"I'm taking the dawn patrol this morning," Darkfur meowed as soon as she awoke. EarthClan settled around her. If not content with the dark she-cat's leadership, they seemed resigned to it. At least, that was Darkfur's impression. And she did not get the same impression with all the cats.
Darkfur beckoned to Swiftwind, Greenear, and Jadetail. "Why do I have to come?" the cranky gray she-cat complained as she walked over to Darkfur.
"Because I said so," Darkfur snarled, her fur immediately ruffled the wrong way. Jadetail annoyed her – always had, always would. The she-cat always had to get the last word, even if it was wrong, and she always had to complain. She was sassy and had not a humble bone in her body.
"But we have to find Wolfclaw," Jadetail complained as they set off.
Darkfur turned around. The irritable she-cat was working Darkfur into a rage. "That's what we're doing, foxdung!" she spat. "I wouldn't be coming back to where he was attacked otherwise!"
After that, Jadetail shut up and quietly followed orders. Darkfur crept quietly through the undergrowth, Swiftwind beside her as backup, Greenear as an experienced elder. Jadetail followed behind.
The place where Liverpaw had been maimed and Wolfclaw stolen away was silent. No scent on the breeze indicated intruders. No animal had come to disturb where Liverpaw's tail lay buried.
"Spread out," Darkfur commanded softly. "Look for anything – any scents or sounds, broken twigs or disturbed growth that might indicate an intruder."
The cats did as commanded, even Jadetail. Darkfur scraped at the ground uneasily. If Juby was coming, she would come now. And if one of Darkfur's cats attacked her…
Darkfur settled down to wait, receiving reports infrequently from her cats. Nothing abnormal, everything the way it's supposed to be, no sign of any intruders. It made Darkfur, if anything, more unsettled.
Swiftwind reappeared a few moments later. Much to Darkfur's relief, he was leading Juby. "Juby!" Darkfur jumped up with a purr of welcome. Juby harrumphed and settled herself besides Darkfur in the grass.
"There's a pattern with you EarthClan cats. This big guy attacked me too."
Swiftwind looked away awkwardly. "Well if you hadn't been creeping through the undergrowth like that…" he muttered. "I thought you were the enemy!" He hurried off to finish checking his part of the territory.
Darkfur was stiff. Juby glanced over at her. "What's the matter, furball?"
"No. I'm not an EarthClan cat," Darkfur explained. "I'm a SkyClan warrior."
"Oh, is that so? Well, you sure do smell like an EarthClan cat, and you're helping the EarthClan cats." Juby shrugged as Darkfur bristled, ready to give the new EarthClan member a telling-off. "It's no business of mine, I suppose. I'm ready to be a warrior. I spent all night with my housefolk. I'm going to miss them."
For a moment, Juby's face fell and her tail drooped. Then she shook herself. "Well, I'll get by. What are you doing out here?"
"Keep your voice down," Darkfur murmured, looking around anxiously. "We're looking for signs of Wolfclaw. Have you heard anything?"
"No," Juby said with a small sigh. "I'm sorry. I asked around the gardens last night – in an off-hand way – but no cat has heard anything."
"Are you sure they didn't miss anything?" Darkfur asked hopefully.
"No. I'm sorry, Darkfur, but no cat could have missed a tom like Wolfclaw. He's not the sort we get around the gardens. Big gray male, scarred…He's not your average housecat."
"He's not a housecat at all," Darkfur muttered. "He belongs out here, in the forest." Darkfur's ears pricked. Some cat was creeping towards them. Juby didn't need to be told to be quiet; she was sitting stock-still.
"Who's there?" Darkfur hissed. Jadetail crept out of the undergrowth. Her eyes were wide and her tail fluffed up.
"I found tracks," she breathed. "Blood, and broken branches. They smell of Wolfclaw, and some cat I don't know."
"Lead on," Darkfur whispered. "Let's see if we can track it." Jadetail nodded and stalked into a bunch of ferns. Juby followed Darkfur silently.
On the other side of the ferns was the blood and broken branches. Jadetail flicked her tail uneasily as Darkfur sniffed it. Wolfclaw's, without a doubt. Even in the short time that she had known him, Darkfur has come to recognize his scent.
"This way." She signaled to her tiny band, and they flanked her as they moved into the bushes, noses aquiver and senses hyper-aware as they tracked the scent. Darkfur was puzzled; the other scent with Wolfclaw felt like some vaguely-remembered smell, some cat she had known almost in another life. But it was different; changed in some subtle way so that she could not put face to scent.
Then they lost the scent over rocks. Sheeting, freezing rain began to pour down as they tried to relocate the scent. "Foxdung!" Jadetail spat. "We're done. We can't track the scent anymore." The joint effort of trying to locate Wolfclaw had, if not warmed, then reconciled Jadetail to the new leader.
"We can try again tomorrow," Jadetail meowed helplessly to Darkfur as they went back to camp after picking up Swiftwind and Greenear, their fur plastered to their sides.
"Save the effort," Greenear grunted as they slipped through the fern tunnel. "There will be nothing left after this rain." Jadetail sniffed and went ahead, but Darkfur knew that Greenear was right. The search for Wolfclaw would come to nothing after this.
Darkfur slipped into camp. "Food, rest, but get dried off first," she ordered her search party. "I can't have you catching colds. Juby, come with me."
The grey-and-white she-cat followed Darkfur through the camp. "This is the warriors' den," Darkfur said as they trotted past. Ravencall stuck his head out of the drenched ferns and mewed a hello.
Darkfur purred. "Get yourself hunting, you lazy furball." Disgruntled, Ravencall set out, greeting Jadetail quickly before sliding out of camp, followed by Gingerpelt. The ginger-and-black she-cat halted them.
"Who's this?" she asked archly, baring her teeth at Juby.
"Juby. A new Clan warrior." Darkfur stared down the EarthClan she-cat until Gingerpelt looked away.
"Well, well, a SkyClan cat actually trying to add to our numbers, instead of deplete them." Gingerpelt flicked her tail and hurried into the rain-splattered forest.
Darkfur blinked in surprise. "You know, for Gingerpelt, that was almost friendly." Juby purred in amusement. Darkfur led her charge to the Overhang, where EarthClan held their meetings, according to Stripedpelt. She stared up at it uncertainly. Surely EarthClan's leader, and not she, should give Juby her warrior name?
Nettlestorm appeared, followed by his apprentice, Fishpaw. He stopped in surprise when he saw Juby.
"Darkfur, who is this?"
Darkfur explained as Fishpaw looked on in amazement. As soon as the dark-furred she-cat paused for breath, Fishpaw jumped up and began sniffing the new arrival.
"She smells funny, Nettlestorm. What's that scent?"
Nettlestorm flicked his tail in embarrassment as Darkfur purred. "Excuse my apprentice, Juby. She's very young still."
"I don't mind," Juby said softly. "I was a kittypet," she explained to the young apprentice. "But I'm going to come and live with you. Is that okay?"
"Uh-huh," Fishpaw said seriously. "Are you going to be an apprentice? If you are, you can sleep in my den."
Juby purred. "Thanks for the offer."
"I don't think Juby will be in the apprentice den," Darkfur explained to a rather put-out Fishpaw. "She'll probably sleep with the warriors, and train with them for a while as well."
"Who will be her teacher?" Nettlestorm asked. "We don't have many cats to spare at the moment."
"No," Darkfur agreed. "But after Juby is taught, you'll have one more warrior to help."
Nettlestorm nodded thoughtfully. "True. We must find someone sympathetic to your goals, Darkfur, and I do not know how it easy it will be."
"Come to my den," Darkfur said, flicking her tail, uneasy about how much like Leafstar she sounded. "I want to know who you would recommend."
Fishpaw glanced at her mentor, who nodded. She dashed through the rain, barreling into the apprentice den. Darkfur thought she heard piteous moans from Fishpaw's two brothers as their wet sister joined them.
Juby and Nettlestorm followed her into the den she shared with Swiftwind. She sat down on the hard floor with the two cats and curled her tail over her paws before looking expectantly at Nettlestorm.
"Who would you recommend?" she asked him when he stayed silent, out of nerves or just reflection she wasn't sure.
"A cat sympathetic and supportive of you," he said finally. "Not me – I already have Fishpaw, and she's enough on her own."
"Ravencall?" Darkfur suggested. She almost regretted the fact that she didn't have the knowledge of these warriors in order to assist them properly.
Nettlestorm flicked his tail. "Ravencall is a good warrior, but he lacks patience. Even Jadetail has more. He can't put up with cats who don't learn quickly and efficiently, and it puts a strain on the cats learning from him."
Darkfur sighed. What cat would help her with Juby? It was good to have new cats, but not if the new cats had no one to teach them warrior ways.
Just then, a silvery head poked its way into the den. "Come in!" Darkfur called. Greenear stepped inside the den hesitantly and dipped her head to Darkfur.
"We've been patrolling the SkyClan border, Darkfur," Greenear said. "We saw no problems, but a cat by the name of Rockfang was there, asking for you."
"That's my father!" Darkfur meowed in shock. She hadn't heard from her father since her exile, and she missed him desperately. They were much closer then most warrior fathers and their kits. Rockfang had always been present in Darkfur's life. "Did he say anything?"
"I told him you were here, and helping us. He did not seem pleased, but he told me that if you needed any help – anything – that you could ask him."
"That's sweet," Darkfur purred. "But I don't want him getting in trouble because of me. Leafstar does not look kindly on me at the moment."
"He caught us some prey and we brought it back," Greenear mewed, her voice slightly mischievous. "He also told me to tell you that Lightspirit and Brownpaw are doing well."
Darkfur was relieved to hear that her sister was well, but felt a guilty twinge at the thought of her apprentice. She had been assigned Brownpaw, her first apprentice ever, and it was her job to teach him the way of the warrior. She had not done such a good job – first her mother's death and then her exile had fragmented the young tom's training.
"Did he mention who had taken over Brownpaw's training?" Darkfur asked, twitching her ears in unease.
"Yes, he said a cat by the name of Sparrowpelt had taken over Brownpaw's training, and that Swiftwind would want to know that Sunpaw's training was being handled by Petalnose."
Darkfur relaxed. The apprentices would be fine with the senior warriors; Sparrowpelt and Petalnose were too wise to be taken in by Leafstar's falsehoods.
"Thank you, Greenear," Darkfur meowed in relief.
Greenear dipped her head and began to leave when Nettlestorm suddenly said, "Greenear!"
The other cats in the den glanced at him, startled. But Darkfur caught on to his idea quickly. Greenear was sweet, kind, and even-tempered. She was loyal to Darkfur and more then capable to train Juby.
"Greenear, I need a favor," Darkfur meowed. Greenear stopped, her head tilted curiously to one side. "I want to train Juby here as an EarthClan warrior. Will you teacher her?"
"Of course," Greenear meowed in surprise. "Would you – I mean, be her tutor?"
"Sort of," Darkfur meowed. "But Juby isn't an apprentice – she's too old for that. It would be like training a warrior, almost."
Greenear purred. "I'll teach her as best as I can."
Darkfur dipped her head to the she-cat. "Thank you, Greenear. I would like to give Juby a name, but – "
"Give her a name," Nettlestorm interrupted. Darkfur was startled. The brown-and-white tom nodded to Juby. "She is an EarthClan cat now. She deserves a name. Even if you are not our leader, I believe that…that StarClan will forgive you this once."
Darkfur pulled back for a moment, startled. Nettlestorm met her gaze unflinchingly. He had said StarClan. He believed in the warrior ancestors – he believed in his warrior ancestors.
Darkfur's mouth was dry as she meowed, "Then we'll have Juby's naming at sunset."
Nettlestorm nodded, his eyes approving. Darkfur licked her lips self-consciously. She was sure that, had they not been in different Clans, she and Nettlestorm could have been friends. Even if he acted too wise for his age.
"You can go," Darkfur meowed wearily. She was exhausted; she had never had so much respect for Leafstar, who had run their Clan day in and day out for seasons now.
Nettlestorm, Greenear, and Juby all left, dipping their heads in respect. Darkfur sighed. The evening patrol would have to be organized still, but maybe she could sleep for a short time before the patrol left.
Curling down in her nest, she thought it felt empty without Swiftwind. Her thoughts drifted over her responsibilities and duties, her mind unable to rest even as her body slumped in exhaustion. It was so cold and wet. EarthClan will probably all get sick if this weather continues, Darkfur mused, even as she struggled to quiet her mind and fall asleep. Then a jolt struck her: If EarthClan would get sick, then her Clan would, too.
Darkfur stirred with unease. Echosong was old – every cat knew that. The elderly silver she-cat was dying, and unable to care for their Clan any longer. And Lightspirit would have kits soon. "They can't manage," Darkfur growled to herself. Her Clan had just beaten off a harsh sickness barely a moon ago.
She had never wanted more desperately then to be home, training with Brownpaw, hunting with Badgerclaw and her father, and sharing tongues with Swiftwind in the warrior's cave. Darkfur felt horribly homesick. EarthClan had a nice camp, but it wasn't her camp, and it wasn't her Clan. The rock that should have been underpaw was harsh, dead grass. Nothing was the same.
Eventually, Darkfur fell asleep – yet she didn't sleep well. SkyClan, her Clan, stared after her as she ran through EarthClan's forest, dark accusations in their eyes.
"She has betrayed us – just as Leafstar said." Darkfur opened her jaws to deny the cat who said this, but before she could retort, she found herself struggling awake. Swiftwind stood over her, his eyes tender.
"Are you okay, Darkfur? You were mewling in your sleep."
Darkfur tried to purr hoarsely, wanting to reassure her mate, but no sound came out. Instead, her fears came spilling out of her mouth. Swiftwind listened, occasionally flicking Darkfur's ear with his tongue, trying to comfort her.
"I'm scared," Darkfur rasped finally.
Swiftwind drew her closer to him. "I am too," he murmured, his voice moss-soft. "But we'll be okay. And so will our Clan. Leafstar will realize her mistake soon, and we'll go back."
"That doesn't help them now. We should be there. Instead we're here helping add to another Clan."
"It's what StarClan wants," Swiftwind sighed. "Or would you go against them?" His mew was gently teasing now and Darkfur pressed herself against his soft fur. She wished it was always this easy – just Swiftwind and his warm fur. But it wasn't, and it could never be, like that again.
"What time is it?" Darkfur asked. She poked her head out of the den and saw that it was past noon. She had to organize the evening patrol before Juby's ceremony. Wearily she stepped out of the den and shook herself, bits of moss falling from her dark pelt.
Swiftwind followed her into the open, his jaws stretching. "At least the rain stopped," he began, but his words were broken off in another wide yawn.
Darkfur's eyes softened as she gazed at her exhausted mate. "Go to sleep, Swiftwind. I'll call you if I need you."
"I'm going to be woken up a lot,' Swiftwind joked. Darkfur purred as he nuzzled her, twining tails before Swiftwind slipped back inside the den.
"Darkfur." Darkfur turned to find Gingerpelt approaching her. Much to Darkfur's surprise, the testy ginger-and-black she-cat dipped her head before sitting down.
"Is anything wrong, Gingerpelt?"
"I'm not sure," Gingerpelt confessed. "Stripedpelt sent me to get you."
Darkfur shifted. If Stripedpelt wanted her, it must be important. "I'm on my way. Gingerpelt, will you lead the evening patrol?"
"Sure," Gingerpelt meowed. "I'll take Jadetail and Birdwing with me." Her tone went back to sassy as she walked away, flicking her paws at the SkyClan she-cat. However, Darkfur felt a brief flare of hope. Maybe the she-cat was beginning to respect her.
Flicking her tail, Darkfur padded across the clearing into Stripedpelt's den. Liverpaw lay on a bed of moss inside, asleep. Darkfur paused over the small apprentice. His breathing was even, if not a little wet, and his ears and tail had been neatly cleaned. She was pleased with how able Stripedpelt seemed to be in healing.
Kill him. The thought flitted across Darkfur's mind like a shadow. She gasped, stumbling backwards and knocking several herbs off of rock shelves. "Who is there?" Darkfur demanded. Only Liverpaw's breathing answered her.
Like a tidal wave, red bloodlust bloomed inside of her. Kill him, Darkfur. He killed your mother. He hurt your Clan.
Darkfur stared at the young ginger cat. It was his fault she had been exiled. It was his fault, and his Clan's fault. She could kill them. She should kill them. It wouldn't hurt her…
She loomed over Liverpaw's prone form, her fur arching on her back, her tail stuck out. Her blue eyes glowed with vengeful fire. She could kill him, it would be too easy…
No! The voice echoed in her mind like crystal wind chimes. Darkfur trembled, and was suddenly staring at herself, her claws unsheathed, her eyes glittering like ice, and her heart gone to some cold spirit. She gazed around wildly, trying to find how she had been taken from her body.
Mintcloud stood in front of her.
"Mother!" Darkfur gasped.
"Peace, daughter. You're too young to feel such hatred."
"It isn't me!" Darkfur protested, wanting to close the distance between herself and her mother. But Mintcloud indicated that Darkfur should stay where she was.
"It is not entirely you, my daughter. But Darkfur, if you did not have the seed in your heart, Darkheart could not make the tree grow."
"It isn't my fault," Darkfur whimpered. Mintcloud purred and now approached her daughter, covering the dark she-cat's ears with tender licks. Darkfur closed her eyes, struggling against Darkheart and the twisted mind that tried to grab her.
"Peace." Mintcloud faded, and Darkfur swayed, once more inside the medicine cat's den. She gasped, struggling to find herself. Mintcloud had beaten back Darkheart, and Darkfur slumped in relief.
"Darkfur?"
The voice made Darkfur jump, and a shiver went down her skin before she recognized Stripedpelt. He tipped his head, obviously confused.
"I'm fine," Darkfur meowed quickly, dipping her head to lick her rumpled chest fur. "I – I just don't like seeing Liverpaw like this." And while that was true, it wasn't the only reason Darkfur couldn't meet Stripedpelt's eyes.
"He's doing well," Stripedpelt mewed, walking over to the small apprentice. "He was awake just a little while ago."
Darkfur felt the fur along her spine bristle. "Did he say what attacked him?"
Stripedpelt shook his head, sighing. "No, he said he couldn't tell what it was. Liverpaw said that it was black, and looked like a cat, but that he couldn't see it clearly. Wolfclaw tried to protect him."
"Does he know where Wolfclaw went then?" Darkfur urged, moving closer to the gray-and-brown medicine cat. He gazed down at her, his eyes muddled.
"No. He passed out before Wolfclaw was dragged away. However, he did mention a scent – he said it smelled very much…like you."
Darkfur sprang backwards, her tail lashing. Fear pulsed through her. Would she, once again, be falsely accused of a crime not of her own making?
"It wasn't me!" Darkfur spat.
"Of course it wasn't," Stripedpelt meowed in surprise. "You were here. Liverpaw meant it smelled like SkyClan."
Darkfur stumbled. Her own Clanmates couldn't possibly be killing EarthClan cats, could they? Yes, they would, Darkfur told herself. They're desperate, and I don't blame them. But it's my duty to find Wolfclaw.
"I'll send out another search party," Darkfur sighed wearily. "There's not much else I can do, and I don't even think the search will find anything – the scent was gone in that freezing rain."
Stripedpelt nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's unfortunate that the rain shower came right then. I don't know why StarClan don't want us to find Wolfclaw! Maybe StarClan are siding with SkyClan." Stripedpelt looked lost.
Darkfur blinked in shock. "That's not it!" she exclaimed. Stripedpelt looked at her, askance by her loud voice. Liverpaw mumbled in his sleep and tried to curl his missing tail over his nose, but he didn't wake up.
"Sorry," Darkfur meowed, dropping her voice back down to a whisper. "But I don't think that StarClan sent that rainstorm."
"How do you know?" Stripedpelt didn't sound challenging, just confused.
"StarClan is…" Darkfur hesitated. What did she honestly know about StarClan? They were as mysterious to her as the moon itself.
"StarClan doesn't choose sides," Darkfur meowed finally. "Their job is to protect us and send us omens – they aren't the answer to all of our problems, and they don't control everything that goes on in the gorge. They watch over us."
Stripedpelt blinked. "You are wise," he mewed. He padded over to Liverpaw's side and adjusted a few of the cobweb dressings. "I am a young cat still," Stripedpelt said. "So are you. We both have much to learn – but you are more knowledgeable then me in many ways."
Darkfur purred and went over to Liverpaw's side as well, lying one gentle paw on the apprentice that, just moments ago, she had been contemplating killing. "I'm naïve," Darkfur meowed. "I don't know a lot of things, and I'm barely a kit. But Leafstar has forced me to grow up, just as Waterfern's death and Sandstar's death have forced you to grow up."
He purred. "I can still remember the first time we met. Looking back on it, I seemed so defensive and rude."
"You were," Darkfur said, her tail twitching in amusement. "But you had just lost your mother."
Stripedpelt bowed his head for a moment. "I still miss her."
"Why did you think she went to the First Clan?" Darkfur questioned. "Have they appeared before you?"
Stripedpelt shook his head. "No, I never received dreams from my warrior ancestors before I began looking to StarClan. But we always wondered where our leaders received their nine lives from – that's why we followed the First Clan."
Darkfur glanced outside; the sun was beginning to set. It was time for Juby's ceremony.
"I have to go," Darkfur sighed. Stripedpelt's ears pricked; Darkfur was apprehensive about the coming ceremony, and obviously the EarthClan medicine cat knew it. She glanced away uneasily, not liking how he seemed to know this.
"I will come with you," he meowed, narrowing his eyes. "It is an important day for my Clan – it will be the first time we call on StarClan to name a warrior."
Leaving Liverpaw, Stripedpelt led the way into the clearing. "How did you make your cats into warriors before this?" Darkfur asked curiously.
Stripedpelt flicked his tail. "We had them battle Sandstar – if they could beat him, they became warriors. If not, they had to train for another moon before challenging him again."
It seemed a barbaric way to name a warrior, but Darkfur said nothing. If she had learned anything from Tinyfern, it was to respect another Clan's traditions. She was just thankful that, after tonight, it would be their tradition no longer.
"Sandstar used to address the Clan from there," Stripedpelt mewed, nodding towards the Overhang that he had pointed out earlier. Claw marks scored it in various places. "He liked to use it for a scratching post also."
Darkfur just nodded, unable to speak. She had to go up there. She had to jump on top of that rock and call the Clan – and Juby – to the warrior ceremony. She had never felt so lost.
But she had to do it, for this Clan that had accepted her, given her a home and a refuge and that was slowly warming to her leadership, fragile and temporary though it was.
Pawstep by slow pawstep, she scrambled up the ledge and sat down tentatively on the cold surface.
"Cats of EarthClan," she began, but the words seemed to die in her throat. She couldn't. She wasn't a leader, she was only a warrior, and a young, inexperienced one at that.
Then Swiftwind appeared, his brown tabby fur glowing once more with health and vitality. He looked up at her, standing on the claw-gouged rock, and Darkfur felt warmth spread from her ears to her claws. Throwing back her head, she caterwauled, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey join here, beneath the Clawedrock, for a Clan meeting!"
Greenear and Juby appeared, the two she-cats apparently getting along well. Darkfur was pleased; they would make a wonderful apprentice and warrior pair. Gingerpelt and Ravencall, closely followed by Jadetail, swarmed over from the warrior's den. Nettlestorm padded over, followed by the three apprentices; and finally Birdwing, Tinyfern, and Volefoot appeared. Much to Darkfur's surprise, the two she-cats were speaking to each other without hostility. Even snappish Volefoot, whom Darkfur had met before, was relaxed, his eyes shining as he spoke animatedly with the two younger she-cats.
The Clan assembled and fell silent. The dying sun illuminated Darkfur's pelt; she looked like an eclipse herself, covering over the sun. But she was not conscious of this mirage as she beckoned Juby forward.
Praying to StarClan that she could remember the words from her own ceremony, Darkfur meowed, "I, Darkfur, temporary leader of EarthClan, call upon my warriors ancestors to look down on this cat. She has dedicated herself to learning your ways, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Juby, do you promise to learn and uphold the warrior code, to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Juby looked uncertain. Though Greenear had told her what to say before the ceremony, Darkfur realized that it was a huge oath for any cat to take, especially one brand-new to forest life.
But Juby was determined as she meowed, "I do."
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Juby, from this moment on, you will be known as Doveflight. StarClan honors your perseverance and dedication, and we welcome you as a full warrior of EarthClan."
Darkfur touched noses with the newly-named Doveflight, who bent and licked the dark she-cat's shoulder. Stripedpelt led the chanting of "Doveflight! Doveflight!"
Doveflight's eyes shone as she dipped her head to the Clan. Darkfur raised her voice over the Clan after a moment of cheering. They silenced almost instantly, shocking Darkfur. Then she felt pride spread through her paws. This Clan accepted her.
"Tonight Doveflight must sit in silent vigil, in accordance with StarClan's will, to reflect on her new warrior status. Come morning, Greenear will take over Doveflight's training until she becomes a warrior in full."
Darkfur swept her blue gaze over the Clan; her eyes landed on Swiftwind, and warmth once more shot through her paws.
"The other day, we suffered a tragic loss in Wolfclaw's disappearance. I will not give up looking for him until he is back with us." Or we know he's dead, Darkfur added silently. "Therefore, all patrols should look for anything strange, and report to Tinyfern, Swiftwind, or me immediately if something odd occurs."
Darkfur licked her lips, wanting badly to jump down off of the Clawedrock and sit down among EarthClan again. She didn't want to stand up here, separated from them. Even if they were not her Clan, they were friends, and she didn't want the responsibility of making these decisions. But she also knew that she had a duty. She had sworn herself to StarClan and the warrior code, and these cats needed her now.
"Tomorrow, I will take Swiftwind with me and travel to the rogues of the forest. They may have seen Wolfclaw – if they haven't, I would still like to extend to them the offer to join EarthClan. Both your Clan and mine has been decimated in the past moons – we need help to survive, and we need new warriors."
Mews of agreement echoed around the Clan; Darkfur thought she saw respect in their eyes. They knew now – and she did as well – that she was not just working for herself, but for both of the Clans.
Darkfur nodded and dipped her head to the Clan, her muscles relaxing as she was allowed to bound off of the Clawedrock and drop back among her friends, where she was a warrior once more.
A/N: So, I know it's been a huge while since I updated. Basically, it's senior year and college beckons. The good news is that this story is done so if I get an actual chance, I can upload it pretty quickly.