MoonClan Fiction: Chapter 11

Starpaw landed lightly but powerfully on top of the squirrel. She bit swiftly into it's neck, and it dangeled limply from her jaw as she padded toward Echo.

"Nice catch.." he perceived. Starpaw's eyes squinted as she smiled, mouth full of squirrel. "Faanx" she said.

She trotted past him and headed toward camp. She had said she would be hunting, and so they probably expect her back by now. The Moon was high in the sky.

As she entered the camp, her father, Flamestripe, came to Starpaw.

"Starpaw! It's about time you got back! Is that all you've caught? In all that time?"
Starpaw shuffled her paws.. she looked to Echo, and he ran off into the woods. He was back int he entrance of the camp, carrying a huge looking rabbit. He dropped it to the floor and Starpaw's eyes grey wide at the sight. She was looking at the rabbit as she spoke.

".. No. .. um.. I have on more.. but it's giant and I couldn't carry it myself.." Flamestripe looked a little suspicious of his daughter, but he followed her as she dropped the squirrel in the fresh kill pile, then went back for the rabbit.

"You're right" Flamstripe said as he saw the rabbit. "It's huge! It's bigger than you? How did you manage to take something like this down?" He was astonished.. just as Starpaw was.

"I don't really know.." she answered truthfully. Her eyes met Echo's and she gave him a thankful look. He nodded and smiled.

"Well.. " Flamestripe said. "This should be enough to feed Thristlepelt and the elders too..." he turned to Starpaw. "You know Thristlepelt had kitted while you were gone? Such a beautiful little white kitten."

Starpaw was overcome with joy "That's so wonderful!" she said, and she rushed to the nursery. Flamestripe was with her, helping her carry the rabbit.

Once inside, she let it go and smiled warmly at Thristlepelt. "Congradulations!" she said, and she glimpsed a little white ball of fur against the queens' stomach.

Starpaw watched as the bundle of fur turned around to look at her. it was a female, and it had icy blue eyes. It yawned and its little pink tongue licked its lips. "aw" Starpaw said. She didn't want to keep Thistlepelt form her meal. Then she frowned. how would the elders eat this too?

Starpaw shook her head. Nodded respectfully to Thristlepelt, and padded out of the nursary. Echo caught up to her, and she sat down beside her father, who was speaking with Silverheart.

"Nice catch, Starpaw" Silverheart said, inclining her head toward the nursary. Starpaw dipped her head "Thanks Silverheart... Um. It was a bit of a big surprise, even for me, to catch a rabbit that big.."

Sivlerheart smiled, and Flamestripe caught sight of Lionscar, his former apprentice and now Starpaws mentor. He beckoned him to come. Lionscar complied.

"We should head out, Starpaw. I want to take you for some battle training tonight" Lionscar said. Starpaw nodded. "okay" Flamestripe continued his conversation with Silverheart as the two cats left.. well, three.

"I could help out with your battle training to, Starpaw. I can teach you osme of the old ways we used to fight.. it seems these generations have lost some of the old moves.." Echo said politely to Starpaw. "Okay" she whispered, so Lionscar would not hear.

On the way out of the camp, the cats greeted Dawnspirit and Frostpaw, mother and daughter. They had just come back form a little hunting expedition. Leafstorm walked through the entrance behind them a little later with Eaglepaw and Whitewhistle.

Starpaw also saw a group of cats, Blueclaw, Heatfur, Rainpaw and Basilheart heading out. "Moonhigh patrol" Bluefur said as she passed Lionscar. He nodded.

Some time passed since that day. Starpaw's training was going great, and she was getting a little extra thanks to Echo.

*
The moon shone brightly over the clearing in MoonClan Camp. Echo sat beside Starpaw as the two waited for Foxstar to announce cat's to go to this evenings Gathering.

Foxstar approached from behind the bushels and steeped up to face her Clan. "As you all know, there is a gathering tonight. I will be taking.. "She looked at her clan, "Leafblaze, Owlfeather & Frostpaw, Basilheart, Heatfur, Rainpaw, Silverheart, SKypaw & Starpaw. Flamestripe, I leave you in charge of the Camp while we are gone"

(See Fourth Gathering, then come back to this xD)

Starpaw trotted slowly behind her Clan with Skypaw at her side. They all entered into the camp slowly, and Foxstar made her way to adress the clan. They were all already gathered beneath her.

Foxstar looked around and then began to speak indirectly to the cats that didn't come to the gethering. "At the gethering held tonight, MistClan appeared and demanded territory from all of the Clans in return for helping the Clans be rid of te growing fox problem"

As she spoke, the cats in the clearing began to whisper among themselves. Leafblaze silenced most of them with a hard stare. Foxstar's whiskers twitched as she thanked her deputy. "We have all agree'd to this," as she said this, yowls of outrage broke out, but Foxstar pressed on, "and MistClan will control all territory around the Starlit Clearing as of Sunhigh tomorrow." Foxstar jumped off the perch on the pine tre and made her way to her nest, where she dissappeared.

Starpaw looked at the ground as cats began to file away to their nests. Skypaw nudged her. "We should get some rest. Leafblaze wants us on the Sunhigh patrol" She gazed at Starpaw with tired, friendly eyes and made her way to the apprentices den. Starpaw looked up to Silverpelt and sighed. I don't think this is going to end well. Please , StarClan, help my Clan get through this rough patch. And help me know what Moonpaw, Thornpaw, Flarepaw and I have to do to help our Clans

She made her way through the entrance to the apprentices den and found her nest. After settling down and closing her eyes, she felt fur brush up against her side, and a cat lay down beside her. She opened one of her eyes to see a dozing Echo close to her nest, and she closed her eyes and cuddled beside him. She then fell asleep, and dreamed warm dreams.

Starpaw woke up hungry the next night. She padded out of her den and approached the fresh kill pile and picked out a starling. She bent to eat and heard pawsteps approaching her. She flicked her ears back to aknowledge that she knew the cat was there and continued with her meal.

"Starpaw, there's something you need to do to help you're Clan tonight"

Starpaw had finished her meal and she looked up to see Echo staring at her with pain in his eyes. She looked at him in confusion.

Echo sighed and looked to the stars. "We can't change the destiny of the cats in our Clans, but we can help their destinies form.." he turned to her. "Starpaw, tonight some misgivings may happen, but you have to pull through them and reveal the truths"

Starpaw wanted to ask him what he was speaing of, and how h could warn her of what as coming, but Echo leaned into her and said "I'll be back when you sleep." And walked away and dissappeared into a bush. Starpaw knew she couldnt follow him.

Starpaw looked dazed at the boned of the bird she just ate. Echo seemed distant when he had talked to her... lik a part of him was somewhere else...

She shook her head of the thoughts and focused on readying herself for what the night would bring.

Starpaw walked toward the MoonPerch with her head held low. Foxstar had called a clan meeting, and Starpaw was feeling down from what Echo had told her a couple of winutes ago. Was her Clan in danger? She would have to keep her eyes open today, and expect the worst.

Foxstar was standing on MoonPerch with a tiny white ball of fluff at her side. Starpaw looked aroud the clearing and saw Thristlepelt and Stoneclaw sitting side by side, their eyes gleaming with pride. that must be Icekit up hre... She smiled as she remembered when the kit had been born. Now, although small, she was full of energy and charisma. She would make a great warrior once she was done her training.

"We gather here now to apprentice Icepaw." Foxstar said, and the Clan's voices rose in delight. Foxstar coninued with the ceremony, and called Dawnspirit from the gathered cats. She was made Icekit's mentor, and then the Clan broke out in choru of Icekit's new name: "Icepaw! Icepaw!"

Starpaw sighed once she had cheered enough. She was going to personally greet Icepaw and congradulate her, when she caught sight of a shadow slinking off from the side of her vision. She was about to stalk it when Leafblaze's call stunned her. "Silverheart, Skypaw, Starpaw, Hatfur, rainpaw, Lionscar, Blueclaw and Shadowfang. Please come here!"

Starpaw looked back to the shadow and she saw Shadowfang making his way toward Leafblaze with a face of hatred, like Leafblaze had stopped himfrom doing something he had wanted to do. was he trying to sneak off somewhere? Starpaw madea mental note to keep an eye on the dark warrior...

As she approached Leafblaze, she heard him giving the gathered cats he called instructions. "Heatfur, Rainpaw, Starpaw and Lionscar. I want you to take the Moonrise patrol, that would be now, and check the border we had with MistClan." Leafblaze turned to the other cats; Shadowblaze, Blueclaw, Silverheart and Skypaw. "I want you all to go hunting. Keep close to the river, and check out the spots where foxes were last seen AND keep an eye out for them" Leafblaze finished with a flick of his tail and went to Foxstar's den to speak with her.

The two groupds of cats headed out of the camp, and headed their separate ways. Starpaw walked beside Lionscar and Rinpaw as the patrol scouted around MistClans supposed border.

"I don't lik the fact that we had to give MistClan", Rainpaw sneered the wrod, "any territory at all. They're fugitives and murderers. They should have left our forest." Rainpaw looked to Starpaw and she nodded her head in agreement, but aid nothing. She didn't like hat MistClan had any territory either, but the leaders of the forest had agreed on it, so it had to be done.

Starpaw started to scent MistClan's awful stench as they neared the border, and she was so engrossed in it, that she hadn't realized that Heatfur and Lionscar had stopped behind her. Rainpw was there too, as they were huddled around a bush and his fur was standing on end. "They're extended their territory!" Heatfur exclaimed angrily. Lionscar was inspecting the bush, and Rainpaw was growling. Starpaw went back and joined them when Heatfur shook his head. "I'm going to check around and see if there are any more markers. Starpaw, check in the other direction with Rainpaw." He left the three cats there, and Starpaw turned to Rainpaw. "Let's go" She said, and Rainpaw paddd to her side and they explored inthe other direction Heatfur went.

The two apprentices soon came to a stump of a pine that had new MistClan stench on it. Starpaw heard a growl again, and turned to Rainpaw to tell him to calm down. "Rainpaw, im as angry as you are, but try to stay in control of your emotions. You don't need to growl so much. It freaks me out" She pouted at the grey apprentice and he looked at her solomnly.. "I.. I didn't gowl just then..." His eyes stetched wide as he looked behind Starpaw. "Starpaw! Look, behind you! Blood!" Starpaw was shocked and turned to see a small trail of blood leading into the pines behind her. She took a deep breath and turned t Rainpaw. "Let's follow the trail, but keep very quiet." She had a horrible feeling about the blood, since she could now smell cat scent clinging to it.

Starpaw and Rainpaw followed the path of blood deeper into Shadow Forest. Starpaw found only one good sign in all of this. The fact that the path was leading into her own territory, and not toward MistClan. She noticed the blood path wavering and cutting off at times, and then she gasped as she came into a little clearing and saw a light tabby cat lying on its side. "No!" Rainpaw shouted as he hurried to the body, and Starpaw went after him. "No! No!" Rainpaw was saying as he sunk his nose into the cat's fur. "Blueclaw.." Stawpaw whispered as she saw the warrior. Then a voice in her head spoke.. Stay calm Starpaw, she may still be alive. Starpaw reached Blueclaws body and laid her paw on the warriors stomach. Rainpaw peered up at her as she began to smile. "She's alive!" she turned to Rainaw. "She's alive, but we need to get her to camp." Blueclaw was going to need serious tending to. Blood was gushing out of a twisted back leg. that explains the blood, and how it lef the trail. Blueclaw must have been dragging herself toward camp! And thankfully, the camp was not far from where they were.

Rinpaw started to pick Bluclaw up and drag her to camp when Lionscar came into the little clearing. "I'll help" he said to Rainpaw and the apprentice nodded. Starpaw turned to Lionscar. "I'd like to go help Heatfur if he needs any, as long as that's okay with you.." Lionscar looked at her and nodded slightly and Starpaw ef tthe clearing. But she didn't head toward heatfur. Her body was leading her in the direction of the River.

When Starpaw was about halfway toward the River, she head screeches and growling. She made herself rn even faster and then she burst out onto the bank of grass beside the River. Silverheart was on two feet and Skypaw was nipping at a cat's tail. Opposite them was a brown tabby tom and a black cat... with one tabby front paw. Shadowfang! the brown tabby carried the scent of MarkedClan and from he tim she saw the whole fight, she could tell that Shadowfang was teamed up with him.

Starpaw jumped intot he battle with a screech and landed squarely on the tabby's back. Skypaw wasslashing at his paws. Silverheart locked in battle with her old apprentice, Shadowfang.

Starpaw felt the air knocked out of her as the tabby rolled onto his back to crush her, and Skypaw jumped forward to rake his belly. When Starpaw recovered, the two apprentices were facing the tabby head on. Starpaw looked at Skypaw and the two of them ruched toward him in seperate directions. As the tabby groweled as went straight for Skypaw, Starpaw slashd the tom's side and he turned hissing feircely to her. he lunged at her but Skypaw gripped his hips and pulled him backward while Starpaw slunk under him to push him into the air with her back legs. The tom srabbled at the earth as he clung onto the grass beside the river, he was about to fall in. When he lost his grip, the tom fell into the water and moments later, his head resurfaced. He swam to MarkedClan territory and fled in the direction of newer MistClan territory.

Skypw and Starpaw turned toward the battle Silverheart was fighting and they gnged up on Shadowfang. Silverheart was trying to scratch his nose while had was beggining to srping at her, but the apprentices combined their weight and bashed into his side at once, pushing him to the ground and pinning him there together.

Starpaw was breathing hard as she caught the eye of the thrashing Shadowfang. They were filled with evil. She looked to Skypaw and saw he face was serene as she stared at he hateful father. Silverheart placed her paw on Shadowfang's neck and the blck warroir stopped thrashing to stare at her.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you" Silverheart hissed at the tom. Shadowfang groweled and spat at her. She didn't even flicnh. "I should have done something about you long ago, and i've given you too many chances. Why shouldn't I kill you now instead of having you run off to Miststar and live?"

Starpaw stared at Skypaw. Starpaw had known too that Shadowfang was in league with MistClan, but she felt worse heaing that Silverheart had know too. Skypaw turned her head to look her in the eye and her face only betrayed the slightest sadness. He mother and brother had left to join MistClan. having her father gone too would leave her with no family. Starpaw licked her friends face comforting her.

Shadowfang hissed to Silverheart "If you knew about me, why didn't you rat me out?" He thrashed again as Silverhearts eyes darkened and her paw pressed harder on his neck, making him suck in gulps of air unsteadily.

"I didn't say anything because I thought yo could change. You are still so young, Shadowfang, and young cats sometimes don't knwo what they're dong. I was obviously wrong." her voice crackd and she teared up. "Now one of my best friends and Clanmate is gne because of you" sh bared her teeth at him and his thrashing was subsiding.

Starpaw gasped in shock. Did she mean Blueclaw, and not know the warrior was alive.. or had Silverheart meant someone else?

All of a sudden Silveheart let go of her hold on Shadowfang's neck and he jumped up into the air and pelted for the pines in the direction of MistClan territory. Silverheart yoweled after him "I'm only giving you this one last chance. Never come back to MoonClan, and never EVER show your face to me again"

Starpaw stared a Silverheart as the shecat wabbled on her feet. She rushed to her side and Skypaw took her other flank, keeping the warrior balanced. "Thank you" she whispered and the three of them headed back toward MoonClan camp.

When they entered the camp, all of th cats were crowded beneath the Moon Perch. Starpaw didn't see either Owlfeather or Frostpaw among them, so she guessed they were tending to Blueclaw. which reminded her.

She turned Silverheart toward the medicine den with Skypaw and heard Silverheart gasp as she saw Blueclaw there, but breathing. "Blueclaw!" she regained some of her strngth as she skipped into the den. Frostpaw met Skypaw and Starpaw at the entrance. "Blueclaw is recovering fromthe shock.. butwe don't knwo how her leg is going to be" her eyes couded. Starpaw was about to say something reassuring when she suddenly felt Skypaw's weight on her side. She had fainted. Frostpaw and Starpaw carried Skypaw into the den and set her down on soem moss. Frostpaw turned to her. "She's been through alot. They must have thought Blueclaw was dead. I wonder why they had left her there though... " she caught sight of some of Starpaw's wounds and she frowned. "Where did you get those scratches from? Did you meet with a fox?" Frostpaw's voice was filled with worry.

Starpaw shook her heavy head. "No.. I.. I don't think I can explain the extent of what happened quite yet.." her body ached fromt he intense fight she had fought. "So you have anything for my wounds?" she asked. Frostpaw nodded briskly, "Of course! Just stay here while i fetch some. I don't think there's room for you in the den. " and she turned around and disappeared into the den.

Starpaw drew in a breath of the MoonClan camp's air. It was filled with the scent of her Clan and it relaxed her. What exactly had happened out there? she didn't have the full story.. Only Skypaw or Silverheart would know. But she did know about Shadowfang.

After Frostpaw had treated her wounds and left to help fainted Skypaw and Silverheart, Starpaw went into the clearing to make sure that the rest of her patrol had returned safely to camp. She sighed happily as she spotted Lionscar and Rainpaw eating, and Heatfur sitting ever so quietly at the entrance to the Medicine cat's den.

Starpaw padded to get soem fresh kill to fill her belly when a thought made her sad. She wished Echo was here to comfort her.. but she knew he had specifically left her to deal with this on her own. He had known something bad would happen today..

And he had also told her that she needed to expose some things to the Clan.

Starpaw quickly headed back to the den and called to Silverheart, who emerged almost simultaniously. "Silverheart.. we need to tell the Clan about shadowfang. now."

ilverheart flinched at his name but she looked at Starpaw. "Did you happen to suspect anything about him, Starpaw?" she asked. Starpaw nodded. "Remember when Skypaw, Stormpaw and Polentail had gone missing?" Silverheart nodded, and Starpaw continued, "It was then that i foudn out that Shadowfang was a spy for MistClan.. but I would never have been able to prove it to th Clan." She sighed and stared at Silveheart. The warrior nodded. "i ha known there was an evil inside of him from the time I was training him to be a warrior. i had confronted him a coupple of times about his actions, but he never changed. When he bacame a warrior, I warned him that I would be keeping watch over him, but he seemed to brush it off like nothing." the silver she-cat saddened. "When we went on patrol, he had been meaning to kill Blueclaw and have Fishtail take the blame." Starpaw now recognized that that had been the tabby from MarkedClan. "But we got to them just in time to see them gang up on Blueclaw... we thought she was dead, and when the two of them fled toward the river, Skypaw and I took chase." Siverheart's eyes gleamed for a moment. "Skypaw was so brave and quick to take action.. even though it was her own father. i guess she had known soemthing about him too." Starpaw nodded in agreement.

"Now we need to tell the Clan about him" Starpaw said and Silverheart took a deep breath. "I guess we must". her answer seemed reluctant, but her eyes were happy at the thought of finally exposing Shadowfang for all that he had been.

Starpaw walked alongside Silverheart as the two cats approached their gathered clan underneath the Moon Perch. Foxstar looked at them, raising her head from talking to Leafblaze. He too looked in their direction, and Foxstar stepped closer to them. "Silverheart, are you well enough to explain what happened on your patrol now?" Foxstar's tone was full of concern. Silverheart nodded her head. "I'm tired, but the Clan needs to know." Foxstar accepted this and motioned with her tail for Silverheart and Starpaw to follow her to the Moon Perch.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Moon perch!" The cats instantly moved forward and sat siently, waiting for Foxstar to continue, but she beckoned Silverhert and Starpaw forward. Silverheart gathered her strength and spoke to the Clan. "Some of you may later think that we were only betrayed tonight, but that wouldn't be correct. MoonClan was betrayed by one of its own cats, but it had been going on for longer than just recently.. and I'm afraid that some of our clanmates deaths had been caused because I was too afraid to speak up, or rather, willing that he would change."

Foxstar had sat quietly untill then, but she spoke up. "Who is it you speak of, Silverheart?" Silverheart glanced down to the Clan. "It was Shadowfang."

Whispers erupted amongst the Clan, but Foxstar yoweled for them to stay calm. "Where is he now?" she asked Silverheart.

Starpaw could tell that Silverheart had become too tiresome to speak up, and she looked to Foxstar. "He fled into MistClan territory"

Heatfur's voice rose above the gathered cats. "MistClan is trying to gain more territory! Now they take our warriors too!"

Foxstr shook her head and looked at Starpaw. "Have you known anything about Shadowfang aswell?" Starpaw shuffled her paws, but she remembered what Echo had said and she drew strength from it. "Yes. I've suspected the Shadowfang was in league with MistClan from when Polential and Stormpaw went 'missing'" she groweled the word. The Clan had thought that the two cat's had gone missing when Skypaw had refused to say anything on the subject.

Foxstar looked at Starpaw with intense eyes. "Are you saying you know where they went?" Starpaw nodded. "Polentail and Stormpaw were convinced into joining MistClan by Blackpatch. I overheard the conversation.. and went to find Skypaw after she had refused to join them. And i brought her home." Starpaw met Skypaws eyes as she looked over to the medicine den and Skypaw smiled weakly, seeming happy that the truth had finally come out.

Foxstar nodded in understanding of the situation. Silverheart spoke up then. "I think that Shadowfang had soemthing to do with the death of some of our Clanmates." she said shakily. "You may be right, but we can't know that for sure" Foxstar mewed, then turned to the Clan. "If anyone finds Shadowfang on our territory, he is no longer a MoonClan cat, he is a MistClan cat, and so should be treated like an enemy. If any of you were friends to him and share his ties with MistClan, leave now and you will not be judged, but you may not stay here."

The cats in the clearing stayed silent and Foxstar went on, pleased yet on gaurd. "And I would like to have a ceremony for a few MoonClan apprentices tonight" she added.

Starpaw felt Silverheart stirr as she brushed her side. Then the silver she-cat made her way down to the gathered cats. Foxstar's voice rose to call out the names of the apprentices. "Skypaw, Eaglepaw, Rainpaw and Starpaw" Foxstar said Starpaws name as she looked at her. Starpaw puffed her chest out with pride. Foxstar watched as the other apprentices joined her on the MoonPerch. Foxstar continued. "I have spoken to all of your mentors, and they agree that it is time you are all made warriors. Eaglepaw please step forward."

Eaglepaw shuddered with excitement as he walked to Foxstar. "Eaglepaw, from this moment forward you will be known as Eagleflight. StarClan honors your strength and speed and you are welcomed as a full warrior of MoonClan."

She turned to Rainpaw. "Rainpaw, from this moment forward you will be known as Rainclaw. StarClan honors your courage and quick wit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of MoonClan." Rainclaw stepped back to allow Foxstar to approach Skypaw, who twitched up to meet her. "Skypaw, from this moment forward you will be known as Skyfrost. StarClan honors your morality and skill and we welcome you as a full warrior of MoonClan." Skyfrost smiled as Foxstar turned from her.

Foxstar turned to Starpaw. "Starpw, from this moment forward you will be known as Starfall. StarClan honors your spirit and faith and we welcome you as a full warrior of MoonClan."
Foxstar leaned in to Starpaw and whispered to her for only her ears. "StarClan have a great path for you, young warrior. Never sway from that path."

Starfall nodded to Foxstar and turned to look at her clan with her friends. And as the Clan chanted "Eagleflight! Rainclaw! Skyfrost! Starfall!", Starfall spotted the figure of another cat at the back of the crowd smiling up at her with happiness in his eyes.