Hey again everyone, just wanted to say that I know I have a lot of typos through out this trilogy and I swear im trying to get it under control lol but it takes time, so I tried to get all of the ones in this story fixed first and then I will move on to the other two books. If you spot anything that I missed please let me know I would really appreciate it.
Also please leave me a review I really love seeing them. Anyhoo, here is the chapter.
The sky grew darker and darker as the Thunderclan patrol made their way back into the camp after the fight with Shadowclan. Hazepaw and Topazmist sat outside the medicine den, herbs and cobwebs at the ready as their clanmates approached them.
The medicine cats worked quickly, rubbing on poultices and applying cobwebs. Topazmist vanished into the medicine den, in search of poppy seeds to help the exhausted warriors sleep. Hazepaw meticulously chewed a pawfull of marigold before rubbing it gently into a gaping wound across Swiftpaw's shoulder.
Swiftpaw winced as the healing juices flowed into his wound, sending a tingling sensation down to his paw.
Topazmist worked quickly, wrapping the last of the bandages and disappearing into the back alcove to put the herbs away, in preparation to leave for the gathering.
Hazepaw finished applying the healing poltuice to his brother's wound when Swiftpaw whispered quietly to him.
"Can you let Moonpaw know I will meet her tomorrow?"
Hazepaw nodded in agreement, wordlessly standing up.
"She is going to teach me how to swim" Swiftpaw meowed excitedly.
Hazepaw nodded again, not sure if his brother expected him to be excited as well, the friendship between the two cats violated the warrior code in so many ways. If any of their clanmates found out then it would be disastrous.
Hazepaw glances sideways, spotting his father Bluecloud quietly sharing tongues with Shimmerlight near the medicine den entrance, as he met his father's blue eyes Hazepaw looked away quickly.
"You need to be more careful" he hissed through gritted teeth "You know how Bluecloud feels about the warrior code, and how he feels about those who break it"
"Yeah yeah" Swiftpaw rolled his eyes, flicking his tail dismissively "I'll be fine" looking up a smile crept across his face as Topazmist padded out the camp entrance.
"AH, don't you have to go with her?" Swiftpaw meowed amusedly.
"What!" Hazepaw exclaimed, his fur fluffing out as he followed Swiftpaw's gaze.
"The gathering, remember?" Swiftpaw offered as his brother groaned.
"Oh starclan" Hazepaw groaned "I got go, I'll see you later" he called as he raced out of the camp and after his mentor.
Swiftpaw smirked, standing up carefully so as not to tear his wrappings, watching his brother's blue pelt disappear into the darkness.
Hazepaw sat anxiously next to Topazmist beside the great rock, underneath the holly bush, with the Windclan medicine cat Ravenflight and the Shadowclan medicine cats Mallowbelly and Finchpaw. The gatherings with Riverclan always made him nervous, feeling vulnerable without the security of his clanmates around him.
Movement caught his attention and Hazepaw turned to see the Riverclan warriors moving steadily into fourtrees. The sight of Reedstar nearly made Hazepaw cringe, the large dark gray tom had a hard set frown on his face and his bright yellow eyes were hard and cold.
Hazepaw let out his breath, unaware that he was holding it in the first place, when he spotted Nightswallow heading towards the holly bush, Moonpaw following more slowly behind her.
Hazepaw glanced at his mentor to see that she was either in deep in converstation, or an argument with Mallowbelly. Spotting his chance the small blue apprentice trotted away, heading behind a bush. A heartbeat later he was joined by Moonpaw.
The small she-cat's green eyes were glowing brightly in the light of the full moon and her white and gray patched pelt was bathed silver in the moonlight.
"Hello Hazepaw" the she-cat greeted politely, curling her tail tip daintily around her front paws as she sat facing him.
Hazepaw dipped his head in greeting to her, still unsure of how his brother could be completely comfortable in Moonpaw's presence "Swiftpaw wanted me to tell you that he wants to learn to swim" as he spoke the words left a sour taste in his mouth, Thunderclan warriors don't swim. They just don't. This she-cat, and Swiftpaw's love for her, is changing him.
"And I don't know how I feel about that" as the thought passed through his mind, an empty feeling crept through him.
Moonpaw's eyes grew brighter at the news "I told him he should let me teach him" she purred amusedly "It has been so hot out this Greenleaf, he is going to love it"
Hazepaw gave a forced smile "I'm sure"
Suddenly a pale cream colored she-cat with soft amber eyes appeared, before she spoke she glanced at Hazepaw then turned back to Moonpaw.
"Moonpaw, the gathering is about to start. And you know Reedstar likes to keep you in sight"
Moonpaw rolled her eyes, letting loose a deep sigh "Yeah yeah Swirlspots, I know" the sleek apprentice stood up, looking back at Hazepaw "Let Swiftpaw know ill meet him tomorrow at sunset for his first swimming lesson" before Hazepaw could respond she vanished.
Hazepaw met Swirlspots' amber eyes with his own, watching her suspiciously until she spoke.
"I know all about them" she meowed, giving her chest fur a few confident licks "I think they both have bees in their brains, but if it makes Moonpaw happy then I wont do anything to come between them"
Before Hazepaw could respond, the call for the gathering sounded. Swirlspots gave him a curt nod, trotting away and returning to her clanmates. Hazepaw moved back beside his mentor, to hear the news of the other clans.
Rabbitstar stepped up to speak first "Windclan is thriving, with the heat comes slower and fatter rabbits for us to eat and we have recently made two new warriors Darkwind and Shallowleap" he glanced around nervously, his wiry brown fur standing on end "Emeraldsky has given birth to two healthy she-kits, they have been named Rosekit and Dapplekit"
The wiry brown tom stepped back to allow Ravenstar to speak.
"Shadowclan is doing well Rainswallow, Leafpetal and Dawnstreak have all had healthy litters of kits" the small black leader stepped back, not relinquishing any more detail to his clan's current state.
"Three more litters of kits" Ravenflight meowed thoughtfully a tail-length behind Hazepaw "I've lost count, how many nursing queens is that?"
"Nine, if I remember correctly" Nightswallow murmured "And I remember those she-cat's" she turned to look Mallowbelly in the eyes "Weren't they all just made warriors at the last gathering?"
The white she-cat stiffened as attention was directed to her before meowing carefully "Many she-cats join the nursery soon after their apprenticeship. It is not uncommon" standing up and disappearing into the throng of cats, as to avoid anymore uncomfortable questions.
Reedstar moved to the front of the great rock to speak, his yellow eyes glinting in the darkness "Riverclan thrives, the fish are fat and the streams are cool. Shadefoot has given birth to two kits Ivykit and Perchkit, we also have a new apprentice, Leafpaw."
Moonpaw trudged slowly back towards Riverclan territory, trying to hold back the yawn that was threatening to creep out. Nightswallow watched her apprentice carefully as the Riverclan cats reached their camp the exhausted warriors made their way to their den while Reedstar pulled the medicine cats aside.
"I saw you speaking with the Thunderclan medicine cats" the gray tom noted, his voice cold and harsh.
Moonpaw flinched under her father's dark stare while Nightswallow stood straighter "Of course we did, medicine cats always converse about healing techniques and such things, why do you seem so surprised?"
A growl rumbled deep in Reedstar's chest before he spoke through gritted teeth "On my daily patrols to the border by sunningrocks I have been scenting Thunderclan, closer to the border than ever before. They could be planning an attack"
Nightswallow scoffed loudly "I highly doubt that, Amberstar has never been anything but indifferent to this squabble"
"Squabble?" Reedstar roared, waking his clanmates "She killed my daughter"
"She did nothing of the sort, your daughter was killed in battle, and it was many moons ago" Nightswallow took a deep breath, lowing her voice in an attempt to reason with her leader "It is time to forgive, let our warriors rest and go on in peace, Mothpetal would never want this."
Reedstar turned to Moonpaw, ignoring Nightswallow's pleas "How many warriors do they have? Come on tell me, I know that apprentice must have told you something"
Moonpaw looked down at the ground, quivering "T-They just made three new warriors, Flowertail, Mossdapple and Lichenfur"
"Three!" Reedsgtar bellowed. Without waiting a heartbeat for a response Reedstar leapt to the highrock, yowling to call a clan meeting. Warriors trudged sleepily out of their den, apprentices stumbling around, barely able to open their eyes. The two queens sat outside the nursery, trying to rally in their kits, excited to be awoken from a deep sleep.
"It has come to my attention that Thunderclan has made three new warriors, this is an obvious sign and an oncoming ambush!"
"This again?" a small white tom whispered to the ginger and white she-cat beside him "Thunderclan has never set paw across the border since this began"
"Shush Galeforce" the ginger and white she-cat hissed "Don't let Reedstar hear you speaking like that"
Reedstar paced back and forth from his place above his clanmates "We will match them, warrior for warrior, apprentices come forward"
Foampaw, Lightpaw and Driftpaw stumbled forward in shock.
"Wait" a ginger tom spoke up "These apprentices are not ready, only Foampaw and Lightpaw have taken their final assessment. Driftpaw is two moon younger than them" as he spoke he glanced at the smaller black she-cat "She is hardly ready to be made a full warrior"
Reedstar lashed out, striking the ginger tom in the face "Do you question me?" he snarled "We must not be weaker than Thunderclan, they will be made warriors. Foampaw you shall be known as Foamsplash, Lightpaw you shall be known as Lightbounce and Driftpaw you will be named Driftflight"
The three apprentices nodded quickly, afraid to speak as their leader directed his attention elsewhere.
"Moonpaw, i'm sure you would be sad to see your denmates leave you. I will make you a full medicine cat as well"
Shock flooded through the Riverclan cats as Nightswallow stepped forward "You can't do this, she has only been training as a medicine cat for a moon"
Reedstar growled "She is as old as Driftflight"
"SHe spent her first two moons as an apprentice training as a warrior, she has not learned everything she needs to in order to become a full medicine cat" Nightswallow argued.
Moonpaw opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by her father's sharp glare.
"And I expect that she will learn it all in good time, Thunderclan will soon have two medicine cats, so we shall have two first. Moonpaw you shall be known at Moonstream"
As the shock began to dissipate, anger and fear welled in the hearts of the Riverclan warriors. None of them spoke, they simply stared at their leader, with the cold yellow eyes.
A rustling in the reeds catches the dark leader's attention, before he turns to look a harsh scent washes over him, smelling of crowfood, twolegplace and worst of all Thunderclan.
As the intruder stepped into the moonlight, his sandy gray striped pelt was bathed in the moonlight, his yellow eyes glinting in the darkness.
"I wish to join you Reedsstar" the tom meowed, dipping his head in respect to the leader.
Reedstar leapt down from his perch to face the tom, her bared his teeth and unsheathed his claws "And you are?"
The striped tom narrowed his eyes, a cruel smiling playing his lips "My name is Sunvine"
AnonymousReader (horsetail): Thank you so much for your review, it was exciting to see such a long one! First off I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my story and point out my mistakes. I appreciate when someone does that since I don't have anyone to proofread my stuff before I post it. Yes I do type my chapters in a word document but for the past couple chapters I was just typing them on fanfiction because my word wasn't working, but now i'm back to word! Punctuation has always been the vain of my existence when it comes to writing, I try to put things in the right place, as to the best of my knowledge. I'm so happy that you think that my stories are very well written and remind you of or dear Erin Hunter's work. That compliment really means the world to me. As of right now, this series will end with this book and I don't really have any more ideas to start a new story but I would love to write a new book or maybe even a new story if an idea pops into my head. So as of right now, there is no future works in progress, but there is a possibility that I may come up with something else. Anyways thank you for your review and support and hopefully I will see you again.
Shadestream: As you can see the next chapter is up! Hopefully it wont be such a long wait between chapters, I've been working a lot lately and sometimes I find it difficult to just get going in the next chapter. Thank you for your reviews, I appreciate them. Oh and yes, Swiftpaw and Moonstream would be breaking the warrior code twice, but do remember that it was never Moonstream's wish to be a medicine cat, her father Reedstar forced her to become one, so maybe she wont be one forever!