Chapter 19

Whitestream's POV

Whitestream awoke to feel someone prodding him. He opened his eyes to see Birchheart in front of him.

'I need you to lead a hunting patrol.' He meowed. 'Take whoever you want.'

Whitestream jumped to his paws.

'Do you want us to leave now?' He asked.

'Yes.' Birchheart replied and left the den. The white warrior went over to Shinyheart who was sleeping near the entrance to the den.

'Shinyheart wake up.' Whitestream meowed.

The she-cat opened her eyes slowly and looked at him.

'What is it Whitestream?' She asked, sighing.

'Birchheart wants me to take out a hunting patrol, and I want you to come.' Whitestream explained.

At that Shinyheart rose to her paws and looked at him.

'Wake Littlefur up.' Whitestream meowed and went over to the entrance to the den. 'I'll go and get Smallpaw.'

When Whitestream left the den he saw, Flamepaw walking out of camp with her mentor, Mossheart. Firepaw, Greypaw and Sorrelpaw were sharing tongues and Darkpaw and Dustpaw were play fighting. The white warrior walked over to them and stopped in front of Firepaw.

'Is Smallpaw still sleeping?' He asked.

'I think so, Whitestream.' The apprentice meowed.

Just then a small white head with a grey muzzle appeared at the entrance to apprentices den. Smallpaw walked out and looked at him.

'Oh are you looking for Flamepaw?' She asked. 'Cause I think she already went training.'

Amusement washed over Whitestream and the other apprentice purred with amusement.

'No actually I was looking for you.' Whitestream meowed.

'Me?' Smallpaw blinked. 'Why?'

'I'm leading a hunting patrol and Littlefur is coming and you're his apprentice.' Whitestream meowed. 'I would be unfair not to include you.'

'I can I come?' Sorrelpaw asked and jumped up.

'Only if Mistystorm says it's okay.' Whitestream meowed.

With that the apprentice ran over to the warriors den.

'Come on.' Whitestream meowed and walked away from the apprentices den.

The two cats stopped at the Rock tunnel and a few heartbeats later, Shinyheart, Littlefur, Sorrelpaw and Mistystorm appeared. Mistystorm stopped in front of Whitestream.

'Sorrelpaw tells me that you are on hunting patrol.' Mistystorm meowed. 'She can go but I'm trusting you to keep an eye on her.'

'It will be good having a day without her, she is to lively for me.' Mistystorm whispered into Whitestream's ear a few moments later.

Oh! Whitestream thought. That's right Mistystorm said she was planning on retiring after Sorrelpaw became a warrior!

Whitestream nodded.

'Okay Sorrelpaw you can come.' Whitestream meowed and Mistystorm left the five cats. 'But if you set one paw wrong I'll send you to clean the Elders bedding.'

With that said Sorrelpaw screwed her face up at the thought.

'That goes to you to Smallpaw.' Littlefur meowed. Without waiting for the apprentices reply, Whitestream ran out of camp and into the forest.

Whitestream stopped in the middle of the forest and his patrol stopped next to him.

'Shinyheart go that way.' The white warrior meowed and flicked his tail towards a piece of woodland.

'Okay.' The she-cat meowed and ran off.

'I'll take Sorrelpaw this way.' Whitestream meowed and pointed his muzzle towards the Lostclan border. 'I'll check the border while we are there.'

'Okay, I'll take Smallpaw this way.' Littlefur meowed and ran off towards the Sunclan border.

'Look out for Sunclan patrols!' Whitestream called to them as the two cats ran off.

'Come on!' Sorrelpaw meowed and ran past him.

'Sorrelpaw!' Whitestream called after her.

Sorrelpaw gave no indication that she had heard and ran off towards the Lostclan border. Whitestream ran after the apprentice. When Whitestream got to the Lostclan border he realised that Sorrelpaw had run into Lostclan's territory.

'Sorrelpaw!' Whitestream hissed.

He slowly entered the territory and followed her scent. Soon her scent mingled with others. He found her in the edge of a clearing with Feathercloud, Twilightheart and Bluepool.

'What are you doing here?!' Twilightheart hissed.

Sorrelpaw eyes widened. Whitestream jumped into the clearing and over to Sorrelpaw.

'Whitepaw?' Feathercloud asked. 'Two apprentices?!'

'No.' Whitestream meowed calmly. 'One apprentice One warrior, I'm sorry Sorrelpaw is on your territory, you can expect no trouble from Streamclan.'

Feathercloud narrowed her eyes but took a step back.

'Okay then leave.' Feathercloud meowed.

Whitestream dipped his head and shoved Sorrelpaw away from the cats.

Once they had gotten over the border Whitestream turned to the apprentice.

'Why were you in their territory?' He hissed.

'I-I'm sorry Whitestream, I must have crossed the border.' Sorrelpaw meowed and bowed her head.

Whitestream flickered his tail crossly.

'You're not going to send me back to camp are you?' Sorrelpaw asked looking at him, with her ears flatted on her head.

Whitestream thought for a moment before answering.

'No.' Whitestream meowed. 'But I will be sending you to clean out the Elders bedding and I will tell Mistystorm.'

Sorrelpaw didn't look sad but nodded.

'I understand Whitestream.' The apprentice meowed.

'Come on let's hunt.' The White warrior meowed.

Whitestream sat down with part of his catch at his paws, Sorrelpaw sat next to him. Suddenly Shinyheart, Littlefur and Smallpaw appeared with prey in their jaws. Whitestream flickered his tail and he picked up his prey.

'Let's get back to camp, then we can get the rest of or prey.' Whitestream meowed and ran off towards the camp.

He ran through the forest with Shinyheart hard on his paws. When they got into camp it was about Sunhigh and the next patrol was just leaving.

'Good hunting?' Stormheart asked.

'It's fine, not much prey is out though.' Shinyheart meowed.

Stormheart nodded and lef his patrol out of camp. Whitestream went over and placed his catch on the fresh-kill pile.

'Sorrelpaw take some prey to the Elders and start clearing out the bedding.' Whitestream meowed.

Sorrelpaw screwed up her face but didn't say anything. She picked up two voles and a mouse and ran over to the Elders den.

'Smallpaw can you take something to the Queens?' Littlefur asked. The apprentice nodded and picked up two voles and ran off.

'What did Sorrelpaw do?' Shinyheart asked.

'She crossed the Lostclan border and a patrol found her.' Whitestream meowed.

'Why in Starclan did she do that?!' Littlefur asked.

'Only Starclan knows.' Shinyheart mumbled.

'Can you go and get the rest of the prey, I have to tell Mistystorm.' Whitestream meowed.

'Sure.' Shinyheart meowed.

Whitestream left the warriors and found the Misty blue she-cat outside lying down. She looked at him as he approached.

'How was hunting?' The she-cat asked.

'Fine.' Whitestream meowed. 'Though Sorrelpaw did step over to the Lostclan border and was found by a patrol.'

Mistystorm sighed.

'Did she run off?' The she-cat asked.

'Yep!' Whitestream meowed. 'Right passed the border.'

Mistystorm looked at the tom for a moment.

'You have no scratches so there was no fight.' The she-cat meowed. Whitestream nodded.

'Feathercloud, she let us leave their territory with our fur on.' Whitestream meowed. 'I just sent her the clean out the Elders bedding.'

Mistystorm nodded.

'Good idea.' The she-cat meowed. 'When she come back out get her to check the Elders for ticks too.'

Whitestream nodded and headed over to the Elders den. Sorrelpaw was inside placing a new piece of moss down next to Flamefrost. When she noticed the warrior she bowed her head.

'I just spoke to Mistystorm, and she wants you to check the Elders for ticks too.' Whitestream meowed.

'Ticks?!' Sorrelpaw exclaimed. 'Yuck!'

Flamefrost looked up.

'If you're lucky I may have a story to tell you.' He meowed.

Graystorm looked up for his bedding.

'Which story this time?' The Gray elder asked. 'Firestar or Tigerstar?'

Heatherleaf purred with amusement.

'Or Tigerclan?' She meowed. 'Oh maybe Lionclan.'

Sorrelpaw purred with amusement.

The Fire red warrior narrowed his eyes.

'You go and get the mouse bile and I'll finish up here.' Whitestream meowed.

Sorrelpaw shot passed him and into the clearing. Whitestream couldn't help flicking his tail in amusement.

When Sorrelpaw returned Whitestream had just laid out the last piece of bedding.

'Okay now who has ticks?' Sorrelpaw meowed in amusement and went over to Flamefrost.

'Okay, okay.' Heatherleaf meowed.

'I'll tell you when about, Firestar and Tigerstar.' The elder meowed and looked at Whitestream. 'Are you going to stay and listen?'

Whitestream shrugged. 'I can't hurt to learn something about clan history.' The tom meowed and sat down.

'Okay anyway once Tigerstar was leader of Shadowclan and he joined his clan with the mighty leader Leopardstar of Riverclan and made Tigerclan.' Flamefrost meowed. 'He brought Bloodclan to the forest and tried to force Firestar the mighty Thunderclan leader and Tallstar the leader of Windclan to join Tigerclan.'

'Oh I remember this one.' Heatherleaf meowed.

'Then Firestar told the clans about why Tigerstar was exiled from Thunderclan.' Flamefrost continued. 'You see he had killed Redtail, Bluestar's deputy and blamed Oakheart of Riverclan.'

Sorrelpaw flickered her ear.

'Then Lionheart became deputy, but sadly he was killed in a battle against Shadowclan.' Graystorm meowed. 'Finally Tigerstar, Tigerclaw at the time become deputy, but he wanted to become leader, he set a trap for Bluestar but the mighty leader had Greencough, Firestar, Fireheart at the time had gone to get some Catmint but said he would go and investigate.'

Whitestream had remembered this story from when he was young, Stripefrost had told him.

'But Fireheart's apprentice Cinderpaw had gone and got run over by a monster.' Whitestream meowed. 'After that Tigerclaw lead Rouges to the clan and planned to kill Bluestar but Fireheart stopped him.'

After the three Elders finished the story, Whitestream left the den and found it was almost Sundown. He noticed Flamepaw over at the apprentice den eating alone. He grabbed a vole and walked over to her.

'Where are the other apprentices?' He asked and placed his vole down in front of him.

'Still training.' Flamepaw sighed and took a bit of her mouse.

'Don't worry.' Whitestream meowed as Smallpaw came out of the nursery. 'Look there is Smallpaw.'

Whitestream ate his vole quickly and went over to the warriors den. He went inside and curled up on his bedding. Soon he fell into a blissful sleep.