above: beetleclaw

chapter 10

. . . 

Rose woke us up before dawn, raking her claws down my flank when I protested and insisted that I get ready. Grudgingly I tended to my new wound and stretched, grooming down my sleep-matted fur.

Frostpaw woke up before me, and was sitting by the so-called door to wait for me. I was grateful for him sticking around.

We walked out together and I looked around. "Where'd Rose go?"

"Her full name is Rosedawn," Frostpaw explained. "She was a part of RiverClan long ago too." 

My mouth dropped but I said nothing. 

"All she does is wake us up in the morning. We walk to the hall ourselves."

"What's the hall?" I wondered curiously.

"You'll see. Are you hungry?"

I opened my mouth, ready with a yes, when a door swung open in front of us. I was greeted with a pristine-looking, white cavern. Lights like miniature suns were strung on the ceiling, and there were planks on the side covered in food. Mice, shrews, rabbits, trout, and other prey were laid out on plates and my mouth watered. 

"Yes, I am certaintly very hungry," I said, and made a move to go forward and grab some prey, when Frostpaw held me back. "There's a line, minnow-brain," he chuckled, leading me to the back to the room.

I stood in shock, observing the long line. It moved at a regular pace, cats moving tot he tables to grab food and tugging it to free space in the cavern. After a little while we finally moved to the front, and my mouth watering, I grabbed a large trout and Frostpaw took a shrew, and he led me to a small area in the corner of the cavern, not too far away from the other cats. Guards were placed all throughout, some walking carefully in the middle, others stationed by the walls. Frostpaw firmly ignored them, crouching down to dig into his shrew.

Footsteps made me jerk my head up. I softened to see Dustysky, and behind him were Stormywind, Beetleclaw, and Thunderfish!

"Stormywind!" I shrieked, tackling my brother to the ground.

He laughed and got out from under me, sparing a worried glance to the guard close to us. I lowered my voice. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, Rushingwave," he murmured to me, picking up his minnow and sitting down beside me. Beetleclaw, with a delighted expression on his face, slipped in between me and Frostpaw and crouched down, taking a bite of my trout. I could tell by Frostpaw's face that he didn't like this relationship.

I smirked and licked Beetleclaw's cheek, returning to my meal. 

We discussed the Missing and other things quietly, Frostpaw only joining in when his opinion was needed. We talked well after our food was finished, and Frostpaw brought us a round of another helping.

Soon we were told to put our food in the leftover pile and walk to our cells. Thunderfish and Dustysky would be fighting, but the rest of us got the day off. I happily went with Frostpaw to my cell. This was starting to feel like home.

After an afternoon of napping, I wanted to go out and explore. Frostpaw agreed with me and we crept out of our cell. No one was guarding the cells.

With a glance up and down the hallway, I ran to the nearest door that did not look like a cell door. The cell doors had small windows and they were white. But this one had a weird handle and was grey and rusty.

Frostpaw leaped up on the handle expertly, turning it and opening the door, and then sprang back as it opened.

My mouth fell open.

"We found the exit!" I gasped to him, nearly falling out of the open door. It led to a small outdoor area, like a backyard of a Twoleg nest, and had a small, easily jumpable fence.

Pawsteps sounded down the hall and Frostpaw swiftly pulled me into a closet across it. We huddled there quietly and heard the guard (or whoever it was) shut the door with a thud.

"Someone must've escaped," they huffed, their pawsteps getting further and further away.

I looked at Frostpaw with excitement and horror shining, mingled in my eyes.

Frostpaw beamed. He opened the closet door catiously and we ran back to our cell in glee, pretending nothing had happened. At that point, it was time to sleep. We would make sure to tell our friends tomorrow.

In the morning we were chained to the now-familiar fighting cavern wall. While Frostpaw distracted the guards by noisly asking who we were going to fight, I filled Stormywind, Dustysky, Thunderfish, Troutprickle and Beetleclaw in on what we found.

"That's a great way to rescue prisoners!" Stormywind whispered.

Dustysky nodded. "The organization doesn't keep tabs on who's here and who's not."

I smirked. "And that's my plan."

The day was spent with fighting rounds. As much as I didn't like being here and fighting against my Clanmates, I had to admit that I was getting better as a fighter. My awareness deepened, and I was now notified of where my opponent would leap by a twitch of a muscle or the placement of their eyes. I was quicker, too, more agile. Less clumsy and less likely to get pinned down because of a failed move.

I was put against Leopardflower. We circled each other warily, before one of us sprang, that being the impulsive Leopardflower. I would jump back quickly, fur bristling, rear up, and she would launch herself at my exposed stomach, sending me tumbling down with her, but I would roll backwards to land on top of her and pretend to slice my claw across her throat. Then we would get up and start again.

This time I leapt, and we tussled together, sending blows to the other's heads before breaking apart. I used the wall to my advantage as she leapt, springing over her head and pinning her down again.

"Time's up!" a guard called.

I stood up, wondering what was going to happen now.

"Now that you all have been training for quite a while, we will put up an official for you to fight against."

I gulped, looking at Leopardflower in concern. I wished her the best of luck as we were split up.

The guard facing me was a medium-sized brown tabby. He had absolutely no muscles and no hunger for a fight shone in his eyes. This one I could take over easily.

The yowl sounded, and just as I was about to pounce, the guard raised his head defiantly and seemed to grow in size. Newfound muscles rippled under sleek fur and his tail bristled as he lashed it. I gulped and crouched down, ruffling my fur.

The tom's eyes suddenly dimmed and his gaze drifted to a passing cat. I relaxed instantly but fell for it, as soon as I lost my wariness the tom leaped, strong paws securing my shoulders to the ground. I gasped, not even trying to fight back.

"We trained you better than this!" the tom growled in my ear, driving his claws into my shoulders. "Fight!"

I waited for him to let me up in vain. "In a real battle, eneimes won't let you up! You need to get out of my hold."

I groaned, and using my newfound strength, I rolled over with all my might, squishing the guard between myself and the wall. It was a cowardly move but it worked.

The brown tabby smoothed down his fur and slithered out of my grip, finding his paws moments before I did. He whirled his paws torwards me as I struggled to stand, and smashed them into the my legs. I fell, tangling up his balance too, so we fell together. This time I managed to get on my feet quickly and pin him down, one paw on his throat and the other on his stomach.

"Good job, apprentice," he hissed. 

"I'm not an apprentice! I'm a warrior!"

"If you were a warrior this wouldn't have taken so long!" the tom retorted, motioning to the other cats, who were done with their scrimmages.

I sighed and began to clean up my wounds. I barely lifted my head as I was led into my cell for the rest of the day. Frostpaw joined me on the small bed and we fell asleep without saying a word.

At least while we slept we could forget about the troubles and the horrors of the Missing.