Just a heads up, over the past while I have been editing and expanding some of the previous chapters. Some information did get a major change (such as some characters not dying such as Swiftclaw, and some events being changed around)
If you see some bolded text before a chapter I would recommend giving that chapter a quick re-read to be up to date
The brown tabby she-cat padded through the underbrush, limping slightly as she trudged on. She couldn't stop, no matter how much she wanted to as she dragged the one rabbit she had managed to catch. She knew one of her paws had cracked open and could feel the sting of the open gash from the stone she had slid over while catching the rabbit, but if she stopped another cat could die.
Hillclan was in even more disarray. It had been two days since Rabbitwhisker and Whitepaw had gone to meet with the other medicine cats and had not returned. The clan was barely staying calm, patrols going out so often that camp was almost entirely empty outside the queens and kits at times. Food was already scarce, and Thornpaw could see the mental image of her clan mates already: Getting thinner and thinner by the day, their bones beginning to show through their fur.
Even worse still, of the five precious kits that Snowclaw had birthed only three were still alive. Poor Willowkit and Cloudkit had lived long enough to be given names, but hadn't even opened their eyes before passing in their sleep. Of the three remaining kits: Dovekit, Featherkit, and Dewkit, Featherkit and Dewkit were very weak and Snowclaw was having a difficult time producing milk.
Thistletail was due to give birth any day now, and Needlefur wouldn't be to long after. It filled Thornpaw with a sense of dread for the both. Even if they could give birth, how long could their kits survive with no food? The thoughts pushed Thornpaw forward despite her limp.
The camp was mostly quiet when Thornpaw slipped through the rocks. Snowclaw was laying in the sun outside the nursery, Dewkit and Featherkit close to her stomach as Dovekit made uneasy steps around her. He was still to young to walk properly, and his tiny body was clumsy as he prodded around his mother but he was alert and full of questions to any that came close. Whitestar was a surprise, curled up against Snowclaw but Thornpaw figured it shouldn't be to surprising when the leader licked Snowclaw's ear. The she-cat didn't respond to his comfort, curled up around her kits. The loss of two of them had been hard on her.
Needlefur was also about, her bulging stomach making it awkward for her to move around as she went to the fresh kill pile only to look dejected by how empty it was. Thornpaw made a loud noise in her throat to get the queen's attention, Needlefur looking at her with open surprise as Thornpaw carried the rabbit to her.
"Oh thank Star Clan! Take that to Snowclaw and Thistletail, they need it more than me." Needlefur meowed. Thornpaw shook her head and set the rabbit down.
"It is a pretty big rabbit, I am sure all three of you can share it. Has Rabbitwhisker and Whitepaw returned? I tore my paw while chasing the rabbit."
Needlefur shook her head and looked back to the fresh kill pile while Thornpaw felt her stomach sink. How long could Hill Clan go without a medicine cat?
"There is a vole left and Nettlewhisker and Yarrowpaw had gone out to hunt not to long ago. I'm sure they will be back soon, take that to Snowclaw and Thistletail. I'll be ok with this for now." The queen assured Thornpaw. Thornpaw nodded, but her stomach felt hollow as she picked up the rabbit and took it to the nursery. Whitestar looked up from his mate at her and nodded his head shakily.
"Good... Snowclaw... an apprentice... has brought fo... food..." His voice was hoarse and scratchy, but Thornpaw didn't comment as she put the rabbit down before Snowclaw, nudging it to her slightly.
"Since Thistletail is about to give birth and Snowclaw has kits to feed, Needlefur said I should bring it to them. Is Thistletail inside?" Thornpaw asked. Whitestar stared at her, his yellow eyes unreadable and making Thornpaw feel her stomach drop in nervousness. She did her best to stay composed, trying not to let that unease show.
"Yes... she is... is Maplepool... still hunt...hunting?" He asked slowly. Thornpaw hesitated slightly, not wanting to make her mentor look unreliable for sending her off to hunt on her own.
"She told me to go hunting while she joined a patrol to look for Rabbitwhisker and Whitepaw. She hasn't returned yet?" Thornpaw asked. Whitestar shook his head.
"No... she trusts you... to hunt on you... own?"
"Yes, for a few moons now."
"She never... mentioned that... perhaps it was... wrong of me... not to pro... promote you..." he rasped. Snowclaw finally looked up, Dovekit shoving his way under her muzzle and towards Whitestar. He looked so much like his father now with their sleek short white fur and long bodies, Thornpaw wondered of it would continue as he got older.
Snowclaw looked over and sniffed at the rabbit tentatively, her eyes slightly clouded. From what, Thornpaw didn't want to focus on.
"As much as it hurts, the assessment you and she made was correct. I will stand by the decision and I strive to do better for my clan. The rabbit is for you and Thistletail, so let me go see if she is up to come out, Snowclaw." Thornpaw meowed, padding past the Leader and Queen into the nursery. Thistletail was laying in her nest of feathers and moss, her belly swollen with her kits.
"Thistletail?" Thornpaw mewed softly, gently padding to the queen despite her limp. Thistletail opened one eye, looking up at Thornpaw.
"Oh. hello. How was hunting?" She asked, her voice light from sleep. Thornpaw nodded her head, nudging the queen slightly with her snout to encourage her to get up. It caused Thistletail to laugh lightly and flick Thornpaw in the ear with her tail.
"It went as well as could be hoped. I caught a big rabbit for you and Snowclaw to share, it's just outside. Do you want me to help you up?" Thornpaw asked. Thistletail slowly raised her head before sitting upright on slightly uneasy paws.
"Hah, I must be birthing a hundred kits with how heavy my belly feels!" The tabby queen groaned, yawning widely. Thornpaw gave an amused purr, nuzzling the side of Thistletail's head affectionately.
"Not entirely sure how we would find mentors for your hundred kits, but the clan would be overjoyed to meet them." Thornpaw joked. Thisltetail gave a hoarse chuckle and leaned against Thornpaw as the apprentice helped her out of the nursery and into the sun. Thornpaw was already slightly larger than Thistletail, and forced down the feelings that gave her as Thistletail joined Snowclaw to eat the rabbit. Whitestar nodded appreciatively at her. His fur was still matted and she could see some of his bones against his fur.
"I'll head out hunting again, unless you need something." She made the offer. Whitestar blinked at her.
"Have you... eaten yet?" He asked. Thornpaw felt a pang of hunger in her stomach, but shook her head.
"The code is clear, the clan must be fed first. I'll eat once I've caught enough for everyone else." She mewed, ignoring the pang of hunger as she watched Snowclaw and Thistletail slowly eat the rabbit. Her hunger must have shown, as Whitestar gave a displeased noise and look at her.
"Everyone is... out hunting... or loo... looking... Take a bite... to at leas... least keep your... energy up..." Whitestar said to her. Thornpaw hesitated, Thistletail meowing to get her attention and moving slightly so Thornpaw could take a bite.
"The code is-"
"The code... also says... the leader's word... is the.. code.. and I say... you need.. to eat to." Whitestar said with finality. Thornpaw still hesitated, but Thistletail nudged her slightly and finally Thornpaw settled down to take a few bites. Dovekit was immediately on her, his bright eyes still kit blue and clear despite the circumstances.
"Is it fun being an apprentice?" His voice was still high pitched, curiosity dripping in his voice and eyes.
"It can be difficult at times, thrilling at others."
"Have you been in any fights? Did you win?" The kit asked. Thornpaw hesitated, looking over at Whitestar quickly for help, but the leader was just watching with an amused expression. The queens likewise were no help, preferring to eat the rabbit than pay any mind to Dovekit and Thornpaw.
"Hm... well... I've had a few skirmishes with other cats... once with a fox and a hawk.."
"I heard you brought a hawk once and it was super big!"
"Yes, but we lost a warrior to it, so I don't see it as a true victory." Thornpaw admitted, flattening her ears. Dovekit jumped onto her back, meowing loudly and happily.
"But it was a hawk right! I bet not a lot of warriors could say they took down a hawk!" Dovekit meowed excitedly. Thornpaw felt her chest heat up, looking away from him.
"Perhaps not, but I still feel the loss outweight the victory in the end." She said. Dovekit tilted his head to the side in confusion.
"But you won?"
"I killed the hawk, yes, but it killed my clanmate. I do not consider this a victory, but a loss. It might seem like a backwards idea but it is true that a cat can win a fight but lose the battle. What good did my 'victory' do but cause the clan more strife? These are things that should be considered." Thornpaw said. Dovekit looked confused and a little sad but slowly nodded.
"Well, I still think it's cool you beat a hawk." He muttered. Thornpaw licked her teeth, cleaning off the few bites she had eaten as Whitestar nodded approvingly at her.
"I'll head back out to hunt again." She meowed, getting to her paws and holding her injured one up. Whitestar opened his mouth to say something when a patrol returned. The leader of the patrol, Sunstripe, was carrying something large and gray as she dragged it into camp. Her apprentice, Flamepaw, followed behind her with nervous eyes as other warriors came in. Ripplepelt carried a mouse, his apprentice Emberpaw carrying a shrew that were quickly taken to the fresh kill pile as Sunstripe gently laid down what she had brought. Whitestar got up shakily, his eyes filled with confusion and walked alongside Thornpaw as the two went to investigate.
Sunstripe padded up to Whitestar, Flamepaw follwoing behind her. Both had bristled fur but Thornpaw couldn't help but notice how nervous Flamepaw looked. When they got close Thornpawfelt her blood run ice cold as she recognized the gray furred thing Sunstripe had dragged in.
"We found him and Whitepaw at the border with Sunclan stuck in the river! We tried getting Whitepaw as well, but a patrol of Sunclan cats attacked us!" Sunstripe yowled as soon as Whitestar and Thornpaw were close. Whitestar stopped in his tracks but Thornpaw kept going. She padded past Flamepaw, the smaller apprentice flinching when she got near, and passed the yellow tabby Sunstripe and straight up to the fallen body of Rabbitwhisker. Ripplepelt and Emberpaw padded up, more cats starting to finally return to the clan and come closer to see what the fuss was about only for started yowls and hisses to start to ring out as cats began to understand what had happened.
Maplepool returned during this, the dark tortie she-cat padding up to Thornpaw looking as though something had stricken her. The deputy looked visibly stunned as Sunstripe loudly recounted what had happened and Ripplepelt agreed with her. The patrol was showing Emberpaw and Flamepaw the border to the clans when they had stumbled upon the bodies of Rabbitwhisker and Whitepaw stuck in the river. Thornpaw stayed looking at Rabbitwhisker, he didn't look outwardly injured but he was old and could have easily drowned. The thought that it was an accident left when Flamepaw said she managed to see Whitepaw and it looked like his throat had been cut open.
White Sunstripe had managed to reclaim Rabbitwhisker's body, she described how a patrol of Sunclan cats had attacked them and chased them away before they could reclaim Whitepaw's.
"It's obvious what happened! They must have killed Whitepaw and Rabbitwhisker!" Sunstripe yowled, cats around them bristling and yowling as they called for Sunclan blood. Thornpaw looked around, seeing her clanmates call for a fight she knew they couldn't win. Their numbers were simply to small and she looked to Maplepool with pleading, fear-filled eyes. Maplepool looked at her wide eyed and slowly nodded her head. She rang a loud yowl, silencing the cats around her as she approached Whitestar.
"Sunclan has made their declaration. It has been two days since we last saw our medicine cats and to me this seems clear. Sunclan killed them and were attempting to hide the bodies during a night when they would have been defenseless. However, Whitestar, we need to discuss this. Even you have to admit that we don't have the numbers to launch an attack on Sunclan, especially when they would have the advantage of familiar territory and larger numbers." She meowed. There were jeers and yowls, some calling her a coward. Thornpaw swallowed, her throat feeling dry as she joined her mentor and silently pleaded towards Whitestar. Their ragged leader had bristled fur, looking at his fallen medicine cat with rage in his eyes that he turned to Maplepool. Thornpaw unconsciously flinched, flattening her ears.
"What would you... have us do... then Maplepool? Wait.. for them to come... wipe us out..?!" He hissed, baring his teeth at his deputy. Maplepool shook her head.
"As opposed to sending your clan to die on unfamiliar territory?! Whitestar, think! We need more cats than just this!" She hissed, flicking her tail to the cats around them. Thornpaw did a mental count in her mind. Including herself they only had thirteen able bodied cats to fight Sunclan with, and while she had no idea how many cats Sunclan had currently she knew it would be a much larger number than they.
"What if..." Thornpaw thought out loud under her breath, "What if we got help?"
Whitestar and Maplepool looked at her, Maplepool flicking her tail over Thornpaw's flank.
"From where?" the deputy asked. Thornpaw felt her chest heat up when she realized the clan was looked at her, some with scorn and some with hope.
"Killing a medicine cat and their apprentice on a night of their meeting... Even if it isn't an official part of the code certainly it is something that would anger any clan. We share a border with Rainclan as well. Perhaps Honeystar would be willing to join us, at least to ensure that Sunclan can't run us out so easily?" She meowed. There were a few nods, even her sister Nettlewhisker looking content with the idea. Slowly, Whitestar nodded his head.
"I can.. see... how that could... work..." He rasped. Reedwing hesitated before taking a few steps forward.
"I would like to ask.. ehm... There are a group of loners... They haven't crossed into Hillclan territory and I've only seen them a few times north of our territory near the gorse but... Last time I did I noticed one of their cats looked like she was ready to give birth. If we need numbers to fight with, there are at least five of them and I'm sure they'd be willing to help in exhange for a safe place for the one she-cat's kits to be born..." Reedwing meowed nervously, her ears kept low. Whitestar blinked.
"How long... have you known of... them?" He rasped. A few cats were glaring at Reedwing.
"Not very. A week at most? Like I said, they were staying outside our territory in the gorse. They've never even gotten close enough for me to scent them so I figured it wasn't an issue so long as they never came so close. It looked more like they were potentially going into Sunclan territory if I'm honest." Reedwing meowed. There were murmurs and hisses. Some cats agreed with the idea to have more warriors and a loner was better than a kittypet, others were rejecting the idea outright.
Whitestar looked at Reedwing with an unreadable expression before slowly nodding.
"I want a group... to go to... Rainclan. Maplepool, take two warriors... and speak with Honeystar... Reedwing, you have... seen these loners... take two with... you and see if... you can convince them... to join us... even temporarily..." He rasped slowly. Reedwing sighed in relief and Maplepool nodded.
"Alright, I will take Dawnfur and Ripplepelt with me." Maplepool meowed. Reedwing looked around nervously before nodding.
"Would it be alright for me to take Thornpaw and Swiftclaw? Thornpaw has hunted in the gorse and will have a better idea of how to navigate it, and Swiftclaw is a powerful and fast warrior. If something goes wrong he can be back here faster than either of us to warn the clan." the orange tabby she-cat reasoned. Whitestar nodded though Maplepool seemed uneasy of the idea.
"Thornpaw is still an apprentice, I'm not sure-"
"You have let... your apprentice hunt... for moons on her.. own now... her ability to reflect on... her mistakes and... learn from them is... greater than I see... in some elders... She has proven to me... her ability... to think rationally... and has shown... nothing but... dedication to her clan and... their needs... You may have your doubts... as you always do... but I see nothing to doubt... This is Thornpaw's final assessment... regardless of your opinion..." Whitestar rasped with finality.
There were some sounds of agreement from a few warriors around them, Thornpaw licking her fur to smooth it as the emberessment took even further root within her. Maplepool stared at Whitestar with conflicted eyes, her ears pressed down and her tail tip flicking on the ground. A few cats were already started to walk away to prepare for the upcoming battle, Ripplepelt and Dawnfur padding up to wait for Maplepool. Thornpaw took a step towards her mentor, but Maplepool turned to Ripplepelt and Dawnfur and completely ignored her.
Reedwing gave Thornpaw a sympathetic nudge on the shoulder and Whitestar looked to Thornpaw, nodding to her before going to pay his respects to Rabbitwhisker.
Thornpaw looked one last time at her mentor before Reedwing gently pushed her towards the warrior's den. Swiftclaw sat outside looking dazed and dismayed at Rabbitwhisker's fallen body before his wide yellow eyes turned to Thornpaw and Reedwing.
"I don't understand... why this could have... Sunclan may have always been a prideful bunch but..." He mewed softly, his voice cracking. Thornpaw nodded in sympathy as Swiftclaw looked back to Rabbitwhisker. She thought of Icepaw, how she nervously told Thornpaw of the rabbits in the gorse. She tried to imagine Icepaw, in all her earnest energy, attacking Rabbitwhisker and Whitepaw. It was to foreign an idea to Thornpaw and she shook it out of her mind.
"It honestly feels like there is something missing, but we honestly just don't know. Swiftclaw, have you been to the gorse before?" Thornpaw asked. Swiftclaw shook his head slowly, but he looked like he was calming down.
"That's fine, just keep an eye on the sky for hawks or eagles and we should be fine. There is a lot of underbrush we can hide in." Thornpaw meowed. Reedwing nodded her head in agreement.
"I saw the cats pretty far in living in some of the small caves is my guess. There are a lot of outcroppings there, so they probably chose that place since it would be much harder for the hawks to get through." She explained. Thornpaw nodded, mentally going through the pathways they could take.
"The part that isn't to far from the Sunclan border, correct? We will need to be careful, that is for sure. Our best route would probably to simply head north towards the gorse and stay in the underbrush along our border till we get close enough to get under the outcroppings of rocks." Thornpaw suggested. Reedwing nodded in agreement as Swiftclaw thought it over.
"We need to stay far away from the Sunclan border though..." He said. Reedwing nodded.
"We won't get to close, not close enough to be scented at least. We will follow our border till we get to the first outcroppings and then head inside from there." Reedwing explained. Swiftclaw blinked then nodded.
"We should head out now. I don't want to be heading back during the night and it'll be easier to avoid Sunclan now if they are more focused on the border at the river." Reedwing meowed, padding off. Thornpaw and Swiftclaw followed behind, each slipping out of the camp.
Before leaving Thornpaw hesitated and looked to her clan. Maplepool still wasn't looking at her but her group was already gearing up to leave. Her sister Nettlewhisker was with her apprentice Yarrowpaw, demonstrating some move to him that he tried to mimic before her sister just shook her head sadly. Whitestar was sitting next to Rabbitwhisker, staring down at his friend's body with a tired, despairing look.
Thornpaw heard Reedwing call for her and turned only to be stopped by a quiet call. Flamepaw walked over to her, glancing around nervously.
"Is something wrong? You should be with your mentor." Thornpaw mewed. Flamepaw hesitated, looking around and spotting Sunstripe on the otherside of the clan. Her mentor was talking with Foxtail and not looking to them.
"Just... I don't know who to..." Flamepaw flinched, flattening her ears. Thornpaw heard Reedwing call more insistantly and looked over. Swiftclaw and Reedwing were waiting, staring at her in confusion.
"I need to leave, is something pressing? Sunstripe is-"
"No!" Flamepaw hissed, her fur bristling.
"... did something happen with Sunstripe?" She asked. Flamepaw nodded silently.
"... Are you scared to say?" Another nod, "is it about Sunclan attacking our medicine cats?" another nod, "could you be hurt for telling me?"
Flamepaw hesitated and nodded again. Thornpaw swallowed then nodded.
"That's all I need to understand, don't worry. Avoid Sunstripe if you can, I'll see what I can do when I get back." Thornpaw assured the young apprentice. Flamepaw still looked apprehensive but nodded and padded off to join her sister.
"What was that about?" Swiftclaw asked when Thornpaw padded up to them. Thornpaw shook her head.
"She's just nervous. She hasn't been an apprentice for long and she wasn't sure how to approach her mentor about it so she figured I could give better advice." Thornpaw mewed. Reedwing nodded.
"It was a lot easier to approach you than a warrior. Probably because you are still an apprentice yourself." Reedwing mused, leading the group as they made a quick stride.
"Won't be for long though. Whitestar seemed pretty confident that you were ready, even if I think its overdue." He meowed. Thornpaw didn't comment, following Reedwing and Swiftclaw in the underbrush as her thoughts were focused on Flamepaw and Sunstripe. It seemed unthinkable to her that Sunstripe would make such a deception to the clan, but then...
Maplepool had suggested killing Whitestar if he suggested war with the other clans. To Thornpaw, yes, but... was it so unthinkable that perhaps Thornpaw wasn't the only one Maplepool had at her disposal? She was the deputy, she had run the clan for most of the last few moons while Whitestar was sick. She was well respected, even by the other clans so perhaps it wasn't so surprising that other cats would be in on Maplepool's plans?
But killing their medicine cats? That was very different than killing a deranged leader and as Thornpaw thought of it Maplepool looked genuinely horrified and dismayed at the sight of Rabbitwhisker's body and the news that Whitepaw was also dead.
Reedwing slipped through the underbrush, the hot sun filtering in from the gaps in the bush as they continued. Swiftclaw slid alongside Thornpaw, jumping slightly when he realized and gave her an apologetic look though she just shook her head.
"They shouldn't be to far from here..." Reedwing mused, slipping into the gorse with an eye above her. With the rocks above casting shadows it made it hard to tell if one was a bird flying above or just a rock. Swiftclaw shivered next to Thornpaw and anxiety started to rise in Thornpaw herself. How a group of loners could live here with so much danger, especially with a queen about to give birth, completely stunned Thornpaw.
Reedwing opened her mouth and tasted the air, her ears flicking around.
"This way, their scent is stronger down that path." Reedwing mewed, flicking her tail to a path that went further into the gorse. A hawk cried from above, making the three cats hug the walls around them until it passed and they continued on. The silence outside of that was deafening and Thornpaw had to bite back the urge to talk as they kept going.
The scent of foreign cats was growing stronger and Reedwing peered around a corner, stopping and raising her tail to make Swiftclaw and Thornpaw wait. She slowly backed up and turned around, looking at them seriously and calmly.
"Seems they made a den just around the corner. A tom is standing guard and I can see a tail further in the cave." She whispered. Swiftclaw and Thornpaw nodded.
"We don't want a fight, just to offer them a place for their queen in exchange for help. Keep things polite if we can and if they get hostile we bolt, got it?" She asked. They nodded and followed as Reedwing took a deep breath and then confidently walked around the corner.
Thornpaw turned and saw the tom she was referring to, blinking her eyes in confusion. They were lean and long, almost impossibly so with a traingular face. Their pelt was sleek and smooth, pale sandy yellow with black patterened spots, black ears, and bright amber eyes. He reminded Thornpaw of old stories of a group of cats called cheetahs, old tales told by elders of cats faster than the wind that made up their ancestors. He did not seem surprised to see the group but Reedwing still approached cautiously.
"Hello, I am Reedwing of Hillclan. Are you the leader of this group? I come on behalf of my leader, Whitestar, to offer a deal to benefit both our groups!" She called. Thornpaw watched as the tom looked all three over before turning to look in the den.
"Hammer! Visitors!" He called, his voice strange as well. There were calls from inside and then a cat that defied all sense of belief padded out with the confidence that can only come from being the strongest animal in the area.
It was a cat, of that Thornpaw was sure. Thick brown tabby fur that looked like it could keep him warm even in the most cold of leaf bares. There was a little white on his chin and on this throat, and he had yellow eyes that seemed to pierce right into Thornpaw's soul.
But none of that was as imposing as his size. The strange speckled tom next to him looked almost like an apprentice in comparison, and Thornpaw wagered that Bearstar would look like an apprentice if the two stood side by side.
"I am Hammer, leader of this small group of cats. What business do you have of me?" He called, his voice low and booming. Thornpaw saw that Swiftclaw looked ready to bolt and Reedwing gave a whisper of a prayer to Starclan as she took in his size. This Hammer alone could turn the tide of the fight, if they could recruit him.
Another cat strode out of the cave and Thornpaw could see two more still inside. This new cat was only slightly smaller than Hammer with a coat just as thick. Their coat was creamy brown, their legs, face, ears, and tail so dark brown that Thornpaw thought they were black at first, with eyes that were so pale blue that from a distance they almost look white. Hammer looked to this cat and whispered something, the strange newcommer rubbing against him and sitting in place.
"My n-name is Reedwing! I am a warrior of Hillclan and I have come to offer a deal!" Reedwing called again. Hammer was so large, the three didn't want to get to close just yet. Hammer nodded.
"I heard that already, Reedwing. What do you want?" He called. The cat next to him pawed at his shoulder, seemingly chiding him for his tone.
"Our clan has suffered a great loss and we are in need of warriors. I know one of your cats is ready to birth kits soon and my leader has sent me to offer you a deal. Our clan is willing to offer you and your group a place to live, a family to join, that will help defend and raise these kits and ensure your queen has no need to fear of any predators such as hawks or foxes while she nurses them. In exchange we ask that those of you who can fight join us in battling a rival clan that has declared war on us. If you wish to stay afterwords we will ask that you formally join Hillclan as warriors." She called. Hammer blinked, the cat next to him looking up at him and saying something to softly for Thornpaw to hear.
Two more cats slipped out of the cave and into the light. One was a muscular chocolate brown tom, unusual dark markings along his coat and bright unusual green eyes that regarded them with interest. The other was a she-cat with a cream coloured coat, her willowy bushy tail trailing behind her and her pointed ears folded back slightly and yellow eyes, sliding up to the sandy tom and looking at them as well.
Hammer turned back to them.
"Why would we want to take this deal? It seems like you benefit more." He stated. Reedwing shook her head.
"The queen next to you is due to kit any day correct? How safe is this place for kits? For the queen? We can offer a safe place for her and her kits. That alone seems worth it to me in exchange for your aid in one battle. If the life of our clan agrees with you, we would be willing to accept you as warriors as well. A clan can offer cats quite a lot, hunting grounds, a community that will defend you, a medicine cat to treat injury or sickness. To me, it sounds like you are getting the better deal." Reedwing called. The sandy tom looked to Hammer, muttering something. The chocolate tabby and the cream she-cat muttered something as well.
The strange cat next to Hammer took a few steps towards them then stopped.
"My name is Ellie, and you are correct. I am due to give birth to Hammer's kits within the next few days." She stated. Thornpaw looked her over, surprised. That fur was so thick that it must be hiding the evidence of her pregnancy and Thornpaw wondered how Reedwing would have been able to tell from a distance.
"Though my group my disagree, I agree with your deal personally. Out here with eagles and foxes? No place to raise kits. I would much rather have some place far more secure for them to grow." She stated. Hammer flicked his tail and nodded.
"I won't argue with my mate. I agree to this as well. Sandy, Rose, Rex?" He turned to the other three. The sandy tom nodded, as did the cream she-cat. The chocolate brown tom hesitated before nodding.
"Not one for fighting myself, but I'll do my best I suppose if it means no more nights keeping an eye on the sky." He said. Thornpaw sighed, glad it didn't turn into a fight as the cats made their way towards their group.
Reedwing nodded.
"As I said before, my name is Reedwing. This is Swiftclaw, and Thornpaw." She introduced them. Ellie nodded and looked at Thornpaw in amusement.
"Did your name come from that torn paw then? Tear it on a thorn?" She asked. Thornpaw shook her head.
"I'm told my pelt reminded my mother of thorns when I was first born. 'Paw is the name all clan cats have while they are apprentices. I will be recieving my warrior name soon." She explained. Ellie flicked an ear and the sandy tom looked confused as well.
"Your name will change?" He asked. Thornpaw nodded.
"We will use Reedwing as an example. When kits are born they have 'kit as part of their name, so her name would have been Reedkit. At six moons they may become an apprentice so their name changes from 'kit to 'paw, so Reedkit would become Reedpaw. Once their training is done and it is time for them to be recognized as a full warrior of the clan they gain their clan name. It can vary from cat to cat, such as Reedpaw becoming Reedwing or Swiftpaw becoming Swiftclaw." She said.
"Will we have to change our names?" The chocolate tom asked. Reedwing shook her head.
"Not now, no. If you want to be full warriors of Hillclan I would suggest allowing your names to be changed to warrior names. I have heard of cats not doing so, so I don't believe it will be an issue." She said.
"Hm, well, that is an issue when we get to it. You know my mate, Hammer, and myself, Ellie. The yellow tom here is Sandy, the cream she-cat is Rose, and that leaves Rex. We used to live in the twolegplace south of the forest, but..." She trailed off, looking away. Reedwing shook her head.
"No need to explain. I don't care for traveling in the dark, especially with so many eagles and hawks around so we should make our way out now. If you need to stop let us know and we can rest for a bit." Reedwing explained.
The loners fell in alongside the clan cats, making their way out of the gorse and into the underbrush. Rex and Rose fell alongside Thornpaw, keeping pace with her as they darted through the underbrush into their territory.
Whether Rainclan would help them or not, Thornpaw had a little more confidence they could win this fight with a cat like Hammer on their side. The only major concern she now had being Sunstripe and what she could possibly be planning.
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The loner groups are all specific breeds of cats btw. Hammer is a Maine Coon (they are MUCH larger than a lot of people think if pureblooded), Ellie is a Himalayan, Sandy is based on the Savannah cat breed, Rose is an American Curl, and Rex is based off of a Bengal cat.
basically, they are all showbreed cats.