Sorry it's been a long time. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Four
Dovewing squeezed out of the Nursery and walked into Jayfeather's den.
"Jayfeather?" she mewed, Jayfeather appeared from behind a rock ledge.
"Yes? Dovewing?" he meowed, "Is your belly hurting again?" Dovewing shuffled her paws.
"Well, no, but I think I know why my belly was really hurting before." Jayfeather pricked his ears and leaned forward.
"I'm listening." Dovewing beckoned him closer with her tail and lowered her voice.
"I think..." she glanced around then leaned in closer and hissed what she thought in his ear. Jayfeather froze. Then nodded slowly.
"Definitely a possibility. Let me see." He directed her on what to do. "Well, it looks like you were right. You should tell," He paused, "you know." His whiskers twitched meaningfully. Dovewing nodded, engrossed in her own thoughts.
"I guess you're right, I'll go now." She pushed passed the bramble screen and into the clearing. Dovewing found Bumblestripe eating by the fresh-kill pile. She opened her jaws to say something, but quickly clamped her jaws around a fat squirrel. She let out a muffled purr and settled down with her squirrel. She felt Jayfeather glaring at her from the entrance to the Medicine Den. Dovewing swallowed a mouthful of squirrel and purposely looked away.
"Hey, Dovewing? Are you okay? You're acting kind of weird." Dovewing gulped.
"Well, now that you mention it, I'm, uh..."
"What?" mewed Bumblestripe. Dovewing took a deep breath. Why is this so hard? She asked herself. She braced her shoulders and faced him.
"Bumblestripe, I have something to tell you. I'm..." Bumblestripe leaned in expectantly, Dovewing sucked in a deep breath. "I'm expecting your kits!" she blurted. Bumblestripe stared in, shock.
Ivypool rolled in a stinking pile of mud. She then clawed her way up a decaying tree and crouched there, hidden from view. She was in the Dark Forest again. It was much harder now, because if she were caught here now, she'd be killed without hesitation.
"Are you sure?" Ivypool tensed on her branch at the sound of voices. Snowtuft? Ivypool thought she recognized the scent of the white tom padding by. He was talking closely with a raggedy she-cat, Mapleshade! Ivypool was certain the old she-cat would have faded away by now, but she was still here in the Place of No Stars. Mapleshade tensed, the transparent fur on her shoulders rising.
"I smell ThunderClan! It's that traitorous fleabag Ivypool!" she rasped to Snowtuft. Ivypool held her breath and hoped the sharp stench of mud would cover her scent. Snowtuft, startled, glanced around the clearing. He laid his tail tip reassuringly on Mapleshade's shoulder.
"It's fine, she's not here. Even she's not stupid enough to come back after what she did." Snowtuft bared his broken teeth, "And if she comes back, her pelt will be lining my nest!" he yowled menacingly. Ivypool flinched, making a branch of dead leaves rattle.
"What was that?" Mapleshade's ears pricked. Snowtuft gestured with his tail at the tree she was hiding in.
"Probably just a squirrel or something hiding in the branches." He meowed calmly. But Mapleshade arched her back, hissing and spitting.
"There is no prey in the Dark Forest you mousebrain!" she spat.
"Well, what do you propose it is?" Snowtuft retorted.
"It's a spy! There're always spies!" Mapleshade lashed her tail and her eyes gleamed. She spun towards the tree and started circling it. Wake up! Wake up, wake up, wake up! Ivypool closed her eyes desperately and tried to imagine her soft warm den and mossy nest. But she heard Mapleshade and Snowtuft arguing in the background, and was having trouble thinking calm thoughts. Suddenly, just as she started to wake, she heard Snowtuft yowl,
"It doesn't matter if there are spies, Mapleshade, they won't be expecting our ambush no matter what!"
Ivypool jolted awake. No! Wait! I have to figure out who they're going to ambush! Ivypool buried her muzzle in her paws, trying to sleep her way back to the Dark Forest, but she was already too late.
Jayfeather yawned. He'd been on his paws all day. He collapsed into his nest and welcomed sleep.
When he awoke, he was standing by the Moonpool. His warrior ancestors were standing in the hollow. Jayfeather pricked his ears and heard them arguing. Mousefur was lashing her tail and spitting accusations at Lionheart, Bluestar had dropped into a battle crouch and lashed out a forepaw at Yellowfang. All around him, StarClan cats were attacking each other.
"Stop! You must stop!" yowled Jayfeather. The fighting abruptly cut off and the cats stared at him. Yellowfang hissed at him and bared her teeth in a snarl. Jayfeather arched his back at her and unsheathed his claws. "What are you snarling at now? If it's not one thing, it's another." He spat. Yellowfang paused,
"You think you know everything! But I'm a member of StarClan!" she rasped angrily.
"Well I'm part of the four! The four who hold the power of the stars in their paws, or had you forgotten?" Jayfeather retorted. "Now just get on with it and tell me what you called me here to tell me." He glanced around the hollow once more. He spotted Firestar seated among the ranks. The ginger tom dipped his head to Jayfeather. There was a long period of silence. Then Snowfur stood. The pure white she-cat was Bluestar's sister, who was killed by a monster when she was a young queen. She faced Jayfeather and mewed,
"The darkness has passed, but your troubles are not over. An old enemy will arise from the ashes. Four kits will be born the kin of gray and fire. They shall carry the destiny of the clans on their backs. I'm sorry that it has to be this way Jayfeather, but I am only the messenger, I cannot change the outcome." Snowfur dipped her head, and the ranks of StarClan began to fade.
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