Wahoo!!! I think I didn't make any mistakes in this chapter! YEY! Please tell me if I did, though! ;)
So, Renegade, my rat, is still alive, so that is a good sign! It means I can actually take care of her correctly!
Anywho, it was my Birthday on Tuesday! YEY! I'm happy!
Alrighty, on to the replies.
Replies:
Spiritwind: Me too! My grandpa, the one who got into the plane crash, has finally been able to start talking, although it is somewhat wheezy. Can you believe it has been almost 7 weeks since that? Anyway, he actually remembered my birthday!
Anyway, I just realized that I used the moonthing. I hope you aren't mad. And, well, I knew the name Blizzard's Winds sounded familiar. Now I know why! Sorry, again!
And yes, I meant 9 years. My bad!
He doesn't want to explain the fact that he grew up with cats, so that's why he didn't explain his name…I guess I wasn't terribly clear with that. ;)
Iyokolover11: Thanks!
Firewolf: Yeah, I felt terrible when I saw that I hadn't included your character, even though it unintentional.
But, yes! I LOVE the Sight! Poor Larka! I was so mad when she died! (Oops, spoiler!) I love Kar, though. And Firebringer, his other book! I actually have gotten some ideas from The Sight. Ah, well. He's a good author.
Queen o' Randomness: The feeling's mutual, sista! JK! So, Pyro. Are you thirsty! (Inside joke)
Chakrastrings: Yep. Flying Lizards.
Spottedstar: NO! Don't die! Breathe in! Breathe out! Breathe!!!
Bluepelt: Thank ya! Anyway, yes. I could use Algebra. He'll come in later. He is a boy, right? I LUV the name Cascade. I think that I'll use him/her too!
Anyway, she will, eventually. Maybe (smiles mischievously).
Crowfeather's Loyalty: Yey! I read it, and I like it a lot!
Anywho, I like Sparks a lot too!
Starlight of Thunderclan: Exactly. That's what they and him will eventually find out.
Softkit of Polarclan: Oh, no! I know what you are going through. I've had loved ones die. (Including this fish called Sinlubaybubbakatara, which when he died I cried my eyes out.)
Anyway, I will introduce some characters…hehe. And no, I have no idea where she went.
BTW, the Eragon movie sucks! Don't see it.
I might do a movie commercial thing for the warriors series, though.
Blaze ocean dragon: lol, yes. Viva the flyinh lizards! WOOT! Thank you. And, yes. Is my story so easy to decipher? Hawkfrost no problem killing Ridge (pouts)…or will he? (cackles)
Leafpool's Loyalty: Lucky! You have snow days! I wish we had snow here, but never in the history of history has it snowed. It stinks.
I know the feeling of missing school. It scares me too. ;)
Crazyhorsegirl3: No problem.
Those Inuit names saved me. The prospect of thinking up those names would've seriously hurt my brain.
I'll try. I do think it has improved.
I love my rat! She has an exclamation point on her forehead! No kidding! A brown face, with a white exclamation point on her head!
WildTotodile: I think that she will be related to him, just not like family-wise. That would ruin the luv! ;) But she will have an entwined past and future with him!
Oceanwind: I miss chocolate already! I gave it up for lent (our Christian youth group does it) and I feel all alone. ;)
I was sooo scared by your threat. Don't worry! ;)
Disclaimer: Must I repeat myself???
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Ridge, wake up. You've been growling in your sleep, Something about Comet," Sparks said, his brilliant eyes troubled. "Are you okay? You also mentioned someone named Sorreltail, but that's all I heard. You said it in some weird language."
Ridge said nothing, not wanting to relive his dram. It had been about Sorreltail, yes, and Sunpaw and Squirrelflight and Comet too. And they were all dead.
"Shadow didn't seem too happy when you mentioned Comet," Sparks remarked. "Who's Comet, anyway? Not too be nosy or anything."
"I really don't know," Ridge said. "I never really found out."
Sparks nodded, as if everybody dreamed about creatures they didn't know.
"Well, Deathmoon wants Shadow to come with us to introduce you to our pack members," Sparks mused. "Wonder how that'll turn out, huh?"
Ridge smiled, but his thoughts were still on his home.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A gray cat looked down at the pool, but nothing showed in its dark depths. A breeze ruffled the cat's fur, but no ripples showed on the surface.
Two great dogs approached the cat, and neither moved as they looked into pool. None made a sound.
One wolf, a completely black wolf with silver-ish eyes occasionally turned to look at his mate beside him. Concern showed in Comet's stance, but not in her features.
Another shape detached itself from the shadows beyond moonpool, and a mangy cat emerged, followed by a gray one.
"Bluestar, Comet, Darkdeath, stop staring around and help come up with ideas of how to find a way of finding Silverpaw!" Cinderpelt hissed, batting the dogs with her paw. Darkdeath snarled, while Comet just continued staring at the pool.
"Ridge," she whispered.
"Ridge."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Squirrelfight awoke; sweat glistening on her flanks, with a sickening feeling in her gut.
Ashfur stirred from beside her. Ever since Brambleclaw had started ignoring her, Ashfur had jumped right back to where they had been before. At first Squirrelflight had objected, but since Silverpaw had left, she finally gave in.
She hadn't let him become her mate, on the contrary, she rather not have anything to do with him, but didn't want Brambleclaw to see her without anyone.
Squirrelflight tried to get up, but as she stood, she swayed and almost emptied her stomach of her previous meal. Ashfur looked up, concerned, but she shook him of.
"I'm fine," she insisted as Ashfur opened his mouth once more.
Shaking his head, he watched her warily exit the warrior dens.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brambleclaw open one eye to glance at her, but it was so quick she could not decipher his expression.
As sunlight shined in her eyes, she felt her stomach lurch again, and she staggered toward the direction of Leafpool's den.
Brackenfur, who was sharing a rabbit with a distressed Sorreltail, looked worriedly at the orange she-cat. Paying no attention to the clans questioning stares, she continued walking towards the medicine cat den, occasionally flinching as another pang flashed through her stomach.
As she reached the entrance, Leafpool emerged, looking concerned.
"Come here," she ordered, leading the way into the den.
"Stand still," she meowed. Sniffing her sisters flank, she asked, "How do you feel, and where does it hurt?"
"My stomach," Squirrelflight whispered, her mind reeling.
She saw Leafpool widen her eyes, then reached and touched her nose to the orange she-cats paws.
"They aren't hot, so you don't have a fever. Do you feel like throwing up?"
Squirrelflight nodded.
Leafpool nodded, then stood back. Taking a deep breath, she meowed.
"Squirrelflight, I think you are pregnant."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Come here, dog. I'll show you around," Shadow sighed. Deathmoon had suggested that she should show Ridge around if she wanted to participate in the next hunt. Grudgingly, she had accepted.
Sparks trailed behind, occasionally glancing up at Ridge and they shared a smile as they watched Shadow control her temper.
They stopped by a black wolf that had white splotches along her back and tail, and Ridge recognized the she-wolf that had stood up for him a couple nights ago.
"This is Star," Shadow explained, sounding terribly bored.
"Hello, Ridge. How's life so far in the pack?" Star asked.
Ridge wanted to respond that he was cold at night, hadn't eaten for almost more than a week, and had to follow around a grumpy half-wolf wasn't exactly how he had planned to sped his week, but instead just shrugged.
Star raise an eyebrow, as if she knew what he hadn't said, but nodded. That was one of the most unsettling things about living with wolves. They saw through lies.
Sparks jumped in, wagging his tail, and oblivious to Ridge's lie, happily explained.
"Star is also called Luna."
Ridge creased his brow in confusion as Sparks led him away.
He had already distinguished by sheer observation about how the pack ran, like how although they hadn't done much in the three days of his staying, no patrols or mentors, no hunting expeditions. He didn't ask Sparks about it, at least not yet. He reckoned his curiosity would soon spill over the edge.
"Why is she called two names?"
"Because she wants to be called that," Shadow snapped.
Sparks glared at the half dog.
"Because she is the sister of Sage, who is our remedy wolf, and Sage is the name she is appointed to her as her true name, because it means wise, and that's what a remedy wolf need to be called. All remedy wolves have the true name Sage, but since all remedy wolves are called that, then we would get confused, so we also call her by her other name, which is Rocky, meaning her Full name is Rocky Sage. Since Star is Sage's sister, she can also be called by both her names, although I really have no idea why."
Sparks paused, catching his breath and cocking his head as he fought to remember, but shook his head as nothing came to mind.
"You talk too much," Shadow growled good-naturedly. "Your name should be Talk."
"No, I'm good," Sparks replied. "But you should be called Hypocrite."
Shadow stopped, glaring at the snickering wolf.
"I hate you," she said. There was no trace of hatred in her voice, so Ridge presumed that she was joking."
Sparks shrugged. "Not my loss,"
Shadow rolled her eyes.
"Alright, Lightning. But when you are dying from a moose kick, don't expect me to grieve." Shadow trotted ahead, occasionally glancing over her shoulder at the two males behind her.
"I think that she has become much more sarcastic since Rust started courting her," Sparks said thoughtfully.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Blaze studied the newcomer from his patch of shade. His stomach growled, but he paid it no heed. Instead, he strained his ears forward in hopes of catching more of his daughter's conversation.
He had noticed right off the bat that Shadow had taken a liking to this silver-black dog, more interested in him than the reddish wolf, Rust. He didn't like that.
When he had first laid eyes on Ridge, he had recognized him. His stance alone, not his fur, spoke out to him. This was Darkdeath's son. A traitor's son.
He could not let his daughter love a traitor's son.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Shadow growled to herself, not letting her thoughts wander. Her brain was still reeling with the shock that Deathmoon had let him stay, particularly because he was a dog.
A dog that had tried to steal a deadprey, then wouldn't even tell the pack about his past wasn't the kind of dog she would want to invite into the clan.
Then again, she was happy he was.
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"It's gonna be cold tonight. Do you want to sleep with Rust, Virgo, Kichi, Shadow, and I?"
Ridge nodded. The past nights had given him the chills, even though this would be his third night. He missed the apprentice den, with Sunpaw, Cinderpaw, Sootpaw, even the bulky Badgerpaw. He wanted to go home.
No matter how Sparks worked to make him feel welcome, he knew he would never be at home.
Never ever.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Sparks looked worriedly at his new friend, feeling confused and troubled emotions coming from the dog.
All wolves can sense emotions, feelings, from his pack members, but some more than others. Remedy wolves are the best at it, which was usually why they choose that path in the pack.
Kichi stood, wagging his tail, and his bi-colored eyed sister following suit. Sparks watched as the two touched noses, and how Virgo stood hesitantly to the side, her eyes unfocused and slightly red.
When a wolf eyes turn red was when they are talking to Shila, or they are fighting with the Lust.
Not interrupting the pretty wolf, Sparks introduced Kichi to Ridge.
"This is Eerie's son, Kichi."
Kichi, a miniature version of his father, nodded, his eyes mischievously guarded.
Sparks had introduced Ridge to Eerie earlier, and the midnight colored wolf seemed to take an instant liking to the newcomer. Ridge seemed to have had the same feelings.
He saw Virgo shake herself from her daze, her eyes back to their regular self. Except for the fact that she had different colored eyes.
One blue, the other green.
That was something the wolves had never recorded before, and Sage concluded that she would have a really good connection with Shila and the Estres. She was right.
And she liked Rust. Not him.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Ridge sat, staring at the moon, imagining Comet and Bluestar running across the sky, looking or him. He imagined Squirrelflight mourning his loss, and Firestar's head bowed.
He knew that that wouldn't happen, he betrayed them. They were probably celebrating.
Brambleclaw would finally be happy, and maybe his cold eyes would soften up a bit.
Ridge sat bolt up, his heart thundering. Brambleclaw's cold eyes, Hawkfrost's cold eyes.
Umbra's cold eyes.
What did Umbra mean? It was the wolf's true name, it had to mean him.
Nipping at Sparks ear, he brought the wolf into consciousness.
Sparks groggily blinked the sleep from his eyes, his usual demeanor hampered by sleep.
"What!?" he whispered.
"Sparks," Ridge started urgently. " Sparks, what does Umbra mean?"
The wolf opened his mouth, and then closed it, unsure. Looking around to see if any other wolves were awake, he asked, "Can we discuss this later?"
Ridge growled, the sound being his answer.
"Ok, ok," Sparks said hastily. Closing his eyes, he seemed to go back to sleep, when he whispered something barely audible to Ridge's ears.
"Umbra means Evil. The very essence of evil."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
There's that chapter. Lots of things for y'all to think about!!!
I tried to write differently for each character, having Blaze slightly depressed, Sparks' train of thought always changing, Shadow kinda unsure. I hope it turned out okay!
BlindSeer.