Marshpaw's Path of Stone

Everything changed for ShadowClan the day the rogues stumbled into our camp.

She was a small tabby, and she was a small and skinny. In her jaws she held a bronw-and-black tabby she-kit, its eyes wide but glazed. Its head lolled around as I padded forward.

"What are you doing in ShadowClan's camp?"

She growled. "I smelled cats. My mate is dead, and I am starving. Marsh hardly looked like she'd be able to last one more day." She looked up at me with slitted, defiant eyes.

"Tell me your name," I said, slightly moved by the way her kit was glaring at me, even though her eyes were blank.

"My name is Shard," she growled. "Now please help me."

I nodded. "My name is Blackstar. Follow me, and we will find help for your kit."

 Marshpaw 

My name is Marshpaw. I'm part of ShadowClan, the best Clan in the forest!

My mom told me she doesn't have a Clan name because she used to be a rogue. Shard said I'll be the best warrior any Clan has seen!

Today is my first day as an apprentice. Russetfur is my mentor. She's very smart, but she's making me clean out the eleder's den.

While I search them for ticks, I listen to their absentminded gossip. I stopped immediately when I heard my mother's name. I sat down and leaned closer.

"Shard seems to be growing restless. I think she's going to leave."

Shock flooded through me. She can't leave! I hurried away to find Russetfur for next assignment.

Russetfur looked down at me. "Come with me, and I'll show you the hunter's crouch. Then, tomorrow, you can go out on a hunting patrol with me," she mewed calmly.

I squeaked in excitement, my dismay forgotten as Russetfur led me into the clearing.

"Okay," she growled. "Copy me exactly."

She crouched, her muscles bunched up and her tail lifted slightly above the ground.

I tried to copy her. I felt the muscles in my shoulders tensed, and my tail was lifted above the ground. Russetfur got up and studied my crouch.

"Good first try," she mewed. "Try keeping you tail a little lower so it's not waving all over the place."

I grunted as she padded away, leaving me to practice by myself.

When Russetfur returned to tell me I could stop, I wasn't tired. I was very eager, and ready to go hunting.

She watched me fall into another crouch.

"Good," she purred. "Still not perfect, but good."

I got to my sore feet and mewed, "Can I eat now?"

"Of course, my apprentice." She murmured as licked the top of my head. Taken aback, I padded away. From what I had seen of Russetfur, she had always been prickly.

In the apprentices den, I almost had to cover my ears with my paws to block out the noise of the other apprentice's chatter. It was all about what borders were being pushed, how ThunderClan had let in more kittypets and rogues...

All pointless!

I broke in with a growl. "Why are you talking about all this brain-numbing gossip that mightn't even be true?"

The other apprentices looked at me, surprise flashing in their eyes. "Um... I dunno, really," Frogpaw muttered. 'I guess it's interesting."

Pinepaw glared at me, her green eyes slitted. "Why do you wanna know? You're just a rogue yourself. You have a Clan name, yeah, but that doesn't hae anything to do with what you are."

"Yeah? You think so?" I challenged. "Well, I'm more ShadowClan than you'll ever be." My thorn-sharp black claws slid out threateningly.

"Oh yeah?" she flashed back. "We'll see about that." her skinny white claws flashed out and I gave an amused growl.

She was bigger than I was - much bigger. I still looked like a newborn, yet I was an apprentice.

For a moment she stopped, uncertain. Before she could move, I leaped at her and skimmed my claws down her cheek. I skidded under her belly and, huffing with effort, managed to latch myself onto it and flip her over.

She lay there, panting. I growled. "Wanna see more?"

She snarled. "Bring it on, pipsquea-" Her sentence ended in a shriek that was cut off, too.

I stood back and admired my handywork. She was bleeding from the throat, a gouge in her stomach, and her cheek. One of her ears was ripped. I had let her live this time.

Frogpaw stared at me, amazed. 'You fought really well," he whispered, his blue eyes glistening with fear and his gray-brown pelt fluffed up.

I purred. "She'll live."

I curled up in my bloodstained nest and waited for someone to disturb me.

It was Blackstar who finally came and prodded me awake. "Marshpaw!" he growled. "Marshpaw, you need to wake up!"

I was suddenly on my feet. "What?" I snarled.

"Come with me," he replied.

We walked into a shadowy corner of he clearing. "What you did was really serious!" he mewed. "We're lucky Pinepaw is still with us!"

Before I could reply, Russetfur pushed Blackstar back, appearing almost out of nowhere. "Great job, Marshpaw! You have defended you honor."

I flashed a smug grin at Blackstar. "Thanks, Russetfur," I smirked.

I backed out of the corner and fond Frogpaw by the fresh-kill pile. "Hey, Frogpaw!" I called before flipping a mouse over my head and pouncing on the fresh-kill, tearing it apart. I gnawed hungrily on the scraps.

Frogpaw looked scared. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," I purred happily. 'Nothing more than to be with someone friendly."

Amazingly, he relaxed and sighed contentedly. "Me, too."

Watch Out For The Sequel The Stone Wall !