AN: Hey all! Here's the much anticipated sequel to The Forgotten Heir. To quickly satisfy your curiosity, Silverclaw's kits are Mistpaw, Ebonypaw (I changed Frostfire's kit to Ivorypaw, because she's white and I mixed Ivory up with Ebony) and Ashenpaw. At the same time I will be updating my Sailor Moon fanfic (as well as making their transformations. Coming to a YouTube near you!), so this might go a bit slow. If you haven't read The Forgotten Heir, you should, so this'll make some sense.
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"Pay attention, Mistpaw," Copperstreak snapped, good-naturedly, but still stern enough to avert the young apprentice's gaze from the fluttering moth, to him. (AN: Yup! Copperstreak gets to train his "niece". Silverclaw and Copperstreak are sorta like siblings…)
"Now," Copperstreak meowed as the young gray she-cat sat down, turning her icy blue eyes to watch him. "If you want to catch a mouse…" Copperstreak was cut short as a cry came from Council Rock.
"Sounds like Treestar's callin' a meeting!" Mistpaw mewed, happy to be pulled from her lesson. "Ivorypaw 'n Maplepaw are becomin' warriors, en't they?" ((Aw, Dewstar's gone :( ))
"Aren't they," Copperstreak corrected, heading grudgingly towards the camp.
"That's what I asked," Mistpaw mewed irritably. Copperstreak sighed, and Mistpaw ran ahead. Maplepaw was finally leaving the apprentice den. Thank StarClan! Mistpaw thought as she padded along the path carved by the ForestClan cats long ago. For some reason the grass never grew along the path, making it distinguishable by its sandy weeded way against the green woodland.
Mistpaw caught up with Ebonypaw and Ashenpaw, her brother and sister, who were also returning from training over by Sparkling Gorge.
Ebonypaw sat, slumping, by himself, while Ashenpaw was sitting happily by Winterheart, who was chosen as her mentor. Obviously there were disputes about whether or not Ashenpaw could focus with her father as her teacher, but she proved them all wrong and was well on her way to becoming a warrior. Scatterblaze, Ebonypaw's mentor, was up on Council Rock next to Treestar, who was appointed leader after Dewstar's death not longer than a moon ago. There was still tension between them and the rouges, who seemed to becoming more persistent... and stronger.
Though they never would express their thoughts aloud, Mistpaw knew Copperstreak and Scatterblaze blamed themselves. First Amberstorm and then Dewstar had died at the claws of the rouges, the same ones they should have been born into.
The one thing that Mistpaw knew, that no one else did though, was Featherflight. Ever since their meeting long ago, Copperstreak and Featherflight have been meeting secretly.
"She's a rouge," Mistpaw had said one day during training, "so why can't she just join ForestClan? Then-"
"She doesn't want to," Copperstreak had replied awkwardly. "She likes the freedoms of being with the rouges."
"But they're so horrible to us! Why does she like 'em?"
"Because they're a family," Copperstreak said, cuffing her gently on the ear, "and families love each other no matter what." And that had ended the lesson.
"Cats of ForestClan!" Treestar announced with mixed feelings in her voice, exhilaration and sorrow. "We are gathered here to honor two new warriors." Mistpaw watched with resentment as Ivorypaw and Maplepaw padded over to Council Rock. As Treestar recited the oath, Mistpaw's mind wandered to the often-repeated vision of her standing there, receiving her warrior name. Maybe it'd be Mistheart- no, not like her father, and certainly not Mistclaw….
"Ivorywind! Maplestream!" cut her thoughts short. She looked up and saw Frostfire gazing with pride as Ivorywind and Maplestream sat majestically amidst the chorus of cats. How proud her mother would be when she was a warrior!
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"I didn't see you at the ceremony," Silverclaw said, licking her daughter's head gently.
"I was in the back." Mistpaw dodged her mother's grooming, but Silverclaw caught her tail and pulled her back over. She and her family were laying under the rising moon, waiting for Winterheart to return.
"You could have at least come over," Silverclaw mewed solicitously. She released Mistpaw and started to groom Ebonypaw, who didn't so much as blink.
"I think he's dead," Mistpaw joked, prodding her brother teasingly. Ebonypaw let out a mock snarl and leapt at his sister, his claws sheathed. Mistpaw fell over, but rolled away as Ebonypaw went to pin her. He feinted a swipe, waiting for her to react before charging at her again. But Mistpaw knew his fighting style and had side-stepped his launch and rammed him on the side, sending him sprawling into an approaching Winterheart.
"I love you too," Winterheart said humorously, nudging a disgruntled Ebonypaw to the side.
"Hi dad!" Ashenpaw mewed, her blue-green eyes wide. "What're you doing back so late? I thought you were just on patrol with Yewstripe."
Winterheart chuckled as her lay beside Silverclaw. "That cat's not too far from becoming an elder," he said, nuzzling his mate. "I had to wait for him so many times. Oh, Mistpaw," he said, turning his warm green eyes to his daughter. How Mistpaw wanted eyes like his, so kind, even though her mother's icy eyes were said to be so breathtakingly mysterious. "Copperstreak wants to see you by Council Rock. 'Said it's urgent." Mistpaw's ears pricked up and she sped off, eager to hear the news her uncle had for her.
"What's up?" Mistpaw asked loudly, receiving a tail in her face. Copperstreak's blazing orange pelt was softened by the moonlight and dimmed by the darkness, but his wide, distressed eyes bore through the blackness like two suns.
He spoke timidly and in a mew barely audible, "Featherflight is missing."