I hope somebody is still reading. I've begun to write more and really want to know what people think.

Heres the next chapter!

Chapter 9

"So what is it?" Nightpaw rocked onto his front feet, pulse racing.

The she-cat grinned and shook her head. "Guess!"

Nightpaw looked her up and down, eyes scrunched into tiny slits as he puzzled it over. "Blossomtongue?"

She dropped to the ground, giggling loudly.

He stared at her, face remaining serious. "What? I think thats a great name!"

She rolled her eyes, flicking some dust into his face. "I bet you can think of something better."

"Hmmm. What about Blossomstar? Definitely fits you."

"Oh alright," she mewed, sighing playfully. "Its Blossompool."

Nightpaw smiled warmly, gazing into her brown eyes. "Its perfect."

She tilted her head, staring up at him from the ground. "Really? You don't think its strange?"

"Nope." Nightpaw settled down to sit in front of her. "I love it." He nuzzled her fur gently, letting the breezy scent of the moors wash over him.

"You should be getting back to your clan," Blossompool murmured.

Nightpaw kept his eyes closed, head resting against her side. "I don't want to leave," he mumbled.

She laughed quietly. "I know."

"Blossompool." He turned the name over in his mouth. "Its nice to say. I love it."

She didn't speak for a moment. Her breathing was steady and deep. "I love you."

Nightpaw kept his head buried in her soft fur. He felt his heart speed up and then slow down again. "I love you too." He rolled onto his back, head resting on her paws. He looked up at her face. "How much longer do you think we can do this?"

Blossompool glanced away. "Don't."

"We have to talk about it," he mewed gently. "We can't just do this forever."

"Well why not?" She tossed her head in mild frustration. "This isn't just a phase, Nightpaw. I can't just leave you behind after all this. I can't."

Nightpaw's fur prickled. "I know. I can't either. But we have to think about reality."

"I don't want to." Blossompaw stared back into his eyes. "I don't want to think about any of it. Just you. In this moment. Thats all I want to think about."

He smiled. "Okay. Just this moment." He curled up on his side, nestling against her, and she dropped her head onto his pelt.

Silence covered them. It was a warm silence, one filled with understanding. Neither one of them could stay. But neither one of them would leave.

Batwing nipped Cloverfoot's ear gently. "Come on," she purred. "We can go down to the stream. You've been lolling around and doing nothing all day!"

Cloverfoot rolled over on his side and batted her playfully away. "I'm an old warrior. I think I deserve a break."

Batwing scoffed, prancing around on her paws. "No, I'm an old warrior who's putting you to shame right now. Now come on, lazybones, before Eaglewing puts us to work!"

"Bit too late for that." Eaglewing smiled lightly as she approached the two. "I'm going to need you both on the next hunting patrol."

Batwing dipped her head, searching the deputy's face for any sign of anger. "Of course."

Eaglewing nodded curtly back. "The rest of the patrol is waiting."

"Oh, you meant now!" Cloverfoot scrambled to his paws, smiling sheepishly.

Eaglewing made no response, turning to head to Duskstar's den.

Batwing sighed as she watched the she-cat leave. "Did she seem upset?"

Cloverfoot shrugged. "She just looked a little stressed. Come on, we don't want them leaving without us."

Batwing bounded after him, thoughts busy as the patrol left the camp. Spottedpaw trotted in front of her, eyes alert and nose raised to the air. Batwing smiled as she watched her daughter, noticing Cloverfoot was doing the same.

The scent of mouse wafted to the patrol, and Panthertail came to a halt. "Do you want to get this?" he murmured to his apprentice.

Spottedpaw grinned, dropping into an experienced crouch. She crept forward, eyes focused on a shadow cast from a bush. With a powerful leap, she landed under the bush. There was a soft crunch, and she turned around with the mouse in her jaws.

Batwing's pelt tingled, and she smiled at the ground. "She's good, isn't she?" she whispered to Cloverfoot, proudly.

Her wrapped his tail around hers. "Has your talent."

The patrol continued on, but Batwing found herself unfocused as she watched Spottedpaw. Cloverfoot was right, her daughter had inherited her skill in hunting. She moved with ability far beyond her siblings. "Only one will achieve greatness," she murmured. Perhaps she hadn't needed Moonpelt to tell her which one of her kits the warning had excluded, which one was destined to do great things. Perhaps she already knew.

The patrol split up, Spottedpaw, Deerspots, and Panthertail heading off towards sunningrocks, and her and Cloverfoot moving closer to the camp. She followed the tom through the forest, thoughts dazed as she gave him free reign to hunt while she remained silent.

As they worked their way closer to the camp, faint cries broke through the air. Batwing's ears perked and she stepped to her mate's side.

"That sounded like Nightpaw," Cloverfoot murmured, eyes alert.

Batwing sprang away from him, legs churning towards the source of the sound. She heard Cloverfoot racing behind her, and she repressed a growl of fear. She crashed into the Sandy Hollow, breath heaving as she caught sight of her son.

Nightpaw rolled on the ground, paws batting furiously at Fallpaw. The two apprentices struggled in each other's grasps, hissing and spitting.

"Nightpaw!" Batwing stomped her paw into the sand.

The toms scrambled apart, eyes wide as they spotted the two warriors watching them. Fallpaw ducked his head, whiskers twitching violently.

Cloverfoot slipped past Batwing, shoving Nightpaw away. He inspected the cuts that covered the black tom's side. "Why weren't your claws sheathed?" he demanded, whirling to face Fallpaw.

Batwing pressed her tail against Cloverfoot's side. "Neither were Nightpaw's," she mewed quietly. Her eyes had gone dark. She looked down at the apprentices. "I want both of you to return to the camp now. Clean out the elder's bedding and ask Dewpelt if she needs any help gathering herbs."

Nightpaw stared up at her, mouth partly open. "But shouldn't we go to Dewpelt and get our cuts treated?" he said in a tiny voice.

Batwing scowled. "They're not dangerous, it'll just sting for awhile. Serves you two right, fighting like that with your clanmates."

"You can't do that!" Fallpaw cried.

Batwing turned her attention to him, gaze stern. "Go. Now."

Fallpaw and Nightpaw ducked their heads and sprinted out of the hollow, tails low. She frowned, watching them leave.

"I know I was a little harsh," she mewed softly. She glanced up at Cloverfoot. "Do you think I was fair?"

He wrapped his tail around hers. "They'll be fine. You did good. Come, we should be getting back to camp also."

Batwing let the air out of her chest, loosening her muscles. She fell into step at his side, paws slow as they trudged across the sand. "I just worry about him. He's so unpredictable, they all are. One moment he's shy and fearful, the next minute he's at everyones throat. And Echopaw-" She stared at the ground. "I don't think she's happy. She hasn't been for awhile."

Cloverfoot smiled sadly. "Things will get better. They're just going through some stuff, drifting apart and all. They've been so dependent on each other since they were kits, now its hard for them to let go and accept that they can have other relationships."

"You really think thats it?"

"You just worry too much. After all, they're your kits. They're automatically destined for greatness." He chuckled, gazing up at the warm sky.

Batwing frowned at his words, a thick exhaustion overcoming her body. "Right," she whispered, eyes half closed. "Destined for greatness."

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