Chapter 20

“Go get some prey for me, Skypaw.”

Reluctantly, Skypaw padded out of camp at Bloodclaw’s order. In a few moments she’d tracked down a mouse. It’s so juicy and fat, she thought hungrily. She hadn’t eaten since she’d gotten back from the dawn patrol, and that had been half a day before.

I need to obey Bloodclaw’s orders, she thought sadly. Now that I think of it, I was so stupid to have promised Bloodclaw. I’m loyal to SkyClan!

Skypaw pounced, landing squarely on the mouse. It barely had time to let out a squeal of terror before she killed it. Great, she thought happily. My hunting skills are getting better!

Suddenly a cat burst out of the bushes. Skypaw leaped back, her heart pounding, then relaxed as she realized who it was. “Hey, Shadowleap,” she meowed cheerfully. “I just caught a mouse.”

Her mentor blinked at her in surprise. The black cat was carrying a squirrel in her jaws. “That’s great,” she mumbled around it. “Let’s get these back to camp.”

Skypaw nodded and picked up the mouse, then followed Shadowleap through the forest. It wasn’t until they were almost there that Skypaw realized neither of them had said anything on the walk. “Were you hunting alone?” she asked Shadowleap. Her mentor nodded. Skypaw paused, wondering what else to say, then asked, “How do you think my training’s going?”

“Let’s just get back to camp, okay?” Shadowleap snapped, then hurried ahead of her.

Skypaw blinked in surprise. What’s the matter with her? She’s not usually this harsh. Then she remembered the look of surprise on her mentor’s face the day Bloodclaw had joined the Clan. Shadowleap has been acting strange ever since then, she realized. I wonder why. I should keep an eye on her.

 

Skypaw sank her fangs into the mouse. The air around her was so warm. Next to her lay a small pile of several other mice. A spark of joy shot through her. She was becoming such a good hunter.

Suddenly, the world shifted. Skypaw felt a pelt move beside her. She fell into blackness. A few moments passed, and Skypaw realized she was awake in the nursery. Shadowleap was moving beside her.

Skypaw kept her eyes closed and tried to look like she was still deep in dreams. She felt her mentor step carefully out of the nest. She’s going somewhere.

Skypaw slowly opened her eyes to tiny slits. She could see Shadowleap moving silently to the entrance of the den. When she reached it, the black cat stepped outside and moved over to the side where Skypaw couldn’t see.

Smart, but I have a way to spy on her.

Slowly, Skypaw pulled herself out of her nest, careful not to wake Cloudpaw and Treespring, who were sleeping soundly in the nest beside hers. She made her way to the back of the den and sniffed around.

There.

A small hole, hidden with brambles, was waiting for her. Skypaw had used this exit when she was a kit to spy on Cloudkit. Well, now I’m going to spy on my mentor. She examined the hole. When she had used it, she had been nearly half the size Skypaw was right now, and there had only been a small amount of space left so she could easily fit. Now, it seemed impossible to get through.

Skypaw cleared the brambled out of the way. I hope this works. She crouched down and poked her head through. It might work. Carefully, she squeezed the rest of her body out and landed a bit too hard on the ground on the other side. She froze, hoping Shadowleap wouldn’t check in the den to make sure nobody had snuck out.

Skypaw crept around the den as silently as she could. With a small sigh of relief she realized there were bushes she could hide in to spy on her mentor. She squeezed into one of them and peered through the leaves. It reminded her of when she had spied on the patrol that had first scented Bloodclaw.

Shadowleap was sitting outside the nursery, her tail flicking. She looked like she was waiting for someone. Who? Skypaw wondered.

After several long moments of silence, another cat crept out of the shadows from somewhere near the camp entrance. Skypaw’s breath caught in her throat.

It was Bloodclaw.

The black-and-ginger she-cat padded slowly toward Shadowleap. Shadowleap flinched as the rogue thrust her face toward her. “Why don’t you talk to me?” Bloodclaw growled softly. “We came here to talk.”

Shadowleap seemed to collect herself and straighten up. “Talk about what?” she breathed. “I’m not going to work with you, if that’s what you think. Every cat knows it was you who murdered two SkyClan cats… Bubble. You…”

For a heartbeat Skypaw thought she didn’t hear right. What was it Shadowleap just said? Bubble? What’s that? Skypaw thought with a small shiver.

Bloodclaw stared at Shadowleap, her eyes wide. She looked horrified. “How dare you call me my former name!”

Skypaw’s heart beat faster. Bloodclaw had a name? And it was Bubble? How did Shadowleap know?

“I can call you whatever I want!” Shadowleap shot back.

“Sisters don’t call each other the name they don’t prefer,” Bloodclaw – no, Bubble – spat.

Skypaw’s heart raced.

“I don’t care if we’re littermates!” Shadowleap snarled. “I don’t want you in this Clan! What have –” Her voice broke. “What have you done with the Bubble that wants to protect every cat?”

Shadowleap knows this cat, Skypaw thought, horrified. And she’s her littermate.

“I don’t want to protect every cat!” Bubble hissed. “I have other plans!”

“Well, I don’t care!” Shadowleap growled. “Get out of here! I thought you didn’t want to be in the Clans!”

“I do now.” Bubble’s voice was a low growl. “I want to get revenge for what the Clans did to us! If you can call me Bubble now, then I can call you Shadow whenever I like!”

“Get away from me and SkyClan!” Shadowleap hissed. “Nobody wants you here!”

Bubble’s dark amber eyes flashed. Then she whirled around and was swallowed by the darkness.

As soon as Skypaw was sure the rogue was gone, she burst out of the bushes and stood face-to-face with her mentor.

Shadowleap’s eyes flashed with surprise. “Skypaw!” she exclaimed. “You good at spying.” Her eyes narrowed. “What did you hear?” she hissed.

“All of it,” Skypaw mewed truthfully. “Shadowleap, you have to tell the Clan! You have to tell them your whole story! You can’t hide it from them forever!”

Shadowleap glared at her. “I can, if I don’t say anything about it.”

“But then I will,” Skypaw retorted. “I’ll tell them what I know, and that’ll force you to tell them the rest.”

Shadowleap glared at her for a few moments. Her expression suddenly changed from angry to terrified, and she mewed, “But I’m scared Breezestar will exile me and Rockheart.”

Skypaw blinked at her sympathetically. She knew what her mentor felt like. “I’m sure she won’t,” she meowed reassuringly. “And if she does, I’ll tell her it was me who forced you into it. And no one can blame you or Rockheart for being littermates with Bubble.”

Shadowleap was trembling now. “But no one would trust me if I stayed.”

Skypaw rested her tail on her mentor’s shoulder comfortingly. “Let’s first go talk to Rockheart. You two can figure out how to talk it out to the Clan. But you have to tell the whole truth, understand? If I feel like you’re missing a part –”

“Yes, yes, I know,” Shadowleap interrupted. “Let’s go.”

Skypaw led her to the warriors’ den, then drew away to let the littermates talk privately. She gazed at where Bubble had disappeared. How will this turn out?