Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal them.
Chapter 19
"Are we going out alone?" Purepaw asked, his tail lashing back and forth in his excitement at being able to leave the camp once again.
Purepaw's eye had almostly completely healed. The left side of his face bore deep scars from the claws of the badger that had hurt him. The apprentice was lucky he could still see out of his left eye, which had been swollen shut for most of the time he'd been in Frostflower's den.
"Yes, we're going out alone," Rowanwind replied. "We need to see if you remember how to catch prey."
"Of course I remember!" Purepaw insisted.
"Alright. Pretend that leaf there is a mouse," Rowanwind said, gesturing with his tail at a leaf nearby.
Purepaw went into a hunter's crouch. Rowanwind watched as his apprentice stalked the leaf and then pounced on it.
"No," Rowanwind said. "If that had been a real mouse, it would have heard you before you got close enough to pounce."
Purepaw batted away the leaf. "I thought I remembered."
Rowanwind laughed. "Come on. We'll go out so you can practice on real prey, not leaves that only move in the wind."
The mentor and apprentice headed out of the camp, through the tunnel entrance, and out into the surrounding forest. They padded, side by side, through the undergrowth. Birds called down to them from the branches of the trees. Wind tossed the branches, raining leaves down on the two cats.
Every once in a while, Purepaw leaped up to snatch at a falling leaf. Rowanwind felt happy knowing his apprentice's new scar didn't discourage him from continuing to live his life. He thanked StarClan that Purepaw had kept his sight in his left eye, allowing him to continue his training as a warrior.
"Did you hear that?" Purepaw asked, stopping to perk his ears and listen for the sound Rowanwind had missed.
Rowanwind paused and listened. He could hear the sound of rustling leaves, as if a bird were kicking them aside to search for bugs.
Purepaw went into his hunter's crouch and stalked forward. Rowanwind glanced around before finally spotting the chaffinch Purepaw was going after. He slowly sat back on his haunches to watch his apprentice creep up on the unsuspecting bird.
With a growl, Purepaw leapt at the bird and crushed it beneath his paws. One, swift bite to the critter's neck and it stopped fluttering under his unsheathed claws.
"How was that?" Purepaw asked, a stray feather stuck to his face.
Rowanwind laughed. "Excellent. It seems you haven't forgotten all your training. You may want to get that feather off your face, though, or someone will think you were eating while hunting."
Purepaw brushed a paw over his face. The feather stuck to his paw instead. Rowanwind laughed as Purepaw flicked his paw, trying to dislodge the feather. When it didn't come off, Purepaw swiped at it with his other paw, only to have it stick to that paw instead.
Rowanwind was still chuckling over his apprentice's misfortunate feather when he heard a battle cry echo through the forest. His fur stood on end. Purepaw suddenly jumped, his eyes widening.
The feather forgotten, Rowanwind turned toward the sound.
"Come on, Purepaw!" he shouted.
Together, the two toms sped through the forest toward the sounds of battling cats. Rowanwind knew they were getting closer when the sounds grew louder and louder. They crashed through a bramble bush, tufts of their fur getting caught, and stumbled upon a small battle of ThunderClan versus DarkClan.
Thornfur, Reedclaw, and Mistmeadow, who had been out on a border patrol, Rowanwind knew, were fiercely battling four dark-pelted toms and two, black she-cats. Thornfur battled two of the toms, while Mistmeadow and Reeclaw each battled a tom and a she-cat pair.
Hoping that there were no more DarkClan cats hiding nearby, Rowanwind gave a hearty caterwaul before leaping on the tom that Mistmeadow was fighting.
They rolled through the fallen leaves, barely missing a small thorn bush that looked like it had been crushed by a large animal. Rowanwind hissed and rolled off of the tom. The DarkClan cat came at him, and he spun and kicked with his back legs. His back paws connected with the tom's chest, sending him stumbling backward into the bramble bush. When the tom gave a startled cry of pain, Rowanwind ran over to help Purepaw tackle another of the toms to the ground.
A few moments later, only one of the she-cats was left. Mistmeadow and Reedclaw had her cornered up against the thick trunk of an oak. Her lips were pulled back from his lips, revealing yellow fangs.
"Let her go," Rowanwind said.
Mistmeadow and Reedclaw stepped back.
Before the she-cat ran off, she turned silver eyes on Rowanwind. "Sly wants you to know that the final battle is coming. It all ends tomorrow. When the moon has reached its highest place in the night sky, meet us at the island you go every full moon...if you don't want us to kill you all in your homes!"
"This is terrible," Clawstar said.
"I think Sly's intention was for us to have little time to prepare for the final battle," Rowanwind said. His insides felt as heavy as rocks. It had taken him some time to get back to camp to report to Clawstar what had happened. "He knows that we are five Clans against one. Even his kittypet allies barely swell his ranks to the size of ours."
"They will try everything possible to end this in their favor," Ghostlight said. Clawstar had asked the white tom to sit in on their conversation, knowing that the tom was going to be a large part of finishing the war against DarkClan. "Magick is their greatest weapon. Unfortunately, we have only three who know how to use magick with strong results."
"We can't back down now," Rowanwind said. "If we all stay in our respective camps, DarkClan will easily pick us off, one by one. It's better if we go up against them, head on, with all of our allies beside us."
"I still don't understand what he has to do with all of this," Crimsonstar said, gesturing at Ghostlight.
Crimsonstar, Angelstar, Featherstar, and Gloom had all been sent for. The cats were gathered on the lakeshore where the ThunderClan and WindClan territories met.
"I have already explained," Ghostlight said. "I will not repeat my intentions for being here."
Crimsonstar hissed at him. "How can we trust you if you act so mysterious?"
"Because I trust him," Rowanwind said.
"As do I," Clawstar added.
Crimsonster spat.
"It seems to me that Crimsonstar is only worried for the safety of her Clan," Featherstar said.
"Don't tell me what I seem to be worried about!" Crimsonstar muttered.
"I want to know what we're going to do!" Angelstar said. "Are we going to meet them on the island, or allow them to come pick us off, one by one?"
"Head on!" Featherstar meowed sternly.
"Head on!" Crimsonstar added, her eyes ablaze. "The stronger we are together, the better."
"I agree," Angelstar said. "Head on is the best way. But what if it is a trap? What if we go to meet them on the island, and they attack our camps while our best warriors are away?"
"We will just have to chance it," Rowanwind said.
"DarkClan will not do such a thing," Ghostlight said. "Not this night."
"What makes you so sure?" Crimsonstar demanded.
"I have followed them for many moons," Ghostlight replied. "When it comes to a final battle, DarkClan go head on. The rest of their battles may be sneaky...but never their final battle."
"Never?" Clawstar asked.
"Never," Ghostlight confirmed.
"Then it's decided," Rowanwind meowed. "Tonight, when the moon has reached its highest spot in the sky, we will meet DarkClan on the island...for the last time."
"Do we want to bring apprentices?" Rowanwind wondered.
"We will bring the oldest apprentices," Clawstar said. "Webpaw, Nimblepaw, and Sootpaw. The other apprentices are too young."
"I suggest Reedclaw and Crookedfern," Ghostlight said. "They are quite experienced in battle, are they not?"
"Yes, we'll bring Reedclaw and Crookedfern," Clawstar decided. "What about Oakpelt and Rainfur?"
"No," Ghostlight said. "I suggest Thornfur and Wetpelt instead."
Rowanwind could tell that Clawstar did not like the white tom being so adamant on who was going to the final battle. "Ghostlight, could I speak to you, alone, please?"
"Of course," Ghostlight said. He didn't sound the least bit surprised.
The two toms walked away together.
"Clawstar is angry with me," Ghostlight said, matter-of-factly.
"Yes," Rowanwind said, blinking in only slight surprise. "I think you are stepping on his toes, deciding who is going and who is staying behind."
Ghostlight's yellow eyes shown a little in the morning sunlight above. Rowanwind had known this cat for such a short time, but he felt as if the white tom had been around his entire life.
"I understand," Ghostlight said. "I will not 'step on his toes' any longer."
"Thank you," Rowanwind replied.
They headed back to where Clawstar and Frostflower were sitting, waiting for them. Clawstar still looked a little angry when he glanced at Ghostlight.
"I've decided that Thornfur and Wetpelt will go," Clawstar said. "As well as Granitetail and Twigleaf." He turned to Rowanwind. "I would like your help deciding which of our younger warriors will go."
Rowanwind understood that the "younger warriors" were those cats who Rowanwind had grown up with. He began to think of all the cats he grew up with, who were still alive. There was Mistmeadow, Cedarspirit, Cloverpelt, Darkeye, Thunderstripe, Silvermoon, and Gingerheart. He cared for all of them deeply, more so than the senior warriors who had already been chosen to go.
The names of those who he wanted to go came slowly into his head. Rowanwind took a deep breath, realizing that choosing these cats was putting them in the gravest danger any of them had ever faced. "I think Cedarspirit, Cloverpelt, Darkeye, Thunderstripe, and Gingerheart should go."
Clawstar was silent for a few moments. His light green eyes glazed over. Rowanwind realized that Clawstar was thinking about his choices.
"Alright," Clawstar said, finally, as the glazed look in his eyes disappeared. "Cedarspirit, Darkeye, Thunderstripe, and Gingerheart may go."
Rowanwind realized the only cat he had taken from the group was Cloverpelt. He wondered why, but he didn't dare ask. He simply nodded in agreement.
"I believe that is enough of our warriors," Clawstar said. He turned to Frostflower. "Will you go, or are you going to send Maggotstripe in your place?"
Frostflower shook her head roughly. "I will not send Maggotstripe. She has not had enough battle training."
Clawstar nodded solemnly. "Of course. Do you have any suggestions? Any cat we should leave behind, or who we should bring along?"
Frostflower closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "No, Clawstar."
"Then it is..." Clawstar started, but Ghostlight interrupted.
"Excuse me," Ghostlight meowed. "But I believe we have forgotten one important ThunderClan warrior. My brother, Dusklight."
Clawstar's ears twitched. "Are you certain you want him there?"
Ghostlight's eyes blazed brighter. "Yes."
Clawstar sighed. "Then it is settled. Reedclaw, Crookedfern, Thornfur, Wetpelt, Twigleaf, Cedarspirit, Darkeye, Thunderstripe, Gingerheart, Dusklight, Webpaw, Nimblepaw, and Sootpaw will encompany the four of us tonight to the final battle against DarkClan."
Rowanwind's insides felt as if they hardened even more than they had earlier. Clawstar's words cut him somewhere deep inside of himself. He knew, somehow, that some of the cats that Clawstar had just named would not be returning to ThunderClan's camp when the war was over.
His anger toward Sly returned, turning his hardened insides into a burning inferno. Rowanwind felt as if flames were ready to burst from inside of his chest.
Sly was as good as dead.
End of Chapter Nineteen
Author's Notes: The final battle is just around the corner! The tension is so thick in the air, you could slice it with a claw. I'm getting really anxious, as I'm sure you, my readers, are. The end is coming closer and closer...