Chapter Four

MOUSE-DUNG !

Crookedstar sat, his eyes narrowed. The navy blue of the sky shimmered with the light of the stars. The forest was quiet, except for the pitter-patter of the rain that fell. But not all was at peace.

He watched, his eyes slits, as the ThunderClan cats lay down the sweet, silver kit. It's her, he thought to himself, his eyes bright with wonder. It's my sweet, sweet Silverpaw.

She was waking up just as the cats retreated into the shadows. Crookedstar murmured his thanks to the stars. He had asked them for a sign as to how he would get his daughter, and in a dream they told him it was already a reality.

Crookedstar immediately padded outside. It was a half-moon tonight. All his warriors were asleep, except for his deputy whom was watching guard. He walked up to Silverpaw and meowed in his rough voice, "Get up, ThunderClan apprentice. We must talk."

She staggered to her paws, looking bewildered.

"But I'm in River—RiverClan camp!"

She started running toward the exit.

"Attack!" she yowled. "ATTACK!"

The RiverClan deputy stood in front of her as she tried to exit camp.

"Thank you," Crookedstar said quietly. "Please, Silverpaw, follow me."

Silverpaw was shocked. How could he know her name?

Moments later, she stood in front of him, her jaw dropped.

"You can't be my father," she meowed.

"I am," Crookedstar disagreed bluntly.

"Are NOT!"

"It's not my fault I had to give you up to ThunderClan. I needed to become leader. I had to. I loved you dearly, but…"

"You gave me up to a different CLAN?" spat Silverpaw.

"I've only been leader for a few moons now," he meowed. "Please, Silverpaw. You do not know how much I've wanted you to be in my Clan. But it was impossible to tell you at a Gathering, so I asked StarClan to send ThunderClan a prophecy about silver waters…"

"Why waters?" Silverpaw asked, her eyes wide with anger. "I'm not in RiverClan! I'm not a dirty, smelly, watery, disgustingly egoistical RIVERCLAN CAT."

Crookedstar stood in shocked silence.

"I planned to tell Bluestar the truth, and ask if she could named you 'Silverwaters'," he meowed quietly. "So you could have a part of your RiverClan history in you still."

"No. Just…no."

Silverpaw walked out of her father's den in silence, her tail drooping. She had always thought she was a loyal ThunderClan warrior. Now what were the other cats going to think of her?

Crookedstar woke up to find his daughter laying in the middle of camp with her bright eyes worried. He walked up to her.

"I'm sorry," he meowed again. "I didn't mean to hurt you. But still, you'll have to except your origins."

"I suppose I am," she meowed. "So when do I start training?"

He purred deep in his throat. Perhaps this would work out after all…

"Actually," he said, clearing his throat, "After watching you fight at the battle, I think you can be made a warrior. A loyal RiverClan warrior."

"What will you tell the rest of RiverClan?" she asked wonderingly.

"Oh, they already know. But they won't tell a soul, and neither will the warriors of ThunderClan who know.

"What are you going to name me…Father?"

He smiled.

"You decide."

And so Silverstream, Graystripe's lover, was born.

Perhaps you don't believe this story. You think, "Oh, this author's making this up."

Think again.

Right after Silverstream was named a warrior, Firepaw came along, and so Erin Hunter's story was born.

Think about the prophecy. It said the peace would be divine if this cat was gotten rid of. But it never said what kind of peace. Could it be a…loving peace? Graystripe and Silverstream's love was divine. (Much better than Graystripe and Milly. Ew.)

So. This might just be a true story.