Chapter Twenty-Three
DISCLAIMER
If I owned warriors, Feathertail would've survived the fall, the three would belong to Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw, and Spottedleaf and Firestar would never have loved each other
Awww, even Banana Llama didn't review! Anybody reading? Hmm…
Unless I get 5 more reviews, I'm not updating! Bwa ha ha ha ha!
Unless, you know, I give in and really wanna update :)
Silverdapple was walking alongside Clearmist – Lighteningclaw seemed to have gone home before they reached the island.
"You don't think he'll do anything, do you?" Clearmist asked.
"He may have just gone home…" Silverdapple defended her brother distractedly. Her brother was the last thing on her mind right now. She had much more important things to think about. Much more pressing things like -
"You don't believe that," Clearmist's voice sliced through her wandering thoughts.
"You see right through me, Clearmist. I may be uncertain of where he is –"
"You have no idea where he is," her sister interrupted. Silverdapple went on as if Clearmist had not spoken.
"But I am sure that he is not my brother!"
Clearmist nodded in agreement and added sadly, "I don't know what's come over him. It's as he's… he's being controlled or something…"
"You said that the other day,"
"I know, but something is going to happen. Something bad. I can almost taste the blood on the air and hear the shrieks of battle."
"Hi," said a WindClan tom who had wandered over. His voice and green eyes were friendly, showing none of the hostility his clan had recently thrown at Silverdapple's. "It's Silverdapple, right?"
"Yes. You are, umm…Featherstripe, right?"
"Yes, I am." Featherstripe was a handsome, light brown tom with feathery stripes along his back that clearly gave him his name.
"So, how's the prey running?" Silverdapple asked, trying to be friendly.
"Very well. The rabbits are nice and fat, so their slowing down a lot. How's the prey running with you?"
"Oh, very well. The thrushes and chaffinches are out now that the weather is warmer."
"I never really liked the taste of chaffinches," he admitted, "There are too many feathers."
"I prefer robins," Silverdapple mewed.
"So do I. It appears that we have something in common," he mewed taking a step closer to her.
"Yes, so it appears," she replied taking a step backward.
"I wonder if we have anything else in common."
"We probably do."
"Do you think that your eyes are pretty?"
"Uh… No…"
"Neither do I. I think they are beautiful."
"Um… Thanks?"
"Do you?"
"Sort of…"
"So that's another thing in common."
"Yeah. Here, I have a question. Do you know a cat called Foxleap?"
"No, why?" Featherstripe tipped his head to the side questioningly.
"So that's something we don't have in common." Silverdapple concluded. "Here's another question. Do you have a special someone in your own clan? I know I do."
"Uh… No…" Featherstripe's voice was becoming slightly hesitant.
"So I guess it's safe to say that your not—"Silverdapple did not finish her sentence, for at that moment Clearmist came up to her with her silvery gray coat gleaming in the moonlight, and Featherstripe immediately turned attention to her.
"Hello," he said.
"I'm—" Clearmist began, but Featherstripe cut her off.
"Beautiful." He said. Clearmist tipped her head to the side.
"What?"
"You."
"Huh?"
"You're beautiful."
"Oh. Well thanks, I guess. I'm Clearmist."
"Your eyes are clearer then the lake." He murmured.
"Thanks," Clearmist said, completely unaware that the light brown tom was flirting with her.
"Clearmist, um, did you come up here for a reason?" Silverdapple interrupted the confusing scene.
"Yeah,"
"Why?"
"Oh, Bumblestripe caught a fish and wondered if you wanted some. It's actually quite delicious," she added, licking her lips.
"Yes, I do. I'm kind of hungry."
"So am I. Yet another thing we have in common." Featherstripe said, but Silverdapple swept on as if she hadn't heard. What a creep, she thought. He probably just wanted to try and get some of her clan secrets.
A tangy smell reached Silverdapple's nose, but it was not unpleasant. She bounded forward and found Bumblestripe sitting by the lake. Beside him was some fleshy bits of the fish.
"Is this for me?" she asked, gesturing toward the fish. Bumblestripe nodded and continued looking out across the lake. At that moment, Clearmist emerged looking offended that Silverdapple had just abandoned her.
"When you've finished stuffing yourself," Clearmist mewed with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "The Gathering is about to start."
"Oh, ok." Silverdapple gulped down the remainder
They had just reached the Gathering when it started. A loud, unfamiliar yowl met Silverdapple's ears.
"Fools!" A rough voice said. Silverdapple turned slowly and gasped. Leading a pack of rogues – and ghost-like cats – was her brother, Lighteningclaw,
"You thought you were done with me!" He continued in that same, rough voice. "You thought that I would never bother you again! Well, you were wrong!"
Silverdapple stared, gaping, and waited for Firestar to calm his crazy deputy. But instead of reassurance, Firestar too, was gaping widely.
"Tigerstar?" He gasped.
"Yes!" Lighteningclaw hissed. "You're not done with me, you orange fool!"
"You're an orange fool too," Clearmist muttered, only just loud enough for Silverdapple to hear.
"DarkClan, gather!" Lighteningclaw flicked his tail… Wait, Tigerstar flicked his tail… No, Tigerstar flicked Lighteningclaw's tail? Somebody flicked somebody's tail, and a bunch of rogues joined him and the other cats. Among them were others – Silverdapple recognised Hawkfrost's shimmering pelt. She saw another ghost-like cat with a kinked tail and a brown pelt.
"Attack!"
Oooh, a cliffy! What's gonna happen next? Well, wait till the next chapter! Oh ho ho, I LOVE leaving you guys hanging :P
P.S I hadn't remembered that Heatherpaw and Lionpaw called themselves DarkClan in Dark River until after I had written it, FYI.
Don't forget to review! 5 for the next chapter!
Unless I forget or something…
Yeah…