"It's your big day, are you excited?" Gray Wing meowed to Air Leap. The two sat outside in the powdered snow with Jagged Peak and Fire Heart by their side. They were waiting for Skystar to call the meeting.
Soon more cats emerged from their dens and crowded around, ready for the ceremony.
"Yes," Air Leap meowed, green eyes shining. His pelt was sleek from the grooming he had given himself while Jagged Peak had to be held down by Gray Wing himself to get a wash.
"Yeah, who said a cat couldn't be a warrior with a limp? Look at Deadfoot!" Jagged Peak exclaimed.
Gray Wing was proud of his younger brother for going through the long training and hardships of having one useless leg until he managed to make it to his warriorship.
He was, of course, also proud of his own apprentice for working hard.
Turtle Tail emerged with the four kits tumbling around her paws. Ravenpaw padded over to help round them up.
"Look, I'm snow!" Cloud Tail squeaked as he jumped into a pile of snow. Laughing, Owl Eyes and Sparrow Fur followed suit, but Pebble Heart immediately dashed to Gray Wing's side.
Suddenly, Skystar appeared on the Flat Boulder and yowled, "Let all cats gather for a meeting!"
Cloud Spots, Dappled Pelt and Yellowfang, who were arguing over herbs outside the medicine den hurried over, Leaf slipped out of the warrior's den last and Lightning Tail and Acorn Fur chased each other over to the crowd, settling beside Jackdaw's Cry.
"The time has come to welcome two new warriors among us," Skystar began. Murmurs of approval went up as Air Leap and Jagged Peak headed into the center of the cats, looking nervous and excited.
"I, Skystar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your code and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."
Skystar paused and looked down at the two young toms.
"Jagged Peak, Air Leap, do you promise to uphold the code and to protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your lives?"
"I do," Air Leap meowed confidently.
"I do," Jagged Peak echoed, trembling with excitement.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior status. Air Leap, StarClan honors your foresight and persistence and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan."
Skystar hopped off the Flat Boulder and touched his nose to his son's head, eyes gleaming with pride. Air Leap licked his shoulder respectively and stepped back next to Gray Wing, who smiled at him.
"Jagged Peak, StarClan honors your determination and confidence and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan."
Skystar pressed his muzzle to his brother's head, who licked his shoulder in return and stepped back next to Fire Heart and Jackdaw's Cry.
"Jagged Peak! Air Leap! Jagged Peak! Air Leap!"
Fire Heart, besides Gray Wing, looked proud that he had trained a warrior. Turtle Tail gave each of the new warriors a lick.
"Bright Stream would have been so proud of you," she murmured to Air Leap.
"Now the three of us get to patrol together as warriors!" Jackdaw's Cry exclaimed, indicating himself and Fire Heart. Jagged Peak laughed.
"I don't envy you, sitting vigil in this cold," Shattered Ice rumbled, but it was good-natured.
Gray Wing listened as his Clanmates gave their congratulations before they retreated to their dens, leaving the two to start their vigil.
He flicked Jagged Peak's ears with his tail before he headed to his den as well.
The next morning, Thunder headed towards the medicine den to visit Cinderpaw. He split his time between her and Misty's kits whenever he wasn't out training with Tigerclaw and Thistlestar.
He winced from his latest scratch on his shoulder. Thistlestar had been furious with their defeat the other day and had driven him hard in battle training as if taking out his anger on the young tom, but Thunder had held his own, of course.
When he reached the den, Spottedleaf was sitting by Cinderpaw, who was curled up, looking miserable.
Spottedleaf looked up and stood to her paws.
"I've just come to see her," Thunder murmured, nodding at the gray apprentice.
"Oh, she's doing fine," Spottedleaf murmured, but he knew that wasn't true. Could she ever be a warrior?
Spottedleaf suddenly pulled him away from Cinderpaw. "It doesn't seem like her leg will ever get better." She admitted.
Thunder nodded. "Yeah…"
"And it's obvious she's in danger…the kits who died from greencough…"
Thunder looked up with a frown, wondering why she was mentioning them. "Yes?"
"I don't think they died from the…sickness."
"What?"
"Wh~when I came back from gathering herbs…I checked them over even if I knew they were obviously dead and…" she lowered her voice even more. "They were foaming at the mouth!" Her eyes were wide with despair.
Thunder thought over this, wondering what she could mean before it hit him. He had a vague memory of his kithood when he was in the curious stage of herbs and had bothered Cloud Spots and Dappled Pelt.
He remembered the black tom telling him about a shiny crimson berry that immediately killed you. One of the symptoms of someone having eaten one was…foaming at the mouth!
Deathberries!
"Are…you saying–"
He broke off and the two cats froze in horror when Thistlestar entered the den. Did he hear us? Thunder thought, worried.
But Thistlestar's eyes seemed to gleam with something else as he gazed at Cinderpaw's curled up form. "Thunder," he nodded at the tom. "Bring her," he added, nodding at Cinderpaw. "And come outside."
After he left, Thunder exchanged a look with Spottedleaf, who looked like she had seen a ghost.
Thunder prodded Cinderpaw and she limped after him into the snowy clearing. The two young cats stopped by Thistlestar and Tigerclaw by the entrance.
Frostfur, who had been sharing tongues with her sister, jumped to her paws, eyes wide. "What? What's going on?" She hurried forward.
Others peered out of their dens warily or crowded nearby.
Thunder was just as confused as everyone else.
"Cinderpaw, it's time you leave us," Thistlestar meowed to the young she-cat.
Cinderpaw's jaw dropped and her eyes widened.
Her littermates, who stood a little behind her mother, looked as horrified as Frostfur did. "No!" She wailed as some cats gasped.
"Wh~where do I go?" Cinderpaw stammered. "I can't stay out there by myself!"
"Well, you should have thought about that before you decided to disobey orders and run away," Thistlestar snapped.
Cinderpaw flinched as Frostfur darted to her daughter's side. "Please, don't do this, Thistlestar. I'm sure she can find something to do!"
"No." Thistlestar looked at Thunder. "I want you to escort her to the border."
Thunder stiffened as all eyes turned to him. What could he do? He closed his eyes as he thought of his father and Gray Wing. Hawk Swoop and his siblings.
He opened them when he came up with an idea.
It was time to go home.
"Alright," he sighed. "I'll take her away." He stepped up to the gray apprentice's side, who's blue eyes were wide with betrayal. Thunder kept a stony expression. He needed to seem like he meant it.
Frostfur glared at him furiously, looking like she would attack when Darkstripe shoved her aside. "Get a move on!" He hissed at Thunder.
"Oh, and one more thing," Thistlestar spoke before Thunder could move. He turned to Tigerclaw. "Get the rogue kits from the nursery."
"What?" Brindleface hissed, darting towards the nursery entrance.
"They'll spread disease among our own kits unless we get rid of them." He turned to Cinderpaw. "Don't worry, at least you'll have company until you…y'know."
Bluefur looked ready to straight up murder her leader while the other cats, minus Darkstripe and Tigerclaw, looked uncomfortable. Even Longtail looked away, eyes flashing with discomfort.
Spottedleaf, eyes horrified, pulled Brindleface out of the way as Tigerclaw shouldered his way in. He came back later with the ginger kit and dropped it in front of Thunder before going back for his sister.
Once the kits were in front of them, Thistlestar nodded at Thunder. "Go on."
Thunder picked up the tom-kit while Cinderpaw picked up the she-kit, shaking, looking terrified.
Thunder looked at her, once bouncy and bright, now quiet and looking desperate. "Come on," he muttered around the scruff of the kit and turned to the gorse tunnel.
He paused once more to glance back at the cats, who he had gotten to know for a short amount of time. They all stood speechless as if they couldn't believe what was happening.
They don't all agree with Thistlestar.
He caught Graystripe's eye, who gave him a sad smile.
Thunder hesitantly nodded before he turned and led the way up the ravine. Once at the top he heard Cinderpaw growl.
"Slow down!"
He turned to see her slipping on the snowy rocks. He set the ginger tom-kit down and reached down to grab the gray-and-white she-kit from her, so that she could scramble up beside him.
They set off into the woods together before Thunder suddenly stopped, sure they weren't being watched by anyone.
"Cinderpaw, I'm gonna be honest with you," he began. "I don't have it in me to leave a cat to die just to stay loyal to Thistlestar."
Cinderpaw's eyes that had been blazing with anger and fear a moment ago, looked up, surprised. "Huh?"
"I came to ThunderClan because…well I thought I could help you all, but I'm tired of watching innocent cats die, so we're gonna take these kits to SkyClan and face whatever, together."
"What…but~"
"Come on, we can't daddle here or we'll be caught," Thunder murmured and started towards SkyClan territory.
Cinderpaw limped after him rapidly, hope in her eyes again.
Everything will be alright as long as we have each other, he thought as he and Cinderpaw raced across the snowy forest towards the other forest.
He looked ahead, feeling excitement.
On the other side was his family and friends.
On the other side was hope.
And that concludes the second book! Hope you enjoyed!
Warning for the Third Book coming...it's gonna get more angsty and sad.