Two Birds/Chapter 7

Talonpaw's POV
The sun was behind clouds, leaving the territory of PebbleClan dull and chilly. Thick clouds overhead gave a hint to snow. Talonpaw padded into camp, panting, the rest of her patrol on her tail.
In front of her, Eagleclaw skidded to a halt in front of Ravenstar, who was anxiously awaiting the patrols return.
LeafClan had decided to steal PebbleClan prey. The warriors of PebbleClan would not accept this and Ravenstar ordered them to move out that morning, Eagleclaw leading them.
The scratches that criss-crossed Talonpaw's pelt burned and she flexed her claws, picturing the LeafClan warriors pelt hooked in them.
"You did well, Talonpaw."
Talonpaw's mentor, Featherheart bounded gracefully over, her misty eyes gleaming.
"I was taught by one of the best," Talonpaw mewed, pretending to shyly look down at her paws, when really she felt smug satisfaction.
Talonpaw had fought off so many warriors, she couldn't even count.
*They shouldn't have messed with me.*
The dull gray she-cat let out a rusty laugh. "Go have Applepad see to your wounds. We don't want you getting any infections."
Talonpaw gave Featherheart a seething glare. "I won't get any infection! I'm strong!"
Did Featherheart think she was weak? What was she planning? She had to be planning something.
*I'm fine!*
Featherheart blinked calmy up at the dark sky. "I know you're strong. I have no doubt about that. But we must be careful during leafbare. We can't risk anything."
The old molly looked back at Talonpaw with clever eyes. Talonpaw flattened her ears. *She's tricking me.*
Shaking out her matted pelt, Talonpaw gave her mentor a brisk nod. "Fine."
Talonpaw whipped around, leaving Featherheart. Featherheart was old, Talonpaw would be her last apprentice. She held her head high as she padded across camp, proud.
Featherheart was kind and wise; that'd give Talonpaw an even better chance in receiving future power at a young age, having a popular warrior as her mentor.
She didn't like Featherheart that much. The she-cat was always too happy for her own good. Talonpaw didn't understand it.
She was old and dying, so why was she such a bright know-it-all all the time?
*I'll praise StarClan when I'm a warrior, free from her disgusting voice.*
Talonpaw shrugged, pushing her thoughts away as she approached the rocky medicine den. She ducked beneath the overhang into the gloomy den.
Inside, Applepad's reddish tabby coat was dusty and tangled with old herbs as he cleaned out between the cracks in the rock where he stored his herbs.
"I'll check your wounds in just a moment, Talonpaw," he grunted without looking at her.
Talonpaw gave him a brisk nod. "Very well."
She scanned the medicine den, her gaze falling on Creekpaw's night-colored pelt, almost hiding him in the shadows. She padded quietly over and gave him a sniff.
His eyes were partway open, but he closed them as soon as she came into his view and he shuddered just a little.
Talonpaw felt the slightest pain in her heart seeing him like this. He was confined to the medicine den after she had slashed his flank.
That night, Talonpaw had left him, bleeding and kocked out in the forest. She had cleaned the blood off her paws and went entered camp, acting cheerful, doing some battle-training with Eagleclaw.
She chatted with her denmates that night and went to sleep. Not long after she had fallen into dreamland, Frostwing let out a yowl of alarm.
Cats rushed out of their dens to see what the problem was. Pale Frostwing had gone out for a night hunt and found Creekpaw and dragged him back to camp.
Applepad quickly took the injuried apprentice to his den to be fixed; he said Creekpaw's wound would never fully heal, it was too deep. He'd be scarred for life. Talonpaw had felt the smallest glow of pride in her chest.
Cats had whispered that night, concerned about Creekpaw's situation. Had Creekpaw been the one to kill Flightpaw and Hawkpaw? Was it someone else, and they targeted Creekpaw? Did Creekpaw do this to himself? He couldn't have, he couldn't slash his own claws at that angle.
Who did it then?
Talonpaw hadn't liked these questions. Nor did the other warriors. They didn't like to think they got it all wrong about little Creekpaw. They stopped asking questions, assuming Creekpaw got attacked by a fox.
It was just a fox.
Guilt flooded over Talonpaw once more, but she forced it away. She only did what she had to do. Creekpaw had almost taken her chance at power - he may have been put back where he belonged, but he needed to be taught a lesson.
"I know you're awake," she leaned forward, whispering in his ear. His eyes opened ever so slightly.
Talonpaw grinned. "There you go. Now... what did I say the other day?"
Creekpaw remained silent.
"What did I say?" she repeated with a harsher tone. "Something about keeping a quiet mouth?"
"Keep my mouth shut," Creekpaw finally gave in, shivering.
"And if you do?"
"Stonepaw will be next... then Wisppaw... then me."
Talonpaw's grin widened. "Good memory, brother."
She patted his back with her tail, making him flinch, it surprised her. Applepad whipped around, eyes sharp. "What are you doing to him?" he demanded.
Talonpaw remained calm, but put a confused tone in her voice. "I don't know. I just patted him with my tail; he flinched like I hit him."
Creekpaw gave her a hurtful sidelong glance, before turning away to stare at the den wall. Applepad lashed his tail with a huff. "Well, be careful. He's still not ready for rough play."
"Very well, all mighty Applepad," Talonpaw gave the reddish medicine cat a cheeky smile. He just rolled his eyes as a reply, saying, "I can check your wounds now."
Disappointment weighed Talonpaw's shoulders down. She had wanted a longer talk with Creekpaw. She let out a sigh, grinning at her brother. "Heal up soon, bud!" before padding over to Applepad who already had herb pulp ready to smear into her cuts.
The entire time, Talonpaw felt Creekpaw's gaze boring her back. She knew he wanted to spill everything out to anyone; Talonpaw knew he didn't like keeping secrets.
But he knew he couldn't. If he did, all hell would break loose.

When Talonpaw left the medicine den, all the young warriors flooded around her, saying they heard she fought like a lion, pleading for details.
After telling long stories about ripping out fur and drawing blood, PebbleClan's deputy, Dustclaw ordered most of them to quit sitting on their butts and get some patrols done.
So now the recently named Wispheart and Falconcry; along with Stonepaw, who had yet to receive her warrior name due to her training put on hold after being put in the medicine den for a moon.
"Be proud, Talonpaw!" Wispheart purred.
"Featherheart talked to Ravenstar; you're becoming a warrior tonight!" Falconcry hollared, then licked his fur in embarrassment when some passerbys gave him odd looks.
Wispheart affectionately head-butted Falconcry's sturdy shoulder. "Don't be so loud, moron! Frostwing's kits will be trying to sleep."
"Shut up," Falconcry growled, although his eyes glowed the same affection as he gave her a shove.
Talonpaw inwardly glowed from the praise of her Clanmates. They looked to *her* again, not Creekpaw! They'd never look up to him again.
*I'm where I belong,* she thought with a grin curving the corners of her mouth.
Stonepaw quietly watched Talonpaw with a steelly gaze. "Yes, Talonpaw. You deserve to be a warrior."
Talonpaw locked eyes with the broad-shouldered tabby. Although Stonepaw's eyes were sharp, they gave nothing away. Her tone of voice quite the same.
*What are you planning?*
Talonpaw knew something was up with Stonepaw. It mostly began that day Creekpaw was found...
*She doesn't know, does she?*
Talonpaw's heart quickened and a sudden burst of anxiety made her legs threaten to start shaking. Talonpaw made sure that no one saw what happened. She knew Stonepaw hadn't been there, so how would she know?
Unable to bear looking at the those honey comb eyes any longer, Talonpaw glanced away, pushing her nerves aside.
It was impossible. Stonepaw had no idea what happened, and she never would. *Don't worry about it... but to be safe, keep an eye on her,* whispered something in her head.
*Yes, I'll keep an eye on her.*
Fluffing out her fur, Talonpaw became uncomfortablely aware of Wispheart and Falconcry giggling at each other for no reason while Stonepaw watched them with a smirk, then met Talonpaw's eye and winked.
"Let's leave these two alone, shall we?" Stonepaw mewed quietly so only Talonpaw could hear. The mottled gray apprentice weaved around Talonpaw, leaving a sweet scent on her pelt.
Talonpaw's eyes followed her like a hawk, although she stayed relaxed. Something about Stonepaw was charming. *Don't let her fool you,* she noted in her mind as Stonepaw drew Talonpaw away from their ginger pals.
"Do you want to go hunting with me?" Stonepaw asked, a kind smile on raising the corners of her mouth. Talonpaw narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. If Stonepaw was planning to hurt Talonpaw, it would be no use. *I could break her neck with with a simple pat.*
"Sure, sounds good with me," Talonpaw responded, returning Stonepaw's warm smile. "I'll race you!" Stonepaw yowled and without waiting for her to reply, shot out of camp, leaving Talonpaw in her dust. "That's not fair!" Talonpaw complained, racing after her.
Stonepaw was much smaller and slimmer than Talonpaw, so that was already giving her the advantage. Using every bit of her strength, Talonpaw pounded after Stonepaw, feeling the muscles in her legs stretch and ache with the strain.
Finally, panting to a halt, Talonpaw reached Stonepaw who looked more alive than ever, making Talonpaw envy her. "Are we hunting or running around like idiots all day?" Talonpaw grumbled.
Stonepaw pointed down the hill with her tail to a hare that was nibbling on the grass. The wind blew toward the apprentices, bringing the mouth watering scent to them.
Stonepaw flicked an ear as a silent signal, *I'll go down and scar it towards you.*
Talonpaw gave a brief nod and crouched low, the tall grass hiding her speckled pelt. She watched Stonepaw glid gracefully through the grass in a wide circle around the hare.
As she reached the end, Talonpaw braced her muscles. Letting out a loud yowl, Stonepaw exploded from the grass cover and trampled toward the hare.
Without waiting, the hare bolted away from her, heading straight for Talonpaw. She remained motionless, despite the urge to run making her legs scream in protest, as the hare came closer. Finally, she sprang out when it was about a tail-length away.
Her large paws grasped its shoulders and it let out a screech of fear. Talonpaw, in a swift blur, had her teeth clamped around its throat and sank them down as hard as she could, feeling the blood well into her mouth.
The feeling felt familar to her, all too familar. Memories of that dark stormy night appeared in Talonpaw's head. Hawkpaw's scream and blood filling her jaws, Flightpaw's curses, throwing the gray and white tom into a tree and relishing the sound of his bones cracking and the sight of his blood.
Her heart began to thunder and anxiety made her dizzy and tremble. She let go of the hare as grief seared her and the memories were too much too bear.
She watched in a daze as Stonepaw pelted after the hare, letting out angry curses as it disappeared down a burrow. Talonpaw's focus slipped to the blood on her paws and sprinkled on her chest fur. Not a lot, but enough to make her almost start to sob as she remembered her friends blood on her as she took their lives.
Talonpaw hunched her shoulders and crouched, staring at the ground as the memories left, replaced with misery. She was dimly knocked out of her thoughts when Stonepaw kicked dust in her face.
Talonpaw reeled away, coughing and sneezing, thinking she wanted to rip Stonepaw's eyes out for that, but she couldn't muster up the anger. Instead, she went back in her spot, hunched over, staring at nothing.
"What was that, huh?" Stonepaw demanded, circling Talonpaw, her face twisted with annoyance and anger. "You had it! Why did you let it go?" She leaned toward Talonpaw, and she could see no emotion in her eyes. Unreadable honey eyes. How odd. Yet something in them threatened Talonpaw.

"It slipped. That's all it was. Just a simple mistake," Talonpaw said smoothly, returning an unreadable, threat filled glare; or at least she to.

Stonepaw looked her over curiously, then with a disgusted snort, padded off in search of more prey. Her twitching tail tip told Talonpaw she didn't have to follow, she could go back to camp.

Determination hardened her gaze and she followed anyway. Something strange burned inside her, a desire to show Stonepaw she could make up for it.

*Why do you care?* someone icily asked in her head. *She is nothing. She knows you did something. Read her, you can see it in her eyes, how she tries to hide it. She's searching. She's watching. She hunting you. She'll find you and kill you.*

*Don't let her kill you. Keep tall and alive. Don't let them see what's going on inside. Don't let them find you and kill you.*

The voice repeated itself to Talonpaw and she felt comforted, as if someone were there to help her. She knew she had to show Stonepaw she was a normal, loyal PebbleClan apprentice. *That's what I am.*

As they walked on, no one spoke, making Talonpaw once again feel alone and disappointed, despite Stonepaw being a few tail-lengths ahead of her.

Talonpaw was willing the voice back when Stonepaw stopped and stood rigid, sniffing a tuft of fur caught on some gorse. "Those kittypets have been back!" she spat.

Talonpaw's heart darkened as she remembered the battle she had with the group of powerful kittypets. A patrol of PebbleClan warrior easily had them on their way, but Talonpaw would never forgive, nor forget how she had rushed into battle like that and nearly been killed, then heard the words her mentor say behind her back.

Pushing her way past Stonepaw, Talonpaw sniffed the fur and a low growled sounded in her throat. This was kittypet all right...

"Let's get back to camp and report to Ravenstar," Stonepaw said gravely, turning and trotting back toward camp. Talonpaw followed once more, suddenly remembering she hated Stonepaw and didn't trust her.

Was she friends with the kittypets? Did she tell them to come here to steal prey?

And once again, anxiety gripped Talonpaw's heart, making her world shake and feel more dangerous than before.

*Does she know? She doesn't seem to know, she would've said something by now, right? What if she knows? Oh, she knows! I know, I know, I know she knows!*