Escape from BoneClan

Chapter 3

Silverpaw followed Brightfire through the tunnel exit. The small opening to BoneClan camp - the large cave - was protected by an enormous thorn bush. She winced as the the sharp prickles raked her silver tabby pelt into stripes. They prodded into her blue eyes and poked her muzzle. She hated living in BoneClan. I wish I were in ThunderClan, Silverpaw thought. My mentor would've been Duskpetal, for sure! Her heart twisted with homesickness as she remembered the funny, kind, light brown tabby he-cat. Are they all dead? Silverpaw shivered at the thought.
"Come on! Thorns got you stuck?" Brightfire snapped, his dark green eyes glaring at her in annoyance. Silverpaw shook her head and sped up, trailing close behind her mentors- no, teachers- orange tail. They weaved through thick undergrowth, until they finally reached a small clearing surrounded with ferns.
"Let's practice some battle moves. Let's see what you've got." He growled. Then he leapt at her. Silverpaw shrieked, flinching, and cowered close to the ground. She winced as she felt Brightfire's claws rake her ears. Warm blood started trickling out of them.
"What was that?!" Brightfire cried. "You're five moons old and still don't know what to do when a cat leaps at you?"
"I-I'm sorry!" Silverpaw whimpered. "I only a few moons old. I-"
"The other clans are weak. Training cats at only six moons? No wonder we beat ThunderClan so easily! You're going to have to toughen up of you want to survive here, mangy ThunderClan kit!" He snarled. Silverpaw cringed. With a yowl, he lunged at her again. He slammed into her side with such force that her paws skidded out from underneath her. Her tail waved around frantically and her legs flailed clumsily in the air. But this time, Silverpaw was ready. She leapt to her paws, and ignoring the throbbing pain in her side, threw herself at Brightfire.
What am i doing?
She landed with her paws on his shoulders. She clawed at his thick ginger pelt. Brightfire bucked, throwing her in the air. With a screech, Silverpaw dropped to the ground. I'm not giving up! She thought determinedly. Instead of leaping at her teacher, she ducked and pounced forward, hooking her claws behind Brightfire's large paws. He almost toppled over, but caught his balance. He raked another pawful of claws over her shoulders. Silverpaw tried not to show her pain, but her fresh wounds was already staring to sting.
"Not good enough, but better." Brightfire growled, nodding at her.
"I'm going to teach you some moves. If a cat leaps at you- the first thing you should do is jump backwards. Lets try it." He pounced at her. Silverpaw forced her legs to move, but she was too slow, earning herself a blow on the air.
"Try again. Be fast; swift."
He lunged at her again, and Silverpaw was ready. She pushed off with her her front legs, feeling triumphant as Brightfire landed in front if her.
Is this what ThunderClan apprentices learn? She wondered. I guess I'll never find out!
"Good." He nodded. "Now, you're not going to win a fight just by dodging your opponent, are you? When I leap at you again, you jump back. But as soon as my paws touch the ground, I want you to try and aim a blow at my head. Got it?"
Silverpaw gulped, nodding. Brightfire pounced once more, faster this time. She leaped backwards. Her muscles were tensed. As soon as the ginger toms paws hit solid ground, her paw flung out. But her aiming was clumsy, and she only brushed past his ear.
"Disappointing!" Brightfire growled. "Don't you know how to aim? And unsheathe your claws. You're no kit!"
Shivering, Silverpaw obeyed. He leapt at her without warning. She was quicker this time. She jumped back and lifted her paw, ready for action. Then she struck. Her aiming was still terrible, but her claws raked softly across Brightfire's ears.
"Still disappointing, but you're improving." He praised her. "Lets practice some more."

Brightfire and Silverpaw had been practicing for a long time, until her teacher finally stated they had practiced enough. Silverpaw was exhausted, and she was looking forward to returning to camp and grabbing something to eat. But instead of heading off back to camp, Brightfire raised his head, tasting the air. "Perfect. Trespassers. Lets see what you've got, ThunderClan kit!" Silverpaw bit back a sharp reply and limped after him, puffing. I can't fight a rogue! I'm only five moons old and haven't had enough training! But she didn't want to disappoint Brightfire. He wanted to prove to him that she was no coward. Suddenly, a flash of grey burst out of the bushes.
"What are you doing on BoneClan territory?" Brightfire snarled, his green eyes locked angrily on the skinny grey she-cat. She looks about as much of a threat as a mouse is, Silverpaw thought. Surely when Brightfire saw how helpless she is, he'll leave her alone?
"I'm hunting, what so you think?" The grey she-cat hissed back, although Silverpaw could see fear and hopelessness in her eyes.
"Well, whatever you were hunting, it belongs to BoneClan!" He spat. "And you're going to have to face the consequence of trespassing. Silverpaw, attack her!"
What? I'm not good enough to beat her, even if she looks scrawny and thin!
"Now!"
Without thinking, Silverpaw hurled herself at the she-cat. As soon as she felt her fur, she unsheathed claws and raked them down her felt. But the grey cat seemed unharmed. With a sneer, her paw flung out and before Silverpaw knew it, her muzzle was dripping with blood. The she-cat struck again, this time aiming a harsh blow at her legs. Screeching, Silverpaw lost her balance. Another blow drew blood on her flank.
"Fight! I have taught you better than this!" Brightfire yowled. Can't he see she's too strong for me? He's only taught me for a few moments! Staggering to her paws, Silverpaw shook blood from her nose and aimed a blow at the she-cats chest. It missed. All the damage she'd done was a cuff on the shoulder.
"Pathetic ThunderClan coward," She heard Brightfire mutter under his breath. He pushed her back and leapt at the she-cat, screeching. The two of them wrestled in a ball of flying fur and spitting fangs, aiming blow after blow. But the grey she-cat was too weak for a strong warrior like Brightfire. He had her pinned down. Silverpaw looked away. She didn't want to watch Brightfire take the she-cats life. A screech erupted from her, then everything was still. Silverpaw turned and saw the skinny grey she-cat who had sneered at her just a few moments ago lying in a pool of blood in the grass, her pale blue eyes lifeless.
"Come on." Brightfire snapped curtly. He pushed past her, shouldering through the dense plants. Head hanging low, Silverpaw padded after him, her wounds throbbing and exhaustion weighing her down.

As BoneClan camp appeared into sight, Brightfire glanced back at her. "Go see Dawnrose. Her den is further to the left of the thorns. And keep practicing that move, or you'll stay a pathetic ThunderClan kit forever." He told her. Then he stalked off, pushing through the thorns. Dawnrose must be a the medicine cat, Silverpaw thought. Her eyes flicked to where Brightfire had said. There was a small, dark opening underneath a tiny willow tree, almost hidden by its long, draping leaves.
"Hello?" Silverpaw called. Her voice echoed of the shadow den walls, giving her shivers. How can BoneClan cats live in such darkness? She wondered.
"Who's there?" A she-cats voice came from deep inside the cave. The air smelt like hundreds of different herbs. It reminded her of Robinfeather's medicine den back home. A wave of homesickness washed over her, and she pushed the thought away.
"Uh... my name is Silverpaw. I'm-"
"Ah, yes. Coming."
A grey, long-furred she-cat padded out of the shadows.
"So, you're the new kit." Her long whiskers twitched, and her yellow eyes bore into Silverpaw's.
I wish cats would stop treating me like a kit! I'm a 'paw now!
"Um, yeah. Brightfire told me to see you."
"Has he been too rough on you?"
"He made me fight a rogue," Silverpaw couldn't help blurting out. "But he killed her. I'm useless at it."
"At least he didn't make you fight a fox," Dawnrose just muttered. Silverpaw wasn't sure whether that was a joke or not. She watched the medicine cat begin pawing through a pile of herbs next to her. Robinfeather's den had been much tidier. All the different herbs were organised in piles.
Dawnrose pulled out a bunch of cobwebs. "Stay still."
Silverpaw winced as the sticky white stuff soaked into her wounds. Wasn't she going to put in some herbs to stop the bleeding? She wondered. I guess not. Everything is harsher here.
"Sit still for a while. Wait for them to soak in. Then I'll put some been juice on it."
That's not what Robinfeather would do! But it looks like this cat knows what she's doing, Silverpaw convinced herself.
After waiting a moment, Dawnrose pulled out a weird-looking leaf out of her messy pile and chewed it up. Carefully, she pressed it onto the cobwebs. Silverpaw noticed that the she-cat had thicker, stranger fur than she had ever seen. There was also fur between her toes. Weird, she thought as Dawnrose repeated her unfamiliar process on her other wounds.
Silverpaw tilted her head at the medicine cat.
"You don't look like you're from around here." She mentioned, desperate to break the awkward silence. "What clan are you from?"
Dawnrose chuckled. "Oh, no, little one. I am not a clan-born cat."
"Where are you from, then?"
Dawnrose's yellow eyes drifted away from Silverpaw. "Far, far away, my dear. I am from the mountains." She replied finally.
"The mountains? You mean, you're from a tribe?" Silverpaw's jaw dropped open in astonishment. This cat had come so far!
"That's right." Dawnrose murmured, her gaze piercing into the distance as if she was hoping to catch a glimpse of her old home in the snowy mountains.
"What are you doing here, then?"
"BoneClan invaded our tribe. They took me as a young kit." Her claws dug into he soft earth. A warm, gentle wind ruffled her grey fur.
"But if you're from a tribe, how can you have a warrior name?" Silverpaw asked.
"Oh, my name wasn't always Dawnrose. My old name from the tribe was Rose that Blooms at Dawn. Mudstar changed it." Her eyes focused back on the little silver tabby in front of her. Silverpaw could tell from the look in her eyes that there was something the she-cat wasn't telling her.
"Haven't you ever tried to escape?" How could she possibly have lived here almost her while life? It's horrible!
"Ha! Tried to escape? Oh, you have no idea. I've tried to get out of here more times than you'll ever catch prey. There's no way out, little one." Dawnrose said. "Mudstar was angry each time I tried. But since I was his only medicine cat; the only cat who knew about herbs, he didn't dare lay a claw on me. But..." Her voice trailed off and sadness filled her green eyes.
"But what?" Curiosity sparked inside Silverpaw. She had so many questions.
"My brother, Rabbit that Runs in Wind- I mean, Rabbitpaw, wasn't so lucky."
"Wait- why Rabbitpaw? If he's the same age as you-"
"Rabbitpaw never lived to earn his warrior name. But then again, what was there to earn in that? All we ever did was kill, hunt and capture. Mudstar killed him."
"That's terrible!" Silverpaw gasped. She pictured Rabbitpaw - or Rabbit that Runs in Wind - lying in a bloody, broken mess at Bonestar's paws. Her throat boiled and bubbled with pure hatred for the black and white tom. How she hated him! How dare he call himself a leader? "Where there other tribe cats stolen with you?"
"You ask too many questions, young one." Dawnrose growled, her friendly mood gone like a leaf blown off its branch.
"You can go." She rose to her paws and padded back into the darkness of her den, the tip of her tail twitching miserably.