Hello! Wow, I'm surprising myself by updating so much this week! I won't be that active next week though, I've got tons of end of year assessments, I'm glad I'm not doing GSCE yet! :D
Chapter 23: A broken clan...
Swiftpaw felt a paw nudge her, she opened one green eyes to see Amberpaw frowning down on her. "Shadowclan are here, don't look exhausted, you'll make thunderclan look weak!" she whispered urgently. With a groan, Swiftpaw sat up and licked one paw, but fatigue was like a sticky mud, pulling her back towards sleep. Her eyes darted to a rich brown Shadowclan tom, with bright green eyes. He padded up to Lionblaze and purred warmly. Swiftpaw decided to see who he was.
Lionblaze caught sight of her padding up with curiosity as usual lighting her gaze. "Greetings Lionblaze, it's nice to see you old friend." The brown tom mewed.
Lionblaze smiled and ushered Swiftpaw closer. "Swiftpaw I'd like to introduce you to Toadfoot, he's the shadowclan deputy and an old friend."
Swiftpaw tilted her head. "If he's a friend what do you do if you have to fight him?"
Lionblaze laughed. "Turn him into mousemeat! I have to be loyal!"
Toadstep nodded. "And I for him, but we're still friends. Me and Lionblaze went on the journey to unblock the stream that fed the lake when it shrunk, we didn't seem to get on in the beginning, always fighting over being leader! Luckily this time rain has come before we've had to go on another quest!"
Lionblaze purred. "So, what brings you?"
Toadstep looked around. "A patrol heard fighting and Rowanstar decided if Darkclan was attacking you, it probably wouldn't be long before they attacked us. So it seems our clans are allies in this dilemma."
Lionblaze dipped his head. "Thank you, where's Rowanstar so I can thank him?"
"He led the first patrol to help your other patrol. He will be helping them get back soon." Toadstep replied. He cast an intrigued look at Swiftpaw. "So this is your daughter?"
Lionblaze purred. "Yes, my son is with Bramblestar's patrol Dovewing has kits too."
Toadstep purred. "She looks like you, same spirit too. Your clan looks strong; except for the fact you needed our help to get rid of those mange pelts. Oh we brought our medicine cats to help."
Lionblaze dipped his head in thanks. Swiftpaw dipped her head in respect for the shadowclan deputy before going to the medicine den entrance and sitting down. Only then did she realise that it was raining heavily, her ginger tabby pelt was soaked to the skin and mud splattered her paws and belly fur. After so many days of dry, dusty ground, it was a welcome change.
Her ears pricked as Bramblestar padded into the camp with shadowclan and his patrol, Rowanstar was at his side, the two leaders were talking urgently. The shadowclan patrol looked slightly battered but the thunderclan patrol looked utterly defenceless. Swiftpaw saw how many cats were dangerously wounded, and prayed to Starclan that there were enough herbs to treat them all. Swiftpaw saw Littlecloud and Frostpaw run quickly towards Jayfeather and looked horrified when he told them he had been attacked.
Bramblestar waved his tail at Toadstep and Lionblaze and the two leaders and deputies followed him to the base of the highledge and sat down, talking quietly. Many of the thunderclan cats were stretched out, and lying down completely exhausted. The shadowclan cats were licking their wounds, barely any as injured as the thunderclan cats.
Swiftpaw watched Jayfeather limp around, herbs hanging from his jaws. Briarlight sat in a corner, grouping leaves together while Littlecloud looked at the most serious injuries while Frostpaw aided the injured Jayfeather. Swiftpaw swept over the clan. Spiderleg was on the floor in a clawed bundle, Swiftpaw suspected he was unconscious, Cloudtail had a torn ear and a paw that looked badly injured, Dewpaw was on the floor he was twitching uncontrollably in pain a puddle of blood surrounding him, Moletooth was being supported by Poppyfrost and many more cats were unmoving on the floor while others sat in corners protected by from the rain.
One pelt caught her eye though and Swiftpaw cried out when she saw Tigerheart dragging Ravenpaw into a dry spot, his gaze sharpened with worry.
...
Songpaw limped into the camp, the patrol around her was a mixture of limping cats, the few who got away with a few scratches and ones who were being dragged because they couldn't support their own weight. She had been battling a large Darkclan warrior when Shadowclan arrived, a warrior called Tawnypelt had fought off the warrior and helped Songpaw walk back to the camp, talking nicely to her on the way home. Then a conversation came up that made Tawnypelt squeal with joy.
"So what's your name?" Tawnypelt asked.
"Songpaw." Songpaw mewed happily, grateful for the friendly warrior. "Dovewing and Tigerheart are my parents." Tawnypelt stopped walking, she looked at Songpaw with bright, interested green eyes. "Did you just say Tigerheart?" she asked. Songpaw nodded, a little concerned.
"Tigerheart's my son.." Tawnypelt whispered. "And Rowanstar is his father.."
Songpaw's aqua eyes widened, her bloodlines were legendary! A descendant of Firestar and Tigerstar and the newest shadowclan leader?! "So we're kin?"
Tawnypelt purred and flicked her tail over Songpaw's ears. "Yes we are, I'm glad to have met you Songpaw."
Now Songpaw had sat down watching Tawnypelt mew eagerly to Tigerheart, favouring her front left paw, after she sprained it from running to get Bramblestar. Stormpaw sat beside her, a mix of cobweb and marigold covered the left side of his face. Songpaw had been fed daisy leaves, and poppy seeds helping her with the pain in her sprained paw.
Bramblestar sat next to Squirrelflight, one of the few uninjured warriors, who was licking a long scratch on his flank, the leader was plastered in marigold and cobwebs, it was rumoured that he lost a life from a death blow from Breezestar. The leader hadn't confirmed it though.
The sting of her paw wasn't obvious to Songpaw, she was too busy purring over the thought that Swiftpaw was alive. Also she had found the last cat in the five. Wolfpaw seemed to be able to heal faster than any other living thing, his pelt was covered in blood but he had no cobweb or marigold to be seen. Now all she had to do was get the five cats together, and Jayfeather and tell them their destiny.
...
Wolfpaw padded towards his mentor, Bramblestar. Shadowclan had been kind to them, letting their medicine cat Littlecloud stay in thunderclan for the night, to help treat the injured while they left with the apprentice medicine cat to treat their own minor wounds. They also had caught some prey for the broken clan, it seemed Rowanstar was reforming Shadowclan to be a more honourable, united clan than Blackstar had done before him. It seemed the two leaders got on well too, since Rowanstar's mate Tawnypelt was also Bramblestar's sister. And Lionblaze and Toadstep were friends, it seemed Thunderclan and Shadowclan had an alliance forming to fight the new threat of Darkclan.
Bramblestar purred as his apprentice approached. Squirrelflight gave Wolfpaw a slight smile but there was darkness shadowing her green eyes. Wolfpaw had suspicions he knew what was wrong. "Bramblestar? Is it true you lost a life?" Wolfpaw mewed keeping his voice low and quiet. The huge dark tabby stared at him before sighing. "Yes, I have eight lives now."
Wolfpaw tried to lighten the mood. "But that's tons! You're still going to be here for a long time."
Squirrelflight purred. "Thank Starclan." and pushed her muzzle into Bramblestar's fur. Bramblestar smiled, before staring at Wolfpaw quizzically.
"You don't seem to be hurt?"
"Probably because I have the best mentor." Wolfpaw mewed eagerly.
"Well, he is Lionblaze's son.." Squirrelflight mewed, darkness tinting her mew. Wolfpaw couldn't help but think there was something they knew that they weren't telling him. But he couldn't dwell on the thought as his father padded up to Bramblestar, dipping his head. "I have the injury report."
Bramblestar nodded for him to continue. "Spiderleg had a ripped belly and needs to stay in the medicine den until its healed, Cloudtail has a twisted paw and needs a couple of days rest, Dewpaw has lost alot of blood and needs to be with Jayfeather until further notice, Moletooth has a long and deep cut along his side, Swiftpaw has a raked belly, Brackenfur is covered in scratches, and Ravenpaw has an injured neck and hasn't woken up." Lionblaze finished, gasping for breath.
Bramblestar looked at the deputy in shock, counting up how many cats were out of action. "Who is able to do duties tomorrow?"
"Squirrelflight, Seedfeather, Wolfpaw, Blackpaw, Foxpaw, Ivypool, Leafpool, Whitewing, Amberpaw, Cinderheart, Dovewing, Rosepetal, Poppyfrost, Birchfall, Hazeltail and Icecloud. And me of course."
"That's under half the clan. Is it really that bad?" Bramblestar gasped.
Lionblaze nodded. "Shadowclan are gone, but they let us keep Littlecloud for now, along with three warriors to help us. Scorchfur, Toadfoot and Snowbird. I thanked Rowanstar, as you did. I also promised we would return the favour somehow."
"That's generous of them, and we will return the favour, it's what Firestar would do." Bramblestar vowed.
Lionblaze nodded and padded away. Wolfpaw was frozen in fear, Ravenpaw, injured...hadn't woken up!? He dipped his head to Bramblestar before rushing to the medicine den to find it empty. Briarlight was getting herbs and spotted him. "The apprentice den, there was too many to fit in here." She mewed.
Wolfpaw raced out of the den and skidded to a halt at the entrance of the apprentice den to find Toadfoot eyeing him. "Wolfpaw..Lionblaze's son.. what brings you?"
"Oh just my friend possibly being near death? But it's alright I'll come back later." Wolfpaw snapped sarcastically. Toadfoot raised an eyebrow, surprised by his tone and sarcastic reply. Ivypool who was guarding the den with the shadowclan deputy glared at him. "Wolfpaw, shadowclan have generously let us have three warriors and Littlecloud for the night, so I suggest you start treating them with respect!"
Wolfpaw mumbled a sorry to Toadfoot. "it's okay Wolfpaw, I can understand your anger, you're friend is hurt but I'm under strict orders not to let anyone in enter unless they're working for Jayfeather."
Wolfpaw growled quietly before leaving the two warriors to guarding. He sat down under the cover of the highledge and watched the rain pour down, along with the occasional cat darting from one den to another. The remaining warriors who were fit for duty had gone to rest in the warrior's den, the elders and queens were in the nursery while the apprentices had been temporarily moved to the elder's den. Wolfpaw sank to the ground, his head in his paws and closed his eyes, becoming calmer by listening to the rain patter on the rocks above him. A tail which brushed his side made him look up, Lionblaze looked down on him concern glittering in his amber eyes that were identical to Wolfpaw's. His father sat down and looked at the rain hammering down. "Are you ok?" Lionblaze mewed.
"Why weren't you hurt in the battle?" Wolfpaw growled.
Lionblaze looked taken aback. "I never told you..."
"Told me what?"
"Why, I'm different."
Wolfpaw looked at his father, interested, he nodded for him to go on. "There was a prophecy, about me, and Jayfeather and a third cat. It said we would have the power of the stars in our paws. We thought the third was Hollyleaf, but it was actually Dovewing. I can fight and not be harmed Wolfpaw." Lionblaze growled.
Wolfpaw darted at his scars, giving them a questioning look. "Breezestar knocked me out, I guess my power doesn't work when I'm unconscious." Lionblaze replied.
"Why did you never tell us?" Wolfpaw mewed.
"Hollyleaf believed she was one of the three, she ran into the tunnels knowing our true heritage, but also that she wasn't included in our great destiny. I didn't want you two going off believing you have powers or something, and being disappointed when you find out you don't or worse, getting killed in the process." Lionblaze sighed.
"So why tell me now?" Wolfpaw asked.
"Because you deserve to know, and you're my son, and I want you to never be doubting us."
"So what was the other secret? The one on the day of our apprenticeship?"
Lionblaze froze, he didn't expect Wolfpaw to remember that, or ask about it. "You were born along with three other siblings.." Lionblaze croaked.
Wolfpaw's eyes widened. "What happened to them?"
"They were still born... they didn't survive.."
"What where their names?" Wolfpaw whispered.
"Flowerkit, a white shekit with darker grey stripes, Sootkit, a dark grey tom and Hollykit a black shekit." Lionblaze whispered trying to keep his voice stable.
"Hollykit after Hollyleaf?" Wolfpaw guessed. Lionblaze nodded.
"Now you see why you two are so precious to me, you would be anyway but even more so, I need to keep you safe. I didn't want you to think anything falsely because of your dead siblings." Lionblaze urged.
"I understand." Wolfpaw mewed. He shuffled closer to his father and sat beside him, keeping warm in Lionblaze's thick fur. He felt like a kit again, with his father wrapping his tail around Wolfpaw. They sat watching the sunrise, firming their father and son bond even more.
Lionblaze suddenly made a choking sound, his entire pelt fluffed up. Wolfpaw followed his gaze in alarm.
There at the camp entrance was a cat.
He was black and long legged and looked around warily.
Crowfeather.
Well did that shock you huh? :D Crowfeather is back! ;D I think many of you are excited :D
Till next time!
Neon xxx
