Chapter 7 Squirrelflight
3 moons later after foxbattle
Squirrelflight. Pov
I sit in the cool morning by the high ledge. Watching the clan, Bright heart is trying to get Jaypaw. To listen to her. Even after I told him that he was disrespect the warrior code by his meanness of her. After all she is clan deputy.
I wait for Stormstar. It's time for the gathering. I give my fur a quick lick. Tonight should be good. That rogue Darkus is trying the border with Riverclan, I fear he may try to make a grab for their land. If so will we be next?.
I sigh, I wish my father was still alive. I scent the air, I see my mate. The sun is beginning to set.
The scent of leaf fall is coming. I walk in the back, with my sister Leafpool and Hawkfrost. I fluff my dark red coat, I wish I knew what was bothering them. My sister seems down.
I start to open my mouth when I see my kit. Sierrapaw bouncing with joy. Starclan she reminds myself of me! I smirk at my daughter, "Sierrapaw, come here," she trots over her tail happily curled in the air.
"Yes, Squirrelflight?" she sat with her claws kneading the soft ground in her uneasiness, how cute she is nervous. I purr, "Nothing really I just wanted you to know that even though this is your first Gathering. Behave!" I narrow my eyes at her, hoping she gets the message. The buckskin colored she cat dipped her head and tilted her ears backward, her look of chastisement.
"Good, girl". I turned from her as she to catch her friends.
"You know that she will just be back to her hyperness very soon, Squirrelflight." I place my muzzle into the strong shoulder of my mate Stormstar. "Of course she will Stormstar."
Soon they reached the Island, the moon is now visible, I can see the other clans on the Island already. I scent Windclan we are the Second, clan to arrive. My clan race into the tall grasses of the island, we greet the lean Windclan warriors. The moon is bright, light shining down on the large island.
I see Brightheart climb onto the Roots of the Great Oak; she will make a good leader one day. I see Lionpaw go over to a group of Windclan apprentices; I can tell his gaze is drawn to Heatherpaw. I hope that he will not be drawn into her beauty and charming words, that she-cat wants power and she will use Lionpaw to get it. Or some other poor tom. I can scent the other clans coming now.
Soon the leaders sat upon the branches of the tree. Weaselstar spoke first.
"Windclan has a new Apprentice this moon, Breezepelt," I see a black tom with golden eyes, puff his chest with pride at the clans calling his name. "Prey is running good for us, Windclan has nothing else to report," he sat back down, Blackstar steps forth next, I wonder what he is going to say.
"Shadowclan has a new apprentice also, Ivy paw," a wire brown she cat stood to the cheers of the crowd.
Stormstar got ready to speak when Blackstar shot him a glare, "Hunting has been good this past moon after we enlarged our territory."
I stifle a gasp, was Blackstar really going to make out that they captured the land by river!
"Our new source of land is great for hunting in. Thank you Stormstar," he dipped his head to my mate. His lips curled in a faint smirk.
Stormstar stared hard at the Shadowclan leader, "I'm glad you find such prey-poor land by Thunderclan standers so rewarding for your clan," he said coolly.
I felt a little smug myself at how Stormstar handled that.
The wind blew gently across the lands drawing the scents of the gathered cats as well as a new but awfully familiar scent.
The cats in the back started to snarl, fur was fuffing.
Stormstar, grew still, his talk with Blackstar, as he leaped off the tree. "Father!"
*** shadowpaw.***
I sit in the shadows, I prefer the darkness. I wish I had been born in Shadowclan, not Windclan. I'm not even fast enough to catch a rabbit! I lick my fur. I am a light grey with black points and tail, my orange eyes narrowed. I swish my black tail, focused on the leaders wishing I was up there.
I pick my ears, I can hear movement in the undergrowth, sniffing I catch the scent of a rogue, two of them. My fur begins to rise as they come close.
I raise my voice into a yowl. "Intruders!," I unsheath my claws, eager to use them on these cats.
I see the cats coming forward with confidence, a light grey tom with a bold black stipe down his back, followed by a light grey tabby she cat.
Then I hear a name I've only heard in nursery tales. "Greystripe!"
So the lost deputy had returned. Who will be thunderclans deputy now. Brightheart or Greystripe?