Well, hello my lovelies. Wow, I didn't mean to make this chapter so long. 7,679 words, it's the longest chapter I've ever written! :O I kind of wanted to make up for updating late. I'm so sorry about that by the way, it's almost been a month since I posted the Prologue. Well, first chapter and we're straight into the action, I hope you'll enjoy it. Oh, by the way, I made a special PMV for Valentines Day about Rapidstream and Ambersky, well, more Rapidstream's crush on Ambersky. It's on Youtube, if you just look me up on Youtube, I'm Streamwhiskers, then you should find it, it's called Reaching. :3
Oh, also! I've got a little Blue Moon Contest! The theme is 'What If'. You can find more info about it on my Deviantart page, you can find me there as Streamwhisker. :3 Got two entries so far, I'm hoping for a few more! There are prizes by the way! The closing date is my birthday, the 15th of March. So excited for my birthday! :)
Disclaimed - I do not own Warriors.
WyldClaw - Thank you so much! -huggles-
Willowdream of ForestClan - I know right? SkyClan are just downright unlucky. :/
Orangeflight ~ Aw, thank you! -hugs- Thank you so much for entering the Blue Moon contest as well. :3
Numbuh 227 ~ Thank you. :) So sorry for the long wait, I've been soup-er busy. xD Sorry, I just had to do that.
Spottedmoth123 ~ xP Thank you!
Clearfeather ~ Aw, thank you so much! But really, I'm not good enough, not yet at least. Maybe one day though. -wistful sigh-
Dovewing66 ~ Thank you so much for reviewing! Glad that you're enjoying it so far. So sorry for such a long wait. ^^'
koilered ~ Night is a little like Bramblestar actually, I hadn't realised that. Although Night is much more extreme, much more willing to do whatever it takes to achieve power. He would probably be willing to kill. xD
Jayfeather RULZ ~ He he, yes I did. :3
Clearfeather ~ :3 I did actually see your comments and I can't thank you enough for them. :) So I'll just give you a virtual cookie instead -hands cookie-
Brackenflame ~ ^^ Not much DewxRed action in this chappie, but there will be some in the next one, which I hope you'll like. :3
Stunna13 ~ :3 So sorry for taking so long! Life's been kinda hectic. ^^' Really? Wow, that's a lot of reading for one night! Glad you like it! I agree, Ambersky and Molespots are quite relatable, especially at first when Ambersky crushes on him, but Molespots hardly pays any thought to it. :)
Cats Are Awesome ~ Oh my goodness, this made my day! Of course you can write a fan fic about the town cats! It's quite funny really, 'cause I already have a super edition planned around them named The Guardian's Choice. :3 I'd be intrigued to hear a little bit of it when you've finished it if you wouldn't mind sharing it with me? :)
Chervilheart ~ Aw, thank you so so much! -hugs-
DEWPAW LOVER ~ He he, here's the next chapter for you. :3
arcticfoxlover ~ Been super busy! So sorry for such a long wait!
Whiskerstorm ~ :3 You should totally make an account, Fanfiction is such a great site and being a member really helps with keeping track of all the stories you're reading. :3
Phew, that took a while. Well, without further ado, Chapter One of Eye of the Storm! Enjoy!
Ambersky
"Mousewhisker, can you lead a patrol to the WindClan border, take Seedflight, Foxleap, Dewclaw and Whitewing."
Ambersky was roused from her deep slumber by the echoing meow of Lionblaze, ThunderClan's deputy whilst Squirrelflight nursed her kits. Prising open tired eyes, the pale grey-and-white warrior took a moment to just let her eyes adjust to the brightness of dawn streaming in through the Warriors' Den. In the six nights since Ambersky and her littermates had been made warriors, she still had yet to get used to awakening in her new nest in the Warriors' Den. It was so odd, after so many moons in the Apprentices' Den and then the moon and a half or so of travelling, a new den every night, to finally be sleeping in the Warriors' Den every night.
Blinking away the sleep, the young warrior slipped into a stretch, spine rippling into an arch. Around her, a few other cats were still deep in sleep; Orangeflight was sound asleep in her nest, her orange-and-white tabby pelt gently rising and falling as she slumbered. In the centre of the den Birchfall had just curled up, after sitting guard over the camp for the night. Nearer to the pale grey-and-white she-cat lay Toadstep and Ivypool, pelts brushing as they slept soundly. Ambersky smiled at the two mates' closeness, I don't suppose it'll be long before more kits are on the way, she thought, bright amber gaze lingering on the two cats for a moment. ThunderClan had been blessed with the birth of many kits in recent moons; there'd been Lionblaze and Cinderheart's kits, now apprentices, Cherryflower's kits, Redkit and Lakekit, Squirrelflight had also birthed Bramblestar's kits, whilst Dovewing was expecting Bumblestripe's kits. The nursery was full to bursting; Ambersky had overheard Bramblestar speaking with Squirrelflight about expanding it to accommodate ThunderClan's growing numbers.
Lightly stepping around Toadstep and Ivypool, Ambersky crossed the den and emerged into the hollow. Light flooded her vision and for a moment, the young warrior was blinded. After blinking a few times, however, her eyes were adjusted and gazing out at camp, she just smiled. The sun's warm rays reached out, caressing the pale grey-and-white she-cat with gentle warmth. With the scent of new life hanging in the air and the sky a faded blue, the darkest days of Leaf-bare had certainly passed, with New-leaf lingering, waiting to make a grand entrance.
The warrior paused for a moment, savouring the warmth, before she was approached by a spotted brown-and-cream tom, with eyes of a soft amber.
"Good morning," Molespots mewed softly, standing before the young warrior, "You seem to have slept well, it's a beautiful day, don't you think?" for a moment, their eyes met, then shyly, Ambersky glanced away, distracting her bright amber gaze with the sky.
"It is," she agreed, smiling warmly, "New-leaf is certainly on its way, thank StarClan."
Molespots edged a little closer to the grey-and-white she-cat, "I was just about to go hunting and I was wondering if you'd, uh, like to join me?" hope danced in his pale amber gaze, "I mean, if you don't want to, that's fine and all but"-
Ambersky couldn't help but give an amused purr, whiskers twitching, "Of course, I'd love to!" she held his gaze for a moment. There were a few little pesky thoughts nibbling away at her, however; was there something going on between the brown-and-cream tom and Lilystream? From what she'd seen and heard, the two had been growing closer ever since Ambersky and her brothers had left on the journey. The pale grey-and-white warrior couldn't help feel a hint of jealousy, how she wished to be as close to Molespots as Lilystream was. I'm sure he doesn't like her in that way anyway, he can't do. She'd considered asking the brown-and-cream tom about it, but quickly decided against it. She didn't want to interfere, however much it hurt her to see the two together.
Molespots grinned, amber eyes brightening, "Great!" he shot a glance over at at Lionblaze, standing tall on the Highledge next to Bramblestar, "Should we get going then? Before we're assigned to a patrol or something."
Ambersky nodded in agreement and the two warriors began to make for the Thorn Barrier, movements swift in the hope of exiting un-noticed. Ambersky was just about to duck under the tangle of thorns when pawsteps sounded beside them and a clear meow resounded, "And where do you think you two are going?"
Both cats froze, Ambersky giving a frustrated frown. They had been spotted. It looked like they were going to be tagged onto the end of a patrol after all. As she slowly inched round to face the cat, she felt a little like a kit again, trying to sneak out of camp and being caught.
Before them stood Bramblestar, eying the two warriors rather suspiciously, "Well? Are you going to answer my question?" he pressed.
The pale grey-and-white warrior swallowed, "We were just going hunting," she tried to meow as casually as possible, hope dancing in her amber eyes. Please say he doesn't put us on patrol, I went on patrol twice yesterday!
The dark brown tabby leader's amber gaze bore into Ambersky's pelt, "Hunting eh?" for a moment the young warrior wasn't sure whether Bramblestar believed them, "Well, Bumblestripe, Rosepetal, Lilystream and Snowfall are already out hunting and I believe Spiderleg and a few others have gone hunting as well," he gave a flick of his dark brown tabby tail towards the fresh-kill pile, "and as you can see, we're already well stocked," he paused for a moment, "However, the Queens are in need of a fresh change of bedding. Rather than hunting, could you two collect some moss instead?"
Ambersky couldn't help but give a groan, forgeting for a moment who she was speaking to, "But I'm a warrior now, can't the Apprentices do it?" her amber gaze was pleading. Collecting moss was one of the most dreary tasks of Apprenticeship. Ambersky had thought, now that she was at last a warrior, she would be able to leave those dull mornings of collecting moss behind. It seemed not.
Bramblestar gave her a firm look, "That's an order, Ambersky," his gaze flickered over to the spotted brown-and-cream tom, "You too, Molespots. Of course, the Apprentices would be doing this usually, but Ivypool and Lionblaze are taking them out battle training soon. They'll not miss such a valuable lesson for merely collecting moss," he met the pale grey-and-white warrior's gaze for a moment, sitting up taller, "So, being young warriors still, you two are to collect moss, whether you like it or not."
Ambersky sighed, her gaze drifting to her paws. She knew better than to argue with her leader, so just gave a nod, mumbling, "Yes, Bramblestar."
Molespots was much more respectful however, dipping his head politely to the dark brown tabby tom and holding his gaze evenly, "Of course, Bramblestar. We'll make sure it's the softest moss we can find."
Bramblestar gave a satisified nod, "Good," without further words, just a subtle flick of the tail, the dark brown tabby tom stalked off to the Nursery, pressumably to see his mate and kits.
Ambersky felt Molespots' tail gently touch her shoulder, "Come on then," he murmured softly, his amber gaze lingering on Bramblestar as he dissapeared into the shelter of the Nursery, before letting it drift to the pale grey-and-white warrior, "At least it's not searching the elders for ticks, eh?" amusement sparked in his pale amber eyes.
Ambersky let a smile creep to her face; it was impossible to be so down whilst around the brown-and-cream tom, "Good point," her amber gaze drifted to the Thorn Barrier, "Well, the sooner we get going, the sooner it's over," she gave a motion with the tip of her head.
Molespots nodded, but stayed rooted to the spot, "She-cats first," he purred, dipping his head politely to the young warrior, amusement shimmering in his pale amber orbs.
Ambersky felt her ears grow hot with embarrassment, her heart giving a little flutter, "Thank you," she began to pad back towards the Thorn Barrier, touching her tail-tip to Molespots' muzzle as she passed him, "Last one to the Mossy Hollow is a flea-brain," she muttered ever so softly, voice almost inaudible, before darting under the Thorn Barrier. The spotted brown-and-cream tom gave a smirk and lurched after her, slipping easily under the tangle of thorn and bramble tendrils.
Once in the open forest, Ambersky immediately began to race forwards, paws thrumming against the forest floor as she weaved in and out of the bare trees, sunlight streaming through the branches and warming her pelt.
Snatching a brief glance over her shoulder, the pale grey-and-white she-cat was surprised to find Molespots hot on her heels, pawsteps thundering a swift, steady beat.
Eyes stretching wide and swallowing briefly, Ambersky urged herself onwards, Come on, you've got to beat him, she encouraged herself, You can't make a mouse-brain of yourself in front of him.
"Oh, come on Ambersky, you might as well give up now, you know I'm going to beat you," Molespots fell in beside her easily, keeping up the swift pace, amber eyes swimming with humour, "I'm unbeaten you know. I've never lost a race and I certainly don't plan on soiling that record."
Ambersky couldn't quite believe how the spotted warrior was speaking with such ease, she was already out of breath, her flanks heaving, Maybe I should do this a little more often. Glancing over at Molespots briefly, she responded, her words interrupted by gaspy breaths, "Oh, really… I… Well… We'll, uh… see about that once… once this is over," she panted, feeling the energy fading from her limbs. Oh mouse-dung.
The pale grey-and-white warrior tried to ignore the aching in her legs and persisted, gritting her teeth and taking raspy breaths as she sprinted onwards. Molespots looked a little surprised by her rush of determination, but seemed to shake it off quickly, "Well, if you insist."
With a sudden rush of speed, he overtook the pale grey-and-white she-cat, his sights set on the approaching view of the Mossy Hollow. Ambersky gave a little growl of frustration, I won't let him beat me. But her legs seemed to think differently.
Eventually the brown-and-cream warrior began to slow, drawing to a halt in the centre of the Mossy Hollow, followed shortly by an out of breath Ambersky.
"I told you I'd never been beaten," he purred, amusement glinting in his amber gaze, "You're fast though, I'll give you that… just not fast enough."
Ambersky gave him a playful poke with her forepaw, "Hey, you didn't beat me by that much."
"You got a head start though."
The young warrior gave him a glare and the conversation quickly changed subject, "Anyway, we'd better get collecting moss then, don't want Bramblestar having a go at us," he paused, thinking, "Or the queens for that matter."
Ambersky nodded, "Yeah," she picked her way over to a large clumping of moss on the edge of the hollow, "Hey, there's a lot over here," she touched her paw to the green substance to feel the moisture, "It's a little damp, but soft."
Molespots joined her, examining the moss closely, prodding it several times and even sniffing it, his mew didn't sound convinced though, "It's too damp. I don't want any kits catching a cold from the moisture," his gaze drifted to the pale sky above, "It's been in the shade, that's why. It hasn't had a chance for the dew to dry off it," he indicated with a flick of his tail towards patches of moss, dappled by sunlight, "The moss over there, however, might be a little dryer."
Ambersky felt mouse-brained. Of course if the moss was in the shade it would be wet, even a kit could see that. Blinking, she followed the spotted brown-and-cream tom over to the patch of moss. Molespots rested his paw on the moss, pressing down on it gently to test how soft it was, "Yes, this is good. Nice and soft, warm too," his gaze drifted up to the sun, hanging low in the sky, "The Queens should appreciate this," he gave a smile before adding, "and I'm sure the kits would find it ideal for moss-balls."
Ambersky's gaze warmed, "Well, let's get collecting it then."
The brown-and-cream tom nodded in agreement and together they began to pull up the clumps of thick green moss. Hard to believe as it may seem, there was a certain technique to collecting the moss, which Molespots seemed to have mastered.
The younger warrior, however, didn't seem to have gotten the hang of it, even after so many moons of repeating this chore. Whenever she pulled up the moss, she managed to bring up earth as well. Snorting as several particles of earth managed to find their way up her nose, the pale grey-and-white warrior slumped, "StarClan, I'm hopeless at this."
Molespots glanced over at his accomplice, only to give a little chuckle, "You're not doing it right," he pointed out, gesturing to the flecks of earth on the moss and her own pelt, "Look, let me show you."
Ambersky didn't object, watching closely as the spotted brown-and-cream warrior demonstrated, "It's simple, once you get the hang of it. You're using your claws and they're getting hooked in the roots, that's why you're bringing up earth," he unsheathed his claws and did as she had done, sinking his claws into the soft, green substance and depositing it, along with a little earth, to one side, "Now that works sometimes, but this is a better way," he sheathed his claws and reached his paw underneath the moss, gently scooping it up and leaving the roots entact.
All the while, the pale grey-and-white she-cat had watched intently. Once Molespots had finished his demonstration, she attempted to copy his actions and, to her surprise, succeeded. Not a particle of dirt flecked the moss.
Molespots purred, "See? You've got it," his gaze flickered back to the pile of moss he'd already collected, "I've got quite a lot already, we shouldn't need too much more."
Ambersky gave a soft purr, grinning, amber eyes sparking with warmth. Putting her head down, she used Molespots' method to collect the remaining moss, working swiftly, but carefully.
The pile of moss continued to grow until it reached a substansial size and the spotted brown-and-cream tom turned to Ambersky, "How about we sneak in a quick hunting contest before we head back to camp? Whoever catches the first prey wins?" mischief flared in his pale amber orbs.
The pale grey-and-white she-cat grinned, amber eyes bright, "You're on."
Snowfall
After a successful hunt, Snowfall and the rest of the hunting patrol were returning to the Stone Hollow. Hanging limply from the white tom's jaws were a sparrow and a plump shrew, both still warm; freshly-caught. Lilystream trotted beside him, she too carrying prey from the morning's hunt, amber eyes bright and smiling warmly. Rosepetal also bore prey, a pair of mice.
But it was Bumblestripe who had made the star catch that morning, catching a squirrel and a blackbird. He made no big deal of it though, his only comments on the subject being that Dovewing would enjoy the squirrel. He had been a little anxious over the last quarter-moon or so, what with his mate expecting his kits. They were due within the next three quarter-moons and though ThunderClan had two excellent medicine cats, he couldn't help but be worried.
Snowfall didn't judge him though; if he were in the same situation, he'd probably be hopelessly worried; the white tom wasn't exactly the best at coping with anxieties.
As they walked, the white tom tried to ignore the moaning in his limbs. He'd hardly slept the night before, eventually resorting to a moonlight hunt to pass the time. Exhaustion lapped over him, nagging away at his bones. He tried to push it to the back of his mind.
It was as they padded in silence, only the song of birds breaking the quiet, Snowfall found his gaze caught by a clumping of white flowers, growing in the shade of a young beech tree. The white warrior stopped, pausing to gaze fondly at the flowers. Snowdrops, he thought with a purr, smiling. Snowdrops; they were the first sign New-Leaf was on its way, soon after the snowdrops would come the crocuses and with the crocuses, the blossoming of trees, stripped of life for so long.
Lilystream slipped in beside Snowfall, "What is it?" she asked, peering at the white tom queerly. Then she followed his pale amber gaze, spotting the snowdrops. Immediately a purr rumbled in her throat and a smile lit her gaze, "Snowdrops," she meowed brightly, "Finally! It's about time New-Leaf made an appearance. I'm so sick of Leaf-bare."
The long-furred white warrior grinned, but his gaze didn't leave the snowdrops, "Me too. I've missed the greens of the forest and the warmer days," he admitted.
Bumblestripe and Rosepetal, the remainder of the Hunting Patrol, paused, waiting on the two young warriors. Snowfall let his gaze linger on the early flowers before returing to the patrol, Lilystream scampering past him to reach the two other warriors before him.
Bumblestripe studied him for a moment, "Did you see something back there?" he asked, concern in his amber gaze.
Snowfall simply smiled, "Oh, it was nothing," he assured the pale grey tom, amber gaze warm. The striped warrior shot a brief glance over his shoulder, but gave a nod.
Silence fell upon the group once more, leaving the white tom to get lost in his thoughts, New-leaf; every day we take a step closer. The sight of the snowdrops and the simple thought of the warmer days were enough to brighten Snowfall's mood. Not that he'd been in a bad mood in the first place; no, that was Dewclaw's job was the grumpy one.
Dewclaw. The long-furred tom heaved a sigh, ever since their return to ThunderClan, the dark grey tom had returned to his grumpy way of life. It was as if the journey had never happened.
Well, he's a bit wiser at least, maybe a little more patient… Okay, maybe not patient, but he's a bit politer? Snowfall had no idea why his brother had returned to his old ways of before the journey, when they were just young apprentices. Well, actually, that was a lie; he did have a bit of an idea, but he didn't like to think about it too much.
Surely he can't be missing Redpaw? He cast aside the thought instantly, No, of course not. He's probably just… frustrated about something… Like the fact that Lakekit and Redkit snuck into the Warriors' Den and made moss-balls from his nest yesterday. Finding that his nest was non-existent after returning from a patrol the day before certainly hadn't put a smile on the dark grey tom's face, quite the opposite in fact.
No, it can't be that. As much as he hated to admit, it had to be to do with Redpaw. He'd actually been happy when they were on the journey, spending time with Redpaw. It wasn't until they'd parted with the lost clan that he'd gone downhill.
Snowfall swallowed, a never-ending stream of thoughts thoughts swamping his mind. What if Dewclaw starts meeting her? What if he already is? What if Bramblestar found out? He'd be exiled for sure!
The white tom shook his head, as if by doing so, he could shake all the thoughts away. They'd reached the Thorn Barrier he realised, his gaze falling upon Rosepetal just as she ducked under the tangle of brambles. Bumblestripe followed shortly, then Snowfall, dropping low so that his pelt didn't get snagged on the thorns, as they'd done so many times before.
The hunting patrol pooled into camp, greeted by warm smiles and nods of approval from clanmates dotted around the hollow. The long-furred tom padded over to the fresh-killl pile, where a huddle of warriors were already gathered, sharing a meal. Snowfall dipped his head to his clanmates politely before depositing his catches on the pile, glancing up to spot Ambersky appearing from the entrance of the Nursery.
The pale grey-and-white she-cat noticed her brother almost immediately, bouncing over to join him, amber eyes bright, "Hey Snowfall!" she meowed brightly, skidding to a halt before him, "How was hunting? Catch any prey?" her amber gaze drifted to the fresh-kill pile, "Cause I don't know about you, but I feel like I haven't eaten in moons."
The white warrior chuckled, "It was good, thank you," he purred, gaze light and thoughts at last distracted from Dewclaw, "How about we share a meal then? I haven't yet eaten."
The patched warrior grinned, "Sure, what do you fancy?" her eyes picked over the fresh-kill pile, "I was hoping for that squirrel, if you don't mind?" she gestured with a flick of the tail to a catch that Snowfall knew Spiderleg had made on an earlier hunt.
"Yeah, I'm not that fussy really, I'm not massively hungry if I'm honest," he confessed, his gaze briefly flickering behind Ambersky. The dark grey form of Dewclaw had just appeared from under the Thorn Barrier, shortly followed by Foxleap and Whitewing. The Dawn Patrol had returned.
His sister hadn't noticed the arrival of their brother as she carefully picked the squirrel from the fresh-kill pile and moved a little way to just under the shelter of the overhanging highledge. Snowfall's gaze however stayed fixed on Dewclaw, watching as he and the rest of the patrol made their way over to report to Bramblestar. Judging from their easy smiles and relaxed body language, they hadn't experienced any trouble. The snowy-white tom let his pelt lie flat, his gaze at last returning to his sister.
She had settled down, the squirrel at her paws, beckoning with a flick of her tail for Snowfall to join her. The white tom shot a brief glance over at Dewclaw before joining Ambersky, slipping in beside her. A little unsure of what to say to his sister, he just smiled and took a small bite from the squirrel; since the journey, he'd been able to spend very little time around his littermates and was a little unsure of how to act around them. Dewclaw had quickly drifted apart from his littermates, but Snowfall was still trying to cling to the three littermates' closeness. So when the dark grey tom padded past, the snowy-pelted tom motioned to his brother to join them, "Dewclaw, join us."
The stocky grey tom hesitated, dark amber gaze narrowing and flickering over his littermates. Then he heaved a little sigh, "Okay, fine. I don't have anything else to do anyway," instead of sharing their squirrel, Dewclaw picked his own prey from the Fresh-kill pile, a wren, then joined his brother and sister.
The three littermates all sat in silence for a moment, until Ambersky attempted to start a conversation, "So, Dewclaw, how… How are things?" she struggled over her words, unsure of herself, "I haven't seen you much. Have you been, you know, okay?"
The dark grey tom, who had been intently focused on his meal, glanced up from his prey, "Oh. I'm fine," he grunted. Nothing else. He returned to taking mouthfulls of his wren, putting himself at a distance from his littermates.
Ambersky swallowed, clearly struggling, "Good to hear," she meowed, trying to sound bright and cheerful, "What about you Snowfall? Been spending much time with Seedflight lately?" amusement glinted in her bright amber gaze. She took another bite from the squirrel
Snowfall blinked, his ears growing hot at the mention of a certain pale ginger she-cat, "I-I… She's… We've both been busy, uh, with stuff," he stammered a little avoiding eye contact with his sister, "I haven't seen her much."
The pale grey-and-white she-cat looked shocked, "You mean you haven't even been trying to spend time with her?" she mewed in disbelief, "StarClan, you are hopeless. Why don't you go on a moonlight walk or something, you've surely got time then."
Exhaustion clawing away at him, Snowfall feebly protested, "I would, but I kind of need all the sleep I can get at the moment. A moonlight walk isn't going to help that," he didn't tell her about his own little midnight hunts, which he'd been resorting to whenever he couldn't sleep, which was almost every other night now.
"You're still having trouble sleeping?" Ambersky seemed surprised, "I thought you said that it had gone away," she studied the white tom for a moment, "Then again, you do look awful. When was the last time you slept?"
"Thanks for the support," he meowed sarcastically, giving a little roll of his eyes, "And I slept last night actually," for a little while at least.
Ambersky didn't seem convinced, Dewclaw just onlooked blankly, having almost finished his wren. The pale grey-and-white she-cat sat up, pushing the squirrel towards Snowfall, "You have some, you've hardly touched it," she began to smooth down her pelt in short, swift rasps of the tongue. Then, suddenly, as if remembering something, she sat bolt upright, amber eyes suddenly gleaming, "I hope you did get some sleep last night, Snowfall, because it's the Gathering tonight, and all three of us are invited."
Dewclaw suddenly jolted into life, "The Gathering's tonight?" a new found hope glimmered in his dark amber gaze.
An unsettling unease rippled through Snowfall. He was sure he knew exactly why the dark grey tom was so excited about a simple gathering. Still, he managed a smile, "The Gathering? That's great."
Oh StarClan, I was hoping I'd actually manage to get some sleep tonight.
Ambersky grinned, eyes aglow, "Yup, it's tonight! It seems like only a moment ago it was our first gathering, huh?" her gaze briefly shifted to the rest of the Stone Hollow, as if seeking out a face amongst her clanmates.
Snowfall nodded, gaze lowering to the squirrel. Tentatively, he took a bite from the plump creature, slowly chewing on it as he pondered the thoughts swimming around his mind. Insomnia, Dewclaw and Redpaw, SkyClan, The Prophecy.
Unlike Ambersky, Snowfall still had a suspicious feeling that all wasn't over. True, they'd fulfilled the prophecy by returning SkyClan to the lake, but it wasn't as simple as that. Would the other clans want a fifth clan beside the lake? Would they actually be accepted as a clan?
All of a sudden, he wasn't so hungry. Is it really over? He wasn't sure.
Dewclaw
The day seemed to drag by so slowly. StarClan knew how he could forget tonight was the Gathering. The Gathering. He'd been looking forward to it ever since their return to ThunderClan, since their parting with SkyClan, how could he be so forgetful?
ThunderClan were the first to arrive at the Island that night. The sky was dark and lined with clouds that only parted to reveal the glowing light of the moon. The dark grey tom's attention wasn't on that sky tonight though, he was more interested in the other sky; SkyClan. Tonight they would at last be announcing their presence in front of the other four clans. Even the slightest possibility that he might meet Redpaw sent a great shiver of excitement rushing through the ThunderClan tom.
Those seven days spent back amongst ThunderClan once more seemed to have lasted moons. Everyday, the absence of Redpaw had nagged at him constantly, to just see her face again would soothe that, at least for a little while anyway.
The parting fronds and light pawsteps announced the arrival of the next clan. The dark grey tom glanced up, letting his gaze drift to the edge of the clearing, where Mistystar had emerged, followed by her deputy, Grassfur, and then the rest of the gathering party.
The RiverClan leader let her gaze wash over the already gathered cats, giving an acknowledging nod before joining Bramblestar up in the Great Tree. As the RiverClanners began to file in, slipping in amongst the ThunderClan cats, the dark grey warrior shifted uncomfortably, glancing up at the moon briefly. What's taking them so long? Surely WindClan would at least be here by now, they're hardly ever late.
Dewclaw noticed that a pale brown-and-white RiverClan tom had quickly made his way over to Ambersky, amber eyes bright. When the pale grey-and-white she-cat spotted him, she swallowed, giving a forced smile, "Rapidpaw," she meowed, trying to be friendly.
He drew to a halt before the ThunderClan warrior, beaming brightly, "It's not Rapidpaw any more, you can call me Rapidstream now!" he announced, a rumbling purr resounded from his chest. His gaze picked over the pale grey-and-white she-cat for a moment, "it feel like moons since I last saw you! Is you leg healed now?" he asked, tilting his head ever so slightly to one side.
Ambersky frowned, "My leg?" she echoed in confusion, glancing down at her legs, "My leg's fine. Why wouldn't it be?"
The pale brown-and-white warrior swallowed, ducking his head in embarrassment, "Oh, that's… I mean, I was, uh, told that you'd broken your leg and that Snowpaw and Dewpaw had as well, that's why you hadn't been at the last few gatherings," his amber gaze was restless, his paws shifty.
"We're warriors now," the dark grey tom decided it was time he dropped in on the conversation, "So you can call us by our warrior names now, Rapidstream," he spat the words out. He didn't like this cat, "And who told you we'd broken our legs anyway? How could you fall for something as mouse-brained as that? As if all three of us would break our legs at the same time."
"She told me," he motioned with a flick of his tail towards Lilystream, sat nearby. The dark brown-and-white tabby she-cat noticed the RiverClan warrior and immediately stiffened, giving a rather sheepish smile. Dewclaw glared at her.
There was an icy silence between them for a moment, until Rapidstream spoke up, attempting to change the subject, "So, you're warriors now. What are your names?"
Ambersky took a deep breath, about to respond, when the dark grey warrior cut in, "Dewclaw, Ambersky, Snowfall," he meowed bluntly, not meeting the RiverClan warrior's amber gaze.
The pale brown-and-white tom gave a smile, "Ambersky, that's a beautiful name," he purred, amber eyes clouding briefly before he suddenly sat up, blinking, "I mean, uh, they're all really cool names. Dewclaw as well, sounds like a, uh… a name for a warrior."
Well yeah, of course it's a name for a warrior, it's a warrior name.
"WindClan have arrived, " the observant mew had come from Snowfall. He'd been so busy concentrating on glaring at Rapidstream that he hadn't noticed the long-furred white tom approach.
Lifting his gaze from the RiverClan warrior, he let it sweep across the clearing until it settled on the emerging WindClan gathering party. Onestar was at the head of the group, followed shortly by his deputy, Sedgewhisker, then a group of senior warriors that Dewclaw recognised from previous gatherings.
Judgmental murmurs rippled amongst the gathered cats, several hostile stares sent WindClan's way. Dewclaw knew that there had been rumours of WindClan stealing RiverClan prey in the darkest moons of leaf-bare, whilst him and his littermates had been journeying, so it wasn't at all surprising really.
The WindClan warriors made a deliberate point of sitting amongst the ThunderClan members, not even casting a glance RiverClan's way. They didn't have to wait much longer for ShadowClan to arrive. Crowstar declared the arrival of the fourth clan with a proud yowl before joining his fellow clan leaders in the Great Tree.
Dewclaw didn't miss the cold stares he received from the ShadowClan leader, Crowstar was still determined not to let go that the dark grey tom had killed his son, even after so many moons.
"Let the gathering begin, whilst the moon is still bright," Mistystar's call sounded above the noise, shooting a brief glance up at the clouded sky, "We've wasted enough time already waiting," that last comment seemed to be directed at WindClan, despite ShadowClan actually being the last to arrive. She certainly wasn't going to let WindClan forget about their actions.
"ShadowClan will report first," Crowstar decided, not waiting to see if any of the other leaders would like to take their turn first, he leapt straight into his report, "Although Leaf-bare still hangs above us, ShadowClan are as strong as ever. Hunting is good, our apprentices are excelling in training and Kinkfur is expecting Starlingwing's kits."
Although the gathering was underway, the dark grey warrior's attention wasn't on the Clan Leaders up in the Great Tree. His gaze remained fixed on the edge of the clearing, awaiting the arrival of the long lost clan, SkyClan. His tail gave an impatient twitch, StarClan, where are they?
"Three of our warriors recently chased out an overcurious fox, Dawnpelt, Olivenose and Scorchfur!" Crowstar continued, giving a flick of his black-and-white tail.
"Dawnpelt! Olivenose! Scorchfur!" the cries, rather unenthusiastic on Dewclaw's behalf, echoed around the clearing. The dark grey tom almost was almost too absorbed in his uninterested cheering, that he didn't notice the swaying of fern fronds as a brown-and-cream tabby she-cat emerged from the shadows.
It took a heartbeat or so for the rest of the gathered cats to notice the newcomers and a further moment for them to respond. Silence fell upon the clans for a moment as Leafstar began to pad forward, ignoring the shocked stares, followed by a small group of her warriors. Dewclaw could understand why she'd only brought very few of her clanmates, she didn't want to intimidate the rest of the clans or be seen as a threat. Dewclaw would have done exactly the same thing, had he been in her paws.
Hurriedly, his gaze picked over the few cats the SkyClan leader had brought with her, seeking out a particular pelt. When his eyes were caught by a pair of tufted ears and a tortoiseshell-and-white pelt, he couldn't help but purr, giving the warmest smile. Redpaw was here.
"And who are you?" Crowstar was the first to address the SkyClan leader, spitting distastefully at the brown-and-cream tabby she-cat as he leapt down from his branch in the Great Tree to block her path.
Leafstar didn't reply for a moment, calmly meeting the ShadowClan leader's challenging stare, "My name is Leafstar and this," she motioned with a flick of her brown-and-cream tabby tail to her warriors, "is SkyClan."
Gasps of shock and surprise arose amongst the gathered cats. Many regarded the clan suspiciously, eyeing the brown-and-cream tabby leader and her warriors with hostility in their gazes.
"SkyClan? Never heard of them."
"What do they think they're doing here? There's a truce, don't they know?"
"SkyClan… Aren't they that lost clan or something. I heard the elders talking about them once."
"Silence!" Onestar snapped, silencing the murmurs. He joined Crowstar, but wasn't quite as hostile as the ShadowClan leader, "What are you doing here?"
Leafstar seemed unfazed by the show of suspicion, "Why am I here? It's rather a long story, but I intend to tell it," she meowed simply, holding Onestar's gaze, "If you'll only listen."
"And why should we listen to you?" Crowstar challenged, "Strolling in here like you own the place. Why shouldn't we just drive you away here and now?" there was a flame flickering behind the black-and-white tom's gaze.
"Well, that would be going against StarClan wouldn't it?" she blinked calmly, sitting down and letting her tail curl neatly around her paws.
"Let her speak," Bramblestar's meow rose from the Great Tree. He joined Onestar and Crowstar, Mistystar following him shortly. The gathering of cats were now focused around the arrival of the lost clan.
Dewclaw, who was watching the events unfold, tried to catch Redpaw's gaze, but the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat was too focused on her clan leader.
"SkyClan? I once heard of them. The lost clan," Mistystar mewed thoughtfully, her blue gaze drifting to Bramblestar, "Firestar and Sandstorm were the ones who regrouped them I understand? After they were driven from the forest?"
Dewclaw was surprised the RiverClan leader knew about the fifth clan. Were they really so widely known about?
Leafstar smiled, "Yes," she replied simply, her gaze washed over the gathered cats, "I'd better clear things up, explain everthing."
Intrigued murmurs rippled amongst those gathered. Cats looked on eagerly, curious about what Leafstar had to say.
The brown-and-cream tabby took a deep breath, "You may have heard of SkyClan, the fifth clan. We were always one of the clans, from the first day the clans came about. We lived alongside the other clans in the old forest, peacefully, until the twolegs came. They built on our territory until we had nowhere to go. Our leader at the time pleaded for the other clans to give up a little of their territory so that SkyClan could go on."
At the mention of twolegs destroying SkyClan territory, a few sympathetic murmurs arose from those gathered. Many had also experienced being driven from their home and knew all too well how painful it was.
Leafstar continued, pleased to find that the dissaproving stares and hostile glares had faded away, "But all help was denied by the other clans and we were driven from the forest. The leader then, Cloudstar, led SkyClan to a gorge far from the forest and for a time, life was peaceful. Then the rats came."
A few cats scoffed, "Rats. They're only tiny little things, why would they change anything?"
"Yeah, easy to kill, good prey actually."
Mews of agreement spread amongst the gathered cats. Dewclaw could tell Leafstar was finding it difficult to hold in her frustration at these suggestions. She lashed her tail a little, "Yes, a few rats, no problem. But there were hundreds of these rats, maybe even thousands. Battles were fought over the gorge between SkyClan and the rats but many cats were killed and SkyClan was forced to disband. Some of our warriors became kittypets, others left to become loners and rogues," she paused for a moment, calmly breathing before carrying on, "Then, many seasons later, Firestar and Sandstorm came."
Dewclaw noticed a few wistful smiles from his clanmates at the mention of the fiery-pelted former leader. Although Dewclaw had hardly known the former leader, he still bowed his head a little out of respect, he knew Firestar had been a great cat.
"Firestar had received dreams from SkyClan's Warrior Ancestors, asking him to return the lost clan. He and Sandstorm had to travel rather far to reach the gorge and almost as soon as they arrived, they got to work, recruiting kittypets, rogues and loners to reform the lost clan," her amber gaze clouded for a moment, "We were taught the ways of the warrior code and borders were marked and finally we took the name of the fifth clan, SkyClan. Just before Firestar and Sandstorm left, returning to their responsibilities back in ThunderClan, a leader was chosen from the modern SkyClan. I was that cat," she swallowed, gaze briefly flickering to the moonlit sky, "For the first few moons, life was harsh, but we got through. Seasons passed and SkyClan remained, but then, a season or so ago, twolegs started building on our territory once more. It started off with just a little area, but the twolegs were greedy and quickly they took over most of our territory, leaving us with very little prey to hunt and only a small piece of territory undisturbed."
Dewclaw felt a pang of sympathy for the fifth clan, he knew that SkyClan had to endure many hardships, but he'd never really heard the full story.
"I had lost hope, until Firestar sent me a dream. He told me of a prophecy, that StarClan hadn't abandoned us," Leafstar's meow echoed around the clearing, a hush falling upon the mention of a prophecy. Her gaze turned to Snowfall, Ambersky and Dewclaw, "The prophecy spoke of three cats journeying to return SkyClan to its true place alongside the other clans. Those three cats were Amberpaw, Snowpaw and Dewpaw of ThunderClan."
All eyes fell upon Dewclaw and his littermates. Snowfall shrunk back a little and Ambersky's ears flattened against her head in embarrassment, but Dewclaw sat tall, amber eyes glowing.
"ThunderClan, typical."
"StarClan always favours ThunderClan."
Dewclaw ignored the scornful comments, why should he care anyway?
Leafstar took a deep breath, before resuming her tale, "Amberpaw, Snowpaw and Dewpaw too had received the prophecy. With unwavering loyalty to StarClan's wish, these three cats parted with their clan, setting out upon a long and harsh journey."
Dewclaw couldn't help but let out a rumbling purr, Leafstar was making them sound so heroic. Although there was a little hint of annoyance that she was calling them by their old apprentice names. She wasn't to know though, it wasn't like it had been announced.
"They reached the gorge about a moon ago, a few days later, we set out on our own journey. A journey from our home, to our future, a home alongside the other clans," her eyelids flickered shut briefly as she bowed her head for a moment, "A quarter-moon ago, we finally reached the lake. We found the perfect camp, ideal territory," her gaze drifted to the inky-black sky, "SkyClan have returned. Now, all we seek is your acceptance," she looked to each clan leader expectantly.
There was silence for a heartbeat as the cats gathered tried to take in this sudden rush of information. Those of ThunderClan were already aware of the situation, so sat still, perfectly content.
Mistystar was the first to speak, a brief glance at her clanmates thrown over her shoulder, "As long as the lake can support the addition in numbers and you have found your own territory, I'm sure RiverClan would be willing to accept SkyClan as one of the clans. Provided you keep to the Warrior Code of course," she meowed calmly, giving a small, welcoming smile. A few of her clan looked a little disheartened by their leader's solo decision, but most seemed willing to allow another clan by the lake.
Bramblestar was also in agreement, "ThunderClan have already discussed this and agree with Mistystar. If it is StarClan's wish, who are we to go against it?"
Nods of agreement and support spread amongst the dark brown tabby's clanmates. Dewclaw smiled, the clans seemed willing so far, hopefully WindClan and ShadowClan would reflect Mistystar and Bramblestar's decisions to allow SkyClan to stay.
"I can't quite believe I'm hearing this," Crowstar snorted in disbelief, stepping forward, "Five clans by the lake? The territories can't support so many. How are we to know that this 'SkyClan' are even a true clan and will stick to the code. They could steal our prey and territory for all we know!" he snarled.
ShadowClan seemed a little torn by the whole ordeal, some agreeing with their leader, whilst others looked a little concerned, eying Leafstar and her warriors with less hostility than the rest of their clanmates.
Onestar too seemed alarmed by the suggestion of the fifth clan living beside the lake, "WindClan will not allow this," he declared, glaring at the SkyClan leader, "Five clans? Ridiculous. Some of my warriors had noted the presence of your cats, sniffing around our borders," Dewclaw noticed how he referred to the SkyClan warriors simply as 'cats', not their true titles.
Several of ThunderClan and RiverClan began to voice their opinions, "It's StarClan's wish! Do you want to go against the words of your warrior ancestors?"
"Besides, if they have their own territory and stick to the code, who are we to deny them a home here?"
"Mouse-brains. We must follow StarClan's wish and support SkyClan."
Arguments began to rise, soft meows growing to bitter cries.
"Mouse-brains? Who are you calling mouse-brains? You're the only mouse-brains here."
"How do we know they'll stick to the code anyway?"
"SkyClan were driven from the old forest for a reason, there were never meant to be five clans! SkyClan doesn't belong here!"
The dark grey tom took a step back, watching in horror as the scene unfolded. His claws slid out, glinting silver in the moonlight, "There were always meant to be five clans!" he snarled, a fire burning behind his amber gaze. He and his littermates hadn't risked their lives on a treacherous journey for nothing. SkyClan belonged by the lake, he wouldn't let them be driven out.
It was then that first cat attacked, a cream-and-grey pelted ShadowClan tom that Dewclaw didn't quite recognise. He lunged for a light brown tabby RiverClan warrior, Mallownose. Battle cries began to rise above the noise, piercing the night, staining the sacred truce.
The fight began to spread amongst the gathered cats, clans turning against each other. Beside him, a high-pitched feeble cry sounded from Snowfall, "The moon! The moon! This is a truce!"
Dewclaw's dark amber gaze flickered to the sky. Where was the moon anyway? Then he realised, his heart faltering. The clouds had completely smothered the moon from sight, StarClan were angry.
"StarClan are upset!" Snowfall continued to yowl, concern pooling in his amber gaze, "Stop! Fighting won't solve anything!"
Dewclaw looked to Bramblestar, only find that he was tussling with the WindClan warrior, Crowfeather. Squirrelflight had just leapt into battle as well, knocking down a ShadowClan warrior.
It was just as his gaze flickered back to Snowfall, that he saw the dark tabby tom hurtling for him. Dewclaw's pelt bristled with fury, amber gaze darkening as the two cats met, claws flying, insults hurled.
"SkyClan belong here!" he roared, landing a blow on the WindClan tom's shoulder. His opponent flinched, stumbling backwards for a moment before charging straight at Dewclaw once more.
"Oh no they don't," the tom hissed, swiping at Dewclaw's face, droplets of blood blurring the dark grey tom's vision, "The lake is only big enough for four clans. SkyClan don't belong here, and they never will."
Well, what did you think? Sorry it's so long. ^^' I love hearing what you think, if you'd take a minute or so just to drop me a review, you'd make my day. :3 I always reply personally to every review. Oh, also, I'm going to start author Q&A! When you leave a review, you can leave a Q&A question! it can be something like, where did you get the inspiration for Blue Moon for or something like that. :3 At the beginning I'll answer one Q&A question, that I'll chose from your reviews. So ask away! Let me know what you think!
Love Leafy x ;)
