I won't be updating much between friends and family and prepping for college.
7. A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.
Rabbitleap opened his eyes and looked up as his mother. Doetail's amber eyes revealed her doubt on this mission.
"Come on, before dawn arrives." Her mew was calm, not showing the emotions that her eyes did. As he rose to his paws, he saw that Wolfspirit had come by. The deputy was whispering something to the leader. He would have tried to overhear if not for Wildpelt approaching him.
"You ready?" The messy brown tom asked. Rabbitleap couldn't read his friend's emotions as easily as his friend read his. The cream and brown warrior finally nodded as he fixed his gaze past Wildpelt and onto the ThunderClan territory that lay past his friend.
"As ready as I'll ever be."
"All cats gather around." Echostar's voice was as calm as Doetail's had been. She did not speak all too loudly as if she were afraid she'd wake ThunderClan. The tabby overlooked the group of warriors. Something flickered in her eyes. A knowing that she didn't seem to want to share, but Rabbitleap was unable to think of what she would be hiding from her own Clan. Echostar was a very honest cat and not the one to hide secrets. "I feel like I finally must announce this. I am on my final life."
What? Rabbitleap felt frozen as he looked at Echostar. The worried and panicked whispers of his Clanmates filled his ears.
"Then why go into battle when your Clan needs you?" Hollowstrike's voice rose about the rest. Echostar's calm gaze fell onto the powerful warrior.
"Because it's my duty as leader to fight for my Clan. I have lived an eventful eight lives, and I would rather lose my ninth in battle then I did my first to greencough. I do not want any special help. I want you all to fight as if I had all nine of my lives, do you understand?" He question was met with silence at first. Silence, until Honeylight spoke up.
"I understand." The gold and white she-cat called out.
"I do, too." Hollowstrike dipped his head to the tabby leader.
"I do."
"I understand." The voices of his Clanmates rose. He even heard his mother's.
"I understand." Rabbitleap finally said himself. A twinkle of sorrowed joy lit up in Echostar's eyes.
"Thank you." She sounded so grateful. That's when Rabbitleap came to realize how old the leader was. He had never noticed the silver growing around her muzzle, or the bone-tired look in her eyes until now. He understood now that she knew she wasn't going to leave as long as the Clan had hoped. He realized that she knew that she was getting weaker by the day. He overlooked how she looked so thin, like she hadn't been eating much.
She's ill, isn't she? Rabbitleap realized. And she doesn't want the illness to kill her.
"Let's go." The elderly leader called out. Rabbitleap looked. The sun was starting to show. Wolfspirit joined the patrol against their leader's wishes. Rabbitleap padded next to Wildpelt, who looked worried and confused.
"I never would have guessed she was on her last life." The brown tom muttered to himself, his green eyes distant.
Me either. Rabbitleap thought bitterly. As they slipped into ThunderClan territory, Rabbitleap felt numb. The image of Sandbriar appeared into his mind over and over as he remembered what happened last night. The queen's fury was bone-chilling. She really did loathe the young warrior. With a swipe of her tail, Echostar signaled to go into hiding. In the distance tired pawsteps made their way toward them. Right as a patrol of five stepped into view, Echostar's yowl sounded out and ShadowClan attacked. All Rabbitleap could see was a fury of fur and claws. The cream and brown warrior himself drew blood of a black she-cat who looked a moon younger then he did. He pinned her down and dug his claws into her pelt. The she-cat squirmed and let out a yowl of pain as he dug his claws in deeper and blood started to build up around his claws, tainting them a deep scarlet.
"Birdpaw!" Rabbitleap heard Bluewillow's voice hiss in time to dodge her leap. He nimbly ducked away and let go of Birdpaw in the process. "Go get help!" Bluewillow ordered her apprentice. The black she-cat nodded and ran off, leaving Rabbitleap face to face with the blue-gray she-cat. Her white-dipped muzzle was pulled back into a snarl and her cold golden eyes made Rabbitleap feel frozen.
"Remember, Rabbitleap, don't let all your training be for nothing." Silverwing's voice rang in his ears. For a heartbeat he caught the scent of his mentor right next to him. That was enough to fill him with energy. His blood burned like fire as he leaped at the senior warrior. Once more he saw nothing but fur and claws as he fought the ThunderClan queen. After what seemed like a terrifying lifetime, a brown tom called out retreat in front of the limp, ginger body of Mumbletail.
"ThunderClan retreat!" Panic was flashing like wildfire in the tom's blue eyes. With the help of a large brown tom, they carried away the body of the dead deputy. Relief flooded Rabbitleap as he watched them run. His right ear stung, as it had been shredded by the blue-gray warrior, and his muscles ached with a burning passion. His gaze turned to his Clanmates, who were mourning over a body. Worried, Rabbitleap ran over. His gaze fell on the powerful form of Wolfspirit.
"I was told this would happen." Echostar muttered silently as she pressed her muzzle on the fallen deputy's. "StarClan said he should have never become deputy."
"Why?" A look of concern drew over Longfur.
"He had never mentored an apprentice before he became deputy."
Alliances
ShadowClan
Leader: Echostar- a pale tabby she-cat with black stripes
Deputy: Wolfspirit- a large, powerful dusty brown tom APPRENTICE: Pinepaw
Medicine Cat: Brownwhisker- a solid brown tom with amber eyes
Warriors: Willowshade- a gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes
Nightfoot- a black tom with amber eyes
Hollowstrike- a brown tabby with blue eyes
Hawkwing- a large dark brown tabby with black tail-tip
Mottleface- a handsome mottled dark brown tabby tom with patches of white
Longfur- a long-furred black she-cat APPRENTICE: Beepaw
Applestorm- a dark ginger she-cat with dark paws.
Doetail- a pale brown she-cat with white paws
Kestrelfang- a dark brown tom with black spots APPRENTICE: Amberpaw
Honeylight- golden and white she-cat with green eyes
Wildpelt- messy-furred brown tom with white tail
Hazelear- light brown she-cat
Rabbitleap- cream and brown tom with stumpy tail
Apprentices:
Amberpaw- ginger she-cat with blue eyes
Beepaw- tortoiseshell tom
Pinepaw- brown and black she-kit
Queens: Dapplefur- a tortoiseshell she-cat. Has Mintkit (gray and ginger she-cat) and Bramblekit (brown tabby she-cat)
Elders: Oddeye- a white tom with one amber eye and one blue
Whitefern- white she-cat with green eyes
Littleleaf- an unusually small tabby tom. Former medicine cat.
WindClan
Leader: Gorsestar- A light golden tom with amber eyes
Deputy: Swiftheart- Black tom
Medicine Cat: Yew-whisker- a brown tabby she-cat Apprentice: Onepaw
Warriors: Willowheart- gray she-cat Apprentice: Nightpaw
Nettletail- a plan gray she-cat Apprentice: Darkpaw
Stonefang- a gray and silver tom
Dawnfeather- a ashen gray she-cat with amber eyes Apprentice: Jaypaw
Darkflower- a black she-cat with yellow eyes and brown tail.
Pigeonfur- brown she-cat with amber eyes
Waspwing- golden tabby with blue eyes Apprentice Bumblepaw
Blackfang- black tom with one white paw
Thorntail- brown tabby tom with black stripes
Bumbleflight- gray tabby with green eyes Apprentice: Shimmerpaw
Darkstrike- black tom
Skypelt- a white and blue-gray she-cat.
Softface-cream she-cat with white ears
Grass-stripe- tabby tom
Stonecloud- gray tom
Apprentices: Nightpaw- black tom
Jaypaw- silver tom
Shimmerpaw- black she-cat with brown patches
Onepaw- small blue-gray she-cat
Queens: Tallflower- black and white she-cat. Had Rushkit (black and white tom) and Podkit (dappled tom)
Elders: Owlwing- brown tom
Tallwhisker- long-legged tabby tom
RiverClan
Leader: Ashstar- thing gray she-cat
Deputy: Snowfern- white she-cat with silver paws
Medicine Cat: Lilypetal- pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with white underbelly Apprentice: Tumblepaw
Warriors: Troutsplash- brown tom with white patches Apprentice: Bluepaw
Stormstrike- dark gray tom with icy blue eyes
Otterheart- grayish-brown tom Apprentice: Smokepaw
Carpbelly- shiny, solid brown tom
Fallowpelt- pale brown she-cat
Grayear- silver tom with gray points Apprentice: Wheatpaw
Beechclaw- brown tom
Splashface- pretty ginger and white she-cat
Fernsky- gray she-cat
Mossytail- black she-cat
Whitefern- white she-cat. Apprentice: Cloudpaw
Ryecloud- black and brown she-cat
Duckfeather- brown spotted tom
Reednose- tabby tom
Apprentices:
Cloudpaw- white she-cat
Bluepaw- blue-gray she-cat
Wheatpaw- tan she-cat
Tumblepaw- tan tom
Smokepaw-dusty gray tom
Queens:
Hollyberry- tabby she-cat. Has Jumpkit (solid gray tom)
Elders: Dewfoot- black and gray she-cat
Daisypetal- light brown and cream she-cat.
Weedclaw- gray and brown tom
ThunderClan
Leader: Yellowstar- golden she-cat Apprentice: Leafpaw
Deputy: Mumbletail- ginger tabby Apprentice: Barkpaw
Medicine Cat: Mothtail- light brown tom
Warriors: Heavyleap- large brown tom
Mousenose- dusty brown tom Apprentice: Echopaw
Eaglestep- a battle-scarred brown tom Apprentice: Swallowpaw
Flameheart- ginger tom with white paws
Vinestripe- tabby she-cat
Quickfoot- gray tabby
Bluewillow- blue-gray she-cat Apprentice: Birdpaw
Dewcloud- silver tom
Brownclaw- brown tabby tom
Dappleflame- white she-cat with black spots Apprentice: Lightpaw
Apprentices: Birdpaw- black she-cat
Barkpaw- brown tom
Leafpaw- tortoiseshell she-cat
Swallowpaw- pale tabby tom
Lightpaw- light brown she-cat
Echopaw- dusty she-cat
Queens:
Hazelwhisker- white and silver she-cat
Elders: Sandpelt- light ginger she-cat
Lionthroat- golden tom with thick fur around throat.