Swiftbreeze trotted toward the camp entrance, a clump of green comfrey leaves trapped in his jaws, filling his nostrils with their sharp herbal scent. The moon sat high in the sky basking the forest in ghostly silver light. As Swiftbreeze made his way down the well-worn path leading directly to the gorse tunnel entrance a shape came into view.
The shape was moving, pacing back and forth outside the entrance and the tom's fear scent hung in the air. Swiftbreeze hurried over to the golden tom whose fur was fluffed out and his ice blue eyes flashed anxiously.
"Lionstreak?" Swiftbreeze dropped the comfrey as he smoke "Is everything all right?"
Suddenly Lionstreak's worried expression turned icy "What are you doing out here this late at night" he snapped "A loyal warrior would be in camp right now, not traipsing around the forest into all hours of the night."
Swiftbreeze flinched as though his former mentor's words had physically struck him. Biting back a heated retort Swiftbreeze took a deep breath and pointed to the pile of comfrey with his tail-tip.
"Hazepaw asked me to get some comfrey for the herb store on my way back from the fighting patrol" the blue warrior tried to keep his voice calm in an attempt to avoid arguing with his former mentor.
Lionstreak looked down at his paws; his tail drooping and laying limply in the dirt "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you" he cast a worried glance to the camp entrance.
"It's just" Lionstreak continued, digging his claws into the dirt "It's Petalblossom."
Suddenly Swiftbreeze realized why the golden warrior was so worried; the pale tabby queen had begun her kitting around mid-day.
"How did everything go" Swiftbreeze purred "Did you meet your kits?"
Lionstreak choked out a shaky purr "Yeah two she-kits, a ginger tabby and a silver tabby"
"That's great news, congratulations" Swiftbreeze frowned as Lionstreak looked away.
"What happened?"
"It was a long difficult kitting" Lionstreak whispered "There was so much blood and Petalblossom was so weak, Topazmist made me wait out here. I don't know what's going on, I don't even know if she is okay."
Swiftbreeze hesitated for a moment, before placing his tail on his former mentor's shoulder reassuringly "I'm sure everything will be fine" he reasoned, trying to hide the worry he felt.
When Lionstreak didn't respond, Swiftbreeze shoved him playfully "Now let's go see these kits of your, hopefully they look more like their mother than you" he meowed teasingly.
Lionstreak purred "They are both beautiful"
"Well let's go. I need someone to pass my mischief on to" Swiftbreeze teased "Maybe I'll even train one of them"
Lionstreak flicked Swiftbreeze on the nose with his tail-tip "I don't think so"
Swiftbreeze rolled his eyes before lowering his head and gripping the comfrey in his jaws and then following the golden warrior into the camp.
Lionstreak raced towards the nursery while Swiftbreeze slipped into the medicine den. After dropping off the herbs and emerging from the sharp smelling den he noticed nearly the entire clan was awake, nervously awaiting the outcome of the kitting.
Gorsefur, Petalblossom's father, anxiously paced outside the nursery entrance alongside Lionstreak, the blind gray elder stopped many times, pricking his ears as if he was listening to what was going on inside the confines of the nursery walls.
Brightwing, Petalblossom's mother, sat nervously with Shimmerlight and Squirreltail. The two ginger queens murmured comforting words to the anxious mother while the gray and white she-cat stared blankly ahead, her amber eyes glistening with fear and anxiety.
The elders sat outside their den, quietly whispering to one another, their pelts fluffed out and their whiskers twitching nervously.
Skyshine made his way over to the apprentice's den where Willowfall sat with a sleeping Mothkit at her paws. The gray and white warrior nuzzled his mate affectionately yet desperately as he curled his tail protectively around their sleeping kit.
Suddenly two shapes emerged from the nursery, the sharp scents of herbs and blood hovering around them.
Lionstreak stopped in his tracks as Topazmist stepped closer to him murmuring something quietly. As the ginger medicine cat stepped back the golden tabby warrior vanished into the den.
As if moving as one the entire clan rushed to the two medicine cats.
"What happened?"
"Is everyone alright?"
"What about Petalblossom?"
"Is she okay?"
"The kits, how are they?"
Topazmist waved her tail, quieting her anxious clanmates. She took a deep breath before speaking, each cat seemed to be holding their breath awaiting the news. Swiftbreeze felt his heart jump into his throat as he assumed the worst. A new fear clenching his heart as the thought of Moonstream's future kitting nearly suffocating him.
"Petalblossom is fine" Topazmist meowed finally "She has two healthy she-kits. Everyone is fine all thanks to Hazepaw's quick thinking"
Everyone turned their attention to the medicine cat apprentice and Hazepaw scuffed the ground in embarrassment as his mentor praised him.
"I'd say you're ready to become a full medicine cat, we will plan for the ceremony during the next half-moon ceremony" Topazmist purred, resting her tail on her apprentice's shoulder. Hazepaw's blue eyes shone with pride.
Brightwing pushed herself forward, her eyes glowing "Can I see Petalblossom?"
Topazmist nodded "Lionstreak is with her now, you and Gorsefur may see her tonight but no other visitors until I give the okay, she lost a lot of blood and is very tired and weak"
"Willowfall" the ginger medicine cat turned her attention to the other nursing queen "I know this is a lot to ask but Petalblossom is too weak to nurse the kits right now-"
"Of course I will do it" Willowfall interrupted "I'll be happy to help" the silver queen gently prodded Mothkit, waking her.
"I'll take Mothkit for the night" Amberstar spoke up "She is too rambunctious to be in the den while Petalblossom is resting"
Both Topazmist and Willowfall blinked gratefully to Amberstar.
The brown tabby leader collected Mothkit, carrying the tired bundle back to her den.
The clan began to disperse. Brightwing and Willowfall raced into the nursery. Topazmist sleepily made her way into her den and soon enough only Hazepaw and Swiftbreeze remained in the clearing.
So many thoughts crossed Swiftbreeze's mind, so many things he wanted to discuss with his brother.
"I met Swirlspots and Moonstream tonight" Swiftbreeze admitted "But I brought some comfrey back for you from fourtrees"
Hazepaw sighed "Swiftbreeze, I'm very tired right now, I don't want to stay up all night talking about her" his struggled to hide the disappointment in his voice.
Swiftbreeze bristled "She has a name and she is going to have my kits so I would appreciate it if you would show her some respect"
"Kits?" Hazepaw hissed "Are you mouse-brained?"
"I expected you to be a little more supportive" Swiftbreeze hissed "I love her and I'm going to love our kits"
"But don't you see? You can't claim them as yours; you can't raise them or have any say in their lives. You will have to watch them grow up from across the border. What if this war with Riverclan doesn't end, you may end up in a battle with your own kits, what would you do then?"
"Everything will be fine" Swiftbreeze reasoned "You worry too much"
Hazepaw rolled his eyes "Yeah, because you never worry at all" he teased "Someone has to make up for it"
Swiftbreeze felt a purr rumble in his chest as he glance up at silverpelt "I just feel that everything is going to be okay, I feel like I'm following starclan's path for me"
Hazepaw sighed, giving in to his brother's blind optimism "What else do you need to tell me, I can tell that something is on your mind"
Swiftbreeze felt his mouth go sour as he spoke "Sunvine has returned"
"What?" Hazepaw exclaimed "What do you mean, did you see him?"
"No, but Moonstream and Swirlspots told me that he has joined with Riverclan and has been seen repeatedly speaking alone with Reedstar"
"We have to tell Amberstar" Hazepaw leapt to all fours "This is bad, Sunvine could be using Reedstar's hatred at us to start an all-out war"
"Wait, we can't" Swiftbreeze shot back "Don't you think they will be curious as to how we know that Sunvine is there?"
"Well what do you suggest?" Hazepaw snapped "Keeping quiet about this?" Swiftbreeze looked down not meeting his brother's icy glare.
"How can you even think that, keeping quiet could put everyone in danger, we need to warn Amberstar" Hazepaw reasoned "You can't let your feelings for Moonstream come between your loyalty to the clan"
"They don't" Swiftbreeze snapped, his blue fur bristling and his claws unsheathing "I would never let anything happen to the clan"
"And yet you want to keep this knowledge from your leader?" Hazepaw asked, stepping closer until he was nose to nose with Swiftbreeze, matching his brother's fury with his own.
"Just wait okay? Don't say anything yet we don't even know for sure if it's true" Swiftbreeze reasoned "And even if it is, Sunvine has every right to be there, he was banished from Thunderclan and he hasn't broken the terms of his banishment, he hasn't crossed our borders or stolen our prey. Maybe he changed, and is trying to start a new life"
"Do you even hear what you're saying?" Hazepaw growled "We're talking about a traitor who swore vengeance on this clan, on our family and you want to keep the fact that he has returned a secret?"
"Please" Swiftbreeze begged, his blue eyes burning furiously "I'm asking you, as my brother to keep this a secret, until we have proof that he is still out for vengeance"
Hazepaw looked down at the ground, his tail drooping and his ears flattening against his head "Alright, I promise" then the blue tom looked up fiercely "But I swear on starclan, that if anything bad happens because of this I will tell Amberstar everything"
"Fine" Swiftbreeze growled.
"Fine" Hazepaw answered.
Here is an Updated Alliances with a list of all new characters and stuff like that.
Thunderclan
Leader:
Amberstar: a light brown tabby she-cat with even lighter almost white tabby stripes and white paws. She has dark amber eyes and cares greatly for all cats. KITS: Drizzlelight, Willowfall, Birdstrike.
Deputy
Shimmerlight: a bright ginger she-cat with ice blue eyes, a white muzzle and white chest-fur. Mate: Bluecloud. KITS: Swiftbreeze, Hazepaw.
Medicine Cat
Topazmist: a light tabby ginger she-cat with a white muzzle and paws and deep water blue eyes. She is the sister to Squirreltail and Rowanflight.
Medicine Cat Apprentice
Hazepaw: a small pale blue gray tom with steel blue-silver eyes and white flecks through his pelt giving him an ominous glow.
Warriors
Bluecloud: a large broad shouldered blue tom with large white paws and light blue eyes. Mate: Shimmerlight. KITS: Swiftbreeze, Hazepaw.
Stoneshine: a large gray tom with thick shaggy fur and amber eyes. Mate: Squirreltail. KITS: Flowertail, Mossdapple, Lichenfur. Apprentice: Snowpaw.
Squirreltail: a dark fiery ginger she-cat with bright greenish blue eyes and white chest-fur, sister to Rowanflight and Topazmist. Mate: Stoneshine. KITS: Flowertail, Mossdapple, Lichenfur.
Skyshine: a large white tom with gray patches and dark amber eyes. Mate: Willowfall. KITS: Mothkit.
Drizzlelight: a small light brown tabby she-cat with white tabby stripes.
Birdstrike: a large dark gray tom with black tabby stripes and white chest fur and a white muzzle.
Lionstreak: a small light ginger tabby tom with darker ginger stripes and white belly fur, light ice blue eyes. Mate: Petalblossom. KITS: Rosekit, Sweetkit.
Flowertail: a pale ginger and white patched she-cat with soft green eyes. Apprentice: Icepaw.
Mossdapple: a gray and white she-cat with dark blue eyes.
Lichenfur: a black she-cat with long fur, a smushed face and bright green eyes.
Swiftbreeze: a dark blue gray tom with a white muzzle and white tail tip. The rest of him is a solid blue-gray color, dark water blue eyes and short white whiskers.
Apprentices
Icepaw: white tom with dark blue eyes. Mentor: Flowertail.
Snowpaw: white tom with amber eyes. Mentor: Stoneshine.
Queens
Brightwing: a white and gray she-cat with amber eyes. Mate: Gorsefur. KITS: Petalblossom, Icepaw, Snowpaw.
Willowfall: a small light silver tabby she-cat with darker tabby stripes and light amber eyes. Mate: Skyshine. KITS: Mothkit (brown tabby she-kit)
Petalblossom: a delicate silver and white tabby she-cat with white paws, a white muzzle and slightly darker silver ripples against her lighter silver pelt. Mate: Lionstreak. KITS: Rosekit(pale ginger she-kit), Sweetkit (silver she-kit).
Elders
Whitefog: a smoky white and gray she-cat with dark amber eyes, was Icedapple's sister. KITS: Shinepaw, Spiderpaw, Skyshine.
Gorsefur: a dark gray and black tabby tom with dark amber eyes. Mate: Brightwing. Former mate: Silverstreak. KITS: Stoneshine, Mosspaw(deceased), Petalblossom, Icepaw, Snowpaw. Retired when he lost his sight due to the Panic Fever.
Rowanflight: a light ginger tom with lighter ginger stripes and dark water blue eyes. Never was the same after Leopardlight vanished, brother to Squirreltail and Topazmist. Mate: Leopardlight. KITS: Shadowsplash(deceased), Shimmerlight.
Leopardlight: Slender golden, black and brown dappled she-cat with icy blue eyes and white paws. Mate: Rowanflight. KITS: Shimmerlight, Shadowsplash(deceased).
Silverstreak: a slender silver and black streaked she-cat with blue eyes. She has a hard time accepting strange cats and doesn't trust easily. Former mate: Gorsefur. KITS: Stoneshine, Mosspaw(deceased).
Moony: a large muscular white she-cat with pale blue eyes. Trained in the ways of the clan by Leopardlight. Joined the clan after she was blinded by Sunvine in a battle.
Riverclan
Leader:
Reedstar: a large and muscular gray tom with a light hint of blue in his pelt. Bright yellow eyes and long tooth like claws.
Deputy:
Mintflower: a sleek black she-cat with blue eyes and a white throat stripe.
Medicine Cat:
Nightswallow: a small black she-cat with blue eyes.
Moonstream: a small white she-cat with gray patches over her haunches and on the sides of her back legs, and within the gray patches are dark black stripes. Striking green eyes and delicate pink pads on her paws and a tiny pink nose.
Warriors:
Pebbleleap: a small blue she-cat with long flowing fur and a white muzzle. Apprentice: Leafpaw.
Swirlspots: a cream colored she-cat with soft luminescent amber eyes and paler white markings around her eyes and paws. Mate: Bumblestrike. KITS: Goldenpaw, Honeypaw.
Bumblestrike: a large gray and black striped tom with soft green eyes. Mate: Swirlspots. KITS: Honeypaw, Goldenpaw.
Foxstreak: a ginger she-cat with a white throat and white belly fur and silver eyes. Former mate: Featherstripe. KITS: Leafpaw.
Spottedwhisker: a small springy brown tom with bright yellow eyes. Mate: Splashtail. Apprentice: Goldenpaw.
Flameclaw: a dark ginger tom with long fur and amber eyes. Mate: Doveheart. KITS: Blazekit, Scorchkit, Emberkit.
Galeforce: a young white tom with blue eyes and gray markings around his face. Apprentice: Honeypaw.
Shalepelt: a large black she-cat with white paws and blue eyes.
Foamsplash: a blue and white patched she-cat with amber eyes.
Lightbounce: a white tom with amber eyes.
Driftflight: a black she-cat with yellow green eyes.
Sunvine: a large sleek gray tom with sandy colored paws and undertones to his fur and dark black stripes, yellow eyes.
Apprentices:
Leafpaw: a tortoiseshell she-cat with brown and white dappled fur. Mentor: Pebbleleap.
Goldenpaw: a pale ginger and white she-cat with pale amber eyes. Mentor: Grouseflight.
Honeypaw: a cream and white she-cat with soft blue eyes. Mentor: Galeforce.
Queens
Splashtail: a young ginger and white she-cat with long flowing fur and golden eyes. Mate: Spottedwhisker.
Doveheart: a gray and white she-cat with amber eyes. Mate: Flameclaw. KITS: Blazekit (ginger tom), Emberkit (gray tom), Scorchkit (ginger tom).
Shadefoot: a smokey black she-cat with green eyes. Mate: Unknown. KITS: Ivykit (brown tabby she-kit), Perchkit (brown tabby tom).