Spiderwebs

 S p i d e r webs

I'm entangled in my own...spiderweb

A fanfic by Misty

ALLEGIANCES

Rogues

CLOVER - gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

SHREW - skinny brown tom

SHADE - silver she-cat with black ears and yellow eyes

SPIDERWEBS - gray-and-black tabby she-cat

ONE

I glance wearily at Shade, whose soft silver fur gleams gray in the moonlight. Shade doesn't cease to notice me staring at her sharp, intelligent yellow eyes, or her beautiful silver pelt and black ears. She's standing farther ahead; sniffing the air, perhaps for any signs of our enemies, the Hawks.

"Shade," I meow cautiously. "Where are we heading?"

She turns to stare at me. "The peaks, of course. The Hwks will never discover us there, unless they are exploring the lands - for any signs that they can claim it all." The bitterness in her voice is unmistakable, and I try not to regret my question.

"Why do the Hawks seem so eager to rule the world? Their Empire is large enough already."

Shade turns her eyes back to me. She responds to my questions - mostly. "They're greedy and foolish," she growled. "Flamestar has always been ambitious. She believes that if she conquers the Kingdoms - the tribes spread throughout the lands - she'll be recognized and famed by all. There are only two sides sin this war: The Hawks or the Kingdoms, and we have to be in one of them."

"You seem to like the Kingdoms better," I muse.

"There is no good or bad in war," she corrects me instantly. "The Hawks have their reasons for being greedy. The Kingdoms didn't have to get themselves tangled in the spiderweb of war - but they chose to anyway."

I glare at her. "But the Hawks are evil!" I protest, "they're trying to take over everything, they're cold-blooded killers!" I can't stop myself from ranting. "I don't believe you'd ever say that."

Shade is calm as ever to my rude words. "Do you fight for the Kingdoms because they are your family, or because they are good?"

"The - the Kingdoms aren't my family," I reply, my voice trembling. "Not anymore."

Shade's eyes sparkle with intelligence. "But they are your family, Spiderwebs," she replies, "do you not miss Dewdrop? Or Snowy? Or Slate and Cobblestone?"

"I miss them," I say in defense, "but I can't be with them, they...they're better than the Hawks, but they're not always good, either."

"They are your family," Shade concedes, padding further into the misty forest. I force my paws to carry me after her. "You supported them because your brothers and sisters, mother and father, all of your relatives were from the Kingdom."

I couldn't help but blurt out, "You're a Hawk. Why didn't you help them if they were your family?"

Shade's golden eyes darken momentarily as she ponders the thought. Finally, she gently mews, "But I did, Spiderwebs. In the first battle, I supported the Hawks because my mother, Night, was a Hawk."

I stare at her; my best friend was a Hawk, and she had fought with the Hawks in the first battle that began the war! "But - but they're evil!" I take a step back. I'm afraid she'd snarl and leap at me with unsheathed claws any instant. "How could you? You didn't tell me."

"They're my family, Spiderwebs. And what do you think happened when the battle ended and I had refused to kill a single Kingdom cat? They banished me from their Empire and told me they would kill me if they ever saw me on Hawks territory again." Shade's mouth twisted into a sneer, and I back away. "The Hawks are merciless, ungrateful, and unforgiving, yet they are my family. I know that now. Family is not always good, but they are family, and you always want to please them."

"I'm sorry," I blurt. Shade tilts her head. "I'm sorry for judging you because you aided the Hawks in the first battle." I lower my head.

Shade pads into the mist. "It's alright, Spiderwebs."

I jog slightly to catch up to her. My legs aren't as long as hers, so I sometimes find it trouble that I can't keep my pace. "How long until we get to the base of the mountains?"

"I'd say a few days if we continue at this speed." Shade doesn't look back, but continues walking. "If we were a little slower and less careful, perhaps a quarter to half moon."

"Considering we don't get caught by the Hawk on the way."

The night is dark and still, but I can't shake off the feeling that there are eyes peering at me out of the darkness. I glance, concerned, over my shoulder but nothing lurks there.

I sigh in defeat. "I suppose I do miss my family," I mew, "especially Dewdrop. She was really kind to me when I broke my tail because of the eagle." I stare at my crooked tail. There is an obvious bend in the middle of its length.

"I'm sorry," Shade told me truthfully. "I'd feel just as terrible if I snapped my tail because an eagle was dragging me away, but the Hawks...they would throw out a cat they had to tend to before you could say 'mouse'. They only accept strong, healthy cats, not 'skinny fools', which is what they call sick, old, nursing, or injured cats..."

"The Hawks are - " I start to agree.

Shade suddenly whips around and sniffs the air. "We're being stalked," she spat.

"Stalked by...the Hawks?" I murmur, springing to my paws. I haven't realized that I've sat down until now. "Where are they?"

"Not far behind," Shade snarls, quickening her pace. "There's definitely three or four patrols of them in the night. And we can't see well when it's a shadowy and dark. We need to move."

TWO

"I CAN SCENT TWO CATS!" a raspy voice bellows from somewhere behind us. I jump at the force of his thundering holler.

Shade stares into the shadows, then pushes me slightly. "Run!" she hisses, leading the way. We zigzag around trees and bushes, duck underneath hanging tree limbs, and don't care to lighten our panicked paw steps.

"I can't smell anything!" I whisper to Shade as she swerves around a willow tree. I nearly slam into it but careen at the last moment, gasping for breath.

"Hawks tend to enjoy disguising themselves in creek mud!" Shade hisses back, her golden eyes alight. "Perhaps you can't scent it because you're not familiar with the tactics of the Hawks, but I certainly do."

I follow Shade through the forest. The silver she-cat's nose is brushing the leaf-strewn ground and she looks particularly disturbed. We are speeding through the trees at a pace much faster than before, hoping to avoid the three or four patrols. But soon, as we are nearing the moorland, a malicious hiss makes us halt in alarm.

"Stop!"

A huge, muscular white tom with a threatening stance looms up in front of us. Shade yowls with surprise, stiffening at the sight of the huge white tom. The tom strides up easily. "So," he growled menacingly, "so...long time no see."

Shade gritted her teeth and watched him unblinkingly. "Well, I can't say I'm glad to see you either," she snapped brusquely, thrusting her muzzle in his face.

"Arrogant as always, I see," the muscular white tom yawns lazily, arrogantly. "Well, we can only wait to see what the leader will think of this particular discovery." He talks with such relish I want to hurl him over the side of a cliff. I clench my jaw until I think it would break.

The tom roughly barges past Shade and sniffs me. I stiffen at his rough touch, as does Shade. The white tom straightens and concludes, "I'll kill the maimed one."

The maimed one? Shade was staring at the muscular tom, seeming equally confused. Then I follow the tom's cold stony eyes and see that his gaze is pinpointed on my Z-shaped tail. Before I can dodge, the tom has pounced onto my tail. I screech in fury and pain, surging upwards to throw him off, but he's too quick; a moment later his jaws are snapping at my throat,

Shade darts forwards with a shriek of anger, momentarily knocking the white ton onto his back. The white tom quickly regains his balance and leaps on Shade, crushing her to the ground. Shade gasps she struggles, but the white tom holds her down.

"Ah well, I'll have to kill time he traitor." The tom raises a paw to slash her throat.

I lunge for him and grab his hind leg between my teeth with a grunt of difficulty, and pull, hard. The white tom stumbles. I attack him with my teeth and claws - bite, bite, slash, bite, slash, dodge, slash. The white tom proves to be a skilled opponent, however, despite my advantage of speed; he dodges most of my blows and by the time Shade barrels into the white tom, my fur is stained with blood.

Shade spots me mid-swipe and shrieks, "Run! Go! I'll hold him off!"

"I'm not leaving you." I grunt as I try to reach her.

Then the white tom strikes at the speed of a viper and brutally slashes Shade's face. The silver she-cat lets out a wrenching scream of agony as his thorn-sharp claws rakes over her eyes.

"Shade!" I scramble up to her as she collapses, paws twitching feebly.

Another cat appears; a mottled brown she-cat with a crooked, sneering expression. "Your friend is helpless now," she sneers. "But you can save her. Join us, and she will be spared. If you don't we will kill her."

A circle of cats surround us, but I try not to notice. Shade is breathing faintly, but she's alive. I can hear her heart beating fast as I press my ear to her chest.

"DECIDE!" booms the huge white tom, thrusting his muzzle into my face.

My mind races. I can't leave Shade here to die alone, killed by these Hawks, but what can I do? I try to glare bravely at the cats, but my heart sinks as more appear from the trees. This is far more than four patrols. I can't beat them on my own, especially with Shade.

"Well?" snaps a gray tabby with a menacing glare. "If you don't make a decision, we'll kill your friend." She pads closer and raises her paw over Shade's throat. I wince, expecting her to immediately slash Shade's throat open, but she stands stiffly there and glares.

"I - I'll join you," I whisper, but an idea soon forms in my mind. If I join them, then I'll find more information for the war than necessary...

The huge white tom seems surprised, but he gives me a stiff, cold sneer. "You'll be expected to follow our rules," he threatens, "the Hawks always catch criminals."

His chilling words make me shudder, but I meet his searing amber eyes, trying to hide my distaste. "I won't disobey the rules," I mutter finally in consent. Shade tries to lift her head but fails.

"Come with us to our secret camp," the huge white tom orders. He must be the leader of the patrols, I think. "And if you dare tell the location to the Kingdoms...you'll be discovered in the act within moments."

I swallow and nod.

THREE

"Can you walk?" I murmur to Shade out of the earshot of the Hawks, bending down to her.

"I - I can't see," Shade replies. Her golden eyes are barely visible through the large amount of blood smeared over her muzzle. I feel a tide of anger directed at the Hawks. I want to tear their throats out, all, of them. Shade had only been trying to defend me, only to get this.

I wave my paw over her eyes. She doesn't blink. Her eyes don't even flutter a tiny bit.

"It - it's probably the blood," I try to comfort her. "Once we're at their secret camp we can get you all cleaned up."

"I hope that's true," Shade rasps, staggering to her paws. "It's dark. Everything is black. I can't see anything..."

My heart turns to stone at her words, but before I can say anything, the gray tabby who had been threatening to kill Shade earlier snarls. "Hurry up, you useless creatures!"

I stiffen, but I'm too concerned about Shade's momentary lack of sight to feel offended by her jabbing taunt. "Coming," I call back as evenly as I can. I help guide Shade around the trees and bushes with my tail.

Finally the white tom leads us towards an old badger set in the ground. I take a step backwards at the sight of it. "That's a badger set," I point out as the cats began filing into the tunnel.

A young gray she-cat glares at me, seeming unfriendly. "It's our camp, rogue," she snaps before rudely shoving past Shade, causing the silver she-cat and to stumble.

"A badger set?" Shade asks uncertainly, wandering away. Her face is still covered with blood. I hurry over to her and guide her down the tunnel, whispering under my breath, "This could be useful information."

"I suppose," Shade says as we come out through a narrow opening. We're emerging into a huge underground clearing. The area is lit by a large gap in the ceiling where moonlight shines through. Dens woven from brambles are set in rows down the clearing, like battle tents. As we walk through the isles I notice that there are only battle dens filled with soldiers; no medicine tent or nursery or elders' tent. The Hawks must not care for the weak. I glance nervously at Shade, hoping that she didn't count as 'weak', now that she'd been injured so badly. But surely they had to respect their promise to spare her?

Finally the huge white tom ushers his companions away. They divide into small groups of two or three and head into separate tents. We are ready to leave, too, when the white tom snarls, "Come with me. I will take you to the leader."

I shiver. This cat was intimidating enough, the leader might be even worse. I gulp and guide Shade after the tom, who heads up the isle towards the largest tent. It is made of brambles like the others, but is decorated with tiny red flowers that remind me of blood drops. I wrinkle my nose with disgust as the white tom squeezes into the tent. I force myself to follow. I can feel my heart beating wildly as Shade sniffs around and stumbles into the tent.

A huge stone plate growing with moss and bits of grass is set in the den. Jagged rocks hang from the ground, and I immediately think of outstretched claws. A dark brown cat sits on the stone plate as if it is a throne. Her icy blue eyes narrows as the white tom hastily backs up and dips his head respectfully.

"Who is this, Freezepelt?" Her voice reminds me of cold ice and the talons of the eagle which had snapped my tail.

The white tom bows his head. "I've found you some recruits."

"An injured one and a partially maimed one at that," sneers the she-cat.

I glance self-consciously at my crooked tail. I open my mouth to retort but Freezepelt shot me a warning stare. The she-cat's ice blue eyes flicker to Shade.

"Shade," she hisses.

Shade manages to speak through the blood. "Well?" Her challenge was brave, but she sounds puny next to the she-cat.

"You look...different," the she-cat murmurs silkily, rising to her paws.

Freezepelt quickly interjected. "I taught her a lesson not to mess with us anymore."

"You didn't even recognize her!" I yelled. "You - you only - "

The she-cat silences me with her menacing look. "Freezepelt, you are dismissed," she snaps. The huge white tom nods respectfully and backs out of the den, his tail low. Once he's gone, the she-cat turns to Shade. "Perhaps it's time to give you a second chance."

I stare at the she-cat, trying to disguise my amazement. I had expected her to throw Shade out, or punish her, not let her stay.

"You two will join as faithful soldiers for the Hawks," the she-cat announces, "and the punishment for breaking the rules is death."

She turns to Shade, eying her bloody face. "You'd better get that cleaned up once you return to your tent," she snarls. "I don't want you dripping blood all over the camp. Weak cats are not tolerated in the Hawks. You will be beginning from the lowest level in the camp."

"Which is our tent?" I question.

"It's one of the larger ones," the she-cat mews menacingly. "It's shaped like a dome and has many young cats in it, usually bickering with one another." She slowly sits down on her 'throne'. I take it as a cue for us to leave and lead Shade out of the bramble den.

We search for a long time before I am able to spot the dome-shaped tent from far away. It's one of the largest tents, although not nearly as big as the she-cat's bramble bush. Shade sniffs around before locating the bramble bush and ducking in. I follow her.

There are five cats inside - two she-cats, three toms. They aren't bickering as the she-cat had described, but instead, curled up in their uncomfortable-looking stone nests and staring out of the entrance of the bramble bush. All five cats leap to their paws the moment we enter. I try to conceal my irritation, and can't help but feel they expect an attack any moment.

"Newbies?" asks a fiery ginger she-cat.

I stiffen and unsheathe my claws, but Shade nudges me to quiet. "Yeah, right," I mutter. "Whatever you feel like calling us."

The fiery ginger she-cat laughs. "Hey, don't be so unfriendly," she sniffs, "I'm Flarepaw. This is Rainpaw - " she gestures to a grumpy-looking gray she-cat with brilliant green eyes - "Eaglepaw, Streampaw, and Talonpaw."

Eaglepaw, a mottled brown tom, Streampaw, a gray-blue tom, and Talonpaw, a black-and-white tom. I try to memorize their names over in my head.

"We're apprentices," Flarepaw tells me. "This is my squad. We're a group of the younger ones. There aren't as many older apprentices, they live in a separate tent not far away. Our squad hates Redpaw and her friends. Snubby, bossy, fools." Her eyes flicker to Shade's face. "Wow, what happened to you?"

"We were attacked by your cats," I growl. As much as I think Flarepaw and her friends are friendly, they are Hawks, and those are my enemies.

Rainpaw stares at me. Her thick fur bristles. "Our cats? We didn't prompt the patrols, you know."

I give myself a mental note to watch out for Rainpaw in the future. She was shrewd, like Shade.

Talonpaw stands up. "I'll get her to the river," he assures me. "She can clean up there."

I hesitate. I don't trust these Hawk apprentices, much less their leader or the huge white tom. "Maybe I should take her instead," I suggest.

Talonpaw rolls his eyes. "You don't think I'm going to kill her there - do you?"

He has a fair point. Reluctantly, I nod, and Talonpaw touches Shade with the tip of his tail and leads her out of the bramble bush. She mutters to me as she passes, "I'll be fine, don't worry."

When the bramble branches stopped trembling I settled back down. "Do you like the Hawks?"

Flarepaw stares at me. "Do you?" Suspicion edges her voice.

My head races; whose side is she on? "Of course not! They kill without mercy, they throw out injured and weak cats!"

Streampaw lowers his head. "We don't like the Hawks either, but we can't do anything about it," he replies. "Some cats in the camp hate the Hawks too, but if they ever say a word about it, they get killed. The punishment for crime is death in these tents."

"That's - " I want to sniff stupid, but I hold myself back.

"It's okay, we don't need to talk about that," Eaglepaw comforts me, flicking his tail with understanding. "What are your names?"

"I'm Spiderwebs," I tell him, "and my friend that Talonpaw took is Shade."

Every apprentice in the room suddenly gasps, except for Flarepaw, who questions disbelievingly, "Shadespirit?"

"She was banished from the Hawks after refusing to kill one of the Kingdom cats," I respond uneasily. Shade had never mentioned her old name.

"Yes, that's her," Flarepaw paces in a circle. "Shadespirit is back! I'm so happy. She was really caring to me when I was a careless kit that fell into the river."

At that moment, Shade and her escort duck underneath the bramble bush. Everyone quiets. Finally, Flarepaw meows, "Welcome back to the Hawks, Shadespirit."

FOUR

Shade seems to jump at the sound of her old name. "I'm - I'm not Shadespirit anymore!" she stammers. "I'm just Shade."

Flarepaw snorts, "Every warrior in the Hawks needs a proper name, Shade."

"I'm not a Hawk," I mew in defense of my friend, "and neither is she."

Talonpaw tilts his head in confusion. "Didn't Flamestar name you one?"

"You mean name me Spiderwebspaw?" I giggle uncontrollably at the thought. What a stupid name.

Flarepaw glances seriously at me. "You could tag along," she says, lowering her voice uneasily, "we don't like the Hawks' methods, either, but...we'd be killed if we disagree. We have to follow the Hawks' law."

I pause. Truthfully, I'm only beginning to like Flarepaw and her 'squad'. I still don't trust her entirely, despite her confessions.

Shade opens her mouth to speak when an older soldier - a dark brown tabby with unwelcoming yellow eyes - pokes his head inside the den and hisses, "You're late for training."

Flarepaw warily eyes him, then stands up. "We'd better go," she muttered, "You can meet Redpaw now," she adds, pronouncing 'Redpaw' as if it tasted of rotten, slimy fish. "See if you're fit for her kind."

__________________________________________________________________________________

Redpaw, as she turns out, is well-respected, feared, and obeyed by all her 'squadmates', even those older than her.

"Well, they're more of servants, honestly," Talonpaw grumbles, padding past me. "But they're more than willing to support the slimeba."

Shade murmurs uneasily to me as we sit opposing Redpaw, who decides to only stare at us and sniff critically.