Chapter 9: New Clan, New Beginning

Hi! I'm trying to make my chapters longer so hopefully this chapter turns out long.

Thank you reviewers!!!! I love you all! I'm glad you like my poem, xx-Secrets-xx! I made another mistake on the alliance page. Whoops. So now I'm making a new alliances page and deleting the old one. I'll put the current one up in a couple chapters, right after Secretkit comes into it. On with the chapter!

I woke up with moonlight streaming over us. Duskpaw was still asleep. Slowly and silently I slipped away from her and padded towards the island. I was to meet Brightpaw tonight. I leapt onto the log and felt my paws slip. I unsheathed my claws but it was to late. I plunged into the icy cold lake water. My paws thrashed franticly, my claws tried to find a hold on something.

I'm such a mousebrain! How could I forget to unsheathe my claws when I was on the log?

My claws caught onto something and I dug them into what ever it was before I lost it. It was soft and fleshy. I looked up with water blurred eyes and made out green eyes staring back at me.

"That hurts, stupid!" he hissed.

"Sorry!" I sheathed my claws.

"No, don't let go!" he flashed out a paw and hooked his claws in my scruff, but I guess my weight was too much for him 'cause I pulled him down with me. We plunged into the water, together this time. I couldn't feel him near me at all; his claws had disappeared from my scruff once we plunged into the water. My body began to turn numb from the cold water. I thought I heard splashing above me, but how could I have heard anything above my heart pounding in my ears?

Something gripped my neck fur ad before I new it, I was above the water and gasping for air. I was dragged to the muddy island shore lay there panting. I looked up.

"Duskpaw!" I had never been more happier to see her in my life, short as it was, "How did you learn to swim like that?"

"Um, well," she looked at her paws. Then it clicked.

"You little two-timer!" I said mischievously.

"No, no! it's not what you think! It's just-"

"It's just what?"

"It's just, well, you see, when I told Mellowpaw I liked him, he said he didn't fell the same way. So, we stayed friends and I tried to find someone to occupy my mind so I wouldn't have to think about it. That was when I met him, a Streamclan apprentice. But I still loved Mellowpaw."

"Well, now I know the whole story, but wait a minute... How did you know I was here anyways?"

"I heard splashing so I came over to see what it was. Next thing I know, I'm in the lake rescuing you and Brightpaw from drow-" I cut her off at his name.

"Where is Brightpaw?"

"He's over there," Duskpaw pointed to his motionless body with her tail. I rushed over to him. He wasn't breathing.

"Brightpaw?" I whispered.

He spit a stream of lake water into my face and sat up, amused.

"You called." he said casually. I head butted him in the chest, knocking him backwards.

"You know I hate you, right?"

"Duh, of course I do. I hate you just as much." He got to his paws and shook out his dripping pelt and I did the same.

"So let's go, the sun's about to come up."

"Go where?" Brightpaw sounded confused.

"To Windclan of course! Where else could I go, being exiled and all?"

"You're not going without me!" Duskpaw chimed in.

"Okay, now let's go! Come on Brightpaw!" I shoved him to the fallen tree.

"Don't I get a say in this?"

"No, now get going! You know the way," Duskpaw answered.

"What am I supposed to tell the clan?"

"You'll think of something, now come on!" I said as I hopped onto the fallen tree, with claws unsheathed this time.

We all made it across safely and our pelts were drying.

"A new clan, a new beginning!" Duskpaw said to me and smiled. (A/N: I know cats can't smile, but sometimes it looks like they do!) It was a true statement, I thought as we picked our way up the moor lands to the Windclan camp with the sun rising behind us.

I'm so sorry!!!! No matter what I do, it always seems to be so long, then when I get it posted, it's really short. So we're just gonna have to deal with he short chapters, k? Review and tell me what you think, k?

Hugs for my loyal reviewers-

Feathersong