The loud meowing of furious cats filled the air as Redstar climbed to the top of a branch on the great Yew tree. Emeraldclaw sensed Autumnwind glaring at him from across the camp. What!? Are you still mad about that? Grow a spine and get over it, birdbrain!
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Yew tree for a clan meeting!" Redstar called. "I wonder what our leader has to say about all this…" Lionleap meowed, taking a spot next to Emeraldclaw. But Emeraldclaw didn't respond with anything other than a tiny grunt of acknowledgement. Lionleap was about to say more but quickly hushed himself. Heh, they know not to bother me when I'm in a bad mood.
"As you all know…" Redstar started. "We were attacked by Silverclan on the border. Lunarpelt herself was leading the patrol, and one of our warriors, Owltone, has been heavily injured by the conflict. I'd like to thank our fellow emergency patrol for rescuing our troubled clanmates in their time of need." Yowls of approval rose through the crowd.
"However, as you may know. Tonight is the night of the gathering. That means that Riverstar is most definitely going to bring this up at the meeting…" Redstar continued. "This in mind, I want to ask everyone not to get angry or riled up when he does. We're not here to start any more conflicts." Emeraldclaw rolled his eyes. If any cat gets in my way, I'll shred them to mouse bits.
"Anyway, that's all I had to say. Stormfall will come around and appoint people to go to the gathering. We'll depart at sunfall!" Redstar dismissed the clan with a swing of his tail as cats started going back to normal routine.
"Hey Emeraldclaw. Gathering tonight. Oh, and you too Lionleap!" Stormfall simply called.
"Got it!" Emeraldclaw replied. Lionleap silently dipped his head in acknowledgement. It was no question that Emeraldclaw would be admitted to the gathering, as he was one of the best fighters in the clan. He felt oddly powerful.
Emeraldclaw's mood began to gradually increase as the day went on. He loved gatherings. He really didn't care much for his clanmates, but special cats would always be at the gatherings. Those he considered his true friends. I'll get to see them again! He smiled.
"Woah! It's weird to see you in a happy mood!" Leafshine teased as she padded up beside him.
"What? Is it weird to be happy once in a while?" He grunted.
"Hey, hey, keep your fur on. I was just joking," she purred. "I'll see you around." She flicked his whiskers with her tail before padding away towards the fresh kill pile. She thinks she's so cute with her antics. Emeraldclaw suspected she had a crush on him. Or rather, it was seemingly obvious. But he didn't care either way. She wasn't interesting enough for his concern.
"Alright everyone! Are you ready? It's time for the gathering!" Stormfall called from the middle of the camp. Emeraldclaw looked up and realized that the night was already starting to begin. Time goes by so fast, huh… Emeraldclaw took his place in the line of cats and started heading out. Redstar took the lead, followed by Stormfall. Whistleleaf, the clan's medicine cat, and her apprentice Firesoul, were just behind them.
As they continued trekking towards the Noble Stones, Emeraldclaw caught scent of Silverclan. He bristled as the Silverclan cats ahead glared at them with vicious eyes. "Don't pay them any mind" Stormfall's voice caught his ear as he noticed his deputy has slowed his pace a bit to stand by him. Surprisingly, Emeraldclaw didn't feel the need to argue.
"Sure thing," Emeraldclaw meowed, as he scanned the Silverclan cats for a particular feline. By the time they had entered the stony hollow, Goldclan and Stoneclan were already there. Rainclan had been the last to arrive after Silverclan. Despite all the tensions in the air, Emeraldclaw wasn't fazed by it. He rushed forward into the crowd of clan-mixed felines. He was so distracted that he didn't even immediately realize it when a cat bumped into his side.
"S-sorry," the other cat replied. It was a slender white tom with Goldclan scent. Get outta my way! Emeraldclaw hissed and shoved him aside, heading towards the deputy's area. Ahead were the four deputies of the clans. Stormfall from Rainclan, Ripplewind from Goldclan, and of course…
"Lunarpelt! Amberflare!" Emeraldclaw called in greeting. The two he had named left their station for a bit to greet him. As Lunarpelt approached, her beautiful silver pelt glowed in the moonlight, while the brown and black haired tom, Amberflare, followed.
"Hi Emeraldclaw!" Lunarpelt purred and rubbed her cheek against his. Amberflare also gave a purr in greeting. Lunarpelt and Amberflare were the only two cats Emeraldclaw really cared about.
"I'm so happy to see you guys! I was waiting all day for this gathering!" Emeraldclaw purred.
"That's all well and good but, remember, we are in different clans so…" Amberflare meowed.
"Argh, you always do that Amberflare. Lighten up a bit!" Emeraldclaw gave Amberflare a friendly nudge. It was true though. His two best friends were of different clan. And they were the deputies none the less. But Emeraldclaw didn't really mind. "To me, you two will always be clanmates!"
"Oh, you never change. But you should try maybe getting along with your own clanmates. You know you have a terrible reputation in your clan," Lunarpelt commented. "I always hear your clanmates complain about you at gatherings." For a second Emeraldclaw bristled, but then took a deep breath and let his fur fall flat. Who cares what my stupid clanmates think of me? They should know I'm a better fighter and hunter than all of them!
"Their pathetic plights don't interest me!" Emeraldclaw simply grunted.
"Also…. I'm sorry about the whole border skirmish that happened earlier…" Lunarpelt meowed. "I can sometimes lose my cool a bit." Oh yeah! I forgot about that whole thing. Why did it start in the first place, again?
"It's okay. Riverstar, your amazingly tactful leader, will find a way to twist the story around to where it was Rainclan's fault, I'm sure" Amberflare let out a sarcastic mrrow of amusement.
"Hey there! I don't need any of that from you!" Lunarpelt retorted, but not angrily. "By the way. How is your clan doing? I heard that your clanmates were pretty annoyed when you were appointed deputy." Amberflare hung his head and sighed.
"I'm working on that. It's honestly annoying. They all wanted Troustmist to be the deputy, because he's so cool and strong and all that. But just because he's been a warrior way longer than me doesn't mean I'm not capable," Amberflare meowed, pride starting to come back to his chest. Emeraldclaw felt pity for him. From what he heard last gathering, Stoneclan cats were disobeying Amberflare's orders intentionally and not listening to him despite the orders of their leader. Man, Stoneclan really isn't in good shape right now. I'm glad my clan isn't like that…
But he could hardly blame Stoneclan cats for how they acted. Their leader Shadestar had a pretty dark past. Many moons ago, he had apparently almost taken over the whole forest when he tried to conquer the other clans. His ideology was to help his own clan while ignoring the needs of the others. Emeraldclaw thought it was a miracle that such a leader could remain clan leader. From what he heard, Shadestar tried to walk the road to redemption after a huge war had erupted and tried to re-earn his respect amongst the clans. And while most cats forgave him, no one ever forgot his past deeds. Shadestar had been known to become very quiet and subdued since then.
"Well if it's any consolation, I think you're an amazing deputy!" Emeraldclaw purred.
"Hey, what about me!?" Lunarpelt remarked. "I've been a deputy much longer. And all clans fear my amazing, talented battle skills!" It was true. Lunarpelt was probably the strongest fighter in all the clans. Emeraldclaw has seen her fight many times on the battlefield. She's swift, reads her opponents well, and her moves are so elegant it's almost like a battle dance. Emeraldclaw sighed as he remembered the fight that happened earlier. He didn't wanna help Autumnwind because it would have required him to fight Lunarpelt, who he considered a best friend.
"Alright. Without further ado! Let's begin the gathering!" Dawnstar's voice rang out above all. All four clan leaders were perched on a giant stone that was in the middle of the clearing. The stone reflected the light of the full moon brilliantly, which is why this place was called Noble Stones. "Goldclan is doing quite well…" she began. Emeraldclaw ignored most of what she said, since the usual speeches at the gathering were just the same old speeches about how the clan has good prey, new apprentices, etc. What he, and most of the cats, were waiting for was the inevitable drama that would be brought about by Silverclan's leader, Riverstar. "And we hope that the prey runs just as well during the upcoming leafbare!" Dawnstar finished, taking a step back. Next in line was Shadestar.
"S-stoneclan is doing fine as well. We've recently driven a small nest of foxes from our t…territory… We also have two new apprentices….Duskpaw and Birdpaw…" Shadestar commented. His voice was very shaky and subdued as always.
"Birdpaw! Duskpaw! Birdpaw! Duskpaw!" The crowd of cats in the gathering yelled their name. Emeraldclaw looked over to the Stoneclan cats to see two young cats holding their heads up with pride. That must be the new apprentices.
"A…and that's all I have to report…" Shadestar silently walked to the back without meeting the gaze of the cats below him. Riverstar was about to step forward until Redstar immediately rushed forward.
"As for Rainclan!" Redstar began. Riverstar shot him an annoyed glance. "Our prey has been running well. We've recently found a new source of catmint, leaving us well prepared for the coming leafbare." At that comment, Whistleleaf and Firesoul seemed pleased. As much as Emeraldclaw didn't care for his clanmates, he had to admit, these two were a great asset to Rainclan, and among very few he really respected.
"Yeah, yeah… that's great and all. Now when do I get to speak!" Riverstar sarcastically meowed. Emeraldclaw rolled his eyes. Here we go again…
"I was just finishing my report. Feel free to take over from here." Redstar impressively didn't seem bothered by Riverstar's remark, and stepped back to let the Silverclan leader speak. Time for him to bring up that stupid border scuffle. Emeraldclaw sighed.
"For many years, our clan has flourished in the rich gift that Starclan bestowed upon us. That gift is the gift of water, which is a gift of life! However, despite the usual stormy climate of our forest, we've been lacking rain recently." Riverstar began. "Therefore, our clan has gotten very parched and have a request for our dear friends of Stoneclan!" At that comment, Amberflare seemed visibly distressed. What? What does Stoneclan have to do with anything!?
"What are you going on about now!?" A stray voice yelled from the audience. Emeraldclaw couldn't tell which clan that comment came from. He assumed it was from Stoneclan, though.
"Now, now there. Please hear my plea. Shadestar, I ask of thee to bestow upon us the Glittering Springs!" Riverstar meowed. Shadestar sighed.
"I understand your plight. But all of our clans are thirsty. The river that borders you with Rainclan should be enough to suffice, shouldn't it? And don't forget, your clan camp borders a lake shore," Shadestar calmly replied.
"In ancient times, the spring used to belong to us. Shouldn't it right that we reobtain access to such a
valuable asset to our clan? After all, it was your ancestors that greedily stole the springs from our clan," Riverstar commented.
"That was then, not now. Our clan has no desire to steal anything from you," Shadestar remarked.
"I bet you'd know all about stealing wouldn't you Shadestar! Especially when it comes to territory!" The voice came from a Silverclan cat. Shadestar bristled. Emeraldclaw sighed. Bringing up Shadestar's past was the easiest way to make him angry.
"Urgh! That's enough! I'm not stealing anything! That's ridiculous. The territory is ours! You got that, Silverclan fleabags! If you want the springs from us, then fight us for it. Is that clear, Riverstar?" Shadestar's usual timid nature seemed to have made a complete 180. I guess no matter how good someone becomes, they never really lose their old temper.
But Riverstar didn't seem upset. He simply smirked. "You'll regret those words, Shadestar. You'll regret them…." He flicked his tail at Shadestar before jumping down the stones. "Alright, Silverclan, let's head back. This gathering is as good as done." Riverstar slowly led his clan out of the gathering spot.
"Hey, sorry. But that includes me. I gotta go now…" Lunarpelt meowed as she passed Emeraldclaw. Amberflare was standing beside her.
"Of course. Wanna meet later tonight here? The three of us?" Emeraldclaw said in a hushed voice. Amberflare and Lunarpelt looked at eachother for a second, before reluctantly nodding.
"Fine… but be careful. I'm not going to be caught meeting other clanmates. You know Troutmist will use that as ammo against me," Amberflare commented, turning away and heading towards the leaving Stoneclan cats. Lunarpelt whisked his ear with her tail before heading out also. Emeraldclaw smiled. These cats really are the only ones that matter to me…
Chapter 3
"Riverstar, are you really sure that was a good idea? The river that borders Rainclan is still pretty large. We have more than enough water to last us." Lunarpelt asked as she walked beside Riverstar in leading the Silverclan cats back to the camp. Seriously though. What if there had been a physical fight at the gathering?
"Oh Lunar. It's not just about the water. Don't forget. That spring is a valuable source of fish as well. Prey is definitely an important asset to leafbare. And besides, don't you think Stoneclan's territory is a little big compared to every other clan territory?" Riverstar remarked. It was true. Stoneclan always had the largest territory out of all the clans. The fact that they had the Glittering Springs meant that their clan had way more resources than they needed.
"So what do you plan to do? Are we…. are we going to war with them?" Lunarpelt asked. She gulped down a sense of dread as she said that. Despite the fact that she was a capable fighter, she still hated needless bloodshed. I already know the answer to this question though, don't I?
"I'm not going to beat around any bushes. The answer is yes." Riverstar replied. A few of the clanmates that were walking around them purred with agreement. Lunarpelt sighed. It seemed as if cats were always jumping at every opportunity to fight against eachother. I suppose that's just how rivalry is, isn't it? "I know you're concerned Lunar. But trust me on this. I know what I'm doing. I won't let any of our cats die. I just want to scare Stoneclan. I love my clan. All of you are like family to me."
"That's good to hear," Lunarpelt purred. I guess having the springs would be very beneficial to us. Stoneclan doesn't really need it anyway, do they?
"So tomorrow at sunrise, we'll march our troops over to the spring and surround it, marking the territory along the way. I'm curious to see if Shadestar cares enough to cause potential bloodshed over a part of his territory he doesn't even really need. If he's too prideful, then we'll just have to fight," Riverstar explained. "I have a good feeling about this though. I think our chance of victory is pretty high." Lunarpelt felt relieved by this. Although he was a bit of a go getter at times, Riverstar was very smart. He was a natural tactician, and if he truly believed in a good outcome, chances are, things would go well.
"Looks like we're almost there," Shadowtail meowed as their camp was in sight. Lunarpelt stifled a yawn. Although she was tired, she still needed to meet up with Emeraldclaw and Amberflare at the Noble Stones tonight. That was their usual meeting place. Every once in a while they would meet there after a gathering to reminisce old times.
Although many moons had passed, Lunarpelt never forgot the time when she, Emeraldclaw, and Amberflare were all clanmates. Once upon a time, they were clanmates in a faraway clan called Blueclan. However, after an accident, they ended up in this forest, split apart in three different clans. It all seemed to happen yesterday. The cliff, the river, and then Riverstar finding her at the riverbank when she woke up unconscious. They were still new apprentices when this happened, and ended up being raised in their own respective clans instead of reuniting in the same clan. Although Lunarpelt secretly wished they were a part of Silverclan, she didn't sway in her loyalty to her clan. She was still a Silverclan cat at heart. Riverstar had done so much for her, and she wanted to repay his and the clan's kindness. Eventually, working her way up to deputy, she hoped that she would become a good leader someday.
"Brr…. Why does it have to be so cold nowadays…" Lunarpelt growled to herself as the cold air of the night hit her fur. She was heading towards Noble Stones. All of her clan was asleep at this time, so she left, telling Minnowfin that she was going for a "nightly hunt" when questioned at the clan entrance. Despite her loyalty to her clan, Lunarpelt still felt a tang of guilt whenever she went to meet Emeraldclaw and Amberflare. I'm not betraying my clan am I? I'm their deputy though…. What am I doing?
Lunarpelt considered turning back, but when imagining the look of disappointment on Emeraldclaw's face, she kept moving forward. He's always so happy to see me. They both are. As she neared the gathering spot, she could see Emeraldclaw's beautiful white fur glowing in the moonlight. He turned his head to face her with his glittering green eyes. "You came! Amberflare should be here soon!" He called.
"Quiet, remember? We don't want any cat to hear us." Lunarpelt meowed.
"Oh come on! No one's going to be out this late!" Emeraldclaw retorted. He purred as she arrived at the giant stone that the leaders usually spoke on. "I'm glad you came. Honestly…"
"Howdy, lovebirds," Amberflare called as he padded into the clearing.
"Seriously, Amberflare? Enough with the jokes!" Emeraldclaw hissed.
"Relax, relax. I'm just blowing off some steam. My clanmates were being a pain in the fur again," he sighed.
"You two should trade clans. Amber's cool and gentle nature would go well with Rainclan. And Emeraldclaw's temper and abrasiveness would work perfectly in Stoneclan," Lunarpelt mused. Emeraldclaw purred in amusement.
"In all seriousness though. Sorry about… Riverstar," Lunarpelt mewed.
"It's fine. I'm honestly surprised he didn't mention the scuffle that you guys had with Rainclan," Amberflare responded.
"You knew about that?" Emeraldclaw gasped.
"Lunarpelt mentioned it earlier at the gathering, remember?" Amberflare commented. "Anyway. Is your clan planning on taking any action?"
"Amberflare, I'm not going to make any comments," Lunarpelt gazed at him sternly.
"I take that as a yes then," Amberflare sighed. "This whole thing is honestly really mouse brained."
"To our defense. Stoneclan honestly has way too much territory already. I think Shadestar could afford to offer us the springs. Maybe you can convince him to deal with this matter peacefully," Lunarpelt pleaded.
"You know how my clan is. We're the aggressive bunch of the lot. Shadestar is kind at heart, despite his old days. But the clan cats won't want to resolve things peacefully. We've always had this fighting spirit to us," Amberflare commented.
"You and Shadestar should really discipline your clan," Emeraldclaw remarked.
"You should really discipline yourself! You don't even have any friends in your own clan do you!?" Amberflare bristled. Emeraldclaw's eyes widened as he was taken aback. "Sorry. I shoudn't be taking my anger out on you. It's just, Shadestar really tries his best. He wants to show all the clans that he's a kind hearted leader."
"Hasn't he already? He's helped out the clans numerous times. I remember when he used to donate supplies to the other clans every moon back in the day," Lunarpelt meowed.
"Cats don't forget these kinds of things. I agree with you. Shadestar really is a good cat now. Even if I wasn't around when the Great War happened. I think his past still haunts him even today," Amberflare sighed. "Anyway, I should probably get going back to my clan. Whatever happens tomorrow, I'm sorry in advance."
"If we happen to fight, I'll be giving it my all," Lunarpelt meowed. Emeraldclaw seemed distressed at her reply. He doesn't realize the importance of clan division. Amber and I are deputies now. We have to give our utmost loyalty to our clans.
"I'll head back as well. Goodbye Emeraldclaw," Lunarpelt brushed against Emeraldclaw before walking out of the clearing. She looked back once to see his eyes watching her as she departed. Lunarpelt sighed. I really want him to make friends in his own clan. We need to move on from Blueclan. Those days are gone.
Despite that, Lunarpelt didn't want to stop having these meetings. Why did we have to end up on different sides of the river?
Chapter 4
"You stole my prey, Fox-brain!"
"No! You were too slow to catch it! It just shows how much of a TERRIBLE hunter you are!"
"Do you wanna feel my claws, flea-bag!"
"Try me!"
The yelling of two cats was audible throughout the whole Stoneclan camp as a hunting patrol had just returned. Seedflame and Mossgaze are fighting again! Amberflare ran over to the two cats who were bristling and growling at eachother. "Stop this right now! Both of you," Amberflare hissed. But neither of the cats acknowledged his presence.
"You're always acting all high and mighty yet you can't even catch a simple mouse!"
"Says the one who ran away from a fox the other day while the rest of us chased it off!"
Amberflare bristled. These cats weren't listening to him. "As your deputy I command you to stop!" Amberflare pushed his way in between the two cats. Seedflare shoved Amberflare away and locked gazes with Mossgaze. I swear to Starclan!
"That's enough! Can it, you two!" Troustmist's voice echoed through the clearing. The light blue tabby tom looked at the two fighting cats, his eyes filled with a threatening spark. The two cats flattened their ears in fear and walked separate ways from each other. The fight was over. Amberflare felt anger welling up inside of him. "You're welcome," Troustmist meowed padding up to Amberflare. "It's a shame they won't even listen to their deputy but will listen to just an ordinary warrior just like them. If only I was the deputy." Troutmist smirked.
"Get over it already! I was chosen! NOT you!" Amberflare hissed.
"There, there now little kitten. It's not nice for our deputy to be acting that way," Troustmist teased.
"I swear to Starclan you better stop before I- no… you're not worth it," Amberflare walked away in fear that he might physically attack Troustmist. If he did that, then he'd be scolded by Shadestar. He sighed and walked out of the camp and into the rocky path down the mountain, relishing the peace and quiet. Heh, they don't need me. If they fight again, then stupid Troustmist can stop them! Eventually, he reached the foot of the mountain and stepped onto the grasslands.
Amberflare felt very distressed. Why doesn't my clan ever listen to me? Do they not like me? When did I ever wrong them!? It's not fair! Agonizing thoughts pierced his mind over and over until a tail of another cat brushed his flank.
"Do you know why I made you my deputy?" It was Shadestar's voice. Amberflare turned to look at his leader. But Amberflare didn't have the words to reply. Shadestar sighed. "Then I'll continue. Troustmist could never be my deputy."
"Why!? The other cats just adore him! They listen to everything he says, but not me!"
"Give them time. I'm sure they'll open up to you once they adjust to your new position," Shadestar assured. I'm not buying that! And then it hit him. Why didn't they like him? He had always been so caring for his clan. He was cool and collected as Shadestar had described. A shiver went down Amberflare's spine. Is it because of...?
"Blueclan…. This is about Blueclan isn't it!?" Amberflare's claws dug into the earth beneath him. Shadestar did not reply. You're not saying anything because you know it's true! "It's unfair, you know!? Ever since I was an apprentice I have served this clan well. I shouldn't have to be of Stoneclan blood to lead this clan someday. I get it. Troutmist thinks he is above me. He's a Stoneclan blooded warrior and is a few moons older than me. But I was the one who was chosen!"
"Indeed you were," Shadestar mewed. "And Troustmist is going to have to get over that. Now come on, let's get back to camp." Shadestar jumped back into the rocky path and began trekking up the mountain cliff. Amberflare followed. Stoneclan may not be in the best of state right now, but, I promise I will make it better!
As soon as they arrived into the camp, Amberflare heard a voice calling from behind. "Report! Everyone!" Stormwind barged into the camp between Shadestar and Amberflare in a panicked flurry. "It… It's Silverclan!" At the mention of Silverclan, Amberflare bristled. Urgh… Riverstar!
"Is it the spring!?" Shadestar asked instantly. Stormwind bristled.
"Yes. They've surrounded it, and brought many warriors with them. Riverstar is there along with Lunarpelt," Stormwind replied in between quick pants. Lunarpelt…
"Then we can't bide our time! Quick! I want you, Amberflare, Troustmist, Seedflame, Mossgaze, Applesun, Doeflight, Cobblerock, Rosefang, and Brookfur to come! Everyone else guard the camp!" Shadestar commanded. The cats in question quickly ran up to them. Shadestar flicked his tail to gesture that they would depart. He dashed down the mountain path as the rest of the cats followed.
"I can't believe Riverstar was serious…" Amberflare meowed, racing beside his leader.
"He's always serious! So troublesome!" Shadestar's eyes conveyed a distinct fury. I can tell they've had quite a rivalry in the past.
"How many cats did they bring, Stormwind? You said that he brought 'many warriors'," Amberflare asked. Stormwind looked down.
"I didn't count. But I think he brought most of his warriors," Stormwind replied. Perhaps…
"Maybe we can go for their camp, and teach them a lesson," Troustmist suggested before Amberflare could say anything. It would be a good opportunity after all…
"No! We're not like that! We're only here to defend our territory!" Shadestar snapped, his eyes displaying a slight horror. "I…I'm not here to attack or take territories from other clans after all. The spring is our territory, and we're going to drive them out of our territory!" Phew, glad Troutmist spoke up before I did. And then it hit him. Riverstar knows that Shadestar wouldn't morally want to attack his camp, so he knows that he could safely bring most of his warriors over to the spring. This might turn out to be a tough fight! Amberflare could feel anxiety running down his spine. He could already smell the Silverclan cats that were ahead but out of sight. They eventually reached the Pine Forest, which was a little ways off of the spring.
Shadestar stopped at the edge of the forest. Amberflare gussed he wanted to get a view of Silverclan's force before they charged out in the open towards battle. Right now they were still shielded by the shadows of the pine trees. Although Amberflare guessed their scent was noticeable. Amberflare peeked around a tree. Riverstar was directly in front of the spring. Lunarpelt was standing beside them. He could make out other various warriors and even apprentices lined up in front of the two commanders. It's as I had feared. He brought his whole force. We really should have just gone for the camp.
"We have no choice but to go for it…" Shadestar sighed. Amberflare could tell he was trying to hide the slight tremble in his legs. "S-Stoneclan! Attack!" At that command, every Stoneclan cat on the patrol ran ahead. Amberflare could see Riverstar smirking from afar. He wanted this to happen! Cats began tackling each other in battle fury! Amberflare jumped on a ginger tom who he recognized to be Blazeleap.
"Get lost, musky Silverclan warrior!" Amberflare growled, pinning the tom down.
"I wouldn't dream of it!" Blazeleap kicked Amberflare with sheathed hindclaws, causing Amberflare to bleed slightly on his belly. Urgh! Amberflare was forced to jump off of the Silverclan cat. Blazeleap readied a jump but Amberflare dodged it by jumping to the side. He then quickly jumped back at Blazeleap before the cat could unleash another attack. He gripped Blazeleap's neck with his teeth and bit down, but not too hard. Blazeleap yelped at the pain as blood splattered on both of them. Amberflare let go and stood back. The Silverclan Warrior wasn't in any immediate life threatening danger from his wound, but he was wounded enough so that he wouldn't want to fight back. Suddenly, there was a flash of gray fur as Lunarpelt jumped in front of Blazeleap.
"Retreat, Blazeleap. I'll take care of this," Lunarpelt growled. Blazeleap nodded his thanks and ran off. Amberflare let out a sigh. I knew this was coming. "I told you last night, didn't I? I'll hold nothing back!"
"I wouldn't expect anything less, Silverclan deputy!" Amberflare jumped at his opponent, aiming an unsheathed claw at her. She jumped backwards, before charging ahead with her own claws. Amberflare readied his claws as well and slashed forward. He felt claws piercing down his flank as Lunarpelt managed to land her blow. However, he had also landed his blow. Both cats now faced away from eachother as they landed. Amberflare turned around to see Lunarpelt turning towards him. There was blood on her flank, but not that much. I only barely scratched her! On the other hand, his flank was bleeding a bit more, and he winced from the pain. He jumped back and quickly scanned the battlefield. Shadestar was slashing at Riverstar, who jumped over him. Troustmist was fighting a brown Silverclan tom. Stormwind and Mossgaze were teaming up against two Silverclan warriors. Fur and blood littered the grown as this violent conflict continued.
"Don't take your eyes off your opponent! You don't have time to worry about your clanmates in battle!" Lunarpelt called. Amberflare looked forward to see her charging towards him. She bashed him directly, sending him flying back. Owww… Amberflare winced, still in the air. He suddenly felt himself plunge into cold water. She pushed me in the spring! He opened his eyes but could only see the blurred light of the surface. He pushed his way upward, desperately wanting a breath. His body was cold against the liquid as he pawed his way up. He kicked harshly with his hind legs to help propel him upwards. He finally managed to reach the surface and took a giant gasp upon making contact with the air again. He slowly pulled himself out of the water. The cats were still fighting. Where's Lunarpelt!? He scanned the clearing to see her attacking Applesun. Shadestar was bleeding heavily from his flank, panting, muttering something to himself.
"This is getting nowhere! Stoneclan, retreat!" Shadestar called. Amberflare quickly rushed forward, towards the Pine Forest. The Silverclan cats stopped attacking them as the Stoneclan cats started retreating.
"Tch, they're showing us mercy? If only we had a bigger force, we would have won!" Troutmist growled. Amberflare looked back before entering the forest. Lunarpelt was staring at him with an expression he didn't understand. Riverstar on the other hand looked very pleased at Silverclan's apparent victory. I knew we were going to lose…
"I suppose that means the spring is theirs now. Are we going to send out a patrol later to reaffirm our scent marks?" Amberflare asked. Shadestar shook his head.
"They're probably going to send out warriors to guard the spring. I don't want any more of our cats getting hurt. Let's just…. Let's just go home…" Shadestar sighed, hanging his head. Amberflare could feel the disappointed and distress in his leader. This day was a victory for Silverclan, and a loss that Stoneclan would never forget. Amberflare wondered what was in store for the future. A very strong wind suddenly blew by. Amberflare shivered from the cold. He was still wet from the plunge he took. "We'd better hurry. I don't want my own deputy catching a cold," Shadestar commented.
"I…I'll be fine," Amberflare reassured. But inside he felt unease and tension building up. I have a bad feeling about this. I really do…
Chapter 5
The waves of the river ran furiously as the storm continued. Birds flew away immediately at the flash of the lightning. Skywing sat motionless, staring blankly into the river. Rainwater furiously pelted at him, but he didn't react. He was cold and unmoving. He heard the sound of rustling ahead. He looked up to see a dark figure peer out from the Royal Forest trees, which lie on the other side of the river. He didn't know what the figure was. It could be a badger, a fox, or even a bear. Come over here, wild beast. You can eat me if you want… But the creature, whatever it was, retreated back into the forest at the sound of thunder. Skywing sighed and lied down, lazily glaring back into the racing river. Wind furiously blew against his pelt, shivering him down to the spine. But he didn't care. He closed his eyes. Flashbacks of that stormy war from many, many seasons ago still haunted him. Every time it stormed, he was reminded of everything. He remembered racing through the canyon as a young apprentice, being attacked by various cats, and then seeing the white fur in the distance; the dead body of his father. I can't give up. I need to be stronger so I can bulid my empire. But Skywing was chained down by despair. Whenever he was in "this mood", he didn't want to do anything. He felt demotivated and didn't really care about anything anymore. He just wanted to be taken by the wind, to be blown away to a faraway and more interesting land. "Skywing! There you are! We were looking for you!" The voice of Snowflower sounded from behind him. He didn't bother to turn around. "Alright, if you're not coming over here, I'll just drag you back!" He could hear her pelting over to him. She then prodded him with her paw. "C'mon now. You need to get back to the camp!" Skywing slowly raised his head and faced her. Her white fur was very visible in the night, yet her forehead always had that black patch on it.
"I hate the rain…" Skywing commented, glancing towards the river again. He heard what he thought was suppressed laughter from Snowflower.
"Fishbrain! If you hate rain, then why are you hanging out here when it's storming! Seriously, you make no sense, sometimes, Skywing!" Snowflower purred, prodding at him again. "For real though, you should come back to the camp. I'll come with you." Skywing closed his eyes again, letting his memories flood back to him. He ignored Snowflower's meows as everything whirled around in his mind. Empire. I want to create an Empire. That's what father wanted. Suddenly, new energy surrounded Skywing. He stood up, feeling strong again. All the distressed emotions that flooded his body were temporarily gone.
"Okay! I'm feeling good again. Let's go back!" Skywing meowed, turning around and walking towards the direction of their camp.
"Feeling good again? Did you come out here to sulk?" Snowflower asked. I always open my mouth when I shouldn't! Skywing decided not to respond. Together they walked, fighting back the wind which was blowing against them. Snowflower shivered. "Now I'm all wet! I've been standing in this rain too long…" Snowflower hissed.
"Is it because of me?" Skywing asked, expressionless. Snowflower bristled in surprise.
"What? No. Don't worry about it. I would stand moons in the rain for any clanmate. It's my duty as a Goldclan warrior to help a clanmate in need!" Snowflower purred. I wasn't really in any need though, but if it makes you feel better… Skywing nodded in agreement. Tomorrow he would continue his ambition, finding anyway he could to build up his own rank and power within the clan. When they reached the camp entrance, Lightray and Dawnstar were waiting.
"You found him. Where was he?" Lightray asked.
"He was by-"
"I was by the river. I just needed some time to think," Skywing interrupted Snowflower's reply.
"You're so muddy and wet! Let me clean you off!" Lightray meowed. She's making a fuss again it seems. Lightray began to lick his flank in an attempt to get the dirt off. She had always been very protective and caring towards him and his brother, Cloudgaze. Strangely though, Skywing didn't really mind it too much.
"We're glad you're both safe. The other cats in the search patrol are already back. They'll be relieved to hear that you found him, Snowflower," Dawnstar commented. No lecture? Skywing followed the cats back into the camp. Since it was night, he headed for the warriors den. It was night anyway, so there wasn't much left to do for the day. He made his way to a nest that wasn't directly close to anyone else's. He didn't want to get them wet with his rainy pelt. He curled up and closed his eyes, letting sleep take over him.
The light of the dawn awoke Skywing. Morning had arrived. He gave himself a quick stretch before sitting up. His pelt was no longer wet, but it was still kind of dirty from last night. He began to groom himself, listening towards the clearing. "Did you hear? Silverclan had a fight with Stoneclan yesterday! Mossgaze told me at the border today. Apparently they completely stole the springs!"
"Yeah! I guess Stoneclan is too weak to defend their own territory. Perhaps we should attack them and steal some of their territory. Shadestar will probably curl into a tiny ball like always since he's so soft and weak!"
"No one's invading anyone today!" Skywing recognized Dawnstar's voice. She must have overheard them and intervened. Now I want to go see what this is all about. Skywing stood up as soon as he was fully groomed and walked out. The sunlight greeted him with a nice warmth on his pelt. I better savor this. Leafbare will come soon and then it will be cold every day! Over at the clearing, Dawnstar was sitting with Ripplewind, Berryblaze, Cloudgaze, and Snowflower.
"Oh, you're awake! Good sunrise, Skywing!" Snowflower greeted, beckoning him over. What a nice and convenient invitation into the gossip. Skywing padded over to greet her, giving her a friendly brush with his flank.
"Greetings," Cloudgaze, purred. Skywing dipped his head in greeting to his brother.
"So, about that whole battle. What do you think we should do about it?" Ripplewind asked.
"Battle?" Skywing played dumb and tilted his head in a clueless manner.
"Apparently Silverclan and Stoneclan had a battle over the springs yesterday. Remember that whole thing at the gathering? Apparently they were serious about it…" Dawnstar sighed. "Seriously, I wonder how much needless blood was spilt over such an unnecessary fight."
"Well, I suppose Silverclan benefitted from it. They won after all," Ripplewind remarked.
"That's true. As for what we'll do? Nothing. It doesn't really concern us. If it was Stoneclan who invaded them, I'd be alarmed since they could potentially invade us. But Silverclan were the attackers, and we don't border them. It might be brought up in the next gathering, but that's still ways away," Dawnstar meowed. Ripplewind nodded his head in agreement. Although Skywing wasn't convinced. He wants to attack Stoneclan. Perhaps he wants more territory for Goldclan. We are the smallest territory after all. Hmm… if only Stoneclan were the attackers. Would Dawnstar be willing to go to war? Skywing closed his eyes and let himself delve into deep thought. If I could get the tension between the clans higher, it would be easier to get them into fights. I can't really do anything at my current position. If only there was a way to bring Ripplewind or Dawnstar down. A war would be the perfect chance. I'll need to think about this more…
"Earth to Skywing! Earth to Skywing!" Snowflower's voice snapped him away from his thoughts. He then realized that the cats who were all talking had separated from the spot they were in. "Ripplewind wanted you to come with us on a hunting patrol." Skywing looked over and saw Ripplewind calling to various cats. He saw Cloudgaze, Nightstream, and Berryblaze gathering around. He'd guessed Snowflower and himself were the last two patrol members.
"Sure," Skywing stretched and got up on all fours. He didn't mind a chance to exercise and get away from the camp. It would give him more time to inspect the territory for anything that could help him with his ambition. He raced over to Ripplewind's patrol alongside Snowflower. "We're ready!" He called. Ripplewind nodded in satisfaction.
"We're all here now. Let us depart!" He meowed, stepping outside the camp with the rest of the patrol. Skywing looked back at the camp for a bit. He scanned the clearing and all of the cats. One day… one day I will rule all of you. He purred and turned back around to catch up to his clanmates on the patrol. I can't wait for that day.
Skywing scanned the forest clearing for any prey. The patrol had split up in order to hunt prey individually. This was his chance to think undisturbed if he wanted. He noticed a vole running across the dirt. He slowly crouched down and stalked it from behind, making sure his tail was well hidden. His snow white fur meant he was easily visible in the forest. He made a big leap and crunched the rodent on the neck, killing it swiftly and painlessly. He began to bury his prey. I'll come back for you later. He headed out of the forest which bordered the Stardust Mountains. Stoneclan is on the other side of this mountain… He gazed into the entrance. This was his most hated place to be, yet it was the only entrance one could take if they were to go to Stoneclan directly from Goldclan. I need a plan. I need to find a way to make Stoneclan fight. He originally considered setting up a scenario where Stoneclan would attack Goldclan. But I can't get Goldclan involved just yet. Tensions aren't too high between our clans at the moment. However…
A flow of energy and electricity bounced through his body. He smirked. I have an idea! He paced towards the Stardust Mountains, admiring how tall and grand it was. I've been looking at this wrong all along. Why didn't I see this earlier? Stoneclan's tensions are extremely high with Silverclan's right now! It was perfect. What he really needed to do was take advantage of the two clans which were already highly on edge with each other. He quickly turned around and paced back into the forest to retrieve his prey. As he dug up the vole, another thought bounced around in his mind. Skywing snickered. He stared at the vole very curiously. That's it. This is the key towards everything. Watch out, Stoneclan and Silverclan! Tomorrow's going to be a very interesting day!
