The Drowning

Mapleshade! I know that name. I know it from StarClan. From her own kits mouths. Petalkit. Larchkit. Patchkit. She had drown them in the river. She's killed so so many more. My claws-sheath. Her eyes widen. Not in fear. No this cat is the farthest thing from afraid. Her fur lays flat. Her long tail is still. She doesn't even bother to un-sheath her claws yet. No she looks at me with nothing, but mild surprise and contempt. It's only a moment. A moment for me to think. Could I take her in a battle? I see her muscles tense. I run. I duck under branches, and swerve around thistle bushes. Thorns pinch my paw pads. Dead leaves crunch under me. There is no silence here. No stealth. I try 'traveling' but I don't know these woods. I end up at a hallow made of earth and roots where the ground dips down like a small steep cliff side. I claw at the dirt.

"Hey!" I don't have time to look for the voice. Claws dig into my paw, but I don't cry out, out of spite. The mysterious cat drags me to the top, and then just as swift makes I run for it before I can thank him. I turn and see Mapleshade runing towards me. I climb quickly up a tree, hiding in the shadows. She looks up, and sees the claw marks, but to my relief can't see to make me out in the dense shadows of the branches. I thank Star- I thank my mother for my ShadowClan training, and black coat. I hear shuffling in the bare bushes. My back arches. Then a short furred white cat pads up the the tree I hide in. His yellow eyes finally narrow on me.

"That was lucky then. Thought she was going to catch you there. Sorry I left you. I know I couldn't take Mapleshade in a fight. She's a scary one." He says.

"Yes." I say carefully sitting down and twitching my tail. "Thank you." I say because it feels right. Even if he did turn tail and leave me. He looks like he doesn't know how to take my thanks so I move on. "Who are you?" He doesn't look like much a treat. Average built. A little small like myself. White fur like my mentor. That certainly makes him stand out here.

"Snowtuft. He/him." He licks his paw, but keeps one cautious eye on me the whole time. I decide to chance leaping down.

"Nightwhisper." I saw slowly. "She/her... From ShadowClan." His eyes brighten.

"You're from ShadowClan! Me too!" He says.

"Really?" I say. I try to remember if I heard of him before, but come up with nothing.

"Yes. Don't remember much else though." He starts waking so I fallow.

"That must me frustrating." I say. He nods in agreement.

"It's not so bad. Wish I could catch prey here though." I pause. Seems like a good enough way to thank him.

"Wait here." A few minutes later I come back to the same spot.

"Wow. How did you do that?" He asks amazed. I shrug.

"Born with it." I set the mouse at his paws.

"Never seen anyone bring prey down here before." He looks lonely at the mouse. I paw it towards him.

"I'm not hungry." He stuffs his mouth. Then says,

"You look lost." He muses.

"Exiled." I say bitterly. He looks empathic. I can see him thinking. It takes a long moment.

"I know some cats who might help?"

"Might?" We fallow a river that runs red.

"Don't fall in." Snowtuft warns.

"Wasn't planning too." I say picking up my pace. We get to a place of bare pine. It looks a little like home. If my old home was dead, and dying. It makes my fur bristle. He gives me a sympathetic look.

"I don't like to come here much." He says placing a tail tip on my shoulder. That I almost bush off, but don't. We slow, and his eyes dart at every noise. "They can be a little- Well they have there- um..."

"Snowtuft." I say tensely. Suddenly wondering if this is some kind of trap.

"I think they'll like you though. They know the territory just outside of the Clans, and they don't believe in the Code. I think you'll be able to handle them." A twig snaps suddenly, and Snowtuft once again darts away out of sight.

"Snowtuft? Snowdrift!" I hiss with frustration. "Out of all the mouse brain things I could have done. Fallowing a strange cat down here-" I stop ranting abruptly. Turning my head to one side. I can hear someone coming. While mine and Snowturft's paw-steps had been silent since coming to the dead pine forest these coming cats were not. I tense, but I don't run this time. I stand my ground. To stubborn to run like Snowtuft.

"I know your there. So you mine as well come out. Now." I say firmly.

"Well, we'll look what we have here?" A tuxedo cat on the left says.

"I don't know Fang? Looks like a live one to me." He, the other black and white cat chuckles to himself.

"Long way from your precious Clans aren't you? Get lost on your way to StarClan?" The one on the left taunts. I raise myself to my full height, and fluff out my fur.

"I am no Clan cat."