Okay! I got this up fairly quickly so I'm happy! note- I'm going to be extremely busy with school and my other stuff these next two weeks, so updates might be delayed.
REVIEWS! I got to 600!
"The World Is Alive"- Thank you!
"FoxXxOfTheNight"- No problem, and I'm glad you're fine with what I did with Aspencry, I had wanted to ask you if you would like her to get a mate, but I kept forgetting!
"Howlsong13"- I know! when I wrote that part I kept thinking about that and I was worried if some people wouldn't like that. and I have...special plans for Thornclaw, it'll probably be in the next few chapters.
"Skourby77"- Very imaginative. ;)
"Song of falling feathers"- Thank you! and I'll be using just Adderkit for now. I was bored earlier in the week and came up with kit names for almost all of them, but I forgot one, a tom, so your's will be filling in the gap! (isn't it weird how everything happens so perfectly?)
warriorsreader- Thanks! and that was the highlight of my week ;)
Sunstrike- Thank you! and that's so cool! I want to get a horse soooooo much! but I can't because, well for financial reasons.
Snowstorm487- that's fine! it happens to me every once in a while too. and I'm glad you liked it! hope you like the POV's I chose, and yeah! you can change your name, I'm glad you asked me though, or else I would have been like, "oh look! a new reviewer! but where's Snowstorm?"
Moonlightfur- ha! she did! it was funny. Oh! and she really hates to be called 'girly' and we wouldn't dare think of insulting her, would we?
"Shadowfur1017"- I know... poor kitties... Thanks, and its so funny, if she either didn't care enough to check her grammar, or is really that stupid.
"XxSilverslashxX"- I know! and I keep forgetting, but I will as soon as I finish this!
"Bookworm45669"- HAHA! I'm still laughing when I think about it! anyway, thanks!
Briarwing- Thank you! and Thornclaw will be a very important cat, in more ways then one!
Creekfur- Poor kitties, I'm just too cruel. (JK!)
"Eaglehaze"- actually, I had been given Eaglekit three times, and the warriors name was going to be Eaglefeather(don't tell anyone!) and I should hope my Eaglekit looks different then yours. And I'm sorry if I offended you, but I hadn't really known. But thanks for reviewing and telling me!
Moonblaze- oh no! I would freak if I lost my iPod! hope you find it!
OKAY! onto the chapter, this is from Berrypool's and Mudfoot's POV
Chapter 50 ½
(Berrypool's POV)
Berrypool shook her head irritably as flies buzzed around her ears, Gingerleaf and Voleear were sniffing the air for the scent of prey behind her. She breathed in deeply, but caught nothing on the warm breeze. How can Blueshadow always find prey whenever she wants to, but I never can? she wondered angrily.
Gingerleaf padded off, sniffing at a clump of brambles. Voleear twitched is dark grey ears, "there's some prey over that way," the grey tom mewed softly, pointing with his nose over toward the direction of the RiverClan border.
"Then lets go," Berrypool mewed curtly, trying as she always did, not to let her resentment of the tom's mother affect her attitude toward him. She flicked her dark tipped tail toward Gingerleaf, signaling for the senior warrior to fall in behind her.
Berrypool moved forward quickly, trying to mimic Blueshadow who could go as fast as she wanted without making a sound. She flicked her ears as she heard her paws thump heavily on the grass. She tried to ignore it and moved on quickly.
Voleear was padding at her side, his ears angled toward the base of Sunningrocks. Berrypool halted and listened carefully. She hissed as the lofty mews of RiverClan cats greeted her.
"Lets try someplace else," Voleear grumbled, glaring at the RiverClan patrol. The patrol consisted of the RiverClan deputy, Greyear, along with Frostyleaf, Stripeclaw, and the new warrior, Wildflame.
Berrypool nodded in agreement, feeling irritated as Frostyleaf stretched luxuriously on the Sunningrocks. She turned away but a call from the RiverClan cats halted her. She turned to see the patrol standing at the border, their eyes mocking and their heads tilted arrogantly.
"Greyear," she mewed curtly, dipping her head. Voleear and Gingerleaf padded up behind her, she could feel their anger and knew not much would take for there to be a fight. But we're outnumbered, she just hoped RiverClan would leave them alone.
But Greyear seemed to relax as his gaze rested on Voleear. "How are you Berrypool? I hope ThunderClan is getting along well," the deputy mewed smoothly, looking quite comfortable, though his eyes showed he was thinking deeply.
"We're just fine, Aspencry kitted just yesterday," Berrypool mewed, keeping her anger hidden.
"That's good, kits are always a blessing from StarClan," Greyear mewed distractedly. Berrypool grew confused as he mewed something to his clan-mates and they moved away, though he stayed at the border.
"Do you need something?" Berrypool asked, letting her irritation out now that he was alone.
"Yes, how is Blueshadow? I haven't heard from her in a while," Greyear mewed, his tone casual, though his eyes showed real interest. Berrypool was to surprised by his question to answer, why does he care about Blueshadow?
"My mother is fine, why do you care anyway?" Voleear hissed angrily from behind her.
Greyear didn't respond, he just dipped his head and padded to his patrol.
Berrypool shook her head, Greyear was strange. "Lets go, RiverClan cats are all mouse-brains," she muttered, shooting a suspicious glare at the RiverClan patrol. She turned back into the woods and her patrol followed.
Berrypool fell into a bad mood as they trudged along a dusty trail. The sun was hot, the breeze was dusty, and her patrol still hadn't found any prey, even though it was green-leaf. How can Blueshadow be so good? Its like she knows everything! She never looks bad, always follows the code, she's good at everything, and is just too perfect. She thought sourly.
She led them along the border with RiverClan, hoping some birds and voles would be gathering food in the forest. Her ears pricked as she head a scratching sound. Looking up, she saw two squirrels up in a tree.
She growled, knowing it was almost impossible to catch a squirrel in a tree. Yet Blueshadow can still do it easily, she thought in annoyance. She flicked her tail and continued further along the border. She sniffed the air and caught a faint trace of fox, but felt to annoyed to say anything.
She signaled for her patrol to separate to look for prey. She was starting to get anxious, Foxtail would never let her live it down if she came back empty-pawed in green-leaf. She sniffed desperately for prey, and relief flooded her as the musky scent of mouse reached her.
She dropped into a hunting crouch and moved forward stealthily until she spotted the mouse. It was a nice plump one too. She tucked her legs tighter and tensed her muscles. She waited one moment to make sure she was downwind, then she leaped.
Her brushed some ferns when she leaped, alerting the mouse. But she was on it before it had gone too far. Sitting up with her catch, she headed back to where she had told her patrol to meet when they had caught something.
Gingerleaf was already there with a thrush at her paws. Berrypool sat down and flicked her tail around her dark paws. She twitched her ears in surprise as Voleear appeared a few moments later with a shrew and vole in his jaws. Almost good as his mother, she thought bitterly, why can't I be that good? I trained harder then Blueshadow ever did!
She snorted and grabbed her mouse, starting to pad back toward camp, but a wave of fresh fox scent hit her. She dropped her prey in shock as a huge, young, dog fox appeared in front of her.
She whipped around, feeling the fox's claws scratch her as she yowled a warning. She bolted past her clan-mates, heading for a tree. Once she had scrambled up, she glanced down to see in horror that her clan-mates hadn't climbed fast enough.
Voleear was dangling just above the fox, his back paws churning through air as he clutched desperately to a branch. Gingerleaf was stuck on the ground, darting in and out to claw the fox. Berrypool winced as the fox caught the orange warrior and ran its claws down Gingerleaf's flank.
Berrypool snarled and leaped down from her tree, racing toward Gingerleaf. She reared up on her hind legs and swiped at the fox's muzzle, she felt cruel satisfaction as her claws tore viciously through the fox's soft skin.
"Run!" she hissed at Gingerleaf, the warrior had scrambled to her paws and was bleeding heavily.
"What about Voleear?" Gingerleaf gasped.
"I'll get him, you just go!" Berrypool hissed. Gingerleaf hesitated, but then nodded and ran away into the undergrowth.
Berrypool turned back toward the fox, to her surprise, it had left her and had clamped onto Voleear's tail, trying to drag him out of the tree. Berrypool snarled and clawed at the fox's leg, but it just kicked her away.
She gasped as the breath was knocked out of her. She shook herself and got back to her paws. She turned and scrambled up a tree. Padding carefully, she made her way to the branch Voleear was on.
"Help me!" he yowled, his eyes glazed with fear. Berrypool leaned down to grab his scruff and pull him into the tree, but then something whispered in her ear.
"No! let him die! What would hurt Blueshadow more then to know her kit was killed by a merciless creature? And Blueshadow deserves that after all she did to you," the voice hissed.
Berrypool started shaking, she felt as if ice had filled her while her head spun and she couldn't think clearly. She shook her head, and her mind cleared, but her thoughts circled on the strange whisper. Why should I risk my life to save Blueshadow's kit? She stole my brother, made me look bad, and acts like she's leader!
"What are you waiting for?!" Voleear's desperate mew jolted her out of her thoughts.
She looked down at the pale grey tom, "why doesn't your mother save you? After all, she is the best warrior in the clans, isn't she?" she sneered. She turned, ignoring the tom's horrified look as she raced up the tree.
She looked down, just in time to see Voleear wrenched from the branch and fall into the fox's jaws. She closed her eyes tight and flattened her ears, trying to ignore his screams. Though after he had died, his screams still rang through her ears.
After a while she looked down again, Voleear's bloody body lay on the ground, the fox circled around it, sniffing around the base of the tree. She relaxed as it left. Slowly, carefully, she made her way down the tree.
She jumped down and stood over Voleear's life-less body. Horror surged through her as she realized she had killed a clan-mate. "No, you killed Blueshadow's kit," the voice whispered again.
No, I killed a clan-mate! I don't even know why! Berrypool thought, then the memories of Blueshadow showing her up flashed in her mind, almost as if they had been placed there.
"She deserved it," the voice whispered. She deserved it, her mind echoed, she deserved it, she deserved it. Her mind repeated as she picked up Voleear's body and trotted back toward camp. She felt numb, she had convinced herself that she hadn't killed Voleear, she just hadn't done everything she could have to save him.
She leaped down the ravine and took a deep breath, bracing herself, she padded through the entrance. Gasps of shock met her, but her eyes found Blueshadow and were fixed on Blueshadow's horrified gaze. She deserves it.
...
(Mudfoot's POV)
Mudfoot panted and broke away from the fight. His sides stung from where claws had ripped into his skin and his back leg hurt so much he was surprised he could stand on it. But he ignored the pain and glanced up at Duskfall, his Dark Forest mentor. "Not bad, but you could be better," Duskfall growled. Mudfoot dipped his head, acknowledging her words.
"That will be enough for tonight, I have to talk to you about something," Duskfall mewed, padding toward him. Mudfoot nodded uneasily, wondering if this was a trick.
But Duskfall sat down, her blue-green eyes gazing into his. "Now, you've been here for a few moons, and you know what we offer, correct?" she asked.
Mudfoot nodded, "you offer me better training and leadership," he mewed hungrily. He could imagine himself now, looking down on his clan, he knew he would make a much better leader then that soft-hearted Greyear.
"Right, but first you need to become deputy," Duskfall mewed.
"But Greyear's deputy, and Troutstar will die soon," Mudfoot muttered.
"Yes," Duskfall acknowledged, "but… if Greyear would to have an unfortunate accident…" Duskfall trailed off.
"An unfortunate accident indeed, then I would be the obvious choice for deputy," Mudfoot mewed, feeling the claws of ambition grip him.
"You're getting a little ahead of yourself though," Duskfall snorted. "Greyear will remain deputy for now, you need to work on getting yourself qualified for deputy," Duskfall mewed.
"What?" Mudfoot mewed, confused.
Duskfall hissed, "first, you need an apprentice, and prove yourself as a brave, loyal, and strong cat," Duskfall mewed.
Mudfoot scuffled his paws, "right, but there aren't any kits in the clan, and Troutstar won't make me a mentor because I'm 'impatient," Mudfoot growled as he quoted his leader's words.
"Then next time there are kits, get to know them, make them want you to be their mentor, if they ask for you specifically, Troutstar is sure to give you one of them," Duskfall mewed.
"Great! But how do I prove myself as a good warrior?" he mewed.
"Well, a battle is always the best way to do that, but you aren't skilled enough yet to provoke a battle anomalously." Mudfoot bristled slightly at her scornful words.
"So until there is a battle, the best way you can prove yourself is volunteering for patrols, waiting for the clan to eat before you do, helping to care for the elders, queens, and kits, and helping with the apprentices training," Duskfall mewed.
Mudfoot nodded, "I'll do all of that, are we done then?" he asked.
Duskfall hesitated, "are you completely loyal to the Dark Forest?" the she-cat asked.
Mudfoot nodded vigorously, "of course! You help me more then my clan ever did," he added bitterly.
Duskfall nodded, "then I think its time for you to learn our plan," Mudfoot got chills at her ominous tone.
"We help all the clans, not just yours. We work like this, we take two cats from each clan, the ones with the most potential, and we train them. From RiverClan, it was you and Fogeye,"
"But Fogeye died, we don't know how she got so terribly injured," Mudfoot interrupted. He winced as claws clipped his ears.
"Be quiet!" Duskfall ordered, "Fogeye died in her final assessment here, she was weaker then you," Duskfall continued.
Mudfoot dipped his head, though he felt sadness prick his heart, he had liked Fogeye, a lot.
"The one who passes their final assessment will become leader, you passed yours, so you will become leader," Duskfall mewed.
"What about the other clans?" Mudfoot asked suspiciously.
"From the other clans we picked, Heatherclaw and Tangleclaw from WindClan, Tangleclaw passed his assessment, Heatherclaw didn't. But Tangleclaw was driven out of his clan because he was to sloppy," Duskfall hissed.
"So have you tried again with WindClan then?" Mudfoot asked.
Duskfall shook her head, "no, and unless another clan fails, we won't retry with WindClan, they really are just to weak and scared, only a few cats can even begin training here," Duskfall mewed disdainfully.
"With ThunderClan, we originally chose Leaftail and Finchtail, but they both failed their assessments, Leaftail was just lucky enough that he didn't die. Then we chose Pricklenose and Blueshadow, although they both passed their assessments, only Pricklenose remained loyal," Duskfall growled.
"What about ShadowClan?" Mudfoot mewed, not really interested in ThunderClan.
"The ShadowClan cat we had died from green-cough last leaf-bare, and we haven't found any other cats from ShadowClan, though we just started trying with Twistedfoot, she wants revenge, which is good," Duskfall purred.
"Revenge on who?" Mudfoot asked curiously.
"On Blueshadow, Blueshadow killed her father before she was even born," Duskfall purred. Though the look in her eyes showed she wanted revenge on Blueshadow as well.
"Why does every cat here hate Blueshadow?" Mudfoot asked, he didn't hate the pretty little she-cat, and felt almost grateful to her for when she saved his life.
"Blueshadow killed our leader," Duskfall growled.
Mudfoot nodded, shocked, Blueshadow must be very skilled then! secretly admiring the she-cat.
"It is almost morning, you must be getting back to your clan," Duskfall mewed, getting to her paws and padding away.
Mudfoot watched her go, then curled down on the cold, muddy ground and closed his eyes. He opened them a moment later to see his den, early morning light filtering into the den. He looked at Greyear, he was curled up in his nest, his pale grey sides rising and falling in content rhythm.
Mudfoot curled his lip back, rest while you can Greyear, because one day, I'll get you, and everyday I'm getting closer.
Okay! that guest did review again, but it was so stupid I'm not even going to make fun of it, or else we would be here FOREVER.
Anyway, I hope you liked the different POV's, I was originally just going to do Voleear, but then I chose Berrypool, and I have no idea why I thought of Mudfoot, but I did.
Okay! "Leafshine24" the person who gave me Fallenwater and Nettlepaw, has a fan-fiction story about Fallenwater!
Link: actually, the link doesn't work, when I try, it deletes some of my chapter.
The story is "The Darkest Shade of Light" by Leafshine24, it is well-written and already incredibly interesting!
Anyhow, I have succeeded 600 reviews! my goal by the end of the story is close to 900, lets see if we can do that!
