Chapter 8:

"Rockpaw!" Silverheart called as Rockpaw groaned. "Icestar wants you," The deputy meowed. "He told me that you might become a warrior…if you get up." She added dryly. Rockpaw quickly sat up, immediately awake. "Icestar said that?" He meowed as Rockpaw followed Silverheart into Icestar's den.

Icestar was sitting in his den, waiting for Rockpaw. Icestar dipped his head towards Silverheart and she backed out of the den. He motioned for Rockpaw to sit, and Rockpaw sat.

Icestar sighed, gave himself a fast wash then meowed, "Flamewing is missing." Rockpaw hissed, hoping that this wasn't true; Rockpaw shook his head in disbelief.

"I thought she was just doing something for you... But Flamewing would never run away..." Rockpaw trailed off thinking of why Icestar was telling him this now. "It could be something important..."

"Wait, Rockpaw," Icestar interrupted Rockpaw suddenly. "Did Flamewing tell you where she was going? I thought she went to explore or to go hunting for a while."

"No, but I had a dream like this: Flamewing was drowning in flames, dying in the smoke. I couldn't do anything to help or save her." Rockpaw answered sadly, looking down at the floor. "It's like now."

"It's my fault." Icestar mewed quietly. "I should have kept a better eye on her... I'm mouse-brained; I knew that she would do something like this..." Icestar shook his head when Rockpaw slowly meowed, "No, you are not, Icestar. You're one of the best leaders ever!"

"Yes, but Silverheart does most of the work. She should be leader! I should just die or retire!" Icestar shook his head. "Rockpaw, I think you are ready to become a warrior tonight at moonhigh. Sorry, that your younger sister became a warrior before you. Since Ashpelt had to do something for me, it stopped your training for a while."

"I wish Flamewing will be here to see me." Rockpaw mewed under his breath, hoping that Flamewing could hear him.

Rockpaw knew that he and Flamewing had a special connection to each other. If something happened that was a very important part of their lives, they both could see it. If Rockpaw ate something, Flamewing could taste it even if she was far away. Or if she saw something bad or a dream, Rockpaw might see it too. He hoped thinking something would work the same way.

Rockpaw padded out of the den, disappointed. He went over to the fresh-kill pile and took the fish Flamewing had caught. Rockpaw munched on it as Ashpelt pelted over.

"Hey, Rockpaw," he meowed cheerfully. "Do you want to go hunting? Better yet, I'm going to ask Silverheart if we could go on a patrol with Leafstorm, Saturn, and Sandclaw!" Rockpaw grunted, not caring. Then Ashpelt mewed, " Hey, you are usually aching to go on that patrol. What's wrong?" Rockpaw turned away from Ashpelt. Ashpelt touched Rockpaw's shoulder with the tip of his tail and whispered, "Come on, you can tell me." He sat down in front of Rockpaw and poked him with his paw and repeated, "What's wrong, Rockpaw?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Hoping no one was in there, Rockpaw bolted into the apprentice's den, leaving the half eaten fish next to a surprised and confused Ashpelt.

"I, Icestar, leader of NightClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and we commend him to you as a warrior in turn. Rockpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your own life?" Icestar meowed seriously, his eyes blazing.

"I do." Rockpaw whispered sadly, looked down at his paws.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name, Rockpaw, this moment on you will be known as Rockfrost. StarClan honors you for your loyalty and intelligence and we welcome you as a full warrior in NightClan." Icestar finished. Icestar touched his muzzle against Rockfrost's and he licked him in return as the new warrior thought, Flamewing can you hear me? I'm Rockfrost now.

That night, Rockfrost stood guard. The cool breeze drifted through his fur, making Rockpaw's back feel cool. Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the bushes.

Should I raise the alarm?

He approached carefully, scenting cats and a little fox. Suddenly a large cat flew out and clawed Rockfrost. A golden she-cat had scratched him on his left ear and blood was pouring from it. Rockfrost hissed and heard paw steps behind him. Another strong blow hit the warrior on his right flank.

Rockfrost spun around and attacked the intruder. They bowled around and he realized he was battling a young, ugly fox. That made Rockfrost bite and claw harder than ever.

Rockfrost glanced around the clearing and saw pairs of eyes poking out of the bushes. Suddenly, he understood what was happening.

"AMBUSH!" Rockfrost yowled as he kicked the fox. "CLOUDCLAN IS ATTACKING! AGAIN!" Soon Rockfrost had Leafstorm by his side helping him fend off the fox. She gave it a good bite in the throat and it dashed into the bushes, panting.

The golden cat had disappeared.

Rockfrost looked around and saw that NightClan were driving CloudClan away. Good thing that NightClan cats have good night vision, he thought.

Flamewing ran after the black kit and urging the others by calling, "Come on guys! We are almost there!" She paused and murmured, "If she knows where she's going." Suddenly, Flamewing saw the exit from the forest and into the TwoLeg world.

TwoLegs were bustling around, and the monsters were belching out TwoLegs by the second. Thunderpaths were everywhere, and TwoLEg nest towered over the six cats.

Flamewing gasped at the sight and Tinypaw looked like he was going to faint. Brightstorm and Darkblaze were looking at eachother, Thornfrost was dumbstruck, and Lily looked like this was all normal.

"What?" She meowed. "It's not that bad. Let's go." She padded into the opening, and Thornfrost was sure that she was going to get spotted. But, she ran passed the TwoLegs' legs and crossed one of the Thunderpaths and nodded her head to us to follow. Flamewing zig zagged around, hoping everyone was following and made it to the other side of the Thunderpath.

Lily ran to a open space in the Thunderpath were no monsters were darting around, but bigger ones were standing. "Don't worry! They won't bother you!" Flamewing heard Lily call over her shoulder.

She noticed that fences were around us.

Slowly, Flamewing, Thornfrost, Tinypaw and Brightstorm followed Lily across the clearing cautiously. Darkblaze trailed behind. Suddenly one of the monsters started to growl. Flamewing heard Thornfrost yowl, "Run into a TwoLeg nest! There's nowhere else to go!" With a twitch of her ears, Flamewing bolted after Thornfrost.

Flamewing followed Thornfrost into a nest where it was warm and cozy. Thornfrost's muscles relaxed as he mewed,"We'll stay in here until those monsters are finished with wha-" Thornfrost stopped in mid-sentence, looking behind me. "Umm... Flamewing?" He whispered. "Behind you!"

Flamewing whipped around only to be picked up by a TwoLeg kit and stoked by its naked hairless paws. "Let go of me!" Flamewing yowled. She hissed at it and the TwoLeg dropped her back on the ground. Flamewing yowled to Darkblaze, Tinypaw and Brightstorm, on the other side of the nest to get themselves out. They bolted for the exit, and Thornfrost and Flamewing quickly ran after them. The monsters were still working but the Clan cats didn't care. Flamewing hissed at them, but they took no notice of her.

Thornfrost heard a TwoLeg yowl. Suddenly, a large TwoLeg, holding some kind of tube and wearing a mask stepped out in front of the cats, blocking their path to the exit. The monsters suddenly stopped as the TwoLeg held up it's paw.

Then, it pushed a button on it's tube.