Stonetail's Loyalty: Yessum. There's an indentation in the side of the river. That's where CoveClan lives.

RaynyCrowy: Nope. CoveClan has lived by the lake for a long time, way before the other Clans came.

Summerstream13: Thanks! Yup! They're going to be included in the allegiances for the next story, since one or two of the cats play an important role in it.

Spottednose24: Thanks!

Chapter 17: Beechpaw

As I raced, I formulated a plan. I decided that I would go to RushClan and beg for them to take me in so that I could be with Whitepaw. I picked up my pace, now sprinting in the direction of the RushClan camp. I crossed the stream that divided the two territories and raced through the trees.

"Whitepaw!" I hollered, looking around frantically as I pounded over the rough grass. "Whitepaw, are you there?"
Then I came across the old ThunderClan camp. The scents of ThunderClan and WindClan mingled in my nose, making me sneeze. A patrol padded out of the entrance to the camp. I recognized the deputy of RushClan, Brackenfur, Crowfeather, Sandstorm, Firestar's mate, and Cloudtail, Whitepaw's father. With them were three other cats I didn't recognize: A long-limbed black tom, a dark brown tabby tom, and a dark gray tom with blue eyes. The dark gray tom glared at me. Crowfeather, Cloudtail, and the long-limbed black tom hissed at me. Brackenfur whipped around and snarled.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm looking for Whitepaw," I replied. I noticed Cloudtail glance at me suspiciously.

"Why?" Brackenfur growled.

I froze. How was I supposed to explain my feelings for Cloudtail's daughter? "I..." I began, then stopped. "I need to speak with Brightheart. May I?"

"No!" Cloudtail yowled, unsheathing his claws.

"Leave the apprentice be," Brackenfur ordered. "He may have some information as to the whereabouts of Whitepaw."

She disappeared? I thought.

"Fine," Cloudtail growled, retracting his claws. "But if you harm a hair on Brightheart's pelt..."

"Calm down, Cloudtail," Brackenfur meowed, stepping in between the two of us. He turned to face me. "Brightheart will speak to you beneath the Halfrock. You have until the next search party is sent out."

"When is that?" I asked.

"Sunhigh," Brackenfur replied. I looked up at the sky. I didn't have much time left. I nodded curtly before dashing through the thorn barrier and into the camp.I felt glares prick my pelt as I passed through a crowd of conversing cats. I padded over to the nursery and poked my head inside. It was very warm compared to the harsh temperatures of outside.

"Where is Brightheart?" I asked.

"Last time I saw her," A brown tabby she-cat replied. "She was was eating beneath the Halfrock." The she-cat pointed with her tail to a rock that jutted out of the ground near the camp wall. I nodded and bounded off toward the Halfrock. A ginger-and-white she-cat with one green eye sat alone beneath the rock, munching on a scrawny squirrel.

"Hello," I meowed, trying to sound as friendly as possible as I sat down in front of her.

"Who are you?" Brightheart mewed, the hair along her spine raising.

"I'm Beechpaw," I replied, bowing my head respectfully. "If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to you about Whitepaw."

"You know where she is?" Brightheart cried, her eye sparkling with joy.

"No," I meowed sadly. Brightheat's head drooped. "But, do you remember the first time she disappeared?"

"Of course," Brightheart replied.

"Well, I'm the reason she disappeard," I admitted. "You see, we met at the last Gathering, and I told her I wanted to see her again, so we met on the ShadowClan border at the half-moon. Then we fell asleep on the border. Apparently, I fell asleep and didn't wake up, so Whitepaw tried to keep me warm when Rowanclaw and Swallowtail appeared and took us to the LakeClan camp. Hawkstar sent Whitepaw into the pit of death as punishment for attempting to 'murder' me.

"After I woke up, I sent Willowpaw down to get Whitepaw, but Whitepaw got out by herself, then she came back here to warn you all about the threat Tigerstar brought with him. And now she's gone again. I believe it's all my fault."

"Why are you telling me this?" Brightheart asked, listening to me now with rapt attention.

"Because..." I struggled to find some way to describe my feelings. "Because I love your daughter, and I want to help you find her."

Brightheart was silent for a moment. "Well," she meowed at last, her eye warm. "I couldn't pick a better, more honest tom for my daughter. I would be very glad if you would help us."

"Really?" I mewed, surprised that Brightheart had accepted me so readily.

"Of course," Brightheart purred. "I had noticed that, after the Gathering, Whitepaw's mind was a bit preoccupied, and I was sure she was thinking about another cat. She muttered your name in her sleep once, and I've been wanting to meet you ever since." She licked my ear softly. "Now, do you think you might know where she has gone?"

"What happened to her after she warned you about the battle?"

"She hit her head on a rock and got amnesia, but somehow she managed to remember you and raced off shouting your name."

"Well," I started. "I didn't see her near the LakeClan camp, so I think she must've followed the stream south."

"Brilliant!" Brightheart cried. "I'll take you on a search party with me right now, just the two of us. It'll go much faster."

I nodded in agreement and followed Brightheart as she sped out of camp. A dark ginger she-cat sat at the entrance to the camp, keeping watch.

"I'm going to look for Whitepaw!" Brightheart announced to the she-cat as we passed. "Tell Cloudtail Beechpaw came with me!"
"Alright!" The she-cat mewed.

My stomach bubbled with excitement. My love for Whitepaw had been accepted, and I would be the one to find her! Finally, things began to look up once more.