Thanks for the reviews! They really motivate me! Also, I just now, in the SECOND BOOK, that both the main character's best friends' surnames were 'foot'. How funny!
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SPARKFUR/CARDINAL POV: 'BIRDCLAN' CAMP
"…Well don't expect me to know, Towhee. I've had my suspicions about those two, Cardinal and Titmouse. I mean, they seem more powerful than any of the kittypets we've recruited. We can train those kittypets, but it looks like they're already trained to fight."
Sparkfur perked her ears in interest. Peering out from the den she was in, she could see a gray she-cat speaking to the leader, Towhee. What was her name again?...oh, it was Robin. Towhee was meowing briskly now. "Robin, I do expect you to know. Honestly! You're our deputy and you can't even watch two stupid cats!"
Robin's gray tail bristled. "They're obviously foreign, Towhee, or I would have known about them!" she hissed. Towhee lashed his tail and bared his teeth. Robin leapt upon him, yowling. They tumbled about, howling and shrieking.
"What's all the ruckus, Cardinal?" Flintclaw teased, moving up the tunnel beside her. His mouth dropped open as he watched leader and deputy fight. Clawed-out fur was flying through the air or landing in the snow.
"Hush up, mouse-brain, or I'll pull your tail out," Sparkfur quipped right back. "Towhee and Robin are fighting over us." Although it was actually a tense moment, Flintclaw chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"We're popular, huh?"
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REEDFOOT POV: RIVERCLAN CAMP
The lanky brown tom still missed his friend desperately, but a small weight had been lifted from him in the past moon. Stripepaw would be made a warrior at sunset, and she was so excited, the little dear, that she gave everyone a good mood. The bad end of this day was that she'd cut her pad open on a rock in the river and could barely walk. She'd have to be accompanied by Willowfur as she became a warrior, in case her paw gave out! How demoting!
Stripepaw limped beside him, wincing as her bandaged paw touched the earth. Reedfoot paused and turned as the deputy, Graywater, called him. "Reedfoot! So, when's little ole Flintclaw coming back? Or did he run off with that ThunderClan kittypet descendant?"
Reedfoot bristled at the barbed comment, but said nothing. Suddenly there was noisy meowing from the den. He padded into the medicine cat's den after his apprentice, alarmed at the loud voices. Stripepaw had an accusing look on her face, whereas Willowfur looked frightened at her assault. The tabby apprentice had a knack for unveiling things, and she looked smug. "I know why you disappeared for a while to bring back Flintclaw!" she meowed. "You're his mother, aren't you?"
Willowfur's pelt fluffed up, and her eyes darted from Reedfoot to Stripepaw. "Well," she sighed warily, "the truth is..." She stopped, sat down, and drew a licked paw over her ears. "I am Flintclaw's mother. I was young, foolish, only just been named a full medicine cat…" She sighed. "Minnowtail had been dropping hints for a small while. When I realized I was pregnant, I panicked and knew I had to do something before it was too late.
"Two days before Flintclaw was born, I left, chancing that I would make it far away before I…well, you know. It didn't work out that way. He came early. Not too far from the west border"—they gave her confused looks—"I wasn't over it!—anyway, not far from the west border, I went into labor and only had one kit. Flintclaw. Minnowtail found me, but I told him to go. He said he'd take the kit to ShadowClan or WindClan, but not here. I was too angry—I wasn't going to let little Flintclaw get away that easily. So I stayed in a large rabbit warren until he was strong and fit, then returned. I couldn't explain. I just gave them dirty looks and said Flintclaw was too young to travel.
"Well, finally, Mistystar, at the time still Mistyfoot, confronted me. Unable to even give a half-witted excuse, I told her the truth. She was disgusted with me, but she said she wouldn't tell my secret. She also got onto Minnowtail, but we continued with our lives. Flintclaw's always thought his mother was Pebbleleg. I couldn't bear to tell him the truth." Willowfur looked at the ground.
Stripepaw's mouth was open, and Reedfoot's eyes were wide. This immense secret, kept from them for seasons, was now let out, and they could hardly understand. Outside, they heard a great crack, and a yowl of horror. Reedfoot rushed from the clearing and spotted Waterwind lying on the ground, black fur stained with glistening red blood. It seeped into the snow, staining it crimson. Silverfur moaned with grief as if she'd been struck with the rock.
"Willowfur! We need help!" Reedfoot yowled. He heard Willowfur preparing herbs and telling Mallowpaw what to do. Mistystar padded anxiously on the Rockpile, and finally called out, "Well, while Waterwind is being treated, I think I shouldn't delay Stripepaw's warrior ceremony." The she-cat brightened greatly.
"I, Mistystar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as warriors in her turn." Taking her eyes off the setting ball of fire, she fixed her gaze on Stripepaw. "Stripepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Reedfoot saw Stripepaw narrow her eyes and look up at the sky, where small fragments of glittering stars were beginning to show. She released a long breath and stared into Mistystar's eyes. "I do."
She smiled. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Stripepaw, from this moment you will be known as Stripeleg. StarClan honors your enthusiasm and spirit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan." Mistystar jumped off the Rockpile and rested her muzzle on Stripeleg, who quickly bowed her head. She licked her shoulder, then stepped away to join Reedfoot.
"Stripeleg! Stripeleg! Stripeleg!" cheered the Clan, flicking their tail-tips to the syllables. Reedfoot, with a sudden burst of bravery, leaned down and licked her ears. She looked up, her eyes glittering with happiness, and sank into his chest fur.
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FLINTCLAW/TITMOUSE POV: OLD TWOLEGPLACE
"Okay," Robin said, nodding to Flintclaw. "Titmouse, you sneak up that silver-barked tree. Siskin will take the left fence, and I'll take the right. On my signal, we'll jump him."
Flintclaw nodded with a sickening feeling in his stomach. He had no wish to 'jump' a poor, tiny tortoiseshell tom that went by the name of Mr. Fluffy. Struck with an idea as the pair slowly walked to the fence, he leapt into the yard and whispered to him, "Hey! Mr. Fluffy!" The tom turned.
"Run inside as fast as you can, and be careful when you go out. Cats want to take you away." Surprised by this strange tomcat and horrified at being taken away, he ran into his nest screaming, "CODY! CODY HELP!" Quickly Flintclaw dug his claws into the wood and began clawing up it. He made it into the tree just as Robin and Siskin looked down into the yard in astonishment.
"The cat's gone!" exclaimed Siskin. As she said this, Flintclaw hurled himself out of the tree and hurtled through Twolegplace, his breath whooshing from his lungs and back in. His paws pounded on the earth, hearing the 'BirdClan' cats give chase, and he flew into camp, yowling, "Sparkfur! Ravenpaw! Barley! The time to leave is now!" Sparkfur dashed out of the hollow, fluffy den flying, closely followed by the two loners. They formed a tight pack and began sprinting, with bellies low, through the furious and confused mob of cats.
"Oh no!" yelped Barley, looking back as he ran. "They're on our tails!"
"Forget that," Sparkfur snapped, "and keep running!" Though the older tom could have easily argued with her, he just nodded and said nothing. But soon Barley began to fall behind, wheezing and panting.
"We have to stop soon!" Ravenpaw meowed anxiously. "He can't last much longer." As soon as he finished, Barley stumbled, tripped, and collapsed.