-yawn- I am so tired and I have literally nothing to say here... We finally got wifi back, so here's the update! I'm not really that keen on this chapter and I rushed proof-reading it so apologies in advance for any mistakes. If you spot any, just let me know so that I can correct them. :3
... Only one of you did the Q&A thingy, so I only have one to chose from... Hmmm... Which one shall it be? xD
Q&A
Q: "What made you decide to have Ambersky, Dewclaw, and Snowfall have former lives as Skyclan cats?"
A: Well, originally it was never going to happen at all! It kind of just happened as I was writing. xD I wanted Ambersky, Dewclaw and Snowfall to have some kind of tie to SkyClan, not just the prophecy. Something that bound them to the fifth clan and made them feel almost like they were a part of SkyClan, spiritually. I don't know whether I mentioned to you guys, but I'm actually at some point going to be writing sort of a super edition based on Ambersky's former life as Amberstar and it will be featuring Snowfall and Dewclaw in their previous forms! It's basically going to be about how Amberstar attempted to bring together SkyClan again. :3
Disclaimer - I am not Erin Hunter, therefore I cannot and do not claim to own Warriors, however much I wish I could.
~ .:Review Replies:. ~
Orangeflight ~ Thank you! Sorry for a bit of a wait, having no wifi sucks! :/
arcticfoxlover ~ Thank you! :3 I guess we'll never really understand Onestar... I'm not sure I even understood him when I wrote his response to SkyClan's arrival last chapter. ^^
Numbuh 227 ~ We'll just have to wait and see... -mysterious music plays- xD Thank you! :)
Willowdream of ForestClan ~ Yeah, it was kinda long. This one's about 100 words shorter. xD Thanks!
Spottedmoth123 ~ Aw, thank you! -huggles- I shall be turning 14! Only a week to go now! Can't wait. :3
Foreverwifeh ~ :O Foreverwifeh! :D :D :D Thank you so much for reviewing, you're so sweet! Although I don't quite understand why you'd like to write like me when you're such a fabulous author already! You have the most beautiful, flowing style of writing which I just adore. 3
Brackenflame ~ Thank you! :3 Yus, we have some RedxDew action in this chappie. I originally intended on there being more, but my brain sort of gave up on me. :/ Yus, cliffhangers so always seem to help! They certainly encourage people to review! xP
koilered ~ Aw, thank you! ^^ I always look forward to reading your reviews. :3
I forgot ~ Aha, thank you! :D That's a lot of capital letters! :P
Silkbreeze-Of-ThunderClan ~ Thank you so so much! Can I say I just adore your name. Silkbreeze... It had a lovely flow to it. :3
Cupcake ~ xD That review just made me laugh so hard. The thought of many people named Billy flying around in a storm... xDDD
Copycat ~ Thank you! Here you go!
Sorry guys, it's another long one! Although, it's 100 words shorter than the last chapter. xD Hope you enjoy!
Dewclaw
"SkyClan don't belong here and they never will!"
The words echoed in the dark-furred tom's mind for a moment. Was the dark tabby right? Did SkyClan truly belong beside the lake? He quickly shook away the thought, wondering why he had even questioned SkyClan's belonging in the first place. Of course SkyClan belong beside the lake!
A growl rose in his throat as Dewclaw retaliated from his opponent's attack, tackling the WindClan warrior to the ground, his paws pressed against the tom's throat. His opponent gasped, flailing as the need for air overcame him. Dewclaw was about to sink his in his claws when suddenly a loud yowl cut through through the battle cries, "Stop! There is no need to fight!" it was the voice of Mistystar, now standing on one of the tallest branches of the great tree, her tone was desperate, "Have you all forgotten that you are warriors? There is a truce, a truce that has been broken!" a sharp flick of her tail motioned to the sky, "StarClan are angry. Stop, the gathering is over."
The battle cries died down amongst the gathered cats. Dewclaw pulled away from his opponent, who immediately inhaled a great breath, panting heavily for a moment before scampering back to his clanmates.
Slowly, the three clan leaders untangled themselves from the gathered warriors, joining Mistystar in the branches of the tree. Leafstar, Dewclaw noticed, had managed to detatch herself from the violence and her and clan were now clustered together at the edge of the clearing.
Bramblestar, who's pelt seemed a little ruffled, took a deep breath before speaking, "Mistystar is right. The gathering is no place for fighting, StarClan have made that clear," his gaze briefly flickered up to the clouded night sky, "ThunderClan will leave now, before this goes any further."
The ThunderClan leader leapt from the tree, landing gracefully amongst his clanmates. With a flick of his tail, he beckoned for his clan to follow as he began to cross the clearing. The ThunderClan gathering party exchanged several glances, before rising and following their leader.
Dewclaw reluctantly rose to his paws, ThunderClan beginning to file out of the clearing. He'd been so looking forward to tonight's gathering and it had all ended so quickly. He hadn't gotten to exchange so much as one word with Redpaw.
He was just about to follow the rest of his clan out of the clearing when suddenly a tortoiseshell-and-white pelt caught his eyes. He stopped; Redpaw was racing towards him, green eyes wide with alarm, "Dewpaw, wait!" she gasped, skidding to halt before him.
Bramblestar seemed to notice the interactions between the two young cats and he frowned for a moment, then remembering that Redpaw was one of the cats Dewclaw had travelled with, then relaxed. He knew all too well how difficult it was to maintain friendships with cats from other clans, he'd experienced it firsthand with his own journey to the Sundrownplace. So he gave Dewclaw a friendly nod before slipping into the shadows of the undergrowth. Dewclaw took that as meaning he was allowed to stay back for a moment or so.
"I've missed you so much!" Redpaw burst out, green eyes bright with complete and utter joy, "Leafstar gave me and Whitepaw our warrior names! I'm Redflower now!"
Dewclaw couldn't help but purr, smiling warmly at the younger cat, "Redflower," he tested the name on his tongue, "Leafstar couldn't have picked a better name," he straightened up a little, suddenly conscious about his ruffled pelt and the crimson scars that now marked his pelt from the brief battle, moments before, "Bramblestar gave us our warrior names too. You have to call me Dewclaw now."
"That's an awesome name!" she grinned happily, "I wish I could've been the first one to call you by your new name," her smile faded a little, the light in her green eyes withering. Then, suddenly, as if remembering something, her eyes brightened, "Oh, I had an idea!" suddenly realising her meow had been rather loud, she shot a brief, wary glance over her shoulder, lowering her voice, "I have so much to tell you, so I thought," she swallowed, grinning, "I thought we could meet sometime."
Alarm flared in Dewclaw's gaze, "What do you mean, 'meet'? Isn't that going against the warrior code," as much as the idea of seeing Redflower once more and finally being able to talk properly delighted the dark grey tom, the thought of breaking the warrior code unsettled him.
Redflower looked a little dissapointed by his response, but she quickly brushed it off, "What if we were just meeting to talk, that's not going against the warrior code. There's no law against to talking to a cat from another clan," she pointed out.
Dewclaw held her bright gaze for a moment, uncertainty flickering in his own eyes, then he gave a small smile, "I suppose. I mean, I'd love to meet you, Redflower, but where? Our clans don't share borders."
The tortoiseshell-and-white warrior motioned around them with a tip of her head, "Here, the gathering island. So long as we stay close to the lake, we can get here without having to worry about any of the other clans."
Dewclaw still wasn't quite convinced. He searched Redflower's bright green eyes for a moment, seeking reassurance in her gaze. But what if we are breaking the warrior code? What if we're found out? The words of Frecklewish still echoed around his mind, "You've got to let her go."
He studied the SkyClan warrior for a moment, concern pooling in his gaze. Redflower smiled warmly, "We could only meet once if you like? No one would ever find out," she assured him, touching her tail-tip to his shoulder.
Dewclaw gave a small sigh, heaving a little sigh, "Okay then, fine, just once though."
Redflower gave the brightest grin, flashing a set of white fangs, "Great! I'll see you tomorrow then, moon-high, at the gathering island."
Dewclaw returned the smile, "I guess I'll see you then."
"Dewclaw! Are you coming or not?" Snowfall's impatient mew sounded from ahead of him. The white tom was watching them with growing unease, concern creeping into his pale amber gaze.
The dark grey tom flashed Redflower a smile, "Looks like I've got to go," he purred. Aware of the many cats around them, he simply touched his tail to her flank, before getting to his paws, "I'll see you tomorrow then!" he began to race over to the rest of the ThunderClan patrol.
He almost didn't catch Redflower's soft call as he fell in beside Ambersky and his brother, "May StarClan light your path!"
Ambersky
After the events of the previous night's gathering, there was a sort of tension amongst ThunderClan. Many cats were fearful about what WindClan and ShadowClan's dissaproval of the fifth clan's return might mean. There were rumours spreading that there could be a possible allegiance between the two clans, others spoke of a war between all the clans. Ambersky didn't like the sound of either options. Why couldn't the clans just live in peace? Was there something so wrong with living in peace? She just didn't understand it.
Feeling a little disheartened by the rejection of SkyClan, Ambersky's mood was dampened even further when she emerged from the Warriors' Den that morning into the cloudy light of day. Her gaze immediately traced the hollow, picking out individuals and their activity.
Lionblaze had finished organising patrols and had just joined two of his kits, Honeypaw and Stormpaw. The three cats were having a playful conversation just below the Highledge, their voices carrying across the hollow.
"You two were wonderful in yesterday's training session, you're both turning into fine little warriors," Lionblaze's rumbling purr echoed around the stone hollow as he gave both apprentices a tender lick to the forehead.
Honeypaw gave a shy smile, but her green eyes were glowing with pride as she mewed a soft, "Thank you."
Stormpaw's reaction was a lot more reserved, but that was just the way he was. He ducked his head in embarrassment, shrinking backwards a little, no words slipping from his jaws. The little tom was a rather quiet thing, Ambersky had observed, only speaking when he had words to say, which wasn't too often.
The pale grey-and-white warrior gave a fond smile, her gaze flickering away from the father and his kits. Her amber gaze briefly lingered on where Greystripe lay sprawled out next to Millie, attempting to soak up the little warmth that the sun was giving off.
By the Medicine Cat's Den, Dewclaw had just dissapeared inside, presumably to have his wounds from the gathering checked on. Leafpool was accompanying him, whilst Jayfeather was in checking over Lakekit, who seemed to have gotten a thorn in her paw, watched over by her fretful mother, Cherryflower.
But it was a brown-and-cream pelt that really caught her attention. There he was. Molespots. Her heart faltered a little when she realised who he was with. Lilystream.
The two warriors lay side by side, their pelts pressing together as they shared tongues, affection lighting their gazes. For a moment the young warrior felt a little weak, N-no.
Swallowing nervously, the pale grey-and-white she-cat blinked and tentatively stepped forwards from the shadows of the Warriors' Den entrance. The two cats hadn't noticed her from their location on the opposite end of the hollow, they were too engrossed in their actions anyway to spot her.
Surely Lilystream and Molespots weren't mates? Ambersky shuddered at the thought, surprising herself by the sudden pang of a powerful emotion she felt stirring deep within her. Was it.. jealousy? She shook her head.
No, she wasn't jealous of Lilystream, of course she wasn't, she couldn't be. Frowning, she decided to try and distract herself, crossing over to the Fresh-kill pile and choosing a small sparrow.
She settled herself in the shade of the nursery, her gaze remaining transfixed on Molespots and Lilystream. She felt a mumur of despair kindling within her as she watched the two interacting with each other, their eyes warm.
Ambersky was alarmed to find that she'd unsheathed her claws, sub-consciously, and sunk them deep into the earthy ground. She took a deep breath, retracting her claws from the earth and leaning down to take a cautious bite from her sparrow.
She chewed blankly, finding very little flavour within the small bird. After swallowing, she reluctantly took another bite, her gaze no longer focused on Lilystream and Molespots, but her ears angled in their direction, trying to pick up their conversation.
It was as she began to pick over the final remains of the sparrow that she felt something small and sharp, like thorns, sinking into her tail. Instantly, her fur began to stand on end and she wheeled round, only to find herself faced with a small ginger she-kit with the brightest of pelts and intense green eyes. Ambersky relaxed.
It was none other than Flamekit, daughter of Bramblestar and Squirrelflight. The ginger she-kit gave a small innocent smile, mischief flaring in her green gaze, "You're a warrior, aren't you?" there was very little respect in her tone, it was just a blunt, straight-to-the-point question. She wondered what the little she-kit was getting at.
"Yes, my name's Ambersky, I'm a warrior," there was a questioning tone to her voice as she studied the kit. Her gaze briefly flickered to the nursery, "You must be Flamekit. Where is your littermates and your mother?"
Flamekit continued to stare up at the pale grey-and-white warrior intently, ignoring Ambersky's question, "Will you teach me the Hunter's Crouch? After all, I am being made an apprentice in 3 and ¾ moons, so I need to be prepared," there was very matter-of-fact tone to Flamekit's words. Her question came across as more of an order, she seemed like the sort of cat who got what she wanted.
"Flamekit! What are you up to, bothering Ambersky?" Squirrelflight was hurriedly making her way over to her daughter, followed by two bouncing balls of fur; a large pale grey tom-kit, flecked with darker grey mottles and green eyes, trailed shortly by a fluffy-pelted dark brown-and-white tabby tom with wide amber eyes.
When the nursing deputy reached her daughter, she made no haste in ushering the bright ginger she-kit away from the young warrior, "I'm so sorry, Ambersky," she apologised, "These three are such a handful and Flamekit's so independent, always wandering off."
Ambersky quickly brushed it off, "Oh, she wasn't causing any bother at all," she assured the dark ginger she-cat, "She was just asking me about the Hunter's Crouch," she crouched down so she was at eye level with Flamekit, "If you like, I can teach you and your brothers the Hunter's Crouch," she offered.
Squirrelflight looked a little doubtful, whilst all three kits nodded eagerly, "Are you sure? They can be a real pain in the tail."
"Why don't you let me take them off your paws for a little while then?"
Squirrelflight hesitated for a moment, before giving a grateful nod, "That would be much appreciated Ambersky," she dipped her head to the young warrior, thankfullness dancing in her green gaze.
"It's no problem," the pale grey-and-white she-cat reassured her.
Squirrelflight smiled, her gaze resting on her three kits for a moment, "Thank you and behave yourself you three, don't you go causing Ambersky any trouble," she moved a little way away, choosing to sit beside Daisy. Ambersky pressumed she wanted to be near, just in case the three kits started causing any problems, so she could leap in.
Ambersky turned to the three kits, whom were now gazing up at her with eyes like owlets, "Right, why don't you show me your Hunter's Crouches first," she meowed warmly.
The three kits skuffled about for a few heartbeats, fidgeting into their best attempt at the Hunter's Crouch. Ambersky had to admit, they weren't all too bad. She focused first on Finchkit.
The dark brown-and-white tabby tom had his belly pressed against the ground, his tail sticking up like a bluebell, but his weight was evenly balanced across all four legs. Ambersky gave an encouraging nod, "You're very well balanced, Finchkit," she touched her tail lightly to his shoulder, "Just lower your tail a little, but don't let it drag along the ground."
The dark brown-and-white tabby tom quickly corrected himself, "Is this alright?" he asked.
Ambersky ran her eyes over him once more, "Much better, good job."
"Bramblestar says I'm going to be an excellent hunter," Flamekit's arrogant mew tore the pale grey-and-white she-cat's attention to her, "He says I'm a natural-born warrior."
Ambersky chuckled, "Well, you do have a strong Hunter's Crouch," she let her amber gaze pick over the young ginger she-kit, "Your paws are a little too close together though. If you place them further apart, you'll find it's easier to carry your weight without toppling over and scaring you prey," she purred.
Flamekit looked a little ruffled at the criticism, but all the same, she shuffled her paws further apart, finding, a little to her annoyance, Ambersky's words to be true. The pale grey-and-white she-cat did have to admit though, the Hunter's Crouch did seem to come rather easily to Flamekit, but it had also to Finchkit and after examining Nettlekit, she decided he had a rather good Hunter's Crouch already, apart from that his tail kept dragging along the ground. It was hardly surprising, seeing who their parents were. They must have been practising a lot already though.
"Has someone already taught you the Hunter's Crouch? Only, you seem to have almost mastered it already," she enquired, amber gaze warm as she studied the three young cats.
Flamekit pulled a shocked expression, "What? Of course not, we're just naturally gifted. Bramblestar might as well make us warriors already," she sat up a little taller, shifting her hind quarters and scoffing.
Finchkit rolled his eyes, "Don't listen to her, she's just an arrogant ball of fluff. Pebblepaw's been teaching us, he's Bramblestar's apprentice! He's going to be an amazing warrior!" it was clear that the dark brown-and-white tabby tom thought very highly of the golden tabby apprentice, "He brought a squirrel for us yesterday, that he caught!"
It was pleasing to hear that Pebblepaw was doing so well in his training, and that he'd already won respect from his younger clanmates, "Oh really?" she held the young tom's wide-eyed gaze, "Well, I'm sure that will be you three when you're apprentices. You'll certainly have no problem with your Hunter's Crouches, it'll just be finding the prey that might be the problem," she purred, amusement lighting her gaze.
Flamekit studied the young warrior with wide green eyes, "Can't you take us out into the forest? Then we can practise that too, we simply can't be falling behind when we become apprentices."
"I think we'd best save that for another day," Ambersky hadn't noticed that Squirrelflight had reapproached them, "You three will wear Ambersky out."
"Oh really, I'm fine," the pale grey-and-white she-cat insisted, holding the dark ginger she-cat's gaze, "Their Hunter's Crouches are really coming along, you'll be pleased to hear," she mewed softly.
Squirrelflight began to usher her three kits towards the Nursery, "In you go, you three. Bramblestar will be bringing some prey for us soon, why don't you play moss-ball whilst you wait?" she suggested to the three young kits. Their eyes immediately lit up and they raced into the den, their delighted squeals echoing throughout the hollow. Squirrelflight returned her attention to Ambersky, "Thank you," she leaned a little closer before adding, "You'll be a wonderful mother, you know, one day."
Ambersky gave a shy smile, then her gaze flicked back across the hollow. Lilystream and Molespots were no longer sharing tongues. Her shoulders dropped. Where'd they go?
Squirrelflight seemed to have noticed Ambersky's wistful gazing at Molespots earlier and she suddenly stopped. Thoughtfullness flickered behind her green gaze, "You know why Lilystream and Molespots are so close?"
The ThunderClan warrior was caught off guard by the question, "Uh, n-no. Why?" confusion clouded her bright amber gaze.
"They're cousins, you know?" she meowed simply, before padding off after her kits.
Ambersky stood there in shock for a moment, "They're cousins?" she echoed, quite unable to believe the words. Cousins… Of course! That explained everything! Why they were so often together, Ambersky couldn't quite believe she'd never noticed it before. The new knowledge quickly eased the pangs she'd felt within her heart at the sight of the two cats so close and she let a purr out. Cousins... They're cousins…
And all of a sudden, she felt a hope rising within her, warm and bright like the sun.
Snowfall
"Hey Snowfall!"
After an exhausting night at the gathering, Snowfall had actually been able to gather a surprising amount of sleep that night. He hadn't long awoken when the cheerful mew of Seedflight was sent his direction. The pale ginger warrior was making her way over to the snowy-furred tom, who had just finished grooming himself, followed by her apprentice, Honeypaw. Her green eyes glowed with warmth and excitement and she bore a friendly smile.
Snowfall immediately purred, rising to his paws to greet the pretty she-cat, "Seedflight!" he meowed a bright welcome, nuzzling her cheek softly.
"I'm just about to take Honeypaw out training," the pale ginger warrior told him, returning the greeting with a light touch of her muzzle to his own, "I was wondering whether you'd like to come with us? It'd be great to have a little help."
The white-furred tom's eyes immediately lit up and his heart gave a tiny flutter, "O-Of course," he stammered slightly, a grin creeping to his face, "I'd love to."
Seedflight smiled brightly, nodding to the golden brown tabby apprentice, "Great! Have you eaten, Honeypaw?"
The young apprentice shook her head, "No, I was going to eat when we got back from training," she mewed softly, "I'm not that hungry right now, and there are cats that need it more than me."
The white warrior couldn't help but admire the young she-cat's selflessness. ThunderClan needed more cats like Honeypaw. He shot the golden brown tabby a warm smile.
Seedflight nodded, "Right, should we get going then?" her gaze drifted from Honeypaw to the long-furred warrior. Both gave a nod. The young pale ginger she-cat let out a rumbling purr, "Well, let's not waste any more daylight!" at a steady pace, she began to pad towards the Thorn Barrier.
For a moment, Snowfall found himself frozen to the spot, excitement building up within him, he was going to spend time with Seedflight! You're such a mouse-brain! You're getting over-excited. You're just helping her with training Honeypaw, that's all, a tiny voice arose from inside him. He swallowed, slowly rising to his paws and following the light ginger she-cat.
Ducking under the Thorn Barrier, the three cats emerged into the forest, tiny and insignificant in comparison to the great twisted oaks that stretched up towards the sky. The white tom turned to Seedflight, "So, what were you planning on doing today?" he enquired, curiousity in his pale amber gaze. He privately hoped it wasn't to be battle training, that certainly wasn't one of his strong points.
Seedflight smiled, warmth dancing in her vibrant green gaze, "Tree climbing," she meowed brightly. Her gaze flickered to the path ahead, "You haven't done any tree climbing before, Honeypaw?" she studied the young apprentice for a heartbeat, gaze warm.
"No, but…" she hesitated, uncertainty sparking in her green gaze, "Isn't it a bit… dangerous?"
Seedflight crouched down so she was at the same level as her apprentice, touching her tail comfortingly to Honeypaw's shoulder, "A little. I know, I was a little worried when my mentor first told me I was doing tree climbing," she sat up, her gaze remaining focused on Honeypaw, "But it's much easier than it sounds. So long as you stay focused, you'll be absolutely fine."
The golden brown tabby apprentice relaxed a little, "Oh, good."
Seedflight's gaze was fixed on the trees ahead, "Now, just to find the right tree to climb."
It didn't take too long to find suitable trees for climbing. They chose a spot down by the lake, where the ground was layered with soft moss and the trees were young, with low branches. As today was Honeypaw's first time climbing trees, Seedflight wanted to start out simple. If the young apprentice proved to be skilled at the assigned task, they would move onto more challenging climbs. For now, though, she would be climbing these trees.
Seedflight had just demonstrated the scaling of one of the higher trees, Snowfall giving Honeypaw some helpful tips along the way. Now it was time for the young apprentice to try it for herself.
Tree climbing was mostly a thing of instinct, Snowfall was sure the golden brown tabby apprentice would grasp it quickly. It was more getting over the fear of climbing that presented a challenge.
"When you're ready, remember to take your time," Seedflight pressed gently, nudging the young she-cat towards the base of their selected tree, a sturdy young beech tree. Honeypaw faced her challenge with wide green eyes, taking deep, shaky breaths. She was nervous and she had every right to be.
Snowfall had been just as afraid when he'd first been presented with the task of climbing a tree, but now he did it easily. He actually enjoyed it now, it was one of his favourite pastimes, other than hunting. He felt a pang of sympathy for the younger she-cat.
She reminded the snowy-pelted tom a little of his brother actually. He'd never been an avid tree climber due to his fear of heights, though he tended not to talk about it. He didn't want to let anyone know that the supposedly 'fearless' Dewclaw was afraid of heights.
Tail curling around his paws, Snowfall watched as Honeypaw took another tentative step forwards. Seedflight stood beside her apprentice, ready with words of encouragement, "It's all in your head, you'll be absolutely fine, I know you will," she murmured softly.
Honeypaw gave a shy smile, her eyes briefly fluttering shut. She stood totally still for a moment, inhaling and exhaling. Then, just like that, she was off. The long-limbed apprentice sprung forwards, leaping up the tree. She sunk her claws into the thick bark and slowly, but steadily, she began to climb higher, springing from the branches. Honeypaw had quickly gotten over her fear and let her instict take over.
Several of her leaps were a bit messy and she didn't radiate confidence, but all the same, she had made an admirable ascent. When she at last stopped, she wore the widest smile, happiness pooling in her soft green gaze, "I-I did it!" she burst out, quite unable to believe her achievement.
"See, I knew you could do it! Well done, Honeypaw!" Seedflight called up warmly, pride for her apprentice dancing in her eyes, "Now, when you get down, you can have a go at a slightly more difficult tree if you like! That was very well done!"
Snowfall joined in with the congratulations, "Good job, Honeypaw. That was far better than my first attempt at climbing!"
But Honeypaw's face suddenly fell. It took a moment for the white-pelted tom to realise it had been Seedflight's mention of actually getting down the tree that must have been cause for her sudden change of mood. Her eyes widened, fear kindling in their deep green depths as she took a step back, "Getting down?" she echoed, her voice shrinking to a fearful whimper.
Seedflight and Snowfall exchanged nervous glances. The pale ginger warrior softly called up to her apprentice, "Don't panic, Honeypaw. You'll be absolutely fine. Just watch where you're putting your paws, keep your weight distributed evenly, and you'll be fine."
The golden brown tabby apprentice took a deep, gusty breath and released it. Putting on a brave face, her gaze drifted to the branch below. Steadying herself, Honeypaw edged forwards. It was then that Snowfall began to hear it.
Honeypaw hadn't chosen one of the more sturdy branches to pause on, a rather young one in fact. The white tom had thought she'd be fine, after all, she would only be standing on it for a few moments, it should support her. But the moanings and creaks of the tree seemed to disagree with that.
It wasn't the tallest of trees, but a fall from it would still be painful and could quite easily break a bone. Snowfall didn't want to risk anything.
Instincitively, the white tom lurched to his paws, racing to the foot of the tree. Honeypaw let out a whimper, ears flattening against her head, fear pooling in her gaze. The branch was beginning to snap.
Snowfall turned his head to Seedflight, his ears angled towards Honeypaw, "I'll get her," he told her hurriedly and before she could object, he began to scale the tree.
He made quick work of the young beech and soon reached the height of Honeypaw's branch. The golden brown tabby apprentice was rooted to the spot in fear, unable to move her paws.
Thinking quickly, Snowfall crept out across the branch above, which was a little thicker. When he was directly above the golden brown tabby she-cat, he sunk his claws into the wood, dropping into crouch. Leaning down, he reached for the young apprentice.
It was as the branch gave an almighty creak, that Snowfall caught Honeypaw, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck. Gently, the young warrior lowered the apprentice onto his branch as the branch Honeypaw had been standing on just moments before fell to the ground in pieces.
The golden brown tabby apprentice stared wide-eyed at the remains of the branch, crumpled on the floor. The branch swayed beneath the weight of both of them.
Not taking any chances, Snowfall nimbly leapt to an opposite branch, his gaze flickering down to Seedflight. The pale ginger she-cat was gazing up, the anxiety in her gaze starting to melt as the white tom beckoned to Honeypaw, "Come on, don't think about it too much. If you can climb a tree, you should find getting down easy," he reassured her, although it wasn't entirely true. In his experience, he'd always found the descent more difficult, but he wasn't going to tell Honeypaw that.
The young apprentice didn't look convinced, staying absolutely still. Snowfall gave a little sigh, "Look, don't worry about it. Just follow my lead, put your paws where I put mine."
He stepped down onto the next branch, shooting a glance over his shoulder briefly. Honeypaw gave a little nod, finally uprooting her paws and taking a cautious step towards the trunk of the tree. Snowfall gave a little smile and leapt down onto the next branch, a thick sturdy one.
Following the white warrior's lead, Honeypaw picked her way down through the branches of the young beech. With each step, her confidence grew a little and the panic in her green gaze began to fade. By the time they reached the base of the beech tree, the apprentice at last seemed sure of herself. Her pelt was a little ruffled, but all the same, she seemed a little more settled.
Seedflight was quick to check over her apprentice, examining her for any injuries, "That was a great climb, a little shame about the descent, but that's completly understandable, it was your first time," she ran her green gaze over the golden brown tabby apprentice one last time, "You're not sore in any places? Grazed? Any cuts?"
The small she-cat shook her head vigourously, giving a shy smile, "I'm fine," she murmured softly, "Thank you, though."
Seedflight turned her gaze to Snowfall, "Well done, you'll be a great mentor someday, you know?" she stepped closer, their gazes briefly meeting, "You're not hurt though, either, are you?" she let her gaze wash over him for a heartbeat or so. And in that moment, Snowfall just let himself explore the depths of her eyes, the colour of a forest in the height of Green-leaf, before he at last responded.
Snowfall chuckled, "I'm fine," he purred, "No need to worry about me," he tipped his head towards the apprentice, "Honeypaw made a brilliant ascent though, I must say."
Honeypaw ducked her head in embarrassment, brushing off the compliment, "I messed up though. I was a mouse-brain. I should've moved when the branch was creaking, Snowfall shouldn't have had to save me. I should've saved myself."
"Don't be ridiculous, Honeypaw," Seedflight touched her tail to her apprentice lightly, "It was all just unlucky, don't think lowly of yourself."
Honeypaw glanced up from her paws, hope kindling in her soft green eyes, "Can I try it again? I'm sure I could do better this time," her gaze was pleading.
"I think that's enough excitement for one day," Seedflight meowed gently, "But if you like, we can do a little hunting before we return to camp?" she offered.
The golden brown tabby immediately beamed, her eyes lighting up, "Hunting? Definitely!"
The light ginger she-cat purred softly, her gaze slowly trickling to the long-furred white warrior, "Snowfall, would you like to join us?" she asked, gaze light with warmth, "I mean, it's fine if you have any duties to attend to"-
Snowfall cut in, "I'd love to," was his soft reply and for a moment their eyes met. Though this was, after all, a training session, there were unsaid words that whispered in one another's gazes and for once, Snowfall wasn't afraid of these words unspoken. They sent the warmest of hopes rippling through him, like the sun's gentle warmth, and the white tom embraced them.
Ambersky was right, he needed to make time for Seedflight, he'd come to admit that. He didn't want to miss even the smallest moments within her company, even if it was, like today, helping with training her apprentice. Later, when they'd returned to camp, he'd ask her maybe if they could go on a walk together or something, even if it was just a short one. He'd grown to realise that these feelings that bubbled up inside of him for her were more than just a respect and like for the she-cat. Was it love? Snowfall for one didn't know. Did he want it to be love? He wasn't sure either.
For now, anyway, he'd just enjoy the time he had with her. Even if it was training with her apprentice, it didn't matter. He was spending time with Seedflight and that was all he really cared about.
Dewclaw
That night couldn't come quick enough for Dewclaw. Though he had shown reluctance when Redflower had first proposed they meet, it had quickly been shed and replaced by nervous apprehension. Nervous, at being found out he was to meet a cat for another clan, and then desperately excited at seeing the tortoiseshell-and-white SkyClan she-cat once more. Was he breaking the warrior code? Redflower assured him they weren't really, there was nothing wrong with being friends with a cat from another clan, was there?
The dark grey tom shook the thoughts away. He would leave for the Gathering Island any moment now, just once he was sure all his clanmates were asleep. He lay crouched in his mossy nest in the shelter and warmth of the Warriors' Den, but he was far from asleep. Snowfall, on the other paw, seemed to be sleeping well, which the dark grey tom found a little unusual, considering his insomnia. Although, then again, Snowfall was very good at pretending to sleep when his insomnia prevented him from doing so, he could quite easily be as wide awake as Dewclaw was.
Ambersky, however, was definitely asleep. She lay in her nest, which seemed to move an inch closer to Molespots' nest every night, her paws flayed out, letting out those little drowsy snores that Berrynose and himself, amongst others, often complained about. They didn't seem to be bothering anyone tonight though, for everyone in the den seemed sound asleep.
Dewclaw let his gaze rasp over his sleeping denmates just one last time before gingerly rising to his paws. Apart from the gentle rising and falling of pelts, his was the only movement in the den as he cautiously picked his way across the den.
Stepping into the bitter chill of the night was a stark contrast from the reassuring warmth of the Warriors' Den and the dark grey tom instantly winced. He knew New-leaf was on the way, but ugh! Why did it have to be so cold? Redflower, Redflower. He let the thoughts of the pretty tortoiseshell-and-white warrior wash over him for a moment, finding strength in the images of her that flashed through his mind.
He released a breath, watching as it billowed into the cool night air, slowly drifting, fading. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he raised his head to the sky. The moon wasn't visible that night, the clouds smothered it, but the blinking of stars gave Dewclaw a sort of sense of reassurance.
With steps light as clouds, the dark grey tom crossed the clearing, his gaze set on the dirt-place tunnel. He didn't dare exit camp via the Thorn Barrier, Whitewing and Blossomfall were sitting guard tonight, he didn't want to arouse suspicion.
Wrinkling his nose in distaste at the great reek that the dirt-place gave off, Dewclaw quickly ducked into the dirt-place tunnel and as swiftly as his paws would carried him, slipped into the forest. At last able to breathe clearly, the dark grey tom inhaled and exhaled, then began on his little journey.
It took a surprisingly short amount of time to reach the WindClan border. The whole way, the dark grey warrior had been glancing behind him, taking little detours to lose any followers he might have gained. He was positive that he was alone, but he couldn't be too sure.
He crossed the stream with ease and let his paws carry him on his way, forever shooting nervous glances over at WindClan territory. It wasn't the fear of having to face a WindClan patrol that troubled him, more the fear of being caught by WindClan and then having to explain to Bramblestar why exactly he'd been out at moon-high on WindClan territory.
Luckily for him, there seemed to be no activity from WindClan. All the same, he was glad when he reached RiverClan territory and the Gathering Island came into close view. Though RiverClan was as much an enemy clan as WindClan was, Dewclaw didn't hate them quite as much as he did the other clans, SkyClan excluded. They had accepted the arrival of the lost clan with grace and the dark grey tom held respect for them for that.
It came as a surprise to the dark grey warrior when he found he'd reached the Tree-bridge. I'm already here? He'd gotten there far quicker than expected, it usually took far longer when he travelled with the gathering party on the way to a gathering. Then again, they often had to wait for less able clanmates, such as elders, when they were travelling to the gathering.
Would Redflower even be here yet?
Carrying himself low, as not to be spotted by any late night hunters from any of the clans, Dewclaw didn't hesitate to cross the bridge and landed lightly on the pebbled shore of the Gathering Island. The tiny stones and pebbles shifted beneath him, crunching as he crossed them to reach the cover of trees. It was a great relief to wear the shadows on his back, he felt a lot more secure now that he was out of sight from any of the clans.
Nervous energy mounted up inside of him as the dark grey tom stealthily slid through the shadows, winding in and out of the trees and thickets of bramble. Thorns snagged at his pelt, but Dewclaw ignored them, carrying onwards. Would Redflower actually be here to meet him? Would she forget?
The thoughts swamped him, weighing down on him heavily, and when he shed the cover of shadows to step into the clearing, he half expected to find himself face to face with all five clans. But instead, he found himself to be completely alone. Or so he thought.
It was rather unsettling; he was so used to the Gathering Clearing being to crowded with cats, it felt so much bigger empty. There was an eerie silence. In the distance, a bird sounded an alarm cry.
That's when he spotted the figure amongst the branches of the great oak.
"Dewclaw! You came!"
Relief came and slapped him in the face as the nimble tortoiseshell-and-white warrior leapt down from the branches, bouncing towards the stocky grey tom. She wore the widest smile, her green eyes swimming with enthusiasm as she reached him, instantly rubbing against him affectionately.
It took a heartbeat or so for Dewclaw to find his voice, so stricken with joy at the sight of the beautiful tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, "O-Of course I came," he purred softly, nuzzling Redflower gently, "Why wouldn't I?"
Redflower just grinned, "Last night seems like a moon ago!" she stepped closer to the dark grey tom so their pelts were brushing, "I was so worried you wouldn't come," she admitted, her gaze flickering to her paws briefly before drifting back to the dark grey warrior. Their gazes locked for a moment and Dewclaw, captivated by the lush green depths of her eyes, found himself unable to look away.
When he at last was able to tear his attention away, the dark grey tom took a deep breath, "Are you… Are you okay? After what happened last night, with WindClan and ShadowClan not being very, uh, friendly," generally concerned, he let his gaze rest on the pretty young she-cat.
Redflower shuffled her paws uncomfortably, "I'm fine. There was a bit of unrest amongst my clan, but we're okay," she mewed softly, avoiding his gaze for a moment, "But that can wait another time. We don't need to talk about stuff like that here."
Dewclaw opened his jaws to speak, then closed them again. They sat in silence for a moment, when Redflower lay her head on Dewclaw's shoulder. The dark grey tom was taken by surprise at her action, but quickly relaxed, giving off a soft purr.
"I've missed you so much," the pretty tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat confessed, gazing up at the broad-shouldered tom.
The dark grey warrior smiled, the words like warm rays of sunlight on his pelt, sending warmth rushing through him, "I suppose it has been a little odd not having you around," he meowed, amusement flitting behind his dark amber gaze.
Redflower gave him a shove, "Hey!"
The dark grey tom rolled onto his back, grinning, "Okay, Okay, so maybe I have missed you. A lot," he purred, warmth for the SkyClan warrior kindling in his gaze, "Enjoying your life as a warrior now?"
Redflower nodded eagerly, green eyes bright, "It's great!" she purred, "Whitepaw got her warrior name too- Whitefern. It would be more fun with you though," a little of the excitement faded from her eyes, replaced by a wistful longing.
Dewclaw's felt a pang within his heart. How he wished they were in the same clan sometimes, no borders to separate them, no warrior code opposing them. Opposing us from what? Being friends? He gave a little sigh, friends. The word felt too small. If only there were some way they could be more...
He planted a tender lick on the pretty tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat's forehead, "I'm here now," he murmured softly in her ear, "We have this moment, we have tonight."
For a moment, the SkyClan she-cat just gazed up at him, the sadness in her gaze slowly replaced by warmth, "You're right," she rose to her paws, pulling away from the dark grey tom, "I know what we can do. How about a tree climbing contest!" she began to dart towards the trees that edged the clearing, green eyes bright with excitement.
Dewclaw's heart sank, "Tree climbing?" he echoed, a prickling unease rising from his paws, "I'm not so sure that's a good idea," he attempted to hide his unease at the mention of tree climbing, he didn't want Redflower knowing about his fear of heights. The thought of her finding out was simply mortifying. He couldn't embarrass himself like that in front of her.
The tortoiseshell-and-white warrior slowly stopped, turning to face the dark grey tom, "Why? Does little Dewy Paws not like climbing trees?" she teased, amusement glimmering in her soft green gaze, "Wait. Does Dewy Paws have a little fear of climbing trees?"
The dark grey tom swallowed, meowing as smoothly as possible, "Of course not, that's ridiculous. Why should I be scared of climbing trees, I have no reason to be afraid of anything," afraid that his eyes might betray him, he distracted himself by smoothing down his thick grey fur, focusing intently on the task and mewing between licks, "I'm just tired. There was a gathering last night, you know?" he paused for a moment, glancing up at Redflower, but not quite meeting the SkyClan she-cat's gaze, "And anyway, my name's Dewclaw now, you can't call me Dewy Paws any more."
Redflower smirked, padding closer to him once more, "Oh, yeah, I'm sure that's true, you're tired. You look exhausted, I'm surprised you haven't fallen asleep on your paws," sarcasm rolled off her words, "I do suppose you're right. I guess I'll have to call you Dewy Claws instead now."
The dark grey warrior sighed, "Wonderful. You have a true gift at giving names. Dewy Claws," he rolled his eyes, "I should be calling you Reddy Flowers."
If anything, his new nickname was worse than the old one. Dewy Claws! Really? She couldn't have thought of a better name, could she?
Redflower laughed, "Ha! Reddy Flowers, that doesn't even make sense, you old furball."
"Hey, who are you calling a furball?" mischief glinted in the dark grey tom's dark amber gaze. He bounded after the the spotted tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, bowling her over, "If anyone's a furball, you're the furball."
For a moment, the pair of cats just caught their breath, their gazes locked. Redflower batted playfully at the dark grey tom, "I don't want tonight to ever end," there was a wistful tone to her mew, her green gaze a little distant.
Dewclaw took the time to just absorb himself in her eyes. She had beautiful eyes, he'd always though that really, privately. He daren't say it of course. They sort of reminded him of lush, green leaves; bright and brimming with life.
His simple response to the pretty tortoiseshell-and-white warrior's words was a soft mew, gentle and almost inaudible, "Me neither. Not ever."
It was in that moment, that Dewclaw was sure he could hear Redflower's heart beating; steady and strong, in unison with his own. He just smiled.
Now, before anyone says anything, yes, I am aware of the fact that Lilystream aren't actually cousins. Lilystream is actually Molespots' aunt, but it just sounds weird because she's younger than he is and it's all just a little odd. So for convenience, they are now cousins! xD
Too tired to write any more, live, love, read and review!
Love Leafy x