Chapter 5

The patrol gazed down in shock at the destruction below them. There had been storms like this before, but they had never destroyed an entire grove of trees. The stream that had gone through the center of the grove had expanded, its banks swelled with rain. Many of the pine trees had fallen into the brook and now lay half-submerged in the quick-flowing water.

Clouds had gathered in the sky, darkening the heavens. A cool breeze blew ruffling the gnarled branches on the few remaining pine trees. The entire grove was gone, destroyed. The small forest, once having trees numbering fifty or sixty, now, because of the wild storm only ten remained. For many generations, MountainClan cats had hunted and trained in the pine grove. It was a haven of memories in the harsh environment of the mountains. Mentors had brought their new apprentices to train in the grove, apprentices had caught their first prey. Warriors had patrolled and hunted there, elders had lain in the sunlight.

"StarClan," Brackenstep whispered beside her. "I can't believe it's gone." On her other side, Ravenheart and Sagefrost gazed down at the destruction, their eyes full of shock. The storms have been this bad before, but they have never caused this much damage, Maplebreeze though, puzzled. Storms were common in the high mountains and the cats of MountainClan were used to the harsh conditions. They had grown smaller with thick pelts to protect themselves from the cold and tough pads for walking and running across the bare stone.

"We should report this to Snowstar right away," Brackenstep said grimly. "She should know about this."

"We also need to finish the patrol. We can't leave MountainClan's borders unprotected." Sagefrost argued.

"MountainClan will want to know about the pine grove being destroyed. It had many special memories for many cats." Brackenstep huffed angrily. The pine grove was where, one warm starlit evening in mid Greenleaf, Brackenstep had asked Maplebreeze to be his mate and she'd accepted. It had been their special place ever since. It was our special place like many other cats. I can't believe it's gone, Maplebreeze though, feeling tears form in the corners of her eyes.

"We can't leave the borders unprotected," Sagefrost said, sounding exasperated. "What is a fox or another predator came close to camp because we weren't there to stop it?"

Brackenstep opened his mouth to retort when Ravenheart intervened. "What if we hurried and did a quicker patrol than usual. Then headed back to camp to report to Snowstar?" The sleek back tom suggested, looking nervously between the fighting MountainClan cats.

"Good idea, Ravenheart," Maplebreeze said to the younger warrior. "We'll do a quick patrol." Brackenstep and Sagefrost nodded their agreement and the small patrol headed down the bleak mountainside.

The sun was low in the sky as MountainClan cats reached the camp. The gnarled pine trees cast long shadows in the fading light. The tired cats padded slowly though the boulder entrance. The hunting patrols had had already returned and the fresh-kill pile was fully stocked. The MountainClan cats lay in small groups throughout the camp.

The valley clan cats rested near their den,soaking up the last of the sun's rays. Nightflame, Morningfrost, Stoneshade, Thrushfang and Dawnwing sat clustered next to the fresh-kill pile. The five warriors kept glancing distrustfully at the valley clan cats and murmuring to each other. As she watched the valley clan cats shifted uncomfortably and Maplebreeze could tell that they knew the MountainClan cats were talking about them. I know what it's like to have cats whisper and stare at you. It's not a good feeling. As she thought about it Maplebreeze remembered how nervous she was when Snowstar had made her deputy almost a year before.

Maplebreeze emerged from the warrior's den. The gentle warmness of late Greenleaf swelled around her as she padded toward the sun was already visible above the rim of the hollow and Maplebreeze stretched, letting the arm rays warm her pelt.

Snowstar had named her deputy the day before because Cedarfall retired to the elder's den due to a badly injured leg from a fight with rogues that had moved into their territory half a moon before. Silverflight and Thrushfang had been good candidates for deputy and had been a popular choice among the clan. A lot of clan cats had been disappointed when Snowstar chose her over the other candidates.

Maplebreeze padded over to the pile of rocks to the left of the Talledge where Cederfall had always organized the patrols. Leaping up onto the highest stone, she waited as the cats gathered below. Nervousness fluttered in her chest, like a hundred butterflies flapping at the same time as she gazed down at her clanmates waiting expectantly below. Their multicolored gazes were all fixed on her and the golden tabby she-cat swallowed, trying to calm the butterflies in her chest.

"Okay," Maplebreeze meowed nervously. "Dewstorm, take Fernpaw, Sagefrost, and Morningfrost to patrol the River Border and The Peak Border. Nightflame take-"

"Uh, Maplebreeze?" Dawnwing asked. "Sagefrost and I were going to take our apprentices to the flatrocks for a training session."

"Oh, of course," Maplebreeze meowed. Scanning the crowd, she saw Raindapple and Pinefall sitting at the back. "Take Raindapple and uh, Pinefall instead. Nightflame, take Brackenstep, Morningfrost, and Nettlewhisker. Patrol the Valley Border and the Cliff Border. Gorsestep take Stoneshade, Bluestream, and Duskblaze. Go hunting the forest near the Valley and Cliff Borders-"

"Maplebreeze!" Gorestep interrupted rudely. "We need at least five cats to go on a hunting patrol, we need cats to watch out for predators. Unless you'd rather that one of your clanmates got carried off by an eagle-"

"Don't talk to my daughter like that." Duskblaze hissed at the younger brown tom, his dark tabby tail lashing."She is now the deputy and deserves respect." Oh, StarClan, Maplebreeze thought. I can't do this.

Taking a deep breath, Maplebreeze continued, "Take Shimmermist as well. Silverflight can lead the other hunting patrol with Thrushfang, Breezeclaw, Dewstorm and Brightsong." Breathing a sigh of relief, Maplebreeze bounded down. I don't know how Cederfall did this, she thought. I just freeze when other cats stare at me and nobody wants me as deputy.

"Maplebreeze?" Brackenstep's kind voice brought her back to the present. "Do you want to report to Snowstar or should I?"

"I'll do it," Maplebreeze replied and padded across the camp toward Snowstar's den.

"It was irresponsible, immature, disrespectful and all-around foolish," Snowstar's angry voice drifted out of her den as Maplebreeze paused outside. "It was disrespectful to our guests and I expect more out of experienced MountainClan warriors!" The gray and white leader growled. She must be talking to Breezeclaw and Gorsestep. Those bird-brains. I agree that we shouldn't help them but it doesn't give them cause to attack the other clan cats.

Gorsestep is foolish and hotheaded, Maplebreeze mused. But he is surprisingly smart and patient with his apprentice Creekpaw. It's weird that a cat can have two very different sides.

"I will not tolerate two of my warriors attacking guests in my camp," Snowstar was saying. "Go to the elder's ticks and clean out their bedding. This will be your punishment for the next moon."

"But they-" Gorestep protested.

"No buts," Snowstar said sternly. "Unless you want to do a full moon of dawn patrols as well, go." At that, the two warriors dashed hastily at of her den.

"Hi, Maplebreeze," Breezeclaw meowed as he reluctantly headed for the elder's den.

"Uh, hi," She replied. They stood awkwardly facing each other for a moment.

Breezeclaw nodded, "I'd better get to the elders. Bye." The black and white tom padded away, his striped tail drooping. As kits and apprentices Breezeclaw and Maplebreeze were very close and they along with Sagefrost, Bluestream and Pinefall were very close friends. In their fourth moon of apprenticeship, Bluepaw, their younger sister was killed by an eagle. Breezeclaw was deeply saddened and distanced himself for his clanmates. He changed, becoming more quiet and reckless and things between the siblings have never the same. Breezeclaw had never truly recovered and to this day remains distant.

"Snowstar?" Maplebreeze called, sticking her head into the mouth of her leader's den.

"Come in," Her leader's solemn voice echoed from the back of her den as Maplebreeze ducked inside. Snowstar sat in her mossy next at the back of the sandy den. "How was your patrol?" Snowstar asked. The gray and white leader could tell that something was wrong.

"Snowstar, the storm last night destroyed the pine grove," Maplebreeze said, a serious expression on her face. "It is all gone except for a few trees."

Snowstar's eyes widened with surprise at the news and she shook her head, "It's really gone?" Maplebreeze nodded. Snowstar let out a big sigh, "I can't believe it's really gone. That grove meant so much to this clan. I trained there myself as an apprentice. Generations of MountainClan cat's stories were in that grove and it's now gone." Snowstar's eyes darkened as she said gravely. "Is there any other damage?"

Maplebreeze nodded and replied, "There might be, but I haven't checked. The stream that runs through the grove had swollen and it has dragged many trees downstream. The trees cover most of the slope around there and are preventing other plants from growing."

"Would you organize clearing patrols?"

"Of course," Maplebreeze consented. Dipping her head, the golden tabby she-cat headed out of her den. I can't believe the pine grove is gone. It meant so much to this clan. We need to do our best to make sure trees will grow there again.

Hello everyone here is another chapter! It's not very exciting but I hope you like it! I have tried to put more of my characters back stories into this chapter and I think I did a pretty good job. Hope you like it!

ReadingAnimeLover - Thanks, I could use some more elders for ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan. Two or three for each. Plase make sure that they are actual warrior names, not names like Lampshine, Giraffefur or Shadowlight.

Flamebolt - thanks, hope you enjoyed it!

Disclaimer: I do not own warriors, they belong to Erin Hunter.

- Maplebreeze of MountainClan