tainted line - chapter ten

Days passed without Skypaw's knowledge, as training had remained as strict as it was before. As a result, she felt positively drained—now more mentally than physically. It had been a while since her and Jaggedclaw had spoken about anything outside of training, but she didn't think about it enough to decide whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

What she was more focused on was the new apprentice and her current lack of duties. Just two sunrises ago, a day after the she-cat had joined, rumor spread throughout the camp that besides choosing Scarletstream as a mentor for her skill at catching those who "didn't pull their weight," his second reason was far more sensible. If Foxpaw put on any suspicions that this was all a trick to lull them into a false sense of security, Scarletstream would be the first to notice.

It had been days. Surely Ivystar would have noticed one of her apprentices had gone missing by now. Would she assume that the she-cat came to AspenClan? And if so, then why hadn't she come looking yet? The whole situation didn't add up, and Ivystar's lack of presence made things even more confusing. But then again, when was the RavenClan leader known to be predictable? Without having to be told, she knew that was the biggest thing that kept them on edge. It didn't matter how genuine Foxpaw could appear; her former leader could bring a secret to her grave if she wanted to.

Everyone in her Clan knew the possible risks they were taking, and for that very reason Foxpaw hadn't been allowed out of the camp for the amount of time that she had been there. She was allowed to hang around the camp, and even take her share from the fresh-kill pile—despite the fact that she hadn't actually put in the work to catch the prey. But until it was clear that there were no ulterior motives for her decision to stay, they wouldn't be taking any risks.

It's to keep us all safe. Skypaw understood that. But with an enemy so close to them… she didn't think even Silentstar was prepared for it, or was willing to treat her as more than that. It was understandable, and no one questioned it; the lack of response from Ivystar only served to make them even more paranoid. There wasn't one cat in the Clan that didn't think that caution was the best way to go at this time.

Skypaw tolerated the situation in her own way. Not once did she speak to Foxpaw; not in the three sunrises that she had been in the camp. It appeared that the other apprentices—at least Wrenpaw and Whitepaw—were following her lead. She noticed Brackenpaw speaking politely to her the night she had joined, and Snowpaw muttering an awkward "hello" not long after, but there were no lengthy conversations.

Wrenpaw seemed to understand her reluctance the most, but even the ever friendly Whitepaw was not as eager to approach this cat as one might think. But then again, in spite of her social tendencies, even she would have acted differently around a cat not born in her own Clan. Not only that, but the distance her Clanmates put between them and Foxpaw also played a role, as it was clear that other cats could be quite an influence on Whitepaw. She would not make a move until someone else did.

That was the position Skypaw was now put in, with having to move around the camp as if avoiding the wrath of a sleeping badger. She was in her own camp! But because of one cat that clearly didn't belong, they all acted like newborn kits straight out of the nursery. It was a dry kind of humor, but Skypaw wasn't laughing.

Her sleeping patterns had gone back to how they had been; but this time around, there was an actual cause. From having to keep up with Jaggedclaw's rigid training schedule, patrols, and the constant tension between her and the "new member," she couldn't find a moment's peace—not even in sleep.

The night before had been particularly frustrating. She could feel her eyes closing and her paws aching for some rest, but when she got comfortable in her nest, she found herself paying more attention to her denmates as they turned in their sleep than getting any sleep herself. Her eyes gradually moved over their sleeping bodies before settling on a lump of ginger tabby fur, settled next to Whitepaw close to the entrance of the den.

Her blue eyes were trained on the she-cat as her breathing came in shallow gasps. Skypaw wondered, at first, if she was having a nightmare, but her words were too clear to come from a cat that was simply sleep-talking.

"You lied… you lied…"

Skypaw's eyes narrowed when she realized that Foxpaw was most likely speaking of her mother, Redwhisker. She did wonder if this cat missed her mother, but joining AspenClan was her choice in the first place. If she didn't want to stay, she didn't have to. Her motive for wanting to do so was still baffling to Skypaw, and she refused to believe that it was simply because her mother had broken her trust. If that was really the case, she wouldn't be crying for her right now.

She was very tempted to speak up, but stopped herself just before doing so. It would be strange for her to say something, as Foxpaw probably assumed they were all sleeping by now. Instead, she slowly rolled over—facing away from the entrance—and settled again. She heard Foxpaw's breath hitch, but she calmed down soon enough. She probably figured that Skypaw had moved in her sleep.

However, her bright blue eyes were focused away from the she-cat; focused on the wall she now faced. She wished that she wouldn't have to wake up the next morning with the same thoughts in her head as there were now, but she knew that it wouldn't happen.

She would wake up, and after drinking in the morning light that would filter through the den, she would be reminded once again of the burden she and her Clanmates now had to carry.

Maybe she was selfish for thinking that she was holding a little more of the weight.


She wasn't sure when she eventually fell asleep, but she sure knew when she had woken up. Feeling a sharp kick to her side, she jolted awake, finding that the culprit was Wrenpaw and that her back paw still remained outstretched, as if to kick her again. The she-cat was breathing heavily, and when she found Skypaw to be conscious, she immediately started speaking.

"Did you hear that?" she exclaimed, shaking her head from side to side.

"What?" Skypaw's voice was strained, mostly from getting the breath knocked out of her. Did her friend not realize what she had just done? "I didn't hear anything. What I felt was you kicking me right in the side."

"Sorry," Wrenpaw muttered half-heartedly, before laying her head on her paws. "Great StarClan… I thought I heard a scream, and almost jumped up. Must have been part of a dream," she huffed. "Not a very good wake up call."

"Yeah, you're telling me. You kicked me in the side," Skypaw shot back.

"I said I was sorry. If it hurts that much I'll give you an escort to Bristlefur's den," Wrenpaw said, rolling her eyes.

Skypaw snorted, choosing to ignore Wrenpaw's sarcasm. The she-cat had her good days and her bad days, and unfortunately, today didn't seem to be off to a great start. Eager to get away from the topic, she let her gaze travel over the her denmates, who were still sleeping within the early hours of the morning, and stopped short when she came to the one nearest to the entrance.

She was immediately reminded of what she had heard the night before, and all of her hopes that she could forget about it disappeared. That wasn't the only thing that disappeared, though—Foxpaw was gone as well. So was Brackenpaw, now that she took note of it.

"Brackenpaw's not here," the young she-cat voiced her confusion. Would Brackenpaw really be training this early? "Neither is the… other one," she added awkwardly.

Wrenpaw let out a short laugh, giving Skypaw the impression that her voice of concern had flown right over her head. It sometimes amused Skypaw how often Wrenpaw could just pass certain things off as nothing. Maybe this could be seen as something positive when dealing with hardships, but right now, it was just annoying. And she wasn't afraid to voice her thought.

"It's not funny," Skypaw said, earning herself a lifted brow from her friend.

"Sorry, Mother." By now, Wrenpaw was immune to the annoyed glares Skypaw would send her. "But stop worrying. I heard Mudwhisker say he was going to take Whitepaw out this morning. As for Snowpaw and Brackenpaw, I have no clue," she shrugged.

Skypaw let out a short breath, which was becoming increasingly impatient the longer she spoke to marbled tabby. Ultimately, she lifted herself to her paws and headed towards the den entrance, ignoring Wrenpaw's small grunt of protest.

The apprentice wasn't prepared for the cold wind that hit her so suddenly. She had grown comfortable in her nest, even to a point where she could block out the coldest weather. But again, that was after she had gotten comfortable. Now the sharp breeze and rain hit her with the force of a blizzard in leaf-bare.

It was days like this where she preferred to stay curled up in her nest.

"Chilly today," Wrenpaw commented, stretching as she joined her.

"Chilly, eh?" Skypaw retorted, for once envying Wrenpaw's longer coat. Of course, from the small twitch in the she-cat's paws, it seemed she wasn't completely unaffected. "This rain isn't helping."

Looking around the camp, it was easy to figure that their denmates were not currently in camp. However, she did spot Quickbreeze over by the fresh-kill pile, so that crossed out training from the list of things Snowpaw could be doing. How cats could even be outside in this weather was beyond her comprehension.

A rustle near the camp entrance piqued her attention, and narrowing her eyes, she spotted the ginger fur that was slowly becoming more visible. Well, that was another cat down.

"Wonder where Scarletstream is," Wrenpaw commented, and Skypaw had to agree. The newest apprentice was never allowed out of camp, and if she was, then Scarletstream would be with her. The suspicion wasn't left solely on Skypaw.

The two apprentices didn't find the need to say anything before the ginger tabby caught sight of them, and with a look of urgency in her eyes, she trotted over. From Skypaw's view, it looked as though she was about to start speaking to them. The rain didn't even appear to affect her sense of determination.

It made her seem mouse-brained, and while Skypaw certainly wasn't a social butterfly, she also wasn't afraid of speaking to others. But after several days of skirting around her, it had almost never occurred to her that she might have to eventually interact with the she-cat.

"Skypaw!" Foxpaw called, and when she stood in front of them, she asked, "You're Skypaw, right?"

Caught off guard by the question, she replied cautiously, "Yes... why?"

"Your ment—I mean, Jaggedclaw wants to see you. Scarletstream said something about a group training session," she said. Her attention then moved to Wrenpaw. "Scorchpelt said you should take part, too."

"Really?" Wrenpaw asked, giving Skypaw a side-long glance.

The silver and white tabby was still on guard. "Why didn't they come get us themselves?"

Skypaw felt warm under Foxpaw's gaze, and she would have snapped at her if the she-cat didn't answer when she did. "I'm not planning an ambush, if that's what you're thinking," she responded. The straight-forward tone she used was far different than Skypaw would have expected. Not only did her lack of expression irk her, but her ability to guess just what she—and probably Wrenpaw—were thinking set her suspicions that much higher.

"I just don't think we're eager to follow a cat we barely know that only days ago belonged to another Clan," Wrenpaw broke in, saving Skypaw from having to do it herself.

Foxpaw looked at the two of them, moving her head side to side, before letting out a soft sigh. "You don't trust me, I get it… I don't blame you," she told them. "But Scarletstream let me out of camp today and she wanted all the apprentices to be there. I really don't want to make her mad…"

Huh. So it didn't matter what Clan you were from—everyone was afraid of Scarletstream.

It was a natural habit for Skypaw and Wrenpaw to question each other in simple glances. If they ever needed the other's opinion, they could simply look at each other and understand which side they were on. In this case, they were both reluctant to make the decision. In those situations, they ultimately agreed to do whatever was being asked of them. This time was no exception.

"Okay…" Skypaw replied slowly, finding the wind hitting her face to be a greater motive to just remain in the camp. "We'll get this done. I doubt even our great deputy would want to spend too much time outside in this weather."

"Because we all know you can't handle it," Wrenpaw snickered, earning her a well-aimed blow to the shoulder as they headed towards the camp entrance.

Foxpaw did not interrupt their banter, although Skypaw could still feel her presence like a thorn in the side. She could remember Whitepaw being the same way when they were all in the nursery together. Whitepaw was two moons younger, and it was harder to play with her when they were older and didn't feel the need to be as careful. It sometimes became a chore to allow her to join in on their games knowing that they'd have to watch themselves to keep from hurting her.

Eventually, she joined them in the apprentices' den, and the relationship between the five of them seemed to have mended over the couple moons they had shared the den. The same couldn't be said for Foxpaw, however. She wasn't a new apprentice; she was a cat initially known to them as an enemy. Things like that couldn't be as easily forgotten.

Skypaw couldn't bring herself to show the slight guilt that she had from excluding her, but it was a bit easier to swallow when she reminded herself that her and Wrenpaw were best friends. It would be unusual for any cat to be able to get in on their conversations—both vocal and silent.

They walked together, not easily ignoring the rain that weighed down their pelt. It wasn't raining hard, no; but some might say that the windy weather tied in with it made it ten times worse. The rain drops hit their faces, backs… anything that was open to the elements. So… basically everything.

"Scarletstream is crazy," Wrenpaw groaned, and Skypaw had to snort at her troubles. Apparently long fur wasn't always useful. "I swear, when I see her I'm gonna…"

"You're going to what, Wrenpaw?" All three she-cats nearly jumped at the call, and Wrenpaw especially wore a face of dismay as she heard the movement of a cat approaching. To no one's surprise, Scarletstream stepped out, and gave each of one of them a once-over before even stating her piece.

"I would hope that nothing negative was about to come out of your mouth," she said slyly. Grumbling to herself, Wrenpaw nodded. "But we've been waiting long enough for you two. Your cohorts are already at the training hollow. Next time I will come fetch you myself." She gave Foxpaw a sharp look, and Skypaw was surprised when she did not turn away. The same thing happened with their first encounter when Quickbreeze had confronted her.

"Sorry, Scarletstream," Foxpaw said, dipping her head politely.

The deputy gave little acknowledgement to her apology, and was quick to continue as if nothing had happened. "Come on, you lot."

The three apprentices didn't have any problem with following her, as each had their own motive for keeping their mouths shut and following her orders without question. Foxpaw was merely going off of her "well-mannered" policy, Wrenpaw keeping her thoughts to herself to avoid getting her fur ripped off, and Skypaw not finding the point in even trying to hold a conversation with a cat that was already losing her patience.

She spotted Snowpaw first, and then Whitepaw standing a short distance from him. She couldn't spot the last cat that completed their group.

"Where's Brackenpaw?" she asked.

Scarletstream took up a spot next to Duskleap, who sat up straight, as opposed to his brother, Mudwhisker, who was settled in the dirt with a bored frown on his face. "After our little raven friend didn't come back, I sent Brackenpaw to see if he could catch up." It was hard to miss the cautious tone in her voice. "But now you're here and he is not. Let's see how long he takes before he returns."

"You're not going to be waiting long." At Brackenpaw's voice, Skypaw felt relief spread throughout her body. She was really getting too paranoid for her own good these days. Giving her a half-grin as he approached, he was quick to reintegrate himself into the group. "What did I miss?"

"Well, I underestimated our new friend," Scarletstream commented. Foxpaw kept her eyes locked on the deputy. "But now that we're all here, we can continue. Today, we'll be working on our battle techniques. With every technique, we're going to…"

Skypaw leaned her head towards Brackenpaw, and he lowered his in response. "So, have you guys been here the whole time?" she murmured, trying to make it look casual to avoid a sharp rebuke from Scarletstream.

"Nah," he said passively. "Me and Snowpaw were hunting together when Duskleap found us. He said that Scarletstream wanted to see what we've learned so far. They could have asked us sooner, though. Me and Snowpaw almost caught a shrew between the two of us," he grumbled.

"Just a single shrew for both of you?" she chuckled. "Wow. And I thought you guys were improving. Maybe you should go back to hunting only mice."

"As if you can do better," he murmured into her ear. She smirked at the challenge in his voice.

"I certainly can."

A sharp hiss broke them out of their private conversation, and Skypaw's first thought was that Scarletstream had caught them not paying attention. But with a swift observation, she noticed that the whole group had bristling fur and defensive stances. Only then did she notice the shouts and screeches that came from the distance.

"What in StarClan's name is that?" she gasped.

"I think we're about to find out. Mudwhisker, go back to camp; take Snowpaw, Wrenpaw, and Whitepaw with you. Duskleap, Skypaw, and Brackenpaw will come with me."

With a jolt Skypaw noted that she hadn't been included on that list. Scarletstream was taking her up against something they had no knowledge about. She had been determined enough going against the rogues before, but that had been a conscious decision. This was something that was thrown at them out of nowhere, and something in her gut told her that they didn't have the time to stand around and do nothing.

The young she-cat had to push herself to keep up with Scarletstream, and watched Brackenpaw take quicker breaths to keep himself going. Foxpaw looked to be having the same trouble, but kept her face hard and void of any feelings Skypaw could decipher. When the deputy came to a sharp halt, Skypaw narrowly avoided running straight into her. With a loud battle-cry, the black and white she-cat bolted through the ferns and some of the thorns that tried to hold them back.

The smell of blood was overwhelming, and Skypaw felt the urge to gag at the first smell. It was mostly a blur to her, but she did watch Scarletstream as she launched herself at an animal with dark ginger fur; it was almost twice their size with a longer body and snout and from her perspective, it looked like it was out for more blood.

The blood trail ran on for longer than she had anticipated, and when she found the scent mixed in with another she knew only too well, she could have sworn her heart stopped. Anxiety spiking, she raced around the bushes that surrounded them. "Hailcry!" she called out desperately, unaware that Brackenpaw was following her. "Hailcry!"

Her mother, hunched over in exhaustion and sporting a fresh wound running down her side, looked like she had seen better days. Her breaths were more like ragged gasps, and now that she knew that Hailcry was alive, Skypaw was hit with another thought; how long would that be?

"Hailcry, tell me you're okay. You gotta be okay," she insisted. She wanted to press her side against her mother's, but she knew it would probably do more harm than good.

It was the silence that dragged on that finally allowed Skypaw to acknowledge Brackenpaw's presence beside her, but she couldn't draw any comfort from him until her mother started to speak.

"Yeah… yeah, it's fine. I'm fine." She winced as she tried to stand, but found out quickly enough that it wasn't going to work as she had planned. "Embercloud… she's okay, too."

Skypaw looked over her shoulder, spotting the pale tabby a short distance away. She was showing off her own wounds that thankfully weren't as severe as Hailcry's. However, this didn't mean they were all safe from the initial threat.

She spun around and prepared herself to race back to Scarletstream—to help chase away the creature that had hurt her mother. But before she could do so, she spotted Foxpaw heading towards them. On her shoulder was a long scratch that thankfully didn't look too deep, but it was her presence that drew more of their attention. "Scarletstream and Duskleap chased off the fox," she said slowly. "They're making sure it's gone, but they'll be coming back soon."

Skypaw was bewildered, and even possibly dumbfounded. That was a fox? She had heard of them before, in the stories Hollowstripe and Rushfall would tell, but she had never actually witnessed it for her own eyes. She must have looked like a mouse-brain. She knew what a fox was, but having never seen one before, identifying it at first glance was the last thing that came to mind. How ironic it must be that Foxpaw would speak about the creature that she was named after.

"We need to get back to camp," Brackenpaw said urgently, nudging Skypaw to bring her back to reality. It seemed as though she zoned out. Nodding quickly, the silver and white tabby moved to Hailcry's uninjured side, pushing against her to help her get to her paws. Turning to Foxpaw, she ordered, "Go help Embercloud."

Foxpaw held her gaze for a moment before nodding, moving over to the other injured she-cat to do her part.

"I'm… glad to see you're making friends," Hailcry chuckled softly, but Skypaw was less enthusiastic about her humor. Brackenpaw didn't seem to need any further instruction as he moved to help Skypaw with lifting their Clanmate, finding it easier than expected. It was hard enough to help keep the she-cat balanced, but she was thankfully able to at least keep herself from falling over.

Scarletstream and Duskleap would know where they went. It was their duty as Clan cats to help out a cat that needed it—regardless of their rank within the Clan. Skypaw clenched her teeth when Hailcry stumbled—putting more weight on her—but she took in a breath and fixed her position before continuing towards the camp.

It wasn't far, which was both a blessing and a worry. Hailcry and Embercloud could get the help they needed, but the close encounter was closer than anyone would like. Having a threat so close to camp could prove to be even more trouble in the future, and that thought alone stuck in her mind all the way to the medicine den.

She was soon joined by Wrenpaw and Whitepaw—the former coming to see what had happened and the latter coming to check on her mother. The den was growing quite cramped, so Skypaw reluctantly left Hailcry to be treated by Bristlefur. Her concerns translated into a dull buzzing in her ears, and she couldn't make sense of what had her so paranoid. At least, that was before Wrenpaw approached her.

"Weird, huh?" she mused, sitting beside her. "That a fox would attack after we bring Foxpaw into our camp."

It was exactly that thought that had her contemplating all of her previous doubts. She had begun to wonder if some of them were truly justified. But with this incident, the line was becoming even more blurred. StarClan must really be testing their knowledge.

The two of them didn't say anything more and moments passed without any interruption. More often than not, Skypaw wished that Wrenpaw could keep her mouth shut, but her next statement brought up more uncertainties than anything.

"Seems like a bad omen to me."