave Webkit's head a few licks before looking back up at Darkpaw. "In future, I would like you to stay away from my kits. Whisperstar may like you but she can't see what's inside you. Know what's good and keep your nose where it belongs, else it might get clawed." The queen hissed in a low tone before picking Webkit up and whipping around.

Narrowing her gaze, Darkpaw bit back a sharp reply. Webkit isn't your daughter, kit thief. The tortoiseshell thought sourly to herself. Exhaling she watched as Redflame took Webkit back inside the nursery and vanished into it's shadows. Looking at the top of the ravine, she watched as a familiar black tom cat came bounding down.

Shadowpaw. Darkpaw thought, a soft smile spreading across her features as she watched him bound towards her with a blackbird in his jaws. Sandfire waved her tail in greeting as she padded by Darkpaw who dipped her head in return. Shadowpaw dropped the blackbird at her paws, sitting down and puffing our his chest.

"Yes, I caught it. In case you were wanting to compliment me." He puffed out his chest.

Darkpaw laughed, shaking her head. "Well done, you're the best hunter in all four clans." She mewed.

Shadowpaw's smile faded. "There aren't four clans anymore. And we don't say that, we're Legion now. We're bigger and better." He mewed, lifting his chin.

The tortoiseshell swallowed hard, blinking. "Right. Sorry. It's habit. Best hunter in The Legion."

"Darkpaw!" Sagepaws voice rang in her ears. "Whisperstar wants to see you! Follow me!" Sagepaw mewed from the top of the ridge.