Hey guys! Thanks to all of my reviewers, I loved having your feedback on that chapter! But PLEASE go and vote in the poll on my profile page because only one person voted :(
Here's a chapter with just a bit of sweetness and heartbreak, I'm sure you'll love it!
Chapter 17
Batwing let the warm sunlight bathe across her back, welcoming it as the brisk air of leaffall pressed against her black pelt. She sighed with bliss as she watched Fawnpaw licking her brothers fur, making sure his white pelt was perfect. The tom's bright blue eyes were glittering with delight, the events of the morning still taking its toll on him.
Fawnpaw had now finished with her brother's pelt, and was neatening up her own long tortoiseshell fur with firm and strong licks of her tongue. She caught her mentor's eye and beamed, her ears twitching. The she-cat had grown, the soft baby fat she had held onto as a kit was gone, to be replaced with hard and rippling muscles. Her legs were longer, her body slimmer, and she was beginning to attract the attention of some of the toms.
Mosspaw bounded over to her siblings, a sad smile on her face. While she was surely happy for them, Batwing knew that she too longed to be earning her full name alongside of them. However a medicine cat's full name took much longer and she would still be apprentice for a while.
"You guys excited?" Mosspaw squealed, smoothing out a ruffle in Skypaw's pelt.
Fawnpaw nodded her head up and down, her whiskers shaking with fervor. "I can't wait," she said happily.
Mistytail bounded over to her kits, eyes gleaming with pride. "You're going to be wonderful," she mewed, her voice shining with joy.
Duskstar approached his mate, touching noses with her. He turned back to the apprentices. "Are you two ready?" He smiled a fatherly grin as they nodded enthusiastically. The leader turned to look at Batwing, meeting her eyes and giving her a quick nod.
Batwing leaped to her paws and padded over to the highrock to stand next to Startail, just as the familiar call rang out across the camp. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highrock for a clan meeting!"
Cats heads' poked out of the warrior den and ran over to join the rest in the center of the camp, whispers and yells heard through out the clearing. Batwing smiled as she saw Deerspots padding out of the nursery, her new kits, Earthkit and Acornkit, bumbling along behind her. They were only four days old, and had already opened their eyes, now filled with great desires to explore the camp, and meet other cats.
Duskstar raised his chin and open his mouth, ready to recite the ceremonial words. "Batwing," he mewed. "Are you satisfied that your apprentice is ready to become a warrior of Thunderclan?"
Batwing gazed up at Duskstar, trembling with joy. She could still remember her own warrior ceremony, and she could hardly believe that now she stood before the clan again, for her own apprentice. "She will be a warrior the clan will be proud of," she mewed, glowing.
Duskstar now turned to Startail. "Are you satisfied that your apprentice is ready to become a warrior of Thunderclan?"
Startail nodded, glancing over at Skypaw who stood a bit taller as she looked at him. "He will be a warrior the clan will be proud of," she mewed, repeating Batwing's words.
Duskstar nodded in satisfaction and turned back to the clan. "I, Duskstar of leader of Thunderclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have learned the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn. Fawnpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this clan even at the cost of your life?"
Fawnpaw's amber eyes were as wide and shining as silverpelt, hope shimmering in them. "I do," she mewed, her voice even.
"Skypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this clan even at the cost of your life?"
The apprentice's mouth opened slightly, his eyes startled with the sudden rush of joy and excitement he felt. "I do."
Duskstar smiled at their words, nodding in satisfaction. "Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior names. Fawnpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Fawnpetal. Starclan honors you for joy and skill. Skypaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Skysong, Starclan honors you for your wit and strength. We welcome you both as full warriors of Thunderclan!" Duskstar rested his muzzle on Fawnpetal's long tortoiseshell fur, and then on Skysong's white pelt, getting a lick on his shoulder in return.
The clearing exploded with happiness, the cheers echoing out across the clan. "Fawnpetal, Skysong! Fawnpetal, Skysong!"
Batwing rushed over to Fawnpetal, who beamed at her. "Congratulations," the black warrior purred. "I'm so proud of you!"
Rabbitfoot bounded up next to them, grinning. "I can't believe you're finally a warrior!" she cried. "This is amazing!"
Panthertail purred in amusement, touching his tail to the she-cat's flank to calm her down. "You're a bit excited," he laughed, glancing at her shaking with happiness, his eyes soft.
Batwing stepped back suspiciously, surprised by the sudden tenderness between Rabbitfoot and Panthertail. However she was interrupted by a starting wail from the entrance to the camp. She whirled around to see Frosttail limping through the gorse tunnel, her uneven walk originating from the body which she dragged behind her.
"Is that-" Batwing froze, horrified.
Speckletail's body was soaked with blood, leaving a bright red trail behind him. There was a deep gash down his belly, and more on his neck. His chest did not move. Deerspots rushed forward from the crowd, her eyes wide with terror as she sniffed her brother's body frantically. "No!" She screeched, her voice tearing through the air.
Eaglewing bounded over, equally as shocked. "What happened?" she demanded, staring at Frosttail and waiting for an explanation.
"I found him," the warrior shakily explained. "He was by the Thunderpath, close to fourtrees. He had Shadowclan scent all over him, I think this was no accident."
Cloverpaw watched Deerspots crouch next to her brother's body, trembling. The she-cat's head was buried in the black and white fur, her sobs quieter now, yet still through the air with grief. "Oh Pex," she moaned softly. "What have I done?"
The camp was now mostly empty, Duskstar sat in his den with Eaglewing, discussing their move after the murder, however most of Thunderclan had decided to give the grieving she-cat her space.
Cloverpaw had remained, the sadness which flowed through the air overpowering him. He wanted to understand more. He watched Deerspots' kits, Earthkit and Acornkit, bumble over to their mother, soft mewls on their lips.
"Whats wrong mummy," squealed Earthkit, the brown tabby. He didn't seem to quite understand what was going on, neither did his brother.
Deerspots sniffled quietly. She opened her mouth to answer her kits, yet nothing came out.
Cloverpaw, sensing her need for someone to rescue her, came padding over as quickly. "Would you like me to watch them?" he asked gently, his voice much more kind and understanding then his age would imply.
Deerspots stared at the apprentice, grief stricken, and simply nodded, the gratitude clear in her eyes. Cloverpaw bent down and picked up the kits in his jaws, ignoring their squeaks on distress. He walked over to the nursery, plopping them down on the moss beds.
"Shhh," the apprentice murmured, silencing the two kits. They stared up at him, wide eyed, not understanding the strange events. "Do you know your uncle Speckleclaw?" he asked softly, smiling kindly down at them.
Earthkit nodded, his mouth opening. "He played with us," he squealed, a little smile on his face.
Cloverpaw sighed softly. "Well, Speckleclaw has gone to join Starclan, the place where all of our ancestors hunt. His new home is in the stars, and its a place where you never have to go hungry, and everyone you've ever missed can be found."
Acornkit stared back wide eyed at these words. "Will we get to see him again?"
"Someday you will," Cloverpaw said, nuzzling the tiny kit affectionately. He looked up to see Batwing standing in the entrance to the nursery. Her golden eyes were shining, and she smiled as she watched him comfort the kits.
Cloverpaw gently placed the kits back down and padded over to her.
"I just came to see if they were alright," she explained, smiling. "That was amazing, how you explained everything to them, and comforted them. You're incredible with kits."
Cloverpaw smiled shyly, his cheeks burning. "Thanks," he mumbled, glancing back at Acornkit and Earthkit who now looked sad that he was no longer talking with them. "I'd better get back to them before they get bored and decide to wander off."
Batwing nodded "Of course," she mewed, her eyes twinkling. She turned and padded out of the nursery, her paws silent as she stepped.
As Cloverpaw watched her go, he realized that he was grinning. She sighed, wishing that she could have stayed longer, perhaps played with the kits.
And as Batwing walked away, she realized that she was still beaming, and couldn't seem to stop.
Dewpelt squeezed out the moss over Goldenfoot's pelt, the cold water trickling down her ginger fur. The fever had started just that morning, and had sparked up like a raging fire. Although the senior warrior kept insisting she was fine, Dewpelt knew otherwise.
Her cough had gotten much worse, now shaking her whole body as it racked her throat. Even Goldenfoot's voice was hoarse and sore, Dewpelt could practically hear the pain as she talked. Although she had gotten some much needed rest and hadn't stopped eating the catmint, the whitecough had slowly become greencough, and this terrified Dewpelt.
She hadn't had the courage to tell her patient, for she knew that every cat in Thunderclan knew very well how dangerous the disease was, and she found no sense in frightening Goldenfoot. She shuddered, imagining what would happen if the fever got any worse, or if the greencough spread to Deerspots' new kits.
Dewpelt knew that she'd have to be extra careful in keeping the kits away from her den, for if little Earthkit and Acornkit caught the disease, they'd be dead in a matter of days. She was thrown out of her thoughts as Startail padded into her den.
"Hi!" the she-cat mewed cheerily. "I just came by to see Goldenfoot. How's she doing?" Startail padded over to her former mentor, her eyes widening and joyful mood slipping away at the sight of the sickly she-cat. She looked up at Dewpelt, her mouth open slightly. "Whats wrong with her? I though she had whitecough!"
Dewpelt looked down at Goldenfoot, her worries returning. "Its greencough now," she said quietly, hating the horrified look on Startail's face.
"But she's so old!" the young she-cat cried. "She'll never survive it!"
"I know," Dewpelt murmured, squeezing out more water filled moss onto Goldenfoot's pelt. "I'm going to do everything I can to save her, though."
Startail met the medicine cat's sad blue eyes, her own, frantic. "Will it be enough, though?"
Dewpelt sighed, shaking her head slowly. "I don't know."
Deerspots looked up as Addertooth entered the nursery, her eyes surprised. Her mate stared at her, holding the two kits in her mouth as if preparing for a journey.
"Are you going somewhere?" he mewed, puzzled, hating the grief stricken look on her face.
Deerspots avoided his gaze, guilt washing over her. "What happened today-" she shook her head. "It made me realized that our kits will never be safe, I'll never be safe, as long as we remain in Thunderclan."
"You're leaving the forest?" Addertooth hissed, the sudden thought of loosing her and the kits horrifying him. "No! You can't just go, they're my kits also!"
Deerspots shook her head furiously, wishing she could just leave forget everything that had happened her. "I have to. What if the same thing happens to them just as it did with Speckleclaw? I couldn't bare the thought of losing them. I didn't want to tell you because I know you'd never leave and I don't want to put that choice on you."
"I won't let you leave!" Addertooth mewed, his voice tight and upset now. "I love you, Deerspots, and if that doesn't mean anything to you then go, but you can't take the kits. At least leave Acornkit and Earthkit."
The she-cat trembled, her brown eyes welling up with pain. She slowly dropped the kits to the ground, the release of them cutting her in two. She then touched noses with her mate, the thought of leaving simply breaking her heart.
"Goodbye," she whispered, before turning and disappearing into the night.
Deerspots' mind was tumbling with grief, loss, and rage as she raced through the forest, paying no attention to where she was heading. Her breathing labored and painful as she ran, and the tears streamed down her fur, splashing down her face. Her kitting had been a hard one, and her strength had not yet returned, now leaving her exhausted and weak.
"Why!" she sobbed. "Why couldn't he have just come with me!" Her mind was so muddled now, and her love and hatred had begun to mold together. She was unsure of whether she felt anger against Addertooth, or another emotion, she simply knew that she wanted him and her kits back, a life full of bliss and joy, without the fear of death and battle.
She continued to bound through the trees, unaware that she was now approaching the thunderpath, the Thunderclan border. She came to a screeching halt as soon as he reached the edge of it, trembling with fear. She had never been here before and the smoky scent made her gag with disgust and terror. Yet there was another smell, something which was hidden, something which did not belong.
"Hello?" she mewed quietly, her voice trembling. "Is someone there?"
A figure came out of the shadows, grey tabby fur and gleaming amber eyes. "I thought I gave you dirty kittypets the message when I put that tom in his place at the gathering, but I guess I wasn't clear enough." Dreamfire's face seemed to burn to a white hot rage, hatred filling her. "It wasn't hard to murder your brother," she hissed quietly. "Lets see how easy you are to kill."
Oh no! Poor Deerspots!
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