AN: WE (CandyBunnies) DO NOT OWN WARRIORS. Thank you for understanding, and enjoy chapter 12!

Chapter 12

"I'm fine," Goldenpaw mewed. Her right eye was shut tight. There was a poultice of herbs over eyes, but her breathing was fine. The golden-faced apprentice turned her head to look at the other cats that she had come close to. She whispered, "Thank you. Thank you all."

Bramblepaw smiled at her injured sister, "I would do it again anyday." The black she-cat pushed her muzzle into the silver she-cat's fur. Bramblepaw understood what she was saying.

Goldenpaw looked out with her eye not covered with cobwebs and poultices, and squinted out to look in the moonlight. The sun had fallen over the trees and the moon had come out. They had tried to start their journey when they found a mother fox on ThunderClan's territory. Firepaw, Goldenpaw, and Cinderpaw had battled the fox off, but Goldenpaw had gotten scratched on her face right over her eye. Poisonpaw had started freaking out.

"Do you think we can start on the journey tomarrow morning?" Firepaw asked restlessly. Goldenpaw stifled a purr. The ginger tom was always ready to go on an exciting adventure. He was just like Bramblepaw. That was probably why he liked her so much.

Poisonpaw shook his head but murmured anyway, "We can leave if Goldenpaw is up to it. She has to be able to walk around and not stumble around. We don't want to alert the entire Clan." Firepaw sighed and stared at the black she-cat.

"I'll be fine. I just need to rest tonight. We can leave in the morning," Goldenpaw meowed. She layed her head on her paws and closed her eyes. Each of the apprentices looked at each other and then nodded. They flicked each other over the ears with the tip of their tails and then curled up and fell asleep.

A rustling woke Goldenpaw up. She lifted her head up cautiously. The apprentice cursered StarClan under her breath when she banged her head on the top of the hollow of the oak tree. The amber-eyed cat stood up and padded cautiously and carefully over the other sleeping apprentices. When she looked out of the hollow, Goldenpaw stifled a hiss of annoyance. Outside, sniffing around, was a black tabby apprentice. The apprentice was Duskpaw.

"Oh StarClan!" the tabby apprentice wailed. "Why did you have to take away the five apprentices? They were showing great potiential as warriors and a medicine cat. Did you not like them? Are you cursing ThunderClan?" Duskpaw looked at the twinkling stars. Goldenpaw followed the apprentices gaze as the she-cat turned to look at a certain star.

Goldenpaw had to strain her neck to see the star. It was the brightest star in the sky. Goldenpaw sighed and then cursed under her breath as Duskpaw's blue eyes turned toward the direction of the sound. Duskpaw called out, "Who's... Who's there?" Goldenpaw sighed quietly and jumped from the tree. She padded over to the frightened apprentice.

"It's me. Goldenpaw. My littermates and I are not dead. We... We were told to leave the Clans to go on a journey. A bad thing is coming. We don't know what it is, but that is what has happened. Please don't be scared," Goldenpaw mewed softly to the other apprentice.

Duskpaw started shaking, but replied steadily, "I-I'-I'm no-no-not s-scared off you. I-just. We miss you. Cinderheart and Dovewing are heartbroken. So is everyone else in ThunderClan. They are distraut; never before has ThunderClan lost five apprentices all at once. Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"The StarClan cats told us not to tell anyone," Goldenpaw replied. She looked at the shaken-up apprentice and imagined her mother. "I. I'm going to come out of the shadows. Please do not be afraid of what you are about to see."

Duskpaw nodded and Goldenpaw took a step out into the growing sunlight. The black tabby gasped and looked at the scarred she-cat. Her face was still covered up in herbs, but some of it had fallen off. "What happened Goldenpaw?"

"We ran into a fox. It killed a RiverClan queen. We chased it off, but the mousebrain scratched my face," Goldenpaw growled, imagining the fox. Her claws instinctively came out, but she forced herself to sheath them.

"Well. That is terrible," Duskpaw mewed. Goldenpaw watched as the she-cat padded up to her and licked her ear comfortingly. Goldenpaw forced herself to purr, but she knew that she had to hurry up. They had to leave before the dawn patrol came this way.

"I have to go. We have to leave this morning," Goldenpaw meowed regetfully. She knew that she had to go, but she wanted to stay with her Clan. The injured black apprentice walked over to the tree she spent the night in and hauled herself up. Bramblepaw's fur was fluffed up to twice its size. Firepaw was pacing in the small space. Only Cinderpaw and Poisonpaw were calm.

Bramblepaw hissed, "Where have you been! We have been worried for you!" Really! Only you and Firepaw seem worried. The silver tabby apprentice flicked her sister over the ears, "Sorry. I was just worried that you had been even more injured." Goldenpaw nodded, understanding.

"I would be the same way. I had heard a rustling in the bushes, but it was only Duskpaw. I... I want her to come. She seems really lonely. Her littermates aren't exactly friendly," Goldenpaw mewed. She looked at her friends.

"Well. It won't be too terrible. What do you think Cinderpaw?" Poisonpaw mewed. He flicked his black tipped tail.

Cinderpaw shook her head, "Well, it would be... different. It could work. What do you think Firepaw?" Firepaw nodded his head in agreement to Cinderpaw and Poisonpaw. "What do you think, Bramblepaw?"

Bramblepaw shook her head. The silver tabby's spine fur was rising, "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Well, the rest of us thing it is a good idea," Goldenpaw retorted. She flicked her tail and padded out of the den in a storm. She walked over to the spot she had left Duskpaw at. "Duskpaw! Duskpaw!"

Duskpaw's head popped out of the grass, "What?"

"We want you to come with us!" Goldenpaw mewed.

Duskpaw nodded her head enthusiastically. "I would love that!" Goldenpaw flicked her tail to the black tabby and walked off to the tree. The other apprentices had climbed down.

"Say hello to our new partner!" Goldenpaw purred. All the cats flicked their tail to the other she-cat.

"Well! Let's go!" Bramblepaw mewed. She took the lead and headed out toward the lake. The cats followed in line.

AN: Sorry! My updating is out of sorts! I will try to update over the weekends and try occasionly on weekdays! If Goldenmask helped me more, I could get it done faster! Well thanks for reading, sorry for the short chapter, and hope you enjoyed!

Random fact time: Firestar and Scourge are half-brothers. Their father, Jake, had two mates. Nutmeg and Quince.

Thanks for reading! Review! Favorite! Eat cake! Do whatever!
~~Brambleheart~~
~CandyBunnies~