Wow, I can't believe I'm on chapter eighteen already! I've only been working on this for like...a month? Well, here's the next chapter! Thanks Moonstreak1, flareon200 and Willowpool for reviewing! If you want your name posted you're gonna have to review!

~Chapter 18~

Bright sunlight poked through the trees, making Reedstar blink. He purred to himself and let his black pelt soak up the sun; it was a nice change compared to the cold, stony mountains. He had gotten tired of seeing nothing but stone walls or rocky cliffs that made his pelt stand on end.

"Are we going already?" Dawnstar's irritated mew came. Reedstar looked up to see that the ShadowClan leader was pacing near the edge of the small forest they had sheltered in. Her eyes were narrowed as she stared at

"Yes, keep your fur on," Cinderstar replied as she padded towards them with the whole of ThunderClan. Ember was bouncing beside Flightpaw, whose one eye was gleaming with excitement. "There's something I would like to perform before we carry on though," the gray tabby added when she stopped.

Dawnstar's eyes narrowed even more. But she stepped aside as Cinderstar leaped onto a boulder. Reedstar tipped his head to the side. What exactly did Cinderstar have in mind? Than he noticed that Brightheart and Mousewhisker were leading Flightpaw and Stormpaw, ThunderClan's only two apprentices, ahead.

"Flightpaw, Stormpaw, you have trained hard to understand the ways of the noble warrior code, and you are ready to become apprentices. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and defend your Clan, even with your lives?"

"I do," Flightpaw and Stormpaw mewed together.

"Than by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Stormpaw, from now on you will be known as Stormcloud. StarClan honors you for your bravery and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior."

Reedstar held his breath as she touched her muzzle on Stormcloud's forehead. He wondered what sort of name Cinderstar had planned for Flightpaw. It couldn't have been anything worse than what Bluestar named Brightheart.

He remembered hearing from Bramblestar that Brightheart had once been known as Lostface. He shuddered at the thought of getting a name so terrible.

"Flightpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Flightwing. StarClan honors you for your humor and ability to get along with everyone."

He noticed that Flightwing let out a sigh of relief. Cinderstar touched her muzzle on Flightwing's forehead, and Flightwing licked her leader's shoulder in return.

"Stormcloud! Flightwing! Stormcloud! Flightwing!" The entire Clans chanted their names; Reedstar felt himself cheering as well.

Than Cinderstar turned to Ember. The light tortoiseshell's fur was gleaming as though she had finished grooming it. Her green eyes gleamed as she stared at the ThunderClan leader. Reedstar was surprised to see how beautiful she looked right now.

"There is something else that I must do. Ember, you have asked to become a full member of ThunderClan. And for that reason, you must have a true warrior name. Ember, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Emberpaw. Bumblestripe, you are ready for an apprentice. Lionblaze mentored you well, and I expect you to pass on his training to Emberpaw."

The Clans chanted her name once more. Reedstar tilted his head once more as he thought of why Emberpaw would want a full warrior name. He knew that Brook had never wanted a full warrior name; neither did Millie or Daisy.

When the meeting drew to an end, the Clans began to journey once more. Reedstar felt his fur prickle as he thought of what might lay ahead of them. He knew that the old territory would have been destroyed by now, but the thought just sent a shiver down his fur.

He wondered if Ravenpaw and Barely's barn would still be there. Barely had been an old cat when they left, and Reedstar guessed in a sad way that the old tom had died. But he wondered if Ravenpaw was still alive.

"Can you believe it?" Sorreltail murmured as they stopped near another Thunderpath. "We'll be seeing the old territory."

Squirrelflight shook her head, suddenly looking sad as she looked at the ground. "Or at least what's left of it," she replied. "But don't mind me," she added with a smug expression.

Soon great stretches of moorland greeted them. Reedstar spotted long, spiky looking stalks of grass poking out of one side of the field, and his nose wrinkled as he remembered them. The Clans had crossed a field like this once before, and he clearly remembered his pads getting cut up by the sharp grass.

Specklefoot was the first to spot the barn. Solar, who had fallen in the back of Cinderstar, was looking at it in interest. Reedstar was relieved that at least part of the old territory had remained. He also spotted what looked like the Highstones, the place where Mothermouth and the Moonstone still laid.

"I can't believe it's still here," Mosspelt breathed as she stepped in beside Reedstar.

Reedstar nodded in agreement as he watched the vast stones. Compared to the mountains, the Highstones looked particularly small. He turned and saw that Squirrelflight, Sorreltail and Brightheart were staring at the barn.

"We should get some rest," Squirrelflight mewed as she stared at it. "It'll be sheltered there, and maybe we can see Ravenpaw."

When the others didn't argue, they trekked towards the barn. But they were greeted with a fierce growl that sounded near the entrance. Reedstar's fur stood on end as a jet-black tom with bright amber eyes stood in front of them. A small gray she-cat with green eyes crouched beside him.

"What are a bunch of strangers doing in my barn?" the black tom snarled. His teeth were bared, and his fur rose so that he looked twice his size. It might have scared away a kittypet or maybe a lone fox, but Reedstar could see the fear in his eyes.

'We've traveled far," Squirrelflight explained. Her ginger tail flicked irritably as she stared at the black loner, but his eyes did not waver. "We were wondering if Ravenpaw's still here."

The black tom's eyes lit up with recognition as he watched them. "Ravenpaw was my father," he meowed. "He...died fighting a badger off."

Squirrelflight bowed her head, and a look of sorrow clouded her eyes. Reedstar suddenly found himself doing the same. He may not have known Ravenpaw or Barely that well, but he knew that they had helped the Clans in more ways than one.

"But he told me about the Clans," the black tom added. The small gray she-cat nodded, though her eyes glittered with fear. "My name's Rocket, and this is my sister, Rina." He looked at the Clans, and blinked. "You're welcome to spend the night here," he meowed. "We've plenty of room."

With that, the Clans entered the barn. Reedstar's eyes gleamed with memories that flooded before him.

He remembered when the Clans made their first journey. The night they had spent here. The fear they had all felt, and the warmth of being welcomed. He wondered if StarClan were watching over them right now. As he nuzzled in his nest, he knew that they were.