And another chapter…DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! ;)
Dawn light illuminated the camp and a light breeze fluttered Wolfpaw's fur. Forestpaw shuffled in her sleep, Eaglepaw's white head was tucked under his brown tail and Hunterpaw was sleeping next to Gempaw. On Wolfpaw's other side, the nest where Moonpaw slept was empty and stale. Wolfpaw stretched his sore, cold limbs. Hawkfire had trained him hard and the barren, freezing leaf-bare was coming.
"Wolfpaw!" hissed a black and white she-cat.
"Moonpaw?" meowed Wolfpaw yawning.
"Shhh or you'll wake the whole den up! Come out here,"
When he was out of the apprentices den, Moonpaw turned to him. "Do you want to go dawn hunting with me and Iceflower?" Wolfpaw knew that Iceflower was Moonpaw's and Gempaw's mother.
" Sure, I'll just check with Hawkfire." He meowed walking to the warrior's den. One day I'll sleep here he thought.
"Hawkfire?" whispered Wolfpaw to his sleeping mentor. Brighteyes looking up from next to his mentor saw him and prodded Hawkfire.
"Hawkfire dear, Wolfpaw's here for you." She whispered as Hawkfire woke up.
"Wolfpaw? What do you want this early in the morning?" grumbled Hawkfire.
"Um...sorry to wake you Hawkfire but can I go hunting with Iceflower and Moonpaw?" Hawkfire blinked at him before replying.
"As long as you still have energy for the gathering tonight."
Leaves crackled under Wolfpaw's paws as he ran with Moonpaw through the forest. Iceflower had to return to camp after hearing that Peacevalley was giving birth. I'll go see her kits when I get back he thought. Peacevalley was his mother's mother and therefore her kits would be his kin thought Wolfpaw. All of a sudden a deer shot straight past their faces. Moonpaw yelped and dived under a shrub, but Wolfpaw wasn't thinking straight and tried to jump out of the way. His powerful hind legs forced him straight onto the startled deer's back. It tried to knock him off by bucking but that just made him sink his claws deeper. He hang on with all his might with the deer trying to shake him off. It had a deep chunk out of it's flesh on it's side and teeth marks on the other. Moonpaw was about to come out of hiding and help him when Wolfpaw jumped off onto a tree branch. The deer pelted back into the woods.
"That was crazy!" meowed Moonpaw coming out of hiding, "I wonder what it was running fro-" yelped Moonpaw as a deep growling came behind her. She jumped backwards and was a foxlength away from a massive dog. Well, Wolfpaw thought it was a dog. It smelled similar but more of blood and dirt. It had long grey fur and sharp pointed teeth. Moonpaw shrieked in terror as it lunged.
Hunterpaw was dozing happily in his moss bed, listening to the cries of Peacevalley's new-born kits. The clan's getting even stronger thought Hunterpaw sleepily. He had been on dawn patrol again and was just waking from a long nap.
"Your finally awake, Hunterpaw." mewed Eaglepaw from next to him.
"Yep," agreed Hunterpaw, "Have you seen Peacevalley's kits yet?"
"Yeah, there's blimmin' 5 of 'em," meowed Eaglepaw. "You can go in now, if you want."
Hunterpaw stretched out in the afternoon sunshine.
"Sunshine's nice isn't it?" stated Newpaw sharing fresh-kill with Forestpaw.
"Are you going to see Peacevalley's kits now, Hunterpaw?" asked Forestpaw through a mouthful of vole.
"Yes it is, and yes I am." replied Hunterpaw cheerfully. When he reached the nursery entrance he meowed, "Can I come in?" to Windclaw who was guarding the entrance.
"Is that you, Hunterpaw?" meowed a tired voice from inside.
"Yeah, I've come to see your kits." replied Hunterpaw as he stepped into the nursery. It smelt of herbs and milk and a moss and feather bedding softened the floor. Greyboulder, Peacevalley's mate was standing over her. He looked up, pride glowing in his blue eyes. Peacevalley's pale cream tail was swept over her kits. She sleepily looked up, her bright green eyes also glowing proudly.
"This is Sweetkit," meowed Greyboulder turning his loving gaze to a little cream bundle of fur, "This is Fishkit," pointing to a grey-silver kit, "This is Sunkit," pointing to a gold kit, "This is Featherkit," pointing to a long-haired grey kit, "and this little one is Violetkit." he meowed swinging his big head to a little cream-gold kit.
"They're beautiful." meowed Hunterpaw, pausing to look at each little bundle in turn.
"Who knows, you may even get to mentor one of them." meowed Peacevalley.
"It will be a long time before that happens," replied Hunterpaw sadly, "But as they say, time flies when your having fun." added Hunterpaw happily. His mother would have 5 new brothers and sisters. He was genuinely happy but when he turned to look at Peacevalley, her eyes were clouded with sadness.
"What's wrong?" asked Hunterpaw softly.
"This will be my last litter before I move to the elders." murmured Peacevalley.
"It happens to everyone, you won't ever have to work again and your own kits might end up changing your bedding!" meowed Hunterpaw cheerfully. Peacevalley seemed to brighten at that and went back to sleep purring. Hunterpaw left the nursery and decided to go hunting instead. He was halfway out of the bramble tunnel when he heard a shriek and a cry for help.
"Wolfpaw!" yowled Hunterpaw bolting through the trees.
Claws unsheathed, Wolfpaw lunged down onto the dog's hairy back and cut open deep scratches. The dog yelped and tried to shake him off. Not again thought Wolfpaw as he struggled to stay on. The dog was not full grown but it was still big. Wolfpaw smacked it's head with a huge paw again and again. It grappled for a hold on him but he dodged the bites nimbly. It rolled onto it's back crushing the breath out of Wolfpaw. He tried to get up but the dog had a heavy paw on his flank. It reared up preparing to crush him when a black streak shot from the bushes. Hunterpaw! thought Wolfpaw gratefully. But then he saw there was no-one else. A shriek broke his thoughts and Wolfpaw saw Moonpaw crying next to the tree trunk.
"Moonpaw!" cried Wolfpaw running to her blood-stained body. She was coughing up blood and a long cut streaked down her side. "What's wrong?" pleaded Wolfpaw. Her blue eyes stared straight ahead. "Moonpaw! Don't leave me!" cried Wolfpaw when he heard a deafening crack. Hunterpaw had tricked the dog into slamming itself into a tree. One of it's legs was twisted in an awkward direction and blood was seeping from several cuts. Hunterpaw shrieked triumphantly and chased the dying creature away. Wolfpaw turned back to Moonpaw. Her eyes were glazed over. He wailed when he saw her body lay still. Hunterpaw came running back straightaway after hearing his brother's wail.
"What is it?" asked Hunterpaw anxiously.
"M...Moonpaw…" cried Wolfpaw.
"What happened?" asked Hunterpaw again.
"The dog...it picked her up and was about to...to kill her so I jumped on it's back and it threw...her..." mewed Wolfpaw. Her limp body lay cold at his paws. Oh Starclan! Thought Wolfpaw, please don't take her from me now.
Hunterpaw left Wolfpaw alone to run and get help. Wolfpaw did not leave Moonpaw's side as she was carried by Swiftfoot and Iceflower back to camp. He did not leave her side when Wildstar told the clan what had happened. He did not leave her side as the others ate, cried or went to sleep. He stayed by her body the whole time. Iceflower and Swiftfoot stayed vigil, along with Moonpaw's sister Gempaw. When Rainwater came to tie cobwebs around her injuries he just stood there, watching. When dawn came, it was time for Moonpaw to be buried. He did not protest, it would hurt her parents too much so he just sat by her grave, not leaving. She was buried in a little grove where they used to play together. There was a little stream that ran through the grove and poppies surrounded the grassy clearing. At the end of the clearing was a tall beech tree where they used to share tongues. That was where she was buried. Wolfpaw refused to leave the grave so Forestpaw frequently came to give him fresh-kill. He ate it on most days, drunk from the little stream and stayed by her grave. Wolfpaw had missed the last gathering and the next one was tomorrow night. He didn't plan to go but Wildstar said he needed to regrow like a sapling after a fire. The night before the full-moon gathering, Wolfpaw stayed up late. His love for Moonpaw never faltered and he had stayed by her side. The moon shone so brightly it could have overtaken the sun. Just then, a beam of moonlight filled the clearing and the trees swayed gently though here was no wind. The ground around him glowed and the pale silver beam fell onto Moonpaw's grave. Wolfpaw thought he was dreaming as a pale starry figure appeared out of nowhere. "Who...who are you?" asked Wolfpaw quietly.
"Have no fear little one, I am from Starclan." meowed the starry warrior.
"Why have you come to...me?" asked Wolfpaw, normally medicine cats got this stuff.
"You loved Moonpaw, didn't you?" she asked.
"More than my life." replied Wolfpaw, wondering why she had asked such a personal question.
"Do you know who I am?" asked the silver she-cat.
"No...am I meant to?" replied the grey warrior, confused.
"My name is Silverstream and I was from Riverclan many, many lives ago," She began. "I saved a cat named Greystripe who was a Thunderclan deputy at one stage, from the river." meowed Silverstream lovingly.
"I remember that story! He was Firestar's best friend right?" meowed Wolfpaw.
"Right. Well, we fell in love and met secretly for many moons…" mewed Silverstream, "Then, when I was unexpectedly having his kits sometime later by the river…" She trailed off.
"What happened then?" asked Wolfpaw though he could guess.
"I...I...died." finished Silverstream, tears filling her blue eyes. Wolfpaw placed his fluffy grey tail on her starry shoulder.
"I came to, to make sure the same thing didn't happen to you. I managed to persuade Starclan that if you showed some form of true love for this cat they would send her back." meowed Silverstream waiting for an answer. Wolfpaw gaped in shock and forced himself to breathe.
"You...you can make her alive?" gasped Wolfpaw.
"She was never really dead, Wolfpaw. It was the blazing fire of your heart that kept her alive," meowed Silverstream warmly. "Are you ready?" She asked. Wolfpaw nodded and struggled to keep his happiness at bay. Silverstream faced the moon and did what Wolfpaw would have called sang to it. "I call upon my passed clanmates to grant the young soul buried here new life. I do not wish the heart break I had to fall upon any other cat." her words rang around the clearing and Wolfpaw gasped again as he saw Moonpaw sleeping curled up next to the beech tree.
"Moonpaw!" yowled Wolfpaw through tears. She lifted her head, her clear blue eyes sleepy.
"What is it, Wolfpaw?" asked Moonpaw.
"Your alive!" meowed Wolfpaw, licking her cheek.
"Well I'm not dead am I now!" replied Moonpaw grumpily. Wolfpaw realized she must not know so he told her the whole story. She just stood there rigid and gaping.
"I thought it was just a dream…" She mewed quietly.
"Look at your face, Moonpaw! It's glowing!" He meowed. Moonpaw's moon shaped white patch on her face was glowing white like the moon. She walked over to the stream and saw it and gasped.
It must be a reminder of how precious you are to me, Moonpaw thought Wolfpaw though he didn't say it out loud.
"Must be something to do with me coming back, I guess" meowed Moonpaw.
"Thank Starclan I am though."
"Yeah. Thank Starclan that you are." He replied, gazing at Silverpelt with a silent thanks.
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