Warriors: Black Rain

Chapter 3

        When the two she-cats made it to the apprentice den, the other apprentices had arrived; Sparkpaw, Woodpaw, and Maskpaw. The three young toms were sitting together outside the den. Probably discussing the message, Scarpaw thought. Maskpaw turned to greet them, his eyes filled with mischif as usual. 

      "Hey, Scarpaw. What did you think of that meeting? Scary, huh?"

      Scarpaw's tail twitched in annoyance. She could already see how this conversation would go; Scarpaw had originally been born in MapleClan, but her father, Swifttail, had died protecting her and her sister, Hawkkit, after Thornclan led an all out attack over border strife. RainClan appeared at MapleClan's side to help defend them before they lost their territory to the tyrant leader of ThornClan, Pebblestar. Snowstar knew Swifttail well and offered the two kits a place in his clan. The two sisters never knew their mother, and were told she had died during birth, The queens of Mapleclan had never shown much affection towards the two she-kits, and Scarpaw was mystified by the great leaders kindness, following him to train to be a loyal RainClan cat and escape the horrors she had faced that night; while her sister, Hawkkit, was horrified by her sisters betrayal, staying in MapleClan to bring honor to her father.
      Maskpaw had never trusted her since the day that Snowstar had brought her to the clan, no matter how hard Scarpaw tried to prove to them all where her heart truly belonged.
Scarpaw cooly looked into his eyes, trying to hide her rising frustration.

      "Yes, it was. I wonder what it means." 

      Maskpaw didnt seem done. "Blood or clan... Rosegaze thinks It's about some disaster befalling us or our kits, but I think It's about something else entirely. Don't you have a sister in MapleClan? I wonder, Scarpaw... have you ever thought of going back?" Scarpaw flattened her ears.

      "What are you trying to say, Maskpaw?" 

      Maskpaw snorted, sneering at her. "You know exactly what I mean. We cant trust you; you're an outsider! Obviously, Starclan is trying to warn us about outsiders. Didn't you hear the message? You even have a mark of your old clan."  Maskpaw lashed out his paw, hitting Scarpaw's large gash on her left hind leg with his sheathed paw, shocking her. She responded with a nasty hiss; Maskpaw liked to pick on the younger apprentice, but this was going too far. That scar was from the battle her father died in, after a ThornClan warrior burst into the nursery, managing to strike not only Scarpaw, but other kits as well. The Thornclan warrior striked a powerful slash down her hind leg, leaving the deep scar that gave Scarpaw her name before being fought off. While she remembered very little of the attack, the cats around her never let her forget; her scar was an ugly reminder of where she was born, and the misfortune that follows her. It also reminded Scarpaw of her father, who died in order to keep Scarpaw and her sister out of harm.

      Scarpaw yowled in anger, unsheathing her claws and preparing to slash. "If this scar bothers you so much, how about I give you one to worry about?" before she could leap, Sparkpaw stepped inbetween them. His yellow pelt prickled in anger as he glared at Maskpaw. 

      "Maskpaw, you're being ridiculous. Don't you have any sense at all? You know Scarpaw would never betray RainClan. Her loyalty lies with us, and she has proven that much to us enough times over. Stop acting like a kit." 

Maskpaw spat in anger. "You're a fool if you really believe that, just like her. I don't care what any of you think. Things would be much easier without her around." he got up to stalk into the apprentice den, his tortoiseshell pelt standing on end. Woodpaw, who had been standing nearby looking terrified, followed him.

      She turned to Sparkpaw and sighed. "Thanks. You didn't have to say any of that." Sparkpaw turned to face her, his blue eyes calm. 

"I said it because It's true. Don't worry about it, Scarpaw." He flicked his tail, and padded away towards the fresh-kill pile. Scarpaw watched him go, letting out a deep sigh. The soft spoken tom had always been kind to her since she had joined the apprentice den, which meant a lot, since Maskpaw wasn't the only cat in the clan to share the thought that she didn't belong. From elders to kits, she could always feel pairs of eyes on her while moving around camp. 

        Leopardpaw sneered. "Maskpaw, what a mouse-brain. I mean, who really thinks that? Of course this prophecy has nothing to do with you! I mean, come on! Scarpaw involved in some dark and gloomy prophecy? Doesn't any other cat think Snowstar could've just ate some rotten squirrel?"

Scarpaw huffed in annoyance. "Gee, thanks for helping me out there! I would've pounced on Maskpaw if Sparkpaw hadn't shown up." 

Leopardpaw shrugged. "I didn't know what to say! Plus, I didn't think you would really leap at him. Did he really bother you with all that nonsense?" Scarpaw sighed, licking her chest fur to smooth it back down. 

      "Well, yeah, I suppose. I would never betray the clan... My heart lies here." Leopardpaw nudged her with her nose.

      "I know that. Come on, let's go inside the den; my paws are aching from training today, and my nest is calling my name." Scarpaw got up to leave when Suntail bounded over to them, signaling to Scarpaw with her tail. Scarpaw's ears flicked in surprise. 

      "Scarpaw, SnowStar would like to see you in his den." 

Scarpaw gulped down her panic before mewing, "O-Okay! Ill go see him now." Suntail nodded, and walked past them without another word. The two apprentices exchanged glances, then Scarpaw swiftly bounded off towards SnowStar's den, pressing her ears flat against her head. Maskpaw's words rang harshly throughout her mind.