Oh my gosh guys, are you proud of me? I updated after a week! :D I promised I would, so here we go! I'm very sorry if it's a little rushed in places, but I do hope you'll like this chappie. ^^
Disclaimer - I do not own Warriors.
.:Review Replies:.
amberleaf4273 ~ Thank you! Well, it's up to Seedflight to decide really. Firestar seems to think that, whatever happens, she will become a medicine cat, but I don't know. We'll have to wait and see! (I'm so cruel. xD )
Orangeflight ~ Aw, thank you so much Orange! 3 Dewclaw and Redflower are definitely adorable, I love them to pieces! Random fact for you, originally, Dewclaw was never going to fall for her, he was going to just despise her and get really annoyed by her for the whole journey, then, when he returned to ThunderClan, he was going to eventually become Lilystream's mate. xD Funny how things change.
Silverfrost137 ~ Yup, SnowxSeed is super cute. BumblexDove is adorable too! 3 BumblexDove all the way, not DovexTiger :/
Frostblaze ~ Gracias! (Just thought I'd through in a bit of Spanish in there. xD ) :3
Clearfeather ~ Aw, thank you so much for all your reviews (three I think it was?)! I would reply individually to everything you said, but it's fact that I'm a lazy human being, so I'm not going to right now. Thank you though! I really appreciate it! ^^ Oh, almost forgot your questions! I shall answer them now! ^^ My favourite cat (I don't know whether you meant the Warriors series or Blue Moon, but I'm going to go for Blue Moon 'cause it's easier) is... Well, I kinda have several. I adore Molespots, he's like my baby. I love him so much. He's just so awesome and honest and wise and brave and stuff. I also adore Redflower, because she's basically me and I'm of course awesome. Just kidding. xD I do love Redflower though. I also love Seedflight, Snowfall, Ambersky, Dewclaw, Honeypaw, Pebblepaw and Stormpaw! I think I'm going to stop there before I name any more cats. xD My favourite warriors couple, man that's hard. I'm just going to answer for Blue Moon, otherwise it would be way too hard. It would either be AmberxMole or SeedxSnow because they're both so adorably cute! 3
Silverkitty16 ~ Yay! You made an account! :3 Thank you!
Spottedmoth123 ~ Thanks! c:
Snowfeather4876 ~ Phew! I was worried all the SnowxSeed shippers were going to start a war against me or something. xD I think you'll like this chapter, if you like SnowxSeed. :3
Silky ~ Thank you! Ya, it's kind of like a calm before a storm that last chapter, and the beginning bit of this chapter is as well (loads of fluffy stuff with two of our favourite shippings). That think you said about the tree incident, it actually does sort of foreshadow something, I didn't quite realise it at the time of writing, but something Molespots says...
Cupcaketail ~ Oh my gosh, you actually changed your name to that. xD If you're Cupcaketail of WindClan, I feel as though I should have an equally awesome name to match... Cookiesplash of ThunderClan! :D Yay! Thank you so much anyway! c:
AngelEnderCat ~ Stitches in your knuckles?! D: Ouch! That must hurt! Hope you're okay! :3 Thank you anyway and prepare for DA GATHERING DRAMA. Well, at least the beginning of it. ^^'
XtremeBlaze ~ Aw, thank you so much, you don't know how much that means to me! 3 I love all those shippings too and, funny enough, IvyxToad were supposed to be announcing that Ivy was expecting kits last chapter, but I ran out of space and plus, the nursery's pretty crowded. Their kits will be on the way soon though! :3 Thanks for all the name suggestions! Unfortunately I already decide all their warrior names beforehand, even the kits that haven't been born yet. You did actually guess a few warrior names correct though. ^^ Question time! 1. Snowfall was originally going to get little Finchkit as an apprentice, but I've changed that. Although I think one of them is mentoring one of Dovewing's kits! :3 2. Yup! One of the rewards is having your character in a story! I'm going to be doing another story in a month or two I think, hopefully I'll be getting more entries than last time! :D
Alwayssearching2012 ~ Thank you! Ya, I still have a little bit to work out with the plotline, particularly with Seedflight and medicine cats and stuff, things are still a bit iffy and confuddling.
arcticfoxlover ~ Thank you as always! I didn't really think about how Redflower would've imagined a badger, I suppose the elders would've told her stories? :3 Hopefully this update contributes to keeping you alive, don't die! D:
Brackenflame ~ Aw, thank you! :3 What will happen to SeedxSnow? That is the question. Well, we find out something in this chapter, it's up to Seedflight really. ^^
Stunna13 ~ Thank you so much! Funny how you said about the one couple who sit in trees and stuff because we have another couple sitting in a tree today. xD Also, how you said about the Twolegplace cats maybe being in book four? Well, it happens a bit closer than that...
Blackstorms ~ Thank you and thanks for the warning about that talking angela thing! Sounds creepy. -shudder-
Gosh, that took ages! Anyway, enjoy this chapter! We have a load of fluff, then suddenly, BAM, drama at the gathering. :3
Dewclaw
The sky was dark, almost free of stars and the moon was cloaked behind a thick layer of cloud, but Dewclaw couldn't care less. In fact, it could've been snowing or pouring with rain, there could even be a storm going on above his head and the dark grey tom wouldn't bat an eyelid. Why should he? Who cared if the weather was awful, if he was so tired he felt like his paws were going to fall off, he was on his way to see Redflower and that thought only kept him going.
He didn't even need to think about where he was going, he'd treaded this path so many times that he could practically make the journey in his sleep. It was always a bit of a distance, travelling all the way to the gathering island and back, and very risky, travelling through WindClan and RiverClan territory (he'd almost been spotted several times by patrols) but, in Dewclaw's opinion, it was worth it.
He almost didn't realise he'd reached the Tree-bridge, nearly wandering into the lake itself. Pawsteps light and steady, the thick-furred grey tom raced across the fallen tree that formed the bridge between the shore and the island. Dewclaw began to bound straight forwards when he reached the other side, bursting out of the undergrowth into the clearing, "Redflower!"
But the clearing was empty. Dewclaw frowned, that's not like Redflower to be lat-
The ThunderClan warrior was suddenly struck and pinned down, "Haha! I've got you this time!"
Dewclaw's heart was hammering in his chest, Great StarClan, I've been found. They've found me… What if I'm exiled from ThunderClan, what if- It suddenly hit him, heavy like a stone. He chuckled, relaxing.
"Get off me, you great lump," he purred softly, dark amber eyes bright with amusement, "You nearly frightened me out of my pelt, you ball of fur."
Redflower smirked, leaf-green eyes bright, meowing in mock surprise, "What? Dewy Claws, who's scared of nothing in the whole forest, was frightened by me?" she got up, allowing Dewclaw to breathe and rise to his paws, "Well, I suppose I am pretty fierce some, I can hardly blame you."
The dark grey ThunderClan warrior gave her a playful shove, "Oh, shut up."
The pretty dappled tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat purred brightly, grinning, "C'mon, let's go do something fun!" she began racing towards the Great Tree in the centre of the clearing, "I've always wondered what it's like to be a clan leader," she sprung up into the tree, landing easily on one of the lower branches, "C'mon Dewclaw!"
The dark grey tom's heart sank. Climbing trees? I… I can't do that. Mouse-dung, I can't let her know I have a fear-, no an 'intolerance' of heights, she'll never let me hear the end of it! He swallowed, stepping forward, "You know what, I'm quite tired, I think I'll just give it a miss, I'm… I'm not that good at climbing."
The dappled tortoiseshell-and-white warrior chuckled, "You're not very good at it? Some excuse," she snorted, then motioned with a flick of her tail, "C'mon, I'll show you, I'm a SkyClan warrior after all; climbing and leaping is what we do best," she meowed, puffing out her chest, her green eyes glowing with pride.
Dewclaw was still for a moment, staring up at the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, her gaze was so hopeful and bright, "Fine," he grunted, padding forwards, to the base of the great tree, but only for you Redflower, only for you.
Taking a gusty breath, he took a step back before racing forwards and, bunching his muscles, leaping up into the tree. For a moment he was in flight, halfway between the ground and the outstretched branch. Dewclaw forced himself to look up to Redflower, to not let his gaze drag back down to the ground. Don't think about it.
His claws sunk into the thick bark of the oak tree and the dark grey tom heaved a sigh of relief. He hadn't fallen. Yet.
Redflower gently flicked her tail to his shoulder, "Hey, that wasn't too bad," she smiled, guiding to a thicker branch, the one on which Onestar had delivered his report at the previous gathering, "You seemed a little distracted though, you weren't quite focused on what you were doing, so you almost lost your balance at the end there," she motioned towards a slightly higher branch, just above her head, "You have a tail; use it, it should help with your balance. Go on, jump onto that branch."
The sturdy grey tom followed her gaze, managing to keep up the calm exterior, whilst on the inside, he was starting to panic, Oh great StarClan, she'd better not expect me to climb to the top, he nodded, meowing a smoothly as possible, "You know what, you wouldn't be too bad as a mentor."
Redflower ignored him, "Go on, climbing is easy, you just need to practise, otherwise you'll never get better."
Dewclaw eyed the branch warily, his heart racing fast, don't look down, don't look down.
"You're overthinking it, just do it," Redflower meowed brightly, tipping her head to one side, "I know you can do it."
The dark grey tom met her gaze for a moment before glancing away. I'm overthinking it… Just think of nothing… Nothing… He took a deep breath and without further thoughts, he leapt, paws outstretched. Before he could even think about it, he'd landed on the next branch. Redflower gave a joyous purr, "See, easy peasy!" she sprung up onto a branch just beside his, "Training over! Now let's climb to the top!"
Dewclaw's heart faltered, all the way to the top? But, that's so high! I can't do that. But before he could voice any sort of objection, Redflower had begun to leap from branch to branch, swiftly ascending the great tree, weaving in and out of branches, moving with incredible ease.
There was no backing out of this, otherwise Redflower would suspect something. He couldn't let her know he had a fear of heights. For a moment, his guard was down and his gaze flickered to the clearing floor below and his heart immediately jolted, Great StarClan, I'm so high already!
"Hey, Dewclaw, you coming?"
The stocky grey tom took a deep breath, swallowing the growing lump in his throat, "Y-yeah, just coming," he replied, stuttering ever so slightly. I've got to do this.
Gathering his courage, the dark grey tom inhaled and exhaled one last time before leaping for the next branch up. His landing wasn't quite so easy as his last jump, but he landed safely and paused only briefly before springing up onto another branch. Don't look down. Don't look down. If he didn't look down, if he didn't think about how high up he was, he'd be fine, it was only when he started panicking that things started going wrong.
Surprisingly, he was making quite a pace, the top of the great tree growing closer and closer. That didn't mean he wasn't still scared to death, he just chose to try and ignore it.
He was about to make the jump to the next branch when Redflower's head suddenly burst through the leaves above, causing Dewclaw to jolt in shock, almost losing his balance, "Taking your time, eh? Hurry up will you?"
The dark grey tom gave a smile, nodding. Redflower purred, before disappearing once more. Dewclaw couldn't help but chuckle a little.
Three more successful leaps and he'd done it. The branches were only just thick enough to support both their weights as the dark grey tom emerged from the tangle of leaves and branches to find Redflower waiting for him, settled on the thickest branch, that jutted out from the canopy.
"Dewy Claws! You made it," the dappled tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat purred, green eyes bright. She motioned for him to come sit beside her. It was only then that the dark grey tom noticed the collection of soft moss and downy feathers, a nest.
He blinked, tentatively stepping forward, consciously aware of just how high they were, "Did you..? Did you make this?"
The pretty SkyClan warrior purred softly, "Yup!" she beamed, green eyes glowing, "I've been making it for quite a few nights, whenever I'm waiting for you to arrive," she gazed at him expectantly, "Well, aren't you going to test it out?"
Dewclaw gave a nervous smile, having just caught a brief glimpse of the clearing below, and tentatively stepped forwards and carefully positioned himself next to Redflower in the nest. A gentle breeze stirred the tree slightly and Dewclaw sucked in a breath, trying to take his mind off how high he was. Think happy thoughts, happy thoughts.
"Are you okay? Do you not like it?" concern lapped at Redflower's vibrant green gaze.
Dewclaw took a deep breath, I'm with Redflower, there's no need to be afraid. He smiled warmly, giving off a rumbling purr, "I love it, I can't believe you made this," he touched his muzzle to her cheek lightly, "It's amazing."
For the first time, he lifted his gaze from Redflower, from the tree, to the view. Terrifying as it may be at the same time, Dewclaw had to admit, it was spectacular. The moon had emerged from behind the cover of clouds and was reflected perfectly on the water. He smiled.
Redflower took a deep breath gazing up into the dark grey tom's amber eyes, "I was so worried you wouldn't like it," she confessed, "I wasn't sure whether you were any good at climbing trees or if you liked heights at all, I know Ambersky said either you or Snowfall wasn't that good with heights," she motioned down to the clearing floor, "so I made one down in the clearing as well, just in case."
Dewclaw's heart sank, well, that's typical.
"I like this one better though," the tortoiseshell-and-white warrior purred.
The dark grey tom lifted his gaze to the moon, then let it drift back to Redflower. Their eyes met and his heart gave a flip inside him, "Well, it was me, not Snowfall with a… a fear of heights, but…" he touched his tail-tip to her shoulder lightly, "I don't have a reason to be afraid any more; I'm with you," he took a deep breath, a glimmer of amusement in his amber gaze, "I was absolutely terrified whilst I was climbing up here though."
He'd never truly admitted being afraid to anyone before and, in honesty, Dewclaw half expected Redflower to start teasing him about it.
But instead, the young SkyClan warrior licked his cheek gently, green eyes bright, "I wouldn't call it a fear," she mewed softly, "I'd call that being brave; my father used to say that without fear, there is no courage," their gazes locked, "And if you ask me, climbing to the top of one of the tallest trees in the forest despite being afraid is definitely an act of courage."
Dewclaw was surprised by the way Redflower responded, but he couldn't help smiling, "Those were pretty wise words coming from your mouth," he chuckled.
The spotted tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat poked him playfully, "Hey, I can be wise when I want to."
The dark grey tom grinned, "I don't know about you, but I'm rather tired after that climb and it would seem a shame for this nest to go to waste, do you think the clans would notice if we slept here instead?"
He wasn't expecting Redflower to agree, so when the pretty SkyClanner smiled warmly, green eyes bright, he was caught off guard. Although he was ever so slightly wary, being in a tree after all, he'd been speaking truthfully when he'd said he was no longer afraid, at least when he was with Redflower. Sleeping up here did worry him a little, but one glance at Redflower, at the hope in her eyes, and it all vanished.
"I think that's a brilliant idea," the SkyClan she-cat murmured, sinking a little deeper into the nest. Dewclaw smiled, touching his muzzle to her ear.
The pair sat in a silence for a few moments, their eyes fixed on the sky, the lake, taking in the beauty of the moment. At last resisting to the exhaustion, Dewclaw settled himself in the nest, curling up around Redflower, their tails entwining.
The tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat took a deep breath, her green eyes misting, "Dewclaw, there's been something I've been meaning to tell you," she admitted, "I've been kind of putting it off, because I don't want to ruin this, I don't want to ruin what we have."
Dewclaw frowned, "Is there… Is there something wrong?"
The pretty dappled tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat shook her head, "Not at all, I just…" she inhaled and exhaled deeply, swallowing, "I don't want this to change anything and if you don't feel the same that's okay but… but… Dewclaw, Dewy Claws, I think I… I think…. I love you."
It took several heartbeats for the words to sink in. Dewclaw was a bit dazed in all honesty, quite unable to comprehend Redflower's words. 'I love you.' Redflower… Redflower loves me. She loves me… He blinked. She loves me.
Redflower was rather tense, gazing at him expectantly and Dewclaw realised he still hadn't responded. Taking a deep breath, he gave the warmest smile and licked the top of her head affectionately.
"I love you too."
Snowfall
The sun was just dipping in the sky when Snowfall returned to camp. It was the gathering night tonight, but before that, there was something he had to do. It was going to be a beautiful sunset and he'd just checked out the spot he'd chosen, a hidden clearing, alive with the glow of fireflies, now he just had to find Seedflight.
The snowy-pelted tom knew the pale ginger she-cat had taken Honeypaw out training, so with luck she'd already be back at camp, or at least returning from training soon.
As the white tom crossed the clearing, he almost tripped over ThunderClan's newest apprentices; Flamepaw, Nettlepaw and Finchpaw. The three young cats had just been appointed their mentors this morning; Nettlepaw had been appointed Ivypool, whilst Flamepaw was to mentored by Lionblaze and finally Finchpaw was the apprentice of Spiderleg. But the three new apprentices weren't the only cause of excitement this morning; now that her kits were apprentices, Squirrelflight would be returning to her rank of deputy, but instead she'd made the decision to stand down from her position to become a warrior, stating she was honoured to serve as ThunderClan's deputy, but that she'd rather serve her clan as a normal warrior and didn't seek anything more. Bramblestar had accepted this decision graciously and Lionblaze had been officially appointed as ThunderClan's new deputy. There was certainly going to be a lot to announce at the gathering.
Sidestepping to avoid a rather bouncy Finchpaw, the snowy-furred tom continued on his way, pausing briefly and letting his gaze skim over the camp. Several of the elders were out, basking in the late evening sun, alongside several warriors, Ivypool, Toadstep and Berrynose. There were, of course, the three new apprentices, full to the brim with excitement about the night's gathering and scattered around camp were little groups of cats, some sharing a meal together, others exchanging the latest gossip or sharing tongues.
After a final quick check, Snowfall gave a sigh; she definitely wasn't back yet. I suppose I'll have to wait for her, with luck she won't be too long. With the prospect of the evening ahead, the white tom decided that it might be a good idea smooth down his ruffled pelt. Sitting on his haunches, Snowfall began to work his way through his long white pelt, rasping his tongue through his fur. He started with his chest and paws, then his face; licking his forepaw and drawing it behind his ear in a rhythmic motion. He'd been washing himself for a good few minutes when pawsteps sounded behind him. The long-furred white tom glanced up only to find a pair of bright green eyes gazing down at him.
Seedflight smiled warmly, "Hey Snowfall," she purred softly, nuzzling the white tom. Snowfall returned the gesture, grinning widely, warmth pooling in his light amber gaze.
"Seedflight," he mewed, his words light and friendly, "Did you just get back from training Honeypaw? I couldn't see you around camp."
The pale ginger she-cat nodded, "Yeah, sorry about that," she apologised, ducking her head, "We were out a little longer that expected. Honeypaw's really progressing in her training though, she'll be a fine warrior," she purred fondly.
The young warrior smiled, casting a brief glance up to the sky, there's still time. The white tom took a deep breath, clearing his throat apprehensively, "I know you've just gotten back from training, but there's been some place I've been, uh, meaning to show you, would you… would you like to come on a walk with me? It won't be too long, I promise."
A warm smile spread across Seedflight's face, "I'd love to," she meowed brightly, touching her tail-tip to Snowfall's side lightly. The white tom couldn't help but feel a ripple of joy passing through him at her touch.
Letting out a sigh of relief, he smiled, before getting to his paws, "Great! Should we go then?" he nodded towards the Thorn Barrier.
The pretty pale ginger she-cat smiled, rising to her paws, "Sure, let's go," she padded forwards, leading the way towards the reinforced camp entrance. Snowfall fell in beside her, matching her pace perfectly.
They both ducked under the Thorn Barrier, Snowfall being extra careful to ensure he didn't snag his pelt on the sharp barbs. Emerging into the forest, the white tom glanced over at Seedflight and couldn't help but smile, blinking warmly at his companion. It never ceased to amaze him just how beautiful the pale ginger she-cat was; with her sleek, pale ginger pelt, lithe, graceful frame and intelligent, green eyes, she was the most beautiful she-cat in the forest in Snowfall's eyes, and not just in her appearance. She was just so kind, so warm-hearted.
In a sunny frame of mind, the small white tom flicked his tail gently, "Follow me," he murmured softly, meeting the pretty she-cat's vibrant green gaze. Seedflight blinked graciously in response, green eyes warm.
The canopy above casting dappled shadows onto both their pelts, Snowfall padded ahead, his paws easily carrying him towards their destination. He knew the route like the back of his paw, so he hardly needed to put much thought into it at all. It didn't take at all long to get there, it was more what happened once they got there that Snowfall was anxious about. Though he wore a bright smile, he was silently terrified; what if she doesn't feel the same? Oh StarClan, please don't let that happen, not after all this.
As predicted, they reached Snowfall's hidden clearing within a few minutes. The white tom, taking a gusty breath, flourished his tail in a motion to stop, just before a juniper bush, before turning to Seedflight and muttering a gentle warning, "Just mind your pelt here, there are a few thistles here and there," then he disappeared under the juniper bush, dropping to his belly and wriggling underneath to the other side.
Emerging into the clearing, the white tom's gaze was immediately pulled to the sky. It was a rich, vibrant amber; night was fast approaching. The clearing was aglow with the light of fireflies, flitting to and fro amongst the long grasses and wildflowers. The white tom let out a rumbling purr, whisking twitching.
Seedflight appeared shortly, wriggling on her belly as she emerged from underneath the juniper bush. Snowfall couldn't help but smirk, "You look like a worm," he teased, amusement glinting in his amber eyes.
The pretty pale ginger she-cat opened her jaws, as if about to make a comeback, then her gaze fell to their surroundings, "Oh my StarClan."
The silky furred tom pressed against her, their pelts smudging together, a blend of silky white and glossy pale ginger. Snowfall could feel Seedflight's heart beating, a steady, repetitive bead, like pawsteps on stone. One, two. One, two. He smiled softly.
"It's beautiful, it's amazing, it's…" the young she-cat broke off, shaking her head, simply lost for words, "I thought I knew every part of our territory, how did you discover this place? How did I not know about this place before?"
The long-furred white tom let his eyes acquaint themselves with hers, amber meeting green, "It didn't use to be quite so hidden, the heather and juniper bushes have grown back a lot bigger this new-leaf," he paused, reluctantly pulling his gaze away from Seedflight and letting it explore the sky, "I found it in leaf-bare, when it wasn't quite so spectacular."
A soft purr rumbled in Seedflight's chest, "Wow, I can't believe this has been here all this time and…" again, the young warrior was speechless, she slowly turned to Snowfall, their eyes meeting, "thank you, for showing me this… this beautiful place."
For a moment, Snowfall simply sat quite still, exploring the intense green depths of Seedflight's eyes. They were so captivating and bright, drawing you in like a moth to the light. The long-pelted tom white tom blinked, forcing himself to look away. He cleared his throat, his heart fluttering in his chest, mewing, voice soft, "I… I don't know if anyone's ever told you before, but… but…. You have the most beautiful eyes," there, I've said it.
It took a heartbeat for Seedflight to signal a response to his words, ducking her head in embarrassment, her eyes bright, "Thank you, they're really not though, they're nothing special," she insisted humbly, turning her head ever so slightly.
Snowfall frowned, "What are you talking about? They're beautiful! You… You're beautiful," he took a deep breath, holding her gaze, "If you ask me, you're the most beautiful she-cat in the whole forest."
The pale ginger she-cat flattened her ears against her head, but her vibrant green gaze glowed with warmth. The white tom could tell she was quite unsure of how to respond, it was quite difficult to come back from such a compliment.
The silky-pelted tom inhaled deeply, I should just tell her, right here, right now. This is what I've been waiting for, Snowfall, don't mess things up now, "Seedflight, the reason I brought you here was because there's something I wanted to tell you," he confessed honestly, moving closer to the pale ginger she-cat, curling his tail around his paws.
The pale ginger she-cat tipped her head to one side, studying him closely, a hint of concern flecked in her bright green gaze, "Is there something wrong? Is something the matter? You know you can tell me anything, Snowfall."
Can I really tell you anything? Can I tell you this? Snowfall tried to ignore the doubtful thoughts that clouded his mind, continuing, "You, you're one of my best friends, you mean so much to me; you're so kind, friendly, intelligent, you've always been there for me," he took a shaky breath, "But there's something I've realised recently."
Well, this is it, no going back now. He managed to hold the pale ginger she-cat's gaze, "Seedflight, I… You're the most wonderful cat I've ever met, I… I think I've fallen for you. I… I love you and…" he took another deep breath, letting the word hang in the warm evening air for a moment, "and I was wondering if… If you'd do the honour of becoming my mate?" he instantly flinched, preparing himself for rejection, for the turn down, "I know you probably don't feel the same, and it's probably stupid, but I just don't want to live in regret wondering what if and I"-
Seedflight cut in. The pale ginger she-cat looked quite taken aback, but her eyes pooled with emotion, was it love? For a moment, the white tom almost thought he detected guilt, then the pale ginger she-cat brushed it off, "Oh, Snowfall, you mouse-brain," she gave him a playful poke with her forepaw, "Of course I love you," she nuzzled him, touching her nose to his ear, "In a way, I suppose I always have. There's no one I'd rather have at my side."
The snowy-white tom's heart almost skipped a beat. Did she just...? Did she really..? The white tom was forced to intake yet another breath, trying to clear his head, She did. She said she loves me. But wait, was that a yes or a no? He blinked, unable to quite believe what had just happened, what was happening, "I… You… Wait, what?" he stammered, staring at Seedflight in disbelief, yet also slightly confused.
The pretty young she-cat's whiskers twitched in amusement, a humouring purr resounding from her chest, "In case I wasn't clear enough, that was a yes," she purred, "I'd love to be your mate," she licked his ear fondly.
The white tom blinked, not quite in the belief of what he was seeing and hearing, "You would?" he echoed, his voice more like a whimper.
Seedflight laughed, "Of course, silly," the amusement faded from her gaze briefly when she added, "We all get a choice in our destinies. My choice is you, Snowfall, you, and it always will be."
The white tom wasn't quite sure what she meant by that, but he smiled anyway, letting the words sink in and warm his heart. He let his tail entwine with hers, lifting his gaze to the sky. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, leaving the horizon with a distant, glowing streak, he turned to Seedflight, his mate, wow, that's going to take some getting used to, calling her that, "We've still got a bit of time before we need to get back to camp, we could do anything you know?"
The pale ginger she-cat shook her head, "We don't have to do anything. As long as you're with me, I'm happy," she purred, green eyes bright and glowing in the fading light.
"You don't have to worry then," the white tom mewed softly, "Because I'm never going to leave your side. I love you, Seedflight, forever and always."
Ambersky
"Attending the gathering tonight; Lionblaze, Leafpool, Brackenfur, Spiderleg, Whitewing, Berrynose, Orangeflight, Cinderheart, Bumblestripe, Ivypool, Ambersky, Dewclaw, Redpaw, Lakepaw, Finchpaw, Flamepaw and Nettlepaw," Bramblestar's confident meow echoed around the Stone Hollow. Ambersky couldn't help but grin in delight at being chosen. She hadn't been to the last gathering and was rather eager to know how the other clans, well, more like just SkyClan, were doing.
Letting her gaze cross the clearing, it fell to Snowfall and Seedflight, who'd just returned moments before from a walk or something. Wait. A walk? Didn't Snowfall say… The pale grey-and-white she-cat let out a joyous purr, racing over to the two cats, "Hi!" she meowed brightly, "So, did you have a good walk?"
Snowfall exchanged a glance with Seedflight, "Yeah, it was… amazing," he ducked his head in embarrassment, "Look, I know you're going to want to know all about it, but I'll tell you after the gathering," he muttered under his breath so just Ambersky could catch his words. The young she-cat nodded, amber eyes bright. He asked her to be his mate didn't he? Aw, they must be mates now! Oh my StarClan, their kits are going to be so adorable.
"Moon-high fast approaches, we must leave now if we're not to be late," Bramblestar's words cut through Ambersky's thoughts. Smirking silently, the pale grey-and-white she-cat dipped her head in goodbye to Seedflight and Snowfall before padding off to the rest of the gathering party. Bramblestar sat calmly at the head of the group, tail curled around his paws, at his side his deputy, Lionblaze, the cat whom he'd once called his son.
Light pawsteps sounded behind her and she glanced up to find Dewclaw gazing down at her, blinking calmly. He acknowledged her with a tip of the head before sitting beside her, remaining silent. Ambersky guessed he wasn't in a very talkative mood and simply smiled back before letting her eyes wander back to Bramblestar.
The dark brown tabby tom took a deep breath, running his gaze over the gathering party one last time, "Right, let's go!" he gave a sharp flick of his tabby-striped tail before leaping down from the Highledge and striding towards the Thorn Barrier. The young she-cat cast a brief glance over at Snowfall, before rising to her paws and following the rest of the group as they departed camp, destined for the gathering.
The journey to the gathering island itself passed relatively quickly and they soon arrived at the tree-bridge, having to wait briefly for the tail-end of the RiverClan gathering party to make the crossing before ThunderClan could spill out onto the island.
Ambersky opted to pick up the rear of the group, consciously aware of the fact they had several new apprentices among them, who'd never had to cross the tree-bridge before. The pale grey-and-white she-cat, remembering her first gathering, wanted to make sure there weren't any unexpected dips into the lake.
Bramblestar demonstrated the first crossing of the tree-bridge with absolute ease, remaining well-balanced the whole time and springing down lightly onto the pebbled island shore. The rest of ThunderClan spilled out after him, everyone successfully making the trip, until there was just one cat before Ambersky; Nettlepaw.
The mottled pale grey apprentice glanced up at Ambersky briefly, "What happens if I fall?" he mewed quietly, nervousness flitting behind his green gaze, "Will I die? Will I drown?"
Ambersky chuckled, nudging the young apprentice forward gently, "Don't worry, you won't fall," she assured him, voice gentle and smooth, like water over pebbles, "Have courage in your abilities."
Nettlepaw held her gaze for a heartbeat before taking a deep breath and cautiously leaping up onto the tree-bridge. For a moment he slid all over the place, unable to find a paw-hold in the splintered tree trunk, then he managed to regain his balance, smiling nervously. He took a few tentative steps forward, Ambersky springing up onto the tree-bridge behind him, just in case.
"You're doing great," she murmured reassuringly to the young apprentice. Nettlepaw didn't reply, but the slight flicker of movement from his ears and a little glow in his eyes illustrated he'd heard her.
When he reached the end of the tree-bridge, the mottled grey tom's shoulders relaxed and he let out a great breath, smiling triumphantly as he leapt down from the fallen tree trunk. Ambersky couldn't help but smile too, jumping and landing lightly on the pebbled shore.
Inhaling a deep breath of the cool night air, the grey-and-white patched warrior filed in behind the rest of the gathering party as they spilled into the gathering clearing. The other four clans were already gathered, distributed evenly throughout the clearing.
From just ahead of her, Ambersky spotted Dewclaw searching the crowd for a particular face, Redflower she assumed. They'd been very close on the journey, it was only natural really for them to want to catch up at the gathering.
As the dark grey tom made his way over to the dappled tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, Ambersky, on the other paw, was quite content on just finding a spot to sit and waiting for the gathering to begin. She preferred to speak with friends from the other clans after the actual gathering had finished, then she could gossip about each of the clans' latest news.
She settled herself beneath the great oak, tail curling around her paws and a small yawn leaving her jaws. As she awaited the start of the gathering, she let her gaze drift across the clearing, curiously on looking on the activities and conversations of others. It was as she let her eyes wander that they were caught by a brown-and-white patched pelt. Rapidstream. The RiverClan warrior was making his way over to her, amber eyes bright with hope.
"Hey, Ambersky!" he called enthusiastically, reaching her, "It feels like I haven't seen you in moons. How have you been?"
Ambersky gave a smile. Rapidstream could be a little annoying sometimes, often bragging about some thing or another, but he was a nice enough cat, "I'm not quite so sure about moons," she chuckled, "I talked to you briefly at the gathering before last," she smiled, "It's good to see you though. I'm good, I suppose, what about you?"
"I'm brilliant, new-leaf has brought loads of fish to the river, you should have seen the size of the trout I caught last night," he purred, "It was"-
"Now that we're at last all present, let the gathering begin!" Ambersky was glad when Onestar yowled from the great tree, his voice booming across the clearing. Rapidstream looked a little disheartened that he hadn't been able to tell the whole story of how he caught his supposedly magnificent trout, but he shut his jaws and lifted his gaze to the branches of the great tree anyway.
"Seeing that WindClan were the first to arrive, I think it's only right that we should be allowed to deliver our report first," Onestar decided, letting his gaze wash over the gathering. Ambersky rolled her eyes. But when no one protested against this, the brown tabby tom began his report, "With Green-leaf on the horizon, WindClan are as strong as ever," he declared confidently, stepping forward on his branch of the great oak, "The prey is running well and Larkpaw has received her full medicine cat name; Larkstep!"
"Larkstep! Larkstep!" all five clans chanted the young medicine cat's name and Ambersky snuck a glimpse of the dark grey she-cat, sat beside her mentor, Kestrelflight, just below the great oak. She dipped her head politely, amber eyes shining, despite being obviously a little uncomfortable with all eyes on her.
Onestar continued with WindClan's report, "Our apprentices are growing strong with training and Sunstrike has birthed two healthy kits; Fawnkit and Gullkit," pride glowed in the tabby leader's amber eyes as he took a step back, "That is all WindClan has to report."
On the news of kits, murmurs of congratulations rippled amongst the clans, only to be silenced by Mistystar, with a flick of her grey tail, "RiverClan will report now," she meowed. Beside Ambersky, Rapidstream shuffled with excitement.
"Just as with WindClan, the fish are plentiful and we are strong as ever, now that leaf-bare is finally behind us and Green-leaf lurks on the horizon," she began, her voice smooth and flowing, captivating, rather like a river, or so Ambersky thought, "Sandypaw and Swanpaw are excelling in training and will very soon be made warriors and several of our kits will be ready for apprenticeship within the next moon or so," she paused, breathing calmly, blue eyes glowing with affection for her clan, "Littlestream has also moved to the nursery expecting kits."
Ambersky smiled, even if they were in a different clan, the news of kits on the way always brought a smile to her face. It was just that excitement, the joy of knowing that there soon there would be several new lives brought into this world. Right now they'd only be tiny within their mother's stomach, but one day, they'd be fully-grown, strong warriors, young and brave, ready to find out where destiny may lead them. There was just something magical about that, Ambersky found, and one day, she hoped that she would be able to become a part of that wonderful journey and bring her own kits into the world, raise them and watch them grow up into individual cats.
"If you've finished with your report, I hope you won't mind SkyClan going next?" Leafstar asked cautiously, though warmth flickered behind her amber gaze. Ambersky knew that Mistystar and the SkyClan leader had actually become quite good friends since the fifth clan had settled beside the lake.
Mistystar dipped her head, stepping aside for the brown-and-cream tabby she-cat, "Of course, be my guest."
The SkyClan leader nodded thankfully before clearing her throat and delivering her report, "After living beside the lake for several moons, I think I can speak for every of my clanmates when I say that this is our home now. We are so gratefully for the help we received, in both making the great journey to the lake," her gaze hovered over Ambersky and Dewclaw, "and in helping us settle. I know it's been difficult for many of you to accept us as a clan, but now that you have, we couldn't be more grateful."
Soft murmurs rippled amongst the gathered clans and Leafstar smiled, letting her gaze rasp over all who had gathered, "Aspenpaw and Sootpaw are both excelling in their apprentice training, whilst we also have four new apprentices; Wildpaw, Larkpaw, Wolfpaw and Frostpaw!"
"Wildpaw! Larkpaw! Wolfpaw! Frostpaw!"
Ambersky was mid-chant when she realised Dewclaw had stopped chanting. She was about to give her brother a shove, he could be a mouse-brain sometimes, but not calling the names of new apprentices was just mean, then she realised why he'd stopped. The dark grey tom was staring, amber eyes wide with alarm, at the edge of the clearing. The pale grey-and-white she-cat followed his gaze. That was when she spotted him. Or them. Definitely them.
Others were beginning to spot them, because the calling had suddenly silenced. Everyone was simply staring at the group of cats entering the clearing. Some looked angry, others scared, whilst a few simply looked confused.
Ambersky knew immediately they weren't clan cats, she could tell from the way they walked, the scent they carried and she recognised none of them.
She wasn't sure exactly how many there were, but leading them was a jet-black tom with a sleek pelt, piercing blue eyes and a tiny dash of white just above his left eye. There was something about him that just sent shivers down the young warrior's spine, something sinister, and she took a step back, sheltering a little behind her brother.
"Greetings," the black tom purred in a sickly-sweet tone, "Because you're going to be seeing a lot of me from now on, I may as well introduce myself. My name is Night, and these," he motioned with a flick of his tail to the group of cats surrounding him, "are my Watchers."
Seriously, what is it with couples sitting in trees and making nests for each other? xD Cliffie for you, again. Well, what did you guys think; Dewy Claws confessing their love, Seedflight and Snowfall becoming mates, despite Seed being told she had to become a med. cat, and the arrival of the Twolegplace cats? Let me know what you think! Today's question of the day is:
What are your predictions for Blue Moon? What do you think's going to become of the couples, characters, the Twolegplace cats? Let me know your predictions!
If you review, I'll PM you a sneak peak of the next chapter. Tempting enough?
Live, Love, Read and Review,
Leafy x