Chapter 23
Snowyowl walked along the Oceanclan border. He was leading a patrol made up of Tundrafoot, Foamfur, and Lichenheart. The queen had finally left the nursery when Maplestar had made Heronpaw into an apprentice. Snowyowl remembered the ceremony very well.
Maplestar had called them to the White Tree for a meeting. Lichenheart and Heronkit had been sitting under the tree. Both of them nicely groomed. She had named him Heronpaw and to Snowyowl's surprise she had named him the mentor. Now he had his own apprentice.
Stopping he looked around for him. He had allowed him to walk ahead for a while if he would come back every once in a while. It had been some time sense the brown tom had charged ahead of them but he still hadn't come back yet.
"Lichenheart come with me. Your son has yet to return and we should probably go make sure he hasn't gotten into any trouble," he mewed. Lichenheart nodded and walked to his side. "Continue the patrol Tundrafoot," he ordered. The grey and white tom nodded. Turning away Snowyowl and Lichenheart walked along Heronpaw's scent trail.
"Heronpaw," Lichenheart called when the scent got stronger. A tiny fearful mew answered her. Lichenheart and Snowyowl exchanged a look before charging towards him. His scent lead them to the Oceanclan border. Snowyowl had the sinking feeling his apprentice had run over the border and got caught by a Oceanclan patrol.
"Heronpaw," he mewed when they reached him. He was crouched by the border. His eyes. Wide with shock. He ran to his mother's side and buried his face in her fur. Snowyowl looked around in confusion. Then he saw what had scared him. Roarpaw was lying on his side of the border. Blood pooled around his head. It slowly dripped from his open mouth. His eyes stared ahead in fear. A large gash ran around his neck, almost decapitating him. Snowyowl was silent. Even though Roarpaw had stolen Silverpaw and had attacked his camp multiple times he was still Snowyowl's friend.
"Heronpaw run back to the camp and get Maplestar," Lichenheart mewed gently. Heronpaw shakily walked away from her. His slow walk turned into a run when he passed the surrounding bushes.
Snowyowl sat there, unsure of what to do. Lichenheart walked to his side. "We'll have to tell Oceanclan," she mewed. Snowyowl glanced at her.
"They'll think we killed him," he mewed.
"Probably, but do you want them to think he just disappeared? That he might have ran off and he would hopefully return but he never does," she challenged him. Snowyowl sighed. She had a point.
"Hey you there. Frostclan cats," a voice cried. They looked up. An Oceanclan patrol was walking towards them. Seagullfur was leading it. Oh great, Snowyowl thought.
They remained silent and let the other cats approach. At first the didn't notice the body. "We're missing one of our warriors. Have you seen him?" Seagullfur demanded. Snowyowl and Lichenheart looked at the body. Seagullfur followed their gaze. "No," he gasped. "You killed Roarclaw," he hissed, turning back to them.
"No they didn't," Maplestar mewed. She burst through the surrounding undergrowth with Tundrafoot, Foamfur, Silverpaw, and Heronpaw. Now the Oceanclan patrol was outnumbered. Seagullfur eyed them.
"Get Roarclaw," he ordered the cats behind him. Obediently they picked up their clanmate. Turning around Seagullfur lead them back towards their camp. When he was too far away for them to hurt him but close enough for them to hear him he raised himself onto his hind legs.
"It is war now," he yowled. Dropping onto all fours he and his clanmates raced away. Maplestar watched them leave with narrowed eyes.
"Let's go home," she mewed. Turning around she lead the way to camp. Snowyowl walked next to Heronpaw. The young apprentice was shaken up after what he had just seen. Snowyowl placed his tail over his shoulders.
"Good job at getting Maplestar," he mewed. Heronpaw smiled at his praise.
"I did get there right on time didn't I?" he asked. Snowyowl nodded. Heronpaw puffed up his chest at the praise and went to walk next to his mother. Silverpaw took his place next to Snowyowl.
"It's a good thing I decided to go with them. If it wasn't for me Seagullfur would have decided to attack," she joked. "He took one look at me and thought, 'we'll lose if we fight against her,'" Silverpaw teased. Snowyowl smiled at her. That was one of his favorite things about her, despite any situation she would be telling jokes.
"No, I think they were scared of Heronpaw," Snowyowl shot back. Silverpaw sniffed.
"Believe what you want," she mewed dramatically. Snowyowl nudged her gently.
"No it was you they were scared off. Well it was your stench," he mewed. She looked at him from the side. "You know, Oceanclan and Frostclan mixed. It's awful," he teased. Silverpaw glared at him and shoved him. Losing his balance he tumbled into a bramble bush. Silverpaw busted out laughing as did Tundrafoot and Heronpaw. Maplestar, Lichenheart, Foamfur just glared at them.
Whipping around the three she-cats walked into camp. Tundrafoot and Silverpaw helped him out before entering camp. Heronpaw had to be dragged in he was laughing so hard.
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"Let all cats old enough to hunt for themselves gather beneath the White Tree for a clan meeting," Maplestar yowled. Duskpaw walked out of the medicine cat den. Looking around she saw the dawn patrol already sitting under the tree. Obviously they had found something.
"What happened now?" Twigshade growled as he followed her out of the den.
"I think something happened on the dawn patrol," she mewed. Twigshade muttered something under his breath but Duskpaw didn't hear it. She sat next to Silverpaw and waited for Maplestar to continue.
"The dawn patrol found the dead body of an Oceanclan warrior. An Oceanclan patrol found them with the body and thought they had killed it. Now they have declared war on Frostclan," Maplestar informed the clan. Duskpaw gasped.
"Is it true?" she asked Silverpaw. She nodded.
"It was Roarclaw," she mewed. Duskpaw remember the silver tom from gatherings.
"We must double patrols on their border, have extra battle practice, and we need a constant guard to watch them," Maplestar mewed. "I'm assigning Shardclaw in charge of the patrols, Snowyowl will take over the battle training, and Creamfoot will be in charge of making sure someone is always on guard," she mewed. The three cats she called nodded. "Twigshade and Duskpaw," Maplestar continued. Duskpaw looked at her leader. "Make sure you have all the herbs you'll need for the battle," she finished. Duskpaw nodded. Maplestar jumped from the tree and walked to Shardclaw to see if he needed her for a patrol.
Snowyowl and Creamfoot walked to the dark grey tom two. Twigshade approached Duskpaw.
"Let's go gather herbs," he mewed. Duskpaw sighed and got up to follow him out of camp.
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"I'll take Heronpaw and Silverpaw to the training area first," Snowyowl mewed. Shardclaw and Creamfoot nodded.
"I want Stormstep to be the first to guard," Creamfoot mewed. The grey tom nodded and bounded into the White Tree to guard.
"Alright then. Lichenheart you should go hunting. Tundrafoot take Creamfoot and patrol the whole territory," Shardclaw mewed. "I'll stay to help guard the camp," he mewed. Tundrafoot, Creamfoot, and Lichenheart bounded out of camp.
"Come on Silverpaw," Snowyowl mewed. Silverpaw looked at him. He and Heronpaw were heading out of camp too. She raced after them. Snowyowl lead them to the training area. "Alright. First I want to know everything you know. Silverpaw attack me," almost before he had finished speaking Silverpaw jumped on him.
Keeping her claws sheathed she pinned his front paws to his chest. Before she could do more Snowyowl had kicked her off with his back feet. Silverpaw landed on her feet and turned to face him. Snowyowl charged at her but she swept to the side. Spinning around she bit his tail before he had finished passing her.
Snowyowl jerked his tail from her teeth and turned to face her. This time he waited for her to charge. Silverpaw darted forward, as quick as a rabbit. Before Snowyowl could dodge her she rammed into him and sent him skidding across the ground. Without wasting anytime Silverpaw charged after him.
Snowyowl leapt to his feet before she could reach him and charged towards her. Surprised Silverpaw slowed down. Snowyowl barreled into her and pinned her to the ground. He shoved his muzzle to her throat.
"Do you give up?" he asked.
"Yes," Silverpaw mewed. Snowyowl back off of her. His eyes were bright.
"Well done Silverpaw. That was very good," he praised. Silverpaw smiled at him. His fluffy white fur was ruffled and looked like he hadn't been grooming properly. Silverpaw giggled. Snowyowl ignored her and turned to Heronpaw.
"Let's see what you got," he mewed.
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Snowyowl was sitting in the White Tree. It was his turn to watch. The moon shone above him, illuminating the camp. It was almost a half moon, Duskpaw and Twigshade would be going to the Star Tree soon. Suddenly the sound of a breaking twig echoed through camp. Snowyowl crouched down.
"Nice move Krispleaf," a voice hissed.
"Shut-up Shellfur," another voice growled.
"Both of you be quiet," a third voice ordered. Snowyowl recognized it, it was Seagullfur.
"Oceanclan is attacking," Snowyowl yowled. "Oceanclan is attacking," he cried. Frostclan poured out of their dens just as the Oceanclan warriors ran into camp.
A/N:
Ohh, cliffie. Hmmm I wonder what shall happen, will Oceanclan take vengeance by stealing Silverpaw back? Will they kill someone else to satisfy Roarclaw's death? Only one way you can know the answer to these questions, READ! You also need to REVIEW! Thanks for everyone whose read up to here, it means a lot. Thanks!