A/N: Okay here's Chapter 18, fast updates I know, really unusual for. I honestly don't know how I completed The Fourth Apprentice in Three Weeks, I had no life then. I'm almost done with the outline for Zodiac, I love it! And If you all read and review it on November 1st, I might just update my other stories during the month of November. Well only 7 more chapters left until the end of Terra, I may post Terra: Blood Moon in November, but because of NaNoWriMo, most likely December.
Well thats about all for now, I'm off to the library to rent Saw V. Can't wait for Saw VI on friday, my friend Tanedra is in it!
~Leo~
CHAPTER 18
"We have to hurry!".
Dovepaw turned completely around and without even waiting for Thistlepaw, she began racing back towards ShadowClan camp. Images were darting across her mind of this cat killing Emberpaw, she had to do something to save him!
Complete darkness lay upon the forest, Dovepaw could barely see anything in front of her. But somehow with her adrenaline rushing at the thought of Emberpaw dieing, she managed to weave around each tree and shrub.
Her brother on the other paw wasn't doing so good.
"Wait for me!" Thistlepaw yelped as he rammed into another Pine Tree, "Hey Dovepaw wait!".
"I don't have time to wait!" she meowed loudly, not bothering to even stop for the slow apprentice.
What if she didn't get to RiverClan fast enough, What if Emberpaw died?
No, she told herself forcefully, I'm not going to let that happen. If Dovepaw could just get someone to help her, someone that would come with her to warn RiverClan of the ambush, but who?
"Aspenroot!" she finally realized her mother would help her with anything!
When Dovepaw and Thistlepaw were kits, their mother said if anything if ever happened and they needed help, ask her and she'll be there no matter what.
And as Dovepaw squeezed through the tunnel to enter ShadowClan camp, she could only hope that Aspenroot still meant what she once said.
"Where were you at this time of night?" a questioning meow came from Lionfoot who was standing at the fresh-kill pile.
She narrowed her blue eyes, "It's called hunting Lizard-Breath, ever heard of it?" for StarClan's sake did everyone have to question her?
Lionfoot eyed her suspiciously, "Then where's your prey? And where's that brother of yours anyway, I saw the two of you leaving!".
Dovepaw choked on her tongue, not knowing what to say, what could she say?
"Here I am Dovepaw!" a loud meow came from Thistlepaw who broke through the furze at the ShadowClan entrance.
"I found those two lizards you buried, I'll have to go back later to catch mine" he dropped two brown lizard's onto the fresh-kill pile, looking to see if Lionfoot bought the story.
Thank you, Dovepaw silently thought, Thistlepaw was useful after all! The brown footed warrior simply grunted as he padded away to eat with Bloodpool, stupid old warrior!
"How did you catch those lizard's so fast?" she snapped at Thistlepaw, as more rain began to fall from the darkening sky.
"I found two of them under a rock, see I told you Lizard's do matter! Oh and your welcome" he added, with a mrrow of laughter.
Dovepaw simply ignored her brother and rose her fluffy white head to look towards the warrior's den. She could faintly make out the bright tortoiseshell tail of her mother, of course she would be sleeping around all the other warriors!
"Go get Gempaw from the apprentices den, tell her we need her help".
Thistlepaw simply nodded and padded calmly over to the apprentices den, probably in order to not raise suspicions.
Finally he listens to me! Dovepaw knew she was hard on her brother from time to time, and she could admit she can be a bit snappy, but Thistlepaw mattered to her, deep down.
The white apprentice made sure no one was watching, and quietly padded into the warriors den. Aspenroot lay sleeping peacefully next to Firesky, their flanks rising evenly in a deep sleep.
Glaring at the sleeping Firesky, Dovepaw pondered putting more Mouse-Bile in his nest, but there were more important things!
"Aspenroot" she whispered while prodding her mother, Dovepaw didn't want to wake any of the other ShadowClan warriors. After a short moment of trying to wake her mother, the beautiful tortoiseshell finally rose her head to blink at Dovepaw sleepily.
"What's wrong, are you alright?" she asked urgently, looking around to make sure another clan wasn't attacking.
"I'm fine" Dovepaw meowed quietly, "But I have to talk to you now" she flicked her tail to the outside entrance, and Aspenroot nodded and followed behind her daughter.
A Myriad of freezing rain drops fell from the cloud-ridden sky, making Dovepaw shiver with unease.
"Dovepaw what's wrong?" Aspenroot asked with concern, totally unlike most ShadowClan stereotypes. Making sure no one was in hearing distance, the apprentice turned towards her mother to explain what happened.
"It's Flintstar" she told her mother urgently, "He's planning on another ambush in RiverClan, and there's some cat I've never seen before trying to kill one of the apprentices. We have to warn them!".
She took a brief moment to catch her breath as Aspenroot's curved emerald eyes grew round with disbelief.
"Dovepaw I don't know, It's going against the word of our leader. Not to mention their sure to find out we warned RiverClan, and what then?".
Dovepaw looked at her mother with a pleading glare, "Please mother, cats are going to die unless we do something. A friend of mine is going to be slaughtered unless we warn them, and I can't handle losing anyone else" she lowered her gaze as memories flooded back into her mind.
Her sister Bluepaw was murdered two days after being made an apprentice, Lightningcloud killed her. Not to mention Dovepaw and Thistlepaw's father died before they were born, in a border skirmish against ThunderClan.
"Alright" Aspenroot's words shocked Dovepaw, "I'll get Firesky to come with us, we're going to need a warrior to protect us."
Dovepaw tilted her head, "But your a warrior..." she trailed off in confusion.
Her mother turned to Dovepaw, "Not for long" she glanced down at her slightly round belly, "I'm expecting kits Dovepaw."
"What!?" she yelped in not only shock but anger, "Your expecting Firesky's kits?".
What was it with ShadowClan she-cats and getting pregnant every other moon, for StarClan's sake Dovepaw was only nine-moons old!
"We don't have time now" Aspenroot meowed firmly, "If we're going to warn RiverClan we best go soon, the storm is worsening".
And with out another word, the now expectant queen turned into the warriors den to awake Firesky. Dovepaw chuffed in anger as she thought about what it would be like to have more brothers and sisters.
More lives to be taken from me, at least she had Thistlepaw. Speaking of her slightly mental brother, there he was padding with a very sleepy Gempaw right towards her.
"I don't want to go" she complained in that winy voice Dovepaw hated oh so much, "Who cares about those stupid otters anyway, I say leave them be."
Dovepaw narrowed her eyes, "Gempaw lets not forget who's in love with a particular RiverClan apprentice, what was his name again?".
Thistlepaw turned with a smile, "Timberpaw I think, the RiverClan deputies kit. I think Flintstar would be keen to know why your so distracted on the border patrol all the time."
The black she-cat gaped in shock, but only lowered her gaze in a nod. Before Dovepaw could rub it in any more, Aspenroot came padding out of the warriors den with Firesky right behind her.
"I don't think this is right" he growled, "We can't just disobey our clan like this, its against the Warrior Code!".
"So is trying to slaughter another clan for no reason" Dovepaw hissed, they didn't even need him to come!
With a whisper from Aspenroot, the ginger tom finally nodded and motioned for them to go into the forest. The camp was pretty much deserted, and with the storm no one would see them leave.
But as Dovepaw padded closer to the Furze infested tunnel, she stopped as a large figure stood in her way. There stood Moonclaw with a grim look in his eyes his claws un-sheathed in attack mode.
"Where do you think all of you are going?".
Dovepaw lowered her gaze, they weren't going anywhere, RiverClan was doomed.
What names do you like for three main characters (she-cats) in Terra: Blood Moon (Pick 3)
1.) Cherrypaw
2.) Saffronpaw
3.) Ravenpaw
4.) Leopardpaw
5.) Scarletpaw
6.) Goldpaw