Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter

Thanks to all my waiting reviewers: Silverstorm of RiverClan and Icethroat21

And thanks to my silent readers. Thanks to all those that read and review after I have finished.

Finally the end has come all too soon. . .

Chapter 32

Coonie learned Clan life easily. Darkfire should have expected it. She was a smart she-cat. Coonie started to fit right in. She made friends with even the rogues. They realized that she was almost like them. She wasn't from a Clan, but she was used to large groups of cats. Of course, Coonie made fast friends with Keller. Both had escaped from twolegs. They could share stories together and loved patrolling with one another.

Coonie tried explaining dancing to the Camp cats, but none of them ever understood her even when Darkfire danced with her. The cats didn't see the point and they thought it was eerie to see the two bobbing and then stalking invisible prey. It was cuter when kits played like this, not so with older cats.

"It's so odd without music," Coonie confessed to Darkfire. "There's hardly any sounds out here."

Darkfire nodded. Compared to the Twolegplace the forest was incredibly silent. There were only the sounds of bird, wind, water, and leaves. Darkfire loved it, but the city cat Coonie missed her raves. She even missed her band. Coonie missed playing instruments. Darkfire was glad that he'd given the opportunity for her to play in a rave so she knew what it was like. He asked her how it went once.

"Flashing," Coonie answered with her strange word.

She told him how it had taken all day to get the instruments to the top of the building. Then Plucker couldn't find a place to put his strings. They had to search for something to tie them to. He ended up using the antenna. Then the band moved over to him, placing the instruments up. Even Skunk had a hard time finding a place for his chimes, but they finally got strung up between metal poles. Jacolyn had let the normal twoleg music go for a while, but half way through the night, she shut the window and took all the surprised cats over to the instruments. Coonie and the band took their places and immediately started playing. The cats had been shocked put after the first song and into the second they started dancing again. Finally when the band ran out of songs, the roof was cheering for them. Coonie and the band were appreciated.

"Where were Banter's guards?" Darkfire asked.

"Watching," Coonie answered. "Aster and Soot were there in the crowd. They stayed the whole night, but they never approached. When the night was over, they left. Banter never sent up any more guards after that. And Jacolyn told us she sent word to the other rave hosts what was going on. She said they told her they would protect us. Their cats brought back word about how good we played and we practically had to go to every roof in the section!"

She was grinning as she told him that. Darkfire finally realized she'd been safe the whole time. Her fame had kept her from Banter, and Jacolyn's fellow rave hosts had protected her for her music. Darkfire wondered if it would have been possible for him to stay after all. He wasn't sure and he realized he didn't miss the Twolegplace. He liked it here in Tanglewood with Coonie by his side. But he could understand her longing for her old life. He'd suffered the same thing while he lived in the city.

"Banter never sent his guards for me," Darkfire told Coonie that day they were talking about the guards.

Coonie seemed surprised. "You probably got clean away. He must not have realized you would leave and the guards didn't follow. They don't want to work if they don't have to. I'm glad he didn't find you."

She leaned against him. Darkfire returned her love with a lick on the head.

Leafpool and Crowfeather got along in the Clan. After the first tense half moon of Hollyleaf glaring at her mother and hissing whenever they came near, she finally let them see her kits. For some reason, that instant had made them get closer. Leafpool had loved Coalkit and Patchkit, and Crowfeather had finally seen some grandkits. Heathertail's and Breezepelt's three had been born after he and Leafpool left. And he'd never gotten along well with Breezepelt. Now Crowfeather always played with the two she-kits. They loved him and he returned their attention with joy.

The two she-cats, Hollyleaf and Leafpool, eventually worked out their problems and everything seemed right between them. Leafpool continued to be the leafcat and Lily became her apprentice. Hollyleaf no longer helped out with the leafcat duties, which suited her. She could become a regular warrior again once her kits were out of the nursery. That would take a while though. At least four moons more. And Camp life continued.

Spice still stalked Darkfire. Coonie noticed one day and actually chased her off. She said she didn't like the way that she-cat was following him around and glaring at him. Darkfire sadly watched Spice go. Spice still glared at him, but she never followed him around anymore. She did threaten to leave the Clan a couple of times, but she never did. Darkfire felt sad about the whole thing. He'd never made it up to her or asked for her forgiveness. He sighed and thought of Dewstep.

Darkfire and Coonie went on a search for instruments. Coonie was convinced that if the cats learned how to play them, the Clan would learn to dance and would love it. Darkfire was doubtful it was even possible. Not only did the Clan cats think dancing was mouse-brained, but where would they get the instruments? Coonie's band had gotten most of theirs from the twolegs. What was out here that the cats could use? Darkfire didn't say anything out loud, though. He supported Coonie even if she had such a strange idea. He kind of liked the thought of the Camp having a band. It would make them even more unique from the Clans by the lake and if Darkfire ever went to visit Dewstep, he could talk to him about the band and about Coonie.

Coonie walked next to a fallen log with a rotten center. Coonie hit the log with her forepaw. A low thawonk came from it and so did a bunch of insects. Darkfire and Coonie coughed, running away from the log.

"This is hopeless," Coonie sighed.

They'd gotten far away from the insects and now they just wandered around the territory. Darkfire didn't mind spending time with Coonie. She usually was off on her own or with the other cats all during the day and they only got to spend a short time together. Coonie enjoyed being with other cats and even though Darkfire got a bit jealous on occasion that she didn't always want to be with him, he let her go. He knew he was almost starting to act like Dawncloud. She'd been possessive of him. Darkfire didn't want to be like that she-cat and he didn't want to scare off Coonie, so he let her be. But he still loved it when they walked together even for a fruitless venture.

"We can try again," Darkfire meowed. "Maybe you'll just have to use the warriors' den for the drum."

"Then that will have all the warriors yelling at me for waking them up," Coonie laughed.

Darkfire laughed with her. They continued to look for things to use. Coonie finally led him to a stream.

"I like the water here," Coonie meowed, laying on a sunny rock. Darkfire laid next to her, soaking in the warmth. "The river was dirty and gross in the Twolegplace."

Coonie was still trying to learn the Clan language for things. She couldn't stand not sounding like the other cats. She strove to fit in like she'd done after leaving her twolegs. She didn't want anyone to think she wasn't Clan raised. She wanted to be thought of as a Clan member and not as a cat who didn't want to help or be like the rest.

Darkfire respected her for her goals. He liked her determination. He hoped that their kits would be like her. Coonie had the best attitude he knew.

The two cats lay side-by-side on the rocks, listening as the stream ran over pebbles and through the reeds. It was a lot more shallow than the one in the field and no fish swam in it, but it was a good place for water. Eventually sunhigh arrived. Coonie jerked up.

"What's wrong?" Darkfire sleepily asked her.

"I promised I'd join Keller for hunting patrol," Coonie meowed, jumping from the rock.

Darkfire stretched and joined her on the ground.

"She promised me she'd teach me how to hunt birds," Coonie meowed.

Darkfire nodded. Coonie hadn't hunted many birds in the Twolegplace. They could easily get away there. Coonie also had to learn a whole new way of hunting after she entered the forest. Keller seemed to be the only one with the patience to teach a grown cat how to hunt. She and her apprentice Moon enjoyed being with Coonie and loved showing her new things.

"Let's go then," Darkfire meowed. He knew he wanted to stay longer, but he didn't want to force Coonie to miss her patrol. She enjoyed learning as much as she liked looking for instruments. Darkfire didn't want to be cruel and take her fun from her. It would be just like forcing Ring to avoid toms. It just wasn't right.

Darkfire and Coonie hurried back to camp. As they went, Coonie asked Darkfire about the things around them. She asked him about plants, rocks, and forest animals. They typically did this so Coonie knew more and more about life in the wild. This particular day, Coonie stopped in front of a tall tree. Its bark looked shredded and its leaves were narrow. It had a darkish color.

Coonie stared at it hard. She looked up into the branches. Nuts were starting to grow there.

"What kind is this?" she demanded.

Darkfire wondered if she really didn't like the tree. She was staring at it hard. It stunned Darkfire with the ferocity she gazed at it.

"It's a hickory," Darkfire meowed.

Coonie looked at it a bit more. "I like it," she declared.

Darkfire purred in amusement. She was funny like that, he decided. You couldn't tell what she did or didn't like, but when she liked it or hated it, she told you right out. His mate was definitely amazing.

-Line-

"You have to go swimming with us," Fishpelt meowed.

"I-I don't know about that," Coonie meowed. She stared wide eyed at the water. For once she was really uncertain. Darkfire wondered if she feared the water. He could recall the time Dewstep had. The little gray apprentice had feared the water and had hated it, trying to avoid it when possible. Darkfire believed his brother had gotten over that fear by now.

"She doesn't have to," Darkfire protested, saving her. He really didn't want her swimming anyway. He didn't know if it would hurt the kits or not.

Well, one kit. Leafpool had examined Coonie and said there seemed to only be one. Coonie was still trying to think of a name for it. She'd told Darkfire she wanted it to be a Clan name, but she also wanted it to be something from the Twolegplace, just as a reminder. Darkfire didn't know what that would be unless they named the poor thing Monsterkit. He grinned and then ducked his head. The other cats wouldn't understand.

"I think she should try," Fishpelt muttered, turning away, not willing to argue with Darkfire. He really liked the black warrior.

Minnowflower looked at the young gray tom sympathetically. She understood that he only wanted to teach Coonie, but she didn't think it was right to force the long-haired tabby.

"Teaching her to fish would be more useful," she meowed.

"I can do that," Coonie assured them, nodding vigorously.

Mallowheart laughed. "We'll see."

He quickly walked off to the river.

Darkfire narrowed his eyes. He knew the other tom meant well, but he didn't like the way he just dismissed the possibility Coonie might be able to learn. Darkfire nudged Coonie and they approached the water.

Mallowheart looked at Darkfire. He looked like he wanted Darkfire to start.

"You can do it," Darkfire told him.

Mallowheart nodded and turned to Coonie.

"First, don't let your shadow go into the water. It scares off the fish."

Coonie nodded and sat down next to him, making sure her shadow didn't cast into the river.

Darkfire looked at them and realized they'd work it out and he and the other cats might get in the way and scare off the fish before Coonie could learn. He turned to Minnowflower and Fishpelt.

"Do you want to hunt rabbits?"

"Yes," Fishpelt meowed eagerly.

"All right," Minnowflower meowed. She stood up and led the way from the riverbank. Fishpelt joined her at the top. Darkfire looked down at Coonie and nodded to her as she looked up. She smiled back at him and concentrated on what Mallowheart was meowing.

"So what do we do?" Minnowflower asked.

"First," Darkfire meowed. "Fishpelt will hide over there."

He swung his tail over to a clump of heather. "That will hide your scent. When the rabbit comes, jump up and grab it. Minnowflower, come with me."

Darkfire led the way out to the field. They left the young warrior behind. Darkfire told Minnowflower to hide in the tall grass and that she was supposed to guide the rabbit to Fishpelt. She nodded a bit uncertainly.

Finally Darkfire took off. He walked away from Minnowflower and then he turned back. He started searching for a hidden rabbit. It took awhile to spot one. But when he scared it up, he chased it. He realized he could have caught it, but he wanted to try this new technique.

Darkfire chased the rabbit to where Minnowflower was hiding. She sprang up like she'd been told to. Then the two cats, on either side of the rabbit, guided it to the heather clump. Darkfire felt his heart pounding and his legs tiring. He wasn't meant to run this fast for so long and the rabbit kept wanting to duck and weave. It was mentally exhausting trying to figure out where it would dodge to and how to steer it back on track.

Fishpelt jumped up a bit too early. The rabbit saw him and sprang away just as Fishpelt pounced down. The gray warrior's nose hit the earth and his mouth filled with dirt. Minnowflower sprang away before crashing into him. Darkfire tried to go after the rabbit, but it got away when it found a borrow. Darkfire stood there panting. He looked down the black hole and then turned away. He walked to Minnowflower where she was consoling Fishpelt. The tom spat out the dirt, his eyes watering from the pain.

"It's all right," Darkfire meowed. "It was only our first try."

"No one gets anything right on their first try," Minnowflower meowed.

Just then Coonie ran up the bank.

"I got one! I got one!" she yelled, jumping as high as she could go.

Fishpelt just stared at her.

Darkfire felt himself starting to laugh. Minnowflower soon joined in.