Authors Note: Thank you everyone for your great support. I just wanted to take the time to tell you a appreciate you all taking your time to read this FanFiction, without your reviewing this story would of probably died by now. So thank you everyone.
Also a special thanks to the reviewers of the last chapter: yuki-neechan and Irisheart8!
Chapter 10: Battle is Coming
...Destroy the cat that you are close too.
No! Sparrowtail thought, as she ran through around an unfamiliar territory that scented strong of Shadowclan.
"You must!" a voice yelled back at her. "Others will suffer if you don't!"
The stars in the night sky disappeared, and the moon turned a deep blood-red. Birds flew from tree, their screeches filled Sparrowtail's head, their flapping wings send gusts of wind at her. Everything turned red from the moon's light.
"Leave me alone!" she cried out, crouching low to the ground. She jumped back as water started to flow down the hill, she cried out when rolled thickly o her, sticky at the touch. Blood! She thought, and started run the other way.
"You cannot hide from me!" a voice yowled, it's echo filling the forest.
Sparrowtail stopped, she knew that voice! That voice that was in her dreams that she thought of almost every moment of the day..
A silhouette appeared at the lake's edge, and Sparrowtail raced towards it, knowing who it was. Once she was almost there, the figured lunged at her, and they both went tumbling downhill into the lake. She gasped, feeling the lake's cold water against her fur.
"Falconclaw!" she screeched out his name as he held her under the lake's surface, her breath going away. He just stood there and laughed, his fur stained with other cat's blood.
Sparrowtail jumped up from her dream, her breath coming in quick gulps, she was shaking unstoppable as the words floated on wind past her...
Destroy the cat that you are close too....
-x-
Slowly creeping forward, Sparrowtail slunk against the forest floor, keeping her tail low for balance, and soon she pounced, landing squarely on a water vole. Riverclan didn't find these very often, Leaf-bare was taking its toll now on Riverclan.
Glancing over at Thrushflight and Stormstrike. You could easily see their sleek coats were more ragged, and the faint outline of their ribs showed. The river had been going down, and now the prey that lived on in Riverclan was scurrying into their dens.
Padding over she dropped her only piece of prey. "Riverclan isn't going to make it if prey keeps being this low." she mewed.
Thrushflight looked over at her. "Nonsense, Starclan will make sure that every cat gets fed."
"Thanks, Thrushflight." Sparrowtail said, seeing he had managed to catch two tiny fish. Looking at Thrushflight she noticed how he would make a great deputy, always staying calm and in control, even when cats like her were getting worried. Maybe when Redfeather became leader, she would make him deputy. he deserved it.
Stormstrike padded out of the brush, a small shrew dangling from his jaws. When he saw the vole he purred. "Great job, that should feed Pinetail and her kits nicely."
Sparrowtail only shuffled her paws in embarrassment and picked up her prey, following the other two warriors back to camp.
When they reached the camp Sparrowtail could hear hisses and growls coming from inside. She could tell the other's heard it too, seeing how their ears twitched and they started to pad faster.
Bursting through the entrance a group of the clan cats were gathered beneath the highrock.
Putting her prey down Sparrowtail walked over to Hazelnose. "What's happening?" she asked the medicine cat.
"Bramblethorn, Mouseclaw, and Snakepaw found Windclan hunting in our territory." she whispered back.
"We have to attack!" called Hawktalon from the center of the group. Sparrowtail noticed how most of the toms were already bristling for a fight. "We can't just let them take our prey!"
Murmurs of agreement spread thought the clan, but Krestlestar silence them with a yowl. "We cannot attack unless we are sure they hunted our prey." he looked down. "Bramblethorn, tell me what happened."
The black tom stepped forward. "We were on a border patrol, when we found Darkclaw, their deputy, catching a pigeon on our territory. Windclan warriors Speckledpelt and Mistflower weren't far off. You could tell they were hunting too! So we attacked and chased them off our territory, Krestlestar."
"Back to their freezing moorlands." taunted Frostpaw, who was jumping around with her brother in the excitement.
"That's why we have to attack!" Mouseclaw yowled. "How aren't we sure they won't do it again?"
"I'm sure Windclan is in a worse state then we are. I understand why they would be forced to hunt here." Greymist mewed. Being a senior warrior, everyone paused to listen to her.
Redfeather dipped her head. "I agree with Greymist, I'm sure Bramblethorn and his patrol have given Windclan enough warning not to come back."
"But they took prey that could feed our kits!" Mouseclaw growled, and agreeing yowls rose up with him.
"Quiet!" Krestlestar growled, his tail flicking irritably. "I will not have my clan acting like kits. We won't attack Windclan unless they cross out territory again. From now on, Redfeather, we will have more border patrols." jumping down from the high rock he continued.
"Right now I will lead a patrol to go check out where Windclan was found. Bramblethorn, Rabbitfoot, Hawktalon, and Fernfoot please follow me." he mewed, motioning with his tail as the group of cats left the camp.
"What do you think is going to happen?" Sparrowtail mewed to Stormstrike. She watched Frostpaw and Snakepaw go run to Pinetail's kits to tell them what had happened.
"Windclan better stay of our territory, that's what I think." he dug his claws in the ground, and Sparrowtail placed a reassuring tail on his shoulder. He sighed.
"Let's not worry about this now, Krestlestar has it taken care of, and clan duties still must be done." Sparrowtail said, picking up her water vole to give to Pinetail. "Besides, it's my last day of cleaning out the elder's den."
"I'll help you." Stormstrike followed her to the nursery.
"Here is some prey, Pinetail." Sparrowtail pushed the vole towards here, and her four kits swarmed around it.
"Thank you Sparrowtail. It's the kits first day of trying prey." the queen purred, cutting out small bits for her kits to try, who excitingly ate up the bits of meat.
"Mm! I want more Pinetail!" mewled Spottedkit. Rushing towards the vole again, only to have his mother's ail blocking his path.
Mistkit climbed over Brackenkit, trying to eat his piece also.
Sparrowtail laughed, watching the happy kits. She remmebered when that was her, before Owlwhisker and Starclan and Falconclaw came along.
"Bleck!" cried Nightkit, rushing to her mother's belly. "Mother I like your milk better."
Pinetail purred. "It's fine, Nightkit, you'll get use to it."
"I have to get going, it's was nice being able to see your kits Pinetail." Sparrowtail mewed, waving with her tail good-bye was she padded over the elders den.
Stormstrike padded up beside her. "Pinetail's kits were sweet. You were nice to them."
Sparrowtail shrugged as they reached the outside of the elder's den. "I enjoy kits. They're the future of the clan as it is."
Stormstrike coughed, and Sparrowtail looked oddly at him, wondering where he was getting at.
Well," he started. "maybe...would you like kits of your own someday?"
Sparrowtail gapped at him, to flabbergasted to even talk. Finally she composed herself and said. "Let's just work on cleaning the elders den first." she mewed, quietly, turning away so she wouldn't have to see the hurt in his eyes. She was loyal to Falconclaw. But lately, she wasn't so sure. She was going to meet him later tonight, everything would explain itself then.
"Oh Sparrowtail I'm so happy you're here!" cried out Crowbeak, rushing to her faster than Sparrowtail had ever seen the she-cat walk. "There's something wrong with Nightowl, he's not moving!
"Get Hazelnose" she called to Stormstrike as she followed Crowbeak into the den.
"See!" cried out the elderly she-cat, nudging Nightowl with her nose, whose body was limp, his breaths coming in ragged, short gasps.
Hazelnose rushed into the den, her mouth filled with herbs. "You better get out Sparrowtail." she mewed, placing his paw on Nightowl's stomach. "I don't want it to crowded in here."
Walking outside Sparrowtail stood besides Stormstrike and waited, when Thrushflight padded up. "What is going on?" he mewed, staring at her with his deep, wise eyes.
Sparrowtail nodded her head in respect. "Something in wrong with Nightowl, he's not breathing right and might be sick."
"Let's hope he's okay." Thrushflight mewed. "I trust that Hazelnose can take care of him." he sat down next to them, awaiting Hazelnose's annoucement.
Just then Hazelnose padded out of the den. "Apparently Nightowl developed Greencough overnight, and his body couldn't fight it. I'm sorry, he's with Starclan now."
Sparrowtail hung her head, and watched as Hazelnose helped Crowbeak drag Nightowl's body into the middle of the clearing.
Redfeather rushed out of the warrior's den, landing beside Nightowl's body. "What's wrong with my Father?" she cried out, Hazelnose padded up to her, resting a sympathetic tail on her back.
Sparrowtail closed her eyes, she couldn't stand the look of fear in her deputy's eyes. She winced when she heard Redfeather's choked sob as she buried his face in her father's cold fur. All of this brought her back to the death of her mother.
She felt Stormstrike lick her ear, and she breathed in his comforting scent. "Let's get out of here, you don't need to see this." he mewed.
As they padded away from the camp Krestlestar and his patrol walked into camp. He stopped short, seeing Nightowl's body in the middle of camp, the tom's closest friends and family lying vigil by his side.
The leader looked at Stormstrike for an explanation. "Nightowl died of Greencough." the warrior explained.
"Dear Starclan." the leader said breathlessly, padding swiftly over to the clan.
"C'mon." Stormstrike sighed as they padded outside the camp once more.
-x-
Walking next to the river, Sparrowtail intently felt a feeling of relief wash over here. Here she could relax, not worrying about the clan or kits or Owlwhisker. Now that she was with Stormstrike alone she felt like she could let all of her worries go away, to just roll in the river's stream, feeling the softness of reeds and sweet grass under her pads. Sighing she stopped to sit on one the few trees roots that happened to be scattered throughout the territory.
"Feeling better?" Stormstrike mewed sitting next to her, licking between her ears softly, purring as he rested his tail around her body.
"Being outside camp where it's quiet always makes me feel better. She sighed. Looking around she noticed they were close to Shadowclan's territory, not noticing they had walked that far. She could smell Shadowclan's scent markers from here. Falconclaw! She instantly thought, purring.
But Stormstrike had mistaken her purring, thinking was because of him. He purred with her, moving closer.
"Listen, Sparrowtail, I have to tell you something." he mewed licking her pelt.
"Yes?" she shivered, wondering as he moved closer, getting dangerously close to her tail line. He wants to mate with me! But I love Falconclaw, despite what Starclan tells me he is.
Are you sure? a voice asked her.
She glanced at between Stormstrike's hind legs, her eyes widening at what she saw, and she noticed him purring deeply, obliviously in the mating mood. No, I'm not sure at all. she thought now. She wanted Stormstrike, but her love for Falconclaw was still there.
"Will, will you be my.."
"Sparrowtail!" she heard a voice growl deeply. Shocked, she looked up to see Falconclaw racing across the Shadowclan border, right towards her and Stormstrike.