Thunder And Shadow

Tawny pelt stood at the head of the clearing. ShadowClan warriors paced restlessly around her while Tigerheart listened intently a few tail-lengths away. “Snowbird and Pinenose have both come down with the sickness,” Tawny pelt told them. “There’s not enough room in the medicine den, so Crowfrost is helping to m ove them all to the warriors’ den.”

“We’ve noticed,” Stonewing grum bled.

Tawny pelt ignored him. “Until they’re well, you can make y our nests in the elders’ den.”

“Oh, great.” Strikestone rolled his eyes. “We’ll never be able to sleep! Ratscar snores like a badger.”

“You’ll have to try.” Tawny pelt sounded impatient. “You’ll each have to make two hunting trips today. Tigerheart, can you m entor Lionpaw until Snowbird is well again?”

Tigerheart nodded. “I’ll take her hunting with m e.”

“Good.” Tawny pelt turned to Scorchfur. “Can you concentrate y our training on hunting too? I want the fresh-kill pile well-stocked.” She glanced at the shriveled m ouse and lim p thrush left over from yesterday’s hunt, then blinked at Dawnpelt. “Will you take Violetpaw hunting?”

“I prom ised that she could spend the m orning with her sister,” Dawnpelt told her.

Tawny pelt’s gaze flitted toward Twigpaw. She looked relieved. “Our visitor is finally out of her den.” Twigpaw blinked with surprise as Tawny pelt dipped her head in greeting. “Help y ourself to prey if y ou’re hungry,” she called across the clearing.

“Th-thank y ou.” Twigpaw stam m ered.

Violetpaw brushed against her. “I told y ou. ShadowClan isn’t as bad as ThunderClan say s.”

As she spoke, Mistcloud and Rippletail barged past her, knocking the kits out of the way as they swaggered across the clearing.

“Hey!” Whorlkit shouted after them indignantly. “Watch out!”

The warriors ignored him.

“You’re late for the m orning m eeting,” Tawny pelt snapped.

“So?” Rippletail flicked his tail.

“I need every cat out hunting today,” Tawny pelt told him.

Mistcloud puffed out her pelt. “But we spent yesterday hunting. Can’t we patrol borders instead?”

“Borders will have to wait,” Tawny pelt told her. “We have too many sick cats to worry about.”

Rippletail stopped in front of her and rubbed his nose with a paw. “Sick cats don’t eat. Why do we need to catch so much prey?”

Mistcloud mewed in agreem ent. “We only need to catch half as much prey as—”

A y elp cut her short. At the fresh-kill pile, Birchpaw and Lionpaw were tugging the thrush between them, snarling at each other, their jaws tightly clam ped into the bird’s flesh.

Tawny pelt growled at them. “Can’t you just share it?”

Birchpaw threw her a look of disdain and y anked the thrush from his denmate.

Lionpaw glared at him as he carried the bird away.

Twigpaw leaned closer to her sister. “In ThunderClan, apprentices aren’t allowed to eat until they’ve caught prey for their Clan.”

Violetpaw shrugged. “It’s just leftovers from last night.”

Twigpaw’s pelt pricked with surprise. She knew ShadowClan wasn’t ThunderClan, but she’d assum ed they all followed the sam e warrior code.

As Twigpaw wondered how two Clans could be so different, Lionpaw hissed at her brother.

With a growl she raced after him and leaped onto his back. Knocking the thrush from his paws, she began pum m eling him with her hind legs.

“Her claws are unsheathed!” Twigpaw stared in shock as she saw Birchpaw’s fur fly. He struggled to free him self, y owling in pain. Twigpaw turned to the older cats, waiting for one to race across the clearing and separate the fighting cats.

Mistcloud sat down and began washing her belly.

Tawny pelt went on with her orders as though nothing was happening. “Tigerheart.” She nodded to the dark tabby tom. “Hunt around the ditches. There are bound to be m ouse nests around there.”

Twigpaw couldn’t stay quiet. “Aren’t you going to stop them?”

Birchpaw had twisted free and turned on his sister. Slam m ing his paws onto her shoulders, he held her chin to the earth while he raked his claws along her flank. She wailed with pain.

Scorchfur m et Twigpaw’s gaze coolly. “They started it,” he meowed. “Let them finish it.”

“But they might hurt each other!” Twigpaw gasped.

Mistcloud looked up. “If they do, it’s their own fault.”

Twigpaw raced toward the fighting cats. “Stop!” Hooking her claws into Birchpaw’s scruff, she hauled him away from his sister.

His eyes flashed with rage. He swung out at her and raked her m uzzle. Surprised, she staggered, pain scorching through her. Lionpaw j um ped to her paws and swiped at her, hissing.

Alarm spiraled into Twigpaw’s chest as both apprentices turned on her. She batted them away, try ing not to hurt them.

“Stop!” Tawny pelt’s y owl cut across the clearing. The she-cat bounded toward them, barging into the fight and pushing the ShadowClan apprentices away. “Crowfrost prom ised that she wouldn’t be hurt.”

As Twigpaw backed away, Violetpaw rushed to her side. “You should have just let them fight it out.”

Twigpaw stared at her sister, trem bling. “Is this normal?”

Violetpaw m et her gaze, puzzled. “Isn’t ThunderClan like this?”