Yay for 64 reviews! Think I could reach 70 before updating? Anyways, we're slowly winding down to the end of the book. Now I know this really hasn't gone anywhere, but the last few chapters will give a lot away. Hopefully not too much. And in other news, I just talked to Snowfire and she said she's taking a break on her own story so that we can write our new story which will be entitled: Burning Heather. Our penname is known as StarlessSnowfire, check it out!
~Chapter 28~
Blazepaw let his claws dig into the ground when he heard fierce battle cries raise above the ShadowClan border. Every hair on his body told him to go and fight them, to prove to ShadowClan that they were not weak. But he kept going, towards the WindClan.
The cat he had decided to meet agreed to stay quiet. Her name was Heronpaw, and she was a pretty pale gray she-cat. But Blazepaw was smart enough after learning from Mangofern's mistake that he could not have a mate outside the Clan. Mangofern had died from it.
He sniffed the air cautiously, before stepping forward. A quiet mew greeted him. He looked up to see bright blue eyes looking straight at him, and his ears quivered for a moment. Stop acting like a mousebrain! he told himself.
"What would you like to know?" Heronpaw asked as she sat down beside him. Her closeness unnerved him, and Blazepaw almost felt like running from the spot. But he kept still, and asked her about Brownpatch. But as soon as he mentioned her name, Heronpaw bit her lips. "Erm, Brownpatch isn't part of WindClan," she meowed. "She was exiled after she tried killing Heathertail, her own mother."
"What?" Blazepaw yelped. His eyes widened in horror. Suddenly, those blue eyes that Brownpatch had had made sense. They were the same color of Heathertail's eyes...and that made them kin, since Breezestar had been her mate. Blazepaw still felt uncomfortable at the very thought of it. Breezestar had gone from a loyal deputy to a power hungry leader in less then a moon, when Runningmoon and Moonpaw had been alive.
"After that, we found her scent every now and then, but...she's just left." Heronpaw shrugged as though the thought didn't bother her. Blazepaw just assumed that it was because she wasn't even born or apprenticed at the time.
"Thanks, I appreciate your information," he meowed curtly. Heronpaw's eyes widened, but she just nodded sharply. Blazepaw would have almost liked to have spoken to her longer, but the sun was slowly sinking, and the battle might have ended. He had used it as a distraction to get out of camp, and now he had to get back before they realized he was gone.
He padded away, hoping Heronpaw wouldn't give away any of the things he'd told her. When he was back, the camp was still empty, except for Dovepaw, who had been chosen to keep watch along with Icestorm.
Dovepaw gave him a brisk nod, before looking back at Birchfall. Thornclaw had also stayed behind, but Blazepaw suspected it was because he was the oldest cat in the Clan. Thornclaw was as old as Brightheart, but he had wisdom on his side. The golden brown tabby was a strong deputy for Cinderstar, but Blazepaw knew she would have to choose a new deputy soon.
Suddenly the thistle barrier shivered. Blazepaw's eyes narrowed and he dropped into a defensive crouch, before relaxing when he saw that it was Goldenpaw. But his eyes widened in dismay when he saw a deep gash on her shoulder. Blood was oozing from the wound, dripping on the ground. More stenches of blood filled the air as ThunderClan returned from the border battle.
"Cinderstar lost a life," Amberpaw whispered when she approached him. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion, and her clwas were stained with blood. Blazepaw was releived to see that it wasn't her own, but his heart skipped a beat when she told him the news.
How many more lives does she have? he wondered. His heart quickened when he saw the leader. She was leaning against Hazepelt, who supported her with every pawstep. His green eyes were filled with concern as they older warrior let her go towards Rainshower, who was checking on every wound.
"Tend to the others," Cinderstar ordered. Her voice sounded flat and defeated, and Blazepaw wanted to wail out like a lost kit. Where was the leader he had seen just a moment ago?
Rainshower's eyes gleamed, but he didn't argue. Instead he tended to the other warriors. Goldenpaw flinched as he applied a poultice on her shoulder wound roughly. He didn't even seem to care that he was causing her more pain. Blazepaw glared at him with cold fury as the medicine cat stalked off to the other warriors.
"Are you okay?" he demanded when he padded over to her. The pale ginger she-cat was gingerly moving her leg, and the movement caused her to wince. She looked at him, with horrified eyes.
"The Twolegs took Darkclaw!" Her voice was thinned out into a wail, and Blazepaw rested his tail on her untouched shoulder.
"What do you mean?" he asked. He needed to know more about these stupid Twolegs. Why were they there, and why were they digging? Were they the reason ShadowClan attacked?
Goldenpaw didn't reply. Instead, she turned towards Amberpaw, who was listening intently to the other warriors. Blazepaw sighed and sat down, wondering if there would be any time with his siblings like there had been when they were kits.
"Amberpaw, you said you wanted to speak to me." Blazepaw's eyes widened with shock as Cinderstar limped towards them. Cobwebs now tapered around her ears, while one was stretched over a nasty wound around her muzzle. But she looked confident, now that her wounds had been tended to. She rose her tail in a commanding way, while waiting for Amberpaw's response.
The golden tabby paused for a moment. She stared at Cinderstar with such an intense look that it almost scared Blazepaw. "I know what the Twolegs are doing," she meowed quietly.
Gah sorry to leave you on that note! But...It sort of got to the point. Anyways, please review. I'll possibly update when I reach seventy reviews. Depends on what type of a mood I'm in, after all, I have a history essay that needs to be written ;)
