CHAPTER 4!

A special thanks to Shiningspirit , Blizzard-dream and my 2 anonymous reviews! I kinda think im going to start a new friendship in this Chapitre!

4.

Swiftpaw ran toward Thornpaw who stood at the entrance of the medicine cat den with his jaw open. What happened? I bet he's seen Lionfire and how injured he is.

Dawnflower was literally padding on her heels and she let Dawnflower see her mate. Brightpaw had just arrived being so far away near RainClan border.

Iceheart pushed past the three shocked cats and said irritated, "He needs to rest and he can't if you three are-"she stopped abruptly after seeing Lionfire's body and said gently to Dawnflower, "He's gone."

Dawnflower let out a yowl of distress that broke Swiftpaw's heart. Her father was gone, probably running the skies of StarClan now.

Brightpaw padded toward her shocked family, "What's going on? And where's Lionfire?" Brightpaw said irritated; she had been setting some markings with Robinfeather when Berrystripe had come and alerted her about an injury. Shaking her head softly, Swiftpaw tried to explain, but the words were caught in her throat. So Mistpath explained about the RainClan patrol and so forth. Swiftpaw turned to her father and couldn't believe the last thing he had said to her was congratulations. Her heart ached and Redfur came and told her she wouldn't need to continue training for a while. She refused the offer finally finding her voice. Lionfire would want her to continue fighting for her Clan no matter what.

Her tail drooping she turned and padded far away so she wouldn't need to see Lionfire's lifeless body. When she was ready, Swiftpaw went back and sat with Dawnflower, sitting vigil. A new scent made her look up and she saw Thornpaw sitting next to her, Brightpaw on her other side. The three cats shared grief over their father.

Finally the elders, Jaywing and Patchtail, carried their father deep into the never ending forest.

Specklestar arrived at last watching her precious deputy leave. Sorrow was in her ice-blue eyes and she turned to the sky. It was moonhigh now and the warrior code said to appoint your deputy at moonhigh.

She leapt to the Highstump and called to the clan.

"It is time to announce the new deputy of SunClan." She paused as the cats settled themselves around her. Swiftpaw looking around and saw that Dawnflower wasn't there probably insulted that Specklestar was appointing the new deputy right then and there. Well it is the warrior code.

"The new SunClan deputy shall be Firelight. She has shown great skill and I trust her to be one of the best deputies SunClan has ever seen."

Firelight touched noses with her leader and said proudly, "I promise I will work my hardest to make SunClan live on forever." Her gray eyes shining she turned and followed Specklestar to her den.

Swiftpaw, followed by Thornpaw and Brightpaw, padded into the apprentices den. Sighing she placed her tail over her nose and let her sister squeeze in beside her their pelts brushing. Swiftpaw sighed and let herself fall asleep.

Swiftpaw was running in the forest her tail streaming out behind her. The fresh forest air made her want to run forever, leaving Lionfire and her worries of more dead clanmates alone.

Suddenly the whole forest came to a stop and Swiftpaw skidded to a halt. She was now on rocky terrain and the trees were thinning allowing her to see her surroundings. A fog fell upon her. The air turned considerably colder and the sun was starting to sink, faster then ever before. Before she knew it the moon was rising letting a threatening chill fall upon her.

Then it whispered, "Great trouble lies ahead and no one can stop it…" it hissed softly in her ear. Panicking she whipped around, seeing no one there.

Suddenly the rocky terrain was melting and she was on an island surrounded by a lake that seemed to stretch on forever, once again fear over took her and she let her green eyes turn around searching for land where she would see SunClan territory.

"Ha! You think you'll find home all the way out here?" the voice hissed again. She opened her jaw to reply, but nothing came out. She was voiceless. Swiftpaw began to beg herself to wake up.

"Listen!" hissed the voice, closer then ever. A cat padded through the fog and said softly and evilly. It was dark tabby tom with lighter stripes on his back.

"You must follow the path…in the forest to an old fox den…" the cat's voice began to fade.

Finally finding her voice, Swiftpaw called out, "Wait! What's your name?"

The cat let out a harsh laugh and shrieked out hysterically, "You'll find out soon enough!"

Swiftpaw felt her paw lift off the ground felt herself get dizzy so she closed her eyes. She felt her paws touch solid ground. She opened her dazzling green eyes.

Swiftpaw opened her eyes. Her fur was drenched in sweat, and she was gulping for air. Carefully, she wound her way through the five other apprentices and landed softly outside. Swiftpaw saw Kinkpelt guarding the entrance. Not wanting to explain what she was doing out, she snuck through the dirtplace entrance and holding her breath the whole way. Breathing in the deep forest air, Swiftpaw made her way to RainClan border, her mind set on avenging her father's death. Which way though? Since Brightpaw had been there earlier, she tried to locate her sister's scent. Finally finding the scent she followed until she saw an area across a medium sized river where the trees looked different and leaned slightly a bit. Hearing rustling behind her she saw a small black tom with amber eyes creep up on a mouse nearby. Narrowing her eyes and flattening her ears she breathed deep air, this tom had a strange fishy scent. It smelled horrible. The tom hadn't noticed her and Swiftpaw began to make her way around him finally ending up behind him. Twitching his ears he crouched and prepared to pounce. This was SunClan prey! He couldn't take it!

Leaping high into the air she threw herself at him yowling. Surprised by Swiftpaw's sudden attack he hissed. She let herself claw him, feeling her claws sink into his pelt felt good. He swiped at her, but with his claw sheathed. Weird. He wasn't even trying and he had an amused look in his annoying amber eyes. Jumping high into the air she landed on him pinning him down. Realizing he wasn't going to get away without losing an ear, he went limp surrendering to her. Letting out a yowl of triumph she let him out of her claws. Big mistake. He yowled and pinned her down.

"Thought you could beat me, didn't you?" he rasped in her ear.

"You looked easy and useless," she hissed, "anyway what are you doing in my territory?"

"Hunting what else?" his breath tickled her face and it smelled surprisingly nice, compared to the rest of his body.

"Get your stinking fur of me!" Swiftpaw cried, "or else I'll have to claw your face."

He laughed. Realizing she couldn't do anything pinned down she flushed. But he let her go anyway, "I'm Nightpaw." Swiftpaw studied him for a few heartbeats, he was a broad shouldered dark gray tom and he was an apprentice too.

"You're probably a useless apprentice!" she said smugly, "and a slow one at that!"

"We shall see about that!" he pelted forward. Without missing a heartbeat she ran with him hard on his heels. They ran along the bank and he leapt over the river landing gracefully on the other side. Swiftpaw tried to follow but landed with a huge splash into the river. Realizing his opponent was gone; Nightpaw turned and watched her as she flailed in the water. "Help!" she cried. "HELP YOU USELESS FURBALL!" He watched her for a few heartbeats before reaching in and grabbing her by the scruff, hauling her out. Swiftpaw panted for a few heartbeats.

"Thanks." She croaked.

"Anytime." He said simply. What did he mean by that? Anytime? That meant every heartbeat of everyday! She gazed at him and he turned and met it. There eyes were locked and she broke it after several heartbeats with and uncomfortable shudder. She stood and shook the water out of her fur. Nightpaw kept on watching her without saying anything.

"Stop that!" she exclaimed finally.

"Stop what?" he asked dully.

"Stop staring at me like that!"

"Well I have to, since you're on my territory and all." He said smugness in his voice.

Swiftpaw hissed and turned back toward her own border leaping much more gracefully this time. She felt his amber gaze in her pelt the whole time before the comforting trees swallowed her up.