Okay, so here's chapter 6! Sorry it took me so long to update, but like I said, Friday and Saturday were really busy! Yesterday, I wrote a story I am hoping to get published in a magazine, so I didn't work on this very much. Anyway, here it is!
Chapter 6: Featherpaw
"Mintpaw! Wake up!" Featherpaw poked her sister with a paw. Mintpaw rolled over and groaned.
"Rowanstem, let me sleep a little longer!" she meowed.
Featherpaw held back her laughter. "Mintpaw! Wake up! I am Featherpaw, your sister!"
Mintpaw gasped awake. "Did I miss training? What time is it? Oh no!" She clambered out of her nest and ran into the clearing. Rolling her eyes, Featherpaw bounded after her sister.
"Mintpaw! Come on! Are you still asleep? Leafstar and Ivybreeze want to see us!" Featherpaw pushed her sister in the direction of their mother's den.
Mintpaw blinked. "Oh, sorry, I went to sleep really late last night. Rowanstem made me go in the lake!"
"Well, I don't think you need to worry about him anymore," Featherpaw smirked. She glanced at the elders' den. Rowanstem was carrying a bunch of moss in his jaws and another under his chin.
"Leafstar put him back on apprentice duties?" Mintpaw purred. "But why?"
"Because he made his apprentice swim in a lake in leaf-bare," Featherpaw mewed. "Not to mention the fact that his apprentice is Leafstar's daughter!" She waved her tail happily.
"Who's my mentor then?" Mintpaw asked as they padded into Leafstar's den.
Leafstar sighed, having heard her question, "We don't have many options. I've decided that even though you and Mintpaw have not been apprentices for as long as you should be, and haven't had an assessment, you need to become warriors. We'll hold the ceremony at sunhigh." Mintpaw and Featherpaw exchanged amazed glances.
"But that isn't all we need to tell you," Ivybreeze interrupted. "The night you were born was a half-moon. I was at the moonpool. My mentor came to me and said, 'War is coming,' then, a few moons later, I had a vision. I saw a feather falling on a leaf of mint. We realized that you two are destined to save us. Hence the vision I had last night, Mintpaw."
"Yeah, well, we, err, we kind of already knew," Featherpaw stammered.
Ivybreeze's eyes widened. "Oh, okay, then." She padded out of Leafstar's den.
Leafstar stared at them for a few heartbeats. "I don't care how you knew, but now you really know, so don't take this lightly. You may go."
"Thank you, mother," the two apprentices mewed, padding out of the den.
…
"Featherpaw, from this day on, you shall be known as Featherbreeze. StarClan honors your determination and intelligence and we welcome you as a full warrior of LakeClan." Leafstar rested her muzzle on Featherbreeze's head and the new warrior licked her mother's shoulder. Then she padded over to her sister, now named Mintleaf.
"Mintleaf, Featherbreeze!" The clan cheered the names of the new warriors.
Mintleaf purred, "we're warriors!"
Leafstar's voice rose above the cheering cats, "Mintleaf and Featherbreeze will keep a silent vigil tonight, guarding the camp. But first, we need to make three new apprentices. Hollykit, Stonekit, Creekkit, come forward." Leafstar apprenticed Hollypaw to Doveheart, Stonepaw to Petaldrop, and Creekpaw to Sootsong. I guess she's gotten over Sootsong's betrayal, Featherbreeze thought, pleased. The three apprentices trotted happily out of camp with their mentors.
"I didn't know they were six moons," Mintleaf whispered to her sister.
Featherbreeze shrugged, "They might not be. I mean, look at us! We're only nine moons and we're warriors!"
…
At some point in the middle of the night, Featherbreeze heard a shriek from the nursery, immediately followed by another. She waited for one of the queens to come out, but neither did, so Featherbreeze got up and trotted to Ivybreeze's den.
"Ivybreeze!" she whispered. "Either Willowwind or Silverriver is kitting."
"Hmm?" The medicine cat opened her eyes and looked around. Then she caught sight of Featherbreeze and leaped up. "Oh! Go back to guarding. I'm awake." Ivybreeze grabbed a few herbs in her jaws and ran to the nursery.
Featherbreeze yawned and padded back to the entrance. Mintleaf was sitting near the entrance, but she looked very relaxed. Oh, StarClan, Mintleaf! You're asleep. She prodded her sister with a paw and the black she-cat opened her eyes. Looking around, they widened, and she mouthed sorry!
Featherbreeze shrugged and went back to staring into the forest. She saw a glimmering thing move and she nudged Mintleaf. Her sister gasped and ran into the forest. She came back a moment later.
"OakClan!" She whispered and ran into the camp, and to Leafstar's den. Leafstar and Thunderstrike appeared from it, their eyes glowing in the dark.
"Featherbreeze!" Thunderstrike called quietly. "Go wake up all the warriors, but be quiet. We're going to surprise these cats." He ran to the elders' den and came out with Softfur and Embertail. They trotted to the back of the camp, which had secret caves, used to hide the clan in emergencies.
"Warriors, wake up! OakClan is attacking!" Featherbreeze meowed, padding into the den. Most of the warriors leapt up, except for Petaldrop and Stormshade. Other cats roused them and they all stumbled out into the clearing, fur bristling. Hearing noise in the nursery, Smokesplash broke away from the group and ran to the nursery. Featherbreeze followed him and saw both Willowwind and Silverriver curled around litters of kits. Wow! They both kitted? The clan will finally have the most warriors we've had since the war started! Featherbreeze thought, staring at the ten kits who were fast asleep. Ivybreeze was sitting near the entrance.
"Featherbreeze! Smokesplash! What are you doing?" she asked.
Smokesplash twitched his tail. "Is it really so hard not to tell me when my kits are born?" he snapped.
Featherbreeze slapped her tail over his mouth. "OakClan's attacking," she informed Ivybreeze. "We're going to surprise them."
The grey tabby bristled. "Get some cat to guard the nursery," she ordered and shooed them out of the den. Smokesplash stayed at the entrance, eyes glowing with happiness. He has five kits now! No wonder he's so happy! Snorting in amusement, she went back to the gathered group of warriors.
"Here's the plan," Leafstar was meowing. "We're going to form a line across the front of the camp, except at the entrance, and, thinking there's no guard, the cats will come streaming in. The cats that make it past the front line will be intercepted when they reach a den. Petaldrop, Sootsong, Sparrowheart, Rowanstem, and Mintleaf, you are the front line. Featherbreeze and Stormshade, warriors' den. Anyone else go to the nursery. Thunderstrike and I will be up here and we will jump down onto any cat who passes underneath."
Featherbreeze ran to the warriors' den, with Stormshade following. She chose a spot just beside the crack in the hollow tree that made the den and sat down. Stormshade sat on the other side. Then she saw the first cat come into camp.
"LakeClan, attack!" Leafstar yowled. The cats at the front line leapt on the tom and the others followed him. Soon, they were all fighting.
As more cats came in, Featherbreeze caught sight of Flamestar. He was staying at the edge, creeping towards the nursery. He's here for Silverriver! Featherbreeze realized. She was about to run after him, but she was distracted by the sight of Shiningmask padding toward the warriors' den. Signaling to Stormshade, she attacked the deputy and started hitting her, claws unsheathed. Stormshade did the same thing, and they drove her toward the entrance. When Featherbreeze was sure Stormshade would win, she ran to the nursery. Doveheart and Smokesplash were fighting Flamestar, but the leader pushed through them into the nursery. Featherbreeze ran in after him, her fur spiking.
"Flamestar!" Silverriver gasped, seeing her father.
"Silverriver, I see you kitted," Flamestar meowed. "I've come to bring you home."
"No!" The queen hissed, getting out of her nest. "This is my home!" She lurched herself at the ginger tom and he just stared at her, his eyes huge. He won't fight his daughter, Featherbreeze realized. But he will fight me! Flamestar was already turning on her, ignoring Silverriver.
"This is all your fault!" he screeched. Smokesplash and Doveheart, who'd been watching, lurched forward. Flamestar's gaze connected with Smokesplash's, "No, wait, it's yours." His voice was quiet and icy and every cat stayed still. Then the angry leader attacked Smokesplash, his eyes glowing with rage. Smokesplash fought back, but Flamestar was so angry, there was nothing he could do. Featherbreeze tried to attack Flamestar, but he kicked her away, sending her spinning across the den.
"Father, no!" Silverriver shrieked. She leapt onto his back and he stayed upright, but didn't attempt to kick her off.
"Your mother would be ashamed!" Flamestar growled. Silverriver slid off his back, looking shocked. Ivybreeze froze in place, her eyes flashing. Wait, what? Isn't Firespring Silverriver's mother?
"You know she wouldn't," Silverriver replied. "After all, don't you think she wants me to be in her clan, after you stole me for your own clan?"
Flamestar looked startled. "What do you mean? Firespring is your mother! Firespring, an OakClan cat!"
"No. Firespring is my foster mother, because when you needed a mate in your clan, she was willing. Now I'm going to let you in on a little secret." Silverriver licked a paw. "Firespring never loved you. She was loyal to me, as my foster mother, and told me the truth about my family. I have always known the truth!"
I hope you liked the chapter! If you plan on giving me OC's for kits, just know that they will not be in LakeClan. I have decided on all those names.
QOTC
Who is Silverriver's mother?
I feel like this should be pretty easy if you paid attention to the chapter, but if you get it wrong, I won't think you're a mousebrain! :P
Anyway, please review and if you want to give OC's, all I need is full name, gender, and appearance. Family and personality are fine too, I'm just saying I don't need it, so if you don't want to take time on that, you don't have to! :)