CHAPTER 11
Today was the day.
Sparkpaw sat outside the apprentice's den, looking around at all the camp activity. Today was the day that she would leave ThunderClan on the apprentice's quest. She would miss her Clan heavily, but deep down she knew that she would see everyone again.
No pressure, right?
She angled her ears towards her brother's voice calling her. She already finished her training today; all she had done was go on the dawn patrol with her mentor. She thought it was underwhelming for her final lesson with Cherryfall, but she knew that it could be worse; it could be intense battle training that would leave her exhausted and unfit for her departure.
"Sparkpaw!" Alderpaw called again, padding up to her with a large vole in his jaws. "Were you daydreaming? I kept calling you over and over," he muttered through the prey.
"Sorry," Sparkpaw quickly apologized. "What do you need?"
Her brother dropped the vole in front of her. "Do you want to share this with me?"
Sparkpaw brightened. Not only would she be leaving ThunderClan, she would also be leaving her family; Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, Alderpaw... her heart felt heavy at that thought. "Of course!" she answered. This is the last time I'll ever spend with my brother...
Alderpaw took the first bite, and soon they just began to chat away. Sparkpaw tried her hardest to not give any hints of her leaving, instead talking about random small thoughts that came to mind.
She buried the remains of the vole and got up to replace the moss in the elder's den. She poked her head in, nodding to Sandstorm and Millie, who were still somewhat grieving over Graystripe's death. "I have some moss for your nests," she announced, flicking her tail.
"Good," Millie sighed, arching her back in a stretch. "This nest was starting to feel like a stone."
"She's right." Sandstorm agreed.
Sparkpaw quickly dragged the two older nests and began making new ones. After a while of awkward silence, she spoke up. "What? No story today?"
"Oh," Sandstorm rasped. "Well, there's not much to hear from us. I bet Purdy's stories were much more interesting, eh?"
Sparkpaw twitched her whiskers in amusement. "Yeah!" She remembered the days of being a kit, where the elder apparently entertained litters and litters of kits with his entertaining stories. Sadly, he had died not long after that; not of a disaster like Graystripe, but simply age. He was missed the moment it happened, for he was one of the most unique members of the Clan.
The apprentice stepped back. "It's fine. I'm all done, anyway." She pushed one of the nests forward with a paw. "Enjoy."
Millie nodded, slinking into the new nest. She curled her tail over her face, obviously not wanting to be disturbed anymore.
Sparkpaw watched her for a moment before regarding Sandstorm. "Is she... is she okay?" she whispered.
Sandstorm glanced at her. "She's fine. Her kits have done all they can to help, no matter how much she tries to shut them out."
"And yourself?" Sparkpaw pressed, wanting to make sure she was okay as well.
Sandstorm nodded. "It'll take much more than that to take me down!" she mewed, swiping a paw in the air.
Sparkpaw purred in amusement. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. See you later!" she meowed, leaving the somewhat empty den.
This time, nobody approached or called her; she debated what to do next. Take a nap? No, she didn't want to sleep through the whole day. Visit Jayfeather, Leafpool, and Briarlight? She doesn't want them to suspect anything. But what if she needed traveling herbs...? Eh, she could live without them. She sighed. Sparkpaw had to choose something to do; looking up at the sky, she let her paws lead her to the empty apprentice's den, where nobody questioned her as she put on a tired look and curled up for a quick nap. She'd probably need it.
Excitement woke her up a few hours later, where, once again, it was dark outside. Perfect timing. Sparkpaw easily maneuvered over her brother, giving him a long, sad look before going outside. There didn't seem to be anyone out; it was quiet, and tonight, no moon shone its light on the stone walls of camp. She gazed over towards the dirtplace tunnel. That would be her escape route.
Like a ShadowClan cat, the orange she-cat crept across camp, making sure to watch for anyone that could be wandering about. She held her breath as she approached the entrance of the dirtplace tunnel, letting it out as she heard nothing there. It was time to go.
Sparkpaw turned around, muttering a quick "farewell" to her Clan. She set one paw in, ready to start the plan she has thought out. She would sneak through the dirtplace tunnel, roll in the mud (no, not the dirt) there to disguise her scent, and go. After that? She had no idea. She trusted StarClan to show her the way.
A sudden noise made her freeze, and her breath caught in her throat. The guard! Sparkpaw totally forgot! How could I be so stupid? she insulted herself. If only she had brown fur to disguise herself! She dare not move as pawsteps sounded closer and closer to her, and breathing tickled her ear. At last, the pursuer spoke. "Where are you going?"
Sparkpaw felt everything crash down on her. Great. She was caught. Whoever this was would send her off back to the apprentice's den, and then the night would be over. She recognized the voice. It was none other than Sorrelstripe, her friend. "I..." she started. She didn't want to lie to her friend, nor did she want to wake the entire Clan up. "I'll explain. Follow me," she whispered, padding over to the end of the tunnel.
She had a better view of Sorrelstripe once they were out of the cramped tunnel, but saw no anger in her eyes. Only curiosity and confusion. "What's going on?"
"I have to leave..." Sparkpaw looked down at her paws. "I can't stay here in ThunderClan."
"What?!?" Sorrelstripe growled. "That's ridiculous! You fit perfectly here!"
"It's not that," Sparkpaw shook her head quickly. "I have to go. I have to go on a journey." She didn't know how to explain this to her friend without giving everything away, so she prayed that it would work.
Sorrelstripe didn't look so convinced. "Do you not like us? You're being too vague. Give me the truth!"
"I can't!" Sparkpaw whined, trying to keep her voice down. "It's... my destiny." She didn't know how else to word it, and it didn't seem too much of a lie either. She couldn't hold off anymore; she shoved her friend away and began rolling in mud.
Sorrelstripe took a breath. "Wait, Sparkpaw," she urged, padding over to where the mud was. "Let me go with you."
What? Sparkpaw stopped once again. "Why?"
"I can't live in the Clan knowing you left," she explained. "Don't you know that everyone will be looking for you?"
"That's not a problem." Sparkpaw reassured. "By the time they find out we're gone, we'll be far away."
Sorrelstripe looked hurt for a moment. "And," she began, "do you really think that you, an apprentice, can do this by yourself?" she challenged, unable to hide a hint of amusement.
She had a point. "Okay-"
"I'm not done yet." the warrior interrupted. "Lastly... you're my friend. I don't want you to just go out all alone. Friends always stick together."
Sparkpaw sighed. She clearly lost this battle. "Fine," she said. "But if you want to go back home... feel free. You don't have to do this if you don't want to."
"Of course I do!" Sorrelstripe argued, rolling in the mud. Her pelt didn't look any different than before, but now her scent as well as Sparkpaw's were disguised. "Ready?"
"Ready," Sparkpaw responded, her voice determined. Secretly, she was jumping for joy. She didn't want to be left alone for this dangerous quest.
The apprentice looked up, where the stars shone StarClan's approval on the two ThunderClan cats. Nodding to her friend, Sparkpaw began padding away, her friend following. Goodbye, ThunderClan.
Without another glance, the two friends dashed away, far from everything they had ever known.
CHAPTER 12
Alderpaw stirred, slowly blinking open his eyes. Something had woken him during the night, but he ended up falling asleep again anyway; now it was morning, and something in him told him something was wrong. However, this time, Molewhisker didn't poke his head in and yowl at him to get up; it was peaceful and quiet.
Upon getting up, Alderpaw noticed that Sparkpaw was not in her nest; in fact, it was cold. Strange, Alderpaw thought. Maybe she was called for the earliest patrol. He twitched his whiskers. Poor her. This morning, the sky was overcast, and for once the sun wasn't blinding him.
What he didn't expect was Cherryfall looking around wildly in alarm. Instantly worry crept through Alderpaw's brown pelt. Was Sparkpaw hurt? Why's Cherryfall here? The apprentice dashed up to her, stopping in front of her with his amber eyes questioning. "What happened, Cherryfall?"
Cherryfall lashed her tail. "Have you seen Sparkpaw or Sorrelstripe?" she demanded, voice hard.
Alderpaw was taken aback by her tone. "N-no," he mewed weakly, beginning to suspect why everyone was panicking.
"Cats of ThunderClan!" the voice of Bramblestar boomed. "We must address this situation immediately!"
"This is bad," Cherryfall hissed, looking up at her leader. Alderpaw did the same, flattening his ears.
"As you all know, Sparkpaw and Sorrelstripe have been reported missing," Bramblestar called. "Sorrelstripe was the guard last night, and has not been seen since. Sparkpaw has been said to have vanished overnight."
Alderpaw gasped. Had they been kidnapped by a rogue overnight? Urgent commotion sounded below the ThunderClan leader, drowning out his voice.
"Silence!" he yowled, lashing his tail. "We must keep calm and take control of this situation," he meowed. "Search parties will be sent immediately! Our Clanmates will be found!" Bramblestar vowed, though he couldn't hide the anxiety in his final words. He leapt down from the highledge, Squirrelflight at his side, and immediately the ThunderClan cats began surrounding him. Alderpaw followed, knowing that he would be called to help and wanted to.
He could hardly hear Bramblestar as he approached, but as his father continued to dismiss more of his Clanmates, Alderpaw began to hear better. "Cloudtail, you are the Clan's best tracker," the leader was saying, "so take Alderpaw, Hollytuft, Mousewhisker, and Rosepetal and search by the abandoned twoleg nest. Stormcloud, go with Poppyfrost and Lionblaze..." Knowing where to go, Alderpaw padded over to the gathering cats, Cloudtail gazing at him as he approached, almost out of sympathy. We'll find Sparkpaw! the apprentice told himself, but he wasn't sure if he believed himself.
"Are you ready?" the white tom asked, flicking his tail toward the waiting cats.
Alderpaw nodded. "Let's go as soon as we can."
With a nod, Cloudtail and the group darted out of camp.
A lot of different scents hit Alderpaw once they were on their way. It was obvious that Bramblestar and Squirrelflight had sent most of the ThunderClan cats out in worry of their daughter. Alderpaw and his parents had already lost the other two kits in their litter, Frostkit and Morningkit; even though he was young then, he knew that Squirrelflight was no longer how she used to be.
"Coming, Alderpaw?" Hollytuft called from ahead. "We need to be looking even when we're not there yet!"
"Sorry," he muttered, narrowing his eyes and padding a little faster to catch up the black she-cat. He scented the air, but smelled nothing but the scents of other cats. "This is useless."
"We can't give up yet," Cloudtail mewed. "We haven't even got to the abandoned twoleg house. That seems like a good place for a prison." The roof of the house could be seen above the trees, meaning it wasn't far off. Cloudtail raced ahead, eyes darting around the forest.
Fair enough, Alderpaw thought, following.
"This place is really crumbling," Alderpaw observed, glancing around the dirty gray walls of what once was a place for twolegs to live. His ears pricked, hearing a brick clatter to the ground noisily. Soon enough, this place will fall! He also heard a mouse scuttling somewhere, but ignored it.
"Okay," Cloudtail began, stopping near the center of the abandoned house. "Our goal here is to look through every crack and investigate any noise to find at least some sign of Sparkpaw and Sorrelstripe. We'll all split up to make it go quicker. Are we clear?"
"Clear," the ThunderClan cats murmured.
The white tom nodded. "Very well. Let's begin."
Alderpaw had decided to go his own way, rummaging through a pile of bricks for some sign of buried prey or something similar. He found that the nest was older than he imagined; some of the bricks crumbled a bit when he touched them. He never really had time to look at the place, as he had only been there a few times in his life. "Would Sparkpaw and Sorrelstripe really stay here?" he wondered aloud. I wouldn't be able to sleep with a roof like that over my head. The pile of scattered bricks had yielded nothing but dust and an old twoleg thing that somewhat creeped him out.
"Hey," Hollytuft meowed from across the room. "We haven't found anything either. We're going to head outside and check there."
Alderpaw nodded, looking at the brick pile and then the she-cat as she left the building.
He turned around to follow, but a faint noise made him freeze. He pricked his ears. It sounded like a faint buzzing... and it was fast approaching. Alderpaw turned around, eyes widening in fear at what was approaching him - a large, loud, moving cloud.
He had no idea what it was, but he needed to run.
Letting out a yowl of alarm, Alderpaw bolted out the door space, blundering past his Clanmates in pure instinct. All he knew is that he needed to get to camp, and he would be safe from whatever it was. Green flashed by him and his lungs and muscles screamed in pain, but he continued running. Alderpaw was so exhausted that he didn't even register that he had sped right into camp.
His chest rattling, he collapsed on the ground, wheezing.
What he didn't know was that the cloud had followed him right into the heart of camp.
CHAPTER 13
"Let's go," Sorrelstripe meowed, shaking her pelt of grass that clung to her pelt.
"All right, all right," Sparkpaw yawned, flexing her claws as she stretched. The two cats had ran as far as they could from ThunderClan territory during the night, as they needed to make sure that they wouldn't be found. Because of that, they only got a few hours of sleep, and they had a whole day ahead of them. "What way do you want to go?"
"Well," Sorrelstripe mewed. "According to our Clanmates, the mountains are that way. However, they're snow covered and dangerous, and I don't think that's what was in your dream, right?" she asked, tipping her head to the side.
Sparkpaw shook her head. "No, that's not what it was like at all." She looked over in the direction of camp, thinking. "Didn't Bramblestar say that the territory behind us was largely unexplored?"
"That's right. Should we head that way?"
"It's a good start." Sparkpaw shrugged, beginning to pad away.
"Hold on," Sorrelstripe stopped her. "We need to think this through. We can't just walk through ThunderClan territory; duh! The dawn patrol will be out and they'll scent us." she said, flicking her ear.
Sparkpaw felt somewhat uncomfortable. How could she forget that when she hadn't even been gone a day? "All right," she said. "We'll go around. You don't mind getting your pelt dirty again, right?"
"No way," Sorrelstripe said with a hint of amusement. "My pelt's already covered with mud; I'll be a mud cat by the time this is over."
The two she-cats made their way around ThunderClan territory rather stealthily. They covered themselves in mud and flowers quickly as they could, ensuring that they could hide without being spotted. They decided to go around by the ShadowClan border, which was rather risky, but waited until no patrols from either Clan were out; then they simply dashed for it, safely making their way around the abandoned twoleg home and past their camp. Sparkpaw recalled scenting her brother faintly near the strange house; she felt the faintest bit of regret, knowing that it would be a very long time before she would be able to see Alderpaw again.
"This is weird," she remarked as she stepped into the unfamiliar forest. "It's so close to our territory, yet no ThunderClan cat has ever stepped paw here."
"I wonder if this is what it felt for the Clans when they discovered the lake." Sorrelstripe wondered.
"Possibly." Sparkpaw said, stopping when her belly protested. She sighed. "Should we hunt?"
Sorrelstripe purred in amusement. "Of course. We haven't hunted in a while, and we have a whole forest to hunt in!" She immediately tasted the air, eyes darting around as she caught the scent of prey. Sparkpaw joined in, also smelling what her Clanmate did; a squirrel.
Sparkpaw beckoned for the warrior to go for it, flicking her tail towards the animal. It clung to the side of a tree, a nut in its mouth. Sorrelstripe crouched and headed towards it, Sparkpaw watching in silence. Finally, she struck, swiping at it. It fell to the ground, and the brown she-cat quickly finished it off while it was dazed. She looked up at the apprentice.
"Good job!" Sparkpaw congratulated, impressed with her hunting skill. She was only an apprentice, and she was still learning. She was more thankful than ever to have an experienced warrior with her.
"Come on. We can share this and move on." Sorrelstripe declared, setting it down in front of her.
The two cats quickly ate their catch, which would fill them up for enough time for them to travel a significant time. Sparkpaw had felt a little bad about eating without giving her food to the elders, but reminded herself that StarClan would understand her situation. She drew a paw over her mouth. "That's enough for me."
"And me too." Sorrelstripe agreed, quickly burying the remains of her catch. "Let's keep moving."
"Look at that!" Sparkpaw squeaked, seeing unnatural light ahead. "Twolegs!"
"I didn't know that twolegs lived back here," her companion meowed, looking a little worried. "Hopefully they don't expand their territory into ours."
"Come on," the orange tabby pushed Sorrelstripe. "We're way far away now. But I think we should keep our distance, even if it's only a few nests." A cluster of nests were huddled together with a few trees. Sparkpaw and Sorrelstripe cautiously made their way around the nests.
The fur on Sorrelstripe's neck rose. "Wait."
"Huh?" Sparkpaw stopped, turning to face her Clanmate. Her eyes widened. "D-dog!" A small dog was hurtling towards the cats behind Sorrelstripe, yapping away excitedly. "Run! Behind you!"
Sorrelstripe didn't dare turn back, bursting into a sprint. Sparkpaw followed, but the dog was light and fast. Sparkpaw curved to the left to see pointed ears. The dog was barely far away at all now. Sorrelstripe headed toward the twoleg nests, hoping that the twolegs would notice and call the dog back.
It worked. As the cats and dog dashed past the back door of one of the nests, an angry yell sounded. The dog halted, turning towards the voice. Using the opportunity, the ThunderClan cats continued running away, this time past the nests to where another forest awaited them.
Sorrelstripe collapsed on the ground. "That was a rush," she panted.
"Agreed. Let's make a note to not go back there," Sparkpaw mewed. She looked down, noticing that the ground under their paws was uneven and rocky. "I guess there are mountains back here, too!"
"Look at the trees!" Sorrelstripe pointed out. "They're like ShadowClan trees, but much taller." Trees surrounded them at all sides, tall and dark with few branches.
"Cool." Sparkpaw got up, nosing a pine cone. "I don't think we should rest here. It's damp."
Sorrelstripe shrugged. "Okay. Let's keep going, then."
Sparkpaw's paws stung by the time they passed through the hills. They weren't that large, but they were quite rocky. Her paws were sore from walking over so much rock, and Sorrelstripe was no exception. "I'm glad that's done."
Sorrelstripe gave her paws a quick lick. "I agree," she said, stopping as she saw another cluster of lights. "More twolegs?"
"They're everywhere." Sparkpaw answered. This time, there were actual buildings, with many lights hanging off of them. They weren't that tall, around the size of some of the twoleg nests they passed earlier. "Well, I guess we should stay here for the night."
"I would rather not, but I need some rest," Sorrelstripe sighed, yawning with exhaustion. "Besides, we can explore tomorrow."
Sparkpaw herself wasn't too tired, but she wasn't just going to explore an unknown twoleg settlement alone at night. "All right," she nodded, searching for something soft to sleep on.
Sparkpaw and Sorrelstripe had finally found some feathers- most likely from prey thst another cat had caught, as they were scattered everywhere, yet clean. Sparkpaw curled up in the makeshift nest, her gaze watching the light spot that was to be explored the next day. "Good night," she whispered, closing her eyes.
"Good night." Sorrelstripe repeated, looking absolutely tired. Soon, her flank rose and fell slowly with sleep.
Sparkpaw opened her eyes again, watching the consistent light for a while. "StarClan, please tell me that I'm going the right way," she asked, shutting her eyes, awaiting the grip of sleep.
CHAPTER 14
Unable to move, Alderpaw could only stare in horror at what was fast approaching him and his Clanmates. As it came closer, he finally saw what it was. Hundreds of tiny, yellow and black striped insects worked together as a giant mass, beginning to split up. A swarm of bees.
Instantly yowling arose in the ThunderClan camp as the swarm began its attack. Alderpaw thrashed around, feeling the creatures stinging him repeatedly. He could barely notice the same thing happening to Lilyheart's kits, Larkkit and Honeykit. Leafkit was nowhere to be seen.
Lilyheart raced outside the nursery, wondering what was going on. She let out a battle cry as she leapt toward her two other kits, swiping at the bees. The bees previously attacking the kits stopped, joining with the rest of the small group to attack the queen. Lilyheart kept up her attack, but the pain was overwhelming her. She fell, growling in defiance.
Alderpaw flailed on the ground, feebly trying to get himself up to help his Clan. He muscles just couldn't respond; he could only endure the pain and watch what was going on.
Bramblestar's pelt flashed by the apprentice as he and Squirrelflight attacked the main swarm together. "Get the kits and elders to the nursery!" he called to nobody in particular, stomping on a stunned bee on the ground.
Finally, Alderpaw managed to shake off the rest of the bees. He noticed that they fell after stinging him once. Good, he thought. They'll all finish themselves off. Shaking his pelt, he weakly limped over to Larkkit, Honeykit, and Lilyheart. His eyes widened in horror. Larkkit looked okay, but Honeykit had been stung pretty badly. Larkkit was whimpering in pain, but Honeykit was suspiciously quiet. Lilyheart was growling, her eyes fierce as she endured the pain of the stings.
Honeykit opened her eyes as Alderpaw approached, much to his relief. "Alderpaw..." she whispered, almost so quietly that the apprentice couldn't hear.
"It's okay," Alderpaw reassured, though he wasn't sure himself. Honeykit was covered in red bumps from where she had been stung. "I'm taking you all to the nursery. You'll be safe there." He looked at Lilyheart as he said that, but she gave no sign that she had heard him. The brown tom gently picked up the two kits by the scruff. Larkkit mewed in protest, but Alderpaw just held on tighter. As he made his way to the nursery, he saw Leafpool preparing herbs. Jayfeather and Briarlight were outside, swiping and taking the blows of any bees that dared come near the medicine cat den.
Thornclaw had already directed Sandstorm and Millie inside. All were covered in bumps, but Sandstorm was fiercely yet feebly trying to push Thornclaw away. "Let me out," she hissed, fur ruffled. "I'll fight. I still have some left in me."
"No," he growled back. "Bramblestar ordered that you were to stay in here. It's so you stay safe. The leader's word is law."
"Excuse me," Alderpaw muttered, carrying the two kits inside.
The act stopped the two cats from fighting. "Alderpaw," Thornclaw gasped. "Are the two kits okay?"
Alderpaw set them down in the softest nest there. "Larkkit's okay, I think," he said, who was now squirming. "But Honeykit looks to be the worst of them all."
Sandstorm padded over and nosed the poor kit. "She's been pretty hurt," she mewed. "We need to get her over to the medicine cat den now!"
Thornclaw kept Sandstorm at bay, almost as if he knew that she use that as an excuse to get out. "Alderpaw, are you willing to take her?"
Alderpaw nodded, picking the weak kit up by the scruff. "I'll be as fast as I can," he promised.
"I'll take care of Larkkit," Millie meowed, looking worried. "Oh, and Alderpaw?"
The apprentice turned to the elder questioningly. "Yes?"
"Check on Briarlight, will you? I don't want her out fighting. She could get hurt."
You're a little late for that, Alderpaw thought. He merely nodded and squeezed past Thornclaw back outside.
Bees were still buzzing wildly outside, though nowhere near as many at first. The majority of them were laying still on the earth. The remainder of the ThunderClan cats were working to eliminate the rest of the insects. Ivypool and Dovewing were working together to attack a group. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight were nearby the entrance, almost succeeding in pushing the swarm out. Hollytuft and Fernsong were carrying moss to the medicine cat den. The sight made Alderpaw upset. Sorrelstripe and Sparkpaw should be there to help them!
Suddenly, Alderpaw was assaulted by some more bees. He growled, setting Honeykit down and standing protectively in front of her. He swiped at the bees, shaking his head. He didn't have time for this!
Rosepetal barreled right into the center of the bugs, distracting them. "Need help?" she asked, unsheathing her claws.
"Thank you." Alderpaw nodded quickly, picking the unresponsive Honeykit back up. He wished he could stay behind to help the warrior, but Honeykit was in danger. He flattened his ears, hearing Rosepetal mewing in pain.
"Alderpaw!" Briarlight explained, alerting Jayfeather. "What's wrong?"
"It's Honeykit," he answered. "She's been stung badly." Alderpaw set the kit down for Jayfeather to inspect.
Jayfeather quickly nosed the kit, pelt bristling. "She's not in good condition," he hissed. "I'll treat her right away." He whipped around and vanished inside the medicine cat den.
Briarlight looked at Alderpaw as if she could read his mind. "I know that Millie would never approve of me doing this, but I'm actually pretty good and keeping these bees at bay," she meowed. "I can't feel it if they sting my back or lower."
"Right," Alderpaw responded. "She wanted me to check on you, but I won't tell her you did this."
Briarlight nodded. "Look!"
With a snarl, Bramblestar pushed the remainder of the bees of out camp. He panted, his legs wobbly. "We did it," he called. "The bees are gone."
Camp was a total mess. Bees were sprawled everywhere, and many cats lay in place, unable to move. Everyone was covered in painful red bumps. Alderpaw's heart was heavy seeing the damage. He had caused this disaster, and the whole Clan suffered from it.
Bramblestar limped up to the highledge, amber eyes bright despite his exhaustion. "Is everyone doing okay?"
Hearing him, Briarlight stuck her head in the medicine cat den. She dragged herself to the center of camp. "Honeykit and Lilyheart and hurt the most, but they'll live," she announced. "Leafpool says that everyone needs to wait to be treated."
"Mom?" A small squeak sounded from the apprentice's den, and Leafkit dashed outside, completely unharmed.
"So Leafkit was hiding the entire time," Alderpaw said to himself. "Smart."
Bramblestar turned his attention back to his Clan. "Then we will operate according to Leafpool's word. All injured cats must go to the medicine cat den to be healed. The search for our Clanmates will be called off for now, as well as the details on how this happened. Right now, our main priority will be to be treated." he called, unsteadily sitting down. "Dismissed."
Ducking his head, Alderpaw trudged over to the medicine cat den, where most of his Clanmates were sitting and waiting for herbs. He placed himself between Spiderleg and Whitewing, who had injuries similar to his own.
He stared at his paws as he waited. All of this is my fault. he told himself. Thanks to this, Sparkpaw and Sorrelstripe could be dead or far away, camp is a mess, and almost every ThunderClan cat is injured. "I'm a failure," he muttered, too quietly for his Clanmates to hear. "I'm not worthy of being Bramblestar's son!"
CHAPTER 15
When she opened her green eyes, Sparkpaw forgot where she was for a moment. Instead of lying in the apprentice's den with Alderpaw, she woke to the sound of birds chirping quietly in the trees. Rolling over, she stared at the blue sky above her head for a few moments, recalling what she was going to do for the day. Explore the twoleg settlement.
The orange she-cat crawled out of her nest. Sorrelstripe was still sleeping nearby, showing no sign of waking up. Twitching her whiskers, Sparkpaw prodded her with a paw. "Get up," she said. "We need to explore."
Sorrelstripe yawned. "Oh, right," she mewed. She drew a paw over her face. "Shouldn't we hunt first?"
Sparkpaw shrugged. "I'm not quite hungry yet," she said. "I'd like to explore first, if that's ok with you."
"All right," Sorrelstripe nodded. "Let's go, then!"
"Now that we're closer, I'm not so sure," Sparkpaw said uneasily. The two were hiding out behind a dumpster full of crowfood, as the main thunderpaths looked dangerous. Many twolegs were walking about carelessly, the stench overwhelming the Clan cats. Sparkpaw even noticed some mangy cats padding alongside them, but there was nothing to suggest that they were related. "We should probably avoid the streets as much as possible," she suggested nervously.
Sorrelstripe peered out next to the dumpster and shuddered. "I agree. I think I saw some narrow, empty paths we could travel instead."
Sparkpaw nodded. "Good. You lead the way."
Sparkpaw constantly looked behind her back as the two traveled through some of the alleyways. They were dark and suspicious, and with Sorrelstripe in front, she worried that something would pounce on her from behind. Every noise and movement made her jump.
Sorrelstripe stopped, causing Sparkpaw to bump into her. "What?" she snapped.
"N-nothing," Sparkpaw stuttered, the fur on her spine lifting. "Isn't this creepy to you?"
"Not yet," Sorrelstripe meowed, voice dripping with confidence. "So far, it seems that we're the only ones here."
A faint hissing sound caused the two to stop. Sorrelstripe swiveled her ears toward the noise. "The trash cans!" she exclaimed, crouching into a battle position.
It could be anything, Sparkpaw reasonably told herself, doing the same. She subconsciously unsheathed her claws.
A gray animal slunk out of the lid, a ringed tail following. Sorrelstripe relaxed. "I've heard of these animals," she said. "They're called raccoons. They're like badgers," Sparkpaw shivered at the mention of the deadly beasts, "but much weaker. They only eat trash."
"I'm trusting your word on that one," Sparkpaw muttered, her gaze pinned on the animal as she passed it. It glared back with its beady black eyes.
"So you are scared!" Sorrelstripe declared, moving a little faster. "Those things aren't scary at all!"
"Hey!" Sparkpaw growled. "I'm only an apprentice! We're in an unfamiliar dangerous place filled with our worst enemies!" she hissed, defending herself.
Sorrelstripe said nothing in response, hanging a right to go to a much lighter path.
The action made Sparkpaw nervous. "Wait. Aren't we supposed to just go straight to pass through?"
Sorrelstripe shrugged. "It was getting a little dark," She turned around, but saw only one path. "What the?"
The apprentice rolled her eyes. "Great. Now we're lost."
"No, we're not lost," Sorrelstripe reassured. Let's just keep going straight, where it's safe."
After a few moments of traveling forward, the ThunderClan cats found a somewhat light circle ahead of them. "Finally, somewhere to rest!" Sparkpaw exclaimed, rushing forward.
"Wait!" Sorrelstripe grabbed the apprentice by the scuff, pulling her back. "This could be a trap."
Sparkpaw didn't seem to hear her. We're making progress, so we can rest here, she told herself. "No, it's fine. I have a good feeling about this place." She broke free from the warrior's grasp and padded forward.
Her mood changed very quickly when the light hit her. Suddenly, she felt unsure of herself.
Something is watching me.
The apprentice tasted the air, but could smell nothing but crowfood. But she knew someone or something was here; she could feel eyes watching her from the darkness, even when Sorrelstripe padded up next to her.
A shape was making its way out of the darkness, revealing a cat with a pure white pelt and yellow eyes. "Hello," it greeted. Sparkpaw noted that it had a friendly gaze.
"Uh... hello," Sparkpaw began. "Who are you?"
The other cat flicked her ear. "I am Moth," she meowed, "And welcome to our safe haven."
Confused, the orange she-cat kept her guard up as a bunch of other cats revealed themselves, some mangier and slimmer than others. Are we being surrounded? Sparkpaw wondered, seeing a fair amount of cats appear behind Moth.
"You are not in any danger," Moth promised. "This is where travelers come to stay. You don't seem to be around here, and you certainly aren't the only ones. However, the others beside me are the ones running this place; would you like to meet them?" she offered, ignoring the annoyed snort that one of them made.
Sparkpaw glanced at Sorrelstripe, who met her gaze and nodded. "Okay," she mewed. Together, the two she-cats approached the group of cats.
Behind Moth were two black cats, a somewhat blue cat, a silver tabby, and a cream cat that looked somewhat old. The bluish tom approached first. "My name's Jay," he said. "Moth's mate. I know the most about this town and how to get around."
One of the black cats spoke next. "I'm Night, and that's all I'm going to say," she said defiantly, amber eyes fierce.
The other black cat, who had fur that stuck out, bowed his head. "My name is Scorch. Unlike my name, I am fairly calm." Sparkpaw looked between the two cats. Are they siblings? she wondered.
"I don't know why I deal with this," the cream colored cat muttered. "I am Briar. I only stay here because they insist that I do so." The cat reminded Sparkpaw of someone that she heard about in nursery tales; Mousefur, a warrior of ThunderClan who was a fierce warrior and elder.
"And lastly," the silver tabby mewed, "I'm Frost, Moth's sister. All of us are the cats that maintain this place so others have a safe place to stay."
Moth took a breath. "So that's all of us. I, Moth, can be considered the leader here. Would you be willing to stay here?" she asked kindly.
Sparkpaw flicked her tail for Sorrelstripe to make the decision. I don't know about these rogue cats, and Sorrelstripe probably has an idea in mind.
Sorrelstripe shut her eyes for a few moments. "Very well. If you are what you seem, we will stay here. But only for one night; we must continue our journey tomorrow."
Moth nodded satisfactorily. "Very well. We will bring some prey for you. Find a space wherever you'd like."
Geez, does she think we're kittypets? Sparkpaw thought, following Sorrelstripe. "Do you think this is a good idea?" she whispered.
"I think so," Sorrelstripe nodded. "These cats seem kind. They all - or, most - have friendly gazes. They seem to be the real deal, with how many cats are staying here already."
"I hope you're right." Sparkpaw admitted, following the warrior. They didn't have much time to waste; they would stay for one night, then continue their journey to find the edge of the cliffs like StarClan promised.
CHAPTER 16
"Alderpaw, please go with Birchfall, Snowbush and Molewhisker to the WindClan border." Squirrelflight ordered, lashing her tail.
"Right." Alderpaw nodded, following Molewhisker towards the entrance to camp. A few weeks had passed since Sparkpaw and Sorrelstripe had mysteriously disappeared without a trace. There were no new warriors or apprentices; Alderpaw was well into his training and Lilyheart's kits were still a few moons too young. Luckily, everyone had managed to recover from the bee swarm incident, but the apprentice still felt a little bit of guilt for the terror he had caused.
"Are you ready?" Snowbush asked as the two approached.
"Of course." Molewhisker mewed. Alderpaw nodded again.
"Good." Birchfall lashed his tail. "We need to make sure that WindClan has been staying on their side of the border."
Recently, WindClan had slowly grown more aggressive as time passed. It was obvious that they had finally recovered from their tunnel ordeal. They came close to crossing borders and hunting ThunderClan prey. Clearly they thought that the Clan would do nothing about it; Bramblestar vowed to prove them dead wrong.
"Why is WindClan such a thorn in our sides?" Alderpaw asked to nobody in particular as the patrol made their way to the border.
"They always have been," Snowbush shrugged. "I guess we just have to have a rival."
"That's not exactly true," Birchfall shook his head. "Back when I was a kit, they never attacked us. It's all Onestar's fault."
"I've never really liked them," Molewhisker commented. "They always start fights at gatherings-" The tom stopped as he scented something. "I can smell them," he stated urgently.
Birchfall growled, stopping in front of the border. "It's clear as day," he said, flattening his ears. "They crossed the border again!"
"Ugh!" Alderpaw gagged. "I can smell them everywhere..."
"This is outrageous!" Molewhisker flattened his ears. "They padded around like it was their camp!"
"How could we have let our guard down?" Birchfall asked, lashing his tail.
What's that? Alderpaw wondered, spotting something red nearby. He gasped. "They killed prey too!"
The two warriors bounded over. "I can't believe it," Birchfall hissed. "They killed our prey, ate it, then left it here. How can they be so disgusting?"
"We must tell Bramblestar." Molewhisker nodded. "He won't be happy to hear this."
Alderpaw's mind swirled. Just what was wrong with WindClan? Are we going to have to start calling them "Wind" now?
"I believe you're looking for us?" The ThunderClan cats whirled around. Alderpaw's eyes widened with dread. "It's them," he whispered. A small WindClan patrol stood calmly in front of them; they must have been too distracted to notice their approach. They were outnumbered. It consisted of Harespring, Breezepelt, Featherpelt and Oatclaw.
"You did this," Birchfall hissed, wasting no time.
"Oh, we did it all right," Breezepelt sneered. "Listen. ThunderClan is weak, so we thought it'd be a great idea to take what is rightfully ours."
"Stay calm," Birchfall whispered to his Clanmates, but Alderpaw already felt the fur on the back of his neck rise. Despite being an apprentice, the loyalty that ran through his family burned inside him.
"Well, I'm glad you admitted your mistake," Molewhisker said, puffing out his chest. "Say that again when Bramblestar himself is out for your pelt."
"He won't be out for our pelts." Featherpelt mewed. "Not when we're safe in our new territory."
"Bramblestar's too cowardly to fight us anyway," Oatclaw swished his tail in dismissal. "He takes after Firestar."
Alderpaw growled, unsheathing his claws. He couldn't handle the jeers anymore. Bunching up his muscles, he aimed towards the one that aggravated him the most - Breezepelt. The apprentice leapt, swiping at the black tom.
Breezepelt easily blocked his attack, raking Alderpaw's shoulder and ramming into him quickly. Alderpaw reeled. He could hear his Clanmates' urgent mews, but couldn't understand them. Before he knew it, the WindClan cat had him pinned to the scented earth. "Oh, is this Bramblestar's true son?" he mocked. "I'll admit, you seem better than his illicit half-Clan kits," he said, making Alderpaw even more angry, "But like all the others, you're simply too prideful. A shame, really." Breezepelt dug his claws into the apprentice, making him wince.
"Fox-heart," he growled, trying to get him off.
"Enough!" Birchfall yowled, grabbing the smaller WindClan cat and thrusting him off. "Stop this now." He turned to Alderpaw, looking angry, then toward the WindClan cats. "Forgive the apprentice. He has a lot to learn."
He's going to let them go without defending us? Alderpaw thought, rapidly licking the spots where Breezepelt dug his claws in.
"Go back to your own territory," Molewhisker said. "We've all had enough."
"Retreat," Harespring meowed to his Clanmates, then turned away towards his own camp. He then stopped and faced the ThunderClan cats again. "I have a message from Onestar," he said. "Consider this a warning."
"A warning?" Alderpaw asked, suspicious. Birchfall and Molewhisker urged the deputy to continue.
Harespring ignored the apprentice's comment. "Meet us on the border, this very same border, at moonhigh," he said. "We will be discussing things between us." Without waiting for a response, he began to pad away. "Or else!"
Now we definitely need to tell Bramblestar, Alderpaw thought, very worried. He'll know what to do.
-
"And that's all that happened," Birchfall said. "Harespring didn't even give us a chance to clarify."
"I see," Bramblestar looked deep in thought. "This is not good. Considering what else happened today," he said, quickly glancing at Alderpaw, "I feel they may be baiting us." He flicked his tail. "Thank you for alerting me of this. I will call a meeting shortly."
"No problem," Birchfall bowed his head. Molewhisker and Alderpaw did the same, then padded out of the den.
As the two warriors dispersed, Alderpaw expected Sparkpaw to run up to him. He sadly reminded himself that this was no longer the case, and with no other apprentices, he had virtually nobody else he was friends with. Staring at his paws, he made his way to the bottom of the ledge to wait for the meeting to start.
"Cats of ThunderClan!" Bramblestar called, staring at the now gathering group of cats. "Birchfall has reported that WindClan has decided to go all out against us."
"Are they going to fight us?" Spiderleg whispered to his daughter Rosepetal.
"I'm not surprised," Thornclaw hissed.
"Quiet," the leader demanded. "Harespring relayed a message from Onestar to Birchfall telling us to meet them on the border at moonhigh. He stated that it was for discussion, but nobody is clear on what kind."
"If I may speak," Squirrelflight meowed. "I feel that it may be a trap. Just look at how WindClan has been acting - crossing our borders, stealing our prey and acting aggressive. If they want to discuss something with us, it's most likely going to be about a battle."
A murmur of agreement sounded below the leader and deputy.
"After I heard this, I have decided on what ThunderClan will do," Bramblestar said. "We will go to this meeting tonight, but we will bring plenty of patrols ready to fight and a medicine cat on standby. We are warriors! We will be prepared for anything they may send at us!" The Clan cheered in support. "For now, the senior warriors will discuss this further in my den. You are dismissed to get ready now. I will announce our official plan later."
Alderpaw took a deep breath. He had taken in all of the information that Bramblestar reported. So we will be fighting, he mused. Is this war? Did my sister leave because of something like this? He suddenly felt very scared.
Will I make it out of this alive?
CHAPTER 17
Sparkpaw awoke to the sound of something hitting the ground and a scent reaching her nose. She opened her eyes to see something black and furry in front of her. She recoiled as she sniffed it, waking Sorrelstripe with her movement. "What's going on?" she asked drowsily.
"They left us prey," Sparkpaw answered. "At least, I think this is prey..."
Sorrelstripe raised her head to sniff the similar body in front of her. "It's rat."
"Rat?" the apprentice repeated. It didn't really look like something she would eat; it looked more like crowfood found on a thunderpath.
As if she could read her thoughts, Sorrelstripe took a bite of her own. "Don't be disrespectful," she said. "This isn't something we're used to, but it's still prey. From the looks of it, our new friends caught it for us. And we need all the energy we can get."
Sparkpaw sighed. She watched her Clanmate eat for a few more moments, making sure that she wasn't going to suddenly fall dead, before taking a small bite. It tasted strange, but not sour; she hesitantly took a few more.
"Good morning!" Moth meowed, standing in front of the two. "I hope the night went well?"
"It did, thanks," Sorrelstripe responded, finishing her prey. "We will be leaving very soon. We appreciate your shelter."
"So soon?" Moth asked, swishing her tail. "Very well then." With that, she padded away, most likely to where her other friends were.
Sparkpaw hurriedly finished her rat, pushing it aside. "I'm ready when you are."
"Great." Sorrelstripe nodded approvingly. "Let's go. It'll be way into the day soon."
As Sparkpaw and Sorrelstripe chose a pathway out and began to head towards it, they were stopped by a blue tom. Sparkpaw recalled his name from the night before; Jay. "Hold up. Where are you going?"
"We're leaving." Sorrelstripe answered simply, gazing impatiently at the alleyway.
"That's not what I meant," Jay mewed. "Where are you trying to go?"
About that... Sparkpaw thought. Gee, we didn't think this through, did we? "We're trying to find a place, but we don't know where to find it," she meowed, finding her voice.
"Do you know some good places to go?" Sorrelstripe asked, going along with her.
"Well, what kind of place is it? I'm a traveler; when I'm not here, I'm exploring. I just might know where you're trying to get to." Jay asked again, drawing a paw over his pace. "Don't be so surprised at this; I always do this whenever cats go."
Sorrelstripe glanced at Sparkpaw quickly, indicating for her to answer. The apprentice closed her eyes, trying to recall details from her dreams. "Well," she began, "It's quite windy and rocky, with a bit of forest, and... Oh! It's a cliff!" Sparkpaw exclaimed.
"A cliff?" Jay tilted his head. "I may know of someplace like that, but it's quite far away," he said. "At least a few days of a trip, that's for sure."
Sparkpaw's heart sank a bit. Considering how we've been going so far, it could take moons!
"But I could help you find it. Listen," Jay leaned in closer to the two she-cats. "There's a nearby city that has some important stuff for us that we can't find here. I could take you there and then come back here," he offered. "After that, it'd be all up to you. How about it?"
Sorrelstripe shared a glance with Sparkpaw. Could they really trust the tom? The apprentice gazed at him. He didn't look like much of a fighter, and if he tried to attack them, it would be an experienced warrior and an apprentice versus a rogue. Sparkpaw left the decision to the warrior.
"All right," Sorrelstripe meowed. "You can take us to this city. But if it's a trap... we'll be ready." she promised, eyes blazing for a heartbeat.
"I assure you, it shouldn't be," Jay mewed lightly. "Very well. I will need to tell my friends of this; just wait here." The tom turned away, leaving the two Clan cats to themselves.
Eventually, he returned, but with some unexpected guests. Sparkpaw gaped. All of the cats she and Sorrelstripe had met the night before was with Jay - and Moth was in front. "We wish to go with Jay, too," she mewed. "It makes our trip to the city easier. We also heard your complain of it being a trap - if we were aiming to trick you, there wouldn't be anyone else staying here right now." she stated reasonably.
"Fair point," Sorrelstripe muttered, though Sparkpaw could hear it.
"However," Moth began again. "If we all go, nobody will be here to keep this place safe. Someone must stay behind." the she-cat said with a hint of regret, glancing at her friends.
At first, there was silence; then Frost gently pushed herself to the front. "I will stay," she said, causing Moth to gasp. "I'm not much of a traveler anyway - and these cats need attending to." she insisted with a lash of her tail.
"But..." Moth trailed. "You're my sister. Can I really trust you to handle all of this yourself?"
Sparkpaw let out a huff of impatience. Come on!
"Of course. Just go, Moth, Jay, Briar, Scorch, Night. I can see your friends are looking a little impatient." Frost gazed playfully at the two.
"Okay, we're going," Moth said, gazing at her sister, the rest of her group, and finally Sparkpaw and Sorrelstripe. "We'll be back soon."
"So where exactly are you going?" Scorch asked, who was walking alongside the fiery apprentice. The whole cluster of cats had finally left, and were well into their journey to the next city. Sparkpaw suspected that they would be there soon, as they had not hunted or stopped since they left. Right now, the ThunderClan cats were trying to get more acquainted with their travel companions, just to make things a little less awkward.
"We're trying to find a cliff," Sparkpaw answered. "We already told Jay when we were originally going to leave."
The pitch black tom nodded. "I see. And where are you from?"
"We're from ThunderClan!" Sparkpaw said. "It's a big group of cats that all work together to survive. We all have different ranks and names."
"For example, Sparkpaw is an apprentice," Sorrelstripe added, who had been talking to Moth. "I am a warrior."
"Interesting," Scorch remarked. "I'm sure Night and Briar wouldn't enjoy that very much."
"Why not?" the apprentice asked. "It's great."
"You see, they're... wary of newcomers, to say the least," Scorch said. "Briar is old, and she always insists that she can take care of herself. However, she never makes the move to leave us. Night, on the other paw, is suspicious. She doesn't trust anyone, like how you didn't trust us."
And we still don't, Sparkpaw corrected the tom internally.
"We're here," Night interrupted, seemingly speaking for the first time today.
Sparkpaw was too distracted on talking to notice. Gaping, she took in the sight of the city -which she wasn't expecting at all. It was very quiet. There were no twolegs roaming the streets, no cats. It seemed deserted. "Is this how it's supposed to be?" she asked, suddenly nervous.
Sorrelstripe, on the other hand, had the fur on her neck beginning to rise. "It's a trap," she muttered.
"No... this isn't how it's supposed to be!" Moth insisted. Flattening her ears, she looked for any sign of life. "Look! There's some cats over there. We can ask them what's going on."
"I thought this was a bad idea," Briar growled. "Moth, why did you take us here again?"
Moth ignored the cream she-cat's question, padding up to two sitting tabbies. "Hello," she greeted. "Do you know what's going on with the city?"
She instantly regretted asking the question when the two unsheathed their claws. "Nothing is wrong with the city." the first one mewed. "We will take you to her. She knows about the city." Before any of the group could do anything, some more cats surrounded them and began moving, forcing them to move forward.
"Er... Thanks," Moth stuttered. "This wasn't the plan."
Meanwhile, Sparkpaw was beginning to agree with Sorrelstripe in that this was a trap. "Where are they taking us?" she whispered.
"I don't know, but we shouldn't have trusted them," Sorrelstripe whispered back. "This was their plan all along. I knew it."
At last, the cats stopped in front of a twoleg nest. It was red and tall, but Sparkpaw couldn't scent any twolegs; only cats she didn't know. "In."
Reluctantly, Moth padded forward into the dark house, fur raised. Sorrelstripe and Sparkpaw gazed at their companions suspiciously. Jay was next to his mate, while Briar, Scorch and Night flanked the outside, claws unsheathed with no idea what to expect.
"Welcome." an eerily passive voice rang out from the silent room. All cats turned towards the source of the voice - a single, flickering light.
Out from the light came another cat, one that Sparkpaw couldn't believe was real. A slim, white she-cat stepped forward. For the condition of the twoleg nest, she was spotless. A torn red thing wrapped around her leg, with something yellow sitting on her head. Sparkpaw assumed they were twoleg things. What was strangest, however, were her eyes. One of her eyes was a deep blue; the other a lighter green.
She gazed at the group for the longest time before speaking again. "I see my guards have sent you here," she mewed. "Pay them no mind. It's for the safety of the city." she flicked her tail. "Welcome to the city. It appears that you have the special privilege to reside here." Sparkpaw backed away as the cat leapt down in front of the group. "My name is Cressida." her gaze bore into the rogues and Clan cats. "Welcome to your new permanent home... with me."
CHAPTER 18
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather!"
Alderpaw flattened his ears, keeping his eyes to the continuously darkening sky as he let himself sit near the highledge. He had been secretly counting the time before the Clan would meet WindClan - somehow, he knew it was not going to go well. The entire Clan was on edge, with the senior warriors looking serious and the younger ones flexing their claws somewhat eagerly. He tore his gaze from the stars to look at his father and leader.
"It is time," Bramblestar began. "WindClan has demanded us to meet them on the border at moonhigh. Because we have no idea what to expect of them, I have formed a plan with our senior warriors and deputy." The cats below murmured nervously. "We will split into groups and hide in the shadows, where they will be unaware of our presence. Should they threaten us, we will be ready for anything - skirmish or war!" the leader called, amber eyes blazing. Will I be in one of those groups? Alderpaw wondered, staying silent as much of the Clan cheered.
"Thanks to Squirrelflight and our older warriors, the groups have already been chosen. Leafpool will be on the scene as well. In addition to her skills as a medicine cat, her time as a warrior will render her as both a fighter and healer." Bramblestar called, gazing at his mate's sister. "She will be with Squirrelflight and I."
"Leafpool!" Alderpaw chanted respectfully with the rest of ThunderClan. The medicine cat ducked her head, embarrassed.
"Now, I will announce the groups. Anyone not called is to stay and guard camp. There are five groups in total, with four cats in each. The first group will have Stormcloud, Thornclaw, Ivypool and Whitewing. The second group will have Poppyfrost, Mousewhisker, Ambermoon and Dewnose."
The called warriors banded together, talking in hushed voices that Alderpaw couldn't understand. He wondered if he would be chosen to go. For the average apprentice, this would seem very exciting; but for Alderpaw, going into battle somewhat terrified him. What if something happened to Bramblestar or Squirrelflight? Sparkpaw would love to be taking part in this, the apprentice thought sadly.
Squirrelflight then stepped forward, raising her voice. "The third group includes Dovewing, Spiderleg, Blossomfall and Birchfall. The fourth includes Lionblaze, Rosepetal, Bumblestripe, and Fernsong."
Hope rose inside Alderpaw. There was only one group left. If he wasn't chosen, he would be staying in camp, perhaps entertaining Lilyheart's kits or taking care of the elders.
"... Lastly, Berrynose, Hollytuft, Brackenfur and Alderpaw." Squirrelflight finished, leaping down alongside Bramblestar.
That very same hope crumbled, leaving the apprentice crushed. Dejected, the tom met the warriors, tail dragging on the ground. "What's the matter, Alderpaw?" Hollytuft asked. "Isn't this exciting?"
Alderpaw didn't meet her gaze, thinking of his skirmish with Breezepelt earlier that day. "N-not really." He had recovered easily from it, with only a few scratches on his shoulders. He was still fully capable of fighting, but he just didn't want to.
"Come on," Brackenfur meowed. "Everyone's going. We don't have too much time before the moon passes." He jerked his head towards the sky, following the rest of the Clan towards the entrance.
He looks so old, Alderpaw observed. Is he really fit to go? Then again, Thornclaw is going, too. he thought, following the rest of his group.
"To me," Brackenfur hissed quietly, flicking his tail. Berrynose and Hollytuft covered him from the side, leaving Alderpaw to watch from behind. There was no trouble as the ThunderClan cats made it to the border, and right now all five groups were hiding, unnoticed thanks to the scent of the border, in darkness.
Bramblestar, Squirrelflight and Leafpool waited in plain sight, the leader and deputy looking calm yet ready for anything. "So you actually decided to show up," a familiar voice mewed, and out came Onestar himself, followed by Harespring.
Of course Onestar is here, Alderpaw thought, trying to keep his fur from bristling.
"Onestar." Bramblestar nodded to the WindClan leader. "We have heard your message. What do you want?" he demanded, getting right to the point.
"Now is the time." Onestar hissed, flexing his claws. "For generations, we have remained loyal to StarClan and kept secure hold on what is ours."
Bramblestar gritted his teeth, but kept listening.
"Unlike ThunderClan, our blood is pure and our warriors are strong."
How dare he! Alderpaw thought. He had been raised near the likes of Daisy, Millie and Stormcloud, who, despite their heritages, were loyal members of ThunderClan. And yet Bramblestar didn't let the comment affect him.
Onestar flicked his tail, and his simple signal brought horror upon Alderpaw. WindClan cats began flooding from the plains and bushes, some that the apprentice could identify easily. He noticed every ThunderClan cat in sight tense. It was eerily quiet. "Tonight, the ongoing war between ThunderClan and WindClan will end." Hostility and confidence rang in Onestar's voice. "Only one shall survive tonight. WindClan, attack!"
Onestar is a coward! Bramblestar, do something! If we weren't here, my parents and Leafpool would be dead! Alderpaw's mind whirled.
The clearing exploded with snarling and hissing from both sides. In a heartbeat Alderpaw could see nothing but multi colored pelts from both sides. Brackenfur, Hollytuft, and Berrynose propelled forward, claws unsheathed to meet their enemies. Alderpaw hesitated, stretching to see his parents surrounded, then followed. They will not die. I will not die.
The apprentice was immediately met by an opponent, a dark tabby tom that he didn't recognize. His amber eyes glowed in the darkness for a moment before he lashed out. Alderpaw, being smaller than him, jumped back, almost bumping into someone else. He hoped it was an ally. Crouching, he darted forward, claws out. The WindClan reared up, ready to counter, but was stopped by a call. "Leaftail, I need some help here!"
Ha! Alderpaw raked his claws down the warrior's shoulder before backing off. He had no idea if it had any effect. Leaftail didn't even wince, just turned away to help the other cat. One down, I guess, the tom thought, glancing around. Where were his parents? I'm going to help them, he vowed.
"Alderpaw," Rosepetal bounded up, whispering urgently. "Nightcloud - you know who that is, right? She's trying to attack Leafpool!" she explained, lashing her tail. "We need to help!" Alderpaw nodded, following the she-cat. Leafpool? Why would anyone want to attack a medicine cat? he wondered, slightly afraid that a warrior would go that far.
Leafpool had her fangs bared, standing in front of the herbs she brought. Luckily, nobody seemed to be getting treated - the battle had just begun. "Nightcloud," she mewed. "What do you want?"
Nightcloud didn't reply. The poison in her eyes made Alderpaw tremble. He had never seen a cat with that much hate. Something must have happened that nobody told me.
The black she-cat's pelt bristled, and she darted forward. Being a WindClan cat, she was fast. Rosepetal bounded forward, Alderpaw following. "Leave Leafpool alone!" she hissed, leaping towards her. Nightcloud managed one swipe, but was pinned on her side by the ThunderClan warrior. She muttered something that Alderpaw didn't catch.
Alderpaw darted forward to help, but in that moment, someone was on him. He grunted as he was pushed to the wet ground, flailing in an attempt to get off. Let me go!
A voice snarled in his ear, and he whimpered in pain. Claws dug into his back. "We meet again, Alderpaw," it hissed. "How are you enjoying those shoulder wounds?"
"Breezepelt!" Alderpaw suddenly felt angry, remembering his fight from the previous day once again. Time to get back at him, he thought, using the rolling tactic again to get him off. "I need to help Leafpool."
"Leafpool," Breezepelt hissed. "She's a coward, a pawn," he shook his head. Alderpaw was confused at what he meant, but kept his guard up. Breezepelt was preparing another attack, the tom looking focused. "I'll take my anger out on you first!"
Alderpaw flattened his ears, his back stinging in pain. He crouched, then leapt, aiming to get onto Breezepelt. However, the WindClan warrior's strength caught him off guard. The two met in mid air, and Alderpaw fell to the ground, the collision along with the descent leaving him winded.
Breezepelt easily took advantage of the opportunity, pinning the apprentice to the ground once again. Alderpaw could feel the sneer on his face. The tom raked his claws down his cheek, causing blood to run down his face. Then, he went for the shoulders again, and Alderpaw wailed in pain. No!
Suddenly, the weight lifted, and Alderpaw stumbled back up. "Thanks, Rosepetal," he breathed, but then froze. Another WindClan cat, similar to Breezepelt, was there. He was taller, yet slimmer, and his eyes were blue. "Crowfeather?"
"Leave Leafpool alone." Crowfeather meowed. "She is a medicine cat. Have you no dignity?" He glared at Nightcloud, who was now standing next to Rosepetal.
Her pelt bristled. "You're only saying that because-"
"Crowfeather!" Breezepelt snarled, the focus in his eyes gone. Before anyone could react, the warrior leapt, claws outstretched, at his father. The two tumbled in a heap of black fur. Alderpaw's heart clenched. What's going on? Two Clanmates attacking each other?
Rosepetal now had Nightcloud pinned again, the she-cat's fangs bared. "Breezepelt," she snarled, her face unreadable.
Leafpool was frozen to the ground, her expression shocked. "Stop! Leave him alone!" She couldn't hide the desperate tone in her voice.
Alderpaw could hardly see the two WindClan cats, but his heart sank when he made out the scene. Breezepelt had the upper hand over Crowfeather, his claws right above the tom's throat. "You ruined my life," Breezepelt snarled. "You destroyed my chances of being a warrior, and instead praised your illicit kits."
Crowfeather growled.
"But now is my chance to make everything right again," The WindClan cat went on. "I will restore my position again! WindClan will thank me!" With a triumphant yowl, Breezepelt sank his fangs into Crowfeather's throat. The tom gurgled, thrashing in pain. Blood pooled from the wound, staining the grass next to him. Breezepelt stood back, triumphant.
Alderpaw trembled. "No... no..." He couldn't shake the icky feeling in his heart. This was wrong.
"No!" Leafpool couldn't take it anymore. The medicine cat dashed up next to Crowfeather, herbs in her jaws. "I'll save you!"
"Leaf..." the WindClan tom choked. "Leafpool." He looked at her, blue eyes sad and loving. "Don't. There's no way... to save me." He coughed, blood continuing to pour from his wound. It was too deep, too much lost.
"No!" Leafpool cried again, dropping her herbs. "How could this happen? We don't need to hide anymore. Everyone knows."
Crowfeather stared. If he could, he would have shaken his head. "Goodbye again, Leafpool... we... will meet again." Did Alderpaw's eyes deceive him, or did the tom have the ghost of a smile? Crowfeather's head fell back, his eyes dulling as he stared directly at Leafpool. He flank stilled.
Leafpool wailed, a wail full of grief. Alderpaw couldn't watch anymore. He looked away. He didn't even care about the battle anymore.
Crowfeather was dead.
CHAPTER 19
Crowfeather was dead.
Alderpaw did not know the black furred tom personally, but he did know of his involvement with the Great Journey - the trek from the old forest where the Clans originally lay to the lake where they were currently spilling blood. Not only that, he did know that Leafpool's real kits were Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and the now deceased Hollyleaf - and judging from her reaction to his death, he was the father. Alderpaw honestly did not care.
Eyes wide with horror, he dared himself to glance at the murderer - Crowfeather's other son, Breezepelt. The WindClan cat's eyes gazed down at his bloody claws, full of satisfaction. The anger in his eyes previously was completely gone, as if it never existed in the first place. "It's over," he muttered. "It's over! I won!" Breezepelt cackled, tail lashing. It appeared that he had no idea that the battle still raged on.
Alderpaw then noticed that Leafpool was completely vulnerable in her grief-numb state. Forcing himself to move, the apprentice approached Breezepelt, suppressing a shudder at his crazed look. He was facing a killer. "Go away!"
Breezepelt turned to face Alderpaw. The apprentice tensed, expecting another brawl to commence. But the warrior made no move to attack. He gazed at Alderpaw, then at Leafpool and the nearby Nightcloud, then at Crowfeather's body.
Breezepelt turned away and vanished into the mass of WindClan cats.
Meanwhile, Rosepetal bit into Nightcloud's shoulder before letting her go. She hesitated for a moment, gaze unreadable, before following Breezepelt's path.
Alderpaw nodded to the she-cat before turning to his aunt. "Are you okay?" It was a lame question, as she was obviously not okay, but he needed to know for sure; it would be very bad if Leafpool would not be able to go on any further.
Leafpool shook her head. "Yes... I am fine." Her voice was unsteady. "Give me a few moments. I must stay and help my Clan." Hesitating for a moment, she muttered to herself, "I am loyal to ThunderClan. I made my choice."
Watching her for a moment longer, Alderpaw padded over to Crowfeather, lightly pushing him to a safer spot. He deserved a proper burial. "I'll stay here for a bit," he called to Leafpool, running back towards her.
At last, when the first few injured cats came in, Alderpaw watched Leafpool closely. She had began treating them efficiently, her old self coming back. Good, Alderpaw thought. Now I can look for my parents.
A sudden chill went up his spine as he faced a WindClan cat that resembled an apprentice. Weren't my parents supposed to be with Leafpool? he thought. Alderpaw shook his head, landing a blow on the swift cat. So much for that idea. I need to focus. Fight now, look later.
The pale brown she-cat darted back and forth, challenge in her eyes. "I'm Larkwing! I just became a warrior!" she boasted. "This will be my first victory!"
Alderpaw rolled his eyes. How could anyone be so optimistic about a deadly battle? "It's on," he growled, watching her movements closely. She was fast, moving forward to swipe and then dodge before the apprentice could counter. Larkwing bared her fangs, suddenly leaping forward. Despite her thin frame, she bowled Alderpaw over, delivering quick swipes. "Got you!"
The brown tom suppressed a growl, taking note of her attacks. While she was fast, her blows were not too painful - some didn't even draw blood. Heaving upward, Alderpaw flung his attacker off, remaining on the ground exposed for a little too long.
Larkwing stumbled backward, but she didn't fall. The she-cat quickly regained her posture, raking her claws down Alderpaw's belly. He yowled in agony, feeling blood well up from the wound. "Ow!" he hissed, lashing his paws out in an effort to get up. At last he righted himself, wincing in pain. Larkwing was watching him now, ready to determine her next attack. Alderpaw flattened his ears. Baring his fangs, he agonizingly darted forward, slashing her one more time before turning towards his own Clan. He had no clue how effective his attack was. He prayed to StarClan that Larkwing didn't pursue him.
"I need to find Leafpool," Alderpaw said aloud. Blood was running down his wound, his vision getting foggier. Panic shot through his veins. I will not die. I will not die. "Help," he croaked, practically passed out in front of the medicine cat. She was watching over Brackenfur, who looked quite ragged. His pelt was covered in cobwebs.
Leafpool turned, eyes widening at his state. "Alderpaw!" she exclaimed. She shook her head almost angrily before instructing him to lay down.
"It hurts." the tom said simply, not thinking straight. His mind was foggy, so foggy...
Leafpool said nothing, applying a stringing poultice to his belly. He didn't even react. Then, she began to wrap his wound in cobwebs as well, including his minor injuries. Only then did Alderpaw's mind clear, and he raised his head, wanting to get back up and find his parents.
A moan made both him and Leafpool turn towards the source. Alderpaw stumbled up, trying to not ruin the cobwebs wrapped around him. Leafpool bounded towards Brackenfur. "What's going on?"
"It's too late." Brackenfur rasped, shaking his head. "My old body can't handle the wounds I've received. It's my time to join my family..."
"No!" Leafpool denied, examining the tom. "Not you, Brackenfur! You've been a loyal ThunderClan warrior ever since we lived in the forest! You were supposed to spend your older days in the elder's den!"
Brackenfur shook his head again. "That is not the case. I die defending my Clan. I could have asked for nothing less." His eyes clouded. "Sorreltail... Molepaw... Honeyfern... Seedpaw... I've been waiting." His breathing was irregular now, the tom gasping for air. Brackenfur stared at the night sky, his final breath escaping him.
Leafpool gazed sadly at him. Not only was Crowfeather lost, so was Brackenfur. Alderpaw's head hurt. There was too much death.
The apprentice lost the motivation to continue, though he was still determined to find Bramblestar and Squirrelflight. Only one question lie in his mind now.
Why won't anyone stop this?
CHAPTER 20
Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, here I come.
Alderpaw winced, his belly wound wrapped up yet not quite ready for movement. He had been resting for a few moments, and the battle has still not been called off by neither Bramblestar nor Onestar. This scared the apprentice. How many more lives were lost that he didn't know? How many more were being awaited? He would have thought that the deaths of Crowfeather and Brackenfur would be enough - clearly he had underestimated Onestar's lust for victory.
The tom tasted the air, but only the scent of blood hit him. Looking for his parents that way would not work - he would have to brave the battlefield once again. He dashed through the moving pelts, thought they were much less active as they were before. Clearly Alderpaw could sense that even they were ready for the battle to end, silently begging for their leaders to call off the war.
"Bramblestar?" Alderpaw mustered, not wanting to get anyone's attention. No reply. Of course he can't hear you, Alderpaw scolded himself. Not with all this noise. Alderpaw then noticed a familiar flash of brown tabby. Is that him? "Bramblestar!" he called, running forward.
The leader was crouching down, eyes darting back and forth. He looked back at his son when he heard his voice. "Alderpaw? Get out of here!" he ordered, baring his fangs.
"But I want to help!" Alderpaw protested, but he obeyed anyway, standing in the cover of some foliage.
Bramblestar hissed, staring at the approaching Onestar, whose claws were unsheathed and face serious. His pelt was matted with wounds and blood. "Bramblestar, it's time for this to end."
"Call off your cats." Bramblestar lashed his tail, looking similar to the WindClan leader. He was clearly exhausted, keeping his guard up in case Onestar had a plan.
"Never," Onestar shook his head. "Only one will get out of this alive." The WindClan leader crouched, then took off, quickly advancing towards Bramblestar.
Though Onestar was fast, Bramblestar still hadn't lost his fire. Alderpaw's father watched the WindClan leader carefully, who was running left to right in an attempt to confuse the leader. Once he got close enough, Bramblestar met Onestar, raking him with his claws.
Onestar hissed, shaking his head quickly. His eyes met Bramblestar's, sending a chill down Alderpaw's spine. What now?
Bramblestar stood his ground, keeping his gaze on Onestar. Bunching up his muscles, he leapt, claws outstretched. However, instead of aiming for the leader himself, he landed in front of him - so when Onestar jumped back, Bramblestar took the opportunity. The brown tabby bowled the smaller tom over, pinning him down. "Give up," he demanded.
Onestar did not respond, writhing in the ThunderClan leader's grip. Baring his fangs, Onestar bit into one of Bramblestar's paws.
The tide of the fight changed in an instant. Bramblestar yowled in pain, having no choice but to let go. Then, Onestar sprang up and seized the leader's throat in his now bloody jaws.
Alderpaw's eyes widened. No!
But it was too late. Alderpaw could already see red running down from his father's wound. Onestar let go, feeling it was sufficient enough. Bramblestar stumbled, giving Onestar a weak yet fiery look before falling to the ground, now motionless. Onestar's look was unreadable.
From further away, a wail of grief sounded. Alderpaw was frozen to the ground, and he wasn't sure whether it was his or someone else's. Stay away, you murderer! the apprentice thought, watching Onestar scan the scene.
"Bramblestar!" a familiar voice wailed, one that was getting closer and closer. Alderpaw stared. Squirrelflight rushed towards the scene, giving Bramblestar a single, grief heavy look before turning to Onestar with fury in her eyes. "You did this!" Claws out, the deputy leapt at Onestar.
The WindClan leader was only moments away from being taken out. He jumped to the side, barely avoiding the she-cat. However, there was no counterattack. Squirrelflight lashed her paws out at every moment she could, and Onestar would only block the attacks. Alderpaw could only watch in horror as his mother quickly gained the upper paw.
Onestar lazily missed one block, causing blood to well up on his side. He stepped backwards, as if he was considering fleeing, but the hole he had dug for himself was now too deep. With a roar, Squirrelflight tackled Onestar, pinning him and raking his belly.
Alderpaw shook at the ferocity of her attacks. How can Squirrelflight be so... so... he couldn't finish the thought.
Suddenly, a bolt of realization hit the apprentice as he watched his mother. She was always said to be different after Sparkpaw and I were born... he thought. If they had lived... would this not be happening right now?
Alderpaw felt sick. Squirrelflight had Onestar by the throat and seemed to be shaking him, almost like a dog. Finally, she let go, panting, as Onestar writhed in pain. The WindClan leader's eyes began to lose their focus, but then flashed back as he looked at Squirrelflight. "Firestar."
Squirrelflight didn't look at him. Alderpaw could practically feel the guilt that his mother must be feeling. She slowly looked back at Onestar, a look of sadness, guilt, and confusion in her eyes.
"I see Firestar," Onestar choked, staring at the she-cat. He had a look that Alderpaw couldn't quite catch. Regret? Familiarity? He wasn't sure anymore.
Squirrelflight again did not respond, staring at her paws as Onestar gasped his final breath. The WindClan tom stared emptily at Bramblestar's mate.
Alderpaw, out of the corner of his eye, spotted a black and white pelt approaching nearby. Who's that? How come I never noticed him? As he continued approaching, he noticed that the cat had stars in his pelt, and Alderpaw could somehow see through him. A StarClan cat?
The cat stopped next to Bramblestar, gazing at him sadly. Alderpaw's heart clenched. Was he taking him to StarClan early? The apprentice kept his eyes on the mysterious visitor as he passed by Bramblestar, stopping next to Squirrelflight. He perked his ears to listen. "Do not feel guilt for what you have done," he mewed comfortingly to the she-cat. "It was his time to join us."
Squirrelflight jerked her head up. "Tallstar?" she meowed with shock. "But I've never been like that before..."
Tallstar shook his head. "Perhaps justice has been served for what he has done." He shot a glance at Bramblestar, who was now beginning to stir. Squirrelflight bounded over to him, looking relieved.
Tallstar nosed Onestar's body, and suddenly, he rose. He flinched immediately as he saw the old WindClan leader, and he began padding away as the StarClan cat flicked his tail. "You're taking him to StarClan?" Bramblestar asked hoarsely.
Tallstar nodded, also looking relieved that the ThunderClan leader was okay. "His actions will follow him for the rest of his time," he murmured. "Perhaps that is punishment enough for Onestar."
The black and white tom sighed. "It is my time to go. Onestar cannot find StarClan on his own." He began padding away, then turned to look back at the ThunderClan cats. "May StarClan be with you, always." His words echoed in Alderpaw's ears as he watched Tallstar and Onestar pad away, going farther and farther until they couldn't be seen anymore.
Suddenly, a very battered looking Harespring dashed up to Onestar. "Onestar?" he asked softly, shaking his head. He looked at Bramblestar, bowing his head. "This battle is over. I must go and retrieve my Clan and nine lives."
Bramblestar nodded slowly. "And mine as well." He stared at Harespring for a moment longer, perhaps wondering if the young deputy-turned leader would follow in Onestar's pawsteps. "ThunderClan!" he called, voice strong with his new life. "It is time to return home. No Clan has won today." Overhead, the sky was dark, with only stars glittering in the sky - with some shining brighter than the rest.
And as the Clan cats returned home in the hollow darkness of night, disturbed by the events that had happened yet retaining their noble spirits, a shadow loomed over the lake, leaving everything they had ever known in darkness.
