Oh my cookies, guess what! Chapter 6 is done! And its my birthday today! *Screams and almost passes out* Not that you really needed to know that, but, yeah. (Perhaps for a birthday present you could review? That would be the best gift of all!)

Response answers:

Fawn Girl- Thank you sososososo much for posting (twice!) Yep, Shade is the bad guy! *Hands Shade plushie for being awesome*

Special thanks Spottedpool for encouraging me to write this chapter (although they may not know it, they really helped!)

Enjoy!


Chapter 6- Decisions and Destiny

Wildpaw woke up to the dull drone of rain on the roof of the apprentices den. The small droplets of water sounded like little pawsteps as they threw themselves against the hollow wood. Wildpaw inwardly sighed as she realized that it was going to be a long, wet day.

Swiftpaw's nest was empty, but Robinpaw was still sleeping peacefully. Her paws flexed slightly as though she was dreaming of digging her claws into a tender, juicy mouse. Wildpaw looked at her sister fondly before prodding her awake.

Robinpaw looked around sleepily and her mouth opened into a large yawn. "What's going on? Did Snowstar call a meeting?"

Wildpaw shrugged and nudged her sister to her feet. "I don't know. Lets go see".

Robinpaw's white head poked out of the den but then sharply withdrew. The she-cat shook her rapidly and small droplets of water splattered against the side of the den. Wildpaw jerked back, scattering bits of moss everywhere. "Hey, watch it!" she yelped as a raindrop hit her nose. "You're going to get the den wetter inside then it is outside!"

Robinpaw glared indignantly. "It's not my fault… its cold!" she protested.

Wildpaw exhaled sharply and padded out of the dry warmth of the log into the wet rain. Robinpaw was right- it was cold. Wildpaw flinched as the cold droplets worked their way under her fur. Both lack of sleep and the swelling mud around her paws made it hard to navigate as she raced towards Antpaw, who was crouched beneath a small overhang in the rock.

"Hey" she gasped as she skidded safely beneath the bulge, Robinpaw on her tail. "What's happened?"

Antpaw shivered and she tucked her paws even farther under her chest. "Swiftpaw's warrior ceremony. Snowstar just called for the clan to gather a few minutes ago."

Wildpaw squinted curiously through the falling sheet of rain. The RockClan cats were clustered in the entrances of dens or beneath the branches of the warrior den. No cat seemed to want to go out into the freezing rain. Snowstar was perched on the Highhill. Her long, thick fur was plastered against her legs and side. Wildpaw couldn't seem to find Swiftpaw's dark shape.

"Shouldn't she be focus on ScarClan right now?" Robinpaw meowed. "If I were leader, I would put that first."

"But your not leader", Wildpaw pointed out. "Besides, making new warriors shows the clan how strong we are".

Robinpaw's tail twitched slightly and her whiskers quivered. "True. But I still think those mange-pelt rogues should be our primary issue".

"Would you two be quiet?" Antpaw snapped. "I'm trying to listen."

"Today we have gathered to name a new warrior!" Snowstar yowled over the pounding of the rain. "Swiftpaw, would you please step forward?"

The rain seemed to part as Swiftpaw's broad figure pushed itself through the rushing torrent and to the bottom of the Highhill. To her surprised, Wildpaw discerned that her friend had grown quite large over the past few moons. His pelt rippled proudly and he moved through the thick mud with ease. Wildpaw knew he was a few moons older then her and Robinpaw, but she had always thought that he and Antpaw were the same age as she was. Now that her denmate was becoming a warrior, the reality came crashing in on her that he would now be a full-fledged member of the clan.

Wildpaw blinked rapidly, trying to chase away the feeling of envy creeping over her. But there was something else- Wildpaw felt something different for the tom that she had never felt before. She couldn't quite put her paw on it, but the feeling made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"I, Snowstar, leader of RockClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn.

"Swiftpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect it and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Swiftpaw hesitated temporarily as his blue eyes scanned the crowd of water-laden cats. His gaze rested on Marshfoot briefly, before turning back to Snowstar, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Swiftpaw, from this moment you will be known as Swiftstorm. StarClan honors your determination and skill, and we welcome you as a full member of RockClan. Tonight you will stand vigil and guard the camp".

The dejected, frail she-cat that had existed the night before had vanished, and in her place was the calm and authoritative leader Wildpaw had come to know. Snowstar bounded gracefully down the Highhill and rested her head on the new warrior's head, while Swiftstorm licked her shoulder. The clan's cheers seemed slightly muffled by the rain, but even the downpour couldn't dampen the enthusiasm.

"Swiftstorm, Swiftstorm, Swiftstorm!"

Antpaw's yowl seemed the loudest as her brother padded towards by the warrior's den to sit by his former mentor. Oakshine grinned at flicked the tom playfully with his tail before turning back to Snowstar.

The white and gray leader had once again leaped up onto the Highhill. Her tail curled patiently as the noise gradually wore down. Wildpaw could sense her clanmate's interest as well as her own to hear what the RockClan leader had to say.

"Now, most of you may have heard what happened last night at the gathering."

Clan erupted into whispers and mutterings as they remembered the last night's evens. Redthorn's eyes were narrowed and her claws unsheathed, as though she was picturing herself tearing into Jackal's fur.

Wildpaw was feeling the same urge to do the same. Even though the bleeding had stopped, Wildpaw's shoulder still ached and she felt an odd desire to have the sarcastic, rude tom struggling under her claws.

Snowstar's raised her tail for silence, and a hush fell over cats. All eyes were trained anxiously on the she-cat.

"As far as I see it, Shade gave us two options. We can either give up our territory and leave, or we can reclaim our territory and ScarClan-" Snowstar's nose wrinkled in disgust at the word "-will attack. We were given one moon to decide, but I have a feeling that Shade won't wait that long."

"So what are we going to do?" The question came from Bendingtail, one of the RockClan elders. His tail, which had been broken from a badger attack, was lashing awkwardly from side to side.

Snowstar flicked her ears and scanned the clan with icy blue eyes that cut through the rain. "I am your leader, but I will not force you into a decision that you did not make. I will allow you, RockClan, to choose what we shall do. I do know one thing, however, and that is that I will stand by you no matter what choice you make."

Mutterings filled the hollow as cats conversed among themselves. Snowstar stood patiently on the Highhill with a calm demeanor.

Beechsplash stood up and Wildpaw felt pride about how confident her mother looked. "I think we should fight", she declared, head raised high as her gaze met with Snowstar's. "RockClan is strong, and it would be weak of us to give in so soon."

"I second that motion. It is almost Greenleaf and herbs are plentiful; we can afford to have injuries this time of season." Blackfeather called from the medicine cat den.

Yowls of agreement and consent bounced off the stone and drowned out the pouring of the rain. Snowstar gave one slow nod "Very well then. We shall fight. For the next several sunrises we will fortify camp and train twice as hard to overcome this group of rogues who call themselves a Clan. In one moons time I will meet with Shade and tell his our decision".

The soaked leader bounded down from the Highhill and Wildpaw wordlessly wondered how the leader could stay so diplomatic in the endless torrent of rain.

"Come on," Antpaw mewed as the meeting ended. "Let's go give Swiftstorm our congratulations".

Robinpaw let out a heavy sigh "If we have to."

The three apprentices bounded over to the ebony-furred tom, which was clearly enjoying the attention. Antpaw gave her brother a lick on the ear before bounding back to Blackfeather, while Robinpaw muttered a quick, grudging compliment and quickly streaked away. Wildpaw found herself alone with the new warrior.

"Good job on become a warrior, Swiftpa- er, Swiftstorm. Sorry, I seem to keep forgetting that you're no longer a 'paw'". Wildpaw gave him a small smile, preparing herself for the bragging she knew would soon follow.

Swiftstorm chuckled. "Me too. It seems almost too good to be true. It will be different in the warriors den- that's for sure."

There was a small pause, and Wildpaw was soon staring into his deep blue eyes. Her paws instantly felt numb and her heart sped up to the speed of a rabbit's. She instantly started to panic when she found that she couldn't breathe.

After what seemed like eternity, Wildpaw found her breath and gasped in a deep gulp of precious air. Swiftstorm's eyes narrowed, and his ears twitched nervously. "Are you okay?"

Embarrassed, Wildpaw ducked her head. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Got to go, Mapleleaf will probably have something for me to do."

"Oh, okay".

Wildpaw could still feel the toms burning gaze on her pelt as she padded towards the golden she-cat. Her ears burned hot and her heart was still pounding at the speed of a flooding river.

What's wrong with me? She thought silently as she gazed into the pouring rain. There was no reply.

Eagleheart's POV

The tabby she-cat paced back and forth, whiskers quivering in irritation and fur prickling with frustration. A brown tabby tom sat patiently, watching was she wore a small path through the foliage.

"Time's running out. We need to tell her." The she-cat hissed, pushing a not-yet-trampled fern out of the way. "It's the only way that they will be ready in time."

Eagleheart eyed the she-cat warily with his forest-green eyes. Clovewhisker was usually harmless, he knew, but what she was in the state what she was now, it was definitely best to stay out of her way. "But we already have, twice, in fact." He pointed out gently. The once-medicine cat turned to glare at him with icy eyes.

"I know that." She spat. "But she doesn't yet realize the destiny laid out before her. We need to tell her the part that she plays in the upcoming darkness."

"But we can't do that. It's against StarClan rules. You out of all cats should know this, Clovewhisker. My daughter's smart, she will figure out her path with time. For now it is best that she enjoys a normal apprenticehood while she can." Eagleheart mewed sternly. He tried to ignore the strong pull he felt to do the same. It's all for the best, he told himself silently.

Clovewhisker stopped her pacing and gave the tom a bitter glare. "With a path like hers, there is no such thing as a "normal" apprenticeship. Every decision she makes will be governed by this prophecy. Even if she does manage to get RockClan through the foreboding time ahead, she will always be haunted by the images and nightmares. She will never be truly free".

The stars in Eagleheart's pelt flashed briefly as he rose to his paws. "Don't talk about my daughter like that! She is free to choose her own path, and she will be free even after the prophecy has taken place. She will move on and live her life, unlike you". The tom trailed off on the last word, but it seemed to echo throughout all of StarClan.

The tabby she-cat hung her head and her tail drooped. "You would never understand. Cats died because of me, and I will never be able to take it back."

Eagleheart's gave softened, but his voice still remained firm. "I do understand. Everyday I live with the regret of leaving my mate and daughters behind. But that doesn't change what happened. I had to sacrifice myself for the future of the clan. Simple as that."

Clovewhisker's eyes narrowed and her claws dug into the ground. "We should be telling the Clan Leader and the Medicine cat. Not some inexperienced apprentice, no matter how large a part she plays. That's how prophecies are supposed to work."

The brown tabby sat down next to the medicine cat and wrapped his tail around her. "I know. But the Ancients won't allow it. We still need to follow the code."

Clovewhisker stared down into the RockClan territory, where a lone figure stood vigil. "I just hope they know what they are doing."


Yep, boring old filler chapter. Unfortunately, you can not have a story without them. So, review please, for the sake of my birthday happiness :). Tell me what you think of Swiftstorm's name. I was thinking of Swiftclaw, Swiftstrike, or Swiftrunner- but none of them really seemed to fit.

See you next chapter!

~Wild

*runs off with birthday cake smeared across her face*