Howdy. Sorry that it's been a while. I've been working on my other stories. A note to owly-chan: I can't give you the answer to that question right up front. You will just have to read to find out.

This might be the final chapter of this story. Don't worry, there will be more Warrior-fics from me, but this seems like a relatively logical place to end this part of the tale.

Disclaimer: I only own my characters.

Chapter 9

Windwalker padded at a quick pace with Slivermoon beside her. Hedge was riding between her ears, chattering non-stop to his feline companions. They let him talk, not because they enjoyed it, but it was just easier to tune him out than to tell him to shut up. Frequently he would leap from Windwalker's head and race into the forest. Moments later, he would reappear carrying a seed, jump back onto the white she-cat, and resume his talking inbetween bites. Each time he went out in search of a snack, the she-cats talked about a dream Slivermoon had.

"Do you know the cat who was in it?" Windwalker meowed.

Slivermoon shook her head. "No. He seemed familiar somehow, but I've never met him. All I can say is that he was gray and he told me that you would make it to the territories of the other Clans safely."

"And after that? Did he say what the other Clans are like?"

"He didn't say anything about that. Just that you would get to their homeland without incidence."

Suddenly, Hedge burst from the bushes and jumped on Windwalker. "Trouble!" he squeaked.

'Trouble' had become their code word for Twolegs. Immediately, they took shelter in a clump of bracken. Soon, three young Twoleg males tromped by, each carrying a long pole. They were traveling in the same direction as the cats were.

"What in StarClan's name are they doing?" Windwalker meowed once they had gone by.

"I've seen Twolegs with those poles before. They go down to the river and drop the strings attached to the poles into the water. When a fish grabs the string, they pull it out by tugging on the pole," Slivermoon explained.

Hedge, who had become bolder, jumped onto Slivermoon's back. "Why don't they just use their paws, Sliver?"

"Because they're klutzy," she purred. She would never admit it, but she had become fond of the chipmunk. "So, should we change course?"

"No," Windwalker mewed. "We just have to be more careful now."

"Then lead the way," Slivermoon meowed, sweeping her tail forward.

Presently, the sound of flowing water met their ears. It got louder and louder until they came out of the forest and onto the bank of a narrow river. Downstream and a good distance from them were the Twoleg males, doing exactly what Slivermoon had predicted. Upstream a little ways there were several stones out in the river. Windwalker's mind flashed back to the first river she had to cross, the one Hawkwing died crossing. She jerked herself away from those thoughts. This river was thin and the stones were close together and large. She was certain no one would drown.

Still, she glanced over at Slivermoon. The grizzled she-cat had already started for the stones. Hedge scurried off her and up Windwalker's foreleg, resuming his usual position on her head. "Come on, you two," Slivermoon called. "The sooner we do this, the sooner it will be over. She jumped out onto the first stone.

Windwalker shrugged and followed suit. The stone beneath her was cold and slick from the water. Her confidence waned a little. They could easily slip in. As if on cue, Slivermoon lost her footing as she jumped to the next stone and fell in.

"Slivermoon!" Windwalker caterwauled. She was about to jump in after her friend when she felt Hedge's grip on her ears tighten. She couldn't jump in and risk getting Hedge drowned.

The Twolegs had heard her wail and looked up to see Slivermoon being swept towards them. One of them abandoned his pole and dove into the river, swimming against the current. He caught Slivermoon and swam to shore with her, where one of the other Twolegs handed him a white fluffy thing. The one holding Slivermoon gently wrapped her in it and cradled her against himself.

Slivermoon turned her head to look at Windwalker. "It's okay. You go on. I'll be fine," she meowed loud enough for the silver-striped cat to hear. The three Twolegs looked up to where Windwalker stood on the rocks. One of them started to run up the bank to where the stepping-stones were. Windwalker pelted across the few that were remained and into the shrubs on the other side. She made her way downstream until she reached where the Twolegs stood on the opposite shore.

"Do you think the white cat will be okay?"

"Well, it made it to the other side."

"What about this cat?"

"Why not keep her? She doesn't seem like she has a home."

Windwalker listened to them talk to each other. Why couldn't they talk like a cat so she could understand them? Would they hurt Slivermoon? It didn't seem like they would. They were clustered around Slivermoon, petting her and offering her scraps of fish. Slivermoon was basking in their attention, making pitiful squeaks and receiving more handouts because of it. She flicked her ear towards where Windwalker was standing.

"Don't worry about me, kid. I'll be fine. You just focus on finding the other Clans. Take care, Windy and Hedge," she meowed.

"Good-bye, Sliver," Windwalker mewed softly. She turned and padded away with Hedge nestled at the base of her neck.

-----

'D'ya really think she'll be okay?" Hedge asked again. Several days had passed since the incident at the river.

Windwalker sighed. "Yes. The Twolegs didn't seem to be hurting her, and she definitely was enjoying herself."

She raised her head and scented the air. She blinked and sniffed it again. Yes, there was the unmistakable smell of many cats coming from somewhere nearby. Enough cats to make at least one Clan, she realized. With a mew of excitement she sprang forward. She had made it! After traveling for moons she found the other Clans! Without looking where she was going she raced forward. Hedge lost his grip and fell off her but she kept on running. She could hear his paws scampering to keep up. Suddenly he shouted in alarm.

Windwalker looked around behind her when the ground beneath her paws changed. It was hard and smelled awful. A loud rumbling sound filled her ears as she looked up to see a large Twoleg monster barreling for her. Windwalker tried to dart out of the way but it was too late. Her world went white as the monster hit her side. She felt herself roll down a steep slope and into a muddy ditch. She opened her eyes slightly to see Hedge hovering over her. His mouth was moving, but she couldn't hear him.

The cat. The cat in Slivermoon's dream had said she would make it safely. Had he lied? No. Horror gripped her heart as she realized that he had said she would make it to the territories safely. He had never said she would meet the other Clans. He hadn't lied at all. Windwalker felt her consciousness slip away as she fell into a void of darkness.

-----

"WINDY!" Hedge screamed again as he watched her eyes close. He sniffed the air, picking up the scent his friend had followed. In an instant he was off. Gotta help her, gotta help her, his mind chanted over and over as he ran.

The scent of cats grew stronger by the second. Just then, the earth beneath his paws fell away. He felt himself plummet, but instead of earth, he landed on something soft. The something soft growled and shook itself and he was sent flying. He hit real earth with a thud. Quickly shaking himself off, he stood up and looked around. More cats than he had ever seen in his life now stood staring at him in surprise, and quite possibly in hunger.

"Look, prey just willingly ran into our paws," meowed the cat he had landed on. It was a longhaired white tom, and he advanced on the chipmunk menacingly.

"WAIT!" Hedge yelled as he held up his paws. The tom stumbled backwards in surprise. Since when did prey talk?!

"What did you just say?" gasped a ginger-colored she-cat.

"I said wait!" Hedge said, slightly quieter this time. "My friend needs help!"

A tom whose felt shone like fire stepped forward. "Why would ThunderClan help prey like you?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"Because Windy isn't prey, she's a cat! And she's been hit by a Twoleg monster! Please, you have to help her!" the little creature begged.

Upon hearing this, the tom turned and started to shout orders. "Cinderpelt, Leafpool, follow this pr-I mean chipmunk-to the cat who's been injured! Cloudtail, go with them!"

"Follow me!" called Hedge as he took off. He didn't even bother to look back to see if the cats were even following him. He quickly found his way back to the ditch where Windwalker lay. His heart ached at the sight of her, her beautiful pelt now stained with mud and blood. He crawled in close to her and pressed his nose against her side. She was still breathing, but it was so shallow. He heard the other cats come up behind him.

A gray she-cat and a tortoise-shell she-cat came down beside him. "Why, she's barely old enough to be a warrior!" the tortoise-shell meowed.

"We should get her back to the camp now," the gray said. "Cloudtail, help me carry her. Be careful; she's definitely got a few broken bones," she added.

Hedge watched as they gently lifted his friend and carried back towards the camp. He followed beside them like a mother cat would walk beside her injured kit. The tortoise-shell came up beside him. She was telling the other two where the easiest and smoothest route was t carry Windwalker along. "Don't worry," she mewed to Hedge. "Cinderpelt and I will take good care of your friend. What is her name?"

"Windwalker, but I call her Windy," Hedge said miserably. "And I'm Hedge."

"Windwalker will be fine. You'll see," she mewed. "I'm Leafpool, by the way. Watch out for that rock, Cloudtail."

-----

The Wanderers looked around. They no longer sat upon rocks and boulders but were now in a clearing surrounded by trees. Warrior ancestors all turned and stared at each other, surprised that their numbers had doubled.

"I don't believe it," Firerunner meowed. "Windwalker actually made it. The two StarClans are joined."

"And because of her success, we are now home," Dawnstep added.

They watched as the other Wanderers now padded up to greet their old Clan members and to talk with the new StarClan. Hawkwing padded up to them as well as an old gray she-cat with orange eyes.

"What is going on here?" he meowed to Dawnstep.

"Windwalker has successfully made it to the territories of the forest from your home by the mountains. By doing so, she has joined both the StarClans of the forest and of the mountains together," Dawnstep mewed. "There is a very good reason for this, and Yellowfang knows why."

The she-cat dipped her head. "I can tell that in life you were a deputy. Listen to me. Our StarClans are still separate, but we can now speak with each other and share knowledge when it is needed. Here is the first thing that you must tell the your Clans, the ones who live near the mountains. History is about to repeat itself. My Clans were driven away from the forest, and the same thing will soon happen to yours. You must get them away from there before disaster strikes, otherwise they will not survive."

"What is going to happen? Tell me," Hawkwing demanded.

Yellowfang shook her head. "I cannot do that, for I don't know myself. I only know that it will happen soon." She glanced around her at the cats of the two StarClans separated. "You should go now. We will speak again soon, Hawkwing." She turned and padded away to join her own Clan.

Hawkwing turned to Dawnstep. "You were of my Clans once. Are you going to come back with us?"

"Yes. We Wanderers are tired of living apart from the others. It is time for us to come home."

Yes, I know, I am evil. This has got to be one of the worst cliffhangers I've ever done, especially because this is the end of this story. I am so glad none of you knows where I live otherwise, I would be dead by now.

Don't worry, i will be back soon with the next part of the series. Then you will find out what danger MysticClan, MoonClan, SunClan, and NightClan are in. And if Windwalker will be okay. See you in the next story!