Okay, chapter 32 up! With a lot action and dramatic which I felt we'd been lacking for awhile. Things are wrapping up! Only five more estimated chapters! Meanwhile, I'm back in the Roses in the Dark rhythm so there will be no further delay that I know about! That last chapter was just long and yucky. Thanks for all the birthday wishes :) AND there is a survey on my profile for if I should make a sequel or not. Please tell me your input.
Starbomb: Thank you so much! :)
Gentleheart: Hey there! Good kitty or bad kitty?
xXAquamentiXx: Hi! Thanks a lot!
AmberFlame: Hi! Thank you so much! And I actually don't read over my work when I'm done with it (cause I'm lazy… I know) so I'm lucky that this is legible hehe. Thank you again for all your compliments and everything, they mean the world to me!
ScourgeXScarlet: Hey there dear reader! Thanks! And well… who knows about Rosewater? :)
Pengirl: My birthday was the 30th, Thanks though! And I posted Chapter 10 of ASSOTAC, post the next SOON!
Stormfeather of IceClan: Hi again! Thanks a ton!
DahliaStarr: Course you can call me friend! Thanks so much! And yes hehe Stonefang is a gentle giant :) Good description of him there.
Blazingnight: Hi! Yep! Snowpaw is all found! And Rushfall and Burningheart… we'll have to see about that…
Frostbliss: *gets squishified by death rainbow hug* Thanks! Nice to hear all your thoughts on the story too :) Thank you again, here's your update!
Chapter 32: Again
Lionfire's POV
Lionfire felt his paws itch as he walked along the lakeside. It was a cool and clear night for a Gathering, the full moon hanging lightly in the sky, floating so peacefully and watching with ever-seeing eyes. Does StarClan bless tonight? He wondered with a tilt of his head.
He continued along the familiar path, finding his mind wonder. How is Larchwing doing? Has she had her kits yet? Are they good kits? Are they healthy? Is she still alive? Oh StarClan! Let her be alive and well!
"Are you okay Lionfire? You're acting a bit jumpy." Lionfire turned to meet the eyes of Forestclaw, looking at him with concern.
Lionfire smiled at his friend. "I'm fine." He meowed.
"If you're sure." Forestclaw looked at him warily. "You know what you need Lionfire?" he asked, his green eyes brightening a little.
"What? "Lionfire asked with a sigh.
"A good mate."
Of course. Lionfire rolled his eyes. "I'm perfectly fine as I am." He meowed to Forestclaw.
"Are you sure? My life got ten times better when I found Swanwhisker!" The tom enthused, his eyes lightening even more.
Of course it did. Lionfire felt his heart go out sympathetically to Shinedove. His sister had always loved the brown tabby, and was heartbroken when Oakstar had chosen her to mentor his daughter. Lionfire knew that it gave her an excuse to hang out more with the tabby, but it wasn't the same as love.
Lionfire sighed. Love. What a cruel and twisted thing it could be, but also the most wonderful feeling of all time. His thoughts went away to Larchwing once more. Will she be at the Gathering? No! What am I thinking? She's expecting my kits! She can't come to a Gathering! It's much too dangerous for her!
"Lionfire? Are you sure you're okay? You're sort of here and there." Forestclaw meowed, a befuddled expression on his face.
Lionfire nodded vigorously. "I told you, I'm fine." He meowed.
"If you're sure." Forestclaw meowed with a sigh. He padded away from the golden tabby to pad beside his son, Ravenpaw.
Lionfire sighed as he continued along. He couldn't help but have his thoughts transfer to Larchwing every once and awhile. He soon felt his paws treading across the familiar rough bark of the log leading to the island. He couldn't help but let his eyes scan across the Clans. Everyone else was already here.
I wonder if Oakstar will bring up that we have Burningheart with us? He wondered as he saw the ThunderClan leader glaring with hostility at Adderstar. With a sudden yowl, Lionfire turned his attention to the speaker, Clawstar of ShadowClan.
"ShadowClan is thriving." Clawstar meowed. "Mousefall has moved into the nursery, expecting Antclaw's kits." He meowed, looking rather pleased. Murmurs of congratulations passed through the Clans, Mousefall was a well respected warrior. He nodded his head to Adderstar to speak next.
"Cats of all Clans! There is a danger among us!" Adderstar called, his dark eyes glinting. Gasps arose from the cats and the leaders looked at him with suspicion. "I have banished a cat called Burningheart for unnecessary attack. I suspect that he killed the apprentice Thornpaw, and then attacked me after his murder."
"Fox-hearted liar!"
"What?"
Lionfire held his breath. Oakstar stood nose to nose with Adderstar. His fur making him appear twice his size, his eyes sparking angrily and his lips drawn back in a snarl. Adderstar had a similar appearance but hovered over the small old tom.
"You heard me! You're a filthy liar! Burningheart didn't kill Thornpaw!"
"Oh? Then if you know so much, who did?"
"You did."
"You call me the liar! How dare you accuse such things?" Adderstar's claws were sliding out. Lionfire slipped through the crowded cats who hissed angrily to find Shinedove.
"Shinedove." He murmured to his sister. "Come on, let's get back with ThunderClan."
Shinedove blinked her blue eyes distant. "But… this is awful. Fights aren't supposed to happen during Gatherings."
"StarClan hasn't blocked the moon yet however." Lionfire said thoughtfully, looking up to see the cloudless sky. "The Gathering will go on. Don't worry; it won't end in a fight." He led her back to where the ThunderClan cats were gathering, hissing and spitting insults at the WindClan warriors.
"I know! I let Burningheart into my Clan and he is an honest cat, I can tell, far more honest than the scrawny excuse of a leader that you are!" Oakstar snarled. Adderstar hissed, he leaned back and lashed out a claw, missing Oakstar's muzzle by a hair.
Oakstar yowled with fury. "ThunderClan! Attack!" Lionfire's blood turned to ice as a bulky WindClan warrior knocked into him. Lionfire gave a spat of fury. He kicked the tom off him with all the strength in his hind legs. Lionfire hadn't fought in moons. It sort of felt refreshing to him now.
The WindClan cat was back at him in a heartbeat, springing at him full force. Thinking quickly, Lionfire side-stepped out of the way. As the warrior landed in confusion, Lionfire raced over to him. He leapt in the air and used his hind legs to kick the warrior back again. The warrior hissed, blindly lashing out his ivory claws. One caught Lionfire on his nose, slicing open fresh blood.
Lionfire gave a battle cry and leapt onto the WindClan tom. With a yowl of fury he ripped open the tom, drawing fresh blood onto the grass.
"Everybody stop!"
At the cry, Lionfire stopped his paw from digging once more into the tom. His head flashed to the speaker, coming from the top of the tree. It was an extremely skinny WindClan she-cat. Every rib was protruding out at an awkward glance against her thin black fur. Her blue eyes held sorrow and misery, pain and regret.
"We don't need to do this!" the she-cat's voice was crackled and raspy as she looked over the Clans nervously. Her build was so fail it looked as though you could push her down with a whisker.
"Rushfall! What in the name of StarClan do you think you're doing?" In a heartbeat, Adderstar had jumped up there beside her, his tabby fur torn and bloodied. In an instant, he raised his paw, his long claws out. He thwacked Rushfall in the back.
The black she-cat gave a cry of pain and fell to the ground with a spine-tingling thump. She didn't move. "WindClan is leaving! Now!" Adderstar hissed. He leapt back down and grabbed Rushfall's motionless body by the scruff, his teeth digging unmercifully into her scruff.
Is she dead? Lionfire felt his heart beating quickly. Sure enough such a hard blow, long fall, and heart-breaking thud on the ground the skinny she-cat wouldn't be able to live. Or at least, it was very unlikely she would be able to.
The Clans watched in silence as WindClan stalked away, Rushfall leaving a trail of blood behind her. After they were gone it was silent.
"The moon still shows." Stormwhisper meowed in a hushed voice that sounded rather loud in the blood-curling silence.
"I suppose that means the Gathering should carry on." Jaythorn, deputy of RiverClan meowed.
"I'll go now." Boulderstar meowed quietly.
Lionfire sat down and licked his bloody spots as Boulderstar continued. He kept his ears pricked, listening carefully and thoughtfully to every word he said.
"One of our Queens, Larchwing, has given birth to four healthy kits." Lionfire stopped licking and froze in his spot. His kits. His kits were born. "Goldenkit, Honeykit, Brightkit, and Sunkit." Boulderstar announced before dipping his head to finish his announcements.
Lionfire burst with pride. Perfect names, absolutely perfect. How much he wished to go and see them. How much he wished to do so. Larchwing had even named one Brightkit, in honor of Brightpaw he presumed. He grinned widely and caught Oakstar's eyes. They had to go speak with them. He needed them to be in ThunderClan so he could see them every day.
"Alright… ThunderClan is thriving right now, with many warriors and apprentices, all healthy and well." Oakstar announced. "This Gathering has closed. ThunderClan, let's go home." He meowed. He leapt down from the tree with a sigh, falling into step beside Stormwhisper as he led the way across the log.
Lionfire followed. He felt nervousness flicker inside of him. He needed to meet his kits though, so he needed to do this. He padded beside the ThunderClan leader who twitched his ears in acknowledgement. "Oakstar…" he murmured his voice low. "What are we going to do about my kits?" he asked softly.
Oakstar snorted. "What I should do is banish you." He meowed. Lionfire felt his heart nearly stop in his chest. He couldn't be serious… could he?
"W-what?" he murmured, his golden eyes wide with fear.
"Calm down now, I said that I should banish you… it doesn't mean that I will."
Lionfire felt a rush of relief fly past him. Thank you StarClan! I will never disobey the code again! "Thank you Oakstar."
"As you should be." Oakstar grumbled, his whiskers slightly twitching with amusement. Lionfire smiled weakly. "I'll send a patrol over tomorrow, of me, Iceblossom, and you, then you can meet your kits." He meowed.
Lionfire dipped his head in appreciation. "Thank you Oakstar." He meowed.
"Just don't let it happen again… understood?"
"Understood."
Rosewater's POV
"Quick! Prepare! WindClan is attacking!"
Rosewater felt her blood turn to ice. WindClan! Her eyes flashed around the clearing frantically. She saw Lilyfrost as the camp entryway, her icy blue eyes wide as she announced the news. Again they attack during the full moon! Weren't they gone to the Gathering?
She saw Firestripe rushing Featherfoot into the nursery; the silver tabby she-cat had just recently announced that she was expecting his kits again. Firestripe then sat down at the entrance, his ears down and claws slid out protectively.
Rosewater's fur fluffed out. There were a few more warriors here this time, including herself, Burningheart, Flamewind, Dawnpool, Firestripe, Redpaw, Snowpaw, Lilyfrost, and Grayblaze. Something in her still felt missing without Stonefang here as well.
"Rosewater!" The creamy she-cat whipped around, her blue eyes fixated on Burningheart who met her gaze more relaxed.
"Burningheart!" Rosewater meowed. "Please, would you go watch the Elder's Den?"
Burningheart scrunched up his face. "I don't think that they trust me." He admitted.
"Tell Troutclaw that I sent you." Rosewater meowed. "Now go!" Burningheart nodded quickly, racing away to them. Rosewater looked around. "Redpaw!" she called, recognizing the flash of reddish fur past her. "Go watch the Elder's with Burningheart." She instructed. Redpaw's eyes darkened for a moment but he nodded and without hesitation, raced over to join Burningheart.
"They're here!"
Rosewater snapped her head to see Lilyfrost tackled by a WindClan warrior. With a yowl, more soon flooded in, one at a time through the thorny barrier. Rosewater saw Snowpaw wrestling with another apprentice. She admired the way her apprentice fought, though her eyes twinkled darkly.
"You!"
There was a blood curling yowl that sounded so dreadfully familiar. Rosewater snapped away from watching Snowpaw to be met by a mouthful of fur. The cry filled the air once more. Rosewater cringed in pain as claws poked and dug into her skin.
Rosewater yowled, pushing her attacker away for a heartbeat. With a quick gasp she scrambled to her paws again, her blue eyes wide as she met the dark ones of the cat before her. Adderstar.
"You deserve to be dead!" Adderstar screamed, launching himself over to her.
Rosewater was prepared this time. She flung herself onto her back as Adderstar sailed over her. He landed neatly on his paws and whipped around, face to face with Rosewater now. Rosewater wrinkled her nose at the smell of crow-food from his breath in her face.
Rosewater hissed, sitting back and rising up to her hind legs to bombard him with furious whacks from her claws. They embedded deep and scarlet blood pooled out. Adderstar yowled in pain. He twisted around and out of her grasp, whipping his tail into her eyes.
Rosewater growled and blinked away the fur to see Adderstar knocking her over with his shoulders again. Rosewater tumbled to the ground and Adderstar took advantage, staring at her exposed stomach. Rosewater screeched in pain, she squinted her eyes and struggled underneath.
Suddenly, the weight was lifted off of her. "Haven't I told you before Adderstar? Stay away from her!" growled a low raspy voice.
Wearily, Rosewater climbed to her paws to see the tabby pelt of Troutclaw ripping into Adderstar. "Troutclaw! No!" Rosewater yowled. She raced forward, her eyes scanning the scene now. Blood was pooled all over their camp. She couldn't find Burningheart however. He's supposed to be watching Troutclaw!
Adderstar twisted and withered underneath Troutclaw's grasp. Suddenly, the tom bent forward. Troutclaw was too busy ripping into the tom to notice what was happening. Rosewater opened her jaws in alarm as Adderstar snapped open his own in a flash and enclosed them around Troutclaw's neck.
"No! No! StarClan no!" Rosewater screeched. Troutclaw's grip loosened in surprise as blood spilled from his open wound. Adderstar kicked the Elder off of him, snickering even though he was wavering on his paws from all the blood that was beneath him.
Rosewater pushed past Adderstar and crouched over Troutclaw whose breath came in fast and rapid. "Troutclaw… no… no Troutclaw! Hang on! The Clan will be here soon!"
Troutclaw just looked at her, his dark gray fur ruffling gently in the breeze; he smiled and then fell limp.
No! StarClan how could you let this happen! How could you do this to me? Have I not suffered enough? Is that all you wish for me? To suffer all of my life? She dug her claws into the ground with frustration and sorrow. She felt her eyes watering as she looked down at the lifeless form of her friend. Her dear friend who had known her since she was just a kit. Who had taught her life lessons, and never finished telling her that story. That story of WindClan.
Cold laughter from behind broke her from her thoughts. Adderstar. With a heart-stopping battle cry, Rosewater whipped around to raise her paw and slice it down Adderstar's smug face, drawing immediate blood.
Adderstar seemed in confusion at the time. Rosewater bowled into him, knocking him back. She continued to claw at his ears and slice open his nose and scratch at his chest. Blood rushed from the huge tabby tom. He tried to fight back but Rosewater pinned down his paw. She pushed him aside strongly with her shoulder and then jumped. She landed neatly on his back even though Adderstar had hooked her foot with his claw, drawing fresh blood.
Adderstar crumpled to the ground underneath Rosewater's added weight. The she-cat slid her claws through his skin, feeling the blood well around it. She lowered her head to his ear.
"How dare you killed Troutclaw." She hissed. "Mark my words Adderstar. You will die by my claws. You will die."
"ThunderClan is here!" Rosewater raised her head at Snowpaw's call.
Adderstar suddenly bucked up to his paws. His fur was torn and bloody, mostly from Troutclaw's beating. He looked around quickly. "WindClan retreat!"
Rosewater hissed, lashing a claw out as the leader disappeared from her range. She felt warm fur suddenly press against her. "Rosewater! What happened? Are you okay? You'd better tell me everything! I'll kill whoever did this to you!"
Rosewater let out her breath in ragged waves. She buried her muzzle into the gray fur of Stonefang beside her. "Troutclaw… Troutclaw…" she felt sadness wash over her.
"Troutclaw?" Stonefang murmured.
"He's… he's dead."
A sudden screech made Rosewater look up.
Adderstar stood at the exit. He stood tall even though blood was everywhere on him and his fur was torn and his eyes tinted red.
"We will attack again ThunderClan." He snarled.
"Prepare yourselves for complete elimination."