Thank you, thank you, for all the reviews. To Crystalstar Medicine Cat and Silverkit08 I owe the motivation to continue with this story. Now, to the questions. Crystalstar Medicine Cat, Lionpaw is a tom, I'm pretty sure that's what I put him down as in the Alliances (checks quickly) Yeah I did. As for the mater of the apprentices' warrior names, you will find out in this chapter. By the way, please tell me what you think of the names. As far as the running away goes, well, you'll have to read it to find out. You'll know within the next two chapters if everything goes as planned. As for the kits, no can tell, sorry. On with the chapter!___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Copperstar turned to Skypaw. "Skypaw, from this moment onward you shall be known as Skyfire. StarClan honors your loyalty to the clan and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Copperstar rested his chin on Skyfire's head, and she licked his shoulder respectively.
"Heartflight! Skyfire! Heartflight! Skyfire!" The clan chorused. The new warriors stood proudly. Skyfire looked down from Highrock to look at Silverstorm. Silverstorm dipped her head in acceptance. Skyfire's eyes looked sad for a moment, but then as she turned away. Silverstorm caught the burst of happiness and excitement. That told Silverstorm one thing. The plan to run away was still on.
Heartflight and Skyfire hopped down from Highrock where the clan swarmed them, mewing congratulations. Silverstorm wiggled through. "Congratulations Skyfire," She meowed. Then she narrowed her eyes. "Plan still on?"
Skyfire caught Silverstorm's eyes. "Yes," she mewed curtly.
Silverstorm nodded sadly. "We need to talk, later."
Skyfire sighed, "Fine, but you're not talking me out of it."
"I know," Silverstorm acknowledged, "But we need to talk about other things." Silverstorm's heart clenched. She was really going to lose her apprentice.
Skyfire touched her nose to Silverstorm's. "I'll talk," she mewed.
The rest of the night ticked on slowly. Skyfire and Heartflight had vigils to keep, and Silverstorm dreamed fretfully. She saw four pairs of eyes again. The two sky blue eyes and two dark amber eyes. Skyfire was writhing in pain, and this time, the new warrior was screaming. "Eaglepaw!" The sun shone bright red, and next to it, a second sun was glowing faintly, this one a pale blue, then bother suns fell into darkness.
Silverstorm woke with a when Skyfire prodded her side. "What did you need to talk to me about?" Skyfire demanded
Silverstorm squinted her eyes against the glare of the morning sun. "Is it morning already?" She moaned, climbing to her feet.
"Yeah," Skyfire meowed impatiently.
"Oh calm down," Silverstorm mewed, "Come on. We've a lot to talk about."
Silverstorm led Skyfire past the freshkill pile, though her stomach ached for some breakfast. She led Skyfire into the forest, past the training hollow, and into the forest near tree cut place. "Listen Skyfire," Silverstorm hissed, "I know there is nothing I can do to stop you and Eaglepaw, but I must warn you. If you leave, you will never be welcome back into SunClan or ThunderClan, and I doubt that any of the other clans will take you in. You have to be absolutely sure about this, because once you leave, there's no coming back."
"I know," Skyfire sounded exasperated, "And I don't care. Eaglepaw is all I've ever wanted. All I ever will want. We can live together. Catch our own freshkill and not have to worry about feeding a clan. We can find a place of our own. Somewhere quiet and by the water. Somewhere to raise a family." Skyfire's voice grew dreamy.
For some reason Silverstorm grew furious. "You're just going to throw your life away like this, Skyfire! You just promised Copperstar that you would protect and defend the clan at the cost of your life. StarClan was witness. Does that mean anything to you? You should have left before you received your warrior name. At least them you wouldn't be breaking a promise."
"I just didn't want to go around being called 'paw' all my life," Skyfire yowled, "Silverstorm, please understand. I love him!"
"You think you're the only one who has had troubles like that in SunClan!" Silverstorm demanded. "I've had a crush on Wildwind for the longest time, but do you see me running off with him? No! We know our place, and that we can never be more than friends! Why can't you see that Skyfire? Why do you have to run away?"
Skyfire seemed unable to answer. "Come to the SunClan meeting today," Silverstorm ordered. "It will be your last." Silverstorm stalked angrily back to camp.
At Sunhigh, Skyfire and Silverstorm trudged wearily toward the SunClan meeting place. Silverstorm felt an urge to stop, and drag this last trip with Skyfire out as long as possible. But Skyfire had other ideas. Skyfire refused to go slow, and eventually Silverstorm was forced to match her pace to Skyfire's. When the ThunderClan cats reached the meeting place, everyone else was there.
Skyfire gave Silverstorm one last look, and trotted over to stand by Eaglepaw. The two stood firm, fierce determination in their eyes.
"Wildwind, is Hazepaw here?" Silverstorm asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"She's here," Wildwind mewed. We've already briefed her on SunClan while we were waiting for you."
"I'm here," a trembling she-cat's voice came from behind Wildwind.
"Hello Hazepaw," Silverstorm peered behind Wildwind to see a trembling pale ginger she-cat.
"Umm, Silverstorm," Nightshadow twitched her tail in anger, "Shall we tend to other business?"
"Right," Silverstorm nodded. "Skypaw received her warrior name last night. She is now Skyfire." Everyone waited for the traditional words of how the new warrior would replace the old one, but they didn't come.
"Eaglepaw received his warrior name last night," Nightshadow didn't look at anyone, "He is now Eaglefeather." Again the cats waited for the traditional words. Again, they did not come.
"There is one more thing that we need to explain," Silverstorm mewed, looking at Nightshadow until the ShadowClan cat met her eyes. "Eaglefeather and Skyfire have decided to leave SunClan and their birth clans for a new life together."
There was instant uproar from Wildwind. "What!" Wildwind yowled, "Bu they can't! Silverstorm, Nightshadow, you're not going to stop them!" A storm began whipping up, the wind blowing the cats' fur around.
"We've tried to stop them," Silverstorm growled. "Do you think that we wouldn't? They will not listen. They are going today and now."
"What!" he startled squeak burst from Skyfire. "We're leaving now? But a storm is brewing!"
"Now is best," Silverstorm mewed numbly. "If there is a storm, we can claim that a monster slid on the Thunderpath and killed you. A twoleg came out and took you away. We do not expect to see you again."
"But..." Eaglefeather protested.
"No buts!" Nightshadow hissed. "You've made your choice. Go. Have a nice life. I hope you like it."
The newest SunClan warriors looked pleadingly at their mentors. "Go!" Silverstorm meowed, "You are no longer welcome here, or anywhere. You are no longer Clan cats. Go."
Skyfire gave Silverstorm a heartbroken look. Silverstorm had to force her face into a numb expression. Skyfire's expression melted. "Come on Skyfire," Eaglefeather mewed, glaring at the clan cats.
Skyfire nodded a rebellious look in her blue eyes. Together, the pale brown she-cat, and the white and brown tom trotted away from the clan cats. "Don't do anything stupid until you leave the territories!" Nightshadow called after them, "You don't want to be caught!" Finally, the cats faded into the distance.
That's when Silverstorm allowed her carefully composed facade to collapse. "Great StarClan," she gasped, and lay down and buried her head in her paws. "She's gone."
"What happened?" Hazepaw squeaked. "Why did they leave?" Silverstorm lifted her head. The RiverClan apprentice stared at Silverstorm with wide green eyes.
Wildwind must have sensed Silverstorm's desire to leave. "I'll explain it to her," he murmured so that only Silverstorm could hear. "You go and tell your clan the news."
"Thank you Wildwind," Silverstorm mewed, "You're the best." Wildwind seemed to straighten at these words, but Silverstorm was sure she imagined it.
"Wait, Silverstorm," Wildwind edged over to her. Meet me here tonight at sundown. I need to tell you something." Silverstorm nodded. Then she turned and began trudging wearily back to camp.
When she was just outside camp, she took several deep breathes in quick succession, and sprinted into camp. "Copperstar!" She shouted, "Copperstar!"
"Silverstorm, what is it?" Copperstar turned away from Heartflight, whom he had been chatting with, to look at Silverstorm.
"Copperstar...it's, it's Skyfire... twolegs...they," Silverstorm stopped for the dramatic effect of catching her breath. "A... a twoleg monster hit Skyfire...and... the twoleg took her!" The last words ended in a wail, and Silverstorm allowed to grief she felt at Skyfire's betrayal to channel through the words and make the emotions sound more real.
"She's been taken!" Heartflight sounded horrified. "Silverstorm that's terrible. I'm so sorry!"
"Not nearly as sorry as I am," Silverstorm meowed miserably. "If I had moved a little faster, maybe I could have gotten her before the twolegs." Excellent. She mentally patted herself on the back. Playing the self guilt strategy.
Copperstar approached Silverstorm. "You're sure she's gone?"
"Positive," Silverstorm moaned, "StarClan how could you let this happen!" She yowled.
"StarClan cannot protect us all," Grayleaf mewed, exiting her den. "Come. Let's get you some thyme for shock." Grayleaf steered Silverstorm toward her den. Silverstorm hung her head. Behind her, she could hear Copperstar calling a meeting to announce Skyfire's catnapping. StarClan what's happening to us?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
So there you have it. Skyfire and Eaglefeather are gone. Never to return! Or will they? This chapter went a bit differently then I planned, but I like it. Anyway, please tell me what you think of Skyfire and Eaglefeather's warrior names. Do you think that Nightshadow and Silverstorm were too harsh? Review! Review!
By the way, I need warrior name idea's for Lionpaw and Hazepaw. Let me know if you have any!