Chapter 14

"Sunpelt! Sunpelt!" Silkpaw cheered with glee as her father went up to the Highrock and began to speak.

"I am honored to be the deputy and I will do my duties well," Sunpelt purred.

As he jumped down Rainstorm came along and licked his ears. "I'm proud of you."

"Silkpaw, come with us. You're going on hunting patrol," a cat called, and Silkpaw wearily got up. When she got outside it was only dawn.

I thought it was later then dawn, Silkpaw thought, annoyed by the emerging sun.

They decided to hunt near Sunningrocks, and Silkpaw bounded ahead, yowling for the two other cats on her patrol to catch up.

"Hold on, Stonefall. Look over there!" Flametail meowed urgently.

Stonefall turned in the direction of where Flametail was staring in horror.

"RiverClan warriors are lying on Sunningrocks!" Stonefall growled in rage. "We shall fight them."

"Again," Flametail added.

"Well, Silkpaw, we will go hunting later today. We will fight now," Stonefall mewed, for it was his first time as a warrior in battle.

"Attack!" Stormstar yowled as ThunderClan cats began pouring out from behind the bushes. Maplepaw had begun to fight an older she-cat. Hey I remember her, Silkpaw thought.

Just then a RiverClan cat jammed into her flank. It was a tom; he was black with amber eyes.

"Blackstripe," Silkpaw hissed.

"Hello," Blackstripe growled calmly, as if they weren't in battle. Silkpaw lunged at her rival.

He wasn't ready, so Silkpaw scratched at his muzzle. It started to bleed immediately. He was so frightened that he ran off.

"Easy kill," she growled.

"Retreat, RiverClan! Retreat," their leader yowled. "We will get you, Stormstar, someday."

"Never," Stormstar growled as RiverClan shot off. "Let's head back to camp."

Was that a flash of grief in his eyes? Silkpaw thought. No.

As they got back to camp Stormstar raced off to find the medicine cat.

"I wonder if something's wrong," Maplepaw mewed. Then they heard a yowl. Mosspelt raced out of her den.

"Our leader . . . is dead." Everyone started to gasp.

"What?" Silverpool wailed. "Noooooooo!" Silverpool started sobbing.

"What is happening?" Stormstar stepped out of the den, staring in bewilderment at his devastated Clan. "Silverpool, what is wrong?"

Silverpool looked up at him. "Stormstar! You're alive!" Silverpool exclaimed. She buried her nose into his fur. "I thought you were gone," Silverpool meowed. Yowls of agreement rose in the air.

"ThunderClan - gather under StarClan," Stormstar yowled. He waited for his Clan to follow his directions. "I am on my last life and I trust Sunpelt to become the next leader." He stared approvingly at his deputy, who was holding his gaze. Stormstar nodded and bounded off the Highrock.

"Silkpaw, will you go on a hunting assessment, please?"

"Yes," Silkpaw mewed. My second hunting assessment? Silkpaw thought. She shrugged her shoulders.

Hmmm . . . there is squirrel, mice and vole, she thought. Silkpaw had caught a squirrel and two mice before she noticed a new scent. It wasn't Rainstorm.

"Who's there?" Silkpaw growled. She heard some leaves rustling and turned around.

"Hello."

Silkpaw turned her head to see a cat. He was black with amber eyes. He looked like Nightstripe.

"Hi, Nightstripe," Silkpaw mewed.

"I'm not Nightstripe. I'm Darkfur," the black cat mewed. He's the cat from my dream! Silkpaw thought. Oh no!

"What do you want?" she hissed.

"Nothing. I'm not part of a Clan anymore. I'm just a loner." Darkfur sighed.

"You look tired, and hungry, too. Let me see if Stormstar can help!" Silkpaw blurted.

"Alright," he meowed.

Just staring at him makes me sleepy, Silkpaw thought. I might as well catch some prey for him.

Quickly she caught a vole and two sparrows and brought them to him. "Hurry up and eat it. It was my catch after all!"

Darkfur gulped down the fresh-kill, then, suddenly, bounded towards ThunderClan camp, leaving Silkpaw yowling, "Wait for me!"