Woot woot, the 7th chapter! Yay let's all have a party!

Chapter 7: Reunited

Chief has been struggling for a couple days, but he soon got better, regained his strength, and they were soon on the road.

Rose was relieved that he was feeling better, and that she hadn't gotten infected. Something was bugging her, though.

She kept on looking down at the ground as she walked. Chief was trudging on, grunting every now and then. The sickness still lingered.

Chief suddenly stopped. "I-I can scent them!"

Rose stopped with him. "How do you know it's them, Chief?"

"Well, when I was in that unconscious state, I had a dream that kept on repeating. I was in their camp, and these huge beasts were terrorizing the--"

Rose gasped when a loud shriek was heard in the distance.

"I can smell the creatures." Chief grimly whispered. He ran as fast as he could toward the camp.

"Chief, don't run so fast! You might hurt yourself! You're not completely healed, you know!" Rose nagged.

Chief could feel himself getting closer and closer to the camp. He saw it within view. His whiskers twitched anxiously.

Soon enough, he was in the camp, ready to fight. He saw the huge, beady eyed monsters in the camp. Their claws were huge, big enough to squash an apprentice.

He gulped. Screams were heard everywhere. Suddenly, a huge pain came in his shoulder. It felt familiar.

"Hey! Get away from her!"

A flash of gray fur struck Chief in the shoulder. He slid in the dust on the hard ground. He let out a wail.

Chief remembered. That was the same pain he had feld when he met Hollypelt and Smoketail. This time the pain was greater.

Before he knew it, a huge badger was looming over him. It grasped his chest fur in its big claws. Chief grunted.

Suddenly the huge beast released him and was yowling in pain. A huge silver tabby tom was hooked onto its back, snarling and biting its neck.

Chief sat, relieved. Rose soon caught up with him. "Are you alright?" She mewed desperately.

"Yeah." Chief answered, coughing slightly. A small, wiry brown she-cat rushed over to him. "Come with me." She ordered.

He was taken to her den, which, Chief guessed, was the medicine cat's den. She put mouse bile on his chest wound, and gave him poppy seeds. She rubbed mouse bile on his shoulder, which was bleeding heavily.

XxXxX

In the blink of an eye, the battle was soon over. The badgers were sent screaming like kits, and the warriors of RainClan were exhausted and badly injured.

A cat stepped into the medicine cat's den. "Mouse-ears, could I have a moment with these two?"

Mouse-ears nodded. "Jeez, it's my den, they should leave." She mumbled on her way out.

"Who are you two?" The big silver tabby ordered.

"I'm Chief, and this is Rose." He introduced sternly.

The big tom stared at him for a couple heartbeats. "You wouldn't be... Silverfur's son, would you?"

Chief was taken aback. He didn't think they'd remember Silverfur.

"Anyway, I'm Graystar. It's nice to meet you both." Graystar mewed.

Chief sighed. "Yes, I am Silverfur's son... I was... the only one who survived in my litter."

"What are you saying? What happened to Silverfur?" Graystar meowed, now serious.

"I'm saying... Silverfur passed." Chief growled.

The den was silent for a while. "Anyway, why doesn't Silverfur every like talking about you?" Chief murmured.

"I'll explain it to you. When I was leader, before you were born, your mother and I fell in love with each other. However, she was a medicine cat, and I was leader. There was no way we could be together, the warrior code forbids it. When I found out she was kitting with my kits, instead of fighting for her, I banished her, Smoketail, and Hollypelt. I was afraid of what might happen to the Clan if I let her stay and admit she had my kits." Graystar explained.

"Does the Clan know now?" Chief asked.

"Yes. It's all water under the bridge now, though." Graystar meowed happily. Chief still saw sadness in his eyes.

"Let's give you proper names, shall we?" Graystar asked.

Chief's paws itched with anticipation. He followed his new leader out onto the RainyRock, which was just above his den.

Graystar called out to the Clan. "Attention, cats of RainClan! Today, two news cats are going to join the Clan! Will you both step up here, please?"

Chief hesitantly stepped up; he felt Rose's pelt brushing against his. He heard murmurs from the cats in the crowd, and he could feel everyone's eyes staring at him in amazement.

"Chief, do you promise to uphold to the warrior code, and fight for your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Graystar meowed, looking down at his son.

"I do." Chief answered, smiling.

"Then, from this moment on, by the powers of StarClan, I grant you with the name--"

"Excuse me, Graystar, but could I keep my name as Chief? My mother gave it to me and I've already grown to it." Chief interrupted.

"Fine. You shall keep your name as Chief. And as for you, will you promise the same as Chief?"

"I will." Rose meowed, her eyes gleaming.

"Then, your name from now on will be Rosepaw." Graystar purred.

"Rosepaw! Chief! Rosepaw! Chief!" The Clan chanted.

Chief got off of the RainyRock, proud to be an apprentice of his true Clan.

Graystar walked back up to him. "Now that you are a part of RainClan, there's someone I want you to meet."

Ooh, cliffie! I hope you enjoyed it! I think the 9th chapter should be the final one, but there WILL be a sequel, so just be patient!

Next time, in The Loner 8:

Chief meets someone who could give him valuable information, and he meets someone who could destroy his life entirely. He comes face-to-face with death. Can he defeat death's threat?

Find out in the next chapter!