Hey! I got over 200 reviews! and as promised, here is chapter 24!

And for all the people who were awesome enough to review,

"Peperpaw"- sorry about the lack of romance, there's more in this one though

"Wyldclaw"- it was evil! but I like good villians just as much as heros, and don't worry about her sanity, that's for a different story.

"Howlsong13"- hehe, read what I wrote just above this for wyldclaw

"Song of falling feathers"- Thank you! I love people like you!

"Bookworm45669"- yeah, yeah, at least you didn't predict what happens in this chapter! and there's a lot wrong with Pricklenose, sorry about not doing a lot of Sweet&Rush but she was in the nursery, and I wasn't really thinking about it much.

"Graystreakthewarrior"- I'm making more! but it takes time!

"Sunken of Maple"- glad you like it! I love being an exception!

Moonblaze- no problem, and I didn't think any of them were really bad, just for another story. sorry, but I have different plans. I like Flare, and I hurried!

Flamewing- Hehe, I just absolutely love reading your reviews :) and about Claws sister, whoops

Warrior cats rock- yay! another person loves my story!

Swiftwind2675- not to brag or anything, but it is so cool!

Chapter 24

Blueshadow stood in the shadows at the edge of the hollow, it was half a moon since her journey to the Moonstone and she and Graypaw had been unjustly attacked, according to the warrior code, by the WindClan cats. She glanced back at the sky, Greyear would be there any moment, she was worried about him, he seemed more remote and frustrated every night they met.

She understood the pressure on him, he was trying to become deputy, but had a forbidden love at the same time. She sighed and rolled on the soft grass, she looked up at the sound of paw steps, Greyear was hurrying down the slope into the hollow of Fourtrees.

"Took you long enough," she commented as he touched noses with her, she purred as he swiped at her ear, but missed because they were still in the shadows. She bounced into the moonlight with Greyear following her, "what do you think our leaders would think if they saw us together?" Greyear murmured, looking up at the Great rock.

"They wouldn't be happy, that's for sure, but the warrior code isn't thought of as highly anymore, they probably wouldn't do anything but order us to stop seeing each other," she mewed in annoyance. The warrior code is everything that we are, take it away, what are we? Rogues and loners that's what!

She looked up at the stars, they looked like pieces of ice glowing coldly from far away, and moon was only a claw scratch in the sky. She sighed as Greyear stood beside her, his pelt touching hers, his scent surrounding her, and she could feel his blue eyes watching her as she watched the sky.

She slyly glanced at him, his eyes were full of sadness and regret as he watched her, she flinched inwardly at the pain in his eyes. She pulled her gaze away from him and padded forward, with a leap she jumped on top of Great rock. The rock felt colder then ice beneath her paws, and the smooth surface sparkled in the moonlight as she looked down at Greyear.

"You look like a leader up there," Greyear mewed softly, looking up at her with clear admiration and a warm look of love on his face. "You would make a great leader," she mewed looking at Greyear's strong shoulders, sleek legs, and long tail.

"Not as good as you," Greyear mewed back softly, his eyes glowed in the moonlight as he looked at her, the soft affection in his eyes made her heart feel like it was about to burst in her chest. She shuffled to the side on Great rock to make room for Greyear, he jumped up beside her and they looked down on the silver lit clearing.

"What do you think its like to be leader?" she murmured, Greyear licked her ear softly. "It must be wonderful, to be able to do so much for your clan and the ones you love," he murmured gently. She sighed and leaned into his soft coat, his warm breath ruffled her whiskers as he nuzzled her gently, and she relaxed against his warm body.

They stood like that for a long time, it was long past moon-high when she curled up on the smooth rock, Greyear curled up around her. His deep breathing told her he had fallen asleep, but she laid her head against his flank and pressed herself into his thick fur. She watched the stars as she fell asleep, and as she closed her eyes she swore that that the stars had never been brighter.

...

Blueshadow silently stalked a squirrel, light filtered through the trees dappling the ground around the squirrel. It sat up on the root of a tree and nibbled at a nut it held between its paws, she crept slowly forward, keeping her body low and her tail above the ground. Suddenly their was a rush of noise from beside her, she stumbled as Lionpaw brushed roughly past her heading toward the squirrel, the squirrel raced up the tree and disappeared in the branches above them.

She stalked angrily toward Lionpaw, he was trying to climb the tree but his weight kept him from doing it. "What was that?" she spat at him, Graypaw padded up beside her and looked at her brother in surprise. "You are two moons from your final assessment, you should know better then to charge after a squirrel, or any creature for that matter!" she hissed angrily. Lionpaw flattened his ears and shuffled his paws in embarrassment, she sighed in annoyance.

"Well since some cat needs a reminder of how to stalk preparedly, we will spend the rest of the afternoon going through all the different stalking techniques," she mewed in frustration. She looked carefully at Lionpaw, Foxtail had asked her to take him with her while he went to check something along the Fourtrees border. He doesn't know about Greyear, does he? she was nervous that he would pick up hers and Greyear's scent from last night when he went over there.

She sighed, I really need to stop worrying, it doesn't help me in anyway. "Come on," she mewed to the two apprentices, they followed her reluctantly, she knew it wasn't really fair for Graypaw to do this again, Graypaw had mastered all the stalking techniques two moons into her training. They quickly arrived at the sandy hollow, Stoneheart and Quickpaw were practicing fighting moves on one side of the hollow. Blueshadow led the two apprentices to the opposite side of the hollow that Stoneheart was on, she had no desire to go near him and his upstart apprentice.

"Okay, first we'll do the bird stalking one, Graypaw, you first," Graypaw nodded and crouched down, she started moving forward, low and fast. "Well done, you do it now Lionpaw," Blueshadow turned her gaze to Lionpaw, he jumped as he saw her looking at him. He hastily nodded and dropped into a crouch and started stalking forward, she could tell that he was trying to copy Graypaw, but he hadn't taken into account of his different size. He was fast, but to loud, his belly brushing the ground as he moved forward, he stopped and looked up at her miserably from beside Graypaw.

She felt a rush of sympathy, Foxtail wasn't very good at mentoring, he would tell her that he didn't know how to do these things, that he didn't know how to train a kit into a warrior. "Lionpaw, that wasn't to bad, but you are bigger then Graypaw, so you have to adjust the technique for yourself," she mewed gently as Lionpaw and Graypaw padded back to her.

"How do I do that?" Lionpaw asked curiously, "well, you're heavier, so you will need to go more slowly, and you're bigger, so you won't be able to crouch down as low as Graypaw," she mewed. Lionpaw nodded thoughtfully, "I think I've got it," he mewed slowly. "Good, now try it again," she commanded, Lionpaw crouched down and moved forward, not as fast as before, but fast enough to creep up on a bird, he also was crouched perfectly, completely balanced and exactly the right height.

"Well done, now we can try something harder," she mewed after the apprentices had done a few different stalking techniques. They nodded, looking excited at the prospect of a challenge, "I want you two to track me through the forest and find me before I make my way back to camp, if I get to camp, you lose, if you get me, you win," she mewed. The apprentices nodded, looking excited, "when the sun touches the trees, you can come after me," she mewed, the apprentices nodded, and she bounded out of the hollow.

The sun was almost at the tallest tree, so she didn't have long, she made her way toward Fourtrees, keeping off of the path and in the thick undergrowth. She splashed across the stream on the way to Fourtrees, then had an idea, she padded along in the stream until she saw the Thunderpath. Then she jumped out and brushed her wet fur against a clump of chervil, its sweet smelling scent rubbing onto her pelt. Then she raced along the undergrowth, dodging brambles, weaving between bushes and pushing her way through ferns.

She slowed as she neared Fourtrees, she padded up the slope and looked down into the hollow, she caught her breath as she saw Foxtail, he was talking to another cat, a she-cat, but their was no breeze to carry the cat's scent to her, and the cat was standing in the shadows of one of the great oaks so she couldn't recognize the cat. Who's he with? she wondered, she pressed herself against the ground as Foxtail looked up in her direction, she sighed in relief as he turned his gaze back to the she-cat.

She silently crept back into the cover of the forest, she strained her ears and heard Graypaw and Lionpaw approaching, fast. She looked around, the branches here were high, but she could probably reach them in one jump. She bunched her muscles and jumped up onto a branch, just as Graypaw and Lionpaw broke into the clearing below her.

"Fox dung! I lost her scent again!" Graypaw exclaimed, Lionpaw sniffed at the fronds she had brushed against when she had jumped up. "I think she went this way!" Lionpaw mewed, pointing with his tail back the way they had come. "We just came from their mouse-brain!" Graypaw mewed, rolling her eyes. "Well maybe she went back to confuse us, like when she went in the stream and disguised her scent with chervil," Lionpaw answered hotly.

Graypaw opened her mouth to argue again, then thought better of it and nodded, Lionpaw led Graypaw back the way they had come. Blueshadow silently leaped down and made her way along the RiverClan border, she stiffened as she neared Sunningrocks. A RiverClan cat was near Sunningrocks, but not just any cat, it was Greyear.

She looked around for any warriors from either RiverClan or ThunderClan, she scented and spotted none, so she cautiously approached Greyear. "What are you doing here?" she hissed nervously looking around, "I need to tell you something," Greyear mewed heavily. "Wait until tomorrow!" she hissed, she could smell the scents of Lionpaw and Graypaw approaching, they weren't close yet, but it wouldn't be long before they were.

Greyear looked like he was about to agree, but then he shook his head, "no, meet me tonight at Fourtrees," Greyear mewed. Blueshadow nodded quickly, "okay, just get off my territory, some of my clan-mates are coming!" she spat. Greyear nodded quickly, licked her ear, and slipped into the river. He was on his own territory and disappearing into the reeds as Graypaw and Lionpaw approached.

Blueshadow looked around wildly, she was next to the river and the forest was five fox-lengths away at least. She jumped into the river as Graypaw and Lionpaw burst onto the shore. She waited for them to spot her and call her name, but they didn't, they would never look in the river! And my bluish fur blends into the river! she thought in delight. She swam down river until she reached the twoleg-bridge, then she kicked toward the shore. They'll never find me now! she thought gleefully.

She shook the water out her fur, and stretched, yawning, the sun was going down, and she couldn't find any trace of Graypaw or Lionpaw on the breeze. She leaped up in the branches of the trees, and made her way back to camp by leaping from branch to branch above the ground.

She leaped down the ravine and entered camp, Graypaw and Lionpaw weren't back yet, but she wasn't worried, if they're not back by the time I go to meet Greyear, then I'll be worried. She picked out a vole from the fresh-kill pile and settled down to eat it by Lightfoot and Frostflower. And she listened to their discussion of what they had done today, Frostflower had gone hunting with Pricklenose, her admiration for Pricklenose was clear from the way she talked about him, and it made her lip curl.

I hate Pricklenose! I don't know why I don't just kill him! she thought angrily as she ripped at her prey. Because he is your clan-mate and your brother, a voice answered back in her head, she sighed, she knew she couldn't really kill her kin. She would never be able to murder her own brother, no matter how terrible he was. She yawned and rolled onto her back, scratching her head on the soft grass. She looked up at the sound of paw steps from the gorse barrier, Graypaw and Lionpaw had just entered camp, heads and tails down in weariness.

She stood up and padded to them, "you did well," she purred to them, they looked up at her in surprise. "But we didn't catch you!" Lionpaw exclaimed, " we didn't even come close," Graypaw added bitterly. "I don't think you know just how close you were," she mewed to the apprentices, they looked up at her, a question in both their eyes. "But for now, go get something to eat, then rest, you must be tired," she mewed kindly.

They nodded in relief and padded wearily to the fresh-kill pile, then they settled themselves down outside of the apprentice den and ate together. Blueshadow watched the two cats, brother and sister, laughing and boasting with each-other. I was like that once with Pricklenose, but that seems like a lifetime ago. She sighed and padded out of camp toward Fourtrees.

...

She paused at the top of the hollow, Greyear was already there, sitting in the shadow of the Great rock, looking up at the stars. She bounded down the slope and padded to Greyear, she leaned toward him to nuzzle him. But to her surprise, he backed away from her. She stared at him in confusion, his eyes were narrowed into slits as he backed into the deeper shadows.

"Blueshadow, we can no longer meet together," Greyear mewed, his voice expressionless, and as he stepped back into the moonlight, she didn't see the cat she had slept with last night. His eyes were colder then ice, holding none of the warmth she had recently seen in them, his body was hard, no softness visible in his tense muscles, and his voice held no love for her like the night before.

"You will never talk about this to any cat, you will never mention this to me again, nor will you ever think of me as anything but an enemy warrior," Greyear commanded. Blueshadow looked at him before answering, "and if I don't?" she spat, her anger taking over her shock. What is he doing? I thought he loved me! Well if he doesn't love me, then I don't love him!

"Then I will kill you to keep this mistake a secret," he mewed, sliding out his claws. Blueshadow backed away from him, her heart felt like it had broken into pieces, and ice had replaced it. She closed her eyes for a moment, he was just using me! He is nothing to me! her heart broke again as she looked at him and snarled, "I'd like to see you try!"

She watched him as he advanced, then he lunged toward her, she slipped to the side and pushed her paws into his chest, he stumbled as he landed. She leaped on top of him, feeling numb as she looked down at the cat she had loved, her claws were sheathed as she looked into his dark blue eyes. She looked closely, searching for any sign that he still loved her, that he was being forced to do this, but found nothing except the same cold, icy, blue look.

She trembled and loosened her grip, Greyear surged upward and flung her off, she hit the Great rock and lay there. She was to sad and shocked to even think about protecting herself, Greyear grabbed her with his paws, lifted her up and pressed her against Great rock. She looked at the cat she had loved and trusted through everything, and here they were, Greyear pinning her against a rock.

She looked deep into his eyes, in the depth of his dark eyes, she saw regret and raw sadness shining in his eyes. She blinked, and the regret she had seen had vanished, he pressed his claws against her throat, she gasped for air as he dug them in deeper. "Do you agree?" he growled, she rasped an answer, but she knew it was inaudible.

Greyear lifted his claws a little, she immediately pushed against him, she knocked him away and bounded up toward her territory. She paused halfway up the slope and turned back toward Greyear, he was standing up, staring after her, his gaze blank. "Don't worry, I won't ever tell any cat what we did," she mewed sadly, she knew the grief was clear in her voice, she turned and ran into the forest, she raced through the undergrowth, faster then she had ever before.

\ She collapsed on the ground, she was close to the maple where she and Greyear used to meet, she padded up to round hill and laid down under the maple. Its wide green leaves dappled the ground around her, she stayed in the shadows and licked the blood from her fur.

The salty tang reminded her of the omens, maybe its best this way, but it didn't change how much it hurt, she wanted to wail her grief to every cat, but she knew that no cat could know about what had happened. Which means no cat will comfort me, because none will know how much I'm hurting, she hid her face in her paws as she remembered how Greyear had attack her.

I thought he loved me, I thought he would never leave me, clearly I was wrong, but what was I to him? Was I a play thing that he could no longer use? Did he never love me? she thought bitterly, then she looked up at the stars. Maybe he didn't love me, maybe he made me swear that I would never speak of any of this ever again. But he can't take away the joy I felt when I was with him, and that is something I will treasure always.

She looked back up at the sky, clouds were covering it, casting her into shadows, but part of the sky was as clear and bright as always. She looked up at the stars, they were far away and did nothing to ease her grief. Then she looked around her and breathed it all in, the peace of night, the shadows, the rustling of leaves, the murmur of the river, it all blended together into the sound of home.

Home, my home, she stood up, suddenly feeling more calm, and free then she had in days, she padded down from the maple tree, and headed into the forest. She paused at the top of the ravine, and looked down at where the camp was hidden by the gorse barrier and the leaves of the tree, she didn't feel like going into camp yet.

She turned and headed to the great sycamore, she leaped swiftly up through its branches until she reached the top, just as she had when she was an apprentice. She looked over the entire forest, she could see Riverclan, WindClan, and ShadowClan territory. She sat there, swaying with the branch as it shook in the breeze. She closed her eyes, feeling the same security that a kit did when it was with its mother.

I am home, and no cat can ever take it away from me.

Wha! I can't believe I just wrote that! well, actually, I can, I intened it to end like this when I first came up with the two, but this isn't the end for them.

I don't know if I need to keep saying this, but, REVIEW! it all helps! a lot! please!