Shadepaw padded up to his new mentor. "What are we going to do first?" he asked, trying to sound enthusiastic. "I was going to take you to see the territory." he said, and. He had the unmistakable tone of pride in his voice. He's really glad that he got to be my mentor. I dont doubt that he thought he would never have an apprentice because of his paw. I didn't think he would ever have one, and I certainly didn't think he would be mine​​​​​. Shadepaw thought. "I was thinking that we would go with your Amberriver, Frostpaw, Mistpaw, and Owlfeather." he said. "Sounds great!" purred Shadepaw, not having to pretend to be enthusiastic this time. He was glad he was going to get to explore the territory properly for the first time with them.

Shadepaw had seen parts of the territory as a kit, but not very much. It was when he had first become a trainee in Death Pack, and his trainer, a vicious cat named Skull, had worked him hard, too hard even. It was tough, and it was beginning to show just based off his appearance, but also in his strength. He had more scars than most early trainees, but also more experience. And thats why he was chosen for the slaughter.

He was chosen for the slaughter the moon he became became a trainee. Skull thought it would be "good experience." It wasn't. The slaughter is where the unwanted kits, the weak and useless according to Red and Dark, were killed. Oftenly mothers would leave their unwanted kits in the forest, but sometimes they didnt. Sometimes they loved their kits to much for that.

When Scorchpaw was placed in front of the tiny kits, he knew it was wrong. They were just two moons old. The age of the judging was getting younger and younger. He unsheathed his claws, taking a step towards them, and raised his left paw to strike. He felt it hit something solid. But it wasnt the kit's fragile, fuzzy bodies. It was the ground. "I wont. I wont kill these kits." he growled. Just as soon as he said that, a pair of claws raked across his nose. "You NEVER disobey a superior, and you NEVER speak without being spoken to, do you understand me? They had their chance to live. They have no purpose here. I thought you would understand that. You never seemed to care about your sisters." Skull hissed, and quickly finished the task he had given Shade. "My sisters...you guys killed them?" he said, shocked. "They're as good as dead out in those woods." he growled.

Shade couldn't sleep that night. He was going to help pull families appart? No. He refused to do that. He stood up in his nest that was surrounded by other trainees nests. They all lived under high security. They were allowed one day a moon to visit their family, but that was all. He crawled under an abandoned building to what was their dirtplace. He worked his way over to the corner, and began digging his way out.

By the time he struck light, it was dawn. He was just outside of the city, and in the outskirts of a meadow. It suprised Shade that he had been able to dig his way out so quickly. All lf the training must have paid off a bit after all, if his muscles were strong enough to dig that much in such a little amount of time.

He stayed on the edges for a few days, until he thought he hear a couple of Death Pack members, it sounded like Grass and Lightning. He fled deeper in the forest, where he met Sunclan. He knew from the beginning that they were different from Death Pack. They were kinder, and closer to each other. He couldn't imagine living alone, and he knew that, or at least thought, that Frost and Mist were dead. He had lived there ever since.

"Do you understand, Shadepaw? Shadepaw? Shadepaw are you even listening to me?" Twistedwillow's words broke into his memories. "Huh?" Shadepaw asked. Twistedwillow sighed. " I said ​​said, stay by my side. Dont do anything without my permission." Shadepaw frowned, "You act like it's dangerous." "The moor is. Our camp is so far from there that rouges oftenly decide to settle in." he said.

Mistpaw,Frostpaw, Owlwhisker, and Amberriver met up with them a little ways out of the camp. It was beautiful. More beautiful then he had remembered. The trees towered above him, the leaves red and yellow and brown since it was so close to leaf fall. He loved the ways they crunched beneath his paws. They made it through the forest part within a day, but the sun was setting whenever they reached the fields.

"Should we go back?" Shadepaw asked, a bit dissapointed. "Of course not." Owlfeather said, suprised, then turned to Twistedwillow. "Did you not tell him about the ritual?" She asked. "Of course I did. He must of been daydreaming longer than I thought." Twistedwillow said with a frown, and Owlfeather looked at Shadepaw,"No apprentice could make it across our territory in one day. So during their first journey across the territory, we stay in one of the ancient clan's camp." she said. "Which one?" Frostpaw interrupted excitedly. "Windclan." Twistedwillow answered. Frostpaw bounced on her toes out of excitement, and Amberriver looked just as her. Mist looked nervous. She obviously didn't want to spend the night anywhere near rouges. Shade guessed there were some cats she avoided even before she came to the clan. He walked over to her and put his tail on her side to remind her that he was there, and that he would protect her. Mist looked up at her brother, the anxiety in her eyes fading a bit when she remembered that she had her siblings with her.

They padded through the moor, until it was dusk. They would have gotten there sooner, but they had to stop for a while halfway through the journey, because Twistedwillow's bad paw was aching terribly. Finally, they arrived at a sandy hollow in the fields. "Here we are." Owlfeather said. Frostpaw and Amberriver hardly noticed, as they had been deep in conversation about which prey tasted best. They had been arguing over it since they had stopped for Twistedwillow. Shadepaw wasn't sure how it had started, all he knew was that it was getting annoying. He padded into a small den, which he assumed was once a nursery, based on its size, and curled up, his paws over his ears. Tired, he finally drifted off to sleep.