Hello Everybody!
As promised I updated today!
You are all going to hate and love me at the same time...
ANYWAYS the answer to the riddle (Which all of you guessed correctly) Was Ashfur!
Alright! enough chit-chat here is the next chapter!
Please read and review as always!
Darkpool
"Fernpaw! Dawnpaw! Rainpaw!" The clan called the names of the three new apprentices. Sparkstream was mentoring Fernpaw, Dawnpaw was being mentored by Suncloud, and Rainpaw was being mentored by Thornleaf, Darkpool's apprentice named after Leaftail.
It has been four moons since the clan found out that it was Shadeclaw who attacked Applewood and Woodpelt. The sun was shining and it was a perfect green-leaf day.
…
It had been three days since the ceremony, Darkpool padded up to the deputy who was sitting by tall-rock.
"You said that you wanted me for patrol?" Darkpool meowed.
Heathertail nodded, "Yes I would like you to join my hunting patrol with Hawkstorm, Crowpaw, and Sleekflight."
Crowpaw came bounding up to the two cats with Hawkstorm and Sleekflight following.
"Where are going hunting at? Hawkstorm taught me the hunting crouch. What's the biggest piece of prey you have ever caught? What if we see Shadowclan hunting our prey? Hawkstorm taught me a battle move yesterday!"
Sleekflight looked overwhelmed with the apprentice.
"We are hunting at the rabbit burrows but if you don't shut up you will scare all the prey away and then you will have to tell Crowstar why we came back empty pawed," Hawkstorm snapped to his apprentice.
"Okay!" The black apprentice didn't look fazed by her mentor's sharp tongue.
"Why don't you show me how quietly you can walk?" Darkpool suggested.
"Sure!" and with that the apprentice finally gave the older cats some peace and quiet.
….
"We are going to split up. Crowpaw you are going to hunt with me so I can assess your hunting skills. Hawkstorm you hunt alone over by that rocky clearing. Darkpool and Sleekflight you two hunt together. Meet back here when you have two pieces of prey, " Heathertail ordered.
Hawkstorm bounded off to the rocky clearing.
"Wow! I get to hunt with the deputy…." Crowpaw meowed.
Her voice getting quieter as she and Heathertail walked away.
Darkpool looked to Sleekflight for suggestions.
"Why don't we try by that bush over there," Sleekflight said.
Darkpool nodded and headed towards the bush a few tail-lengths away.
Before long Darkpool spotted the black ear-tips of a rabbit.
"I'll try to chase it, you stand by that burrow so the rabbit can't escape," Darkpool whispered.
"Okay."
Sleekflight headed into position but before he was ready the wind shifted and the rabbit smelled Darkpool and Sleekflight.
"No!" Darkpool yowled.
Darkpool shot after the rabbit, determined not to lose it. Aware of Sleekflight behind her, Darkpool thought fast and decided to chase the rabbit into his claws. Drarkpool sweaved making the rabbit run back the way it came. Guessing his sister's plan Sleekflight dropped back and was waiting by a rock. Darkpool pushed her legs to go faster. The rabbit ran blindly into Sleekflight's claws and was finished with a bite to the neck.
"Yes! We got it!' Darkpool gasped.
"It was a nice plan," Sleekflight meowed.
"Let's bury this and go find another rabbit!"
Sleekflight
Sleekflight was waiting for a rabbit to venture out of its burrow. Both Sleekflight and Darkpool saw the rabbit poke its head out before ducking back in. Darkpool was on the oppisde of the rabbit burrow. Slowly but surely the rabbit was venturing out.
One hop
Two Hops
Come on just a little further! Sleekflight silently pleaded.
The rabbit came out of its burrow, Sleekflight prepared to pounce when a black figure streaked right in front of him, making the rabbit disappear back into the safety of the burrow.
Sleekflight sighed, It was Crowpaw, his neice.
"Crowpaw! What was that for?" Sleekflight growled.
"I...I'm sorry but it's H...Heathertail! She got her neck stuck in some sort of t...trap!" Crowpaw gasped.
All the anger Sleekflight felt towards the apprentice now vanished.
"Where is she?" Darkpool demanded.
"By the big oak tree!"
Sleekflight nodded, " Crowpaw go get Leafpool and Moonpaw! And if you see Hawkstorm tell him where we are!"
Crowpaw dipped her head and shot off.
…..
"Look!" Darkpool gasped. "Crowpaw was right!"
Heathertail was by the oak tree with some sort of silver jaws clamped around her neck. It was so deep that Sleekflight could see a bone.
"Heathertail!"
Darkpool raced to the deputy.
"We need to get you out of here!"
"I'm here!" Hawkstorm with a breathless meow, "Crowpaw told me what happened."
"What if we try opening the trap with our claws?" Sleekflight suggested.
""I don't think that's a good idea. If our claws slip the trap thing could snap her neck," Darkpool meowed.
His sister did have a point, Sleekflight realized.
Hawkstorm paced, "Well! What do we do?"
"Uh..um let's circle the tree, maybe there is something we can use to open the trap," Darkpool said.
"Worth a try," Sleekflight agreed.
Sleekflight padded behind the tree with Hawkstorm while Darkpool stayed with Heathertail.
"Look!" Darkpool shrieked.
Sleekflight ran to the other side to see Crowpaw returning with Crowstar, Leafpool, and Moonpaw. Immediately Leafpool started digging in the ground where a small stake was in the ground.
"Moonpaw! Go get me some cobwebs," Leafpool demand.
"Okay."
Sleekflight was impressed, Moonpaw had only been a medicine cat apprentice for a moon and a half and this was his first emergency, yet he was acting calm and cool.
Soon the trap gave way, opening the silver jaws. Heathertail collapsed into the dirt.
Crowstar was pacing, Hawkstorm left to fetch their prey and bring it to camp, Darkpool was staring at the trap shuddering, and Crowpaw had her pelt pressed against Sleekflights.
"W...will she be alright?" Crowpaw whimpered.
"Well the sooner Moonpaw gets back here with cobwebs, the better," Leafpool meowed.
Just after she said that Moonpaw came back, walking on three paws because his fourth paw was carrying a bundle of cobwebs. Leafpool quickly took the cobwebs and pressed them into Heathertail's neck.
"Okay this is the best I can do, but we need to get Heathertail to the medicine cat den where I can properly treat her," Leafpool said.
Crowstar nodded and pulled Heathertail unto his back.
"Every cat, back to camp."
Slowly the cats made their way back to camp.
Darkpool
"Heathertail! Heathertail! Please wake up!"
A yowl woke Darkpool from her unrestley sleep. It was sun-high but the clouds in the distance threatened the cats with rain. Darkpool jumped out of her nest and saw Crowstar pacing in front of the medicine cat den. She could hear Breezepelt inside.
"Heathertail don't go yet! Leafpool do something!" Breezepelt pleaded.
"I can't…. No matter how much I wish I could I can't do anything….." Leafpool gently meowed.
"No...stay with me..." Breezepelt whispered.
"No!" Breezepelt wailed.
His tone was so deep and heartbreaking Darkpool thought her heart would break. Understanding his tone it was clear that Heathertail was dead.
...
They rain soaked the cats as they say vigal for Heathertail. Breezepelt has his muzzle pressed into his mate's fur with Brindleheart and Silvermoon on each side of him. Heathertail's fur was brushed so no cat could see the awful sound and her tail was curled around her paws. Crowstar was sitting beside Leafpool his head bowed in silence.
"Crowstar...you need to pick a new deputy," Leafpool gently whispered.
" I know... But how can I? Heathertail was such a great deputy. NO one can take her place. "
Suddenly Moonpaw got up from his place beside Crowpaw and walked to the leader.
"Crowstar, I have received a message from Starclan."
Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping Darkpool lowered her head into Heathertail's fur.
It felt like moons to Darkpool but it was only a few moments when Crowstar jumped onto tall rock.
"Cats of Windclan!" Crowstar began . "We will all grieve for Heathertail but now it is time to choose a new deputy! Moonpaw received a message from Starclan saying who the new deputy should be!"
"What was the message?" Ashpaw cocked his head to the side.
"Starclan showed Moonpaw a pool and the pool was dark and went on forever never stopping. The pool rippled and it became as dark as night and whispered one thing ."
Darkpool was wondering why Crowstar was staring at her.
"It said: Darkpool"
" Me? " Darkpool was shocked.
"Yes, Starclan was not mistaken. I believe that you will be the perfect deputy and someday leader of Windclan!"
" Darkpool! Darkpool! Darkpool! " the clan cats lifted their heads.
"I would be honored to be deputy, I can not be a great deputy like Heathertail was but I will try my best!" Darkpool promised.
"Darkpool! Darkpool! Darkpool!"
With her mother nuzzling her, her father purring with pride, her brothers weaving around her, and her best friend her sister, Silvermoon pressing her side against her. With all this support Darkpool knew that She and Windclan would remain strong until the end of the clans.
And that is the End!
Don't worry though I will write an epilogue and a list of Thunderclan and Windclan cats too!
This story was 31 chapters long and I am SO grateful for all of your support! I will write a shout-out page too!
What was your favorite character?
Did you like the story?
What was your favorite part?
What was your least favorite part?
And here is one last riddle!
I has three kits
One was killed right in front of me
My mate was a traitor
My brothers and my best friend, my sister helped me through the pain
I am a Windclan cat to the end!
Oh and By the Way I might not be able to get the epilogue posted this week. I will try but it might take a couple of weeks...But still check back just in case!
K,
BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE