Shadepaw's POV:

The following day, Shadepaw woke with a start. Once again, a yowl had awoken him. Will I ever be able to sleep normally in this clan?

Sighing, the dark furred tom rose from his nest. He stretched, drawing in a sharp breath as his muscles ached painfully. He hadn't fully thought about how long he'd been seizing up on the ground while the shadows ravaged his mind, it had to have been a while for his body to be this achy and sore.

He felt a warmth press against him and he looked across at Blossompaw. The cream furred she cat smiled reassuringly at him. "Are you okay?" She asked, her green eyes round with worry.

"Yeah, fine." Shadepaw nodded, giving his pelt a brief shake before heading out of the den. Blossompaw stuck to his side like glue.

The two apprentices emerged from the den to see Strike and Tyler bringing in a group of cats. More prisoners? Shadepaw wondered, pausing his stride to scan the clearing. NoName sat expectantly by her den with Dime at her side. Flare and Tigerstripe hovered around the outskirts of camp, their eyes narrowed to slits and their claws ready as they tracked the movements of the new cats. Zephyr was grooming his pelt by the warriors den, but his burning red gaze also followed the newcomers.

The few warriors who had woken up were scattered across the main clearing, watching eagerly as Strike and Tyler set the cats before NoName.

"Is that Magiclan?" Shadepaw heard a young Dark Forest tom whisper to a bigger she cat.

"Yes, Coldpaw. Now hush, no more questions." The older she cat replied sternly, nudging the warrior away. Shadepaw looked at Coldpaw. He had an apprentice name? But he was a warrior!

The white tom noticed Shadepaw was staring at him and turned his sharp grey gaze to his. "What?"

"Nothing." Shadepaw turned away quickly, his fur hot with embarrassment.

A disgusted scoff came from Coldpaw, and the little tom growled. "Mouse-brained kit."

Shadepaw bit back a rude reply, instead turning his attention back to his mother.

NoName had just started talking. "Rabbitstar, I welcome you here to my new home." She nodded her head to the stocky brown tom, her white eyes revealing no emotion.

"So you did it." Rabbitstar muttered, taking a small glance around the camp. "I'm impressed, I thought you'd lose. Where is Lightclan?"

"The remaining cats of the four clans are in the prison den." NoName replied, her words slow, calculated. "We've just experienced an attempted uprising, and it's come to my attention that we need more numbers here, to keep the order."

Rabbitstar's lips parted only slightly to allow a deep chuckle to escape, his light green eyes glinting with amusement. "But NoName, you told me you didn't need me or my warriors." He glanced back at the five cats behind him. "What few are left after Zeye's rampage."

An obnoxious snort sounded from the apprentice's den and Shadepaw whipped his head around to see Blazepaw holding his jaws shut with his paws, his eyes creased with laughter. What's wrong with him?

"Blazepaw." NoName hissed, her temper already slipping away. "Keep those jaws shut or you will receive punishment." 

Blazepaw nodded, taking a deep breath to compose himself. Shadepaw sighed and shook his head, looking back at NoName.

"Accept my offer and the Lightclan cats are all yours to control." NoName muttered, her tail lashing a single time, sweeping up a few whisps of her shadows. Shadepaw watched the whisps, a shudder finding its way down his spine.

Rabbitstar glanced back at his cats. They all nodded. The brown furred tom looked back at NoName. "We accept. My warriors will join you and help out in camp, and the Lightclan prisoners are mine."

NoName nodded. "Dime will show you around." Then she disappeared into her den again, her tail flicking behind her.

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Later in the evening, after returning from a hunting patrol, Shadepaw made his way to the nursery. He felt the need to visit the she cat he had risked his life for, and to see how she was coping in her new den.

Inside the cave, Shadepaw breathed in the warm, cozy scent, sighing as his heart lurched with longing. It had barely been a moon yet he was already yearning to return to his spot at Flowerstream's belly. Life under the Dark Forest's rule wasn't as great as he had initially been told. He wondered what being in a real clan was like, following Starclan's code.

Flowerstream was grooming Spiderkit's fur, chuckling to herself as the little black she kit squirmed to get away. "Keep still." She purred, lapping her tongue over Spiderkit's back, smoothing down her spiky fur.

Shadepaw purred at the queen. "I see you're having fun."

"Oh Shadepaw." Flowerstream looked up at him, a bright smile on her lips. "I didn't see you come in. What are you doing in here?"

"Just visiting." Shadepaw replied, glancing at Redleaf, who was asleep in her nest. Her bloated belly rose and fell rhythmically and she was snuggled into the soft, mossy nest. She looked a lot better than she had barely a day ago. Hopefully she'd be able to have proper nutrition now that she had to care for kits. Surely NoName wouldn't be mouse-brained enough to starve the future mother.

"How's she doing?" Shadepaw asked, looking back at Flowerstream.

"She's still a bit unwell, but she's slowly recovering." Flowerstream looked at the sleeping Redleaf. "Poor Curledtail isn't allowed to visit her. I'm surprised he's not been disposed of, he has no use in this clan."

Shadepaw's fur bristled at Flowerstream's harsh words, but nodded in agreement. "Maybe NoName is waiting to see if Redleaf's kits are strong."

"Why?"

Shadepaw shrugged. "If Curledtail and Redleaf can produce potentially strong Dark Forest warriors, then they both have a use."

"Doesn't NoName have enough strong warriors to do the kitting for her?" Flowerstream muttered.

"Not really.. The warriors have no interest in having kits. And we need them to be able to protect us.." Shadepaw murmured. 

Flowerstream huffed faintly, turning to look at Spiderkit again. The little she kit had fallen asleep, cuddling her foster mother's chest fur. Flowerstream purred softly and wrapped her forepaws around the furry bundle, nuzzling her.

Shadepaw smiled as well and turned to leave the den, his eyes heavy with sleep.

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