:.Frostclan.: Before Time (Before Part 1)

(AND NIGHTPELT CAN HAS SENIOR WARRIOR!)

Dapplepaw: My fur bristled as I saw the slinky tom.

Nightpelt: I ran to the border between DarkClan and FrostClan. I rubbed in a pile of bracken that smelt of DarkClan. I ran back to the tree. I hid behind it.

Ravenpaw: I blinked up at Risenstar, flattening my ears.

((Lol sorry, didn't see that post XD))

Tigerstrike smiled, then stopped as well. "Hmm? What's wrong?" She asked, confused.

Risenstar's eyes flashed as he sat in front of the apprentices, gesturing them to sit. "Well Well, I see you got here okay."

Darkpaw nodded, ears flattened as he glanced at dapplepaw and ravenpaw. He felt uneasy around the leader; He acted like he was up to something.

"I assume you all know about the murders that went on just ahead?" Risen asked, smirking slightly.

Spiritpaw's fur bristled. "Y-yes..."

Ravenpaw: I nodded. "Yeah." I whispered.

"It's much worse tonight then ever before. The murders took place on this very day, and if you go there, it is said that the ghost will appear and kill you." He was silent for a moment, studying the apprentice's expressions before going on. "If any of you will go and retrieve a piece of bark from that tree and bring it back, you will become a warrior today."

Snowpaw was silent, looking at the others.

Darkpaw glanced at snowpaw, and their eyes locked for a second before darkpaw looked away.

"I'll do it." Snowpaw meowed quietly.

"I'll-I'll go with him." Spiritpaw said, fur on end. He was realy timid, but he'd do anything to be a warrior.

Dapplepaw: "I wouldn't go if I was offered leader on the spot!"

Nightpelt: I readied myself. Black pelt rippled with muscles and longs white legs full of power. I stunk. Yuck DarkClan! But who comes forth he shall be slain. As the legend says... I was an older cat. Mentor of Willowpaw, who I wish could have been here! She's the oldest apprentice! Only I know that! Her eyes wouldn't open when she was a kit so she grew up with Hawkpaw as her younger sister. I'd tell her when she was a warrior. My thoughts kept me away from my task when I heard the pawsteps. Stealth. Stealth is everything. Remember Nightpaw. Your stealth and power is everything! Protect! I recalled the words of Risenstar in my head when he was my mentor and I was an apprentice, he was a warrior then. I snaked out one long, white leg towards the apprentices and appeared behind them, looking down so my face was a shadow and only the glow of my green eyes shown. I saw Snowpaw and Spiritpaw. Something itched inside me to not trust the white tom.

"Heh." Risenstar smiled slightly at snowpaw. There goes my little brother. I wonder if he'll make it back? He thought, watching snowpaw leave with spiritpaw.

(( LIKE TWO MINUTES LATER))

"I'm scared." Spiritpaw whispered to snowpaw as he slunk through the shadows, side by side with snowpaw as they got closer and closer to the tree.

"It's okay. Just keep telling yourself it'll be over soon, and it'll go by as quick as you can say 'Mouse.'" Snowpaw soothed.

Spiritpaw nodded, and heard a rustiling in the bushes. His ears flattened and he froze, as snowpaw passed him without noticing.

Snowpaw realized after a moment spiritpaw had fell back, and panicking, whirled around and stalked back to where he thought he'd be. "Spiritpaw?" He whispered when he didn't see the small redish apprentice. "Spiritpaw-"

A loud yowl of terror was heard, and snowpaw hurried even further back. "Spiritpaw!" He called, realy afraid now.

Snowpaw stopped cold as he saw a pile of blood, and pawsteps heading away from it.

Spiritpaw was gone.

((SCARRRYYY TIMEEEE

Someone killed spiritpaw, btw, if I was being vague. XD))

Nightpelt: I saw the thing move away. (Nighty didn't kill him.)I shivered and stepped forward to fight Snowpaw. "Fight me, and live, be a Warrior. Fight me, die... well... you die." I growled.

((I knowz. It'll always be a secret what killed him. >:D))

Snowpaw was frozen. he stared at the pile of blood, and slowly turned torwards the tom that he couldn't make out in the dark. "You..You killed him." He whispered. "You..A darkclan warrior..Killed him!" He snarled.

Nightpelt: No I didn't! I wanted to yell. "Now it is your turn!" I shot out a paw towards the white tom.

Snowpaw dodged it, and raked his unsheathed claws on the darkclan warrior's shoulder, angry. He killed spiritpaw! He thought angrily. I won't hold back!

Ravenpaw: I nodded. "I'm not going either." I said firmly, lashing my tail. Then I heard a yowl and my eyes got wide.

Darkpaw's eyes widened as well, and he glanced at ravenpaw again, this time afraid. He then looked at risenstar, who was smiling. What is he planning??! He thought, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm scared.." Pandapaw whispered to ravenpaw.

Ravenpaw: I shifted my paws, glancing nervously over to where Spiritpaw and Snowpaw left.

Dapplepaw: "I-it can't be real! It's a standard FrostClan ritual and I bet you could ask any warrior and they'd say it's a scam!"

Ravenpaw: I nodded in agreement. "None of the other apprentices did this... I think."

Tiger was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I guess your right." She smiled gently.

"If you think so, Dapplepaw.." Pandapaw whispered.

Darkpaw's eyes hardened as he looked at pandapaw and dapplepaw. "Don't worry pandapaw!" He said cheerfully. "If anything happens, I'll protect you!" He puffed out his chest and smiled.

((Skipping ahead a little bit with snowpaw, pretend he beat nightpelt barely and got the bark))

Snowpaw hurried into the clearing so fast that pandapaw jumped and hid behind dapplepaw quickly, which made darkpaw irritated.

Risenstar blinked, and smiled when snowpaw had a piece of bark in his jaws.

Snowpaw dropped the bark, and pandapaw and the others realized his eyes were filled with terror. "A darkclan warrior killed spiritpaw!"

Nightpelt. That traitor! Risenstar's hackles raised. "Darkpaw! Lead the others back to camp Now. " He barked orders.

Darkpaw nodded and flicked his tail. "Come on, Guys!"

Ravenpaw: My eyes widened. I followed the other apprentices back.

Nightpelt: I was still too frightened of the apprentice's death I couldn't have fought properly. I heard Risenstar coming.

Darkpaw's fur quivered with fear with being alone in the forest with no warriors and him leading, but he tried his best to calm down until he'd gotten them safely back to camp.

Risenstar's eyes gleamed dangerously as he got near nightpelt. "You murderer." He growled, unsheathing his claws.

Nightpelt: "Please, I know what you're thinking. I didn't kill Spiritpaw! Honest! I would never do such a thing! Why would I kill Willowpaw's best friend?" I cowered from he leader. "I didn't kill him! Look at the trail of bloody pawsteps, it doesn't lead to me! My paws are not stained with blood!"

Risenstar's fur did not flatten. "You lie. You could've washed your paws off in the lake." He growled. "Now you will be punished." Extending his claws all the way, risenstar let out a battle cry and lashed at the tom he once thought to be his next deputy.

Nightpelt: "I-" I dodged his attack. "I wouldn't have enough time to run to the lake and back when Snowpaw was right there!"

"Tch. There's a pond a little time away; or you could have just cleaned your paws in a puddle!" He hissed, not believing the senior warrior.