A/N
SuperBailey: You smell correctly, as well. There was another reference, when Hawkpool met Nightpaw because of her brother's death, but no one's got it. The prize for it was a plushie of anyone in the story except Hawkpool and Thornsnag.
Flare: They certainly are my favorite ship, apart from HawkXThorn, ReedXSnail is the best. Not quite sure what you mean by "for Jaytalon to still see something u=in Hawkpool, and Lily."
Also, DNACat was the 213th reviewer, so check out my One-Shot book for a surprise couple! It has not been published but be sure to expect it.
"Hickorynose, do you have to go?" Plumflower whimpered, clinging to her mate. The grey-brown tim tore away from her, but he pressed his forehead to hers.
"I need to lead them, you know I used to be a big street boss," Hickorynose sighed. "I'm the one who knows the Two-leg territories the best."
Plumflower looked hesitant. "What if you get sucked back into the routine of your old gang? You know how… biased they were."
Hickorynose licked her nose comfortingly. "You changed me, Plumflower. For the better. I can't go backwards that easily. I don't even think we'll cross into my old territory. I'll be back in a moon or two."
Hawkpool sobbed incoherently into his son's fur. "It's not too late to turn back, Reedpaw!" She pleaded, staring at him with watery eyes.
"Thornsnag wants me to help, mom. I have to," Reedpaw meowed, curling briefly into his mother's fur. Hawkpool looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Th-Thornsnag? What do you know about your father?" Hawkpool asked, but Reedpaw was already heading away with Hickorynose. Acornheart was saying an awkward farewell to Juniperfur.
"I-I-I'll miss you," Juniperfur stammered awkwardly, looking down. Thier tails twined subtly together.
"Get a move on, lovebirds!" Hickorynose snapped. "We're going to be late!"
Acornheart and Juniperfur's tails pulled away from each other in an instant, their eyes round in embarrassment. "I have to go now." Acornheart said stiffly, his eyes lingering on her a heartbeat before catching up with Reedpaw and Hickorynose.
Snailpaw paced back and forth in frustration and fury, her eyes staring after Reedpaw. She growled to herself, sprinting out of camp and after the three toms, but keeping her distance.
Snailpaw crept silently across the forest floor, her paws gliding as she kept her clanmates in her sights. They passed the Mossy Hollow, the greyish moss crawling along the edges of the hollow.
"I wonder if we'll see any of our old friends whilst travelling," Acornheart wondered aloud. Hickorynose's fur visibly bristled.
"I certainly hope we don't run into any of mine," Hickorynose stared at the flowing waters, leading the way along the shore.
"I wonder who from the other clans are coming," Reedpaw squeaked, trying to make the subject a light one. "Maybe my friends from the other clans will be there!"
"Who are your other friends?" Acornheart asked politely to the young apprentice. Reedpaw grinned, clearly glad Acornheart asked.
"Well, there's Nutpaw of ThunderClan, Cliffpaw of ShadowClan, and then there's Starlingpaw and Foxpaw of WindClan." Reedpaw replied thoughtfully. The two older toms purred at the young apprentice.
"Remember, Reedpaw," Acornheart said sternly. "Making friends in other clans can be dangerous. You don't want your loyalties divided."
Reedpaw huffed. "My loyalties are none of your business. But if you must know, I am solely devoted my clan, and StarClan."
Hickorynose gave a curt nod. "That's where all your priorities should be."
"Look, we're nearly there!" Acornheart called out. An inclined path sloped downwards from the river, following the stream until it flowed down the cliff and the path swerved off. The faint outlines of three other cats could be seen from above.
"I'll go first, then Reedpaw, then Acornheart," Hickorynose ordered, digging his claws into the steep slope and carefully skidding down. Reedpaw followed, his heart thumping in his chest under nerves.
"Don't worry, Reedpaw," Acornheart meowed. "I'm right behind you." The chocolate tabby skidded down behind him, using his claws for tread.
Once they carefully approached the other three cats, Snailpaw made her way hesitantly down the slope, her feet slipping every once in awhile.
Halfway down the incline, a clump of dirt crumbled beneath her forepaws, her paws slipping, and Snailpaw rolled down the hill and into a holly bush.
"Snailpaw?!" Reedpaw exclaimed, staring at her through the holly bush with wide eyes. "What are you doing here?"
Snailpaw moaned in pain, crawling out of the bush with stray leaves and twig clinging to her soil coated fur. She limped, not placing weight on her right shoulder.
"I-" Snailpaw began, wincing as her shoulder twinged. "Ah!" She cried out, stumbling to the ground, Reedpaw catching her in the last second.
"What's wrong with you?!" Reedpaw demanded, looking her up and down. Her right shoulder stuck out awkwardly. "Is it dislocated? Who here knows about herbs?" His voice sounded desperate.
Rabbitleg looked at Jaytalon, then to Nightpaw and shrugged. "N-none of us know anything. Maybe she should go back to your camp."
"She can't!" Reedpaw hissed. "Her shoulder's too hurt to walk back that far." He narrowed his eyes at her. "You're not supposed to be here, Snailpaw."
Snailpaw painfully stood, her injured leg lifting slightly from the ground. "I-I wanted-" She stammered, her tail twitching nervously. "The falls are dangerous. You could've drowned…"
Reedpaw raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes slitted with obvious annoyance. "I'm a RiverClan cat."
Snailpaw opened her mouth to speak again, but no words came. She pursed her lips together, looking away stubbornly. Reedpaw snorted. "Well, we still have to wait for WindClan and ShadowClan."
"Wait no longer," Forestclaw of ShadowClan announced, expertly sliding down the slope with Olivestep, Breezepaw, Emberfang, Sedgelight and Lionpaw behind him.
"What do we do now?" Lionpaw of WIndClan asked, looking already bored.
"Morningfeather said an angel would guide us…" Acornheart replied, looking puzzled. "Angels are essentially a Two-leg version of StarClan, so does that mean a Two-leg will guide us?"
"That wouldn't make any sense," Olivestep meowed. "Two-legs hate us, so why would one help us?"
The cats broke out into a series of arguments, Acornheart saying a Two-leg would aid them, Olivestep saying it couldn't be possible. Rabbitleg hissing that Olivestep was right, while Sedgelight defended Acornheart. Lionpaw claimed the angel could be a winged cat.
"Everyone shut up!" Emberfang snarled suddenly. "I hear cats coming from over the hedge." He flicked his tail to the tall, squarish bush.
"You're imagining things," Rabbitleg scoffed after not hearing anything.
"Am not! I just have better hearing than all of you," Emberfang hissed to the ThunderClan cat. "Maybe if you shut your traps and stop clawing each other's ears off, you would hear it."
"What are we trying to hear?" Nightpaw replied calmly, perking her ears. "I hear… faint voices and pawsteps. There are cats coming this way!"
The other cats' fur raised in defense, the cats from separate clans clumping together.
"Is this the place Lijep said we go to get those cats?" One voice asked, sounding like a tom from beyond the hedge.
"How should I know?" Another voice squealed, a she cat this time. "She asked you specifically! Nicky and I shouldn't even be here."
"Hey!" The third voice growled in protest, though his voice was soft. "It's not my fault Lijep didn't want you going through Dragon's territory!"
"This is a dead end," the first cat hissed. They heard the she cat snicker.
"No, look!" She pointed out. "There's a dip in the ground." There was a scuffling noise, and suddenly a black tom with startlingly blue eyes tumbled through the hedge.
On his back, lay a branch with leaves sprouting off on each side, making him appear as though he had wings made of twigs and leaves. The clan cats stared at him in amazement, until he shook his fur, and the branch fell off.
Two other cats crawled under the hedge, more gracefully than the first cat. "Evie!" The black tom whirled around to glare at a silver and grey dappled she cat.
Evie- the silver and grey dappled she cat- smiled sheepishly and pointed her tail to the clan cats. "Look, see! We found 'em!"
"You didn't have to push me!" The black tom towered over her, but she looked far from intimidated. The third cat butted in, separating them. He was a lithe grey tom with faint rings around his tail, and a light grey chest tuft, underbelly and toe tips.
"Cas, calm down." The shorter tom meowed, his tone mellow and soft. "Lijep sent us here for a reason, remember?"
Jaytalon squeezed past the several other cats, his eyes sparkling. "You know Lijep? Are you the cats she sent?"
Cas- the tall, stocky black tom- puffed out his chest pridefully. "We sure are! You Jaytalon? Nicky, Evie and I were told to find a cat called Jaytalon."
The ThunderClan tom nodded. "Yeah, I am, but…"
Cas frowned. "But, what?" Evie, and the third cat- Nicky- matched his frown.
Jaytalon waved his tail awkwardly. "Nothing, I just thought you'd be older. I didn't think she'd sent such young cats."
Cas froze in dread, slumping to the ground. "Young…?" He whispered, looking hurt.
Nicky and Evie exchanged strange looks, then stared at Cas. "Get up, you're embarrassing yourself in front of these cats."
Cas shook his head, straightening up.
"This still doesn't make any sense!" Sedgelight growled. "StarClan said an angel, whatever that means, would show us the way."
Hickorynose pushed past the other cats, standing in front of the trio of young cats. "Tell me, what are your names?"
"I'm Nicky," the lithe grey tom answered quickly and softly with a bold grin.
"Evie," the she cat said quickly, looking slightly flustered from all the stranger cats.
The tall, black tom stepped forward. Hickorynose noticed a jagged scar alone one of his forepaws. "I'm Castiel." He said, his voice slightly more mature sounding than that of his siblings.
Acornheart and Hickorynose's faces are erased of confusion.
"What? What does their names have to do with anything?" Breezepaw of ShadowClan demanded with a tone of bewilderment.
"Castiel is the name of a Two-leg angel. They are the cats StarClan sent to lead us." Acornheart called from over his shoulder. He patted his puffy tail to Cas' shoulder. "Show us the way, Castiel."
"Okay," he meowed, looking at the clan cats with mild interest and perplexment. "But I prefer Cas."
Cas led the group of clan cats back through the forestry, the sound of falling water fading into the background, replaced by birdsong.
Acornheart and Hickorynose walked beside him, those two being the oldest. The rest of the cats hung in middle with Nicky, while Evie brought up the rear.
Nightpaw's darted behind her to the rogue she cat. Slowing her pace, Nightpaw eventually walked side by side with Evie. "H-hi," Nightpaw greeted bashfully. "I'm Nightpaw."
"Your name is weird," Evie stated. Nightpaw flinched, then smiled.
"Your name is weird to me, too," Nightpaw chuckled, looking around the forest they walked through. The leaves seemed to be behind by a season, still clinging to their branches and still yellow, orange and brown.
"I've never been this far from home before," Nightpaw admitted, then stopped herself. "Well, that's a lie. I was born in a barn on loner territory and lived there for about two moons."
Evie gave a teeny grin, her light amber eyes gleaming so brightly it made Nightpaw's heart skip a beat. "I was born in an alleyway with my brothers." Evie replied.
Nightpaw's tail drooped. "My brothers and sister live in another clan." Nightpaw pointed her tail towards Reedpaw. "Well, he's one of my brothers, but we've hardly met…"
"I had two sisters," Evie sighed sadly. "But they were stillborn. I wish I had known them."
"I wish I knew my littermates, too," Nightpaw responded, staring at Reedpaw. Evie's face suddenly popped in front of Nightpaw's eyes, inspecting Nightpaw's blind right eye.
"Is your eye injured?" Evie asked in a sweet tone, reach with a paw to pull back the fur hanging over her eye, but Nightpaw swatted it away.
"Er, no. I'm blind. Well, just in that eye," Nightpaw gulped nervously, bracing for the laugh or insult. But it never came.
"Oh," was all Evie said. "Does it cause you trouble? Do you need any help?"
Nightpaw contemplated taking Evie up on her offer, but shook her head. "I'll manage. But, thanks." Nightpaw meowed softly, smirking in gratefulness.
"No problem," Evie answered, smiling back. Nightpaw felt her paws tingle with warmth. I have a friend… One that really accepts me! Nightpaw thought in glee.
"Get ready!" Nicky yowled over his shoulder. "Crossing a road."
"Road?" Lionpaw echoed in bewilderment.
"A Thunderpath." Hickorynose explained. Lionpaw let out a soft 'ohhh.'
Nicky stood beside Cas, the two brothers quickly making sure no monsters were near, and darted across, Cas reaching the end first with his long legs and Nicky a whisker behind him. Acornheart and Hickorynose quickly followed.
"Hurry alone!" Cas shouted from across the road. The clan cats exchanged uncertain glances. Jaytalon rolled his eyes.
"It's not that difficult," Jaytalon sighed, bursting out into a spirit and skidding to a halt beside the two young tom cats.
Olivestep, Forestclaw and Breezepaw were next, the ShadowClan cats looking hesitant. They stumbled backwards, letting a monster pass by and shower them with powdery soil.
Forestclaw stuck beside Olivestep, hurrying her across and snatching Breezepaw up by the scruff away from an oncoming monster.
Sedgelight and Emberfang scooped Lionpaw up, much to the apprentice's dismay and hared across the road. Rabbitleg lagged behind them.
"Hold onto me," Reedpaw ordered, charging across with Snailpaw limping as fast as she could by his side, but beginning to fall behind.
The dull headlights of a monster shone in the distance, getting closer to the injured apprentice with every heartbeat. Reedpaw urged her along, but it was too late.
The monster roared past, coating Reedpaw in mud and obscuring his view of Snailpaw. Two more of the creatures rolled on, dread filling the chocolate tom.
The monsters zipped past. Reedpaw cried out in bliss as he saw Snailpaw alive and well, other than her fur bushed up and eyes wide in terror.
Acornheart leaped forward, snatching Snailpaw by the scruff and set her down on the safe side. The only remaining cats to cross were Nightpaw and Evie.
"Think you can do it?" Evie asked kindly. "It seems you clan cats haven't really crossed a road before."
"Seems you rogues know nothing of clan cats," Nightpaw retorted with a friendly smirk. "We face greater dangers every day."
Evie and Nightpaw twined their tails together, heads swaying both ways, then speeding across the rough, black concrete. It burned Nightpaw's soft paw pads.
"Where to now, Cas?" Emberfang asked, his ears flat to his head from his hearing being overwhelmed with the loudness of the monsters and Two-leg place.
Cas looked uncomfortable in the Two-leg place. "We lay low. Especially the she cats. Flank and protect them." He ordered, the toms pushing the she cats into a circle and walking with them in the center.
"Oh, StarClan," Hickorynose cursed under his breath. He leaned into Cas' ear. "Is this the territory of the Wrath Tribe? Please, say it's not."
Acornheart's ears pricked at Hickorynose's words. Cas looked surprised to Hickorynose's knowledge of said Tribe.
"Uh, it is," Cas replied, unsure. Hickorynose looked as though he'd been hit by a monster.
"I want to go back now," Hickorynose breathed. "I can't be here."
"Why?" Nicky growled to the older tom. He sounded stern and wary. "What do you know about the Wrath Tribe?"
"It doesn't matter what I know. It matters what they know about me." Hickorynose scowled, ducking his head. "Man, they expanded a lot. It was a lot smaller when-" Hickorynose bit his lip.
"When, what?" Cas was standing up on the tips of his toes, his blazing, blue fire eyes burning into Hickorynose's yellow eyes.
"When I was their leader! Yes, I was the mob boss of an oppressive, sexist group of cats!" Hickorynose hissed, looking heavily ashamed. "Plumflower changed me, and I left them. I fear my old second in command went wild."
Evie's fur bristled. "What was your proxy's name?"
"Dragon, he was called Dragon," Hickorynose sighed.
Nicky's pelt spiked up, his tail bushed up and standing straight in the air. Evie's amber eyes turned sour and dark, her lips peeled back into a snarl at the mention of the name. Cas merely looked disappointed and slightly aggravated.
"What? What's wrong?" Hickorynose demanded, looking borderline scared. The trio of littermates hung their heads.
"Dragon is our step-father and leader of the Wrath Tribe."
A/N
Not much for me to say, but I have a few questions for you readers.
#1. Who is your favorite character, and why? (No picking Hawkpool)
#2. Who is your least favorite character, and why? (Preferably no obvious villains, but this one can be any cat)
#3: What two cats are your otp, and why?
Also, I know Castiel isn't an actual angel (tho we never know) but it seemed fitting.
Nicky, Cas, and Evie don't belong to me; they belong to SuperBailey.