A/N: Heres chapter four! Thanks to Nianque and Akari-Miniwara for reviewing, I was hoping to get more reviews. I finished BP it was great, and believe it or not we get to see Firestar's father in it! Let's just say he's not what I expected. Anyway thanks for reading this, and please review. Thanks!

~Leo~

CHAPTER 4

Pure adrenaline rushed through Ember's veins, as the RiverClan deputy stared at him straight in the eyes.

"So this is the kittypet that fell in the river" the gray tom stated, "I would have thought you'd have been to scared, being so far away from your twolegs."

Ember narrowed his eyes, all that anger that had been building up for moons, needed to be unleashed. But he couldn't confront Lightningcloud right now, it was to dangerous. Instead he just told the deputy the truth, "I'm not a kittypet, I'm a loner. My mother and sister died last moon from an adder attack."

His words didn't even seem to phase the deputy, "That's the life of a loner" he meowed, turning to Sandpaw.

The ginger and white she-cat seemed to notice her father's coldness, but only lowered her head.

"Your mother wanted to see you" he meowed to his daughter, "Timberpaw got a thorn stuck in his pad, he needs to get it out to train."

A snort came from Berryshade, "Oh the poor little kit, he must be in so much pain. StarClan forbid he takes it out himself, it's not exactly complicated."

Ember couldn't help but suppress a chuckle, the Medicine Cat seemed to hold nothing back.

But his feelings changed as Lightningcloud turned his furious yellow gaze to meet Berryshade's.

"I'd be careful what you say about my kin" he spat, "In fact I'd be very careful."

And with that Lightningcloud turned to leave, but not before Berryshade hissed back another comment.

"Oh yes that's great, threaten your Medicine Cat" he called outside, "Next time you come in with a serious injury, I just might be to busy to treat you."

The deputy flicked his tail in anger, and stalked off across the outside. Ember had to give Berryshade props, he doubted any other cat would stand up to Lightningcloud like that. The brown and white tom turned away to sort herbs, "I'd like to see that piece of fox-dung threaten me again" he mumbled, "Might just put death-berries in his fresh-kill."

"What was that?" Sandpaw hissed, turning her ginger head to face her mentor.

Berryshade looked up, "Oh nothing, just thinking that I needed some fresh kill. Why don't you go and see to your dieing brother, who knows the thorn might make him bleed to death."

Sandpaw shook her head in annoyance, and grabbed a few cobwebs and some funny looking herbs, and left. Now Ember was all alone with the crabby Berryshade, with nothing to do.

"Can I go out and walk around?" he asked hopefully, his muscles ached from lying down.

Berryshade eyed him for a moment then nodded, "Fine, but don't go falling in any more streams. I don't feel like saving anyone's life today."

The young gray tom nodded, and parted the lichen that hung over the entrance. He was quite surprised to see the Medicine Den surrounded by a stream, they were on a small island! Oh please, not this again. Ember started to panic at the thought of swimming, but luckily he saw large crossing stones.

There was absolutely no way he could fall off of those, and thankfully he didn't. The scents of RiverClan camp were almost overpowering. Ember could smell fish in the fresh-kill pile, and scents coming from different cats that were padding around the clearing.

In fact no one even seemed to notice Ember, they were to busy with clan duties. Through the muffled bodies, he scented Sandpaw over by a clump of bracken, standing next to a dark gray tabby tom.

That must be Timberpaw, my brother.

Ember turned his head to the side, would this cat be nice like Sandpaw? Or did he inherit Lightnincloud's attitude, like Dovepaw had said. He padded alongside a small bubbling stream, that lay beneath an overhanging willow tree, and soon made it to Sandpaw's side.

"Ow!" Timberpaw hissed, as his sister pulled the small thorn from his front paw.

Sandpaw spat the small thorn out and turned, surprised to see Ember standing next to her. "Why are you out here?" she asked, "Did Berryshade say you could come out?".

Ember nodded, "I think he was glad to get rid of me."

Sandpaw chuckled, and was about to respond when Timberpaw moved forward and began sniffing Ember.

"You smell like a loner!" he spat and turned to Sandpaw, "Why is there a loner in our camp?".

Ember sighed, looks like another Lightningcloud. How would RiverClan accept him being here, and most of all would they allow him to stay?

"I told you already" Sandpaw spat, "Ember fell in the river and we fished him out. We couldn't very well let him drown."

Thanks for that, though Sandpaw probably did have his well being in mind.

Timberpaw turned his head in disgust, "Does Fernstar know about this? Does Lightningcloud?".

Sandpaw sighed, "Yes they do, In fact it looks like Fernstar's calling a meeting" she draped her tail around Ember, "Lets go over."

Following the Medicine Cat apprentice, he spotted a pale gray she-cat jump onto a tall log that stood in the middle of the camp.

"Let all cats old enough to fish in the stream, gather here beneath the Tall Log!".

Sandpaw paused as they came to the front, and Ember sat down, overwhelmed by the number of cats that were pouring out of the dens. Two she-cats with kits running around, came out of a bramble thicket.

Strong cats that looked liked warriors poured out of a large thicket, many of them yawning from the previous days works.

"What is all this about?" a plump golden and black she-cat asked, sitting down next to Sandpaw.

The apprentice flicked her tail to Ember, "He's a loner that fell in the river, Fernstar is going to decide if we keep him or not. He has nowhere else to go."

The pregnant she-cat dipped her head, "I can't imagine Fernstar turning away a cat as young as yourself. I'm Leopardspot's nice to meet you."

Ember flicked his tail in greeting, "Nice to meet you too, I hope I can stay with RiverClan. I have no other home." He might as well play that game as much as he could, after all this was for the clans well being!

As the last cats filed out of their dens, Fernstar flicked her spotted tail for silence, and began.

"Cats of RiverClan!" she called out to the many clan cats before her. "It has come to my attention, that a young loner fell into the river yesterday during the storm" she cast her warm gaze to Ember. "This cat has nowhere else to go, and I wouldn't be doing my duty as leader, if I turned a cat barely out of kit-hood, away into the wild."

Yowls of protest came out of the cats, one coming from a light gray tabby tom.

"Why should we let some crow-food eating loner join RiverClan? We have enough mouths to feed" he shot his yellow gaze to Ember, and he felt a chill run down his spine.

"Silence Shademask!" Fernstar hissed to the warrior, "If it is his wish, then I would like to ask Ember to join RiverClan."

Ember felt all eyes on him, as he turned to look up at Fernstar.

She smiled to comfort him, "Is it your wish to be an apprentice of RiverClan, and serve them until your spirits join StarClan?".

"It is" Ember meowed cautiously, not knowing if what he was doing was right or not. He would be giving his life as a loner away, never to return.

Fernstar dipped her head, "Then by the powers of StarClan, I welcome you as a full apprentice of RiverClan. Congratulations, Emberpaw."