Chapter 9

"Snowpelt is dead!" A voice announced. Gasps arose from the cats in the camp. Ivypaw's head jerked up. Eaglefeather was standing at the entrance to camp with yet another corpse of a Windclan cat at his paws. Mistpaw and Lightningpaw, who were beside their friend, gazed at the medicine cat with fear in their eyes.

"What happened?" Sunfur asked, running up to her brother.

"He was run over by a monster while we were crossing the Thunderpath." Ivypaw immediately knew the medicine cat was lying in some way. Eaglefeather was a talented liar, as she and her friends now knew.

"Who did he name deputy?" Amberpetal asked.

"No one." Eaglefeather replied gravely. Ivypaw gasped. Several other noises of shock and terror rose from Windclan camp at the realization that they now had no leader.

"Who will lead us?!" Fuzzytail demanded. Eaglefeather took a step forward. He raised his head high as he gazed at the cats in camp.

"Starclan has given me no sign of who they want to be our leader." Eaglefeather announced. He spoke slowly, as if he was thinking about each word before said it. "I am the last thing Windclan has that even compares to a leader. So I believe until I receive a sign from Starclan, that I should be the leader." Ivypaw was unable to stifle her gasp. Was this his plan all along?!

"What?!" Harepelt spat in disbelief.

"A medicine cat cannot be a leader." Amberpetal argued. "It is unheard of!"

"It will only be temporary." Eaglefeather replied calmly. "As soon as I get a sign from Starclan, that cat will be the leader." Suddenly, Eaglefeather's intense amber gaze shifted toward Ivypaw. "What do you think Ivypaw?" She stiffened in surprise.

"What Eaglefeather is saying…" Ivypaw hesitated in her response. "Makes sense." Mistpaw and Lightningpaw gazed at her in shock. Ivypaw felt her heart begin to pound. She couldn't believe she had just supported the cat who murdered many cats! "It is the best choice for now."

��Thank you, my friend." Eaglefeather responded. There was a hint of cunning in his meow. Ivypaw felt rage build inside her. Was that all their friendship was to him? Something else to manipulate for his plans? Every other cat in the clearing began to nod and murmur agreeingly amongst each other.

"I still don't like it." Amberpetal spoke up. "Medicine cats aren't meant to lead." Eaglefeather glared at her angrily before leaping atop the Highrock. He gazed down at his new subjects with smug satisfaction.

"Then my first act as Windclan's temporary leader is to make Sunfur my second in command." Eaglefeather announced. Ivypaw was surprised to find affection in Eaglefeather's gaze. She had assumed Eaglefeather to be incapable of true affection.

"I'm honored." Sunfur replied with a dip of her head. "Windclan, I swear to serve you best as I can as Windclan's temporary second in command." Eaglefeather nodded to his sister approvingly.

"Next," he continued, "I wish to make two apprentices warriors. Mistpaw, Lightningpaw, step forward." Ivypaw's two friends froze, staring up at Eaglefeather in shock. Only after a few awkward moments of silence did Lightningpaw speak up.

"Actually, we wish to become apprentices with Ivypaw."

"And she's not quite ready to become a warrior." Mistpaw added.

Ivypaw couldn't help but blush a bit. She and Ligntningpaw had made a promise as kits that they would become warriors together. However, she knew that wasn't the only reason they had done that. They didn't want Eaglefeather, a false leader and a murderer to make them warriors. Eaglefeather visibly tensed in frustration.

"Do any of the apprentices want to be warriors?!" he demanded. Antpaw took a shaky step forward. Lightningpaw scowled at her brother. Eaglefeather gazed down at him with that same smug look from earlier.

"I, Eaglefeather, Windclan's temporary leader, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Antpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life."

Antpaw nodded enthusiastically. "I do!"

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Antpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Antfoot. Starclan honors your determination and persistence and we welcome you as a full warrior of Windclan."

"Antfoot! Antfoot!" cats cheered.

"Persistence and determination?" Mistpaw muttered just loud enough for Ivypaw to hear. "Those are the same thing you mouse-brain." Ivypaw snorted with laughter amongst all the cheering. Her joy was incredibly short-lived however as she was instantly reminded of everything that had happened. Eaglefeather was the leader, even after he had killed Applefrost, Amberstar, Snowpelt, and all the poisoned cats. Eaglefeather flicked his tail to dismiss the clan and leapt off the Highrock. The cats began to disperse. "Ivypaw!" Eaglefeather called. She turned to see him dashing toward her.

"Yes?" Ivypaw replied, feeling a shudder run down her spine.

"Thank you for supporting me." Eaglefeather murmured almost sinisterly in her ear. "You're a very supportive friend, Ivypaw."

"Of course." Ivypaw replied. She had to hold in tears. All those times Eaglefeather had comforted her, given her advice, or just been there for her, it had all been a lie, orchestrated to make her his supporter. All while he hid the horrible things he did. The horrible part was that his plan worked. Not because she felt any loyalty to him, but because she was terrified of being his next victim. If she hadn't known however, Ivypaw probably still would have supported him. The thought terrified her. When Eaglefeather left her, Mistpaw and Lightningpaw dashed toward her.

"Why did you support him?" Mistpaw demanded.

"I didn't have any other choice." Ivypaw admitted. "He put me on the spot...he can't know that we know…" She began to sob. "I had to keep up the lie that is our friendship…"

"No, no! Don't cry!" Lightningpaw insisted. She pressed her cheek against Ivypaw's. "You still have us."

"And we'll find a solution to all of this." Mistpaw promised.

"Together." Mistpaw and Lightningpaw meowed in unison. Ivypaw sniffed before forming a small smile.

"Together." She agreed.

"Ivypaw! Lightningpaw!" a voice called. The two apprentices turned to see Sunfur. "Will you two go patrol the Shadowclan border with Harepelt and Shrewpaw." The last of my kin. Brilliant. Ivypaw thought sarcastically. However, she still nodded. Ivypaw gazed at Mistpaw.

"We'll be back." Ivypaw promised. Lightningpaw and her then turned to leave. They padded toward the camp entrance where Harepelt and Shrewpaw were waiting. As they walked out of camp, Ivypaw felt her fears begin to get worse. She felt a million worries zooming through her head at an insane speed. How will we be able to stop Eaglefeather?! He has total control over Windclan now! What if he finds out that we knew?! Would we be killed?! Will all of Windclan be killed off one by one?! Ivypaw felt her heartbeat quicken, her muscles tense, and her fur twitch. It was all too much to take. Eventually, Ivypaw's breathing became rougher and she visibly began to tremble.

"What's wrong with her?" Shrewpaw asked, pointing at Ivypaw.

"NOTHING!" Ivypaw shouted. Her sister flinched back in surprise. Now she was hyperventilating, unable to calm herself down. Harepelt skidded to a halt and looked at his daughter in concern.

"What's wrong, Ivypaw?" He asked.

"She's having an anxiety attack." Lightningpaw explained. She made her way toward Ivypaw, resting her tail on her shoulder. Ivypaw sat down and frantically sheathed and unsheathed her claws as more thoughts raced through her mind.

"Ivypaw." Lightningpaw's voice was stern yet gentle. "You have to breathe, focus on the present moment."

"I CAN'T!" Ivypaw snapped. That was Eaglefeather's advice! She couldn't trust him! Her heart was pounding in her ears and her whole body was so tense that every frantic movement was a struggle.

"You have to try!" Lightningpaw insisted. "It's worked every time before now, why should this be any different?"

"Uh…" Shrewpaw commented awkwardly. "We'll just go mark the border." With that, Ivypaw's father and sister walked off, leaving her alone with Lightningpaw.

"Ivypaw, Eaglefeather is a terrible cat. You and I both know, but his advice has worked for you in the past, has it not?" Ivypaw nodded.

"But what if-"

"Breathe." Lightningpaw ordered. Ivypaw took a few shaky breaths, but her heartbeat still remained quick and her muscles still tense. "Nothing bad has happened to us. Think of the present moment. We are on patrol with Harepelt and Shrewpaw. That's all that matters at right now. Banish all your concerns of the future from your mind. They don't matter right now. They're just thoughts, and they are doing no good right now." Ivypaw nodded. Her friend was right. Finally, she was able to take a deep breath. She already felt a wave of relaxation hit her as the air filled her lungs. Ivypaw closed her eyes and continued to breathe. Slowly but surely, her heartbeat slowed into a steady beat and her tense muscles began to relax. Ivypaw leaned her head onto Lightningpaw's tail, which still rested on her shoulder. There's only us. There's only this. No day but today. Ivypaw opened her eyes and turned to face Lightningpaw.

"Feeling better?" She prompted.

"Yes," Ivypaw replied. "Thank you." She leaned closer to Lightningpaw, pressing her muzzle against her's. Ivypaw blushed, surprised by her own sudden confidence.

"I don't know where I'd be without you."

"Me neither." Lightningpaw admitted, licking Ivypaw's cheek. Ivypaw leaped to her paws.

"Now let's go catch up with Shrewpaw and Harepelt!" Ivypaw replied. Lightningpaw nodded and the two followed their clanmates' scent trail all the way toward the Thunderpath, where Shrewpaw and Harepelt were marking the border.

"Ivypaw!" Harepelt called, rushing toward his daughter. "Are you okay?"

Ivypaw nodded. "Yes I'm okay now. What would you like me and Lightingpaw to do?"

"You two can keep watch while me and Shrewpaw mark the border." Harepelt answered. Ivypaw nodded and dashed toward the Thunderpath. She skidded to a halt right in front of the black path. Lightningpaw sat beside her and wrapped her tail around her as they watched for signs of trouble in Shadowclan's territory. By the time Snowpelt and Shrewpaw were done marking the border, the sun was beginning to dip, painting the sky pink and orange.

"Let's get back to camp before it's dark." Harepelt meowed. The three apprentices nodded and followed him back to camp. Ivypaw and Lightningpaw pressed close to each other and entwined their tails. Once they entered camp, Ivypaw looked around, searching for Mistpaw. However, the gray she-cat was nowhere to be seen in camp. Ivypaw's tail drooped on disappointment. Her friend was likely in the tunnels.

"Let's get something to eat." Lightningpaw suggested. Ivypaw nodded and grabbed a rabbit off the fresh-kill pile.

"We'll take it to the apprentices' den." Ivypaw replied. "So we can talk to Mistpaw there." Lightningpaw nodded and helped her carry their meal into their den. To their shock, Mistpaw was already there, washing her paws.

"Oh, there you are!" She gasped. "I was wondering when you'd come." Ivypaw and Lightningpaw put down the rabbit and sat down in front of their meal.

"Want some?" Lightningpaw offered.

"No, I already ate." Mistpaw replied. "We should really talk about…" her voice lowered as she added, "Eaglefeather."

"We need to do something about him." Ivypaw agreed, taking a bite of rabbit.

"He's not a problem that can be solved overnight though." Lightningpaw added.

"Yeah." Mistpaw agreed.

"We have to expose him first." Ivypaw replied. "Prove that he is an untrustworthy, horrible, MANIPULATIVE LITTLE-"

"SH!" Lightningpaw and Mistpaw hissed. Ivypaw's ears lowered.

"Sorry...but you get my point."

"We can put a plan in action tomorrow." Lightningpaw replied.

"But in the meantime, we need somewhere safe to sleep." Ivypaw added.

"To sleep?" Mistpaw and Lightningpaw's gazes were clouded with confusion.

"Yes." Ivypaw replied. "Do you really feel safe sleeping in camp? Where the cat who poisoned our cats in their sleep is?"

"No." Lightningpaw realized aloud.

"But where else can we go?" Mistpaw inquired.

"I know a place." Lightningpaw answered. "Let me and Ivypaw finish eating first and we'll show you." Mistpaw nodded. The three were silent whilst Lightningpaw and Ivypaw ate their meal. Once they finished, they exited the apprentices' den. The sun had sunk even lower into the horizon now. When no cat was looking, Ivypaw, Lightningpaw, and Mistpaw silently crept out of camp and onto the moor.

"I can lead the way in the dark." Mistpaw offered. "Just tell me where we're going."

"To the twoleg barn." Lightningpaw replied. Mistpaw nodded and confidently took the lead. As they walked, Ivypaw's ears pricked at the sound of a twig cracking. She tensed and whipped around instantaneously, ready to right. To her shock, Shrewpaw stood behind the group, her eyes wide with fear.

"Please!" Shrewpaw begged. "Don't send me back!" Ivypaw's head tilted in confusion. "I heard your conversation earlier." Her sister admitted. "You know who poisoned cats in their sleep?" Ivypaw glanced at Mistpaw and Lightningpaw. Is she to be trusted?

"Yes." Ivypaw answered.

"We'll have to tell Eaglefeather then." Shrewpaw insisted.

"No!" Ivypaw snapped. Shrewpaw's eyes widened in shock. "You can't tell him…" She hesitated, again questioning whether she could trust her sister. "Because he's the one who did it."

"What?!" Shrewpaw gasped.

"That's why we're leaving camp." Mistpaw but in. "Will you come with us or not?" Shrewpaw nodded and bounded toward the rest of the group. As Ivypaw walked beside her sister, she noticed that Shrewpaw's usually confident demeanor was missing. Her tail was low and her eyes were wide with fear.

"Shrewpaw? Are you okay?" Ivypaw inquired.

"No." Her sister admitted. "I haven't been okay in moons." Ivypaw gazed at Shrewpaw in concern. "I hold myself in such high esteems but all I ever do is fail. I failed Silvermist and Applefrost…" Ivypaw felt as if a thorn pierced her heart at the mention of their dead kin.

"You didn't fail them." Ivypaw insisted. "Death is inevitable, Shrewpaw." 'It should have been me!' Shrewpaw's words all that time ago suddenly returned to her. "And you were wrong. Applefrost shouldn't have died but it shouldn't have been you either."

"Why not?" Shrewpaw scoffed.

"It would have been just as horrible to lose you." Ivypaw answered.

"But don't I annoy you?" Shrewpaw asked.

"Of course you do!" Ivypaw replied. "You're my sister. Siblings always annoy each other, but it doesn't mean I don't care about you." Shrewpaw couldn't help but smile.

"We're here!" Mistpaw announced. Ivypaw looked up to see the giant twoleg structure in front of them. The group of apprentices made their way into the barn to find mountains of hay. Shrewpaw sprawled out onto a pile of it.

"This is surprisingly soft!" She exclaimed. Mistpaw chuckled and laid down on a separate part of the hay. Ivypaw laid down beside Lightningpaw. She pressed closer to her before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.