*Cheers* Look, we're back again! And also, this new chapter is longer then the last one, which used to be the longest chapter, by over 1,000 words! :D This one is 4,765 words, and that's just the chapter bit. With the author's note it is 5,011 words!
Anyways, hi to Feather! Yeah, this is weird, we have a Feathers reviewer and possibly now a Feather reviewer. O.o Since I/we (Hey, Tsuara doesn't really participate in writing the author notes and review replies, it's kind of just me here [Qashi]) know you also go by Rain and Hazel (though I guess Hazel's reserved for Moon) so I'll just call you Rain here. So basically thanks for the reviews! And for favoriting it! We'll be learning more about Icepaw soon.
And, strangely, we haven't heard from Feathers since two chapters ago/Chapter 7 of the book, so, Feathers, we hope you're okay!
Now onto the chapter ~
Chapter 9:
Finchpaw turned away from the quivering bushes and focused her concentration on hunting now. She opened her jaws to sniff the air, golden brown tabby fur bristling slightly. The apprentice tensed, detecting squirrel tracks, and followed the smell to a tiny squirrel print in some fresh earth. Finchpaw pressed her nose to the ground and started to trace the tracks, delighted as she was able to safely deduct that they were fairly fresh.
Leading her a few fox-lengths away from the clearing into another small clearing, Finchpaw stiffened as she heard rustling. The squirrel sat at the roots of a maple tree, foraging through the leaves, its back to Finchpaw.
If she stalked up and then leapt, it would be practically a certain catch.
Dropping into her best hunter's crouch, Finchpaw slid across the clearly like a snake, silent and deadly. She paused a fox-length or so behind the squirrel and bunched her muscles, eyes fixed on the ginger shape and bushy tail of her quarry. Eyes narrowed, claws unsheathed, the golden brown tabby apprentice leapt and landing, neatly, on the unsuspecting prey.
Snapping its neck with a quick bite, Finchpaw picked up her catch and surveyed the clearing for a good place to bury it.
The squirrel dropped to the ground as she realized exactly what clearing she had wandered into.
Icepaw's clearing.
With dread, her golden gaze dropped down to her paws and where she was standing, in a haunting familiar spot that had turned to cold stone, just as she would have landed to save the white tom from her kin.
In her mind, Finchpaw could see Icepaw's limp body at her feet, and she shuffled backwards. She hadn't intended to end up here! This was where Goldenbramble had killed Icepaw, despite the fact that he had accepted the cross Clan relationship. Even though Ravenwing had trusted him. And now she was Goldenbramble's great, great grandkit. She shared blood with him.
Does that mean my family are murderers? she wondered incredulously, taking another step back.
Finchpaw shook her head vigorously. No, Goldenbramble was RiverClan. That's a RiverClan thing, maybe?
But... I'm part RiverClan!
The golden brown tabby she-cat flattened her ears, forcing herself to raise her eyes to stare at where Icepaw last stood.
"He didn't trust you, Icepaw, but I would have," Finchpaw promised to the empty air. "I trust you. You didn't have to die. Goldenbramble didn't have to kill you. It's just... Well, we're ThunderClan and he's RiverClan. Maybe it should stay that way. I'm sorry."
What happened next, Finchpaw didn't expect at all.
"StarClan said I'd be free soon. They were right."
Icepaw's voice mewed, a mixture of emotions, more real and alive then ever before. And as Finchpaw turned around, startled, fur bristling, she came face to face with a ragged white tom crawling out of a hole in the ground, one that had been hidden in the shadows for all the time before. Cloverbreeze's apprentice himself, as vivid as the trees and plants around her. Real.
"Wh-who are you?" Finchpaw exclaimed, though she already knew the answer. "What are you doing here?"
"Did you see me die?"
"I saw you tackled! Goldenbramble killed you!"
"He tried to. But he didn't kill me instantly. I crawled into this tunnel to heal myself, and I've been here ever since." Icepaw raised his jaws to reveal a scar tracing down his throat. "I tried to leave the tunnels after a few seasons, in hopes that Goldenbramble was dead so I'd be safe, but..." he trailed away, as if there was something more to say but Icepaw was unwilling to reveal it. "Cats who find their way into the tunnels seem to always have something holding them back from letting them back out. The tunnels... ask something of you."
Finchpaw didn't stop to ponder Icepaw's words. "But how did you survive? Catch food?"
The white-furred tom shook his head.
"I have my ways."
There was rustling in the bushes, and Finchpaw spun to see Ashbreeze's pale gray tabby former, decorated with darker speckles, slid into the clearing. "Finchpaw, you've been taking a while, so- Who's that?"
Ashbreeze dropped into a crouch, blue eyes narrowed and tail lashing.
"This is Icepaw," Finchpaw explained, tensing instinctively. "He," What am I supposed to say? That a dead cat who disappeared seasons ago is, somehow, alive and well? "Uh, well, he survived."
"Icepaw wasn't killed," Ashbreeze mewed, stalking closer to the white tom. "He disappeared. Maybe he died from a fox, maybe not. But according to Clan knowledge, he wasn't necessarily killed. And so until we have a little more background information, Finchpaw, you need to be more cautious. You can't start up petty chitchat with tom who could threaten our clan."
The tom in question bristled slightly. "Finchpaw, right? Is that Ashkit? What's her warrior name now? I-I'm guessing she's your mentor."
"My name is Ashbreeze, thank you very much," Ashbreeze corrected him sharply, though there was hesitation and though in her gaze, as if she was starting to trust Finchpaw's perspective of the scene. "How did you know my name?"
Icepaw flicked his tail. "And how's Cloverbreeze? Does she have a new apprentice, now, or..." his voice trailed away, and he shook his head. The white tom waited a moment before continuing. "Is Ivystar doing well? Oh, and what about Cloudpaw? What's his warrior name? Is he a senior warrior? Deputy? I always told Cloudpaw he'd be leader someday."
Ashbreeze's expression had changed to shock.
"It's really Icepaw," she breathed. Her gaze was calm but startled, all at the same time, and Finchpaw watched her warily. "Cloverbreeze is fine. Hazelfeather is leader now. Cloudpaw is... He died from greencough a few seasons after you disappeared. Ivystar said she would have named him Cloudheart, though..."
The golden brown tabby she-cat shot uncertain glances at her mentor and the former medicine cat apprentice.
"Uh," she mumbled, feeling a little awkward. "Should we go back to camp?"
Ashbreeze straightened, snapping her gaze back to fix it on Finchpaw. "Right," she answered, nodding. "Let's take Icepaw back to camp. Hazelstar will want to speak with him, I imagine, and then perhaps you'll be able to come back. Err..." Her blue eyes hardened again. "Icepaw, why did you disappear?"
Finchpaw gulped and looked from Icepaw to Ashbreeze.
I really don't think you should tell her about... uh... Goldenbramble, she tried to tell Icepaw through the silence. I... don't think I want you to tell her, either...
"A fox attacked me," Icepaw mewed after a moment, eyes flashing. "It knocked me unconscious and I fell in the stream. When I woke up, I was far, far away... Irested and recovered but by the time I found the Clan again," he answered, before his voice trailed away. Finchpaw felt panic weigh in her belly. Had he run out of words?
"Everyone had gone on and all without him," Finchpaw butted in. "So he lived outside the territory. He came in chasing after a squirrel, and we ended up going after the same squirrel, and-"
Ashbreeze sighed. "And then the two of you ran right into each other."
Finchpaw nodded, feeling guilty about lying to her mentor but feeling a need to cover up the truth.
"Let's get back to camp then."
. . .
When they got back to the ThunderClan camp, the elders and the senior warriors stared with a hopeful astonishment at the sleek white form accompanying Finchpaw and Ashbreeze. Hazelstar bounded down the tumbled rocks and stopped shortly in front of the three cats, her dark blue eyes round with surprise. She gave a slight dip of her head to Ashbreeze. "That looks like... Well, Icepaw."
Icepaw grimaced and dipped his head in respect to Hazelstar. "Ashbreeze told me you are ThunderClan's leader now."
"Yes," Hazelstar answered simply.
A few moments of silence passed, and Hazelstar's gaze landed on Finchpaw. "Find Cloverbreeze. She went out to gather herbs, but I think she'd like to see Icepaw." Her eyes were flashing with memories, probably back from times when Icepaw had walked among ThunderClan as a young cat. Now the white tom was full grown, ten or so moons older then Ashbreeze.
Finchpaw dipped her head, though her paws itched to stay here and see how the Clan reacted to Icepaw's return. But an order was an order, and she turned and slipped back out of camp.
She opened her jaws to taste the air, picking up Cloverbreeze's smell amongst the distinct swathe of scents and following it through a trail between the trees. It led down towards the lake, about halfway across the territory in from the WindClan border.
Skidding to a trot as she emerged onto the lakeshore, Finchpaw looked down the long line of sand and pebbles.
"Cloverbreeze!" she called.
The brown-and-white tabby medicine cat was gathering something at the base of a beech tree. She looked up when Finchpaw yowled, amber eyes becoming round with concern. "Is everything okay?" she answered, picking up her bundles and padding over to stand in front off the apprentice.
"Yeah," Finchpaw mewed, mind whirling. How do I tell her? Best be straight forward, I guess. "Guess who's at camp?"
Cloverbreeze frowned. "Is one of the other medicine cats visiting? Did the rabbits attack his marigold plants again?"
"No," she answered. "It's Icepaw!"
The medicine cat stared at her in astonishment for a few long moments.
Then, she managed to say, "As in, not a RiverClan apprentice, but as in a white-furred ThunderClan medicine cat apprentice?"
When Finchpaw gave a small nod, the brown-and-white tabby she-cat rushed past her and bounded towards the ThunderClan camp.
Finchpaw spun around and ran after her, keeping pace with the shocked Cloverbreeze as she skidded into camp and stared at Icepaw as he emerged from the leader's den with Hazelstar and Birdflight beside him.
"Icepaw!"
The white tom straightened at his name, and his gaze swiveled to land on his old mentor.
"Cloverbreeze!" He bounded down the rocks and touched noses with her. "Are you alright?"
The medicine cat let out a fierce purr. "I'm fine," she told Icepaw. "I missed you, though. Why did you disappear? What happened? Did one of us do something to you? Did you need a break?" Cloverbreeze looked ready to burst with all her questions, but after a few heartbeats the brown-and-white tabby she-cat composed herself and closed her amber eyes for a long moment. "How are you?"
"Fine, like you," Icepaw answered. "Uh... Do you mind if I get something to eat?"
"Of course not," Cloverbreezee purred in response. The old medicine cat was clearly delighted to have her apprentice back again.
The two trotted over to the fresh-kill pile, talking as they picked out a squirrel and crouched to eat.
Hazelstar, who was still standing on the highledge, let out a loud yowl. "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the highledge for a clan meeting!"
It seemed like most of the Clan was already gathered, but a few more cats slipped out from their dens to join the majority. Cloverbreeze and Icepaw turned from where they were eating to watch, and Emberpaw weaved through the crowd to sit beside Finchpaw.
She leaned into his pelt for a moment in a silent greeting before pricking her ears and straightening, a little curious to hear what Hazelstar's announcement would be. The golden brown tabby she-cat knew it would probably be something about Icepaw, just not exactly what.
"ThunderClan," Hazelstar began. "As most of you have probably heard, Cloverbreeze's old apprentice was found today by the WindClan border. All those seasons ago, a fox attacked Icepaw and knocked him into the stream. He was swept far away, and a few seasons ago finally made his way back to ThunderClan. He didn't feel he could come back after so long so he stayed outside the border. Icepaw was hunting when he ran into Finchpaw," Hazelstar's eyes landed on her, and she tensed," and Finchpaw and Ashbreeze have brought him here. Icepaw has requested to resume his old position as medicine cat apprentice, and, with Cloverbreeze's approval, Birdflight and I have decided to let that happen."
Heads swung around to focus on Cloverbreeze and Icepaw.
The medicine cat gave a nod. "Of course," she mewed. "Icepaw will always be welcome here." Her amber eyes sparkled, and landed on Finchpaw. She seemed to be saying, 'I guess you aren't the one StarClan said was my apprentice.'
Finchpaw turned her attention back to Hazelstar, tail twitching. Yeah, Cloverbreeze. Thankfully, I'm not that cat.
"The second thing I have to say," the ThunderClan leader continued. "Is the list of cats attending the Gathering tonight."
Immediately pricking, Finchpaw watched Hazelstar eagerly. Please let me go to the Gathering!
"Aside from Birdflight, Cloverbreeze, and myself, Sparrowheart, Owlclaw, Fawnleap, Ashbreeze, Maplestorm, Hollyear, Nightflower, Olivepetal, Tigerleap, Mousepaw, Finchpaw, Jaypaw, Birchpaw, and Frostpaw will be attending," Hazelstar announced.
Finchpaw purred in delight. Yes!
Emberpaw poked her side with his paw. "Promise you'll tell me all about it when you get back?" he asked, dark reddish-amber eyes flashing. The dark golden-ginger tom's tail was flicking, and Finchpaw felt guilty for not thinking about him when she had been so triumphant. She poked him back and nodded, one eye checking the sun's position in the sky to check time. It was sometime in the afternoon, so she'd have a few hours before the Gathering patrol left.
The golden-brown tabby she-cat hopped to her feet as the Clan scattered, the meeting over, and reared up onto her hind legs. Peering over the heads of all the over ThunderClan cats, Finchpaw's eyes landed on Midnightpaw's sturdy form and she dropped back down and led Emberpaw over to her friend.
"Come on, wanna chat?" she asked, tail flicking.
"Of course!" Midnightpaw's eyes sparkled and she sat down where she was. "Hey, did you hear the rumor that Fawnleap's going to be moving into the nursery soon?"
Finchpaw blinked, surprised. "No, is it true?"
"I think so," Midnightpaw shrugged in response. She glanced at Emberpaw. "What do you think is going to happen at the Gathering tonight?"
Emberpaw tipped his head. "I don't think that much is going to happen," he admitted. "I mean, we'll be announcing Tigerleap and Olivepetal's warrior ceremony, and the apprentices, but nothing really happened... Oh, besides Icepaw returning." In very unusual sort of quiet way for Emberpaw, he looked down at his paws and studied him. "Do you think Hazelstar will announce Icepaw's return?"
There was silence as the three apprentices considered it for a moment.
"Maybe," Finchpaw ventured. "Why do you ask?"
"Well..." Emberpaw looked up again, eyes round. "Something seems off about him. Why not come back to the Clan, even if we all seem to have forgotten about him, or something like that? Why not?"
Stiffening, Finchpaw closed her eyes.
"Maybe he didn't think he'd be welcome?" she suggested after a moment.
I know the real reason... And I don't want to share it, not with you, not with anyone, Emberpaw.
Emberpaw flicked one ear.
"Maybe."
. . .
As the ThunderClan Gathering patrol climbed across the fallen tree and took their place on the island, Finchpaw made her way away from her Clan and towards an empty spot by some ferns.
She heard chattering nearby and turned her head to see four apprentices from the other clans talking happily, with an occasional laugh. They were padding towards her spot in the ferns, probably thinking it was an empty place to sit together, and so Finchpaw scooted to the side, not wanting to leave her spot but unsure how to join their conversation.
They spotted her as they came close, and the first one, a black she-cat with paler flecks, widened her dark blue eyes.
"Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed. "We didn't see you there. I'm Silverpaw of RiverClan, and this is Dewpaw, my Clanmate." She nodded to a gray-and-white tom.
"I'm Dawnpaw," added a golden tabby she-cat. "From WindClan, and the furball over there is Toadpaw of ShadowClan."
The dark gray tabby tom nodded and gave a small meow of greeting. "Hey."
Finchpaw flicked her tail. "Hi. Uh, I'm Finchpaw, from ThunderClan as you probably guessed."
I wonder who Silverpaw and Dewpaw's great, great grandparents are... We could, technically, be related after all...
Silverpaw flashed a smile and sat down next to Finchpaw, and Dewpaw joined her with a nod. "Can we sit here?" he asked, green eyes surveying the rest of the island. "It looks pretty noisy and crowded out there, so..."
"Sure, why not?" Finchpaw answered, relieved that these other apprentices seemed to be friendly. "So, uh, what are you guys talking about?"
"Stuff," Dawnpaw shrugged, sitting with Toadpaw across from them. She waited for a moment in silence before pricking. "Oh! Did I tell you about how Hollowfoot got stuck in some brambles? It was hilarious- she got so stuck! But now she's mad at me for being too busy laughing to help her when it happened..." Dawnpaw gave a mischievous smile. "I tease her about getting stuck in return."
The apprentices laughed, and Finchpaw did, too. "Who's Hollowfoot?" she asked.
"My older sister," Dawnpaw groaned. "I'm the second litter. Hollowfoot and Stoneclaw are my older sister and brother, and Wrenpaw's my real sister. But she couldn't attend the Gathering today, because she caught a cold."
"Too bad," Silverpaw sympathized. "I guess it is coming into leaffall... But you'd think it's a little early to get sick."
The golden tabby apprentice twitched her ear. "No, it's always time for Wrenpaw to get sick. She's just, like, prone to catching colds."
Toadpaw pawed at the ground. "Geez, good thing to know I'm not the only one."
"Eww!" Dawnpaw squealed, scooting away from him. "You're good now, right?"
"Yeah, it was just a joke." Toadpaw grinned.
Silverpaw gave an amused purr and turned to Finchpaw. "So, do you have any stories to share?"
I guess... Well, yeah, I do have stories.
"My brother sprained my leg in a surprise training session," Finchpaw offered. "And... Well, I was dared to go to the moonpool, and I dreamed there this moon- twice. Also, our old medicine cat apprentice came back, because-" She shut her jaws. No, let's not go there.
Dewpaw widened his eyes. "Wait, you went to the moonpool?"
"Twice?" Dawnpaw echoed.
Shuffling her paws, Finchpaw gave a small nod. "Yeah. I dreamed of a cat who looked like a ThunderClan elder, and some other cats. It wasn't much. They didn't speak to me, not really."
"Still," Silverpaw mewed. "That is pretty big. You aren't a medicine cat apprentice, right?"
"No, and I'm never going to be!" Finchpaw bristled. "Cloverbreeze was wanting to be her apprentice thanks to a stupid prophecy, but then Icepaw returned, so it's all good. So I'm really, really lucky." She scrunched up her nose. "I'd hate to be a medicine cat!"
"Same," Toadpaw agreed. "I don't like herbs, or learning to heal, or all that jazz."
There was a yowl from Acornstar of RiverClan and the apprentices shushed themselves reluctantly and turned to face the Great Tree. The four leaders were perched on the branches, watching the gathered Clans. Hazelstar was perched on a higher branch, right near the tip of the limb. Flintstar of ShadowClan sat a few feet below, hugging the trunk, and Acornstar and Yellowstar were on the lowest branches, crouched with a dignified air about them.
"Let the Gathering commence!" Acornstar yowled, and the clearing was put into silence. "Flintstar, would you like to go first?"
"Thank you," the pale gray-and-white tabby she-cat mewed steely. She rose to her feet, standing tall and proud, and swept her pale hazel gaze over the crowd of warriors. "ShadowClan has been well this past moon. A tree fell near our border with the wild forests, and luckily no cat was hurt. Ivystem has moved into the nursery expecting kits and Thorntail has been made a warrior. ShadowClan is strong."
"Thorntail!" The gathered cats cheered warmly for the new warrior, though some looked disgruntled at how Flintstar had finished her report.
As the cats quieted, Yellowstar rose to her feet. The mottled yellow she-cat blinked her hazel eyes slowly, as if deciding what to say. "A WindClan patrol encountered two foxes this moon and Breezeflight was injured, but a patrol led by Runningcreek soon sent them running away." She glanced at Hazelstar. "This happened about five or so days ago. Our patrols think the foxes were headed for your territory, Hazelstar. Keep an eye out."
Hazelstar nodded. "Thank you for the warning, Yellowstar."
The two leaders held contact for a moment before Yellowstar jerked her gaze away and continued. "Other then that, WindClan, too, is ready for leaffall. The rabbits are plentiful and we welcome two new apprentices to this Gathering. Petalpaw and Chivepaw are the newest apprentices of WindClan, and Molefoot has moved into the elder's den."
"Petalpaw! Chivepaw!" The Clans called. Some cats yowled Molefoot's name, too, but most attention was focused on the apprentices. Finchpaw thought she saw the old tom, a mottled brown cat, snort in exasperation and she gave his name a few loud hoots.
Attention turned to Hazelstar, and the pale brown tabby she-cat rose to her feet. The branch shook under her feet but she didn't seem to notice.
"ThunderClan does not have too much to report," she mewed. "All has been well. We have two new warriors, Tigerleap and Olivepetal, and three new apprentices, named Frostpaw, Birchpaw, and Jaypaw. Lastly, ThunderClan's old medicine cat apprentice, Icepaw, has returned and ThunderClan welcomes him back warmly."
The cheers were yowled, but some cats whispered amongst themselves. The elders and older warriors looked surprised, and muttered amongst themselves.
"Where was he?" called a RiverClan warrior.
Finchpaw thought his name was Troutclaw, but she wasn't certain.
Birdflight rose from her spot perched at the roots of the Great Tree and gave Troutclaw an even stare. "That information is not important. Foxes are always a danger however, especially for cats trained in healing instead of fighting."
Troutclaw flicked one ear and growled before sitting down.
Before more cats could all out, Acornstar let out a yowl to capture everyone's attention again.
"It is time for RiverClan's report," she announced. Her gaze fixed on her deputy, Rainsong. "Our Clan is growing with two new litters of kits. Goldenwing has had two sons and a daughter, named Graykit, Flashkit, and Poolkit, and Featherfrost is mother to Frostkit and Reedkit. Rainsong will be moving into the nursery soon as well. RiverClan is blessed with the birth of our five new kits, and the fish run well in the rivers and lakes this season. This Gathering is over."
The cats turned and starting talking to each other, grooming with old friends or making new ones.
Finchpaw glanced at the other four apprentices expectantly, waiting for one of them to pick up a conversation.
"Let's have a contest!" Silverpaw purred. She flicked Finchpaw's shoulder with her tail. "Whoever can jump the highest wins!"
The apprentices mewed agreement, and Silverpaw let out a grin. "Okay, that's settled. But who's going to be the judge?"
Dewpaw twitched on ear. "I'll do it," he volunteered. "I'm not that great a jumper, and then that means there's one contestant from each Clan. Now, everyone should jump when I count down from three and land on one. Sound good?"
"Great," Dawnpaw answered, excited.
The four apprentices pressed themselves to the ground, muscles tense as the prepared themselves to make their best jump. Finchpaw, remembering the hunter's crouch, tucked her legs neatly under her body and bunched them, eyes trained on a branch of a nearby tree, several fox-lengths above her head.
"Three..."
"Two..."
"One!"
She sprung into the air, arcing one forepaw up and tail pointing straight under her, as if Finchpaw had rocketed straight into the air. Finchpaw landed quietly and crouched, panting for a moment at the sudden exertion.
"Who won?" Toadpaw grumbled, shaking one forepaw. "It wasn't me, I'm the worst jumper ever."
Dewpaw narrowed his eyes, studying the four apprentices. "I think it was a tie, between Silverpaw and Finchpaw. Dawnpaw, you were pretty close. Toadpaw..." his voice trailed away, and the apprentices laughed in a cheerful manner.
"Maybe next time," Finchpaw told the ShadowClan apprentice, flicking him with her tail.
"Finchpaw!" Hollyear called. "It's time to go!"
Silverpaw glanced at Finchpaw's mother quizzically. "Who's she?"
"My mother, Hollyear," she answered, nodding to Hollyear to say she'd be there in a moment.
The RiverClan apprentice squinted at Hollyear. "Cool! She looks kind of like my grandmother, Minnowheart."
"My great grandmother was Hollyheart," Finchpaw offered. "And my grandmother was Ferntail."
Silverpaw twitched her whiskers. "That's a coincidence!" she purred. "My great grandmother was Rosefern!" The silver-furred RiverClan apprentice weaved around Finchpaw, eyes amused. "Well, I never thought I'd be learning a ThunderClan family tree today," she added, eying Finchpaw. "Do you think you'll be here at the next Gathering? We can talk again, you're fun! Also, we can finish up that jumping contest."
But Finchpaw wasn't listening anymore.
Her head was spinning.
Rosefern... Rosefern. Rosekit? As in, Goldenbramble and Ravenwing's daughter, the one they brought to live in RiverClan?
"Finchpaw?" Silverpaw stared at her, concerned.
She shook her head. "Silverpaw, I think I've heard of Rosefern." Finchpaw did her best to choose her words carefully. "Wasn't she an abandoned rogue kit that some warrior- I think it was it Goldensomething- found and brought to camp?"
"Yeah," Silverpaw mewed, confused. "Where'd you hear that from?"
Silverpaw's my relative!
Finchpaw forced herself to stay calm and steady, calm and steady. "One of the elders. You know, since Hollyheart and her brother, Goldenhawk, had the same sort of backstory and were found the same moon, so the elders sometimes tell about Rosefern too, in ThunderClan at least."
"Finchpaw!" It was Hollyear again, sounding impatient. Ashbreeze was next to her this time. "Hurry up!"
"Coming!" Finchpaw yowled. She blinked apologetically at Silverpaw and mewed the apprentices a quick goodbye before bounding over to her mother and her mentor. "Sorry," she panted, dipping her head. "We were talking, and I made some new friends, and we were wrapping something up."
Hollyear gave her an affection lick on the forehead and the three started trotting towards the treebridge where ThunderClan was just starting to cross. "What did you and your friends do today?" she asked.
"We had a jumping contest," Finchpaw answered. "Silverpaw and I tied! Silverpaw's from RiverClan."
Her mother gave an amused purr and flicked Finchpaw with her tail. "Good job. You're a true tree climber them. I'm surprised ShadowClan didn't do better, though. Was there a ShadowClan apprentice with you? The dark gray tabby tom looked like one of the ShadowClan sort." The dark brown tabby she-cat ruffled her scruffy fur thoughtfully, eyes narrowed.
"Yeah, he's Toadpaw," Finchpaw answered.
She leapt up onto the treebridge and crossed confidently, Ashbreeze and Hollyear following. As they began the trek back to ThunderClan territory, Ashbreeze and Hollyear dropped back to talk and Finchpaw bounded up to walk alongside the other apprentices.
Her mind still echoed with what she had learned.
Silverpaw is related to me. Silverpaw is my kin.
A fact that hadn't quite come to surface as such a big reality gave her a thorough smack in the face.
I'm part RiverClan. Emberpaw, Hollyear, and myself, we all have RiverClan running in our veins.
I'm not a true ThunderClan cat. Not completely.
Hope that chapter was good! We have two big elements to this chapter, finding Icepaw and learning about the Silverpaw/Finchpaw connection. There's not much to say in review today, so we'll have a short note here.
Basically, thanks a ton if you read this far, and please feel free to review! It's always one of the greatest motivations and gives us good feedback to improve on or think over.
Bye~
-Tsuara- and ~Qashi~