Chapter 3
Wintershadow's POV:
The next day, it rained. Viperblood and I spent most of the day sleeping, but in our dreams, we were in the Dark Forest as usual.
"Wintershadow, Viperblood. May I speak with you for a moment?" Brokenstar asked.
We followed him away from the rest of the cats, and we gathered under a tall, dead tree. Brokenstar sat down and curled his tail over his paws.
"I understand that Viperblood would like to accompany you on your journey, Wintershadow," Brokenstar said.
I turned to snarl at Viperblood, "What?"
He shifted his paws, "Yes, I would."
"Brokenstar, with all do respect, this is my destiny! My father arranged for me, and only me, to go on this journey. I don't need this whiny kit dragging along behind!" I growled.
"Hey! You think you're so special, just because you're Hawkfrost's daughter, doesn't mean you're the only Dark Forest warrior that matters!" Viperblood protested.
"You. Keep. Your. Mouth. SHUT!" I yelled.
"Make me!" he yelled back.
"Both of you, shut up!" Brokenstar said.
We both fell silent.
"Wintershadow, Viperblood will accompany you on your journey," Brokenstar decided.
"Yes, Brokenstar," I said through gritted teeth.
"Good. Both of you, get ready. You'll be leaving in a moon. Feed yourselves well, train harder, sharpen your skills, and try to get along," Brokenstar said, walking away.
"I-" Viperblood started.
"Stay away from me, don't talk to me, or I will rip you apart," I said simply.
Dovewing's POV:
I walked out of camp, going hunting alone. I decided to hunt near the ShadowClan border, just to see if there was any kind of prey stirring this morning. I expected to find a frog or a mouse, instead I found a rat.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I'm on my own territory," Tigerheart said smugly.
"Whatever," I said, continuing to hunt.
"How have you been?" Tigerheart asked, casual as ever.
"How have I been?" I repeated.
"Yeah," Tigerheart said.
"Fine, I guess," I mumbled.
"I've missed talking to you," he said.
"I haven't," I lied.
Tigerheart's eyes revealed that my words had stung him.
"Oh. Well, how's your sister?" he asked.
"She's fine too. Why do you care?" I asked.
"Well, because you're my friends," he said.
"No. We're not!" I snarled.
"Why not?" he asked.
"Beause you're ShadowClan," I said.
"So?" he asked, anger in his voice.
"Nevermind. Go away, I'm trying to hunt," I said.
"Well, you're not doing a very good job of it," Tigerheart laughed.
"Maybe because you're big feet went trampling through here, and scared everything off!" I said.
He looked down at his feet, "Hey, they are pretty big. Wierd. I never noticed."
I was silent as I walked away from the border. I stomped toward the lake shore, and sat down by the water. A cool breeze rippled off the water, ruffling my fur, and soothing me.
I heard someone walk up behind me, and say, "Hey, Dovewing!"
I turned to see Bumblestripe padding toward me, a smile on his face.
"Hello, Bumblestripe," I sighed.
"What's wrong?" he asked, tilting his head to one side.
"Oh, nothing. Just thinking," I lied.
"'Bout what?" he asked, sitting down beside me.
"Everything. . . " I mumbled.
"Hmm. Well, why don't you tell me what's on your mind. Maybe I can help," Bumblestripe offered.
"My sister," I said.
"Yeah, she's been acting really wierd lately," Bumblestripe said.
"What kind of wierd do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, I know she's been sneaking out at night sometimes," he whispered.
"What? Really?" I asked.
"Yeah, and she comes back smelling like WindClan!" Bumblestripe whispered.
"Wierd. I can't believe I never noticed," I said.
"Well, I've noticed that you two don't talk much these days," he said.
"Yeah. I don't like it. She's different now. She doesn't want to talk to me," I said.
"Well, you can talk to me. I'm always here for you to talk to. Always," Bumblestripe said sincerely, his blue eyes full of comfort.
"Thanks. . . " I said.
Ivypool's POV:
I crouched low to the ground, staring at a WindClan patrol from the ferns she was hiding in. I immediatly recognized the cats. Weaselfur, Sunstrike, and Heathertail. They were lingering a little too close to ThunderClan territory for my taste. I could hear Sunstrike and Heathertail talking.
"So, how's Breezepelt?" Sunstrike asked.
"What do you mean?" Heathertail asked.
"Well, he follows you around, constantly trying to talk to you," Sunstrike said.
"So?" Heathertail asked.
"Well, what do you think of him?" Sunstrike asked.
"I think he's annoying. And that he'll probably end up falling in love with a cat from another clan, just like Crowfeather," Heathertail said harshly.
"Heathertail, you can't be serious. You know he likes you a lot. He's trying to find a mate in his own clan," Sunstrike said.
"Well, it's not going to be me!" Heathertail said.
Just then, a rabbit shot across the land, with a gray and white she-cat hot on its heels. I bunched up my muscles, because the rabbit was headed straight for ThunderClan territory, and the she-cat didn't look ready to stop. The rabbit shot past me, and a few seconds later, the she-cat was on ThunderClan territory. I pounced on her, and pinned her down.
"Furzepaw!" Weaselfur yelled.
"What did you think you were doing?" I snarled at the scared apprentice.
"I-I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" she said.
"We apoligize for our apprentices trespassing, but I asure you, it was an accident," Weaselfur said calmly.
"Accident or not, she still trespassed!" I growled.
"Let her go. We're a full patrol, you're just one she-cat. This is not your fight," Sunstrike snarled.
"Who says?" I hissed, unsheathing my claws.
Just then, Dovewing, Lionblaze, and Bumblestripe burst out of the trees behind us. Sunstrike pounced on me, causing me to free Furzepaw. Bumblestripe dragged her off of me, and began clawing at her. Heathertail leaped at Lionblaze, and he easily dodged her, and then proceeded to throw her back onto her own territory. Dovewing and Bumblestripe drove Sunstrike back onto WindClan territory, and we all stood, snarling at eachother.
"Onestar will hear of this!" Weaselfur snarled, and they left.
Lionblaze turned to me, "Are you trying to cause trouble? Why didn't you just let the apprentice go?"
"She was trespassing!" I yelled.
"But there was no need for a fight!" Dovewing said.
"You two didn't know what happened before you got here," I said.
Dovewing opened her mouth to say that she had heard everything, but Bumblestripe was standing there, and she closed her mouth. I knew that's what would happen. She couldn't reveal her little secret.
"Ivypool, I'll be telling Firestar about this," Lionblaze said, walking away.
"Come on, Dovewing," Bumblestripe said.
I watched as Bumblestripe and Dovewing walked away, pelts brushing because they were so close. 'Great. Now my sister has Bumblestripe. Who do I have? No one. Well, I could talk to Hawkfrost,' I thought. I pictured Hawkfrost's icy blue eyes in my mind. I'd talk to him the next time I was in the Dark Forest. . .
Author's Note: Hey readers. So, this is another chapter. Obviously. I just wanted to say that I'm glad people are reading this, but I need your opinion on it. Meaning, I need you to review. Tell me what you think is good, what you think is bad, what you think would be interesting to happen, or what cats you think should end up together (that one's important!). I like hearing from my readers, it helps. So, that's it I guess. ~HawkAngel13.