I'm sorry about the slow update time on this one, there was a death in the family and we were all pretty scrambled this week. Anyways, enjoy and look forward to the next one within the next week, I'm finally getting to read Bluestar's Prophecy so I might be a while ;)
"Shiningsky!" Berryfrost purred, running up to the other new warrior.
"Hey Berryfrost." Shiningsky replied, observing him. He had become lithe and muscled, a strong warrior. His chocolate fur was smoothed down, and his white socks were dirtied.
"Do you, uh, want to hunt with me?" The tom asked hesitantly, and Shiningsky blinked. The memory of Lionpaw asking her to become her medicine cat apprentice pounded in her mind. She had refused not only because it was not the path for her, but because of the things not doable on that path.
The most important thing… love, I suppose.
Shiningsky walked off with Berryfrost, thinking of her future.
Back at camp, Pondclaw chatted with Quailpaw.
"Quailpaw, you'll be deputy." Pondclaw purred, "Also, we'll need a medicine cat. You said Darkpaw refuses to come?"
"Right, she doesn't want to abandon ThunderClan." Quailpaw said sadly.
"As I've heard. It's too bad," Pondclaw sniffed, "We'll be fine on our own. We'll get Coldpaw to replace her."
"Right, Pondclaw." Quailpaw agreed hurriedly, but was still saddened by his sister's rejection of the new Clan. "Will Deadpath be with us?"
"Maybe." Pondclaw looked annoyed. She looked around before saying, "Berryfrost told him about the new Clan, so there's no getting out of it now."
"He might not want to go." Quailpaw reminded.
"Either way, doesn't matter. We can build up the new Clan in our own ways." Pondclaw purred, giving Quailpaw a lick. The tom leaned onto the older she-cat lovingly. Pondclaw remembered when he would curl up next to her in the apprentice's den. But that's over now.
In the forest, Berryfrost wanted to say so many things to Shiningsky, but said what was on the top priority list first.
"Pondclaw is going to make a new Clan, and there was never a proper time to ask you this before. Pondclaw, myself, Quailpaw, Flamekit, Tigerkit, and possibly Coldpaw and maybe others are going to make a new Clan together. Are you coming?" Berryfrost asked, daring himself to stay focused. Shiningsky was shocked, a new Clan?
"There's only ever been four Clans in the forest." Shiningsky muttered. "Why would we make a fifth?"
"You're forgetting SkyClan." Berryfrost retorted. "But we're making this new Clan for our safety. Pondclaw wants us to go out to the mountains, so we're not under StarClan's skies. If we aren't under the skies of StarClan, the Dark Forest cats won't be able to hurt us, right?"
"Pondclaw… is she going to be leader?" Shiningsky interrogated, and the chocolate tom blinked. He wasn't sure.
"I don't know… I hardly know the details. You'd be better off asking Quailpaw."
Shiningsky thought of her little brother back at camp, enamored with Pondclaw. She shook her head and sighed.
"Anything else you want to tell me, Berryfrost?" Shiningsky prompted, and the tom looked nervous.
"I… um…" Berryfrost thought of all the times he had followed after the pale she-cat when they were apprentices, and then thought of Pondclaw. She was so inviting, so warm, and had a sense for everything. "It's nothing."
Shiningsky blinked, but then shrugged. "Let's head back; Stormstar should be picking who gets to go to the gathering." Berryfrost quickly agreed and the two went back to camp.
"I've decided that all of ThunderClan will be going to the gathering. It's not safe to leave anyone at camp." Stormstar's voice rumbled like thunder.
"What about Flamekit and Tigerkit?" Flowerbelly asked worriedly from the nursery. "And Raggedwing?"
"I'm well enough to travel." Raggedwing grunted.
"Flamekit and Tigerkit can be carried by warriors." Wilowleaf insisted.
Darkpaw knew that her leader's words made sense. However, the Dark Warriors hadn't stolen anyone, ThunderClan or ShadowClan, as far as they knew, for quite a few sunrises. Lionpaw had seemed to be the final one. Shiningsky's eyes were clouded, and Darkpaw figured she was thinking the same thing.
"The gathering is tonight… let's hope ShadowClan is alright." Lightheart mewed, and the Clan cats had a saddening aura around them. Stormstar left his perch and the Clan scrambled, off to do other things.
Darkpaw looked to Deadpath, who was distracted by something invisible, it seemed. "Deadpath," she called, and he looked towards her, startled.
"What is it?"
"Are you thinking of RiverClan?" Darkpaw asked kindly, hoping she wouldn't touch a nerve.
"Oh, yes." Deadpath mumbled his reply. "Doesn't matter anymore."
"But it does! Why were you called Deadkit?" Darkpaw questioned, wanting to know. Deadpath shot her a look and didn't reply at first. But then he sighed.
"I don't know. I might not even be a Clan cat." He spat. "I wasn't born to RiverClan, I was found on the border of RiverClan and ShadowClan."
Darkpaw had only silence to say to that. "You… you could be ShadowClan, then?"
"I don't even want to think about it! Why am I even talking to you?" Deadpath hissed, and sprinted off. Darkpaw sat uncomfortably, dragging the dirt with her paws.
Stormstar led his Clan to the border between ShadowClan and ThunderClan, where the gathering would have to take place for now. They were the first to arrive, ShadowClan was nowhere in sight.
"Where are those fox-hearted scraps of fur?" Deadpath growled. His attitude had only become worse after Darkpaw confronted him. She felt bad every time she saw him.
"I see them coming!" Hornetflight insisted. Shiningsky strained her eyes and saw the scrawny dark shape of Midnightstar leading her tiny Clan. As ShadowClan met ThunderClan, all cats felt their hearts drop to their stomachs. The Clans were fading fast.
"Greetings, Midnightstar. I see we both brought our entire Clans." Stormstar said gravely.
"Don't think highly of yourself because your Clan has a few more cats than mine," Midnightstar hissed, "We're perfectly capable of winning any fights."
"Please, Midnightstar, we're not here to kill ourselves." Owleyes scolded, and the ShadowClan leader simply grunted at her deputy.
"Times are worse than ever, but the flow of Dark Forest cats seems to have stopped. That's a good thing." Stormstar noted. "However, I am proposing that we stick together. ShadowClan and ThunderClan should work- "
Stormstar was interrupted by a loud yowl from Midnightstar.
"Are you saying you want to join with us? Think again! Although we're becoming desperate, we would never accept ThunderClan among us!" The leader growled, her eyes blazing.
"Calm yourself, we don't have to if you don't want to." Stormstar's neck fur rose. "I was just suggesting the idea, that's all."
"Hmph." Midnightstar calmed down just a notch. "This gathering isn't getting us anywhere."
"Let's just calmly discuss things. We have to think of a solution." Stormstar put emphasis on 'calmly', and then the cats began to chat.
Pondclaw saw Coldpaw sitting by his father. She walked over to him confidently.
"Oh, Pondpaw. How are you?" Coldpaw asked genially, but Pondclaw rolled her eyes. She looked up at Clawlight; he couldn't be around for this. She glared at Coldpaw, looking up at his father again, until Coldpaw got the picture.
"Oh, Clawlight, Shadefur was looking for you before…" Coldpaw began shakily, and his father widened his eyes.
"Really? Let's see what she wants." Clawlight spoke smoothly, a hint of annoyance in his voice, and padded away. As soon as Clawlight was out of the area, Pondclaw leaned in towards the ShadowClan apprentice.
"It's Pondclaw now," she said proudly, and realized at once that Stormstar had not announced her and the other new warriors.
"Oh, congratulations." Coldpaw meowed nonchalantly.
"You don't have to act so stiff, you sent Clawlight away." Pondclaw growled.
"Stiff?" Coldpaw mewed uncertainly.
"Didn't Lionpaw tell you about the new Clan?"
"What?" The grey tom tilted his head.
"I and other cats from ThunderClan are leaving the lake to go to the mountains. We're going to make a new Clan, under a different sky, where the Dark Forest won't threaten us."
Coldpaw's heart pounded. Away from the Dark Forest, away from StarClan, away from his father.
"What do you say?" Pondclaw purred kindly.
"When do we leave?" Coldpaw answered as his response. Pondclaw grinned and said, "Soon. At the next half-moon, most likely. I'll go get the others."
Berryfrost was in the middle of a tricky conversation with Shiningsky.
"Shiningsky, uhm, I had wanted to say something else to you before, while we were hunting." Berryfrost began awkwardly. Shiningsky braced herself for a confession; she wasn't sure how to respond.
"I think I- " Berryfrost was cut off by Pondclaw bounding up to them.
"Come on you two, we're assembling the new Clan." She drummed her paws against the grass.
"We're leaving now?" Shiningsky asked, surprised, but Pondclaw shook her head. The three walked back to Coldpaw. Quailpaw was with him, muttering something in his ear.
"Where's Flamekit and Tigerkit?" Pondclaw questioned, looking around.
"They're playing with Lilykit, I don't think we could drag them away." Coldpaw confirmed.
"That's alright; we can take your sister to the mountains as well." Pondclaw said brightly, and ran to get them. Coldpaw looked like he was going to stop her, but he faltered and slunk back next to Quailpaw.
"Flamekit, Tigerkit!" Pondclaw called, greeting the kits with their new playmate.
"Pondclaw! Can we tell Lilykit about the secret?" Tigerkit asked, excitement building in his eyes.
"Sure thing!" Pondclaw purred, "Lilykit can come along as well." Flamekit and Tigerkit looked ecstatic and started both talking at once to the dazed Lilykit.
"New Clan?" Lilykit mewed unsurely, "But ShadowClan and ThunderClan have always been the only Clans."
"But we're gonna make a new one!" Flamekit insisted. Pondclaw couldn't help feeling amused at the ignorant kits.
"We'll get to play together all the time in PondClan!" Tigerkit said happily, and Pondclaw frowned, hoping he wouldn't give away their secret so easily. The silver she-kit still seemed unconvinced. Suddenly, a weary grey cat approached from behind the kit.
"Lilykit, we have to go with Clawlight, come along." The she-cat mewed anxiously, but Lilykit protested.
"Shadefur, are we joining the new Clan?" Lilykit asked innocently. Pondclaw froze. That fox-brained kit gave it away! That's just like ShadowClan… I bet Coldpaw is spilling secrets left and right.
"New Clan?" Shadefur's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" She looked down at Flamekit and Tigerkit, who were as still as stones. They knew Pondclaw had told them not to give it away, but they had blown their cover!
"Flamekit, Tigerkit and Pondclaw told me they're making a new Clan!" Lilykit whined, and Shadefur's eyes went to Pondclaw. They were soft eyes, scared eyes.
"Is that true? Answer me honestly, I can't do anything about it." Shadefur asked, her tail going protectively around Lilykit.
"Yes, it's true. I'm forming a new Clan." Pondclaw replied, deciding to play her cards differently. "Would you like to join, Shadefur?"
Pondclaw saw Shadefur freeze. The queen stared at the ground for a few long seconds before looking back up at Pondclaw.
"Is Clawlight nearby?" She whispered, afraid to turn.
"He's talking to Cloudheart." Pondclaw replied confusedly.
"Okay… where are you taking this new Clan?" Shadefur questioned.
""To the mountains. A different set of ancestors will watch over us there." Pondclaw purred, recalling tales of the Tribe of Rushing Water and their warrior ancestors; the Tribe of Endless Hunting.
"The mountains? Wow!" Lilykit seemed excited instead of annoyed now.
"We'll be safe there; the tribe is too kind to strangers, they won't hurt us." Pondclaw insisted.
"You speak as if you know from experience." Shadefur accused, staring confusedly at the ThunderClan warrior. Pondclaw just sniffed and replied, "It's your choice, Shadefur. We'll leave at dawn on the next half-moon."
Shiningsky watched them talk curiously, trying to detect any hidden feelings in Pondclaw's voice. She could feel anxiety pouring out from Berryfrost next to her.
"I wonder if Shadefur will come with us…" Quailpaw mumbled, his own thoughts unclear.
"Who knows." Shiningsky replied. Coldpaw looked away.
"I'll come with you!" Shadefur said quickly, "I don't believe there is a place for me here anymore."
"Ah, excellent! You can be a mother to Tigerkit and Flamekit as well." Pondclaw purred. Great, now have the basics down.
"What about Flowerbelly?" Flamekit mewed, sounding hurt. "Can't she still be our mother?"
"I'll be your mother from now on, Flamekit. At least, once we start living together." Shadefur murmured to the kit. Pondclaw was impressed; the queen had caught on quickly. She would have to chat with her later. Pondclaw reminded her once again of the half-moon meeting and padded back to the other future PondClan members.
"It looks like Shadefur found out." Quailpaw growled at Pondclaw's return, but the warrior she-cat shrugged.
"It's alright. Flamekit and Tigerkit need a new mother anyway. Shadefur is taking it very well."
"Well, that's good." Berryfrost added helpfully, "Maybe there will be more queens in the future…" he trailed off, sneaking a shy glance at Shiningsky. The she-cat in question only sighed inwardly. It was obvious what he wanted to say, but now was not the time.
Suddenly, Stormstar appeared and Pondclaw froze. Had he heard anything?
"Come on, we're leaving. Nothing is going to be accomplished here." The leader grunted, and walked with Willowleaf back towards camp. Deadpath was slightly behind them, followed by Darkpaw. The rest of the Clan trailed after them, and Pondclaw waited until everyone was ahead of her before walking. She snuck a look back towards the leaving ShadowClan, but Shadefur was already out of view.