Pampered

chapter five - thriller ;;

It felt like we had been walking forever. I had seen so many new things ; a turtle sunbathing on a rock ; trees much taller than my old home ; a vast body of water so big I couldn't see the whole thing, apparently called a lake. I always fell a few feet behind Cedarpaw, but he constantly looked back to make sure I was following. We travelled mostly in silence, but from time to time, he would as me a question about my last life and I would answer.
Finally, by the time my ivory white paws were brown with mud, and I felt like fainting, Cedarpaw called out, "Melody, welcome to ShadowClan camp." He had stopped in front of a large bracken wall and was turned around, grinning at me. The tom approached me and whispered, "Ok, you stay here for a moment. I will go talk to the leader of the clan. He will accept you." I nodded my gray head, and Cedarpaw disappeared through a gap in the wall. I could hear the soft murmur of many cats on the other side, and was very tempted to go through by myself. But instead, I paced along the path for a few minutes. Suddenly, a loud voice boomed. "Bring her in!" It said, though it was thick was an emotion I couldn't identify. Suddenly, my cheeks felt warm, and my heart was thumping. Cedarpaw appeared again, though there was worry upon his face. When he saw me, he quickly smiled, and said, "Come on. I think Shadystar wants to meet you." Carefully, Cedarpaw showed me how to climb through the thick branches of bramble. When I emerged on the other side, blinking my pale blue eyes in the sudden light, my jaw dropped. Cats of all shapes and sizes and ages and health were gathered in a vast clearing. Along the edges of the clearing were big piles of rocks ; in the center was a hug rotting log. A black and white tom covered in scars was standing on the edge of the log, smirking at me. There was a glint of amusement in his deep amber eyes. "Welcome, Melody!" He snickered ; some of the the other cats below him did as well. Cedarpaw stiffened beside me, though at the moment, I didn't know why. "I am Shadystar." The cat in the log continued, "Leader of this clan." Shadystar examined me for a moment. I felt uncomfortable, shifting my forepaws up and down. "Kittypet, eh? If you want to join our clan, we must rid you of that silly name! Come on up here with me, I will give you a proper apprentice's ceremony." Cedarpaw looked up, frowning. "But -" "Shut it," Shadystar snapped, interrupting him. Reluctantly, I shuffled forward, then dragged myself up until I stood beside the massive tom. He was even scarier up close, with a scraggly pelt and yellow teeth, revealed in a wide grin that seemed to hold secrets. He began, in a voice that sounded surprisingly sincere, "I, Shadystar, as StarClan as my witnesses, wip