Now I will give you my book, chapter by chapter. Well i hope you like it. Enjoy.
Warriors
Dark Shadows
Rachel Lengacher
Fern licked her tiny head and mewed, “Finally, you can see. Your brothers and your sister have been picking on you ever since they had been given their gift of sight by the Tribe of Endless Hunting. You now, can see at last. Now go over there and teach them a lesson for picking on you for all that time.”
Lily jumped up and licked Fern’s chin and purred, “Yes mother.” Lily crouched and snuck up behind her brother Smoke, then jumped on him and wrestled him to the ground, pinning him to the rocky floor with sheathed paws. She got off of him and purred, “I got you, now where is father, I want to show him I can see now,” She held her head up and widened her icy blue eyes. Moss and Water came padding over to them with fresh-kill dangling in their jaws. Moss and Water were bigger than Smoke and Lily. They set down their kill and Moss spoke first, “I brought you a mouse Smoke, do you want to share?”
“Yes thanks! Let’s go over there and eat it next to the waterfall,” He replied as he picked up the mouse and headed over to the waterfall. Fern called to them, “Don’t go to close.”
Warriors
Book One: Dark Shadows
Warriors
Dark Shadows
Rachel Lengacher
To Elizabeth, Amy, Clair, and Erin Hunter
Special thanks to the group Thunderclan, which inspired my writing
Yellow –Starclan Territory
Red –Shadowclan Territory
Blue –Riverclan Territory
Green –Thunderclan Territory
Purple –Windclan Territory
Allegiances
Thunderclan
Leader Mossstar - Tortishell she-cat with piercing emerald green eyes.
Deputy Brookshine - Sleek, silver tom with shimmering, deep blue eyes.
Medicine Cat Nettlemist- Small, dusky brown she-cat with green eyes.
Warriors(Toms and she-cats without kits.)
Streamstone - Light grey tom with darker flecks and icy blue eyes.
Willowmoon - Light brown, sleek tabby she-cat with shimmering, silver
eyes. Apprentice, Splashpaw
Rippleclaw - Sleek silver tom with piercing green eyes.
Lionclaw – Massive light ginger tabby tom with yellow-amber eyes and
a white tail tip, and a bent down ear (Former kittypet, called Brockenear).
Puddleclaw - Light grey-blue tom with blue eyes.
Brakensplash - Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes.
Hawkshine - Huge black tom with light blue eyes
Apprentice, Shinepaw
Willowfur - Ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes.
Pebbleclaw - Solid grey tom with grey-blue eyes.
Apprentice, Pinepaw
Heathertail - Light grayish-blue she-cat with grey eyes.
Nightfire - Grey tom with black spots and deep blue eyes.
Lightfoot - White she-cat with tortishell patches and yellow
eyes. Apprentice, Hazelpaw
Waterheart - Light grey tabby tom, with darker grey stripes and deep blue
eyes.
Berrytail - Grey and white tom with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Mousepaw
Owlshade – Light brown tabby tom with pale green eyes, eyes lined with
white and a white tipped muzzle.
Apprentice, Rosepaw
Oceanheart - Brown tom with black stripes and deep, aqua
eyes. Apprentice, Wavepaw
Smudgepelt - Brown tabby tom with amber eyes and a
white stripe down his side.
Featherwing - Light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes
and one white paw.
Apprentices (More than 6 moons old, in training to be warriors)
Shinepaw - Dark brown she-cat with small, white stripes and milky blue
eyes.
Splashpaw - Light grey molted tom with darker grey markings and pale,
milky green eyes.
Pinepaw - Small brown tabby tom with green eyes.
Hazelpaw - Brown tabby she-cat with bluish-green colored
eyes.
Wavepaw - Bluish-grey tom with grey eyes and white
paws.
Rosepaw - Solid dark brown she-cat with deep green eyes.
Mousepaw- Small light brown tabby she-cat with amber
eyes.
Queens (She-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Echosong - Pretty white she-cat with fur tipped with grey spots and pale
green eyes (Mother of Nightfire’s kits, Berrykit, Mallowkit and
Bramblekit).
Minnowsong – Night-black she-cat with a glossy pelt and bright blue eyes
(Mother of Waterheart’s kits, Jaykit and Sootkit).
Wingshade - Sleek, pretty light brown tabby she-cat with stunning, silver
eyes (Mother of Puddleclaw’s kits, Snowkit, Shinekit and Hawkkit).
Mossfeather - Light brown she-cat with darker brown spots and deep
green eyes (Expecting Oceanheart’s kits in one moon).
Dewpelt - Grey spotted she-cat with deep blue eyes.
(Mother of Smudgepelt’s kits, Leafkit and Webkit).
Kits Wingshade’s kits (4 moons old) - Snowkit - Light silver-blue,
almost white, she-cat with pale blue eyes. Shinekit - Silver-blue tom with
deep green eyes. Hawkkit - Light brown tabby tom with darker brown
markings and blue eyes.
Minnowsong’s kits (Less than one moon) – Jaykit – Light grey tabby tom
with light blue eyes and darker grey stripes. Sootkit – Black tom with
glossy pelt and deep blue eyes.
Dewpelt’s kits (3 moons old) - Leafkit - Small brown tabby
she-cat with deep blue eyes. Webkit - Light grey spotted
tom with a white chest and amber eyes.
Echosong’s kits (6 moons old) - Bramblekit - Grey tom with black spots
and pale green eyes. Berrykit - Pretty white she-cat with black spotted fur,
deep blue eyes, and a striking pink nose. Mallowkit - Pretty white she-cat
with fur tipped with grey spots and pale green eyes.
Elders (Former warrior and queens, now retired)
Harefoot – White tom with one brown ear and brown paws,
green eyes.
Minnowfrost – Light grey spotted she-cat with milky, light green eyes and
a white tinged muzzle. She is the oldest cat in Thunderclan.
Shadowclan
Leader Cedarstar – Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes.
Deputy Honeyleaf – Black she-cat with yellow eyes.
Medicine Cat Willowfern – Light grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Spotwing
Warriors Mousetail – Grey tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.
Mintfur - Light grey and silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Greypaw
Rockear – Massive solid grey tom with amber eyes and a
torn ear.
Apprentice, Poppypaw
Dawnclaw - Light brown tabby she-cat with unusually long
claws and deep blue eyes.
Greywing - Grey tabby she-cat with dark green eyes.
Minnowtail - Light grey molted she-cat with amber eyes.
Lakepelt – Grey tabby tom with green eyes.
Seedpath - Light grey and white tabby tom with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Badgerpaw
Lightpelt - Light grey tabby she-cat with pale green eyes.
Oakfur – Dark brown tom with blue eyes and a white paw.
Apprentice, Pinepaw
Smokefoot - Dark grey tom with amber eyes and black
paws.
Smoketail – Grey tabby tom with amber eyes.
Apprentice, Bramblepaw
Stormbird – Small brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentice, Nettlepaw
Apprentices Spotwing – Spotted grey she-cat with blue eyes (Medicine cat).
Poppypaw – Small ginger she-cat with amber eyes.
Pinepaw – Light brown tabby tom with amber eyes.
Bramblepaw – Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes.
Badgerpaw - Black tom with a white stripe down his tail and
blue eyes.
Greypaw - Dark grey tabby tom with pale green eyes.
Nettlepaw – Dark grey tom with blue eyes.
Queens Nightcloud – Black she-cat with blue eyes (Mother of Oakfur’s
kits, Sunkit, Darkkit, Stonekit and Mintkit).
Poppystream - Dark brown spotted she-cat with blue eyes
(Mother of Seedpath’s kits, Flashkit and Mallowkit).
DawnLily – Light grey tabby she-cat with green eyes.
(Mother of Cedarstar’s kits, Flowerkit and Nightkit).
Kits Nightcloud’s kits (3 moons old) - Sunkit - Light brown
she-cat with deep blue eyes and two white paws. Darkkit –
Black tom with deep blue eyes and a white ear. Stonekit –
Dark brown tom with blue eyes.
Mintkit - Light grey spotted she-cat with dark green eyes.
DawnLily ’s kits (2 moons old) - Flowerkit - Light grey
tabby with green eyes. Nightkit - Dark brown, almost black,
tom with green eyes.
Poppystream’s kits (3 moons old) - Flashkit - Dark brown
spotted tom with blue eyes. Mintkit - Light grey and white
tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Elders Thrushpelt – Light brown tom with green eyes.
Stonewing - Black she-cat with a white tinged muzzle.
Windclan
Leader Heatherstar – Light grey tabby she-cat with pale yellow eyes.
Deputy Cloudfeather – White she-cat with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Grassfeather
Medicine Cat Gorsefeather – Light grey tabby tom with darker stripes and
green eyes, and a white tinged muzzle.
Warriors Nightshade – Black she-cat with green eyes.
Clawface - Dusky grey tabby tom with pale blue eyes and a scar along
his face.
Barkheart – Small brown she-cat with amber eyes.
Snowpetal - Light grey, almost white, spotted she-cat with light blue
eyes. Apprentice, Nightpaw
NettleLily - Light grey molted tom with blue eyes.
Greypelt – Solid grey tom with amber eyes.
Apprentice, Nestpaw
Voletail – Brown tom with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Kestrelpaw
Harepetal - Brown tabby tom with white paws and blue eyes.
Jaywing - Light grey tabby she-cat with dark grey stripes
and deep blue eyes.
Thrushtail – Brown tom with blue eyes and white paws.
Ashnose - Grey tom with pale green eyes and white paws.
Heatherfrost - White she-cat with light, milky brown spots and amber
eyes.
Froststorm - Pure white tom with brown paws and deep blue eyes.
Snowbird – White she-cat with a brown paw and blue eyes.
Apprentice, Ripplepaw
Apprentices Grassfeather – Grey tabby fur with white paws and yellow eyes
(Medicine cat).
Nightpaw – Dark brown tom with blue eyes and a white ear.
Kestrelpaw – Light grey tabby tom with light blue eyes.
Nestpaw - Light grey, almost white, spotted tom with light blue
eyes.
Ripplepaw – Grey-blue tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes.
Queens Shadeear – White and grey tabby with green eyes (Mother of
Voletail’s kits, Skykit and Petalkit).
Swallowfur – Black she-cat with deep blue eyes (Mother
of Thrushtail’s kits, Leafkit and Featherkit).
Kits Shade ear’s kits (5 moons old) - Skykit - Small white and grey
tabby with green eyes. Petalkit - Light brown and white tabby
tom with green eyes.
Swallowfur’s kits - Leafkit - Black she-cat with white paws and
deep blue eyes. Featherkit - Brown tom with blue eyes and white
paws.
Elders Ashtail – Dark grey tabby she-cat with grey spots and green eyes.
Featherwing - Light grey spotted she-cat with darker grey spots and pale
yellow eyes.
Loudstep - Pale grey, long-haired tom with huge white feet and pale
yellow eyes.
DappleLily – Spotted grey tabby she-cat with darker grey spots,
and dark blue eyes.
Riverclan
Leader Reedstar – Grey tom with pale green eyes.
Deputy Snowshade – White she-cat with light grey stripes and green
eyes.
Medicine cat Dustfeather – Light grey spotted tom with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Leappaw
Warriors Streampelt – Grey tom with amber eyes.
Feathertail – Brown she-cat with black paws and green eyes.
Apprentice, Rosepaw
Robinclaw - Light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Reedwhisker – Black tom with pale yellow eyes.
Apprentice, Blossompaw
Breezetail – White and black she-cat with blue eyes.
Duskwing – Light brown tom with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Icepaw
Dawnshade – Light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Mousewhisker – Light brown tabby she-cat with blue-grey eyes.
Dapplenose - Molted light grey she-cat with darker grey
markings and deep blue eyes.
Dewfrost - Light grey spotted she-cat with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Twigpaw
Sunpuddle - Ginger tabby she-cat with white paws and dark
yellow eyes.
Honeyheart - Ginger tom with pale yellow eyes and white paws.
Pondwhisker – Light grey tabby tom with darker grey, almost
black spots and blue eyes.
Apprentice, Dewpaw
Apprentices Leappaw – Dark grey tom with green eyes.
Dewpaw - Dark tortishell she-cat with distinctive dapple coat and
dark blue eyes.
Blossompaw – Molted grey she-cat with blue eyes.
Icepaw – Light grey she-cat with blue eyes and grey spots.
Rosepaw – Black she-cat with amber eyes and a white paw.
Queens Ottersplash - Dark brown she-cat with yellow eyes (Mother of
Reedwhisker’s kits, Thrushkit and Blackkit).
Briarfur – Light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Mother of
Duskwing’s kits, Mousekit and Bumblekit).
Kits Briarfur’s kits (1 moon old) - Mousekit - Light brown tabby tom
with blue eyes. Light brown tabby tom with blue eyes.
Ottersplash’s kits (4 moons old) - Thrushkit - Dark brown tom
with yellow eyes. Blackkit - Black tom with pale yellow eyes.
Elders Briarfeather – Dark brown she-cat with grey stripes and green
eyes.
Nightwing – Black tom with green eyes and white paws.
deep blue eyes.
Bloodclan
Leader Flame - Huge black tom with icy blue eyes.
Deputy Night - Big black she-cat with deep blue eyes and huge white paws.
Warriors Stream - Silver she-cat with green eyes, half blind.
Stone - Solid, dark grey tom with amber eyes.
Midnight - Black she-cat with light grey spots and icy blue eyes (Training
Hawk to be a warrior).
Mountain - Light grey tabby tom with amber eyes.
Cloudfeather - White tom with grey spots and green eyes (Former
Shadowclan cat. Training Harekit to be a warrior).
Sky - Silver tabby she-cat with deep yellow eyes (Training Reedkit to be a
warrior).
Fish - Silver tom with dark yellow eyes.
Moon - Dark grey tabby tom with blue eyes and three white paws.
Berry - Dark ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Pondleap - Light grey spotted she-cat with icy blue eyes (Former
Riverclan cat).
Bracken - Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Training Moss to be a
warrior).
Howl - Solid black tom with amber eyes.
Queens (She-cats expecting or nursing kits under the age of 2 moons)Pool - Dark
brown tabby she-cat with icy blue eyes (Mother of Howl’s kits,
Nut, Feather and Water).
Heather - Dusty grey tabby she-cat with milky blue eyes (Mother of
Cloudfeather’s kits, Sun and Wing).
Kits Kits born in Bloodclan - Nut - Dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes.
Feather - Solid black she-cat with icy blue eyes. Water - Light brown
tabby tom with amber eyes.
Sun - Dusky grey tabby she-cat with green eyes. Wing - White she-cat
with grey spots and milky blue eyes. Hawk - Dark brown tabby tom with
light green eyes. Moss - Silver she-cat with deep green eyes.
Kits taken from other clans - Harekit - Light brown tabby she-cat with
blue eyes (Formerly of Windclan). Reedkit - Light grey spotted tom with
amber eyes (Formerly of Riverclan).
Cats Outside of the Clans
Ashie – Light grey molted tabby and blue eyes.
Twist – Tortishell and white she-cat with pale green eyes.
Splashpelt - Dark brown molted tom with light blue eyes.
Lily – Beautiful, long-furred grey she-cat, fur tipped with white, with
milky blue eyes.
Prologue
Spottedleaf
Spottedleaf leapt through a green forest, clearly it being green-leaf. She was bounding into a clearing, flooded by flowers of all kinds. She sniffed the air and sighed, loving the scent of flowers in green-leaf. She crouched, poking her head up out of the grass just able to see her prey, her amber eyes peering at it, paws quivering in excitement. She started to creep up to it, slowly and quietly. She thought to herself, remember, mice feel you before anything else. Remembering her training, she lightened her step so that her paws brushed the ground as she stalked the unsuspecting mouse. She then quickly pounced onto the mouse, easily pinning it down and killing it. She sat up happily, purring in the warm sunshine. She took the mouse to a place where flattened grass lay crushed down. She sat in the clearing in the patch of grass and ate the mouse. She then sat up and looked expectedly around the clearing. She was clearly waiting for someone. She was gazing across the horizon of the tree line, searching, waiting. She quickly stood up and, her tail straight, she dipped her head and politely to the approaching silver-blue cat and mewed, “Greetings Bluestar. Nice to see you on this nice day. Great day for hunting. So I guess I have come where you told me to meet you, so what have you come to tell me?”
Bluestar dipped her head in return, her voice smoothly flowing, like the smooth rhythm of a flowing stream. She meowed, “Nice to see you also Spottedleaf. I have come to tell you of a prophecy.” Bluestar paused and looked up at the sun, then mewed, “At moon high tonight, a cat named Lily will be joining us. She will be informed of her destiny. You must give it to her, after I give it to you.”
“So Bluestar, what is the message that I will be giving this cat, Lily?”
“Like brambles in greenleaf, then to leafbare, they change. Like the sun to the moon, change. So happens to her. The prophecy says, she is kin of great cats, yet not familiar to most, and she will soon become the savior of us all.”
Spottedleaf tilted her head, and looked on, waiting for more words. “Well, you must tell her her destiny. She is to become one of us. She must join the clans in their ways of the warrior code. She has to come to Starclan when it is her time. She is to become a Medicine Cat of Thunderclan, to teach the apprentice. Then she must become a warrior, to teach the rest. Do you understand?”
Spottedleaf nodded and them she mewed, “Yes. I will tell her at moon high tonight. Will you be here also?”
“I will be watching to make sure that if she doesn’t listen to you, then she will to me. I will see you at dusk, in this clearing. Be ready for Lily, she will not understand. I must go now. Goodbye for now Spottedleaf.” Spottedleaf dipped her head, and as Bluestar was exiting the clearing, another cat was entering, Spottedleaf instantly knowing who it was. It was an old Tribe cat, now part of the Tribe of Endless Hunting. Its scent was different and then he spoke in a deep, mountain voice, “I have-” he was cut off by his breaths, short and gasping for air, “Have news for you. It’s about a rouge cat named Lily, I think it is.” She was stunned by his mentioning Lily, the prophetic cat, supposedly famous now among Starclan and the Tribe cats of the mountain. Bluestar and Spottedleaf exchanged glances, then Bluestar meowed, “Who are you and why are you not in the mountains?”
The tom dipped his head then mewed, “I am Smoke of Burning Tree, and I have come to tell you of a cat named Lily.”
It was Bluestar who replied, her voice lightening. “I am Bluestar, and this is Spottedleaf,” She mewed, as she pointed her tail to Spottedleaf, touching it on her smooth tortishell fur. Spottedleaf dipped her head and said to him, “Nice to meet you, may I call you Smoke?”
Smoke dipped his head and mewed, “As I call you Spottedleaf.”
Spottedleaf blinked and backed away, as Bluestar began to speak to Smoke again. “So Smoke, what do you have to tell us about Lily?”
“Well, she is in the mountains, out of your sight. So I have come to tell you that we will watch over her, and protect her as you do also. We sense she is special.”
“She is, very. She is part-” Spottedleaf cut her off and lead her over behind a nearby tree, mewing, “Should you be telling him about her destiny? Do we trust him?”
Bluestar touches her muzzle to Spottedleaf’s head and mewed, “That is for you to decide Spottedleaf. I trust you more than myself.” Spottedleaf purred and headed back over to Smoke, who was sitting and grooming his solid grey fur, his icy blue eyes shining in the daylight of sun high. His tail went up as he saw Spottedleaf and Bluestar emerge from behind the tree. Spottedleaf gazed over at Bluestar then turned back to him and mewed, “Lily. She is part of a prophecy. She is to become a clan cat and teach the apprentices. We hope you look over her and treat her as one of your own. You can go to the mountains now, if you are done. Just visit her in her dreams and tell her we are still with her. She believes in us. We won’t let her down. Guide her paw steps, and be with her. Good luck on your trip back to the mountains.”
“Well actually I also have something to tell you that might be important for you to hear.”
Spottedleaf and Bluestar glances at each other with curious looks then Spottedleaf mewed, “Well what is it?”
“She’s my sister.” He blinked as if expecting them to be surprised. They just looked at each other, blinked, and then Bluestar mewed, “Yes, we know. We have figured that out, yet we do not know where the rest of her family is. She had two brothers and a sister, a mother and a father. We only know of her, and you, her brother. We don’t know what happened to her other brother, her sister and her mother and father. We assume that they stayed in the mountains, because we have never seen them here. Do you know where they could be?”
“Well I do but I cannot tell you. It is not time for you to know.” He paused and stood, holding his chin high, “I have to go back home to the mountains now. I will come again with more news. Trust me. Trust in Lily, I see dark things in her future, be careful.” Spottedleaf and Bluestar looked at each other, both seeing fear and worry cloud the others eyes. Smoke got up, and bounded off into the trees in the direction of the mountains to go home. They both knew that it was true. Lily was facing something not even Starclan could prepare for her.
Chapter 1
Streamstone
A rogue cat with a beautiful, long furred grey she-cat, fur tipped with white, with milky blue eyes gazed around a grassy clearing, then limped into the shade. Her legs were weak, and she could hear the blood pounding in her ears. She lied down stiffly, and she began to lick her sore paws. She then wandered over to a stream and sitting to lap from it, suddenly heard a low growling noise, coming from behind her. She jerked her head up and turning to find out what it is, a massive weight pummeled her to the ground. Thinking fast, she let her body go limp; the animal let its grip loose, thinking she was dead, and, tensing her muscles, she shoved it off of her. Then she realized the animal was charging at her. Fox! She thought. Then the fox ran toward her and she dodged past it. With claws unsheathed, she stretched out her foreleg and her claws made contact with the fox’s gaunt body. She had made a deep wound on its side.
The fox let out a growl of anger, its eyes wide and filled with pain and fury. It leaped at her, so she ducked and twisted, turning upside down, so that the fox landed on top of her. She clawed at its belly and raked it with her hind claws. She then heaved up on the fox, knocking it off of her so that it landed on its back. She jumped on it and bit down firmly on its neck. Suddenly the fox went limp and loosening her grip, it twitched one last time, and stopped breathing. She dragged the fox into the foliage and, now even more injured, she dropped, unconscious, and her breathing slowed. She woke several minutes later and now dazed; she limped back over to the stream and lapped from it at last. The grey she-cat, with aching paws, let her blue eyes slowly close and drift into dreamless sleep.
When she woke up, it was lightly raining, the cold rain water, as cold as her milky blue eyes, dropped onto her already wet nose from a leaf above. Her grey, cloudy fur was covered in blood, none of her own, but the fox’s. She then started to realize her few scratches had broken open and began bleeding once more. She knew herbs so she could help herself in this situation. She saw some cobweb entwined in the root of a nearby Oak tree. She wandered over to the old tree and she wrapped the cobweb around her paw. She took it over by the stream and set it down. She also saw some Poppy growing over by a group of green ferns. Good, she thought to herself, my scratches are starting to hurt.
She limped over to the group of Poppy flowers and removed the seeds with her paws and put them on a fallen oak leaf, brown and dried. She grabbed the leaf in her mouth, gentle not so snap the frail stem, and she dragged it over by the cobweb. Now all I need is some Marigold. Oh well, I guess I’ll just go find some. She buried her Poppy and cobweb between two leaves, under the cold soil. She hadn’t wandered far before she heard distant voices and paw steps. They were coming closer and closer, she then smelled Shadowclan scent. Her heart raced in a panic, somewhat fearing the patrol of Shadowclan cats. She started having a flashback of an earlier encounter with the hostile Clan cats.
The rogue she-cat bounded sprightly through the forest, tracking the scent of a vole. Then out of nowhere, a group of five cats jumped out of the bracken and one tackled her, pinning her down while the others dashing in and biting her legs and body. She wriggled free and pelted into the trees. Little had they known she had circled them. She crouched in a hollow opening in a bush and listened to their conversation. “If I ever see that rogue cat Lily ever again I’m going to rip her fur off!”
Another said, “Easy Smoketail, she is a rogue remember, she can’t defend herself for her own life. She is no concern of ours unless we spot her in our territory again.”
Another cat in the patrol mewed, “Yes, I agree with Honeyleaf. And anyway, if you didn’t agree, she’s the deputy, so you would have to do as she says.”
“Thank you Mousetail.” Honeyleaf turned and meowed to Mousetail.
Smoketail spoke up again, “Well ok. Still, if I see that cat,” Honeyleaf cut him off with a swipe of her tail to his mouth.
Then Honeyleaf meowed, “If you see that cat again, you will wait until I give you orders on what to do. Now, I want the patrol to split up. Smoketail, go get your apprentice, Volepaw, and another warrior,” She paused to think then spoke again,
“Rockear and his apprentice Poppypaw and go to the Riverclan border. Mousetail, Oakfur, Pinepaw and I will go check the Thunderclan border.”
Then, fearing the cats might see her, she clawed her way silently up a tree. Honeyleaf and her patrol went one way while Smoketail, muttering something under his breath, stalked off under the tree Lily was perched in. She then came back from her flashback.
When she came back to the real world, rainy and cold, her fear came back with it as well. She remembered just fast enough to once again, silently skirting her way up a tree and wait. The patrol burst out of the trees into the clearing. She instantly recognized cats from earlier. Her earlier encounter had been about a moon ago. She saw Honeyleaf, the deputy who was a black she-cat with yellow eyes, leading the patrol. She also saw Mousetail, a grey tabby she-cat with yellow eyes and by the look of it Rockear, who they had mentioned before. She assumed this because this cat was a massive, solid grey tom, with amber eyes, and a torn ear. Rockear had brought his apprentice, who stayed by his side, Poppypaw. She was young, only a few moons into training. She was a small, golden furred she-cat, with amber eyes to go along. Also she saw one other cat, she had never seen before. A sturdy grey tabby tom with green eyes. They began to speak but she had not wanted to listen. Mousetail was scanning the trees that enclosed the clearing. The others stopped for a drink in the stream. She turned her eyes again to Mousetail, who was now sniffing in the spot she had buried her cobweb and Poppy. Oh no, they might scent me, that I have been here. Or they could follow the scent trail to me up this tree. Just wait, she told herself. Wait.
She then listened to what they had been saying, Honeyleaf spoke first, “Mousetail, are you sure it’s Lily? We haven’t seen her in about a moon. If she is here then, I sure hope she doesn’t show herself, or I’ll get her ears.”
Rockear spoke up after she was done, “I agree, she doesn’t want to be in a fight with us. It would be the end of her, a five against one battle.”
“Yes Rockear, it would not end up good for Lily. What do you think Lakepelt?” Honeyleaf spoke and touched the tip of her tail to Lakepelt’s shoulder.
Lakepelt gazed around the clearing, scanning the trees as Moustail had done, “I think if she thinks she can take on a patrol of five, then hedgehogs fly. Now are we going to get on with this hunting patrol, or do I have to go myself?”
Honeyleaf narrowed her eyes, “As you wish Lakepelt, just control that attitude of yours, if you can.” Her black pelt was swallowed by the ferns, in the direction of the lake, following the stream, as she shot off into the woods. The rest of the patrol struggled to keep up as Honeyleaf was clearly the fastest out of all of them. Lily let out a sigh, as she had been holding her breath since they had mentioned her name. She stayed in the tree for a while, making sure they had gone. When she scented they had been gone for a while she crept down the tree and went over to the stream. She sniffed the spot where the cobweb and Poppy were, they were still there under the soil. She dug them out. I can clean the wounds in the stream, because I really don’t feel like searching for marigold all day. I don’t think my wounds are infected anyway, even if they are I’ll find some marigold or chervil later.
She picked up the leaves in her mouth and went over to the stream. She set the poppy and cobweb down and, slightly hesitating, she waded into the freezing cold water of new-leaf. She licked her few wounds, scratches, barely grazing her skin. When she thought they were clean enough, she stepped out of the water and then shook the top layer of water off her paws. She then chewed up the Poppy seeds and swallowed. Then she patted the cobweb onto the scratches. The rain had stopped for a time now and the sun had snuck into the canopy above the clearing. Lily thought, finally some sun, thank Starclan. She went over to a patch of sun and lied down in the soft grass, soon to be greeted by a nap.
She dreamed a wonderful dream, dreaming was so much better than her real life. In her dream, she was running through a field tracking the scent of a mouse. She spotted it finally. It was under a Rhubarb plant, rustling the roots searching for food. She instantly dropped into a perfect hunting crouch, back as low as her feet, and her tail held just slightly high enough that it didn’t stir the leaves and grass, as mice feel you before they see you or hear you. Mist’s paw steps were light, the mouse hadn’t sensed her coming, nor that it was in danger. Lily paused, then with a leap, she landed in the Rhubarb plant, with leaves in her face, and she couldn’t see what she had caught. It turned out that she hadn’t caught anything. Mouse dung! I knew I should’ve aimed where it was going not where it was at. She sat and her tail twitched in frustration. Her hunt was failed. She knew that was a good try though, and with hope, she got to her paws and bounded off into the forest once more. She found a soft patch of moss and curled up in it, greeted by a sleep filled with dreams of hunting mice and dozing happily in the sun, nibbling on a vole.
She woke from her dream, still in the sun. It was a little after sun-high; the patrol must have been the dawn hunting patrol. She got up and arched her back into a stretch then relaxed. She decided it was time for some real hunting now, she had grown hungry. She hadn’t eaten for two days. She had gone down to the lake, reflecting the trees on its surface. She gazed across the lake to see an island, perfect, she thought, perfect for me to make my permanent den. She had been searching for one for about five moons now. I think I finally found it. She laid down on the shore of the lake, dozing off to the sound of the waves crashing up on the shore. It started to get dark when she went out to hunt. She could scent a water vole in one of the streams leading to the lake. She went over to it, doing the hunters crouch.
Remembering to aim where the vole will be not where it is, she leapt, landing squarely on it and killing it with a quick bite to its neck. She happily padded over to the shore, laid down and ate it. Yummy, I haven’t had a vole this good for ages…or I haven’t hunted in ages. Lily began to be sleepy. Then she spotted distant shadows on the island, she looked up at the sky, full moon. Mouse dung, that’s right, the Clan cats have gatherings there every moon. I guess my quest for a perfect den will continue. Lily then started to drift slowly into sleep, soothed by the rhythmic crashing of the waves. Lily Woke up to rain, great, she thought, more rain, just what I need. She got to her paws, and ran to the tree line, up the bank. She finally got under a tree and sat down, quickly fleeing up the tree, she heard voices. Thunderclan and Shadowclan, wow, I’ve never seen so many cats this close, I hope they don’t find me or I’ll be crow-food. The Thunderclan patrol had met Shadowclan at the border. She knew the Shadowclan patrol; it consisted of Rockear, Lakepelt, Honeyleaf, Moustail, Poppypaw, Volepaw and Oakfur. She had never met any Thunderclan cats before; she assumed they were as hostile as Shadowclan. She could not hear what they were fussing over but she could see the cats spitting and hissing at each other over the border.
Honeyleaf hissed over the border to a small grey she-cat with green eyes, which were filled with fury. Honeyleaf hissed, “I don’t care if your apprentice went over the border or not, I want to know why you aren’t going to do anything about it.”
“What are you going to do?” A small brown tabby tom with yellow eyes mewed, his voice shaking. He must be the unlucky one who accidently crossed the border.
A black tom with amber eyes replied something Lily couldn’t hear. Suddenly Stonetail leapt across the border onto the cat talking to the apprentice. They fought with tooth and claw in a bundle of fur. One of the cats from Thunderclan yowled loudly and the cats jumped into battle. Stonetail bit the Thunderclan cat’s tail and sent him pelting into the brush. Rockear and Poppypaw where using a battle move, fit for two, on another Thunderclan cat, also sending it into the foliage. Two Thunderclan cats jumped onto Honeyleaf, who was struggling under one cat, while the other scratched at her face and belly. Moustail was wresting with a huge dark brown tabby tom, with amber eyes filled with determination. Surprisingly Moustail, the small she-cat, sent him running back to the sidelines. Lily stared in awe over the fighting cats, yet she saw one sitting alone. He was a massive black tom with blue eyes. He was watching the battle with amusement in his eyes. What is he doing, laughing at these injured cats, and I ought to rip his fur off. She dug her claws into the tree limb, who’s stopping me.
She leapt down from the tree, landing on the huge tom’s shoulders. He lost his balance; he had been stunned, as if going into shock for a second. She dug her claws into his back. He yowled in protest and rolled over on top of her. Think Mist! Just like the fox…She let her body go limp. He then got off of her and she leapt at him, again landing on his back. He flung her off and as he ran at her to attack, she dodged it and made a deep scratch in his side. He turned on her and she reared up jumped over his huge body landing, only on her hind paws, behind him. She spun on her hind paws and scratched his face with an outstretched paw. Then she darted under him and bit down fiercely on his hind leg. She ran out from under him just in time. She sent him running into the trees. She quickly ran back into the ferns and up into her tree, hoping she hadn’t been noticed. The battle continued for a few more minutes. Thunderclan had won. Honeyleaf had yowled retreat and Thunderclan chased them all over the border, hissing. I hope to Starclan I haven’t been discovered. It turns out she had, a grey tom with darker grey flecks and icy blue eyes, was staring at her. She had been discovered. Lily did not move, hoping that the cat wasn’t staring at her but something close to her. She soon found out he was staring at her, as the tom leaned over to another cat, a she-cat, small and brown, with green eyes. She raced toward Lily. Lily jumped out of the tree and rounded on the cat and hissed, “Take one more paw step and I’ll have your fur.”
The small she-cat sat down and calmly mewed, “I do not wish to hurt, but help. Your scratches look like they have been treated already…what clan do you belong to? Who treated you?”
Lily looked at the cat, her fur starting to lie flat, her eyes now filled with curiosity. She finally meowed, “I belong to no clan. I’ve treated these wounds myself. Who are you and what do you want?”
The she-cats gaze softened, “I am Nettlemist, and I am the Medicine cat of Thunderclan. You are?”
“I refuse to answer you until you have answered me.” Lily paused then mewed, “What do you want?”
“I want to help you. And my friend over there wants to talk to you.” Nettlemist signaled her tail to the grey tom sitting in the shade. “Plus, I think you could be useful to our clan. Come with me.”
Lily backed away, she did not think of joining a clan, they were mean and hostile. She said, “I will go when I am ready,” after cocking her head, she was curious to know what she had done to earn these cats’ respect. She finally mewed, “I will go with you if you need me.”
Nettlemist nodded and said, “Good.” She then turned to the grey tom. “You will escort her to our camp.”
Lily looked over at the grey tom, who was still staring at her, eyes now curious. She wanted to tell that cat that if he didn’t stop staring at her like she was some Windclan cat, then she would rip all his fur off. She padded up to the tom and said, “Hello. I am Mist. You are?”
The tom jumped, as though she had interrupted his daydreaming. “Oh hi, I’m Streamstone. I’ve been a Thunderclan warrior for eight moons now. And I couldn’t help but asking where you learned those awesome battle techniques?”
“Well that’s a secret I cannot tell you. Now the rest of the Thunderclan cats have left, so can we get going?”
“Oh yes, sorry.” The tom mewed. He then led her into the woods. What am I doing? Going with these clan cats like this. I must be insane. She followed Streamstone over a stream and he fell in as they crossed stepping stones to the other side. She couldn’t help but letting out a purr of amusement. Such a clumsy tom! He turned to make sure she got across safely. She easily leapt onto each stone, as light as a jay’s flight. He lead her onward, deeper into Thunderclan territory. The trees where changing. They gradually became all oaks and other trees, not the pines of Shadowclan. This was very different to Mist. A kind of different Lily liked. She enjoyed the scents of the trees and the different scents of different plants and herbs. She liked it here, in Thunderclan territory. Much better than the hostile cats of Shadowclan. These where much nicer, showing her kindness and respect. I guess not all clan cats are hostile, she thought as she gazes over the Thunderclan patrol, her gaze ending on Streamstone. She liked it here.
Streamstone led her around bramble and over fallen trees. She glanced over at him; he caught her blue gaze with his. Then they looked at each other for a few seconds, then snapped their heads forward, as if they had been prodded by a kit and jumped awake. The patrol finally skidded to a halt in front of a bramble thicket. Lily looked ahead in curiosity, then turned to Streamstone and mewed, “What are we doing here?”
“This bramble is not safe. On the other side is a sheer drop to the bottom of our camp. You must never go in these brambles.”
Lily gazed into the bramble bush, green and spiky, “Well ok then, I’ll take that into account. Now can we get going? We’ve been standing here for a while.”
“Well ok then but then…,” Before he could finish, Lily swiped her tail in his mouth, making him spit out the fur.
Lily saw three young looking cats muttering something as the occasionally glanced at her.
Then she leaned over to Streamstone, “Who are they? They keep looking at me like I’m…like I’m some Windclan cat.”
Streamstone pointed his tail to each one of them as he spoke, “They were just made warriors about half a moon ago. That one is Pinepaw. That is Hazelpaw and that is Mousepaw.”
“Well then if Nettlelily is the Medicine cat, then why was she at the battle?”
“Well let me tell you the story…,” He mewed to Mist, instantly sending her back to the battle, trying to view it from his point of view. “I was showing the apprentices the borders while we were on a hunting patrol also. When Pinepaw scented a mouse and he asked if he could have that one. We were all so caught up in his mouse we didn’t realize he chased it over the border. Hazelpaw realized at last and he got back over to our side of the border, leaving the mouse dead, but on their side of the border. Then Shadowclan came out of the bushes and accused us of not punishing him, which we did, and we are as of today. He’s been tending to the elders bedding every day for a week. That’s what happened.”
“Wow. Well I think they just overreacted. They don’t exactly know how to react to that. Well we’ve been standing here for ages so can we get going?” She waited for him to reply, but when he didn’t she mewed again, “I want to see the camp.”
So Streamstone nodded and led the patrol aside of the dangerous bramble and down a grassy slope onto a thunderpath. Lily looked up, then down the thunderpath and then turned to Streamstone, “Isn’t this not safe, being on this thunderpath? Don’t the twolegs use this anymore?”
“Not anymore. It’s abandoned now; our camp is down there at the end of it. Let’s go,” He said as the patrol followed the thunderpath.
She finally came into a clearing, full of the overwhelming scent of Thunderclan cats. She saw cats stirring and coming out of their dens, eyes becoming wide at the sight of Mist. She met their gaze evenly, staring at them as they did her. Streamstone bent over and said something to Nettlemist. Then she nodded and headed off to her den, in the Medicine den, as did the apprentices to their den. Streamstone then turned to her, “Come on, let’s go see the leader.” Then he led her to the far end of the clearing, surrounded by cliffs on three sides, to the leaders den. He led her up rocks, like steps, to an overhanging cave, with lichen growing and hanging over it, shielding her from whatever lay inside. Just as they were about to go in, a tortishell she-cat, with emerald green eyes popped her head out, then walked out and sat. Her voice was smooth as she spoke, “Come in stranger. I am Mossstar, leader of this clan. Streamstone, go and see if the apprentices need taken care of, if they are hurt. You can come in to my den. Follow,” she said as she beckoned Lily with her tail. She walked into her den, followed by Mist. Mossstar sat and so did Mist. Lily stared into her green eyes and waited for her to speak. Yet the only thing that did was her mind. The same feeling she had when she had first seen the mysterious she-cat. Lily knew she had seen this leader before, but where? Then she shook herself, as if woken from a dream. Mossstar spoke, and when she did, her feeling became real, almost too real, “Mist, I’ve been expecting you.
Chapter 2
Hawkshine
Mist’s eyes opened in the shade of her makeshift den. Streamstone had built her a small one-cat den, under the shade of a tree. Lily got lazily to her paws and stretched, arching her back, revealing the grey base of her fur under the layer of white tips, then she sat. Streamstone saw she was awake and padded over to her, a vole hung in his jaws, “The dawn patrol just came back. I got you a fresh vole.” He dropped the vole at her paws, and then trotted back to the fresh-kill pile in the middle of the clearing. He picked up a thrush, also fresh, then padded back to her and sat. When Lily didn’t say anything, he meowed, “Are you going to eat, you must be hungry, right?”
“Yes I’m hungry, but I guess I can’t get it out of my head,” She said, as if she wasn’t talking to him, but someone not alive, not here.
“Get what out of you head?” Streamstone asked, as he leaned in front of her. She was staring out behind him, at nothing.
She snapped her head, again woken from daydreams, but this wasn’t a dream, more like a nightmare. It began filling her mind with memories, covered by a thick fog.
“I can’t tell you. You would not understand,” She said flatly as she got up and padded out of the clearing, leaving her vole untouched.
Streamstone had begun to wonder if there was something she was not telling him, and she was. Lily padded out of the clearing slowly, then speeding up as she went along, eventually sprinting through Thunderclan territory, ending up at the shore. She was panting as she skidded to a stop at the lake side. I can’t go back. Mossstar, she, she knows too much. Way too much. Lily collapsed and slowly fell asleep.
Lily woke up to the warm sun on her pelt. She soon heard voices again, and then scented Thunderclan. She shot up a tree and then saw a patrol burst through a pile of ferns and then were swallowed by the tree line on the other side. Then Lily sighed with relief, she was holding her breath. Then sucked the breath back in as the patrol appeared again, Streamstone leading it. He scented the air, “She is near. We have to find her.” The rest of the cats nodded and started to search the tree line. Starclan don’t let them find me, she silently prayed to Starclan. Streamstone was searching the trees going up them one at a time. Oh no. Her heart lurched, they were going to find her; she didn’t want to go back.
Lily crouched as low as she could, belly pressed against the tree. Streamstone came to her tree and he searched it. Lily held her breath as he stood on the branch above her, and scented. He looked around, then jumping down from the tree, eyes filled with sadness; he led the patrol onward; into the trees once more. Lily began to sigh; again something was pulling her to the camp. She could not help her urge. Jumping down from the tree, she began to pad in the direction of the patrol; they had stopped again. She ran toward them; they were in the grassy clearing of the earlier battle. She sucked up a deep breath, puffing out her chest and lifting her tail high, she pushed out of the ferns surrounding the clearing. All the cats in the patrol turned to her, one hissing and stepping toward her. The black tom with blue eyes, the one Lily had attacked at the battle, it was a Thunderclan cat!
Lily hissed back, raising her hackles and crouching, ready to pounce. The he puffed out his fur, appearing bigger than ever. He was already twice her size; this made him look even bigger. “I’m not scared of you. I will defend myself if I have to. If you attack, I’ll fight back, and win like I did earlier,” She hissed.
The tom crouched ready to pounce. As he bunched up his muscles, about to pounce, Streamstone jumped in between him and Lily. Then he turned to the tom and mewed calmly, “Hawkshine, would you really attack a fellow clan cat?”
Lily cocked her head at Streamstone, “A clan cat? Who said I joined your clan? Who says I want to?”
Streamstone turned to her and meowed, “I want you to stay. Why don’t you?”
Before Lily could answer, the tom jumped onto Streamstone’s back, holding on with his claws. He’s unsheathed his claws! He’s going to get it now, Lily thought. She hissed fiercely as she was held back by unfamiliar cats in the patrol, as she was about to pounce on the tom. She turned to the other patrol cats, seeing their eyes filled with terror. She could tell they wanted to jump in there and break it up, but they wouldn’t for some reason Lily couldn’t understand. Lily bit one of the cats’ paws that were holding her back. They let her go and she ripped into the battle. She jumped on Hawkshine’s back and held onto him with her claws unsheathed, tearing into his back. The tom yowled in fury and let go of Streamstone, who then ran to the other patrol cats and told them an order, as they had nodded and ran off in the direction of the camp.
Lily knew exactly what Streamstone had told them to do. He had told them to go get Mossstar. She would see that Hawkshine was attacking another cat in his clan, but Lily wasn’t a clan cat. Lily knew she would have to get Hawkshine to attack Streamstone again. She jumped off of Hawkshine’s back and ran toward Streamstone. Streamstone had apparently known what she was doing also. He jumped up, so Lily could go underneath him; and so could Hawkshine. Streamstone landed on Hawkshine, digging his claws into Hawkshine’s shoulders, and then jumping off. Hawkshine then turned and attacked Streamstone, just as Mossstar burst through the ferns, followed by the earlier patrol. Mossstar gasped at the sight of the wrestling clan cats; Hawkshine was on top of Streamstone, raking his belly with his hind claws. Mossstar yowled, and the cats froze; Hawkshine getting off of Streamstone and running over to Mossstar. Hawkshine began franticly mewing, “It was all Lily’s fault! I know it was because she-”
Mossstar cut him off by cuffing him over the head with a sheathed paw. It still sent him rolling over in the dusty ground. Mossstar then turned to Streamstone; Hawkshine had backed away, “Streamstone, please explain.”
“Well we were searching for Lily, like you ordered us. We found her finally, and then Hawkshine stepped forward, hissing. Lily then said, ‘I’m not scared of you. I will defend myself if I have to. If you attack, I’ll fight back, and win like I did earlier.’ She was talking about the battle; but I don’t know what happened then; but anyway, then I stepped in. I asked Hawkshine if he would really attack a fellow clan cat. Then Lily jumped in and said, ‘A clan cat? Who said I joined your clan? Who says I want to?’ Then I said I wanted her to stay. Then before Lily could answer, Hawkshine jumped on me and attacked me. The patrol held Lily back. She bit one of their paws and they let her go, then she jumped onto Hawkshine’s back. Hawkshine let me go; now attacking Lily. I told the patrol to get you, and Lily somehow knew what I was doing, because she jumped off of Hawkshine, and ran toward me. I jumped and let her under me to safety. I landed on Hawkshine and held on for a second then let go. He then turned to me and attacked me. That’s when you came in.”
Mossstar nodded, “Hawkshine, Come here and explain what happened the night of the battle with Shadowclan.”
Hawkshine stepped up to her and, being so much bigger than her, he looked down upon her and mewed in his deep voice, “I was watching the battle, I had been injured and was at the sidelines, when she jumped on top of me, and attacked me. That’s what happened. She attacked me for no reason.” He began to let his fur rise again. Then he noticed his fur and forced himself to relax.
Lily pushed her way past the massive black tom and being exactly the same height as Mossstar, she met her gaze evenly and mewed, “That’s not what happened. I’ll tell you the real story,” Lily began, “I was enjoying the night, relaxing, when I heard distant voices. I went toward them, curiously wondering what and who it was. I went up a tree, as I always do, and I saw familiar Shadowclan cats and unfamiliar Thunderclan. I had never seen Thunderclan before, so I assumed you were as hostile as they were. I had met them before, several times. I will explain those encounters later, if you wish, but I saw you hissing across the border. Then I saw the fight was about an apprentice, Pinepaw, as I remember it, crossed the border by accident, chasing a mouse. They accused you of not doing anything about it. Then a certain cat I don’t like, Stonetail that is, jumped on one of your cats. And the battle began. Then I watched the battle with wide eyes. Then I saw him,” she said while pointing her tail tip at Hawkshine, “he was watching the battle with amusement in his eyes, as I remember it. I knew it wasn’t right for him to laugh at these battling cats, so I gave him a taste of his own medicine.”
Mossstar nodded, and then turned to Hawkshine, who was shuffling his paws, knowing it was true. Guilt was coming off his black pelt in waves. He knew he had done something wrong. “Do you have an explanation Hawkshine?”
Hawkshine shook his head, unable to meet her powerful gaze. Mossstar nodded curtly, and then turning to the rest of her clan mates, “Come. Let us go back to camp. Hawkshine, stay in my sight.” She then bounded off into the trees, leaving Streamstone and Lily alone in the grassy clearing, spattered with blood. Lily looked over at Streamstone, who was laying in the shade, licking a deep scratch on his shoulder. Lily padded over to him and mewed, “I can fix that.”
Streamstone purred, “Really, I didn’t know you where a medicine cat.”
Lily narrowed her eyes, “If you don’t then I can just leave and never come back, do you want that?”
Streamstone’s purr died out and his eyes filled with panic, “No, don’t leave. I don’t want you to leave. Please fix my shoulder.”
Lily mewed, her gaze softening, “I know, and I also have some news for you. Yes I do. Now, let me see that shoulder.” She examined the wound, “It’s deep. I’ll be back, just keep licking that scratch to keep it clean. She went over to the familiar gnarled tree root and wrapped some cobweb around her paw, and then she padded back over to Streamstone and set down the cobweb. Streamstone tried to speak to her but she put her tail in his mouth and bounded off to the Poppy flowers by the group of the familiar green ferns. She removed the seeds and set them on a fallen leaf, then grabbed the leaf, careful not to snap the frail stem. She dragged the leaf over to Streamstone, who was watching in amazement. She dropped the leaf and bounded off into the woods, in search of marigold. She went down to the shore of the lake and looked around for any marigold. She saw none but she did see some chervil. Well I guess it’ll have to do.
She bounded over to the chervil and picked off some leaves carefully. She ran off into the forest once again, back to the grassy clearing, back to Streamstone. She padded into the clearing, where Streamstone still lay. He had stopped licking his wound but now sun bathing. His half closed eyes lit up as he saw Lily pad into the clearing. She went over to him and dropped the chervil. She then sat and purred, “You can talk now, and I won’t shove my tail in your mouth now.”
“Well I was just going to ask how you learned all that. All that herb stuff.”
Lily shook her head and her gaze became cold, “I already told you that I cannot tell you.”
Streamstone’s eyes filled with understanding at last, “Ok then. I understand.”
“No you don’t. You never will,” Lily said, holding her head low. Then she looked up, trying to look happier, “Now I’m going to fix your shoulder and I’d like it if you didn’t ask any more questions, ok?”
Streamstone’s eyes were happy again, “Ok, no more questions, got it.”
Lily picked up the chervil and chewed it up. Then she licked the juice onto his wound. Before she could do anything else, he jerked away, “Ow! What is that stuff, it stings!”
Lily purred, “Its chervil. I would think that a big, strong warrior like you wouldn’t fuss over a little herb sting.”
“Yes, your right,” He mewed as he shuffled back over to Mist. She began licking his shoulder again. She could feel him tense him shoulder, and then relax. Then she patted the cobweb onto his shoulder to stop it from bleeding. She asked, “Does it hurt allot?” When he nodded, she gave him three Poppy seeds and told him to eat them, so he did. “Now, let’s get back to your camp before you get to tired,” She told him, then she touched her tail tip to his shoulder and guided him around bramble thickets and over fallen logs. She guided him over a stream and purred when he fell in the shallow water. He got out, then went back over next to Lily and shook himself, getting Lily covered in a layer of water. He purred and so did she, then they went back to the camp. When they got there, Lily led him to the warrior’s den and let him lay down. He stifled a yawn and said,
“I guess that Poppy is starting to kick in.”
“I knew it would soon. Just rest now,” She said over her shoulder as she padded out of the den.
“Wait,” Streamstone said from his moss bed, “You said you had news, back in the clearing. What is it?”
Lily froze and turned around to face him, “Not yet. I can’t tell you yet.” She said as she turned again and padded out of the den. She knew what Streamstone was thinking, he’ll never see her again. She’s leaving. Lily woke up to the pattering of rain on top of her nose. She slept in a tree, on a big limb, shielded from the world by branches. She stood up and stretched as she always does. She could hear the voices of early risers in Thunderclan. She slept in a tree that overlooked the whole camp; the tree was on top of the one of the cliffs that surrounds the camp on three sides. She got down from the tree and padded down to the camp in search of Streamstone. She hurried into the camp, wanting to get out of the cold rain that fell in showers. She hurried into the den that Streamstone made for her. She lay down on the comfy green moss bed that Streamstone had fetched for her the day before.
She laid her head down on the soft moss and began to drift away, not sleeping, but daydreaming. She wanted to get away from the rain and the cold real world. She was dreaming she was in the grassy clearing in the warm sun, sun bathing in fact, and eating a nice big vole. She enjoyed this clearing and its soft grass, and the canopy of big oak trees shading half the clearing, in case it got too hot out in the sun. She liked this daydream in the clearing. She was done with her vole and padded over to the shady side to lie next to Streamstone. She was brought back to the real world when water started seeping into her fur and reaching her skin, making her shiver. Her den had caved in and water was pouring in on her pelt, making it stick up in odd places dotted unevenly around her pelt.
She pelted out of her den into the clearing, hissing in anger. Stupid rain. How do Riverclan like this stuff? She hissed one last time and sat down, frustrated, in the soaking wet soil. She had learned to live with this rain; she was sitting in mud, being rained on. She hissed again when she thought about it. Streamstone came out of his den and his eyes widened, as if surprised to see her here. She knew it, she knew that he thought she would never come back, but she was back, and irritated. Streamstone hurried to a tree and picked off a leaf. He pelted over to her holding the leaf over her head. She blinked.
“Thanks. I hate rain. Especially when I’m sitting in mud and getting poured on.”
“Yes, I hate rain also. Come; follow me to the warriors den. That den isn’t letting in any water.” Lily nodded and she started going over to the den, Streamstone following, holding the leaf over her still. As she went under the den entrance, Streamstone dropped the leaf. They went inside the warm den, heated by the warmth of other sleeping warriors, unfamiliar warriors. Streamstone led her over the sleeping cats to the other side of the den. They sat and shook the top layer of water off of their fur; it had been soaking into their skin, making them both shivering wet cats. Streamstone finally mewed to her, “So is it time to tell your news to me now? What is it? What is it about?” He went on franticly asking questions, as if he had no time.
Lily put her tail around his mouth, “Clam down Streamstone.”
“Ok. Well are you going to tell me you news?”
“Yes I am.”
“Great!” He said, and then he looked at her expectedly. “Well? What is it?”
“I didn’t say I was going to tell you right now. I will tell you after I tell Mossstar.”
When she was done Streamstone jumped up, “Great. Let’s go tell her then.” He started out the den into the clearing.
But Lily called to him, “Wait, you,” She paused, “You can’t come.”
Streamstone’s eyes darkened with sadness, “Why? Why not? Why can’t I come?”
“It’s for the leader only right now. I will tell you when I get out. Ok?”
“Yes, ok, I guess I’ll wait,” He said as he blandly sat down, feeling dejected. The rain had stopped and Lily padded across the semi-wet clearing and up the rock steps to Mossstar’s den. Lily messed with the lichen growing on top of the den, hanging in front of the opening, “Mossstar, may I come in?”
Mossstar popped her head out of the den and mewed while beckoning her with her tail, “Yes Lily, come in.” Lily walked in and sat down on the comfortable moss bedding. “So you have news do you?”
Lily looked at her with wide eyes, “Yes. How did you know?”
“Starclan have showed me a sign. You do believe in them right?”
“Of course I do, just because I‘m a loner doesn’t mean I don’t believe in Starclan. What is the sign? May I know?”
“Yes. It is about you by the way.” When she spoke Lily’s eyes became even wider. Why would Starclan have a sign for her? “Our ancestors speak of you Mist” Lily listened intently, wanting to know everything. “A Great cat has come to me and told me of a prophecy that has been waiting for a cat to fulfill it. You are that cat Mist. You must fulfill the prophecy our mother has told you to fulfill.”
Lily backed away, “Our mother? Our? You can’t know my mother. It’s not possible,” She ran out of the den and jumped down from the overhang. She landed on her front leg wrong and she heard a crack. She yowled in pain, she broke her leg.
Streamstone rushed over to her, eyes filled with horror, “In the name of Starclan why-” She cut him off with a fierce hiss and a hit over the head with an unsheathed paw. She took fur from his head. She was in shock and did not know what was happening. Her world was spinning, not realizing what direction was up and what was down; she felt as though she was falling up.
She wanted to escape from the world, so she got to her paws, running as fast as she could with her broken leg. She ran for the exit of the camp, glancing back at Streamstone, his eyes where full of sorrow and pain. It started to rain and Streamstone sat in the mud and let his pelt be soaked with the ice cold water. Streamstone’s eyes soon filled with anger and he ran at Lily. She panicked now and, turning forward now, not looking back, she put her broken paw on the ground and dealt with the pain of it being broken, and ran. She pelted through the forest over fallen trees and around bramble thickets. She ran as fast as she could through the rain and made it over the stream in one huge leap, landing on her broken leg. She yowled again and the shot up a tree. She licked her leg, as it hurt a lot. Suddenly she stopped her whimpering as Streamstone burst out of the bracken and yowled sadness. She wanted to jump down from the tree and tell him her news and about the prophecy and yet; one secret lay in the way. A secret no one could ever know.
Chapter 3
Ashie
Lily awoke to a painful swollen fore-leg. She almost jumped from the tree, but when she saw Streamstone sleeping at the bottom of the tree, she kept herself hidden. She had to get down, to take care of her leg, before it didn’t heal right. She saw Streamstone stir and sit up, yawning. He was happy as he sat up and gazed around. He was saying something, but Lily couldn’t hear. But when she did she wanted to get down and show him she was there. He was calling even louder now, “Lily? Lily, are you here? Lily?”
Lily quietly got down from the tree and acting as though she hadn’t seen him, she padded happily over to the stream, ignoring his calls. She heard his paw steps and calls coming closer and becoming louder, and she thought, He can’t know it’s me…he can’t know it’s me… it’s not me. She quickly splashes mud all over her pelt, making her look like a brown cat, not a long-furred grey cloudy cat. She turned around and trying to look confused she mewed, “Hello there stranger, may I help you?”
“No sorry. I… thought you were somebody else.”
“Who?”
“Some cat named Mist. Have you seen her?”
“Umm yes I have. She went that way,” Lily said, pointing her tail in the direction of the mountains.
“The mountains. Why would she go to the mountains,” He mewed, half to himself.
“I don’t know but I bet she’s out there somewhere,” She said, “I bet she’s out there.”
“She is hurt, she broke her leg, but she knows how to fix it. She knows a lot of things.” He said and started to pad away.
“Wait,” The mysterious she-cat said, “You can’t follow her.”
Streamstone turned, now angry, “Why not? Who says I can’t?”
“I do, because I didn’t tell you the truth. She’s,” Lily paused and sighed, not sure of what to say next, “She’s dead.”
Streamstone’s gaze died away, as if he also had died, “No. No, she can’t be dead. It’s not true!” Now Streamstone became furious with the mysterious cat and was now yowling at her, “You’ll see! She’s out there and I’m going to find her and you can’t stop me!” Streamstone pelted into the trees, swallowed by the dark forest. Lily went over to the stream and washed the mud off of her pelt. Then, she stood in the stream to take down the swelling in her broken leg. What did I say? Her world was spinning again. She had no idea what way was up and what way was down, or left, or right. She became dizzy with shock and she came out of the stream and lied down. She had to find something to mend her leg, before it’s broken permanently. She found some rushes and cobweb. She lay the sticks carefully where the bones in her leg where normally, and then she wrapped the cobweb over it to hold them in place. She found some more Poppy and picked out the seeds carefully. She found also some comfrey and ate the leaves and stem. She then ate the three Poppy seeds and went to lay in the shade of a big, wide-canopied oak tree. She had a decision to make; but she had already made it. She has to go to the mountains to tell Streamstone she was alright. She had to wait though. She had to wait for her leg to heal. Not just heal, it had to heal correctly. She couldn’t move it; she had to keep it straight. She situated herself so that her leg was somewhat comfortable, and she could lie down. She then slowly drifted into sleep and began to dream.
She was a kit, just being able to see the world. Her brothers, she had two, one was named Smoke of Burning Tree, and the other was Water Crashing into Pond. Her sister was Moss that Grows by Rocks, and she was Lily that Grows in Sun. Their mother was named Fern that Grows at Dawn. Lily opened her eyes last of her litter and saw the world last. Water, Smoke and Moss picked on her for being able to not see, until that day. “Hey guys, I can see! Mother I can see!” Lily mewled excitedly. Fern licked her tiny head and mewed, “Finally you can. Your brothers and your sister have been picking on you ever since they had been given the gift of sight by the Tribe of Endless Hunting. You now, can see at last. Now go over there and teach them a lesson for picking on you all the time.”
Lily jumped up and licked Fern’s chin and purred, “Yes mother.” Lily crouched and snuck up behind her brother Smoke, then jumped on him and wrestled him to the ground, pinning him with sheathed paws. She got off of him and purred, “I got you, now where is father, I want to show him I can see now,” She held her head up and widened her milky blue eyes. Moss and Water then came padding over to them with fresh-kill in their jaws. They were bigger than Smoke and Mist. They set down their kill and Moss spoke first, “I brought you a mouse Smoke, do you want to share?”
“Yes thanks! Let’s go over there and eat it next to the waterfall,” He replied as he picked up the mouse and headed over to the waterfall. Fern called to them, “Don’t go to close.”
Water dropped a piece of an eagle at Mist’s paws and mewed, “Do you want to share this? We can eat it over by the Cave of Pointed Stones if you want?”
“Yes, ok. Let’s go,” She mewled and started over to the Cave of Pointed Stones. They sat and Lily took the first bite, then she pushed the eagle piece over to Water, who took a bite, and pushed it back over to her. Lily asked after they finished, “Do you want to go see if Moss and Smoke are done? So we can play fight?”
“Ok. Let’s go ask them,” Water replied. They went over to the waterfall, where Smoke and Moss were almost done with their mouse. As Smoke was about to take a bite, Water cuffed him on the head with a sheathed paw and mewed playfully, “Hey Smoke, do you want to go play fight with me and Mist?”
It was Moss that replied, “I want to. Come on Smoke.” She started to go over to the far side of the cave but turned around when she realized Smoke wasn’t following them. “Smoke, what are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
“No. I’m going out.” Moss, Lily and Water all mewed, “What?” Then they all raced toward Smoke and waited for him to speak again. “I want to see the world outside the Cave of Rushing Water. Plus, I’m tired of mother and father telling me what to do; and all the other Tribe cats. I can take care of myself now.” He mewled then started toward the exit of the cave, his tiny kit tail held straight up. The entrance was a path, called the Path of Rushing Water. It was a rock path that went behind the waterfall and into the cave. Smoke was heading toward it. Moss, Water and Lily all exchanged mischievous glances then followed him and ran to catch up.
Once Moss, Water, Lily and Smoke all fell in line, they jumped into a trot toward the cave, light shining from it. A light that held unimaginable things, it held the world unknown; never seen by the eyes of these four kits. The kits stepped outside the cave, on the path and out into the sun light for the first time in their short lives. All of their eyes where wider than ever before; staring at the world they were living in and would forever. Then Smoke peeked over the edge of the rock, to the pool below. Smoke began to speak and beckon his litter-mates over to see the pool. He only half mewed, “Guys look! The waterfall ends and you can,” before he was caught by a splash of water that sent him plummeting into the water below. Moss, Water and Lily rushed down the small slope to the pool where Smoke’s lifeless body floated over to the shore. Their eyes were still wide but now filled with fear as they all tried to wake up their brother. “Smoke?”
“Smoke wake up.”
“Smoke?”
“Smoke wake up. Smoke?” They all yowled in sadness at the sight of their now dead brother.
Lily jumped awake from her dream, scared. Then she realized that it was a dream, a distant memory, long forgotten; Left behind, in the mountains; in the Tribe. Lily woke up for a second time, from a dreamless sleep, not the horrible dream from kit-hood, but a nice dreamless sleep. She rose to her paws and trying to stretch, she realized her leg was still broken, so she lied down and began to take the cobweb off. She saw that the swelling was going down. She wanted it to hurry up and heal so she could get to the mountains, and go after Streamstone. She got the cobweb off and replaced the rushes and cobweb, after going in the stream again, for the swelling. She shook her leg as well as she could to get the water off before she put the rushes and cobweb on.
She padded toward the mountains, now drawn to them, not the camp. Her dream had sparked a memory. Long forgotten, covered by a thick fog that is now clear. She was mostly sure she came from the Tribe of Rushing Water, from the mountains. She hadn’t remembered all of her dream, just the memory of Moss, Water and the long lost Smoke, who had died of curiosity, and bravery. She not only wanted to go to the mountains, to tell Streamstone she was ok, but she wanted to see Moss and Water; to see if they were ok, if they were still alive. She had to remember their colors also, to point them out.
She remembered Moss, a tortishell, but Moss had had green eyes, like the ferns growing in the grassy clearing. Water was a light grey tabby, with darker grey stripes and deep blue eyes. She couldn’t help but remember Smoke, a solid grey tom with icy blue eyes. She had to remember her mother and father also, her mother being a tortishell with emerald green eyes and her father, a grey tabby with darker stripes and deep blue eyes, like an ocean. She had to remember them just in case they still lived in the Tribe of Rushing Water. She felt all she could do was search her memories, so, she did. She wanted to have another memory from kit-hood, from the Tribe, and her mother Fern, and her siblings, Moss, Water and the one who had died in the waterfall, Smoke. She soon fell asleep, greeted by a much needed dream.
She got what she wanted, a dream of the Tribe. She was a kit, her dream continuing from the previous one. She sat on the edge of the pool; water crashing into it, her dead brother lay in front of them. Lily turned to her brother and sister, Moss and Water, and mewed, sniffling, “W-we h-have to get m-mother.” Moss and Water nodded, and they all began to head up the slope to the entrance of the cave. Their mother was happily mewing to another kit-mother, a close friend of Fern’s, Sun Shining on Rocks. Moss, Water and Lily could hear what they were mewing about as they padded closer.
“My little Smoke is an adventurous one. He doesn’t like cats telling him what to do, he’s very independent. Moss is the brains of the group, she’s very good at decisions. Water is my little hunter; he’ll be the best Prey-Hunter in the Tribe. Mist, well, Lily is my fighter, she never gives up; always determined,” They heard their mother mew to Sun, who was nodding in approval. As the kits went closer, Fern saw that they were sniffling, she asked, “What’s wrong kits? Where’s Smoke?” She asked as she looked around the cave. None of them could speak; they were too shocked to say anything. Fern spoke again when none of them did, “Is he exploring the cave again? He’s always is up to something. Go on take me to him.” As she said this the kits turned, and slowly began to pad to the exit. Fern saw where they were going and padded ahead of them and blocked their path, “Oh no, you’re not going out there. Nope.” She began to shoo them backwards. It was Water who spoke up first, “But mom.”
Then Lily mewled, “He’s out there,” She beckoned outside with her tail. Fern turned around and purred, “Oh, no he’s not. He couldn’t go out there, he’s just a kit. He wouldn’t go out there.” Mist, Moss and Water exchanged glances, then looked up at their mom and nodded. She then mewed, “Well, let’s go find him. Keep your fur pressed against the rock wall. Once we get out, you lead the way Mist, since you seem to know where he is.” Lily nodded, and kept to the wall as her mother commanded, along with her den-mates. Once she got outside, she could feel that her mother sensed there was something wrong; her kits were not excited to be outside. And yes, in-fact something was very wrong.
Lily lead the way down the slope and then she cowered and began to sniffle again as she saw her brother was not there. Moss and Water gasped and ran down to the shore. Lily ran with them and they all looked around the pool franticly, eyes filled with panic. Fern soon caught up with them and looked around as they did. She them looked down at them and mewed, “So where is Smoke at? Is he around this pool?” She asked as she started to head over to the other side of the pool.
Moss looked down at the pool, searching the water and finally gasping and nudging her littermates to look where she was looking. Lily finally saw it, her brother. He was lying at the bottom of the crystal clear pool, unmoving.
Lily snapped her head awake, scared to look at any water now. Her memory was now haunted by the image of her unmoving brother flashing in her icy blue eyes. She was never going to forget the haunting memory, no matter how much she tried. Lily got up and stretched, without pain. Good, my leg is better. She took the cobweb and the rushes off of her leg and went to stand in the stream again for the swelling. She shivered as she got in the water, it was freezing cold, but not as cold as before; green-leaf was coming, ridding her world of cold and prey loss. Speaking of prey loss, Lily found herself hungry, time to hunt. She got out of the stream and shook her paws carefully, to get the top layer of water off. She went toward the mountains to hunt, unable to wait for her journey. She realized she entered Windclan territory, following Streamstone’s scent trail, which was already faded. He was traveling fast, running for the most part. She hoped to not run into Windclan, she assumed that they where hostile, like Shadowclan cats.
She had never met Riverclan and she didn’t hope to see any on her travel. She followed the trail along the lake, sometimes having to go deeper into Windclan territory. He was probably hunting, rabbits and mice. She began to drag her paws, realizing she was ready to collapse under her own weight. She finally stopped at a spot by the lake, a small grassy spot, shaded by heather bushes. She padded lazily over to it and flopped down on already flattened grass. Streamstone has been here, I’m going the right way. She began to scent the air, growing even hungrier. She scented rabbit and remembering to keep low, she followed the scent. She was led up a slope; she hid in a heather bush and popped her head out, soon to pop it back in. She saw a Windclan patrol, stalking the same rabbit. The wind was not in her favor, it was blowing toward the patrol, ruffling her fur and sending her scent to them.
She hid in the bush, trying to see them without them seeing her. She saw that the cats where thin, yet Windclan where know for being thin and lithe. They stayed low to the ground. Then she saw a new hunting technique she had never seen before. She watched closely and remembered what they did. But it turned up useless to her; it had to have at least three cats. A small she-cat who was brown and had amber eyes went around the left of the rabbit. Another she-cat, this one black with green eyes, went to the right, followed by a solid grey tom. The tom went and snuck in front of the rabbit and finally ran at it, chasing it into the waiting she-cats. The she-cats pinned the rabbit and the tom finished it off with a swift bite to the neck. Wow, I might want to remember that. That’s a great technique, she thought, admiring the Windclan cat’s great strategy.
She stayed in the bush, hoping they didn’t scent her; but they did. They came running toward her, eyes blazing. She stepped out of the bush, sat, and awaited their attack. To her surprise they skidded to a halt in front of her. The big tom hissing first, “Who are you and why are you on our territory?”
Lily sat confidently and mewed calmly to the big tom, twice her size, “That’s for me to know. I am not causing any harm and I haven’t stole prey, yet I am hungry. Can you spare me a rabbit please?”
The tom eyed her curiously, “What clan do you belong to?”
“I belong to no clan. I am on my own terms of surviving. Now may I have a rabbit, whatever your name is?”
“The name is Greypelt. This is Nightshade and Barkheart. You can’t have our prey.”
Lily eyed the tom, standing and staring up at him, her milky blue eyes burning into him, making him shrink away, “Really? Do I have to take it from you?”
Nightshade and Barkheart crouched, ready to defend their prey with tooth and claw. Greypelt’s eyes became cold, “Go ahead. Try,” he hissed. She reared up and slashed his face with her claws, breaking skin. Then she turned quickly to Nightshade and slid under her and easily kicked her over with her hind paws. Then she got up and hind-kicked Barkheart and shot to the rabbit that they had killed. She hurried and grabbed the rabbit and took off toward a twoleg barn; Greypelt, Nightshade and Barkheart chasing her, spitting and hissing. She smelled the scent of twoleg and then the Windclan cats realized she crossed their border, and stopped chasing her.
She ran into the barn, startling the huge animals resting in cages. She saw an escape from the huge brown animals, up. She climbed a pile of hay to a ledge made of wood. She hardly breathed; she was so frightened of these huge brown animals. She jumped as a voice came from behind her, “Wow! I’ve never seen a cat fight like that!”
Another replied, “I know right! That was great! I wonder if we could ever do that.” Lily puffed out her fur and hissed as she turned around, “You could never. Who are you? Show you selves.” She let her fur lay flat and she purred in laughter, as she saw two she-cats step out of the darkness, both wearing collars. “I can’t believe I almost lost myself to a couple of kittypets! Hi there, I’m Mist.”
The two she-cats looked at each other and one mewed, “Hi, Mist. I’m Twist and that’s Ashie. Twist was a small tortishell she-cat with white stripes, only on her face, and deep blue eyes. Ashie was a light grey tabby with deep blue eyes. Lily dipped her head to both of them and mewed, “Nice to meet you Twist and Ashie. Would you like some fresh-kill?”
Twist and Ashie cautiously glanced at each other, then Ashie mewed, “Well, we’ve never met a wild cat like you. Twist, Do you want to?”
“Yes. I could go for some food. But I’ve never tasted a rabbit before. In fact, I’ve never tasted any kind of animal before. I only eat the food my owners give me,” Twist mewed to Mist.
Mist’s eyes widened, “You’re telling me, you’ve never tasted a vole, or a mouse, or a rabbit? You really need to taste this. It’s the best food you’ll ever eat.” Lily pushed the rabbit toward them and then mewed, “Well? Go on, take a bite.”
Twist and Ashie looked at each other, and then they both leaned down and took a small bite. Their eyes soon widened and Ashie mewed, “Wow! This is really good! Isn’t it Twist?” Twist nodded, as she took another huge bite, and so did Ashie.
Lily butted in and said, “I need some too. Scoot over.” She pushed in between them and took a bite. Lily liked these two kitty pets. She wanted them to come to the mountains with her and live their lives. She couldn’t imagine being trapped in a small twoleg den, with nothing to explore. She stopped eating and asked through a mouth full of rabbit, “Don’t you guys want to see the world? Do you like being trapped in a small twoleg den?”
Twist was the one to reply, “Actually we enjoy being inside. We like the warmth.”
Ashie looked at Mist, then over to Twist and meowed, “I really want to see the world. I want to see outside my fence and explore the outdoors. Why don’t you?”
Twist looked at her, surprised, “I don’t want to go out there and get killed. I want to stay in my safe den with my twoleg.”
Lily looked over at Ashie, “Do you like that thing on your neck Ashie?” She was talking about Ashie’s collar. Ashie shook her head and mewed, “I feel trapped in it. It’s like a barrier, shielding me from the outside. I can’t get it off and when I do, my owners put another one on my neck.”
Lily looked at her and mewed, “I will get it off if you want. But there is a side note.” Mist’s gaze was firm, “You have to come to the mountains with me. It will be the greatest adventure in your life. The best part is; nothing is holding you back.”
Twist’s eyes widened, “No, She not going!”
Ashie turned over to Twist and softened her gaze, “I want to, Twist. I want to escape.” Lily turned to Ashie and with one precise hit, Lily tore Ashie’s collar in half, and it fell to the ground. Ashie purred. “Will you please come with me? I wouldn’t like to go without you. You’re my sister Twist, you have to come. It wouldn’t be as fun without you there too.”
Twist purred and licked Ashie’s head, “I will come.” Lily turned to Twist and slashed an unsheathed claw at Twists collar, also tearing it in half. It fell to the ground and when it hit, Twist purred as well. Lily saw a window at the other end of the ledge and she padded over to it, Ashie and Twist following. Lily looked over at Ashie, then Twist and back again to the window. This was just the beginning, of a journey, untold.
Chapter 4
Splashpelt
Lily slept in the barn that night with Ashie and Twist. She awoke to a loud, strange sound, sort of a crowing noise. Lily jumped awake in fact, and woke Ashie and Twist from their peaceful sleep also. Ashie and Twist purred, and then Twist said, “Relax Mist, it’s just a chicken. The twolegs keep them outside. They aren’t any harm to us, they eat grain, not cats.”
“I didn’t say they eat cats, they just scared me that’s all.” Lily mewed, and then gapped her mouth in a huge yawn. She had another dream, the same dream as before; the same, haunting dream. She was only reminded of the image, her brother’s body, lifeless and nonmoving, in the bottom of the pool. Maybe she could meet him in dreams, like Starclan, but he would be in the mountains, in the Tribe of Endless Hunting; a place where Starclan did not walk. She was taken back to the real world by a creaking door opening, and a twoleg walked into the barn. Mist’s fur rose in fear, to her, twolegs meant danger. She looked over at Ashie and Twist. To her surprise they were heading down the hay, tails high. They rubbed up against the twoleg, who rubbed its hand along their backs as they purred.
Lily hissed and Ashie and Twist looked at her and beckoned her with their tail tips to come down. Are they crazy? I’m not going near that thing! Lily hissed again, so Twist and Ashie came running back up to the ledge, twoleg following. Mouse dung! It’s coming up here! Lily hissed at them as they came past her, still purring, “In the name of Starclan why did you lead it up here?” Before they could answer Lily went to a different hay pile, on the ledge, and pushed her way into it, hoping the twoleg didn’t see her in it. It did. The twoleg mewed something and came toward her with something in her hands, a cage! No, I can’t be captured! Lily hissed from the hay and the twoleg hesitated, and then came forward again, now mewing more angrily. The twoleg began to run toward her, holding out the cage. Lily tried to back away, but a wall blocked her path. She was trapped. The twoleg put the cage into the entrance and held it there. Lily tried to run and jump out of its grasp, but she found herself in the cage, door locked.
Lily hissed fiercely and rammed herself against the cage door, clawing at it. Twist and Ashie stared at her, surprised how fierce she could be. She wasn’t trying her hardest yet. She would save that for when the twoleg let her out of the cage. She kept heaving herself against the door but it didn’t open, so she thought, the door is locked. I need to get out so where is the lock? She looked around the cage, pawing at the walls to find a way out. She saw a metal box on the door, with a metal stick sticking out of it. That must be the lock. She rammed herself against the door one more time then she stuck a paw out the door. She moved the lock so that it was almost out of the slot that held the door closed. Lily felt as though she was so close to getting free, to the world again. As her paw slid the lock, the twoleg growled something and pushed her paw back in the cage. She hissed as the twoleg carried her out of the barn. They took her into their den, followed by Twist and Ashie. They where purring and rubbing up against everything they passed.
She had to get out, she wasn’t meant to be kept inside anything. She hissed to Twist and Ashie, “How could you let them take me? I hate this thing, I can’t be trapped like this.”
They looked at each other, then Twist mewed, “I’m sorry, I thought you’d like it. We do.” She looked over at Ashie, insisting for her to agree.
Then Ashie answered, “Well I guess I kind of like it in here, but it’s too small. I want to go outside, and live out there and hunt for my own food, like Lily, Twist. Don’t you see?”
“Well I guess it is small in here. So what do we do about it? I’m not leaving without Splashpelt.” She said this while gesturing to a nest, made of some cloth unknown to Lily. It was sitting by a fire, warmth flowing from it in waves warming Lily’s pelt. A cat was resting in it, clearly sleeping, breathing slowly and rhythmically. It was a dark brown molted tom, with light blue eyes. He was now waking up, seeming to get bigger and bigger as he stood up. He was just about as big as Hawkshine, maybe bigger. He was staring at her, eyes wide, as if he had never seen another cat before.
He began to purr and started toward Ashie, Twist and her. He went over to stand next to Twist, rubbed his cheek to her head, and then purred, “How was the barn, did you catch anything yet? And who is this?” He asked as he looked over at Lily, still in her cage. The twoleg had set her down. He walked over to her and sniffed the cage, suddenly widening his eyes as he seemed to have caught Thunderclan scent. He backed away and went over by Twist again. “Where did she come from?”
“She was a loner and we saw her take on three cats at once, to get a rabbit. She shared some with us then our owner put her in a cage and here we are.”
“Well she smells like Thunderclan. Are you sure you’re a loner?”
“I was a loner and was taken in by Thunderclan for a few days.” Her eyes clouded with Mossstar’s words, you must fulfill the prophecy our mother has told you to fulfill. She shivered then mewed, “It didn’t work out though, so I fled and here I am, trapped in this stupid cage thing. Twist and Ashie are coming to the mountains with me. Twist wants you to come too don’t you Twist?”
“Well, umm, I guess, yes. Can you come Splashpelt, please?”
Splashpelt looked over at Twist, then at Lily and mewed, “I want to come, I also want to join the clans again, so if you wish to come back Twist you may, but I will be remaining in the clans. Preferably Thunderclan this time. I realized that Riverclan are just senseless killers.”
Lily tipped her head at the mentioning of Thunderclan and Riverclan. Then she mewed, “You know of the clans, how?”
“Well I can’t tell you everything, but I can sum it up for you. I was part of a raiding patrol into the Thunderclan camp. We thought that we needed to attack them for more territory. I was the only one who really realized that we really just attacked them for no reason. Kits were killed Lily, and I want to fight against that. During the raid I fought for Thunderclan, fighting beside my sister, Wingfrost. She was a great fighter. She didn’t ever give up,” His eyes drifted to a faraway place, clouded by a distant memory. He shook his head, clearing it out then meowing, “I wish to see her again. So when do we leave for the mountains?”
Lily looked over at Twist, who was leaning up against Splashpelt, her head up to only his shoulder, and Ashie, who had laid down and listened intently to his story. Then Lily looked back over at Splashpelt and mewed, “As soon as I get out of this thing.” She clawed the cage door again. She suddenly looked up at Ashie, Twist and Splashpelt and mewed mischievously, “How do I get one of those twolegs to like me?”
Ashie spoke up, “Well first just meow a lot, then when they look at you, just purr and rub against the cage door and mew. That’s sure to let you out.”
“Like this?” Lily said then promptly meowed. The twoleg meowed something and sat in front of the cage. Lily purred and rubbed the cage door and mewed. The twoleg mewed something and stuck its fingers into the cage door. Lily first backed away, then looking at Ashie, who was nodding, showing her that she should go over to it, she went back up to its paw and rubbed it.
The twoleg opened the cage door and Lily bolted out. She went over to an opened window and scrabbled out of it. She jumped down to the ground and sighed, then breathed in, inhaling fresh mountain air swooping down from the mountains. She turned around and sat, waiting for Ashie, Twist and Splashpelt to come flooding out of the window, finally escaping the twolegs grasp. Yet they did not come out, the twoleg had shut the window. Then Twist appeared in the window, meowing something illiterate to Lily . She shook her head then slowly padded into a pine bush and made a hollowing in the middle and laid down. She waited for them, she knew they would make it out in the morning. She thought, and hoped. She slowly drifted into sleep. She awoke in a clearing, covered with flowers and surrounded by trees, with an opened canopy reveling a starry night. She heard rustling in the ferns, she turned and crouched, hiding in the long grass and wild flowers. A beautiful dark tortishell she-cat with a distinctive dapple coat and piercing amber eyes, leapt out of the trees into the clearing.
She crouched even closer to the ground, pressing her belly to the soft flowery ground. The she cat looked around and then mewed lightly, “I know you’re here Lily . Come on out, I know you are here and I have something to tell you.”
Lily’s mind soared, what did this cat have to tell her? She cautiously stood up and looked over at the cat with widened eyes, stars reflecting in them. Her milky gaze met the tortishell’s amber gaze, and she started toward Lily. Lily slid out her claws, ready to defend herself if needed. The she cat stopped and her gaze hardened, as if she could see inside Lily. She mewed, “I know your claws are out Lily, I would like it if you had them sheathed.”
Lily sheathed her claws, admiring her ability to know so much. She sat and let the she cat come toward her. She sat in front of her and mewed softly, “I have been expecting you Lily, and I have news for you.”
Lily leaned forward, wanting to know more. Then she spoke again, “I am Spottedleaf, great medicine cat of Thunderclan. I have come to give you a message from Bluestar, my leader. You are part of a prophecy Lily. I tell the prophecy to you as I was told, Kin of great cats, yet not known by most, soon will save us all. You are to become a clan cat Lily. You must become Medicine cat of Thunderclan, to teach the apprentice everything you know. Then you are to be a warrior, and teach the rest. Some things you may not know that you actually do. Do you understand Lily ? You are to be a cat that will be told in nursery tales through the generations of warriors to come.”
Lily’s eyes widened and she spoke, “I-I don’t get it. How can I do all that? I’m just one cat.”
Spottedleaf leaned in and rested her muzzle on Lily’s head and mewed, “Trust Lily. Trust, trust in Starclan, and in me. I will guide you when you need it.” As Spottedleaf faded, Lily’s eyes opened, revealing Ashie, Twist and Splashpelt standing in the bush surrounding her. Splashpelt mewed in his deep voice, “Wake up sleepy head, we have mountains to go to.”
Lily stood and stretched. She purred as she briefly smelled Spottedleaf’s sweet herby scent surround her, and then slowly fade. This was it, she was off to the mountains, off to Streamstone.
Chapter 5
Twist
Lily and Ashie walked into a heather bush, flooded with Streamstone’s scent. Twist and Splashpelt lay in the middle of the hollow heather bush against each other, sleeping. Ashie padded over to Twist and prodded her gently in the side mewing, “Wake up Twist, we found another scent trail of Streamstone’s.”
Twist stirred and put her head up, opening her sleepy eyes, and yawned. “Good morning. Me and Splashpelt were just so tired. So this Streamstone cat, you found another of his scent trails?”
“Yep. Come on, we’re going to follow it.”
“Well ok then. Can I eat first, I’m starving.” She prodded Splashpelt’s side gently. He stirred and lifted his head, yawning and mewing, “Good morning Twist, Ashie. Good morning Lily, catch any prey for us?”
“Well I’d like it if you learned how to yourself. I’ve been hunting today already and I ate it. I can teach you some hunting moves if you guys want.” She started outside and sat on the edge of the bush and waited for them to follow. Her tail shot up after Splashpelt poked out of the bush followed by Ashie and Twist. She padded out in between a group of heather bushes, ground covered in sand.
She mewed while sitting, “Ok. The first thing to hunting, the hunter’s crouch.”
She demonstrated the crouch, pressing her belly close to the ground, tail high enough so that it doesn’t skirt the ground. She mewed while slowly creeping up on a dead leaf. “Remember that a mouse feels you before it hears, smells or sees you. So keep your paw steps light enough to sneak up on it.” She kept creeping forward, then pausing briefly, she leapt into the air, landing a few paw steps ahead of the leaf.
She then sat up and waited for comments.
“Why didn’t you land on the leaf? The mouse would’ve got away.” Twist was tilting her head.
“Well Twist, you want to aim for where the prey is going, not where it is.” Lily explained.
“Oh, I get it. The mouse will have noticed you and run, so you have to know where it’s going.”
“Exactly.”
She turned to Splashpelt and mewed to him, “Why don’t you give it a try. I scented a mouse over there,” She looked in the direction of a lone gorse bush, “Go get the mouse and bring it back. If you catch it, you can share it with Twist.”
Splashpelt scented the air, clearly tasting the mouse scent, dropping into the demonstrated crouch. Lily inspected his crouch before he stalked the mouse, tapping his back with her tail, letting him know to put it lower to the ground. He lowered his back. She then got into the crouch herself and compared hers to his. She stood up then sat, and nodded. Splashpelt’s eyes shone as he began to creep up onto the mouse. Lily examined his every paw step. He saw the mouse, rustling in the heather, and searching for food. He stopped and briefly planning his landing, he pounced. He landed squarely on the mouse, swiftly killing it with a bite to its neck. He trotted happily over to Twist, mouse dangling in his jaws, and dropped it at Twist’s paws. She purred and sniffed the mouse, then took a bite.
Lily padded over and sat by Twist and Splashpelt. “Well done. I see you’ve remembered your training from Riverclan.”
“Yes, I have been taught well. Snowshade was a great mentor.”
“I bet she was. You have great posture and good stealth. Do you know any fighting moves?”
“Well I did know them, but I have most likely forgo-” He was cut off by Lily , who had attacked him with sheathed claws.
She caught him off guard so he was knocked to the ground by the she-cat, who was half his size. She quickly jumped off of him and ran behind him and waited for him to get to his paws and turn to face her. When he did, she was ready. She was already charging toward him, and when he dodged out of the way, she knew what to do. He swerved to the right, just out of her paw’s reach. She ran behind him, to the other side of him and hind-kicked him gently, just enough to knock him down. He was again caught off guard and got to is paws, looking around for Lily . She was hiding behind him. He finally saw her and turned on her. She waited for him to charge at her. When he did, she dodged him and turned into him, jumping, and landing on his shoulders.
He rolled over, crushing her. She thought and went limp. He got off of her and she jumped up. He was still on top of her so she was now under his belly. She turned upside down so her back was to the soil. She kicked up with her legs, sending him off of her and he landed on his back. She quickly jumped on top of him, not letting him get up. She pinned him to the ground, then got off and sat. “How was that for a cat half your size?”
He got to his paws and shook himself. He looked surprised that a little she-cat like Lily could be so strong. “That was great! How did you learn to do that?”
“Well I actually taught myself everything I know. My fighting moves prove to be useful against clan cats back by the lake. I’ve been in battles with them before.”
“Really, What happened?” Ashie had been watching at the sidelines, eyes wide.
“Well. I woke up to rain, great, I thought, more rain, just what I need. I got to my paws, and ran to the tree line, up the bank. I finally got under a tree and sat down, quickly fleeing up the tree, I had heard voices. Thunderclan and Shadowclan, wow, I’ve never seen so many cats this close, I hope they don’t find me or I’ll be crow-food, I thought. The Thunderclan patrol had met Shadowclan at the border. I knew the Shadowclan patrol; it consisted of Rockear, Lakepelt, Honeyleaf, Moustail, Poppypaw, Volepaw and Oakfur. I met them in an earlier encounter. I had never met any Thunderclan cats before; I assumed they were as hostile as Shadowclan. I could not hear what they were fussing over but I could see the cats spitting and hissing at each other over the border. Honeyleaf hissed over the border to a small grey she-cat with green eyes, which were filled with fury. Honeyleaf hissed, “I don’t care if your apprentice went over the border or not, I want to know why you aren’t going to do anything about it.”
“What are you going to do?” A small brown tabby tom with yellow eyes mewed, his voice shaking. I thought, He must be the unlucky one who accidently crossed the border.
A black tom with amber eyes replied something I couldn’t hear. Suddenly Stonetail leapt across the border onto the cat talking to the apprentice. They fought with tooth and claw in a bundle of fur. One of the cats from Thunderclan yowled loudly and the they all jumped into battle. Stonetail bit the Thunderclan cat’s tail and sent him pelting into the brush. Rockear and Poppypaw where using a battle move, fit for two, on another Thunderclan cat, also sending it into the foliage. Two Thunderclan cats jumped onto Honeyleaf, who was struggling under one cat, while the other scratched at her face and belly. Moustail was wresting with a huge dark brown tabby tom, with amber eyes filled with determination. Surprisingly Moustail, the small she-cat, sent him running back to the sidelines. I stared in awe over the fighting cats, yet I saw one sitting alone. He was a massive black tom with blue eyes. He was watching the battle with amusement in his eyes. What is he doing, laughing at these injured cats, and I ought to rip his fur off. I dug my claws into the tree limb, who’s stopping me.
I leapt down from the tree, landing on the huge tom’s shoulders. He lost his balance; he had been stunned, as if going into shock for a second. I dug my claws into his back. He yowled in protest and rolled over on top of her. Think! I let my body go limp. He then got off of me and I leapt at him, again landing on his back. He flung me off and as he ran at me to attack, I dodged it and made a deep scratch in his side. He turned on me and so I reared up and jumped over his huge body landing, only on my hind paws, behind him. I spun on my hind paws and scratched his face with an outstretched paw. Then I darted under him and bit down fiercely on his hind leg. I ran out from under him just in time. I had sent him running into the trees. And that’s what happened to a cat named Hawkshine.”
Ashie, Twist and Splashpelt were listening in awe, eyes wide and unblinking. Lily looked to each cat then mewed, “Questions?”
Twist spoke up, “What happened in that earlier encounter with the Shadowclan cats?”
“Well,” She started, laying down under the sun high light. “I had heard voices in the forest coming closer and closer to me. I smelled Shadowclan scent and had a flashback. I ran happily through the forest, tracking the scent of a vole. Then out of nowhere, a group of five cats jumped out of the bracken and one tackled me, the others dashing in and biting my legs and body. I finally wriggled free and pelted into the trees. Little had they known, I had circled them. I crouched in a hollow opening in a bush and listened to their conversation. “If I ever see that rogue cat Lily ever again I’m going to rip her fur off!”
Another said, “Easy Smoketail, she is a rogue remember, she can’t defend herself for her own life. She is no concern of ours unless we spot her in our territory again.”
Another cat in the patrol mewed, “Yes, I agree with Honeyleaf. And anyway, if you didn’t agree, she’s the deputy, so you would have to do as she says.”
“Thank you Mousetail.” Honeyleaf turned and meowed to Mousetail.
Smoketail spoke up again, “Well ok. Still, if I see that cat,” Honeyleaf cut him off with a swipe of her tail to his mouth. “If you see that cat again, you’ll wait until I tell you what to do. Now, I want the patrol to split up. Smoketail, go get your apprentice, Volepaw, and another warrior,” She paused to think then spoke again, “Rockear and his apprentice Poppypaw and go to the Riverclan border. Mousetail, Oakfur, Pinepaw and I will go check the Thunderclan border.”
Then, fearing the cats might see me, I clawed my way silently up a tree. Honeyleaf and her patrol went one way while Smoketail, muttering something under his breath, stalked off under the tree I was perched in. Then I came back to the real world.
When I came back to the real world, rainy and cold, my fear came back with it as well. I remembered just fast enough to once again, silently claw my way up a tree and wait. The patrol burst out of the trees into the clearing. I instantly recognized cats from earlier. My earlier encounter had been about a moon ago. I saw Honeyleaf, the deputy who was a black she-cat with yellow eyes, leading the patrol. I also saw Mousetail, a grey tabby she-cat with yellow eyes and by the look of it Rockear, who they had mentioned before. I assumed this because this cat was a massive, solid grey tom, with amber eyes, and a torn ear. Rockear had brought his apprentice, who stayed by his side, Poppypaw. She was young, only a few moons into training. She was a small, golden furred she-cat, with amber eyes to go along. Also I saw one other cat I had never seen before. A sturdy grey tabby tom with green eyes. They began to speak but I had not wanted to listen. Mousetail was scanning the trees that enclosed the clearing. The others stopped for a drink in the stream. I turned my eyes again to Mousetail, who was now sniffing in the spot I had buried her cobweb and Poppy, I had gotten attacked by a fox earlier. I then thought, oh no, they might scent me, that I have been here. Or they could follow the scent trail to me up this tree. Just wait, I told myself. Wait.
I then listened to what they had been saying, Honeyleaf spoke first, “Mousetail, are you sure it’s Lily? We haven’t seen her in about a moon. If she is here then, I sure hope she doesn’t show herself, or I’ll get her ears.”
Rockear spoke up after she was done, “I agree, she doesn’t want to be in a fight with us. It would be the end of her, a five against one battle.”
“Yes Rockear, it would not end up good for Lily. What do you think Lakepelt?” Honeyleaf spoke and touched the tip of her tail to Lakepelt’s shoulder.
Lakepelt gazed around the clearing, scanning the trees as Moustail had done, “I think if she thinks she can take on a patrol of five, then hedgehogs fly. Now are we going to get on with this hunting patrol, or do I have to go myself?”
Honeyleaf narrowed her eyes, “As you wish Lakepelt, just control that attitude of yours, if you can.” Her black pelt was swallowed by the ferns, in the direction of the lake, following the stream, as she shot off into the woods. The rest of the patrol struggled to keep up as Honeyleaf was clearly the fastest out of all of them. I let out a sigh, as I had been holding my breath since they had mentioned my name. I stayed in the tree for a while, making sure they had gone. And that was what happened. Shadowclan basically hate me. I can handle them now though.”
“Wow. That’s was a great story. Did all that really happen?” Twist was scooting forward, clearly wanting to hear more.
“Yes, that all happened about a little less than a moon ago. Well Streamstone has to be far by now so let’s go follow his scent.” The cats nodded and started off to the mountains, following Streamstone’s clear scent trail, Lily leading the way. She skidded to a halt in front of a stream. She scented the air, eyes widening. She turned to Ashie, Twist and Splashpelt, who were all staring at her. Lily mewed franticly, “He turned around! He’s going back away from the mountains!”
Twist, Ashie and Splashpelt’s eyes widened to match Lily’s. They all exchanged glances and ran off in the direction of Streamstone’s scent trail, at full pelt. His trail was fresh. He was still on the move. She all of the sudden skidded to a halt, as she had realized the others had stopped in front of the barn. Lily mewed as she ran toward them. “Come on guys. We have no time to wait around and be sad. We have to go follow the trail.”
Twist looked back and mewled, “Well, I guess I’ll just miss home.”
“You’ve been away from it for less than a day Twist. You have to out the past behind you. Let’s go.” She pelted off back to the scent trail as fast as she could. Twist was having trouble catching up with her; Lily was at full pelt again. She saw a wide stream ahead of her, so she picked up pace and leapt it in one jump. She hadn’t had to stop and jump from stepping stone to stepping stone when the others did. She stopped at the sound of Splashpelt’s yowl. She turned around to see the three of them standing at a fallen down tree, fallen across the water and leading to an island on the other side. She trotted over to them and looked at them, showing in her eyes what she had said before. Splashpelt was gazing to the other side of the tree, swampy and somewhat tree-less. He mewed in his deep mew. “Can we take a little side trip. I want to see what has become of Riverclan.”
Lily thought for a second, tilting her head. Well I guess so but we just need to keep moving. I guess we can, fine. “Ok Splashpelt, but we have to hurry. Lead us there.”
Splashpelt nodded and leapt over the tree, followed by Ashie, Twist and Lily. They followed him over fallen trees and around bramble thickets, in and out of thick foliage and bracken. He finally stopped by a stream. On the other side gathered cats, clearly this was the Riverclan camp. Lily crinkled her nose, smelling the Riverclan cat’s scent. Smells like rotten fish from tainted water.
Splashpelt sighed, clearly missing his old home, yet glad to be in his new one. He turned back to the she-cats and whispered, “You guys stay here, I’m going to see if they recognize me anymore.”
Lily purred and mewed, “Now think Splashpelt, what if they don’t recognize you, or even if they do. What would you do if they attacked you? Run and hide like a scared little kit?”
“No.” He mewed defensively. “I would fight. And I guess I’ll need help if I do.” He examined each of their faces and mewed again, “You can come.” As they were about to jump the stream they heard a growl come from behind them.
“What are you doing trespassing on Riverclan land?”
They all turned at once to see a light grey spotted she-cat with dark blue eyes staring at them. Her claws were unsheathed and her eyes narrowed. She crouched, as if ready to pounce if needed. Splashpelt took a step forward and looked into the she-cats eyes, studying them closely. Then he purred and mewed, “Long time no see Dewfrost.”
The she-cat’s eyes widened as he spoke. She then sat and purred, “Splashpelt. I haven’t seen you in about four moons now. What are you doing here?”
“Where’s Icekit? I want to see our daughter.”
Twist growled lightly from the background. The growl ceased when Ashie laid her tail on Twist’s shoulder, whispering something to her. Dewfrost mewed again, “Icepaw actually. Duskwing’s mentoring her, she was made an apprentice a few moons ago.”
“Good. Duskwing was a fun den mate, I’ve known him ever since we were kits. He’ll be a good mentor.” Splashpelt purred, he was proud of his daughter. The purr died out as his eyes darkened. “I’m not coming back to Riverclan, Dewfrost.”
Dewfrost’s purr had also died and she mewed, “Why not? Why can’t you come back? Everybody misses you.”
“I know. Do you remember the night we invaded Thunderclan for more land?”
“You know I do. I was in the patrol with you. It was me, you, Reedstar, Feathertail, Dapplenose, Breezetail, Blossompaw, Reedwhisker, Mousewhisker and Sunpuddle. I remember the night clearly.”
“Well, that night I realized something. Riverclan invaded unfairly. We had no right to attack Thunderclan for anything. We had enough land to support us. We don’t need anything else than what we already have. Do you realize that innocent Thunderclan kits died Dewfrost? Three kits died and so did an apprentice. Do you know who killed those kits Dewfrost?”
Dewfrost had no time to answer before Splashpelt mewed again. “Reedstar did Dewfrost. Reedstar; he killed those innocent kits for no reason. He also injured an apprentice, named properly Clawpaw. He died because of claws. His injuries would not let him live.” He paused and sighed. “I realized that Riverclan are killers. I have come a long way to do this Dewfrost. I am going to join Thunderclan.”
“How can you Splashpelt? What about me? What about Icepaw? Now what would she think when she finds out her father has joined a clan against her own?”
“Actually that is why came here. I want to see her. Can you bring her here?”
Dewfrost sighed, turning and running off into the swampy woods. She stopped and yowled over her shoulder to him. “Wait there.”
Splashpelt turned back to Twist and mewed, “That was Dewfrost, Twist. And soon you will meet Icepaw.”
Twist snorted and padded away to go sit under a tree. Ashie went with her, leaving Lily and Splashpelt. They lied down and waited as Dewfrost had said to. They soon sat up from the moist ground, as they spotted a small, light grey she-cat with darker grey spots and blue eyes. She skidded to a halt in front of the two cats, looking up at them wide eyed. Then she mewed, “Who are you?”
Splashpelt looked into her eyes and waited for her to answer her own question, as she gazed into his eyes. “Dad? Is that you? Splashpelt?”
Splashpelt purred and mewed, “Yes Icepaw, I’m back.”
Icepaw jumped up and licked Splashpelt’s chin and mewed, ”How did you get here?”
“Well, I got a little help from her.” He turned to Lily and Lily crouched down to Icepaw’s eye level, wanting not to seem intimidating to the little she-cat.
“Greetings Icepaw,” She mewed. “I’m Lily.”
The little she-cat dipped her head and mewed, “Greetings Lily. I am Icepaw.”
“Nice to meet you Icepaw. How is training going?”
“Well actually it’s going great! I have learned some hunting moves and hunting tricks. I’ve only been an apprentice for a moon now and I haven’t gone to a gathering yet, but I can’t wait until I do!”
Lily purred, “Good. I bet you’ll be a great warrior one day.”
Icepaw purred and turned to her father, who was watching them with bright eyes. “Well it’s great that you two are getting along but we have to go now.” He mewed in his deep mew.
Icepaw padded over to her father and sat and mewed, “Why do you have to go? Aren’t you staying here?”
Splashpelt licked Icepaw’s head and mewed, “I’m not staying Icepaw. You will understand when you are older, but I can’t stay. I’m going to join Thunderclan.”
Without hesitating Icepaw mewled, “Well, if you’re going then I’m going with you.”
Splashpelt rubbed her head with her check and mewed, “I would take you if I could, but you can’t leave Riverclan. You just began training and your mother, she wouldn’t leave with us. You can’t come.”
“But dad, I’ll get mom to come with us though. Please?”
Splashpelt sighed and mewed, “It’s up to your mother.”
Icepaw jumped up to lick his chin and mewed, “Thanks dad, I’ll go ask mother.” She trotted out to find Dewfrost. Splashpelt turned to Lily and mewed, “What will I do if Dewfrost says no? I can’t go without Icepaw.”
Lily softened her gaze and mewed, “Splashpelt, just trust your heart.”
“Well ok then, whatever that means.” He sighed and padded up to Dewfrost and Icepaw as the emerged to the other side of the fallen tree log. Dewfrost didn’t look pleased, as her eyes where narrowed and she stalked toward them, Icepaw bouncing at her heels happily. Dewfrost sat beside Splashpelt and told Icepaw to go play with Lily while they discussed what was to happen.
Icepaw came trotting over to Lily mewing, “So what clan do you belong to? How did you get here?”
“Well Icepaw, I’m not from any clan. I’m a loner. I have spent some time with Thunderclan and then I went to the mountains looking for a cat named Streamstone. I met you father out by the mountains. I also met Ashie and Twist, the cats under that tree over there. Twist is the tortishell one with white stripes on her face. Ashie is the light grey dappled one. They were kittypets, as the clans call them. They wanted to come live out in the open, like I do. So they came with me and Splashpelt. Splashpelt wanted to see Riverclan so here we are.”
“Wow. So what do rouges do? You know, because they don’t have clans, or train, or medicine cats to help them. How do you heal after getting hurt?”
“Well, I actually know all the herbs and I can fend for myself. I once fought off three Windclan warriors to get prey.”
“Wow, can you tell me that story?”
“Well, ok. I was going into the mountains to look for a cat named Streamstone of Thunderclan. So I was getting hungry and I was in Windclan territory stalking a rabbit. A Windclan patrol was stalking the same prey. So then the wind was not in my favor, it was blowing toward the patrol, ruffling my fur and sending my scent to them.
I hid in the bush, trying to see them without them seeing me. I saw that the cats where thin, yet Windclan where know for being thin and lithe. They stayed low to the ground. Then I saw a new hunting technique I had never seen before. I watched closely and remembered what they did. But it turned up useless to me; it had to have at least three cats. A small she-cat who was brown and had amber eyes went around the left of the rabbit. Another she-cat, this one black with green eyes, went to the right, followed by a solid grey tom. The tom went and snuck in front of the rabbit and finally ran at it, chasing it into the waiting she-cats. The she-cats pinned the rabbit and the tom finished it off with a swift bite to the neck. Wow, I might want to remember that. That’s a great technique, I thought, admiring the Windclan cat’s great strategy.
I stayed in the bush, hoping they didn’t scent me; but they did. They came running toward me, their eyes blazing. So I stepped out of the bush, sat, and awaited their attack. To my surprise they skidded to a halt in front of me. The big tom hissing first, “Who are you and why are you on our territory?”
I sat confidently and mewed calmly to the big tom, twice my size, “That’s for me to know. I am not causing any harm and I haven’t stole prey, yet I am hungry. Can you spare me a rabbit please?”
The tom eyed me curiously, “What clan do you belong to?”
“I belong to no clan. I am on my own terms of surviving. Now may I have a rabbit, whatever your name is?”
“The name is Greypelt. This is Nightshade and Barkheart. You can’t have our prey.”
I closely eyed the tom, standing and staring up at him, “Really? Do I have to take it from you?”
Nightshade and Barkheart crouched, ready to defend their prey with tooth and claw. Greypelt’s eyes became cold, “Go ahead. Try,” he hissed. I reared up and slashed his face with my claws, breaking his thin Windclan skin. Then I turned quickly to Nightshade and slid under her and easily kicked her over with my hind paws. Then I got up and hind-kicked Barkheart and shot to the rabbit that they had killed. I hurried and grabbed the rabbit and took off toward a twoleg barn; Greypelt, Nightshade and Barkheart were chasing me, spitting and hissing. I then smelled the scent of twoleg and then the Windclan cats realized she crossed their border, and stopped chasing me.”
“Cool! Where did you learn those moves from? Can you teach me them?” Icepaw’s eyes were wide at the end of her story.
“Well I’m not sure I’ll have the time. I’m not in Riverclan like you, remember?”
“You can still come and visit can’t you?”
“I’m not sure the rest of your clan would welcome a loner like me.” She sighed.
“Yes, I guess you’re right. So what are mother and father talking about?”
“You know how you wanted to come to Thunderclan with your father?”
“Yes.”
“They are deciding whether to let you go with him or not.”
Icepaw started off to her mother and father mewing something. Lily started to pad off in the direction of the island, not aware of the calls of Ashie and Twist. She started into a trot, trotting up the log that led onto the island. She slowed her trot into a pad again, feeling the thick marshy soil coming up, soaking her cloudy grey-white paws. She scented mingled scents of all the clans, Shadow, Wind, River and Thunder. This must be where they hold meetings at full moons, she thought. She ventured up to the highest point of the island, in a grassy clearing, surrounded by reeds and pine trees. The scents of clans and the thick, musty scent of pine was too much for Lily. She crinkled her nose and bounded off of the island.
When she stopped at the bottom of the fallen tree, Twist, Ashie, Splashpelt, and the other two Riverclan cats waited for her. She glanced at the faces of Dewfrost and Icepaw. They were happy, as Splashpelt’s was. She asked, “So what is the final decision on Icepaw and Dewfrost coming?”
It was Dewfrost who stepped up, Icepaw bouncing at her side. Dewfrost mewed calmly, “We will be making this journey with you, and coming also to join Thunderclan with Splashpelt.”
“Then it is decided. Let’s go,” Lily nodded and started off. She was excited for the journey ahead. Yet she was also filled with another feeling. Fear lapped at her belly like the cold, blue shining water that similarly lapped at the shores of the lakeside.
She had reached the Windclan border at a little after sun high. She sat before the border, not knowing what lied ahead. She again felt the cold lapping of fear, stronger than before. Ashie must have noticed her fear, and soon Lily, herself, did as well. Fear scent was coming off of her glossy pelt in hot waves. Ashie padded over to Lily and sat beside her, tapping her tail on Lily’s nose. Ashie mewed in her small voice, “Is something wrong Lily? Don’t you want to keep going?”
Lily shook the thought of wondering what Streamstone was going to say when she got there out of her head. She kept it clouded behind a thin layer of fog, deep in her mind. She answered to Ashie, “Yes, let’s keep going. Nothing will hold me back considering how far I have come.”
Lily began to pad over to the Windclan border, taking in a breath as she stepped over it, and letting her breath flow out and she crossed it. She couldn’t turn back now. She must have to finish what she started no matter what lay before her. She found herself picking up pace as she neared the Thunderclan border. When she started to scent the border ahead, she stopped, and memories of Streamstone, and Mossstar, and Hawkshine came flooding back to her in a single wave. She had visions of Streamstone chasing her through the forest, of her jumping into a tree in the now unfamiliar grassy clearing, surrounded by ferns. She again shook the memory out of her head, finding herself to shake all together. Icepaw padded lazily up to her and collapsed in a heap of grey spotted fur. She lifted her head and mewed to Lily. “Lily, it’s almost sundown, I’m tired. Can we stop and rest?”
Lily sighed and in all her memories and thoughts she was caught up in, she realized at last that her bones were tired also. She was about to collapse in a heap herself. She mewed tiredly, “Yes Icepaw, we can rest.”
Lily, Ashie, Twist, Splashpelt and the Riverclan cats padded over to a big heather bush by the lake. Lily signaled for them to wait. They all sat while Lily crawled into the heather bush and cleared out a space for them to sleep. She came back out and meowed to them, “Ok guys, I’ve made a comfortable place for you all to rest for tonight. Go in and see.” She yawned, suddenly feeling herself become weaker. She watched them all crowd into the bush. She popped her head in and mewed to them, “Is it big enough for everybody?”
They all nodded and began to make themselves a spot all around the roots of the heather bush. She realized Icepaw wandering, wondering where to lay herself. Lily saw a spot open right in between Ashie and Dewfrost. Lily mewed, “Icepaw, there’s a spot right there next to your mother and Ashie.”
Icepaw shook her head, “No Lily, that’s for you.”
“Oh, well thank you but you can have it, I can sleep outside.”
Splashpelt looked up from his spot in between Dewfrost and Twist, mewing, “Are you sure Lily? Icepaw can sleep in this small spot by me if you want to sleep here.”
“No, that’s ok, Icepaw can sleep in my spot.” Wanting to leave it there, she mewed quickly, “Goodnight everybody.”
Once they all had said their goodnights, Lily took her head out of the bush and padded around the bush, to a small patch of moss growing down closer to the lake. She laid down and gazed up at the sky, silently praying to Starclan, soon I will need your help and guidance Spottedleaf. She scented the sweet, herby smell of the ghostly medicine cat, and let her eyes close slowly, soon to be drifting into a much needed, dreamless sleep.
Chapter 6
Willowmoon
Lily awoke to a light, milky yellow sunray beaming down on her, warming her pelt. A cold moorland breeze ruffled her pelt, making her shiver in her warmth, showing the thick white pelt, underneath the grey fur that tipped her pelt. She got up and stretched. She padded over to the heather bush, yawning on her way. She lazily poked her head into the bush. Her heart raced as she found the bush to be empty. She squeezed into the bush and sniffed around the bush, trying to judge the time of when they had left the bush. She judged by their scent that they had just left the hollow bush. She had only took her head from the bush when out of nowhere, she felt a small weight jump onto her. She turned around to see a small bundle of grey spotted fur clinging onto her back. She purred and shook lightly, knocking Icepaw off of her. Icepaw fell gently to the ground and got dust all over her fur. She shook herself, and, puffing out her fur, she leapt onto her shoulders. Lily reared up onto her hind legs and once again, Icepaw fell off of Lily and again to the ground.
Icepaw spit out dust and shook it out of her fur. Icepaw sat and mewed to Lily, “Good job Lily, those where some good battle moves. So how did you learn them?”
“Well Icepaw, like I said, I taught myself everything I know,” Lily replied.
“Cool, so can you teach me some moves now that I’m joining Thunderclan with you?”
Lily sighed, gazing around, then mewing, “Where is your father and mother? And Ashie and Twist?”
Icepaw pointed her tail in the direction of the Thunderclan border. “Splashpelt and Ashie went that way to hunt, a little after dawn maybe. Dewfrost went toward the lake to teach Twist how to fish, around the same time.”
“Well, I have to speak to Splashpelt. So, can you go down to the lake and see how Twist is coming along. I’m going toward the Thunderclan border,” Lily meowed as she started to pad over to Thunderclan.
Lily stopped her trotting as she stepped over the Thunderclan border. She sighed, as all of her memories came once again flooding back all at once in a huge wave. She started to shake her head clear again, as if to push the memories away forever. She could not clear her head, no matter what she did. Lily finally just began to pad ahead, occasionally scenting for Splashpelt and Ashie. Her heart stopped for seconds as she padded into the soft green grass, made yellow in the puddles of hazy sun seeping into the clearing through the canopy of thick oak trees. Lily gazed around the clearing, seeing familiar scenery. She padded over to the ice cold stream, colder now than before because of the nearing Leaf-Fall. She began to pad into the soft green ferns, and the place where the orange marigold grew in a pool of sun. She saw the familiar tree she had climbed many times for many occasions.
Lily froze, as the ferns quivered, revealing the cat that this had all started with, Streamstone. He led a patrol of other cats she had seen before, in her days with Thunderclan. The patrol consisted of him, Brookshine, the deputy, Willowmoon, and Splashpaw, Willowmoon’s apprentice. His patrol skidded to a halt, Streamstone becoming frozen in shock. The rest of his patrol, then becoming aware of her, a rouge cat in their territory, crouched, ready to attack. One cat, Willowmoon, a sleek, light brown tabby she-cat, pounced onto Lily. Lily was not expecting this, as she was knocked to the ground, into the soft grass.
Lily remembered how to fight a cat bigger than her. She rolled onto her back, squishing Willowmoon. She quickly jumped up, aware that if she got up slowly, Willowmoon would fling Lily off of her. Once Lily was up and ready, facing Willowmoon, the tabby she-cat had only got up for about two seconds when Lily was already on top of her, pinning her to the ground.
Lily jumped off of Willowmoon and hissed at her, bearing her sharp white teeth at her. Willowmoon pelted off into the ferns, back in the direction of camp. Lily sat up proudly, coming out of the battle with no harm done to her at all, no scratches. Streamstone, still in shock, was sitting back in amazement. Lily gazed into his icy blue eyes, hoping he would recognize her. He did of course, and stepping forward cautiously, he studied her. He held his patrol back, not wanting any of them to attack Lily again. Lily sat and stared in one direction, not letting her eyes wander from staring forward. Streamstone had circled her, and somewhat sitting, he stopped in front of her. She could tell what he was going to do next, just by the look in his eyes. He’s going to test me, see if I really am Lily. Well I am Streamstone, so come on, give me your best. Lily crouched as he leapt for her. She crouched just enough, so that Streamstone leapt over her, landing behind her. She jumped up, as she sensed him leaping for her back. She had jumped straight up, so that Streamstone landed right underneath her. She came down on top of his shoulders squarely.
Streamstone rolled over onto his back, so Lily was crushed under him. Last test, this is the one to tell him I’m me. Let’s go. Lily went limp, showing Streamstone that she was dead. Streamstone had thought he had crushed her and got up slowly, big mistake, Lily thought. I know this trick like the back of my paw. She heaved upwards, thrusting Streamstone off of her. Streamstone was lying on his back in the soft, rubbery grass. Lily jumped on top of him, pinning him down, sheathing her claws. Streamstone purred, clearly he had finally recognized Lily.
Lily mewed to Streamstone, “Guess who?”
Streamstone mewed back to her, “Lily, you’re back. So can you get off of me now please?”
“Yes, sure.” Lily mewed as she got off of Streamstone and sat in front of the patrol. She then asked as Streamstone was still shaking the dirt off of his grey tabby fur. She then mewed as he started to pad back over to his patrol. “So Streamstone, still got room for one more in Thunderclan?”
Streamstone’s gaze brightened as she spoke, “Of course Lily. I still have your den ready for you; I fixed it after you … after you left. Why did you leave?”
Lily sighed and said, “It was nothing, just something between me and Mossstar.”
“Ok then, I guess I should learn not to ask so many questions.” Streamstone purred, then his gaze became darkened as he mewed, “I thought you were dead.”
Lily’s heart raced as the memory of her being the strange brown cat, telling Streamstone that this she-cat died. She did not want to let Streamstone know that anything was wrong and Lily mewed, “Well, I’m here aren’t I?”
Streamstone nodded and meowed, “Yes, yes you are. So I have to get back to patrolling. So do you want to patrol with us?”
Lily shifted her paws in the grass, tearing it up as she unsheathed then sheathed her claws again and again. She then mewed, “Well, actually Streamstone, I have some other cats that want to join Thunderclan as well. They actually came with me on my journey back from by the mountains. I was coming in here to find them, but I guess I found something else, you. And so I guess I’ll meet you here at sun-down, ok?”
Streamstone was already padding out of the clearing, patrol following, still in a bit of shock by the fight with Willowmoon and Lily. Streamstone stopped and turned back to Lily and mewed, “Yes, I will meet you here with them tonight at sun-down. See you then, Lily.”
“See you then.” Lily mewed in reply. Then Lily began to pad in the opposite direction, toward the lake in search of Splashpelt and Ashie. Lily was padding onto the lakeshores, gazing left, then right, in search of Ashie and Splashpelt. After a moment of gazing, she spotted Ashie, pelting from the tree line. Ashie leapt into the lake water, swimming like a regular Riverclan cat. Lily shot toward Ashie, wanting to find out why in the name of Starclan that Ashie was swimming. Lily soon skidded to a halt, shooting dust up from the rocky ground of the shores. Lily crouched, pressing her belly fur to the rocks and soil. She had seen cats pelting after Ashie, stopping at the edge on the lake shore, clearly not wanting to jump in after Ashie. Lily crawled forward on her belly, wanting to find out who these cats were, and if she could take them. She then thought twice as she recognized the infamous Thunderclan cat, Hawkshine. He was leading three other cats. She moved closer, finally able to scent these unknown cats. Lily was shocked to scent that these cats were not from Thunderclan, but they had the scents of Shadowclan.
Lily focused closer on the cats, wondering who was in this Thunderclan- Shadowclan alliance that Hawkshine had made. Lily recognized the three cats of Shadowclan. The biggest, close to the size of Hawkshine himself, was Rockear. The two smaller cats were Lakepelt and Honeyleaf, the deputy. Now why would Thunderclan and Shadowclan have an alliance? Lily thought, they had just fought a battle that I watched with my own eyes. I think Hawkshine and his followers only know of this alliance. Well this will be good news to bring to Mossstar.
Lily sat up, mewing loudly so that Hawkshine and the others could hear her. She mewed, “Hey Hawkshine, I see you’ve gathered some followers since I’ve last seen you. I’ll be right back; I’m going to tell Mossstar all about your new friends.” Lily bound off into the woods, pelting as fast as she could, knowing that if Hawkshine caught her, he wouldn’t leave her alive. She was leaping over fallen logs and dodging bramble thickets, the wind that made it through the canopy blew through her long cloudy fur, making her fur plaster to her body. She stopped, panting, in a branch after she had climbed the familiar tree in the clearing. She tried to slow her breathing, not wanting to be given away. Lily held her breath, as the ferns burst apart, revealing Hawkshine and the Shadowclan cats for a few seconds. Then they all were swallowed by the brambles and trees as they dashed into the opposite side of the clearing. Lily let her breath slide out; they didn’t know that she was crouched in a tree that one of their very pelts had brushed against.
Lily crept down from the tree, shaking the dead leaves of leaf-fall out of her glossy grey and white pelt. She peered into the tree line, frozen with fear as a pair of glowing ice-blue eyes glinted out of the foliage. She hissed defensively, hoping to scare off the cat. She tensed her muscles as Hawkshine padded out into the pools of milky yellow sun that filled the clearing. Hawkshine mewed deeply, “I see you’ve returned Lily.”
“Don’t even take another step,” Lily hissed, crouching, knowing that Hawkshine would not obey her.
As she expected Hawkshine took a small step forward crouching, his amber eyes burning. He breathed, “I will take a step, for you have no one to protect you.” As he said this, the Shadowclan cats stepped out of the brambles, their eyes searing Lily as she started to back away, not sure if she should fight. Lily leapt upward, as one of the cats lunged at her. Lily was shocked as the cat fled into the ferns, leaving a trail of blood as it went. Lily turned, purring, happy to see Splashpelt, Icepaw, Ashie, Twist and Dewfrost padding into the fern-surrounded clearing. Lily turned back to Hawkshine and mewed, “I think I’ve got enough help to take you Hawkshine. So if you want a fight, I’ll give you one.”
With a loud battle yowl, Hawkshine summoned his allies. They all jumped into a fight, Honeyleaf leaping onto Splashpelt and Lakepelt onto Twist. Rockear cornered Ashie and Icepaw. Dewfrost went to help her daughter and Ashie and had pounced on top of the huge grey tom, sending him tumbling and rolling. They fought in a bundle of hissing and spitting. Icepaw jumped onto Rockear, clinging to him with small sharp claws. Dewfrost was darting under him, nipping his legs as she went. Soon, it was too much for the big tom to handle, as he knocked off Icepaw with a vigorous shake. He then was sent fleeing into the trees. Splashpelt was pinning Honeyleaf to the ground with his forepaws on her shoulders and his hind paws raking her sleek black belly. Honeyleaf hissed and yowled in her defeat. Splashpelt let her go and she also fled into the foliage. Splashpelt looked up proudly in his victory. Now that Honeyleaf and Rockear had fled, that only left Lakepelt, who was circling Twist, mewing to her, “Come on kittypet, can’t you take a fight?”
Twist hissed and lunged out at him with an unsheathed paw. She swiped his muzzle and had made a deep scratch on his nose. Lakepelt was shocked at this kittypet’s strength. Lakepelt hissed and leapt onto Twist, bowling her over so that when she regained her strength and stood, her tortishell fur was dirt covered. Twist hissed again and pelted under Lakepelt, knocking him over. Twist pounced onto him, landing clumsily, but keeping her balance on his shoulders. Twist leaned down and bit his nose, scarlet blood seeping out of his nose now, then leaping off of him she hissed, “Does that answer your question?”
Lakepelt hissed one last time and bounded off into the trees. All the cats then turned to Hawkshine, who was wrestling with Lily. Lily was clearly about a third of his size, and noticing this, Splashpelt dashed in and nipped Hawkshine’s ear. Hawkshine yowled and jumped off of Lily. Splashpelt backed off as Lily thanked him and nodded, showing she had this battle already won. Lily glared at the huge tom and hissed, letting him know that if he placed another paw closer, she would show him her real fighting skills. Hawkshine hesitated, then backing away he growled, “This isn’t over Lily. Bloodclan will get you when you aren’t expecting it.” Lily hissed once again, driving Hawkshine pelting into the brush, his black tail being swallowed by the green-yellow ferns. Lily turned to her help, purring. “Thanks guys. I probably couldn’t have won without you.”
“No problem Lily, we are always here to help.” Dewfrost padded toward Lily, mewing. Lily dipped her head once more in thanks, mewing to the rest. “Splashpelt, Icepaw, Ashie, Twist and Dewfrost, welcome to Thunderclan.
Chapter 7
Harepetal
Lily curled up in a cold, brown leaf-less tree, only warmed by the heat of the sleeping cats, Splashpelt, Ashie, Twist and the two former Riverclan cats, around her. Lily woke to Streamstone below her holding a stick in his mouth, prodding her with it. She woke up and mewed, “Good morning Streamstone. I fell asleep around dusk, so I couldn’t make it to our meeting. These are the cats I was speaking of though, so when they wake up I can introduce them to you.”
“Ok, can you wake them up? I can’t reach them with my stick.” He purred through a mouth full of bark.
Lily stepped carefully over the sleeping cats, trying not to wake them. When Lily made it to the main trunk of the tree, she leapt down and padded over to Streamstone, who was now getting himself situated in a clear spot surrounded by thick green ferns. Lily padded over to him and sat down by him mewing, “I have something to tell you Streamstone.”
“Can I actually know what it is this time?” He purred, and not waiting for her to reply he mewed again, “What is it Lily?”
Lily sighed, laying down. She began, “Well, when I went to the mountains, and you came looking for me, you spoke to a brown cat, didn’t you?”
Streamstone studied her, wondering how she knew he came looking for her and how she knew about the brown cat he talked to. “Yes, but how-” He was cut off by Lily.
“I was that cat Streamstone. I rolled in mud to disguise my scent and pelt color. I didn’t want you to know I was still here. I wanted to get far away because of something Mossstar said to me. What she said was the something you could never find out.”
Streamstone’s eyes were wide, his mouth opening to reply but Lily continued. “I was having a dream and I was visited by Spottedleaf, the former Medicine cat of Thunderclan. Spottedleaf told me this, you are kin of great cats, yet not familiar to most, and you will soon become the savior of us all. She also told me, like brambles in greenleaf, and then to leafbare, they change. Like the sun to the moon, it changes. So happens to me. Spottedleaf told me of my destiny, Streamstone. I am supposed to become Medicine cat of Thunderclan, to teach the apprentice, Minnowpaw. I am also supposed to become a full warrior of Thunderclan and teach the apprentices, Shinepaw, Pinepaw, Berrypaw, Rosepaw, Mousepaw, Splashpaw, Wavepaw and Hazelpaw of the techniques I have taught myself and of those I have learned from experience alone. That is my destiny Streamstone.”
Streamstone was stunned his eyes wide and unmoving. He was shocked beyond belief. Streamstone mewed with a shaking voice, “You are a prophetic cat Lily. I … I will try to accept this, but I still don’t get it. Why did you run from the camp?”
She mewed after sighing, and pawing the ground nervously and she spoke. “Mossstar is my sister Streamstone.”
Streamstone’s eyes widened even more as he mewed with a shaking voice, “How could that be if you have never been a clan cat?” Before Lily could reply he mewed again, “Like I said before, I will trust you Lily.”
“Well good because I cannot change my fate. Should I wake the others and show them to Thunderclan?” When Streamstone nodded, Lily padded over to the tree and skirted up it, nimble as a squirrel. Lily mewed to all of them, “Wake up Splashpelt. Wake up Ashie and Twist, Dewfrost and Icepaw, get up.” All of the cats stirred, they all got up and leapt down from the tree.
Icepaw hid behind Splashpelt and Dewfrost guarded Twist and Ashie as they all caught sight of Streamstone. Lily jumped down from the tree, padding over to Streamstone and settling down beside him. Lily mewed, gazing across all of their faces. “This is Streamstone, the cat I have told you about Ashie, Twist and Splashpelt. Streamstone, this is Splashpelt, his daughter Icepaw, and his former mate Dewfrost. These are former kittypets, Ashie and Twist.” Streamstone stood and began to pad toward the Thunderclan camp, mewing as he went, “I was told you are all joining Thunderclan. The camp is this way.”
The cats began to pad after him, all mewing to each other excitedly, Icepaw most of all. Lily bounded ahead, falling in beside Streamstone. She glanced over at him mewing, “I’ll meet you there, ok?”
With a quick glance back he mewed, “Ok. I guess I’ll see you there.”
And with that, Lily was off, pelting through the thick, Thunderclan oak forest. She was dodging bramble thickets and leaping over fallen tree logs, made light brown and soft by the broken roots of the tree, not attached to the ground anymore. Lily slowed to a pad as she saw the dangerous bramble thicket that if padded through, would lead to a terrifying plummet to the bottom of the slope. Lily stopped in front of it, her memory returning from all those nights ago, when Streamstone first showed her the dangerous brambles, and the camp.
After Lily was done remembering her earlier encounter with the brambles, she began to trot down to the abandoned thunderpath that leads down to the Thunderclan camp. Lily purred silently as she caught site of the familiar clearing, pooling with cats as they padded out of their dens. Warriors were padding out of the warrior’s den in small groups. During the time she spent with the Thunderclan cats she had gotten to know most of them. She saw Oceanheart padded out of the nursery, stopping half way out as the nursery lichen stirred when Mossfeather came prodding out of the den next to him, her spotted belly tight with kits. She saw a group of cats coming out from the apprentices den, Rosepaw, the solid brown she-cat that had bright and shinning deep, green eyes. Rosepaw was mingling in with three other apprentices, Wavepaw, Shinepaw and Hazelpaw. She gazed back over to the nursery and Echosong strolled out, followed by Berrykit, who was wrestling with her brother Bramblekit. Their smaller sister Mallowkit was bounding alongside her mother happily.
Harefoot, an elder, was dozing, bathing in the warm sun beside the elders’ den. The medicine cat, Nettlemist, was padding into the medicine den with a mouth full of leaves that Lily had identified as Borage leaves. She also saw Pebbleclaw and Nightfire sharing a piece of mouse, sitting nearby was Pebbleclaw’s apprentice Pinepaw, who was talking to his mother, a warrior now that Pinepaw was an apprentice. Featherwing was his mother. Featherwing was sitting next to Nightfire, but talking to Pinepaw, who seemed to be rambling from the bored look on Featherwing’s face. Lily flinched as she was pushed out of the way by a brown tabby tom as he stormed into the camp following Brookshine, the deputy, with Brakensplash, his old denmate at his side.
Lily tipped her head as she studied them; all were dark eyed with pelts bristling. The brown tabby tom smelled not of Thunderclan, but he had the scent of a moorland breeze and rabbits. He was a Windclan cat. What was he doing here? Lily crept behind the nearest den, the apprentice’s den. She hid and listened to the Thunderclan cats.
The Thunderclan cats all gasped, surprised looks across all of their faces. Lily heard several cats speak out among all of the murmuring. “What is a Windclan cat doing here?”
“Go back to where you came from, Windclan!”
“Yeah! Go back to your own camp.”
The Thunderclan cats swarmed around the returning patrol as Brookshine was padding out of Mossstar’s den, Mossstar following. Mossstar pounced down from her den, landing gracefully in front of the tabby tom. She gazed across his face then mewed, “Harepetal, what do you want with us?”
“I have come to take my kits home.” Harepetal sat tall and proud as he meowed, and the group of cats that formed around them gasped and began to mutter to each other.
Mossstar tipped her head, she did not realize that one of her very queens was disloyal, and had kits in her clan that were half Windclan, half Thunderclan.
“No, you can’t!” Dewpelt’s wail was desperate, echoing throughout the gorge.
All of the cats turned to her, some eyes dark, some worried. Puddleclaw turned on the queen. “You’re not even going to deny it, are you?”
Dewpelt stared at her paws. Her two kits, Leafkit and Webkit came padding out, staring at the father they never knew. Dewpelt, still staring at her spotted paws, drew her kits closer to her with her tail. Harepetal came plopping through the mud. It had started to rain, making the clearing filled with puddles of mud. The cats that had flooded the clearing started to pad to the sidelines, where they were sheltered by the trees. All of their pelts were plastered to their bodies.
Harepetal pushed his way through the thinning crowd, stopping in front of Dewpelt, who was still staring at her paws. Rippleclaw, a silver sleek tom with piercing green eyes, was glaring at Dewpelt, eyes blazing. Rippleclaw padded forward, hissing at Harepetal, but speaking to Dewpelt “Are you going to defend your kits Dewpelt?”
Dewpelt raised her head, sorrow pooling in her eyes. “You can’t take my kits from me Harepetal.”
“They are just as much my kits as they are yours.” He mewed as he pushed Rippleclaw out of the way.
“I think he has a right to the kits. They are after all, his too.” Brookshine had stepped out of the shelter of the thickly entwined branches of the warrior’s den.
The remaining cats in the clearing turned to the deputy. All of their mumbling silenced as one of Dewpelt’s kits, Webkit, a grey spotted tom, spoke. “Who is this cat? He’s not our father, Smudgepelt is!”
Webkit’s sister Leafkit, mewed as well, “Yeah! Smudgepelt is our father, not this cat. We have never seen him before. And he smells horrid!”
Dewpelt sighed as she saw Smudgepelt appear from the surrounding cats. “Dewpelt is not the only one causing trouble here. I agreed to be the kits’ foster father to ensure their safety. It is my fault too.” A purr rumbled in the kits’ throats as they rushed toward him. Webkit mewing, his small eyes nervous, “Smudgepelt? Is this cat really our dad? And not you?”
Smudgepelt sighed, mewing, “Yes Webkit. I’m not your father. Harepetal is. It’s for your safety Webkit, and Leafkit. I was going to tell you when you got older. Dewpelt just wanted to raise you up to be proud Thunderclan cats.”
Webkit and Leafkit rushed away from him, back to Dewpelt. “But I want to be a Thunderclan warrior, not Windclan!” Leafkit protested, Webkit at her side.
Brookshine and Rippleclaw turned to Mossstar. Brookshine stepped forward. “Should we let Harepetal take Webkit and Leafkit?”
“They are the future of this clan! We have to fight for them!” Rippleclaw had shoved Brookshine out of the way and was now half a tail-length away from Mossstar. Though Mossstar held her gaze, she backed away. She padded up to Highledge, yowling. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here under Highledge for a clan meeting.”
Every cat came padding from their den, some sheltering others with leaves as the rain came down harder, making the clearing look misty. Mossstar yowled over the rain, “All those in favor of keeping Webkit and Leafkit, form a group on this side of the clearing.” She pointed her tail to the left side of the clearing. “All those who think Harepetal has the rights to take the kits with him to Windclan, form on the other side.”
As she said this, cats started to pad over to either side of the muddy Thunderclan clearing. Rippleclaw bounded over to the left side, in favor of keeping the kits. Brookshine padded slowly with heavy paws, over to the right side, in favor of letting Webkit and Leafkit go. He was joined by Pebbleclaw and Nightfire. Brakensplash padded over to the right side as well. Joining Rippleclaw was Echosong, and her three kits Bramblekit, Berrykit and Mallowkit. Mossfeather also joined them, Oceanheart padding at her side, sheltering her with an oak leaf. After the rest of the cats had chosen a side, Smudgepelt, Harepetal, and Dewpelt were left in the middle, unable to choose a side. Mossstar had sat, her eyes busy as she counted the number of cats on each side. Mossstar’s eyes darkened as she spoke. “Our clan has been split half and half. Brookshine,” She paused as the deputy was padding up the stepping stones to her, “Come into my den.”
Brookshine padded into her den with wet, sopping paws. Mossstar appeared with Brookshine at her side, both of them with sorrow in their eyes.
Mossstar yowled as Brookshine sat back, keeping his blue gaze fixed on his paws. “We have decided. Leafkit will stay here, to be raised as a proud warrior of Thunderclan. Webkit, Webkit will go with Harepetal to Windclan to be raised with his father.”
Cats of both sides gasped. Webkit yowled in protest as Harepetal grabbed his scruff. “No! You can’t take me! Leafkit do something!”
“I’m coming Webkit! I won’t let them take you!” Leafkit broke away from her mothers grasp, scrambling in the mud.
Harepetal broke into a trot as Leafkit pounced onto Harepetal’s back, trying to get to Webkit. Harepetal’s rough gate shook the small tabby she-cat from his back, sending her plopping into the mud. Leafkit wailed. Dewpelt muffled her wail with her tail, trying to calm her down. Dewpelt mewed to her with grief in her voice, “You will understand when you’re older. For now, focus on your future.”
When Leafkit slowed her breathing, she collapsed, her light brown tabby fur became mud-covered. Dewpelt called, “I need Nettlewmist! Leafkit’s fainted!”
The small dusky-brown she-cat was already bounding from her den, carrying a lavender stem in her mouth. She rushed through the crowd. “Out of the way, I’ve got something to help her.”
Nettlemist inspected Leafkit. Looking up at her mother, Dewpelt, and mewing. “She has fainted out of shock. She is just shocked at Webkit’s leaving.” A ripple of relief spread throughout the cats. As Nettlemist fed the lavender stem into Leafkit’s mouth, she started to chew it. She was soon brought out of shock, and taken into the medicine den. All of the cats padded sadly back into their dens, all with heavy paws. Lily padded out of her hiding spot, into the rain. Lily sat, a purr rumbling in her throat as hazy yellow sun rays seeped through grey rain clouds and filled the camp with pools of light. Lily’s purr faded as Streamstone and the other cats padded into camp, cheerful. Lily trotted up to the patrol and stopped Streamstone, leading him behind the apprentice den.
Her eyes were dark as she mewed. Harepetal has taken Webkit. Mossstar decided to keep Leafkit here. Dewpelt’s devastated, so is the whole clan. I saw the whole thing.”
“That’s horrible. How could she let Webkit go and not Leafkit? Why did she even let Harepetal take Webkit?”
“Harepetal is their father. Dewpelt’s mate Smudgepelt is a foster father to Webkit and Leafkit.” She mewed as she lowered her head to her paws. How could Mossstar do that to Leafkit? She was only a kit.
Streamstone sighed and padded along to his den with heavy paws. The rest of the cats looked on at Lily. “What do we do now?” Icepaw’s small mew sounded in the silence.
Lily stared at her paws.
She then whispered to Icepaw. “I don’t know Icepaw. Let’s go into camp.” She started to pad into the camp, her scent arousing cats from their dens. They came out and gasped, staring at the patrol of cats as they padded proudly through the camp. Rippleclaw stepped out of his den, hissing, back arched, hackles raised. Rippleclaw bounded forward, face to face with Lily. “We’ve had enough trouble today. We don’t need rouges like you just wandering into our camp.”
Rippleclaw was pushed out of the way as Streamstone stepped between them, hissing at Rippleclaw. “Don’t even step any closer, Rippleclaw.”
Rippleclaw hissed one last time at he stomped back to the warriors’ den. Streamstone gazed up at high ledge as Mossstar stepped out and called a meeting. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath high ledge for a clan meeting.” She was gazing at Lily as she spoke. “Leafkit, step forward.”
Leafkit padded slowly out of Nettlemist’s den and stopped in front of Mossstar. Mossstar had leapt down from the high ledge, landing as if it hurt to land. Mossstar mewed to Leafkit with a voice as smooth as honey. “From this day forward, we welcome a new apprentice to our clan. Leafkit, do you promise to train hard, and become the best warrior you can?”
Leafkit’s voice was trembling. “I-I do.” Her tail was shaking with excitement, and her back fur was half-raised.
Mossstar rested her muzzle on Leafkit’s chin mewing, “Welcome, as a new apprentice,” She paused and raised her muzzle high to Starclan, yowling, “Leafpaw!”
The cats of the clan started to cheer the name. Lily raised her muzzle and joined in on the yowls of the newly made apprentice. “Leafpaw! Leafpaw!” Once the cheers had died down, Mossstar climbed back up onto the high ledge. “To teach her to fight with tooth and claw, and hunt with determination and skill, I give Leafpaw as an apprentice to Puddleclaw.” Lily saw the silver warrior padding proudly to Leafpaw, purring. His first apprentice, She thought. Lily gazed up as Mossstar padded into her den, her deputy, Brookshine, following.
Lily padded up to Leafpaw, who was being shown to the apprentices den by Rosepaw, a brown she-cat with dark green eyes. Lily mewed to her, “Good job Leafpaw. Good luck with Puddleclaw, he’s a tough mentor.” She purred.
Leafpaw mewed back as she held her tail high, “Thank you.”
Lily padded over to the fresh-kill pile, her belly growling at her. She started to look up at high ledge as Mossstar and Brookshine padded from the dark den, Brookshine’s eyes sad. Lily wondered why he was so sad, he was deputy, and he was next to be the leader of Thunderclan! He should be happy. Brookshine leapt down from high ledge, padding toward Lily. He began to mew something to her, “Lily, I have news for-” He was cut off by Mossstar who began calling something to her clan.
Mossstar was standing on high ledge, her pink nose lifted high in the air. “I also have some other news to announce. Step forward Berrykit, Bramblekit, and Mallowkit.”
Their mother, Echosong, was leading them from the nursery. Their fur was still plastered to their pelts from the earlier rain. Mossstar began to pad forward on high ledge. She was almost to the edge, when the whole clan gasped. Mossstar had slipped on a loose rock, and was plummeting from high ledge. Mossstar landed on her back in the dust. Nettlemist rushed to her side. She stuck her paw to Mossstar’s neck. Nettlemist yowled with her muzzle held high, “Mossstar is dead!”
Chapter 7
Brookstar
Lily was padding from the warriors’ den into the warm sunlight. She yawned, last night had been Mossstar’s vigil, and the whole clan, kits and elders, stayed up to sit vigil with their former leader. Brookstar padded from the den, eyes pooling with sadness. His deep mew sounded through the clearing. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath high ledge for a clan meeting.”
Lily padded forward, joining her was Icewing, the newly made warrior. She had completed her six moons of warrior training and was now fourteen moons old. Even though she was formerly of Riverclan, the clan admired her skill in hunting and her bravery in battle. Brookstar had given her the name earlier, a little after dawn.
Brookstar sat at the end of high ledge mewing to his clan, “Mossstar had made a last request. Lily, come up here.” As he said this, all eyes turned to the grey she-cat, who came padding onto high ledge. “Mossstar was going to announce this after she did Berrykit, Bramblekit, and Mallowkit’s apprentice ceremony. She never had the chance.” He turned to lily, blue eyes blazing, searing into Lily’s pelt. He mewed, “Lily, you are to be made the leader of Thunderclan.” Lily’s eyes widened, as the clan cats gasped.
Streamstone began to cheer first. “Lilystar! Lilystar! Lilystar!” Soon the rest of the Thunderclan cats began to cheer for Lilystar. Even Rippleclaw managed to get out a few yowls to Lilystar.
Lilystar raised her muzzle high and proud to Starclan, mewing a last thank you to Spottedleaf, as she heard Spottedleaf whisper into her ear, “Congratulations, Lilystar.”
Dark Shadows
Rachel Lengacher
Fern licked her tiny head and mewed, “Finally, you can see. Your brothers and your sister have been picking on you ever since they had been given their gift of sight by the Tribe of Endless Hunting. You now, can see at last. Now go over there and teach them a lesson for picking on you for all that time.”
Lily jumped up and licked Fern’s chin and purred, “Yes mother.” Lily crouched and snuck up behind her brother Smoke, then jumped on him and wrestled him to the ground, pinning him to the rocky floor with sheathed paws. She got off of him and purred, “I got you, now where is father, I want to show him I can see now,” She held her head up and widened her icy blue eyes. Moss and Water came padding over to them with fresh-kill dangling in their jaws. Moss and Water were bigger than Smoke and Lily. They set down their kill and Moss spoke first, “I brought you a mouse Smoke, do you want to share?”
“Yes thanks! Let’s go over there and eat it next to the waterfall,” He replied as he picked up the mouse and headed over to the waterfall. Fern called to them, “Don’t go to close.”
Warriors
Book One: Dark Shadows
Warriors
Dark Shadows
Rachel Lengacher
To Elizabeth, Amy, Clair, and Erin Hunter
Special thanks to the group Thunderclan, which inspired my writing
Yellow –Starclan Territory
Red –Shadowclan Territory
Blue –Riverclan Territory
Green –Thunderclan Territory
Purple –Windclan Territory
Allegiances
Thunderclan
Leader Mossstar - Tortishell she-cat with piercing emerald green eyes.
Deputy Brookshine - Sleek, silver tom with shimmering, deep blue eyes.
Medicine Cat Nettlemist- Small, dusky brown she-cat with green eyes.
Warriors(Toms and she-cats without kits.)
Streamstone - Light grey tom with darker flecks and icy blue eyes.
Willowmoon - Light brown, sleek tabby she-cat with shimmering, silver
eyes. Apprentice, Splashpaw
Rippleclaw - Sleek silver tom with piercing green eyes.
Lionclaw – Massive light ginger tabby tom with yellow-amber eyes and
a white tail tip, and a bent down ear (Former kittypet, called Brockenear).
Puddleclaw - Light grey-blue tom with blue eyes.
Brakensplash - Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes.
Hawkshine - Huge black tom with light blue eyes
Apprentice, Shinepaw
Willowfur - Ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes.
Pebbleclaw - Solid grey tom with grey-blue eyes.
Apprentice, Pinepaw
Heathertail - Light grayish-blue she-cat with grey eyes.
Nightfire - Grey tom with black spots and deep blue eyes.
Lightfoot - White she-cat with tortishell patches and yellow
eyes. Apprentice, Hazelpaw
Waterheart - Light grey tabby tom, with darker grey stripes and deep blue
eyes.
Berrytail - Grey and white tom with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Mousepaw
Owlshade – Light brown tabby tom with pale green eyes, eyes lined with
white and a white tipped muzzle.
Apprentice, Rosepaw
Oceanheart - Brown tom with black stripes and deep, aqua
eyes. Apprentice, Wavepaw
Smudgepelt - Brown tabby tom with amber eyes and a
white stripe down his side.
Featherwing - Light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes
and one white paw.
Apprentices (More than 6 moons old, in training to be warriors)
Shinepaw - Dark brown she-cat with small, white stripes and milky blue
eyes.
Splashpaw - Light grey molted tom with darker grey markings and pale,
milky green eyes.
Pinepaw - Small brown tabby tom with green eyes.
Hazelpaw - Brown tabby she-cat with bluish-green colored
eyes.
Wavepaw - Bluish-grey tom with grey eyes and white
paws.
Rosepaw - Solid dark brown she-cat with deep green eyes.
Mousepaw- Small light brown tabby she-cat with amber
eyes.
Queens (She-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Echosong - Pretty white she-cat with fur tipped with grey spots and pale
green eyes (Mother of Nightfire’s kits, Berrykit, Mallowkit and
Bramblekit).
Minnowsong – Night-black she-cat with a glossy pelt and bright blue eyes
(Mother of Waterheart’s kits, Jaykit and Sootkit).
Wingshade - Sleek, pretty light brown tabby she-cat with stunning, silver
eyes (Mother of Puddleclaw’s kits, Snowkit, Shinekit and Hawkkit).
Mossfeather - Light brown she-cat with darker brown spots and deep
green eyes (Expecting Oceanheart’s kits in one moon).
Dewpelt - Grey spotted she-cat with deep blue eyes.
(Mother of Smudgepelt’s kits, Leafkit and Webkit).
Kits Wingshade’s kits (4 moons old) - Snowkit - Light silver-blue,
almost white, she-cat with pale blue eyes. Shinekit - Silver-blue tom with
deep green eyes. Hawkkit - Light brown tabby tom with darker brown
markings and blue eyes.
Minnowsong’s kits (Less than one moon) – Jaykit – Light grey tabby tom
with light blue eyes and darker grey stripes. Sootkit – Black tom with
glossy pelt and deep blue eyes.
Dewpelt’s kits (3 moons old) - Leafkit - Small brown tabby
she-cat with deep blue eyes. Webkit - Light grey spotted
tom with a white chest and amber eyes.
Echosong’s kits (6 moons old) - Bramblekit - Grey tom with black spots
and pale green eyes. Berrykit - Pretty white she-cat with black spotted fur,
deep blue eyes, and a striking pink nose. Mallowkit - Pretty white she-cat
with fur tipped with grey spots and pale green eyes.
Elders (Former warrior and queens, now retired)
Harefoot – White tom with one brown ear and brown paws,
green eyes.
Minnowfrost – Light grey spotted she-cat with milky, light green eyes and
a white tinged muzzle. She is the oldest cat in Thunderclan.
Shadowclan
Leader Cedarstar – Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes.
Deputy Honeyleaf – Black she-cat with yellow eyes.
Medicine Cat Willowfern – Light grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Spotwing
Warriors Mousetail – Grey tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.
Mintfur - Light grey and silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Greypaw
Rockear – Massive solid grey tom with amber eyes and a
torn ear.
Apprentice, Poppypaw
Dawnclaw - Light brown tabby she-cat with unusually long
claws and deep blue eyes.
Greywing - Grey tabby she-cat with dark green eyes.
Minnowtail - Light grey molted she-cat with amber eyes.
Lakepelt – Grey tabby tom with green eyes.
Seedpath - Light grey and white tabby tom with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Badgerpaw
Lightpelt - Light grey tabby she-cat with pale green eyes.
Oakfur – Dark brown tom with blue eyes and a white paw.
Apprentice, Pinepaw
Smokefoot - Dark grey tom with amber eyes and black
paws.
Smoketail – Grey tabby tom with amber eyes.
Apprentice, Bramblepaw
Stormbird – Small brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentice, Nettlepaw
Apprentices Spotwing – Spotted grey she-cat with blue eyes (Medicine cat).
Poppypaw – Small ginger she-cat with amber eyes.
Pinepaw – Light brown tabby tom with amber eyes.
Bramblepaw – Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes.
Badgerpaw - Black tom with a white stripe down his tail and
blue eyes.
Greypaw - Dark grey tabby tom with pale green eyes.
Nettlepaw – Dark grey tom with blue eyes.
Queens Nightcloud – Black she-cat with blue eyes (Mother of Oakfur’s
kits, Sunkit, Darkkit, Stonekit and Mintkit).
Poppystream - Dark brown spotted she-cat with blue eyes
(Mother of Seedpath’s kits, Flashkit and Mallowkit).
DawnLily – Light grey tabby she-cat with green eyes.
(Mother of Cedarstar’s kits, Flowerkit and Nightkit).
Kits Nightcloud’s kits (3 moons old) - Sunkit - Light brown
she-cat with deep blue eyes and two white paws. Darkkit –
Black tom with deep blue eyes and a white ear. Stonekit –
Dark brown tom with blue eyes.
Mintkit - Light grey spotted she-cat with dark green eyes.
DawnLily ’s kits (2 moons old) - Flowerkit - Light grey
tabby with green eyes. Nightkit - Dark brown, almost black,
tom with green eyes.
Poppystream’s kits (3 moons old) - Flashkit - Dark brown
spotted tom with blue eyes. Mintkit - Light grey and white
tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Elders Thrushpelt – Light brown tom with green eyes.
Stonewing - Black she-cat with a white tinged muzzle.
Windclan
Leader Heatherstar – Light grey tabby she-cat with pale yellow eyes.
Deputy Cloudfeather – White she-cat with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Grassfeather
Medicine Cat Gorsefeather – Light grey tabby tom with darker stripes and
green eyes, and a white tinged muzzle.
Warriors Nightshade – Black she-cat with green eyes.
Clawface - Dusky grey tabby tom with pale blue eyes and a scar along
his face.
Barkheart – Small brown she-cat with amber eyes.
Snowpetal - Light grey, almost white, spotted she-cat with light blue
eyes. Apprentice, Nightpaw
NettleLily - Light grey molted tom with blue eyes.
Greypelt – Solid grey tom with amber eyes.
Apprentice, Nestpaw
Voletail – Brown tom with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Kestrelpaw
Harepetal - Brown tabby tom with white paws and blue eyes.
Jaywing - Light grey tabby she-cat with dark grey stripes
and deep blue eyes.
Thrushtail – Brown tom with blue eyes and white paws.
Ashnose - Grey tom with pale green eyes and white paws.
Heatherfrost - White she-cat with light, milky brown spots and amber
eyes.
Froststorm - Pure white tom with brown paws and deep blue eyes.
Snowbird – White she-cat with a brown paw and blue eyes.
Apprentice, Ripplepaw
Apprentices Grassfeather – Grey tabby fur with white paws and yellow eyes
(Medicine cat).
Nightpaw – Dark brown tom with blue eyes and a white ear.
Kestrelpaw – Light grey tabby tom with light blue eyes.
Nestpaw - Light grey, almost white, spotted tom with light blue
eyes.
Ripplepaw – Grey-blue tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes.
Queens Shadeear – White and grey tabby with green eyes (Mother of
Voletail’s kits, Skykit and Petalkit).
Swallowfur – Black she-cat with deep blue eyes (Mother
of Thrushtail’s kits, Leafkit and Featherkit).
Kits Shade ear’s kits (5 moons old) - Skykit - Small white and grey
tabby with green eyes. Petalkit - Light brown and white tabby
tom with green eyes.
Swallowfur’s kits - Leafkit - Black she-cat with white paws and
deep blue eyes. Featherkit - Brown tom with blue eyes and white
paws.
Elders Ashtail – Dark grey tabby she-cat with grey spots and green eyes.
Featherwing - Light grey spotted she-cat with darker grey spots and pale
yellow eyes.
Loudstep - Pale grey, long-haired tom with huge white feet and pale
yellow eyes.
DappleLily – Spotted grey tabby she-cat with darker grey spots,
and dark blue eyes.
Riverclan
Leader Reedstar – Grey tom with pale green eyes.
Deputy Snowshade – White she-cat with light grey stripes and green
eyes.
Medicine cat Dustfeather – Light grey spotted tom with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Leappaw
Warriors Streampelt – Grey tom with amber eyes.
Feathertail – Brown she-cat with black paws and green eyes.
Apprentice, Rosepaw
Robinclaw - Light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Reedwhisker – Black tom with pale yellow eyes.
Apprentice, Blossompaw
Breezetail – White and black she-cat with blue eyes.
Duskwing – Light brown tom with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Icepaw
Dawnshade – Light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Mousewhisker – Light brown tabby she-cat with blue-grey eyes.
Dapplenose - Molted light grey she-cat with darker grey
markings and deep blue eyes.
Dewfrost - Light grey spotted she-cat with blue eyes.
Apprentice, Twigpaw
Sunpuddle - Ginger tabby she-cat with white paws and dark
yellow eyes.
Honeyheart - Ginger tom with pale yellow eyes and white paws.
Pondwhisker – Light grey tabby tom with darker grey, almost
black spots and blue eyes.
Apprentice, Dewpaw
Apprentices Leappaw – Dark grey tom with green eyes.
Dewpaw - Dark tortishell she-cat with distinctive dapple coat and
dark blue eyes.
Blossompaw – Molted grey she-cat with blue eyes.
Icepaw – Light grey she-cat with blue eyes and grey spots.
Rosepaw – Black she-cat with amber eyes and a white paw.
Queens Ottersplash - Dark brown she-cat with yellow eyes (Mother of
Reedwhisker’s kits, Thrushkit and Blackkit).
Briarfur – Light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Mother of
Duskwing’s kits, Mousekit and Bumblekit).
Kits Briarfur’s kits (1 moon old) - Mousekit - Light brown tabby tom
with blue eyes. Light brown tabby tom with blue eyes.
Ottersplash’s kits (4 moons old) - Thrushkit - Dark brown tom
with yellow eyes. Blackkit - Black tom with pale yellow eyes.
Elders Briarfeather – Dark brown she-cat with grey stripes and green
eyes.
Nightwing – Black tom with green eyes and white paws.
deep blue eyes.
Bloodclan
Leader Flame - Huge black tom with icy blue eyes.
Deputy Night - Big black she-cat with deep blue eyes and huge white paws.
Warriors Stream - Silver she-cat with green eyes, half blind.
Stone - Solid, dark grey tom with amber eyes.
Midnight - Black she-cat with light grey spots and icy blue eyes (Training
Hawk to be a warrior).
Mountain - Light grey tabby tom with amber eyes.
Cloudfeather - White tom with grey spots and green eyes (Former
Shadowclan cat. Training Harekit to be a warrior).
Sky - Silver tabby she-cat with deep yellow eyes (Training Reedkit to be a
warrior).
Fish - Silver tom with dark yellow eyes.
Moon - Dark grey tabby tom with blue eyes and three white paws.
Berry - Dark ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Pondleap - Light grey spotted she-cat with icy blue eyes (Former
Riverclan cat).
Bracken - Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Training Moss to be a
warrior).
Howl - Solid black tom with amber eyes.
Queens (She-cats expecting or nursing kits under the age of 2 moons)Pool - Dark
brown tabby she-cat with icy blue eyes (Mother of Howl’s kits,
Nut, Feather and Water).
Heather - Dusty grey tabby she-cat with milky blue eyes (Mother of
Cloudfeather’s kits, Sun and Wing).
Kits Kits born in Bloodclan - Nut - Dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes.
Feather - Solid black she-cat with icy blue eyes. Water - Light brown
tabby tom with amber eyes.
Sun - Dusky grey tabby she-cat with green eyes. Wing - White she-cat
with grey spots and milky blue eyes. Hawk - Dark brown tabby tom with
light green eyes. Moss - Silver she-cat with deep green eyes.
Kits taken from other clans - Harekit - Light brown tabby she-cat with
blue eyes (Formerly of Windclan). Reedkit - Light grey spotted tom with
amber eyes (Formerly of Riverclan).
Cats Outside of the Clans
Ashie – Light grey molted tabby and blue eyes.
Twist – Tortishell and white she-cat with pale green eyes.
Splashpelt - Dark brown molted tom with light blue eyes.
Lily – Beautiful, long-furred grey she-cat, fur tipped with white, with
milky blue eyes.
Prologue
Spottedleaf
Spottedleaf leapt through a green forest, clearly it being green-leaf. She was bounding into a clearing, flooded by flowers of all kinds. She sniffed the air and sighed, loving the scent of flowers in green-leaf. She crouched, poking her head up out of the grass just able to see her prey, her amber eyes peering at it, paws quivering in excitement. She started to creep up to it, slowly and quietly. She thought to herself, remember, mice feel you before anything else. Remembering her training, she lightened her step so that her paws brushed the ground as she stalked the unsuspecting mouse. She then quickly pounced onto the mouse, easily pinning it down and killing it. She sat up happily, purring in the warm sunshine. She took the mouse to a place where flattened grass lay crushed down. She sat in the clearing in the patch of grass and ate the mouse. She then sat up and looked expectedly around the clearing. She was clearly waiting for someone. She was gazing across the horizon of the tree line, searching, waiting. She quickly stood up and, her tail straight, she dipped her head and politely to the approaching silver-blue cat and mewed, “Greetings Bluestar. Nice to see you on this nice day. Great day for hunting. So I guess I have come where you told me to meet you, so what have you come to tell me?”
Bluestar dipped her head in return, her voice smoothly flowing, like the smooth rhythm of a flowing stream. She meowed, “Nice to see you also Spottedleaf. I have come to tell you of a prophecy.” Bluestar paused and looked up at the sun, then mewed, “At moon high tonight, a cat named Lily will be joining us. She will be informed of her destiny. You must give it to her, after I give it to you.”
“So Bluestar, what is the message that I will be giving this cat, Lily?”
“Like brambles in greenleaf, then to leafbare, they change. Like the sun to the moon, change. So happens to her. The prophecy says, she is kin of great cats, yet not familiar to most, and she will soon become the savior of us all.”
Spottedleaf tilted her head, and looked on, waiting for more words. “Well, you must tell her her destiny. She is to become one of us. She must join the clans in their ways of the warrior code. She has to come to Starclan when it is her time. She is to become a Medicine Cat of Thunderclan, to teach the apprentice. Then she must become a warrior, to teach the rest. Do you understand?”
Spottedleaf nodded and them she mewed, “Yes. I will tell her at moon high tonight. Will you be here also?”
“I will be watching to make sure that if she doesn’t listen to you, then she will to me. I will see you at dusk, in this clearing. Be ready for Lily, she will not understand. I must go now. Goodbye for now Spottedleaf.” Spottedleaf dipped her head, and as Bluestar was exiting the clearing, another cat was entering, Spottedleaf instantly knowing who it was. It was an old Tribe cat, now part of the Tribe of Endless Hunting. Its scent was different and then he spoke in a deep, mountain voice, “I have-” he was cut off by his breaths, short and gasping for air, “Have news for you. It’s about a rouge cat named Lily, I think it is.” She was stunned by his mentioning Lily, the prophetic cat, supposedly famous now among Starclan and the Tribe cats of the mountain. Bluestar and Spottedleaf exchanged glances, then Bluestar meowed, “Who are you and why are you not in the mountains?”
The tom dipped his head then mewed, “I am Smoke of Burning Tree, and I have come to tell you of a cat named Lily.”
It was Bluestar who replied, her voice lightening. “I am Bluestar, and this is Spottedleaf,” She mewed, as she pointed her tail to Spottedleaf, touching it on her smooth tortishell fur. Spottedleaf dipped her head and said to him, “Nice to meet you, may I call you Smoke?”
Smoke dipped his head and mewed, “As I call you Spottedleaf.”
Spottedleaf blinked and backed away, as Bluestar began to speak to Smoke again. “So Smoke, what do you have to tell us about Lily?”
“Well, she is in the mountains, out of your sight. So I have come to tell you that we will watch over her, and protect her as you do also. We sense she is special.”
“She is, very. She is part-” Spottedleaf cut her off and lead her over behind a nearby tree, mewing, “Should you be telling him about her destiny? Do we trust him?”
Bluestar touches her muzzle to Spottedleaf’s head and mewed, “That is for you to decide Spottedleaf. I trust you more than myself.” Spottedleaf purred and headed back over to Smoke, who was sitting and grooming his solid grey fur, his icy blue eyes shining in the daylight of sun high. His tail went up as he saw Spottedleaf and Bluestar emerge from behind the tree. Spottedleaf gazed over at Bluestar then turned back to him and mewed, “Lily. She is part of a prophecy. She is to become a clan cat and teach the apprentices. We hope you look over her and treat her as one of your own. You can go to the mountains now, if you are done. Just visit her in her dreams and tell her we are still with her. She believes in us. We won’t let her down. Guide her paw steps, and be with her. Good luck on your trip back to the mountains.”
“Well actually I also have something to tell you that might be important for you to hear.”
Spottedleaf and Bluestar glances at each other with curious looks then Spottedleaf mewed, “Well what is it?”
“She’s my sister.” He blinked as if expecting them to be surprised. They just looked at each other, blinked, and then Bluestar mewed, “Yes, we know. We have figured that out, yet we do not know where the rest of her family is. She had two brothers and a sister, a mother and a father. We only know of her, and you, her brother. We don’t know what happened to her other brother, her sister and her mother and father. We assume that they stayed in the mountains, because we have never seen them here. Do you know where they could be?”
“Well I do but I cannot tell you. It is not time for you to know.” He paused and stood, holding his chin high, “I have to go back home to the mountains now. I will come again with more news. Trust me. Trust in Lily, I see dark things in her future, be careful.” Spottedleaf and Bluestar looked at each other, both seeing fear and worry cloud the others eyes. Smoke got up, and bounded off into the trees in the direction of the mountains to go home. They both knew that it was true. Lily was facing something not even Starclan could prepare for her.
Chapter 1
Streamstone
A rogue cat with a beautiful, long furred grey she-cat, fur tipped with white, with milky blue eyes gazed around a grassy clearing, then limped into the shade. Her legs were weak, and she could hear the blood pounding in her ears. She lied down stiffly, and she began to lick her sore paws. She then wandered over to a stream and sitting to lap from it, suddenly heard a low growling noise, coming from behind her. She jerked her head up and turning to find out what it is, a massive weight pummeled her to the ground. Thinking fast, she let her body go limp; the animal let its grip loose, thinking she was dead, and, tensing her muscles, she shoved it off of her. Then she realized the animal was charging at her. Fox! She thought. Then the fox ran toward her and she dodged past it. With claws unsheathed, she stretched out her foreleg and her claws made contact with the fox’s gaunt body. She had made a deep wound on its side.
The fox let out a growl of anger, its eyes wide and filled with pain and fury. It leaped at her, so she ducked and twisted, turning upside down, so that the fox landed on top of her. She clawed at its belly and raked it with her hind claws. She then heaved up on the fox, knocking it off of her so that it landed on its back. She jumped on it and bit down firmly on its neck. Suddenly the fox went limp and loosening her grip, it twitched one last time, and stopped breathing. She dragged the fox into the foliage and, now even more injured, she dropped, unconscious, and her breathing slowed. She woke several minutes later and now dazed; she limped back over to the stream and lapped from it at last. The grey she-cat, with aching paws, let her blue eyes slowly close and drift into dreamless sleep.
When she woke up, it was lightly raining, the cold rain water, as cold as her milky blue eyes, dropped onto her already wet nose from a leaf above. Her grey, cloudy fur was covered in blood, none of her own, but the fox’s. She then started to realize her few scratches had broken open and began bleeding once more. She knew herbs so she could help herself in this situation. She saw some cobweb entwined in the root of a nearby Oak tree. She wandered over to the old tree and she wrapped the cobweb around her paw. She took it over by the stream and set it down. She also saw some Poppy growing over by a group of green ferns. Good, she thought to herself, my scratches are starting to hurt.
She limped over to the group of Poppy flowers and removed the seeds with her paws and put them on a fallen oak leaf, brown and dried. She grabbed the leaf in her mouth, gentle not so snap the frail stem, and she dragged it over by the cobweb. Now all I need is some Marigold. Oh well, I guess I’ll just go find some. She buried her Poppy and cobweb between two leaves, under the cold soil. She hadn’t wandered far before she heard distant voices and paw steps. They were coming closer and closer, she then smelled Shadowclan scent. Her heart raced in a panic, somewhat fearing the patrol of Shadowclan cats. She started having a flashback of an earlier encounter with the hostile Clan cats.
The rogue she-cat bounded sprightly through the forest, tracking the scent of a vole. Then out of nowhere, a group of five cats jumped out of the bracken and one tackled her, pinning her down while the others dashing in and biting her legs and body. She wriggled free and pelted into the trees. Little had they known she had circled them. She crouched in a hollow opening in a bush and listened to their conversation. “If I ever see that rogue cat Lily ever again I’m going to rip her fur off!”
Another said, “Easy Smoketail, she is a rogue remember, she can’t defend herself for her own life. She is no concern of ours unless we spot her in our territory again.”
Another cat in the patrol mewed, “Yes, I agree with Honeyleaf. And anyway, if you didn’t agree, she’s the deputy, so you would have to do as she says.”
“Thank you Mousetail.” Honeyleaf turned and meowed to Mousetail.
Smoketail spoke up again, “Well ok. Still, if I see that cat,” Honeyleaf cut him off with a swipe of her tail to his mouth.
Then Honeyleaf meowed, “If you see that cat again, you will wait until I give you orders on what to do. Now, I want the patrol to split up. Smoketail, go get your apprentice, Volepaw, and another warrior,” She paused to think then spoke again,
“Rockear and his apprentice Poppypaw and go to the Riverclan border. Mousetail, Oakfur, Pinepaw and I will go check the Thunderclan border.”
Then, fearing the cats might see her, she clawed her way silently up a tree. Honeyleaf and her patrol went one way while Smoketail, muttering something under his breath, stalked off under the tree Lily was perched in. She then came back from her flashback.
When she came back to the real world, rainy and cold, her fear came back with it as well. She remembered just fast enough to once again, silently skirting her way up a tree and wait. The patrol burst out of the trees into the clearing. She instantly recognized cats from earlier. Her earlier encounter had been about a moon ago. She saw Honeyleaf, the deputy who was a black she-cat with yellow eyes, leading the patrol. She also saw Mousetail, a grey tabby she-cat with yellow eyes and by the look of it Rockear, who they had mentioned before. She assumed this because this cat was a massive, solid grey tom, with amber eyes, and a torn ear. Rockear had brought his apprentice, who stayed by his side, Poppypaw. She was young, only a few moons into training. She was a small, golden furred she-cat, with amber eyes to go along. Also she saw one other cat, she had never seen before. A sturdy grey tabby tom with green eyes. They began to speak but she had not wanted to listen. Mousetail was scanning the trees that enclosed the clearing. The others stopped for a drink in the stream. She turned her eyes again to Mousetail, who was now sniffing in the spot she had buried her cobweb and Poppy. Oh no, they might scent me, that I have been here. Or they could follow the scent trail to me up this tree. Just wait, she told herself. Wait.
She then listened to what they had been saying, Honeyleaf spoke first, “Mousetail, are you sure it’s Lily? We haven’t seen her in about a moon. If she is here then, I sure hope she doesn’t show herself, or I’ll get her ears.”
Rockear spoke up after she was done, “I agree, she doesn’t want to be in a fight with us. It would be the end of her, a five against one battle.”
“Yes Rockear, it would not end up good for Lily. What do you think Lakepelt?” Honeyleaf spoke and touched the tip of her tail to Lakepelt’s shoulder.
Lakepelt gazed around the clearing, scanning the trees as Moustail had done, “I think if she thinks she can take on a patrol of five, then hedgehogs fly. Now are we going to get on with this hunting patrol, or do I have to go myself?”
Honeyleaf narrowed her eyes, “As you wish Lakepelt, just control that attitude of yours, if you can.” Her black pelt was swallowed by the ferns, in the direction of the lake, following the stream, as she shot off into the woods. The rest of the patrol struggled to keep up as Honeyleaf was clearly the fastest out of all of them. Lily let out a sigh, as she had been holding her breath since they had mentioned her name. She stayed in the tree for a while, making sure they had gone. When she scented they had been gone for a while she crept down the tree and went over to the stream. She sniffed the spot where the cobweb and Poppy were, they were still there under the soil. She dug them out. I can clean the wounds in the stream, because I really don’t feel like searching for marigold all day. I don’t think my wounds are infected anyway, even if they are I’ll find some marigold or chervil later.
She picked up the leaves in her mouth and went over to the stream. She set the poppy and cobweb down and, slightly hesitating, she waded into the freezing cold water of new-leaf. She licked her few wounds, scratches, barely grazing her skin. When she thought they were clean enough, she stepped out of the water and then shook the top layer of water off her paws. She then chewed up the Poppy seeds and swallowed. Then she patted the cobweb onto the scratches. The rain had stopped for a time now and the sun had snuck into the canopy above the clearing. Lily thought, finally some sun, thank Starclan. She went over to a patch of sun and lied down in the soft grass, soon to be greeted by a nap.
She dreamed a wonderful dream, dreaming was so much better than her real life. In her dream, she was running through a field tracking the scent of a mouse. She spotted it finally. It was under a Rhubarb plant, rustling the roots searching for food. She instantly dropped into a perfect hunting crouch, back as low as her feet, and her tail held just slightly high enough that it didn’t stir the leaves and grass, as mice feel you before they see you or hear you. Mist’s paw steps were light, the mouse hadn’t sensed her coming, nor that it was in danger. Lily paused, then with a leap, she landed in the Rhubarb plant, with leaves in her face, and she couldn’t see what she had caught. It turned out that she hadn’t caught anything. Mouse dung! I knew I should’ve aimed where it was going not where it was at. She sat and her tail twitched in frustration. Her hunt was failed. She knew that was a good try though, and with hope, she got to her paws and bounded off into the forest once more. She found a soft patch of moss and curled up in it, greeted by a sleep filled with dreams of hunting mice and dozing happily in the sun, nibbling on a vole.
She woke from her dream, still in the sun. It was a little after sun-high; the patrol must have been the dawn hunting patrol. She got up and arched her back into a stretch then relaxed. She decided it was time for some real hunting now, she had grown hungry. She hadn’t eaten for two days. She had gone down to the lake, reflecting the trees on its surface. She gazed across the lake to see an island, perfect, she thought, perfect for me to make my permanent den. She had been searching for one for about five moons now. I think I finally found it. She laid down on the shore of the lake, dozing off to the sound of the waves crashing up on the shore. It started to get dark when she went out to hunt. She could scent a water vole in one of the streams leading to the lake. She went over to it, doing the hunters crouch.
Remembering to aim where the vole will be not where it is, she leapt, landing squarely on it and killing it with a quick bite to its neck. She happily padded over to the shore, laid down and ate it. Yummy, I haven’t had a vole this good for ages…or I haven’t hunted in ages. Lily began to be sleepy. Then she spotted distant shadows on the island, she looked up at the sky, full moon. Mouse dung, that’s right, the Clan cats have gatherings there every moon. I guess my quest for a perfect den will continue. Lily then started to drift slowly into sleep, soothed by the rhythmic crashing of the waves. Lily Woke up to rain, great, she thought, more rain, just what I need. She got to her paws, and ran to the tree line, up the bank. She finally got under a tree and sat down, quickly fleeing up the tree, she heard voices. Thunderclan and Shadowclan, wow, I’ve never seen so many cats this close, I hope they don’t find me or I’ll be crow-food. The Thunderclan patrol had met Shadowclan at the border. She knew the Shadowclan patrol; it consisted of Rockear, Lakepelt, Honeyleaf, Moustail, Poppypaw, Volepaw and Oakfur. She had never met any Thunderclan cats before; she assumed they were as hostile as Shadowclan. She could not hear what they were fussing over but she could see the cats spitting and hissing at each other over the border.
Honeyleaf hissed over the border to a small grey she-cat with green eyes, which were filled with fury. Honeyleaf hissed, “I don’t care if your apprentice went over the border or not, I want to know why you aren’t going to do anything about it.”
“What are you going to do?” A small brown tabby tom with yellow eyes mewed, his voice shaking. He must be the unlucky one who accidently crossed the border.
A black tom with amber eyes replied something Lily couldn’t hear. Suddenly Stonetail leapt across the border onto the cat talking to the apprentice. They fought with tooth and claw in a bundle of fur. One of the cats from Thunderclan yowled loudly and the cats jumped into battle. Stonetail bit the Thunderclan cat’s tail and sent him pelting into the brush. Rockear and Poppypaw where using a battle move, fit for two, on another Thunderclan cat, also sending it into the foliage. Two Thunderclan cats jumped onto Honeyleaf, who was struggling under one cat, while the other scratched at her face and belly. Moustail was wresting with a huge dark brown tabby tom, with amber eyes filled with determination. Surprisingly Moustail, the small she-cat, sent him running back to the sidelines. Lily stared in awe over the fighting cats, yet she saw one sitting alone. He was a massive black tom with blue eyes. He was watching the battle with amusement in his eyes. What is he doing, laughing at these injured cats, and I ought to rip his fur off. She dug her claws into the tree limb, who’s stopping me.
She leapt down from the tree, landing on the huge tom’s shoulders. He lost his balance; he had been stunned, as if going into shock for a second. She dug her claws into his back. He yowled in protest and rolled over on top of her. Think Mist! Just like the fox…She let her body go limp. He then got off of her and she leapt at him, again landing on his back. He flung her off and as he ran at her to attack, she dodged it and made a deep scratch in his side. He turned on her and she reared up jumped over his huge body landing, only on her hind paws, behind him. She spun on her hind paws and scratched his face with an outstretched paw. Then she darted under him and bit down fiercely on his hind leg. She ran out from under him just in time. She sent him running into the trees. She quickly ran back into the ferns and up into her tree, hoping she hadn’t been noticed. The battle continued for a few more minutes. Thunderclan had won. Honeyleaf had yowled retreat and Thunderclan chased them all over the border, hissing. I hope to Starclan I haven’t been discovered. It turns out she had, a grey tom with darker grey flecks and icy blue eyes, was staring at her. She had been discovered. Lily did not move, hoping that the cat wasn’t staring at her but something close to her. She soon found out he was staring at her, as the tom leaned over to another cat, a she-cat, small and brown, with green eyes. She raced toward Lily. Lily jumped out of the tree and rounded on the cat and hissed, “Take one more paw step and I’ll have your fur.”
The small she-cat sat down and calmly mewed, “I do not wish to hurt, but help. Your scratches look like they have been treated already…what clan do you belong to? Who treated you?”
Lily looked at the cat, her fur starting to lie flat, her eyes now filled with curiosity. She finally meowed, “I belong to no clan. I’ve treated these wounds myself. Who are you and what do you want?”
The she-cats gaze softened, “I am Nettlemist, and I am the Medicine cat of Thunderclan. You are?”
“I refuse to answer you until you have answered me.” Lily paused then mewed, “What do you want?”
“I want to help you. And my friend over there wants to talk to you.” Nettlemist signaled her tail to the grey tom sitting in the shade. “Plus, I think you could be useful to our clan. Come with me.”
Lily backed away, she did not think of joining a clan, they were mean and hostile. She said, “I will go when I am ready,” after cocking her head, she was curious to know what she had done to earn these cats’ respect. She finally mewed, “I will go with you if you need me.”
Nettlemist nodded and said, “Good.” She then turned to the grey tom. “You will escort her to our camp.”
Lily looked over at the grey tom, who was still staring at her, eyes now curious. She wanted to tell that cat that if he didn’t stop staring at her like she was some Windclan cat, then she would rip all his fur off. She padded up to the tom and said, “Hello. I am Mist. You are?”
The tom jumped, as though she had interrupted his daydreaming. “Oh hi, I’m Streamstone. I’ve been a Thunderclan warrior for eight moons now. And I couldn’t help but asking where you learned those awesome battle techniques?”
“Well that’s a secret I cannot tell you. Now the rest of the Thunderclan cats have left, so can we get going?”
“Oh yes, sorry.” The tom mewed. He then led her into the woods. What am I doing? Going with these clan cats like this. I must be insane. She followed Streamstone over a stream and he fell in as they crossed stepping stones to the other side. She couldn’t help but letting out a purr of amusement. Such a clumsy tom! He turned to make sure she got across safely. She easily leapt onto each stone, as light as a jay’s flight. He lead her onward, deeper into Thunderclan territory. The trees where changing. They gradually became all oaks and other trees, not the pines of Shadowclan. This was very different to Mist. A kind of different Lily liked. She enjoyed the scents of the trees and the different scents of different plants and herbs. She liked it here, in Thunderclan territory. Much better than the hostile cats of Shadowclan. These where much nicer, showing her kindness and respect. I guess not all clan cats are hostile, she thought as she gazes over the Thunderclan patrol, her gaze ending on Streamstone. She liked it here.
Streamstone led her around bramble and over fallen trees. She glanced over at him; he caught her blue gaze with his. Then they looked at each other for a few seconds, then snapped their heads forward, as if they had been prodded by a kit and jumped awake. The patrol finally skidded to a halt in front of a bramble thicket. Lily looked ahead in curiosity, then turned to Streamstone and mewed, “What are we doing here?”
“This bramble is not safe. On the other side is a sheer drop to the bottom of our camp. You must never go in these brambles.”
Lily gazed into the bramble bush, green and spiky, “Well ok then, I’ll take that into account. Now can we get going? We’ve been standing here for a while.”
“Well ok then but then…,” Before he could finish, Lily swiped her tail in his mouth, making him spit out the fur.
Lily saw three young looking cats muttering something as the occasionally glanced at her.
Then she leaned over to Streamstone, “Who are they? They keep looking at me like I’m…like I’m some Windclan cat.”
Streamstone pointed his tail to each one of them as he spoke, “They were just made warriors about half a moon ago. That one is Pinepaw. That is Hazelpaw and that is Mousepaw.”
“Well then if Nettlelily is the Medicine cat, then why was she at the battle?”
“Well let me tell you the story…,” He mewed to Mist, instantly sending her back to the battle, trying to view it from his point of view. “I was showing the apprentices the borders while we were on a hunting patrol also. When Pinepaw scented a mouse and he asked if he could have that one. We were all so caught up in his mouse we didn’t realize he chased it over the border. Hazelpaw realized at last and he got back over to our side of the border, leaving the mouse dead, but on their side of the border. Then Shadowclan came out of the bushes and accused us of not punishing him, which we did, and we are as of today. He’s been tending to the elders bedding every day for a week. That’s what happened.”
“Wow. Well I think they just overreacted. They don’t exactly know how to react to that. Well we’ve been standing here for ages so can we get going?” She waited for him to reply, but when he didn’t she mewed again, “I want to see the camp.”
So Streamstone nodded and led the patrol aside of the dangerous bramble and down a grassy slope onto a thunderpath. Lily looked up, then down the thunderpath and then turned to Streamstone, “Isn’t this not safe, being on this thunderpath? Don’t the twolegs use this anymore?”
“Not anymore. It’s abandoned now; our camp is down there at the end of it. Let’s go,” He said as the patrol followed the thunderpath.
She finally came into a clearing, full of the overwhelming scent of Thunderclan cats. She saw cats stirring and coming out of their dens, eyes becoming wide at the sight of Mist. She met their gaze evenly, staring at them as they did her. Streamstone bent over and said something to Nettlemist. Then she nodded and headed off to her den, in the Medicine den, as did the apprentices to their den. Streamstone then turned to her, “Come on, let’s go see the leader.” Then he led her to the far end of the clearing, surrounded by cliffs on three sides, to the leaders den. He led her up rocks, like steps, to an overhanging cave, with lichen growing and hanging over it, shielding her from whatever lay inside. Just as they were about to go in, a tortishell she-cat, with emerald green eyes popped her head out, then walked out and sat. Her voice was smooth as she spoke, “Come in stranger. I am Mossstar, leader of this clan. Streamstone, go and see if the apprentices need taken care of, if they are hurt. You can come in to my den. Follow,” she said as she beckoned Lily with her tail. She walked into her den, followed by Mist. Mossstar sat and so did Mist. Lily stared into her green eyes and waited for her to speak. Yet the only thing that did was her mind. The same feeling she had when she had first seen the mysterious she-cat. Lily knew she had seen this leader before, but where? Then she shook herself, as if woken from a dream. Mossstar spoke, and when she did, her feeling became real, almost too real, “Mist, I’ve been expecting you.
Chapter 2
Hawkshine
Mist’s eyes opened in the shade of her makeshift den. Streamstone had built her a small one-cat den, under the shade of a tree. Lily got lazily to her paws and stretched, arching her back, revealing the grey base of her fur under the layer of white tips, then she sat. Streamstone saw she was awake and padded over to her, a vole hung in his jaws, “The dawn patrol just came back. I got you a fresh vole.” He dropped the vole at her paws, and then trotted back to the fresh-kill pile in the middle of the clearing. He picked up a thrush, also fresh, then padded back to her and sat. When Lily didn’t say anything, he meowed, “Are you going to eat, you must be hungry, right?”
“Yes I’m hungry, but I guess I can’t get it out of my head,” She said, as if she wasn’t talking to him, but someone not alive, not here.
“Get what out of you head?” Streamstone asked, as he leaned in front of her. She was staring out behind him, at nothing.
She snapped her head, again woken from daydreams, but this wasn’t a dream, more like a nightmare. It began filling her mind with memories, covered by a thick fog.
“I can’t tell you. You would not understand,” She said flatly as she got up and padded out of the clearing, leaving her vole untouched.
Streamstone had begun to wonder if there was something she was not telling him, and she was. Lily padded out of the clearing slowly, then speeding up as she went along, eventually sprinting through Thunderclan territory, ending up at the shore. She was panting as she skidded to a stop at the lake side. I can’t go back. Mossstar, she, she knows too much. Way too much. Lily collapsed and slowly fell asleep.
Lily woke up to the warm sun on her pelt. She soon heard voices again, and then scented Thunderclan. She shot up a tree and then saw a patrol burst through a pile of ferns and then were swallowed by the tree line on the other side. Then Lily sighed with relief, she was holding her breath. Then sucked the breath back in as the patrol appeared again, Streamstone leading it. He scented the air, “She is near. We have to find her.” The rest of the cats nodded and started to search the tree line. Starclan don’t let them find me, she silently prayed to Starclan. Streamstone was searching the trees going up them one at a time. Oh no. Her heart lurched, they were going to find her; she didn’t want to go back.
Lily crouched as low as she could, belly pressed against the tree. Streamstone came to her tree and he searched it. Lily held her breath as he stood on the branch above her, and scented. He looked around, then jumping down from the tree, eyes filled with sadness; he led the patrol onward; into the trees once more. Lily began to sigh; again something was pulling her to the camp. She could not help her urge. Jumping down from the tree, she began to pad in the direction of the patrol; they had stopped again. She ran toward them; they were in the grassy clearing of the earlier battle. She sucked up a deep breath, puffing out her chest and lifting her tail high, she pushed out of the ferns surrounding the clearing. All the cats in the patrol turned to her, one hissing and stepping toward her. The black tom with blue eyes, the one Lily had attacked at the battle, it was a Thunderclan cat!
Lily hissed back, raising her hackles and crouching, ready to pounce. The he puffed out his fur, appearing bigger than ever. He was already twice her size; this made him look even bigger. “I’m not scared of you. I will defend myself if I have to. If you attack, I’ll fight back, and win like I did earlier,” She hissed.
The tom crouched ready to pounce. As he bunched up his muscles, about to pounce, Streamstone jumped in between him and Lily. Then he turned to the tom and mewed calmly, “Hawkshine, would you really attack a fellow clan cat?”
Lily cocked her head at Streamstone, “A clan cat? Who said I joined your clan? Who says I want to?”
Streamstone turned to her and meowed, “I want you to stay. Why don’t you?”
Before Lily could answer, the tom jumped onto Streamstone’s back, holding on with his claws. He’s unsheathed his claws! He’s going to get it now, Lily thought. She hissed fiercely as she was held back by unfamiliar cats in the patrol, as she was about to pounce on the tom. She turned to the other patrol cats, seeing their eyes filled with terror. She could tell they wanted to jump in there and break it up, but they wouldn’t for some reason Lily couldn’t understand. Lily bit one of the cats’ paws that were holding her back. They let her go and she ripped into the battle. She jumped on Hawkshine’s back and held onto him with her claws unsheathed, tearing into his back. The tom yowled in fury and let go of Streamstone, who then ran to the other patrol cats and told them an order, as they had nodded and ran off in the direction of the camp.
Lily knew exactly what Streamstone had told them to do. He had told them to go get Mossstar. She would see that Hawkshine was attacking another cat in his clan, but Lily wasn’t a clan cat. Lily knew she would have to get Hawkshine to attack Streamstone again. She jumped off of Hawkshine’s back and ran toward Streamstone. Streamstone had apparently known what she was doing also. He jumped up, so Lily could go underneath him; and so could Hawkshine. Streamstone landed on Hawkshine, digging his claws into Hawkshine’s shoulders, and then jumping off. Hawkshine then turned and attacked Streamstone, just as Mossstar burst through the ferns, followed by the earlier patrol. Mossstar gasped at the sight of the wrestling clan cats; Hawkshine was on top of Streamstone, raking his belly with his hind claws. Mossstar yowled, and the cats froze; Hawkshine getting off of Streamstone and running over to Mossstar. Hawkshine began franticly mewing, “It was all Lily’s fault! I know it was because she-”
Mossstar cut him off by cuffing him over the head with a sheathed paw. It still sent him rolling over in the dusty ground. Mossstar then turned to Streamstone; Hawkshine had backed away, “Streamstone, please explain.”
“Well we were searching for Lily, like you ordered us. We found her finally, and then Hawkshine stepped forward, hissing. Lily then said, ‘I’m not scared of you. I will defend myself if I have to. If you attack, I’ll fight back, and win like I did earlier.’ She was talking about the battle; but I don’t know what happened then; but anyway, then I stepped in. I asked Hawkshine if he would really attack a fellow clan cat. Then Lily jumped in and said, ‘A clan cat? Who said I joined your clan? Who says I want to?’ Then I said I wanted her to stay. Then before Lily could answer, Hawkshine jumped on me and attacked me. The patrol held Lily back. She bit one of their paws and they let her go, then she jumped onto Hawkshine’s back. Hawkshine let me go; now attacking Lily. I told the patrol to get you, and Lily somehow knew what I was doing, because she jumped off of Hawkshine, and ran toward me. I jumped and let her under me to safety. I landed on Hawkshine and held on for a second then let go. He then turned to me and attacked me. That’s when you came in.”
Mossstar nodded, “Hawkshine, Come here and explain what happened the night of the battle with Shadowclan.”
Hawkshine stepped up to her and, being so much bigger than her, he looked down upon her and mewed in his deep voice, “I was watching the battle, I had been injured and was at the sidelines, when she jumped on top of me, and attacked me. That’s what happened. She attacked me for no reason.” He began to let his fur rise again. Then he noticed his fur and forced himself to relax.
Lily pushed her way past the massive black tom and being exactly the same height as Mossstar, she met her gaze evenly and mewed, “That’s not what happened. I’ll tell you the real story,” Lily began, “I was enjoying the night, relaxing, when I heard distant voices. I went toward them, curiously wondering what and who it was. I went up a tree, as I always do, and I saw familiar Shadowclan cats and unfamiliar Thunderclan. I had never seen Thunderclan before, so I assumed you were as hostile as they were. I had met them before, several times. I will explain those encounters later, if you wish, but I saw you hissing across the border. Then I saw the fight was about an apprentice, Pinepaw, as I remember it, crossed the border by accident, chasing a mouse. They accused you of not doing anything about it. Then a certain cat I don’t like, Stonetail that is, jumped on one of your cats. And the battle began. Then I watched the battle with wide eyes. Then I saw him,” she said while pointing her tail tip at Hawkshine, “he was watching the battle with amusement in his eyes, as I remember it. I knew it wasn’t right for him to laugh at these battling cats, so I gave him a taste of his own medicine.”
Mossstar nodded, and then turned to Hawkshine, who was shuffling his paws, knowing it was true. Guilt was coming off his black pelt in waves. He knew he had done something wrong. “Do you have an explanation Hawkshine?”
Hawkshine shook his head, unable to meet her powerful gaze. Mossstar nodded curtly, and then turning to the rest of her clan mates, “Come. Let us go back to camp. Hawkshine, stay in my sight.” She then bounded off into the trees, leaving Streamstone and Lily alone in the grassy clearing, spattered with blood. Lily looked over at Streamstone, who was laying in the shade, licking a deep scratch on his shoulder. Lily padded over to him and mewed, “I can fix that.”
Streamstone purred, “Really, I didn’t know you where a medicine cat.”
Lily narrowed her eyes, “If you don’t then I can just leave and never come back, do you want that?”
Streamstone’s purr died out and his eyes filled with panic, “No, don’t leave. I don’t want you to leave. Please fix my shoulder.”
Lily mewed, her gaze softening, “I know, and I also have some news for you. Yes I do. Now, let me see that shoulder.” She examined the wound, “It’s deep. I’ll be back, just keep licking that scratch to keep it clean. She went over to the familiar gnarled tree root and wrapped some cobweb around her paw, and then she padded back over to Streamstone and set down the cobweb. Streamstone tried to speak to her but she put her tail in his mouth and bounded off to the Poppy flowers by the group of the familiar green ferns. She removed the seeds and set them on a fallen leaf, then grabbed the leaf, careful not to snap the frail stem. She dragged the leaf over to Streamstone, who was watching in amazement. She dropped the leaf and bounded off into the woods, in search of marigold. She went down to the shore of the lake and looked around for any marigold. She saw none but she did see some chervil. Well I guess it’ll have to do.
She bounded over to the chervil and picked off some leaves carefully. She ran off into the forest once again, back to the grassy clearing, back to Streamstone. She padded into the clearing, where Streamstone still lay. He had stopped licking his wound but now sun bathing. His half closed eyes lit up as he saw Lily pad into the clearing. She went over to him and dropped the chervil. She then sat and purred, “You can talk now, and I won’t shove my tail in your mouth now.”
“Well I was just going to ask how you learned all that. All that herb stuff.”
Lily shook her head and her gaze became cold, “I already told you that I cannot tell you.”
Streamstone’s eyes filled with understanding at last, “Ok then. I understand.”
“No you don’t. You never will,” Lily said, holding her head low. Then she looked up, trying to look happier, “Now I’m going to fix your shoulder and I’d like it if you didn’t ask any more questions, ok?”
Streamstone’s eyes were happy again, “Ok, no more questions, got it.”
Lily picked up the chervil and chewed it up. Then she licked the juice onto his wound. Before she could do anything else, he jerked away, “Ow! What is that stuff, it stings!”
Lily purred, “Its chervil. I would think that a big, strong warrior like you wouldn’t fuss over a little herb sting.”
“Yes, your right,” He mewed as he shuffled back over to Mist. She began licking his shoulder again. She could feel him tense him shoulder, and then relax. Then she patted the cobweb onto his shoulder to stop it from bleeding. She asked, “Does it hurt allot?” When he nodded, she gave him three Poppy seeds and told him to eat them, so he did. “Now, let’s get back to your camp before you get to tired,” She told him, then she touched her tail tip to his shoulder and guided him around bramble thickets and over fallen logs. She guided him over a stream and purred when he fell in the shallow water. He got out, then went back over next to Lily and shook himself, getting Lily covered in a layer of water. He purred and so did she, then they went back to the camp. When they got there, Lily led him to the warrior’s den and let him lay down. He stifled a yawn and said,
“I guess that Poppy is starting to kick in.”
“I knew it would soon. Just rest now,” She said over her shoulder as she padded out of the den.
“Wait,” Streamstone said from his moss bed, “You said you had news, back in the clearing. What is it?”
Lily froze and turned around to face him, “Not yet. I can’t tell you yet.” She said as she turned again and padded out of the den. She knew what Streamstone was thinking, he’ll never see her again. She’s leaving. Lily woke up to the pattering of rain on top of her nose. She slept in a tree, on a big limb, shielded from the world by branches. She stood up and stretched as she always does. She could hear the voices of early risers in Thunderclan. She slept in a tree that overlooked the whole camp; the tree was on top of the one of the cliffs that surrounds the camp on three sides. She got down from the tree and padded down to the camp in search of Streamstone. She hurried into the camp, wanting to get out of the cold rain that fell in showers. She hurried into the den that Streamstone made for her. She lay down on the comfy green moss bed that Streamstone had fetched for her the day before.
She laid her head down on the soft moss and began to drift away, not sleeping, but daydreaming. She wanted to get away from the rain and the cold real world. She was dreaming she was in the grassy clearing in the warm sun, sun bathing in fact, and eating a nice big vole. She enjoyed this clearing and its soft grass, and the canopy of big oak trees shading half the clearing, in case it got too hot out in the sun. She liked this daydream in the clearing. She was done with her vole and padded over to the shady side to lie next to Streamstone. She was brought back to the real world when water started seeping into her fur and reaching her skin, making her shiver. Her den had caved in and water was pouring in on her pelt, making it stick up in odd places dotted unevenly around her pelt.
She pelted out of her den into the clearing, hissing in anger. Stupid rain. How do Riverclan like this stuff? She hissed one last time and sat down, frustrated, in the soaking wet soil. She had learned to live with this rain; she was sitting in mud, being rained on. She hissed again when she thought about it. Streamstone came out of his den and his eyes widened, as if surprised to see her here. She knew it, she knew that he thought she would never come back, but she was back, and irritated. Streamstone hurried to a tree and picked off a leaf. He pelted over to her holding the leaf over her head. She blinked.
“Thanks. I hate rain. Especially when I’m sitting in mud and getting poured on.”
“Yes, I hate rain also. Come; follow me to the warriors den. That den isn’t letting in any water.” Lily nodded and she started going over to the den, Streamstone following, holding the leaf over her still. As she went under the den entrance, Streamstone dropped the leaf. They went inside the warm den, heated by the warmth of other sleeping warriors, unfamiliar warriors. Streamstone led her over the sleeping cats to the other side of the den. They sat and shook the top layer of water off of their fur; it had been soaking into their skin, making them both shivering wet cats. Streamstone finally mewed to her, “So is it time to tell your news to me now? What is it? What is it about?” He went on franticly asking questions, as if he had no time.
Lily put her tail around his mouth, “Clam down Streamstone.”
“Ok. Well are you going to tell me you news?”
“Yes I am.”
“Great!” He said, and then he looked at her expectedly. “Well? What is it?”
“I didn’t say I was going to tell you right now. I will tell you after I tell Mossstar.”
When she was done Streamstone jumped up, “Great. Let’s go tell her then.” He started out the den into the clearing.
But Lily called to him, “Wait, you,” She paused, “You can’t come.”
Streamstone’s eyes darkened with sadness, “Why? Why not? Why can’t I come?”
“It’s for the leader only right now. I will tell you when I get out. Ok?”
“Yes, ok, I guess I’ll wait,” He said as he blandly sat down, feeling dejected. The rain had stopped and Lily padded across the semi-wet clearing and up the rock steps to Mossstar’s den. Lily messed with the lichen growing on top of the den, hanging in front of the opening, “Mossstar, may I come in?”
Mossstar popped her head out of the den and mewed while beckoning her with her tail, “Yes Lily, come in.” Lily walked in and sat down on the comfortable moss bedding. “So you have news do you?”
Lily looked at her with wide eyes, “Yes. How did you know?”
“Starclan have showed me a sign. You do believe in them right?”
“Of course I do, just because I‘m a loner doesn’t mean I don’t believe in Starclan. What is the sign? May I know?”
“Yes. It is about you by the way.” When she spoke Lily’s eyes became even wider. Why would Starclan have a sign for her? “Our ancestors speak of you Mist” Lily listened intently, wanting to know everything. “A Great cat has come to me and told me of a prophecy that has been waiting for a cat to fulfill it. You are that cat Mist. You must fulfill the prophecy our mother has told you to fulfill.”
Lily backed away, “Our mother? Our? You can’t know my mother. It’s not possible,” She ran out of the den and jumped down from the overhang. She landed on her front leg wrong and she heard a crack. She yowled in pain, she broke her leg.
Streamstone rushed over to her, eyes filled with horror, “In the name of Starclan why-” She cut him off with a fierce hiss and a hit over the head with an unsheathed paw. She took fur from his head. She was in shock and did not know what was happening. Her world was spinning, not realizing what direction was up and what was down; she felt as though she was falling up.
She wanted to escape from the world, so she got to her paws, running as fast as she could with her broken leg. She ran for the exit of the camp, glancing back at Streamstone, his eyes where full of sorrow and pain. It started to rain and Streamstone sat in the mud and let his pelt be soaked with the ice cold water. Streamstone’s eyes soon filled with anger and he ran at Lily. She panicked now and, turning forward now, not looking back, she put her broken paw on the ground and dealt with the pain of it being broken, and ran. She pelted through the forest over fallen trees and around bramble thickets. She ran as fast as she could through the rain and made it over the stream in one huge leap, landing on her broken leg. She yowled again and the shot up a tree. She licked her leg, as it hurt a lot. Suddenly she stopped her whimpering as Streamstone burst out of the bracken and yowled sadness. She wanted to jump down from the tree and tell him her news and about the prophecy and yet; one secret lay in the way. A secret no one could ever know.
Chapter 3
Ashie
Lily awoke to a painful swollen fore-leg. She almost jumped from the tree, but when she saw Streamstone sleeping at the bottom of the tree, she kept herself hidden. She had to get down, to take care of her leg, before it didn’t heal right. She saw Streamstone stir and sit up, yawning. He was happy as he sat up and gazed around. He was saying something, but Lily couldn’t hear. But when she did she wanted to get down and show him she was there. He was calling even louder now, “Lily? Lily, are you here? Lily?”
Lily quietly got down from the tree and acting as though she hadn’t seen him, she padded happily over to the stream, ignoring his calls. She heard his paw steps and calls coming closer and becoming louder, and she thought, He can’t know it’s me…he can’t know it’s me… it’s not me. She quickly splashes mud all over her pelt, making her look like a brown cat, not a long-furred grey cloudy cat. She turned around and trying to look confused she mewed, “Hello there stranger, may I help you?”
“No sorry. I… thought you were somebody else.”
“Who?”
“Some cat named Mist. Have you seen her?”
“Umm yes I have. She went that way,” Lily said, pointing her tail in the direction of the mountains.
“The mountains. Why would she go to the mountains,” He mewed, half to himself.
“I don’t know but I bet she’s out there somewhere,” She said, “I bet she’s out there.”
“She is hurt, she broke her leg, but she knows how to fix it. She knows a lot of things.” He said and started to pad away.
“Wait,” The mysterious she-cat said, “You can’t follow her.”
Streamstone turned, now angry, “Why not? Who says I can’t?”
“I do, because I didn’t tell you the truth. She’s,” Lily paused and sighed, not sure of what to say next, “She’s dead.”
Streamstone’s gaze died away, as if he also had died, “No. No, she can’t be dead. It’s not true!” Now Streamstone became furious with the mysterious cat and was now yowling at her, “You’ll see! She’s out there and I’m going to find her and you can’t stop me!” Streamstone pelted into the trees, swallowed by the dark forest. Lily went over to the stream and washed the mud off of her pelt. Then, she stood in the stream to take down the swelling in her broken leg. What did I say? Her world was spinning again. She had no idea what way was up and what way was down, or left, or right. She became dizzy with shock and she came out of the stream and lied down. She had to find something to mend her leg, before it’s broken permanently. She found some rushes and cobweb. She lay the sticks carefully where the bones in her leg where normally, and then she wrapped the cobweb over it to hold them in place. She found some more Poppy and picked out the seeds carefully. She found also some comfrey and ate the leaves and stem. She then ate the three Poppy seeds and went to lay in the shade of a big, wide-canopied oak tree. She had a decision to make; but she had already made it. She has to go to the mountains to tell Streamstone she was alright. She had to wait though. She had to wait for her leg to heal. Not just heal, it had to heal correctly. She couldn’t move it; she had to keep it straight. She situated herself so that her leg was somewhat comfortable, and she could lie down. She then slowly drifted into sleep and began to dream.
She was a kit, just being able to see the world. Her brothers, she had two, one was named Smoke of Burning Tree, and the other was Water Crashing into Pond. Her sister was Moss that Grows by Rocks, and she was Lily that Grows in Sun. Their mother was named Fern that Grows at Dawn. Lily opened her eyes last of her litter and saw the world last. Water, Smoke and Moss picked on her for being able to not see, until that day. “Hey guys, I can see! Mother I can see!” Lily mewled excitedly. Fern licked her tiny head and mewed, “Finally you can. Your brothers and your sister have been picking on you ever since they had been given the gift of sight by the Tribe of Endless Hunting. You now, can see at last. Now go over there and teach them a lesson for picking on you all the time.”
Lily jumped up and licked Fern’s chin and purred, “Yes mother.” Lily crouched and snuck up behind her brother Smoke, then jumped on him and wrestled him to the ground, pinning him with sheathed paws. She got off of him and purred, “I got you, now where is father, I want to show him I can see now,” She held her head up and widened her milky blue eyes. Moss and Water then came padding over to them with fresh-kill in their jaws. They were bigger than Smoke and Mist. They set down their kill and Moss spoke first, “I brought you a mouse Smoke, do you want to share?”
“Yes thanks! Let’s go over there and eat it next to the waterfall,” He replied as he picked up the mouse and headed over to the waterfall. Fern called to them, “Don’t go to close.”
Water dropped a piece of an eagle at Mist’s paws and mewed, “Do you want to share this? We can eat it over by the Cave of Pointed Stones if you want?”
“Yes, ok. Let’s go,” She mewled and started over to the Cave of Pointed Stones. They sat and Lily took the first bite, then she pushed the eagle piece over to Water, who took a bite, and pushed it back over to her. Lily asked after they finished, “Do you want to go see if Moss and Smoke are done? So we can play fight?”
“Ok. Let’s go ask them,” Water replied. They went over to the waterfall, where Smoke and Moss were almost done with their mouse. As Smoke was about to take a bite, Water cuffed him on the head with a sheathed paw and mewed playfully, “Hey Smoke, do you want to go play fight with me and Mist?”
It was Moss that replied, “I want to. Come on Smoke.” She started to go over to the far side of the cave but turned around when she realized Smoke wasn’t following them. “Smoke, what are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
“No. I’m going out.” Moss, Lily and Water all mewed, “What?” Then they all raced toward Smoke and waited for him to speak again. “I want to see the world outside the Cave of Rushing Water. Plus, I’m tired of mother and father telling me what to do; and all the other Tribe cats. I can take care of myself now.” He mewled then started toward the exit of the cave, his tiny kit tail held straight up. The entrance was a path, called the Path of Rushing Water. It was a rock path that went behind the waterfall and into the cave. Smoke was heading toward it. Moss, Water and Lily all exchanged mischievous glances then followed him and ran to catch up.
Once Moss, Water, Lily and Smoke all fell in line, they jumped into a trot toward the cave, light shining from it. A light that held unimaginable things, it held the world unknown; never seen by the eyes of these four kits. The kits stepped outside the cave, on the path and out into the sun light for the first time in their short lives. All of their eyes where wider than ever before; staring at the world they were living in and would forever. Then Smoke peeked over the edge of the rock, to the pool below. Smoke began to speak and beckon his litter-mates over to see the pool. He only half mewed, “Guys look! The waterfall ends and you can,” before he was caught by a splash of water that sent him plummeting into the water below. Moss, Water and Lily rushed down the small slope to the pool where Smoke’s lifeless body floated over to the shore. Their eyes were still wide but now filled with fear as they all tried to wake up their brother. “Smoke?”
“Smoke wake up.”
“Smoke?”
“Smoke wake up. Smoke?” They all yowled in sadness at the sight of their now dead brother.
Lily jumped awake from her dream, scared. Then she realized that it was a dream, a distant memory, long forgotten; Left behind, in the mountains; in the Tribe. Lily woke up for a second time, from a dreamless sleep, not the horrible dream from kit-hood, but a nice dreamless sleep. She rose to her paws and trying to stretch, she realized her leg was still broken, so she lied down and began to take the cobweb off. She saw that the swelling was going down. She wanted it to hurry up and heal so she could get to the mountains, and go after Streamstone. She got the cobweb off and replaced the rushes and cobweb, after going in the stream again, for the swelling. She shook her leg as well as she could to get the water off before she put the rushes and cobweb on.
She padded toward the mountains, now drawn to them, not the camp. Her dream had sparked a memory. Long forgotten, covered by a thick fog that is now clear. She was mostly sure she came from the Tribe of Rushing Water, from the mountains. She hadn’t remembered all of her dream, just the memory of Moss, Water and the long lost Smoke, who had died of curiosity, and bravery. She not only wanted to go to the mountains, to tell Streamstone she was ok, but she wanted to see Moss and Water; to see if they were ok, if they were still alive. She had to remember their colors also, to point them out.
She remembered Moss, a tortishell, but Moss had had green eyes, like the ferns growing in the grassy clearing. Water was a light grey tabby, with darker grey stripes and deep blue eyes. She couldn’t help but remember Smoke, a solid grey tom with icy blue eyes. She had to remember her mother and father also, her mother being a tortishell with emerald green eyes and her father, a grey tabby with darker stripes and deep blue eyes, like an ocean. She had to remember them just in case they still lived in the Tribe of Rushing Water. She felt all she could do was search her memories, so, she did. She wanted to have another memory from kit-hood, from the Tribe, and her mother Fern, and her siblings, Moss, Water and the one who had died in the waterfall, Smoke. She soon fell asleep, greeted by a much needed dream.
She got what she wanted, a dream of the Tribe. She was a kit, her dream continuing from the previous one. She sat on the edge of the pool; water crashing into it, her dead brother lay in front of them. Lily turned to her brother and sister, Moss and Water, and mewed, sniffling, “W-we h-have to get m-mother.” Moss and Water nodded, and they all began to head up the slope to the entrance of the cave. Their mother was happily mewing to another kit-mother, a close friend of Fern’s, Sun Shining on Rocks. Moss, Water and Lily could hear what they were mewing about as they padded closer.
“My little Smoke is an adventurous one. He doesn’t like cats telling him what to do, he’s very independent. Moss is the brains of the group, she’s very good at decisions. Water is my little hunter; he’ll be the best Prey-Hunter in the Tribe. Mist, well, Lily is my fighter, she never gives up; always determined,” They heard their mother mew to Sun, who was nodding in approval. As the kits went closer, Fern saw that they were sniffling, she asked, “What’s wrong kits? Where’s Smoke?” She asked as she looked around the cave. None of them could speak; they were too shocked to say anything. Fern spoke again when none of them did, “Is he exploring the cave again? He’s always is up to something. Go on take me to him.” As she said this the kits turned, and slowly began to pad to the exit. Fern saw where they were going and padded ahead of them and blocked their path, “Oh no, you’re not going out there. Nope.” She began to shoo them backwards. It was Water who spoke up first, “But mom.”
Then Lily mewled, “He’s out there,” She beckoned outside with her tail. Fern turned around and purred, “Oh, no he’s not. He couldn’t go out there, he’s just a kit. He wouldn’t go out there.” Mist, Moss and Water exchanged glances, then looked up at their mom and nodded. She then mewed, “Well, let’s go find him. Keep your fur pressed against the rock wall. Once we get out, you lead the way Mist, since you seem to know where he is.” Lily nodded, and kept to the wall as her mother commanded, along with her den-mates. Once she got outside, she could feel that her mother sensed there was something wrong; her kits were not excited to be outside. And yes, in-fact something was very wrong.
Lily lead the way down the slope and then she cowered and began to sniffle again as she saw her brother was not there. Moss and Water gasped and ran down to the shore. Lily ran with them and they all looked around the pool franticly, eyes filled with panic. Fern soon caught up with them and looked around as they did. She them looked down at them and mewed, “So where is Smoke at? Is he around this pool?” She asked as she started to head over to the other side of the pool.
Moss looked down at the pool, searching the water and finally gasping and nudging her littermates to look where she was looking. Lily finally saw it, her brother. He was lying at the bottom of the crystal clear pool, unmoving.
Lily snapped her head awake, scared to look at any water now. Her memory was now haunted by the image of her unmoving brother flashing in her icy blue eyes. She was never going to forget the haunting memory, no matter how much she tried. Lily got up and stretched, without pain. Good, my leg is better. She took the cobweb and the rushes off of her leg and went to stand in the stream again for the swelling. She shivered as she got in the water, it was freezing cold, but not as cold as before; green-leaf was coming, ridding her world of cold and prey loss. Speaking of prey loss, Lily found herself hungry, time to hunt. She got out of the stream and shook her paws carefully, to get the top layer of water off. She went toward the mountains to hunt, unable to wait for her journey. She realized she entered Windclan territory, following Streamstone’s scent trail, which was already faded. He was traveling fast, running for the most part. She hoped to not run into Windclan, she assumed that they where hostile, like Shadowclan cats.
She had never met Riverclan and she didn’t hope to see any on her travel. She followed the trail along the lake, sometimes having to go deeper into Windclan territory. He was probably hunting, rabbits and mice. She began to drag her paws, realizing she was ready to collapse under her own weight. She finally stopped at a spot by the lake, a small grassy spot, shaded by heather bushes. She padded lazily over to it and flopped down on already flattened grass. Streamstone has been here, I’m going the right way. She began to scent the air, growing even hungrier. She scented rabbit and remembering to keep low, she followed the scent. She was led up a slope; she hid in a heather bush and popped her head out, soon to pop it back in. She saw a Windclan patrol, stalking the same rabbit. The wind was not in her favor, it was blowing toward the patrol, ruffling her fur and sending her scent to them.
She hid in the bush, trying to see them without them seeing her. She saw that the cats where thin, yet Windclan where know for being thin and lithe. They stayed low to the ground. Then she saw a new hunting technique she had never seen before. She watched closely and remembered what they did. But it turned up useless to her; it had to have at least three cats. A small she-cat who was brown and had amber eyes went around the left of the rabbit. Another she-cat, this one black with green eyes, went to the right, followed by a solid grey tom. The tom went and snuck in front of the rabbit and finally ran at it, chasing it into the waiting she-cats. The she-cats pinned the rabbit and the tom finished it off with a swift bite to the neck. Wow, I might want to remember that. That’s a great technique, she thought, admiring the Windclan cat’s great strategy.
She stayed in the bush, hoping they didn’t scent her; but they did. They came running toward her, eyes blazing. She stepped out of the bush, sat, and awaited their attack. To her surprise they skidded to a halt in front of her. The big tom hissing first, “Who are you and why are you on our territory?”
Lily sat confidently and mewed calmly to the big tom, twice her size, “That’s for me to know. I am not causing any harm and I haven’t stole prey, yet I am hungry. Can you spare me a rabbit please?”
The tom eyed her curiously, “What clan do you belong to?”
“I belong to no clan. I am on my own terms of surviving. Now may I have a rabbit, whatever your name is?”
“The name is Greypelt. This is Nightshade and Barkheart. You can’t have our prey.”
Lily eyed the tom, standing and staring up at him, her milky blue eyes burning into him, making him shrink away, “Really? Do I have to take it from you?”
Nightshade and Barkheart crouched, ready to defend their prey with tooth and claw. Greypelt’s eyes became cold, “Go ahead. Try,” he hissed. She reared up and slashed his face with her claws, breaking skin. Then she turned quickly to Nightshade and slid under her and easily kicked her over with her hind paws. Then she got up and hind-kicked Barkheart and shot to the rabbit that they had killed. She hurried and grabbed the rabbit and took off toward a twoleg barn; Greypelt, Nightshade and Barkheart chasing her, spitting and hissing. She smelled the scent of twoleg and then the Windclan cats realized she crossed their border, and stopped chasing her.
She ran into the barn, startling the huge animals resting in cages. She saw an escape from the huge brown animals, up. She climbed a pile of hay to a ledge made of wood. She hardly breathed; she was so frightened of these huge brown animals. She jumped as a voice came from behind her, “Wow! I’ve never seen a cat fight like that!”
Another replied, “I know right! That was great! I wonder if we could ever do that.” Lily puffed out her fur and hissed as she turned around, “You could never. Who are you? Show you selves.” She let her fur lay flat and she purred in laughter, as she saw two she-cats step out of the darkness, both wearing collars. “I can’t believe I almost lost myself to a couple of kittypets! Hi there, I’m Mist.”
The two she-cats looked at each other and one mewed, “Hi, Mist. I’m Twist and that’s Ashie. Twist was a small tortishell she-cat with white stripes, only on her face, and deep blue eyes. Ashie was a light grey tabby with deep blue eyes. Lily dipped her head to both of them and mewed, “Nice to meet you Twist and Ashie. Would you like some fresh-kill?”
Twist and Ashie cautiously glanced at each other, then Ashie mewed, “Well, we’ve never met a wild cat like you. Twist, Do you want to?”
“Yes. I could go for some food. But I’ve never tasted a rabbit before. In fact, I’ve never tasted any kind of animal before. I only eat the food my owners give me,” Twist mewed to Mist.
Mist’s eyes widened, “You’re telling me, you’ve never tasted a vole, or a mouse, or a rabbit? You really need to taste this. It’s the best food you’ll ever eat.” Lily pushed the rabbit toward them and then mewed, “Well? Go on, take a bite.”
Twist and Ashie looked at each other, and then they both leaned down and took a small bite. Their eyes soon widened and Ashie mewed, “Wow! This is really good! Isn’t it Twist?” Twist nodded, as she took another huge bite, and so did Ashie.
Lily butted in and said, “I need some too. Scoot over.” She pushed in between them and took a bite. Lily liked these two kitty pets. She wanted them to come to the mountains with her and live their lives. She couldn’t imagine being trapped in a small twoleg den, with nothing to explore. She stopped eating and asked through a mouth full of rabbit, “Don’t you guys want to see the world? Do you like being trapped in a small twoleg den?”
Twist was the one to reply, “Actually we enjoy being inside. We like the warmth.”
Ashie looked at Mist, then over to Twist and meowed, “I really want to see the world. I want to see outside my fence and explore the outdoors. Why don’t you?”
Twist looked at her, surprised, “I don’t want to go out there and get killed. I want to stay in my safe den with my twoleg.”
Lily looked over at Ashie, “Do you like that thing on your neck Ashie?” She was talking about Ashie’s collar. Ashie shook her head and mewed, “I feel trapped in it. It’s like a barrier, shielding me from the outside. I can’t get it off and when I do, my owners put another one on my neck.”
Lily looked at her and mewed, “I will get it off if you want. But there is a side note.” Mist’s gaze was firm, “You have to come to the mountains with me. It will be the greatest adventure in your life. The best part is; nothing is holding you back.”
Twist’s eyes widened, “No, She not going!”
Ashie turned over to Twist and softened her gaze, “I want to, Twist. I want to escape.” Lily turned to Ashie and with one precise hit, Lily tore Ashie’s collar in half, and it fell to the ground. Ashie purred. “Will you please come with me? I wouldn’t like to go without you. You’re my sister Twist, you have to come. It wouldn’t be as fun without you there too.”
Twist purred and licked Ashie’s head, “I will come.” Lily turned to Twist and slashed an unsheathed claw at Twists collar, also tearing it in half. It fell to the ground and when it hit, Twist purred as well. Lily saw a window at the other end of the ledge and she padded over to it, Ashie and Twist following. Lily looked over at Ashie, then Twist and back again to the window. This was just the beginning, of a journey, untold.
Chapter 4
Splashpelt
Lily slept in the barn that night with Ashie and Twist. She awoke to a loud, strange sound, sort of a crowing noise. Lily jumped awake in fact, and woke Ashie and Twist from their peaceful sleep also. Ashie and Twist purred, and then Twist said, “Relax Mist, it’s just a chicken. The twolegs keep them outside. They aren’t any harm to us, they eat grain, not cats.”
“I didn’t say they eat cats, they just scared me that’s all.” Lily mewed, and then gapped her mouth in a huge yawn. She had another dream, the same dream as before; the same, haunting dream. She was only reminded of the image, her brother’s body, lifeless and nonmoving, in the bottom of the pool. Maybe she could meet him in dreams, like Starclan, but he would be in the mountains, in the Tribe of Endless Hunting; a place where Starclan did not walk. She was taken back to the real world by a creaking door opening, and a twoleg walked into the barn. Mist’s fur rose in fear, to her, twolegs meant danger. She looked over at Ashie and Twist. To her surprise they were heading down the hay, tails high. They rubbed up against the twoleg, who rubbed its hand along their backs as they purred.
Lily hissed and Ashie and Twist looked at her and beckoned her with their tail tips to come down. Are they crazy? I’m not going near that thing! Lily hissed again, so Twist and Ashie came running back up to the ledge, twoleg following. Mouse dung! It’s coming up here! Lily hissed at them as they came past her, still purring, “In the name of Starclan why did you lead it up here?” Before they could answer Lily went to a different hay pile, on the ledge, and pushed her way into it, hoping the twoleg didn’t see her in it. It did. The twoleg mewed something and came toward her with something in her hands, a cage! No, I can’t be captured! Lily hissed from the hay and the twoleg hesitated, and then came forward again, now mewing more angrily. The twoleg began to run toward her, holding out the cage. Lily tried to back away, but a wall blocked her path. She was trapped. The twoleg put the cage into the entrance and held it there. Lily tried to run and jump out of its grasp, but she found herself in the cage, door locked.
Lily hissed fiercely and rammed herself against the cage door, clawing at it. Twist and Ashie stared at her, surprised how fierce she could be. She wasn’t trying her hardest yet. She would save that for when the twoleg let her out of the cage. She kept heaving herself against the door but it didn’t open, so she thought, the door is locked. I need to get out so where is the lock? She looked around the cage, pawing at the walls to find a way out. She saw a metal box on the door, with a metal stick sticking out of it. That must be the lock. She rammed herself against the door one more time then she stuck a paw out the door. She moved the lock so that it was almost out of the slot that held the door closed. Lily felt as though she was so close to getting free, to the world again. As her paw slid the lock, the twoleg growled something and pushed her paw back in the cage. She hissed as the twoleg carried her out of the barn. They took her into their den, followed by Twist and Ashie. They where purring and rubbing up against everything they passed.
She had to get out, she wasn’t meant to be kept inside anything. She hissed to Twist and Ashie, “How could you let them take me? I hate this thing, I can’t be trapped like this.”
They looked at each other, then Twist mewed, “I’m sorry, I thought you’d like it. We do.” She looked over at Ashie, insisting for her to agree.
Then Ashie answered, “Well I guess I kind of like it in here, but it’s too small. I want to go outside, and live out there and hunt for my own food, like Lily, Twist. Don’t you see?”
“Well I guess it is small in here. So what do we do about it? I’m not leaving without Splashpelt.” She said this while gesturing to a nest, made of some cloth unknown to Lily. It was sitting by a fire, warmth flowing from it in waves warming Lily’s pelt. A cat was resting in it, clearly sleeping, breathing slowly and rhythmically. It was a dark brown molted tom, with light blue eyes. He was now waking up, seeming to get bigger and bigger as he stood up. He was just about as big as Hawkshine, maybe bigger. He was staring at her, eyes wide, as if he had never seen another cat before.
He began to purr and started toward Ashie, Twist and her. He went over to stand next to Twist, rubbed his cheek to her head, and then purred, “How was the barn, did you catch anything yet? And who is this?” He asked as he looked over at Lily, still in her cage. The twoleg had set her down. He walked over to her and sniffed the cage, suddenly widening his eyes as he seemed to have caught Thunderclan scent. He backed away and went over by Twist again. “Where did she come from?”
“She was a loner and we saw her take on three cats at once, to get a rabbit. She shared some with us then our owner put her in a cage and here we are.”
“Well she smells like Thunderclan. Are you sure you’re a loner?”
“I was a loner and was taken in by Thunderclan for a few days.” Her eyes clouded with Mossstar’s words, you must fulfill the prophecy our mother has told you to fulfill. She shivered then mewed, “It didn’t work out though, so I fled and here I am, trapped in this stupid cage thing. Twist and Ashie are coming to the mountains with me. Twist wants you to come too don’t you Twist?”
“Well, umm, I guess, yes. Can you come Splashpelt, please?”
Splashpelt looked over at Twist, then at Lily and mewed, “I want to come, I also want to join the clans again, so if you wish to come back Twist you may, but I will be remaining in the clans. Preferably Thunderclan this time. I realized that Riverclan are just senseless killers.”
Lily tipped her head at the mentioning of Thunderclan and Riverclan. Then she mewed, “You know of the clans, how?”
“Well I can’t tell you everything, but I can sum it up for you. I was part of a raiding patrol into the Thunderclan camp. We thought that we needed to attack them for more territory. I was the only one who really realized that we really just attacked them for no reason. Kits were killed Lily, and I want to fight against that. During the raid I fought for Thunderclan, fighting beside my sister, Wingfrost. She was a great fighter. She didn’t ever give up,” His eyes drifted to a faraway place, clouded by a distant memory. He shook his head, clearing it out then meowing, “I wish to see her again. So when do we leave for the mountains?”
Lily looked over at Twist, who was leaning up against Splashpelt, her head up to only his shoulder, and Ashie, who had laid down and listened intently to his story. Then Lily looked back over at Splashpelt and mewed, “As soon as I get out of this thing.” She clawed the cage door again. She suddenly looked up at Ashie, Twist and Splashpelt and mewed mischievously, “How do I get one of those twolegs to like me?”
Ashie spoke up, “Well first just meow a lot, then when they look at you, just purr and rub against the cage door and mew. That’s sure to let you out.”
“Like this?” Lily said then promptly meowed. The twoleg meowed something and sat in front of the cage. Lily purred and rubbed the cage door and mewed. The twoleg mewed something and stuck its fingers into the cage door. Lily first backed away, then looking at Ashie, who was nodding, showing her that she should go over to it, she went back up to its paw and rubbed it.
The twoleg opened the cage door and Lily bolted out. She went over to an opened window and scrabbled out of it. She jumped down to the ground and sighed, then breathed in, inhaling fresh mountain air swooping down from the mountains. She turned around and sat, waiting for Ashie, Twist and Splashpelt to come flooding out of the window, finally escaping the twolegs grasp. Yet they did not come out, the twoleg had shut the window. Then Twist appeared in the window, meowing something illiterate to Lily . She shook her head then slowly padded into a pine bush and made a hollowing in the middle and laid down. She waited for them, she knew they would make it out in the morning. She thought, and hoped. She slowly drifted into sleep. She awoke in a clearing, covered with flowers and surrounded by trees, with an opened canopy reveling a starry night. She heard rustling in the ferns, she turned and crouched, hiding in the long grass and wild flowers. A beautiful dark tortishell she-cat with a distinctive dapple coat and piercing amber eyes, leapt out of the trees into the clearing.
She crouched even closer to the ground, pressing her belly to the soft flowery ground. The she cat looked around and then mewed lightly, “I know you’re here Lily . Come on out, I know you are here and I have something to tell you.”
Lily’s mind soared, what did this cat have to tell her? She cautiously stood up and looked over at the cat with widened eyes, stars reflecting in them. Her milky gaze met the tortishell’s amber gaze, and she started toward Lily. Lily slid out her claws, ready to defend herself if needed. The she cat stopped and her gaze hardened, as if she could see inside Lily. She mewed, “I know your claws are out Lily, I would like it if you had them sheathed.”
Lily sheathed her claws, admiring her ability to know so much. She sat and let the she cat come toward her. She sat in front of her and mewed softly, “I have been expecting you Lily, and I have news for you.”
Lily leaned forward, wanting to know more. Then she spoke again, “I am Spottedleaf, great medicine cat of Thunderclan. I have come to give you a message from Bluestar, my leader. You are part of a prophecy Lily. I tell the prophecy to you as I was told, Kin of great cats, yet not known by most, soon will save us all. You are to become a clan cat Lily. You must become Medicine cat of Thunderclan, to teach the apprentice everything you know. Then you are to be a warrior, and teach the rest. Some things you may not know that you actually do. Do you understand Lily ? You are to be a cat that will be told in nursery tales through the generations of warriors to come.”
Lily’s eyes widened and she spoke, “I-I don’t get it. How can I do all that? I’m just one cat.”
Spottedleaf leaned in and rested her muzzle on Lily’s head and mewed, “Trust Lily. Trust, trust in Starclan, and in me. I will guide you when you need it.” As Spottedleaf faded, Lily’s eyes opened, revealing Ashie, Twist and Splashpelt standing in the bush surrounding her. Splashpelt mewed in his deep voice, “Wake up sleepy head, we have mountains to go to.”
Lily stood and stretched. She purred as she briefly smelled Spottedleaf’s sweet herby scent surround her, and then slowly fade. This was it, she was off to the mountains, off to Streamstone.
Chapter 5
Twist
Lily and Ashie walked into a heather bush, flooded with Streamstone’s scent. Twist and Splashpelt lay in the middle of the hollow heather bush against each other, sleeping. Ashie padded over to Twist and prodded her gently in the side mewing, “Wake up Twist, we found another scent trail of Streamstone’s.”
Twist stirred and put her head up, opening her sleepy eyes, and yawned. “Good morning. Me and Splashpelt were just so tired. So this Streamstone cat, you found another of his scent trails?”
“Yep. Come on, we’re going to follow it.”
“Well ok then. Can I eat first, I’m starving.” She prodded Splashpelt’s side gently. He stirred and lifted his head, yawning and mewing, “Good morning Twist, Ashie. Good morning Lily, catch any prey for us?”
“Well I’d like it if you learned how to yourself. I’ve been hunting today already and I ate it. I can teach you some hunting moves if you guys want.” She started outside and sat on the edge of the bush and waited for them to follow. Her tail shot up after Splashpelt poked out of the bush followed by Ashie and Twist. She padded out in between a group of heather bushes, ground covered in sand.
She mewed while sitting, “Ok. The first thing to hunting, the hunter’s crouch.”
She demonstrated the crouch, pressing her belly close to the ground, tail high enough so that it doesn’t skirt the ground. She mewed while slowly creeping up on a dead leaf. “Remember that a mouse feels you before it hears, smells or sees you. So keep your paw steps light enough to sneak up on it.” She kept creeping forward, then pausing briefly, she leapt into the air, landing a few paw steps ahead of the leaf.
She then sat up and waited for comments.
“Why didn’t you land on the leaf? The mouse would’ve got away.” Twist was tilting her head.
“Well Twist, you want to aim for where the prey is going, not where it is.” Lily explained.
“Oh, I get it. The mouse will have noticed you and run, so you have to know where it’s going.”
“Exactly.”
She turned to Splashpelt and mewed to him, “Why don’t you give it a try. I scented a mouse over there,” She looked in the direction of a lone gorse bush, “Go get the mouse and bring it back. If you catch it, you can share it with Twist.”
Splashpelt scented the air, clearly tasting the mouse scent, dropping into the demonstrated crouch. Lily inspected his crouch before he stalked the mouse, tapping his back with her tail, letting him know to put it lower to the ground. He lowered his back. She then got into the crouch herself and compared hers to his. She stood up then sat, and nodded. Splashpelt’s eyes shone as he began to creep up onto the mouse. Lily examined his every paw step. He saw the mouse, rustling in the heather, and searching for food. He stopped and briefly planning his landing, he pounced. He landed squarely on the mouse, swiftly killing it with a bite to its neck. He trotted happily over to Twist, mouse dangling in his jaws, and dropped it at Twist’s paws. She purred and sniffed the mouse, then took a bite.
Lily padded over and sat by Twist and Splashpelt. “Well done. I see you’ve remembered your training from Riverclan.”
“Yes, I have been taught well. Snowshade was a great mentor.”
“I bet she was. You have great posture and good stealth. Do you know any fighting moves?”
“Well I did know them, but I have most likely forgo-” He was cut off by Lily , who had attacked him with sheathed claws.
She caught him off guard so he was knocked to the ground by the she-cat, who was half his size. She quickly jumped off of him and ran behind him and waited for him to get to his paws and turn to face her. When he did, she was ready. She was already charging toward him, and when he dodged out of the way, she knew what to do. He swerved to the right, just out of her paw’s reach. She ran behind him, to the other side of him and hind-kicked him gently, just enough to knock him down. He was again caught off guard and got to is paws, looking around for Lily . She was hiding behind him. He finally saw her and turned on her. She waited for him to charge at her. When he did, she dodged him and turned into him, jumping, and landing on his shoulders.
He rolled over, crushing her. She thought and went limp. He got off of her and she jumped up. He was still on top of her so she was now under his belly. She turned upside down so her back was to the soil. She kicked up with her legs, sending him off of her and he landed on his back. She quickly jumped on top of him, not letting him get up. She pinned him to the ground, then got off and sat. “How was that for a cat half your size?”
He got to his paws and shook himself. He looked surprised that a little she-cat like Lily could be so strong. “That was great! How did you learn to do that?”
“Well I actually taught myself everything I know. My fighting moves prove to be useful against clan cats back by the lake. I’ve been in battles with them before.”
“Really, What happened?” Ashie had been watching at the sidelines, eyes wide.
“Well. I woke up to rain, great, I thought, more rain, just what I need. I got to my paws, and ran to the tree line, up the bank. I finally got under a tree and sat down, quickly fleeing up the tree, I had heard voices. Thunderclan and Shadowclan, wow, I’ve never seen so many cats this close, I hope they don’t find me or I’ll be crow-food, I thought. The Thunderclan patrol had met Shadowclan at the border. I knew the Shadowclan patrol; it consisted of Rockear, Lakepelt, Honeyleaf, Moustail, Poppypaw, Volepaw and Oakfur. I met them in an earlier encounter. I had never met any Thunderclan cats before; I assumed they were as hostile as Shadowclan. I could not hear what they were fussing over but I could see the cats spitting and hissing at each other over the border. Honeyleaf hissed over the border to a small grey she-cat with green eyes, which were filled with fury. Honeyleaf hissed, “I don’t care if your apprentice went over the border or not, I want to know why you aren’t going to do anything about it.”
“What are you going to do?” A small brown tabby tom with yellow eyes mewed, his voice shaking. I thought, He must be the unlucky one who accidently crossed the border.
A black tom with amber eyes replied something I couldn’t hear. Suddenly Stonetail leapt across the border onto the cat talking to the apprentice. They fought with tooth and claw in a bundle of fur. One of the cats from Thunderclan yowled loudly and the they all jumped into battle. Stonetail bit the Thunderclan cat’s tail and sent him pelting into the brush. Rockear and Poppypaw where using a battle move, fit for two, on another Thunderclan cat, also sending it into the foliage. Two Thunderclan cats jumped onto Honeyleaf, who was struggling under one cat, while the other scratched at her face and belly. Moustail was wresting with a huge dark brown tabby tom, with amber eyes filled with determination. Surprisingly Moustail, the small she-cat, sent him running back to the sidelines. I stared in awe over the fighting cats, yet I saw one sitting alone. He was a massive black tom with blue eyes. He was watching the battle with amusement in his eyes. What is he doing, laughing at these injured cats, and I ought to rip his fur off. I dug my claws into the tree limb, who’s stopping me.
I leapt down from the tree, landing on the huge tom’s shoulders. He lost his balance; he had been stunned, as if going into shock for a second. I dug my claws into his back. He yowled in protest and rolled over on top of her. Think! I let my body go limp. He then got off of me and I leapt at him, again landing on his back. He flung me off and as he ran at me to attack, I dodged it and made a deep scratch in his side. He turned on me and so I reared up and jumped over his huge body landing, only on my hind paws, behind him. I spun on my hind paws and scratched his face with an outstretched paw. Then I darted under him and bit down fiercely on his hind leg. I ran out from under him just in time. I had sent him running into the trees. And that’s what happened to a cat named Hawkshine.”
Ashie, Twist and Splashpelt were listening in awe, eyes wide and unblinking. Lily looked to each cat then mewed, “Questions?”
Twist spoke up, “What happened in that earlier encounter with the Shadowclan cats?”
“Well,” She started, laying down under the sun high light. “I had heard voices in the forest coming closer and closer to me. I smelled Shadowclan scent and had a flashback. I ran happily through the forest, tracking the scent of a vole. Then out of nowhere, a group of five cats jumped out of the bracken and one tackled me, the others dashing in and biting my legs and body. I finally wriggled free and pelted into the trees. Little had they known, I had circled them. I crouched in a hollow opening in a bush and listened to their conversation. “If I ever see that rogue cat Lily ever again I’m going to rip her fur off!”
Another said, “Easy Smoketail, she is a rogue remember, she can’t defend herself for her own life. She is no concern of ours unless we spot her in our territory again.”
Another cat in the patrol mewed, “Yes, I agree with Honeyleaf. And anyway, if you didn’t agree, she’s the deputy, so you would have to do as she says.”
“Thank you Mousetail.” Honeyleaf turned and meowed to Mousetail.
Smoketail spoke up again, “Well ok. Still, if I see that cat,” Honeyleaf cut him off with a swipe of her tail to his mouth. “If you see that cat again, you’ll wait until I tell you what to do. Now, I want the patrol to split up. Smoketail, go get your apprentice, Volepaw, and another warrior,” She paused to think then spoke again, “Rockear and his apprentice Poppypaw and go to the Riverclan border. Mousetail, Oakfur, Pinepaw and I will go check the Thunderclan border.”
Then, fearing the cats might see me, I clawed my way silently up a tree. Honeyleaf and her patrol went one way while Smoketail, muttering something under his breath, stalked off under the tree I was perched in. Then I came back to the real world.
When I came back to the real world, rainy and cold, my fear came back with it as well. I remembered just fast enough to once again, silently claw my way up a tree and wait. The patrol burst out of the trees into the clearing. I instantly recognized cats from earlier. My earlier encounter had been about a moon ago. I saw Honeyleaf, the deputy who was a black she-cat with yellow eyes, leading the patrol. I also saw Mousetail, a grey tabby she-cat with yellow eyes and by the look of it Rockear, who they had mentioned before. I assumed this because this cat was a massive, solid grey tom, with amber eyes, and a torn ear. Rockear had brought his apprentice, who stayed by his side, Poppypaw. She was young, only a few moons into training. She was a small, golden furred she-cat, with amber eyes to go along. Also I saw one other cat I had never seen before. A sturdy grey tabby tom with green eyes. They began to speak but I had not wanted to listen. Mousetail was scanning the trees that enclosed the clearing. The others stopped for a drink in the stream. I turned my eyes again to Mousetail, who was now sniffing in the spot I had buried her cobweb and Poppy, I had gotten attacked by a fox earlier. I then thought, oh no, they might scent me, that I have been here. Or they could follow the scent trail to me up this tree. Just wait, I told myself. Wait.
I then listened to what they had been saying, Honeyleaf spoke first, “Mousetail, are you sure it’s Lily? We haven’t seen her in about a moon. If she is here then, I sure hope she doesn’t show herself, or I’ll get her ears.”
Rockear spoke up after she was done, “I agree, she doesn’t want to be in a fight with us. It would be the end of her, a five against one battle.”
“Yes Rockear, it would not end up good for Lily. What do you think Lakepelt?” Honeyleaf spoke and touched the tip of her tail to Lakepelt’s shoulder.
Lakepelt gazed around the clearing, scanning the trees as Moustail had done, “I think if she thinks she can take on a patrol of five, then hedgehogs fly. Now are we going to get on with this hunting patrol, or do I have to go myself?”
Honeyleaf narrowed her eyes, “As you wish Lakepelt, just control that attitude of yours, if you can.” Her black pelt was swallowed by the ferns, in the direction of the lake, following the stream, as she shot off into the woods. The rest of the patrol struggled to keep up as Honeyleaf was clearly the fastest out of all of them. I let out a sigh, as I had been holding my breath since they had mentioned my name. I stayed in the tree for a while, making sure they had gone. And that was what happened. Shadowclan basically hate me. I can handle them now though.”
“Wow. That’s was a great story. Did all that really happen?” Twist was scooting forward, clearly wanting to hear more.
“Yes, that all happened about a little less than a moon ago. Well Streamstone has to be far by now so let’s go follow his scent.” The cats nodded and started off to the mountains, following Streamstone’s clear scent trail, Lily leading the way. She skidded to a halt in front of a stream. She scented the air, eyes widening. She turned to Ashie, Twist and Splashpelt, who were all staring at her. Lily mewed franticly, “He turned around! He’s going back away from the mountains!”
Twist, Ashie and Splashpelt’s eyes widened to match Lily’s. They all exchanged glances and ran off in the direction of Streamstone’s scent trail, at full pelt. His trail was fresh. He was still on the move. She all of the sudden skidded to a halt, as she had realized the others had stopped in front of the barn. Lily mewed as she ran toward them. “Come on guys. We have no time to wait around and be sad. We have to go follow the trail.”
Twist looked back and mewled, “Well, I guess I’ll just miss home.”
“You’ve been away from it for less than a day Twist. You have to out the past behind you. Let’s go.” She pelted off back to the scent trail as fast as she could. Twist was having trouble catching up with her; Lily was at full pelt again. She saw a wide stream ahead of her, so she picked up pace and leapt it in one jump. She hadn’t had to stop and jump from stepping stone to stepping stone when the others did. She stopped at the sound of Splashpelt’s yowl. She turned around to see the three of them standing at a fallen down tree, fallen across the water and leading to an island on the other side. She trotted over to them and looked at them, showing in her eyes what she had said before. Splashpelt was gazing to the other side of the tree, swampy and somewhat tree-less. He mewed in his deep mew. “Can we take a little side trip. I want to see what has become of Riverclan.”
Lily thought for a second, tilting her head. Well I guess so but we just need to keep moving. I guess we can, fine. “Ok Splashpelt, but we have to hurry. Lead us there.”
Splashpelt nodded and leapt over the tree, followed by Ashie, Twist and Lily. They followed him over fallen trees and around bramble thickets, in and out of thick foliage and bracken. He finally stopped by a stream. On the other side gathered cats, clearly this was the Riverclan camp. Lily crinkled her nose, smelling the Riverclan cat’s scent. Smells like rotten fish from tainted water.
Splashpelt sighed, clearly missing his old home, yet glad to be in his new one. He turned back to the she-cats and whispered, “You guys stay here, I’m going to see if they recognize me anymore.”
Lily purred and mewed, “Now think Splashpelt, what if they don’t recognize you, or even if they do. What would you do if they attacked you? Run and hide like a scared little kit?”
“No.” He mewed defensively. “I would fight. And I guess I’ll need help if I do.” He examined each of their faces and mewed again, “You can come.” As they were about to jump the stream they heard a growl come from behind them.
“What are you doing trespassing on Riverclan land?”
They all turned at once to see a light grey spotted she-cat with dark blue eyes staring at them. Her claws were unsheathed and her eyes narrowed. She crouched, as if ready to pounce if needed. Splashpelt took a step forward and looked into the she-cats eyes, studying them closely. Then he purred and mewed, “Long time no see Dewfrost.”
The she-cat’s eyes widened as he spoke. She then sat and purred, “Splashpelt. I haven’t seen you in about four moons now. What are you doing here?”
“Where’s Icekit? I want to see our daughter.”
Twist growled lightly from the background. The growl ceased when Ashie laid her tail on Twist’s shoulder, whispering something to her. Dewfrost mewed again, “Icepaw actually. Duskwing’s mentoring her, she was made an apprentice a few moons ago.”
“Good. Duskwing was a fun den mate, I’ve known him ever since we were kits. He’ll be a good mentor.” Splashpelt purred, he was proud of his daughter. The purr died out as his eyes darkened. “I’m not coming back to Riverclan, Dewfrost.”
Dewfrost’s purr had also died and she mewed, “Why not? Why can’t you come back? Everybody misses you.”
“I know. Do you remember the night we invaded Thunderclan for more land?”
“You know I do. I was in the patrol with you. It was me, you, Reedstar, Feathertail, Dapplenose, Breezetail, Blossompaw, Reedwhisker, Mousewhisker and Sunpuddle. I remember the night clearly.”
“Well, that night I realized something. Riverclan invaded unfairly. We had no right to attack Thunderclan for anything. We had enough land to support us. We don’t need anything else than what we already have. Do you realize that innocent Thunderclan kits died Dewfrost? Three kits died and so did an apprentice. Do you know who killed those kits Dewfrost?”
Dewfrost had no time to answer before Splashpelt mewed again. “Reedstar did Dewfrost. Reedstar; he killed those innocent kits for no reason. He also injured an apprentice, named properly Clawpaw. He died because of claws. His injuries would not let him live.” He paused and sighed. “I realized that Riverclan are killers. I have come a long way to do this Dewfrost. I am going to join Thunderclan.”
“How can you Splashpelt? What about me? What about Icepaw? Now what would she think when she finds out her father has joined a clan against her own?”
“Actually that is why came here. I want to see her. Can you bring her here?”
Dewfrost sighed, turning and running off into the swampy woods. She stopped and yowled over her shoulder to him. “Wait there.”
Splashpelt turned back to Twist and mewed, “That was Dewfrost, Twist. And soon you will meet Icepaw.”
Twist snorted and padded away to go sit under a tree. Ashie went with her, leaving Lily and Splashpelt. They lied down and waited as Dewfrost had said to. They soon sat up from the moist ground, as they spotted a small, light grey she-cat with darker grey spots and blue eyes. She skidded to a halt in front of the two cats, looking up at them wide eyed. Then she mewed, “Who are you?”
Splashpelt looked into her eyes and waited for her to answer her own question, as she gazed into his eyes. “Dad? Is that you? Splashpelt?”
Splashpelt purred and mewed, “Yes Icepaw, I’m back.”
Icepaw jumped up and licked Splashpelt’s chin and mewed, ”How did you get here?”
“Well, I got a little help from her.” He turned to Lily and Lily crouched down to Icepaw’s eye level, wanting not to seem intimidating to the little she-cat.
“Greetings Icepaw,” She mewed. “I’m Lily.”
The little she-cat dipped her head and mewed, “Greetings Lily. I am Icepaw.”
“Nice to meet you Icepaw. How is training going?”
“Well actually it’s going great! I have learned some hunting moves and hunting tricks. I’ve only been an apprentice for a moon now and I haven’t gone to a gathering yet, but I can’t wait until I do!”
Lily purred, “Good. I bet you’ll be a great warrior one day.”
Icepaw purred and turned to her father, who was watching them with bright eyes. “Well it’s great that you two are getting along but we have to go now.” He mewed in his deep mew.
Icepaw padded over to her father and sat and mewed, “Why do you have to go? Aren’t you staying here?”
Splashpelt licked Icepaw’s head and mewed, “I’m not staying Icepaw. You will understand when you are older, but I can’t stay. I’m going to join Thunderclan.”
Without hesitating Icepaw mewled, “Well, if you’re going then I’m going with you.”
Splashpelt rubbed her head with her check and mewed, “I would take you if I could, but you can’t leave Riverclan. You just began training and your mother, she wouldn’t leave with us. You can’t come.”
“But dad, I’ll get mom to come with us though. Please?”
Splashpelt sighed and mewed, “It’s up to your mother.”
Icepaw jumped up to lick his chin and mewed, “Thanks dad, I’ll go ask mother.” She trotted out to find Dewfrost. Splashpelt turned to Lily and mewed, “What will I do if Dewfrost says no? I can’t go without Icepaw.”
Lily softened her gaze and mewed, “Splashpelt, just trust your heart.”
“Well ok then, whatever that means.” He sighed and padded up to Dewfrost and Icepaw as the emerged to the other side of the fallen tree log. Dewfrost didn’t look pleased, as her eyes where narrowed and she stalked toward them, Icepaw bouncing at her heels happily. Dewfrost sat beside Splashpelt and told Icepaw to go play with Lily while they discussed what was to happen.
Icepaw came trotting over to Lily mewing, “So what clan do you belong to? How did you get here?”
“Well Icepaw, I’m not from any clan. I’m a loner. I have spent some time with Thunderclan and then I went to the mountains looking for a cat named Streamstone. I met you father out by the mountains. I also met Ashie and Twist, the cats under that tree over there. Twist is the tortishell one with white stripes on her face. Ashie is the light grey dappled one. They were kittypets, as the clans call them. They wanted to come live out in the open, like I do. So they came with me and Splashpelt. Splashpelt wanted to see Riverclan so here we are.”
“Wow. So what do rouges do? You know, because they don’t have clans, or train, or medicine cats to help them. How do you heal after getting hurt?”
“Well, I actually know all the herbs and I can fend for myself. I once fought off three Windclan warriors to get prey.”
“Wow, can you tell me that story?”
“Well, ok. I was going into the mountains to look for a cat named Streamstone of Thunderclan. So I was getting hungry and I was in Windclan territory stalking a rabbit. A Windclan patrol was stalking the same prey. So then the wind was not in my favor, it was blowing toward the patrol, ruffling my fur and sending my scent to them.
I hid in the bush, trying to see them without them seeing me. I saw that the cats where thin, yet Windclan where know for being thin and lithe. They stayed low to the ground. Then I saw a new hunting technique I had never seen before. I watched closely and remembered what they did. But it turned up useless to me; it had to have at least three cats. A small she-cat who was brown and had amber eyes went around the left of the rabbit. Another she-cat, this one black with green eyes, went to the right, followed by a solid grey tom. The tom went and snuck in front of the rabbit and finally ran at it, chasing it into the waiting she-cats. The she-cats pinned the rabbit and the tom finished it off with a swift bite to the neck. Wow, I might want to remember that. That’s a great technique, I thought, admiring the Windclan cat’s great strategy.
I stayed in the bush, hoping they didn’t scent me; but they did. They came running toward me, their eyes blazing. So I stepped out of the bush, sat, and awaited their attack. To my surprise they skidded to a halt in front of me. The big tom hissing first, “Who are you and why are you on our territory?”
I sat confidently and mewed calmly to the big tom, twice my size, “That’s for me to know. I am not causing any harm and I haven’t stole prey, yet I am hungry. Can you spare me a rabbit please?”
The tom eyed me curiously, “What clan do you belong to?”
“I belong to no clan. I am on my own terms of surviving. Now may I have a rabbit, whatever your name is?”
“The name is Greypelt. This is Nightshade and Barkheart. You can’t have our prey.”
I closely eyed the tom, standing and staring up at him, “Really? Do I have to take it from you?”
Nightshade and Barkheart crouched, ready to defend their prey with tooth and claw. Greypelt’s eyes became cold, “Go ahead. Try,” he hissed. I reared up and slashed his face with my claws, breaking his thin Windclan skin. Then I turned quickly to Nightshade and slid under her and easily kicked her over with my hind paws. Then I got up and hind-kicked Barkheart and shot to the rabbit that they had killed. I hurried and grabbed the rabbit and took off toward a twoleg barn; Greypelt, Nightshade and Barkheart were chasing me, spitting and hissing. I then smelled the scent of twoleg and then the Windclan cats realized she crossed their border, and stopped chasing me.”
“Cool! Where did you learn those moves from? Can you teach me them?” Icepaw’s eyes were wide at the end of her story.
“Well I’m not sure I’ll have the time. I’m not in Riverclan like you, remember?”
“You can still come and visit can’t you?”
“I’m not sure the rest of your clan would welcome a loner like me.” She sighed.
“Yes, I guess you’re right. So what are mother and father talking about?”
“You know how you wanted to come to Thunderclan with your father?”
“Yes.”
“They are deciding whether to let you go with him or not.”
Icepaw started off to her mother and father mewing something. Lily started to pad off in the direction of the island, not aware of the calls of Ashie and Twist. She started into a trot, trotting up the log that led onto the island. She slowed her trot into a pad again, feeling the thick marshy soil coming up, soaking her cloudy grey-white paws. She scented mingled scents of all the clans, Shadow, Wind, River and Thunder. This must be where they hold meetings at full moons, she thought. She ventured up to the highest point of the island, in a grassy clearing, surrounded by reeds and pine trees. The scents of clans and the thick, musty scent of pine was too much for Lily. She crinkled her nose and bounded off of the island.
When she stopped at the bottom of the fallen tree, Twist, Ashie, Splashpelt, and the other two Riverclan cats waited for her. She glanced at the faces of Dewfrost and Icepaw. They were happy, as Splashpelt’s was. She asked, “So what is the final decision on Icepaw and Dewfrost coming?”
It was Dewfrost who stepped up, Icepaw bouncing at her side. Dewfrost mewed calmly, “We will be making this journey with you, and coming also to join Thunderclan with Splashpelt.”
“Then it is decided. Let’s go,” Lily nodded and started off. She was excited for the journey ahead. Yet she was also filled with another feeling. Fear lapped at her belly like the cold, blue shining water that similarly lapped at the shores of the lakeside.
She had reached the Windclan border at a little after sun high. She sat before the border, not knowing what lied ahead. She again felt the cold lapping of fear, stronger than before. Ashie must have noticed her fear, and soon Lily, herself, did as well. Fear scent was coming off of her glossy pelt in hot waves. Ashie padded over to Lily and sat beside her, tapping her tail on Lily’s nose. Ashie mewed in her small voice, “Is something wrong Lily? Don’t you want to keep going?”
Lily shook the thought of wondering what Streamstone was going to say when she got there out of her head. She kept it clouded behind a thin layer of fog, deep in her mind. She answered to Ashie, “Yes, let’s keep going. Nothing will hold me back considering how far I have come.”
Lily began to pad over to the Windclan border, taking in a breath as she stepped over it, and letting her breath flow out and she crossed it. She couldn’t turn back now. She must have to finish what she started no matter what lay before her. She found herself picking up pace as she neared the Thunderclan border. When she started to scent the border ahead, she stopped, and memories of Streamstone, and Mossstar, and Hawkshine came flooding back to her in a single wave. She had visions of Streamstone chasing her through the forest, of her jumping into a tree in the now unfamiliar grassy clearing, surrounded by ferns. She again shook the memory out of her head, finding herself to shake all together. Icepaw padded lazily up to her and collapsed in a heap of grey spotted fur. She lifted her head and mewed to Lily. “Lily, it’s almost sundown, I’m tired. Can we stop and rest?”
Lily sighed and in all her memories and thoughts she was caught up in, she realized at last that her bones were tired also. She was about to collapse in a heap herself. She mewed tiredly, “Yes Icepaw, we can rest.”
Lily, Ashie, Twist, Splashpelt and the Riverclan cats padded over to a big heather bush by the lake. Lily signaled for them to wait. They all sat while Lily crawled into the heather bush and cleared out a space for them to sleep. She came back out and meowed to them, “Ok guys, I’ve made a comfortable place for you all to rest for tonight. Go in and see.” She yawned, suddenly feeling herself become weaker. She watched them all crowd into the bush. She popped her head in and mewed to them, “Is it big enough for everybody?”
They all nodded and began to make themselves a spot all around the roots of the heather bush. She realized Icepaw wandering, wondering where to lay herself. Lily saw a spot open right in between Ashie and Dewfrost. Lily mewed, “Icepaw, there’s a spot right there next to your mother and Ashie.”
Icepaw shook her head, “No Lily, that’s for you.”
“Oh, well thank you but you can have it, I can sleep outside.”
Splashpelt looked up from his spot in between Dewfrost and Twist, mewing, “Are you sure Lily? Icepaw can sleep in this small spot by me if you want to sleep here.”
“No, that’s ok, Icepaw can sleep in my spot.” Wanting to leave it there, she mewed quickly, “Goodnight everybody.”
Once they all had said their goodnights, Lily took her head out of the bush and padded around the bush, to a small patch of moss growing down closer to the lake. She laid down and gazed up at the sky, silently praying to Starclan, soon I will need your help and guidance Spottedleaf. She scented the sweet, herby smell of the ghostly medicine cat, and let her eyes close slowly, soon to be drifting into a much needed, dreamless sleep.
Chapter 6
Willowmoon
Lily awoke to a light, milky yellow sunray beaming down on her, warming her pelt. A cold moorland breeze ruffled her pelt, making her shiver in her warmth, showing the thick white pelt, underneath the grey fur that tipped her pelt. She got up and stretched. She padded over to the heather bush, yawning on her way. She lazily poked her head into the bush. Her heart raced as she found the bush to be empty. She squeezed into the bush and sniffed around the bush, trying to judge the time of when they had left the bush. She judged by their scent that they had just left the hollow bush. She had only took her head from the bush when out of nowhere, she felt a small weight jump onto her. She turned around to see a small bundle of grey spotted fur clinging onto her back. She purred and shook lightly, knocking Icepaw off of her. Icepaw fell gently to the ground and got dust all over her fur. She shook herself, and, puffing out her fur, she leapt onto her shoulders. Lily reared up onto her hind legs and once again, Icepaw fell off of Lily and again to the ground.
Icepaw spit out dust and shook it out of her fur. Icepaw sat and mewed to Lily, “Good job Lily, those where some good battle moves. So how did you learn them?”
“Well Icepaw, like I said, I taught myself everything I know,” Lily replied.
“Cool, so can you teach me some moves now that I’m joining Thunderclan with you?”
Lily sighed, gazing around, then mewing, “Where is your father and mother? And Ashie and Twist?”
Icepaw pointed her tail in the direction of the Thunderclan border. “Splashpelt and Ashie went that way to hunt, a little after dawn maybe. Dewfrost went toward the lake to teach Twist how to fish, around the same time.”
“Well, I have to speak to Splashpelt. So, can you go down to the lake and see how Twist is coming along. I’m going toward the Thunderclan border,” Lily meowed as she started to pad over to Thunderclan.
Lily stopped her trotting as she stepped over the Thunderclan border. She sighed, as all of her memories came once again flooding back all at once in a huge wave. She started to shake her head clear again, as if to push the memories away forever. She could not clear her head, no matter what she did. Lily finally just began to pad ahead, occasionally scenting for Splashpelt and Ashie. Her heart stopped for seconds as she padded into the soft green grass, made yellow in the puddles of hazy sun seeping into the clearing through the canopy of thick oak trees. Lily gazed around the clearing, seeing familiar scenery. She padded over to the ice cold stream, colder now than before because of the nearing Leaf-Fall. She began to pad into the soft green ferns, and the place where the orange marigold grew in a pool of sun. She saw the familiar tree she had climbed many times for many occasions.
Lily froze, as the ferns quivered, revealing the cat that this had all started with, Streamstone. He led a patrol of other cats she had seen before, in her days with Thunderclan. The patrol consisted of him, Brookshine, the deputy, Willowmoon, and Splashpaw, Willowmoon’s apprentice. His patrol skidded to a halt, Streamstone becoming frozen in shock. The rest of his patrol, then becoming aware of her, a rouge cat in their territory, crouched, ready to attack. One cat, Willowmoon, a sleek, light brown tabby she-cat, pounced onto Lily. Lily was not expecting this, as she was knocked to the ground, into the soft grass.
Lily remembered how to fight a cat bigger than her. She rolled onto her back, squishing Willowmoon. She quickly jumped up, aware that if she got up slowly, Willowmoon would fling Lily off of her. Once Lily was up and ready, facing Willowmoon, the tabby she-cat had only got up for about two seconds when Lily was already on top of her, pinning her to the ground.
Lily jumped off of Willowmoon and hissed at her, bearing her sharp white teeth at her. Willowmoon pelted off into the ferns, back in the direction of camp. Lily sat up proudly, coming out of the battle with no harm done to her at all, no scratches. Streamstone, still in shock, was sitting back in amazement. Lily gazed into his icy blue eyes, hoping he would recognize her. He did of course, and stepping forward cautiously, he studied her. He held his patrol back, not wanting any of them to attack Lily again. Lily sat and stared in one direction, not letting her eyes wander from staring forward. Streamstone had circled her, and somewhat sitting, he stopped in front of her. She could tell what he was going to do next, just by the look in his eyes. He’s going to test me, see if I really am Lily. Well I am Streamstone, so come on, give me your best. Lily crouched as he leapt for her. She crouched just enough, so that Streamstone leapt over her, landing behind her. She jumped up, as she sensed him leaping for her back. She had jumped straight up, so that Streamstone landed right underneath her. She came down on top of his shoulders squarely.
Streamstone rolled over onto his back, so Lily was crushed under him. Last test, this is the one to tell him I’m me. Let’s go. Lily went limp, showing Streamstone that she was dead. Streamstone had thought he had crushed her and got up slowly, big mistake, Lily thought. I know this trick like the back of my paw. She heaved upwards, thrusting Streamstone off of her. Streamstone was lying on his back in the soft, rubbery grass. Lily jumped on top of him, pinning him down, sheathing her claws. Streamstone purred, clearly he had finally recognized Lily.
Lily mewed to Streamstone, “Guess who?”
Streamstone mewed back to her, “Lily, you’re back. So can you get off of me now please?”
“Yes, sure.” Lily mewed as she got off of Streamstone and sat in front of the patrol. She then asked as Streamstone was still shaking the dirt off of his grey tabby fur. She then mewed as he started to pad back over to his patrol. “So Streamstone, still got room for one more in Thunderclan?”
Streamstone’s gaze brightened as she spoke, “Of course Lily. I still have your den ready for you; I fixed it after you … after you left. Why did you leave?”
Lily sighed and said, “It was nothing, just something between me and Mossstar.”
“Ok then, I guess I should learn not to ask so many questions.” Streamstone purred, then his gaze became darkened as he mewed, “I thought you were dead.”
Lily’s heart raced as the memory of her being the strange brown cat, telling Streamstone that this she-cat died. She did not want to let Streamstone know that anything was wrong and Lily mewed, “Well, I’m here aren’t I?”
Streamstone nodded and meowed, “Yes, yes you are. So I have to get back to patrolling. So do you want to patrol with us?”
Lily shifted her paws in the grass, tearing it up as she unsheathed then sheathed her claws again and again. She then mewed, “Well, actually Streamstone, I have some other cats that want to join Thunderclan as well. They actually came with me on my journey back from by the mountains. I was coming in here to find them, but I guess I found something else, you. And so I guess I’ll meet you here at sun-down, ok?”
Streamstone was already padding out of the clearing, patrol following, still in a bit of shock by the fight with Willowmoon and Lily. Streamstone stopped and turned back to Lily and mewed, “Yes, I will meet you here with them tonight at sun-down. See you then, Lily.”
“See you then.” Lily mewed in reply. Then Lily began to pad in the opposite direction, toward the lake in search of Splashpelt and Ashie. Lily was padding onto the lakeshores, gazing left, then right, in search of Ashie and Splashpelt. After a moment of gazing, she spotted Ashie, pelting from the tree line. Ashie leapt into the lake water, swimming like a regular Riverclan cat. Lily shot toward Ashie, wanting to find out why in the name of Starclan that Ashie was swimming. Lily soon skidded to a halt, shooting dust up from the rocky ground of the shores. Lily crouched, pressing her belly fur to the rocks and soil. She had seen cats pelting after Ashie, stopping at the edge on the lake shore, clearly not wanting to jump in after Ashie. Lily crawled forward on her belly, wanting to find out who these cats were, and if she could take them. She then thought twice as she recognized the infamous Thunderclan cat, Hawkshine. He was leading three other cats. She moved closer, finally able to scent these unknown cats. Lily was shocked to scent that these cats were not from Thunderclan, but they had the scents of Shadowclan.
Lily focused closer on the cats, wondering who was in this Thunderclan- Shadowclan alliance that Hawkshine had made. Lily recognized the three cats of Shadowclan. The biggest, close to the size of Hawkshine himself, was Rockear. The two smaller cats were Lakepelt and Honeyleaf, the deputy. Now why would Thunderclan and Shadowclan have an alliance? Lily thought, they had just fought a battle that I watched with my own eyes. I think Hawkshine and his followers only know of this alliance. Well this will be good news to bring to Mossstar.
Lily sat up, mewing loudly so that Hawkshine and the others could hear her. She mewed, “Hey Hawkshine, I see you’ve gathered some followers since I’ve last seen you. I’ll be right back; I’m going to tell Mossstar all about your new friends.” Lily bound off into the woods, pelting as fast as she could, knowing that if Hawkshine caught her, he wouldn’t leave her alive. She was leaping over fallen logs and dodging bramble thickets, the wind that made it through the canopy blew through her long cloudy fur, making her fur plaster to her body. She stopped, panting, in a branch after she had climbed the familiar tree in the clearing. She tried to slow her breathing, not wanting to be given away. Lily held her breath, as the ferns burst apart, revealing Hawkshine and the Shadowclan cats for a few seconds. Then they all were swallowed by the brambles and trees as they dashed into the opposite side of the clearing. Lily let her breath slide out; they didn’t know that she was crouched in a tree that one of their very pelts had brushed against.
Lily crept down from the tree, shaking the dead leaves of leaf-fall out of her glossy grey and white pelt. She peered into the tree line, frozen with fear as a pair of glowing ice-blue eyes glinted out of the foliage. She hissed defensively, hoping to scare off the cat. She tensed her muscles as Hawkshine padded out into the pools of milky yellow sun that filled the clearing. Hawkshine mewed deeply, “I see you’ve returned Lily.”
“Don’t even take another step,” Lily hissed, crouching, knowing that Hawkshine would not obey her.
As she expected Hawkshine took a small step forward crouching, his amber eyes burning. He breathed, “I will take a step, for you have no one to protect you.” As he said this, the Shadowclan cats stepped out of the brambles, their eyes searing Lily as she started to back away, not sure if she should fight. Lily leapt upward, as one of the cats lunged at her. Lily was shocked as the cat fled into the ferns, leaving a trail of blood as it went. Lily turned, purring, happy to see Splashpelt, Icepaw, Ashie, Twist and Dewfrost padding into the fern-surrounded clearing. Lily turned back to Hawkshine and mewed, “I think I’ve got enough help to take you Hawkshine. So if you want a fight, I’ll give you one.”
With a loud battle yowl, Hawkshine summoned his allies. They all jumped into a fight, Honeyleaf leaping onto Splashpelt and Lakepelt onto Twist. Rockear cornered Ashie and Icepaw. Dewfrost went to help her daughter and Ashie and had pounced on top of the huge grey tom, sending him tumbling and rolling. They fought in a bundle of hissing and spitting. Icepaw jumped onto Rockear, clinging to him with small sharp claws. Dewfrost was darting under him, nipping his legs as she went. Soon, it was too much for the big tom to handle, as he knocked off Icepaw with a vigorous shake. He then was sent fleeing into the trees. Splashpelt was pinning Honeyleaf to the ground with his forepaws on her shoulders and his hind paws raking her sleek black belly. Honeyleaf hissed and yowled in her defeat. Splashpelt let her go and she also fled into the foliage. Splashpelt looked up proudly in his victory. Now that Honeyleaf and Rockear had fled, that only left Lakepelt, who was circling Twist, mewing to her, “Come on kittypet, can’t you take a fight?”
Twist hissed and lunged out at him with an unsheathed paw. She swiped his muzzle and had made a deep scratch on his nose. Lakepelt was shocked at this kittypet’s strength. Lakepelt hissed and leapt onto Twist, bowling her over so that when she regained her strength and stood, her tortishell fur was dirt covered. Twist hissed again and pelted under Lakepelt, knocking him over. Twist pounced onto him, landing clumsily, but keeping her balance on his shoulders. Twist leaned down and bit his nose, scarlet blood seeping out of his nose now, then leaping off of him she hissed, “Does that answer your question?”
Lakepelt hissed one last time and bounded off into the trees. All the cats then turned to Hawkshine, who was wrestling with Lily. Lily was clearly about a third of his size, and noticing this, Splashpelt dashed in and nipped Hawkshine’s ear. Hawkshine yowled and jumped off of Lily. Splashpelt backed off as Lily thanked him and nodded, showing she had this battle already won. Lily glared at the huge tom and hissed, letting him know that if he placed another paw closer, she would show him her real fighting skills. Hawkshine hesitated, then backing away he growled, “This isn’t over Lily. Bloodclan will get you when you aren’t expecting it.” Lily hissed once again, driving Hawkshine pelting into the brush, his black tail being swallowed by the green-yellow ferns. Lily turned to her help, purring. “Thanks guys. I probably couldn’t have won without you.”
“No problem Lily, we are always here to help.” Dewfrost padded toward Lily, mewing. Lily dipped her head once more in thanks, mewing to the rest. “Splashpelt, Icepaw, Ashie, Twist and Dewfrost, welcome to Thunderclan.
Chapter 7
Harepetal
Lily curled up in a cold, brown leaf-less tree, only warmed by the heat of the sleeping cats, Splashpelt, Ashie, Twist and the two former Riverclan cats, around her. Lily woke to Streamstone below her holding a stick in his mouth, prodding her with it. She woke up and mewed, “Good morning Streamstone. I fell asleep around dusk, so I couldn’t make it to our meeting. These are the cats I was speaking of though, so when they wake up I can introduce them to you.”
“Ok, can you wake them up? I can’t reach them with my stick.” He purred through a mouth full of bark.
Lily stepped carefully over the sleeping cats, trying not to wake them. When Lily made it to the main trunk of the tree, she leapt down and padded over to Streamstone, who was now getting himself situated in a clear spot surrounded by thick green ferns. Lily padded over to him and sat down by him mewing, “I have something to tell you Streamstone.”
“Can I actually know what it is this time?” He purred, and not waiting for her to reply he mewed again, “What is it Lily?”
Lily sighed, laying down. She began, “Well, when I went to the mountains, and you came looking for me, you spoke to a brown cat, didn’t you?”
Streamstone studied her, wondering how she knew he came looking for her and how she knew about the brown cat he talked to. “Yes, but how-” He was cut off by Lily.
“I was that cat Streamstone. I rolled in mud to disguise my scent and pelt color. I didn’t want you to know I was still here. I wanted to get far away because of something Mossstar said to me. What she said was the something you could never find out.”
Streamstone’s eyes were wide, his mouth opening to reply but Lily continued. “I was having a dream and I was visited by Spottedleaf, the former Medicine cat of Thunderclan. Spottedleaf told me this, you are kin of great cats, yet not familiar to most, and you will soon become the savior of us all. She also told me, like brambles in greenleaf, and then to leafbare, they change. Like the sun to the moon, it changes. So happens to me. Spottedleaf told me of my destiny, Streamstone. I am supposed to become Medicine cat of Thunderclan, to teach the apprentice, Minnowpaw. I am also supposed to become a full warrior of Thunderclan and teach the apprentices, Shinepaw, Pinepaw, Berrypaw, Rosepaw, Mousepaw, Splashpaw, Wavepaw and Hazelpaw of the techniques I have taught myself and of those I have learned from experience alone. That is my destiny Streamstone.”
Streamstone was stunned his eyes wide and unmoving. He was shocked beyond belief. Streamstone mewed with a shaking voice, “You are a prophetic cat Lily. I … I will try to accept this, but I still don’t get it. Why did you run from the camp?”
She mewed after sighing, and pawing the ground nervously and she spoke. “Mossstar is my sister Streamstone.”
Streamstone’s eyes widened even more as he mewed with a shaking voice, “How could that be if you have never been a clan cat?” Before Lily could reply he mewed again, “Like I said before, I will trust you Lily.”
“Well good because I cannot change my fate. Should I wake the others and show them to Thunderclan?” When Streamstone nodded, Lily padded over to the tree and skirted up it, nimble as a squirrel. Lily mewed to all of them, “Wake up Splashpelt. Wake up Ashie and Twist, Dewfrost and Icepaw, get up.” All of the cats stirred, they all got up and leapt down from the tree.
Icepaw hid behind Splashpelt and Dewfrost guarded Twist and Ashie as they all caught sight of Streamstone. Lily jumped down from the tree, padding over to Streamstone and settling down beside him. Lily mewed, gazing across all of their faces. “This is Streamstone, the cat I have told you about Ashie, Twist and Splashpelt. Streamstone, this is Splashpelt, his daughter Icepaw, and his former mate Dewfrost. These are former kittypets, Ashie and Twist.” Streamstone stood and began to pad toward the Thunderclan camp, mewing as he went, “I was told you are all joining Thunderclan. The camp is this way.”
The cats began to pad after him, all mewing to each other excitedly, Icepaw most of all. Lily bounded ahead, falling in beside Streamstone. She glanced over at him mewing, “I’ll meet you there, ok?”
With a quick glance back he mewed, “Ok. I guess I’ll see you there.”
And with that, Lily was off, pelting through the thick, Thunderclan oak forest. She was dodging bramble thickets and leaping over fallen tree logs, made light brown and soft by the broken roots of the tree, not attached to the ground anymore. Lily slowed to a pad as she saw the dangerous bramble thicket that if padded through, would lead to a terrifying plummet to the bottom of the slope. Lily stopped in front of it, her memory returning from all those nights ago, when Streamstone first showed her the dangerous brambles, and the camp.
After Lily was done remembering her earlier encounter with the brambles, she began to trot down to the abandoned thunderpath that leads down to the Thunderclan camp. Lily purred silently as she caught site of the familiar clearing, pooling with cats as they padded out of their dens. Warriors were padding out of the warrior’s den in small groups. During the time she spent with the Thunderclan cats she had gotten to know most of them. She saw Oceanheart padded out of the nursery, stopping half way out as the nursery lichen stirred when Mossfeather came prodding out of the den next to him, her spotted belly tight with kits. She saw a group of cats coming out from the apprentices den, Rosepaw, the solid brown she-cat that had bright and shinning deep, green eyes. Rosepaw was mingling in with three other apprentices, Wavepaw, Shinepaw and Hazelpaw. She gazed back over to the nursery and Echosong strolled out, followed by Berrykit, who was wrestling with her brother Bramblekit. Their smaller sister Mallowkit was bounding alongside her mother happily.
Harefoot, an elder, was dozing, bathing in the warm sun beside the elders’ den. The medicine cat, Nettlemist, was padding into the medicine den with a mouth full of leaves that Lily had identified as Borage leaves. She also saw Pebbleclaw and Nightfire sharing a piece of mouse, sitting nearby was Pebbleclaw’s apprentice Pinepaw, who was talking to his mother, a warrior now that Pinepaw was an apprentice. Featherwing was his mother. Featherwing was sitting next to Nightfire, but talking to Pinepaw, who seemed to be rambling from the bored look on Featherwing’s face. Lily flinched as she was pushed out of the way by a brown tabby tom as he stormed into the camp following Brookshine, the deputy, with Brakensplash, his old denmate at his side.
Lily tipped her head as she studied them; all were dark eyed with pelts bristling. The brown tabby tom smelled not of Thunderclan, but he had the scent of a moorland breeze and rabbits. He was a Windclan cat. What was he doing here? Lily crept behind the nearest den, the apprentice’s den. She hid and listened to the Thunderclan cats.
The Thunderclan cats all gasped, surprised looks across all of their faces. Lily heard several cats speak out among all of the murmuring. “What is a Windclan cat doing here?”
“Go back to where you came from, Windclan!”
“Yeah! Go back to your own camp.”
The Thunderclan cats swarmed around the returning patrol as Brookshine was padding out of Mossstar’s den, Mossstar following. Mossstar pounced down from her den, landing gracefully in front of the tabby tom. She gazed across his face then mewed, “Harepetal, what do you want with us?”
“I have come to take my kits home.” Harepetal sat tall and proud as he meowed, and the group of cats that formed around them gasped and began to mutter to each other.
Mossstar tipped her head, she did not realize that one of her very queens was disloyal, and had kits in her clan that were half Windclan, half Thunderclan.
“No, you can’t!” Dewpelt’s wail was desperate, echoing throughout the gorge.
All of the cats turned to her, some eyes dark, some worried. Puddleclaw turned on the queen. “You’re not even going to deny it, are you?”
Dewpelt stared at her paws. Her two kits, Leafkit and Webkit came padding out, staring at the father they never knew. Dewpelt, still staring at her spotted paws, drew her kits closer to her with her tail. Harepetal came plopping through the mud. It had started to rain, making the clearing filled with puddles of mud. The cats that had flooded the clearing started to pad to the sidelines, where they were sheltered by the trees. All of their pelts were plastered to their bodies.
Harepetal pushed his way through the thinning crowd, stopping in front of Dewpelt, who was still staring at her paws. Rippleclaw, a silver sleek tom with piercing green eyes, was glaring at Dewpelt, eyes blazing. Rippleclaw padded forward, hissing at Harepetal, but speaking to Dewpelt “Are you going to defend your kits Dewpelt?”
Dewpelt raised her head, sorrow pooling in her eyes. “You can’t take my kits from me Harepetal.”
“They are just as much my kits as they are yours.” He mewed as he pushed Rippleclaw out of the way.
“I think he has a right to the kits. They are after all, his too.” Brookshine had stepped out of the shelter of the thickly entwined branches of the warrior’s den.
The remaining cats in the clearing turned to the deputy. All of their mumbling silenced as one of Dewpelt’s kits, Webkit, a grey spotted tom, spoke. “Who is this cat? He’s not our father, Smudgepelt is!”
Webkit’s sister Leafkit, mewed as well, “Yeah! Smudgepelt is our father, not this cat. We have never seen him before. And he smells horrid!”
Dewpelt sighed as she saw Smudgepelt appear from the surrounding cats. “Dewpelt is not the only one causing trouble here. I agreed to be the kits’ foster father to ensure their safety. It is my fault too.” A purr rumbled in the kits’ throats as they rushed toward him. Webkit mewing, his small eyes nervous, “Smudgepelt? Is this cat really our dad? And not you?”
Smudgepelt sighed, mewing, “Yes Webkit. I’m not your father. Harepetal is. It’s for your safety Webkit, and Leafkit. I was going to tell you when you got older. Dewpelt just wanted to raise you up to be proud Thunderclan cats.”
Webkit and Leafkit rushed away from him, back to Dewpelt. “But I want to be a Thunderclan warrior, not Windclan!” Leafkit protested, Webkit at her side.
Brookshine and Rippleclaw turned to Mossstar. Brookshine stepped forward. “Should we let Harepetal take Webkit and Leafkit?”
“They are the future of this clan! We have to fight for them!” Rippleclaw had shoved Brookshine out of the way and was now half a tail-length away from Mossstar. Though Mossstar held her gaze, she backed away. She padded up to Highledge, yowling. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here under Highledge for a clan meeting.”
Every cat came padding from their den, some sheltering others with leaves as the rain came down harder, making the clearing look misty. Mossstar yowled over the rain, “All those in favor of keeping Webkit and Leafkit, form a group on this side of the clearing.” She pointed her tail to the left side of the clearing. “All those who think Harepetal has the rights to take the kits with him to Windclan, form on the other side.”
As she said this, cats started to pad over to either side of the muddy Thunderclan clearing. Rippleclaw bounded over to the left side, in favor of keeping the kits. Brookshine padded slowly with heavy paws, over to the right side, in favor of letting Webkit and Leafkit go. He was joined by Pebbleclaw and Nightfire. Brakensplash padded over to the right side as well. Joining Rippleclaw was Echosong, and her three kits Bramblekit, Berrykit and Mallowkit. Mossfeather also joined them, Oceanheart padding at her side, sheltering her with an oak leaf. After the rest of the cats had chosen a side, Smudgepelt, Harepetal, and Dewpelt were left in the middle, unable to choose a side. Mossstar had sat, her eyes busy as she counted the number of cats on each side. Mossstar’s eyes darkened as she spoke. “Our clan has been split half and half. Brookshine,” She paused as the deputy was padding up the stepping stones to her, “Come into my den.”
Brookshine padded into her den with wet, sopping paws. Mossstar appeared with Brookshine at her side, both of them with sorrow in their eyes.
Mossstar yowled as Brookshine sat back, keeping his blue gaze fixed on his paws. “We have decided. Leafkit will stay here, to be raised as a proud warrior of Thunderclan. Webkit, Webkit will go with Harepetal to Windclan to be raised with his father.”
Cats of both sides gasped. Webkit yowled in protest as Harepetal grabbed his scruff. “No! You can’t take me! Leafkit do something!”
“I’m coming Webkit! I won’t let them take you!” Leafkit broke away from her mothers grasp, scrambling in the mud.
Harepetal broke into a trot as Leafkit pounced onto Harepetal’s back, trying to get to Webkit. Harepetal’s rough gate shook the small tabby she-cat from his back, sending her plopping into the mud. Leafkit wailed. Dewpelt muffled her wail with her tail, trying to calm her down. Dewpelt mewed to her with grief in her voice, “You will understand when you’re older. For now, focus on your future.”
When Leafkit slowed her breathing, she collapsed, her light brown tabby fur became mud-covered. Dewpelt called, “I need Nettlewmist! Leafkit’s fainted!”
The small dusky-brown she-cat was already bounding from her den, carrying a lavender stem in her mouth. She rushed through the crowd. “Out of the way, I’ve got something to help her.”
Nettlemist inspected Leafkit. Looking up at her mother, Dewpelt, and mewing. “She has fainted out of shock. She is just shocked at Webkit’s leaving.” A ripple of relief spread throughout the cats. As Nettlemist fed the lavender stem into Leafkit’s mouth, she started to chew it. She was soon brought out of shock, and taken into the medicine den. All of the cats padded sadly back into their dens, all with heavy paws. Lily padded out of her hiding spot, into the rain. Lily sat, a purr rumbling in her throat as hazy yellow sun rays seeped through grey rain clouds and filled the camp with pools of light. Lily’s purr faded as Streamstone and the other cats padded into camp, cheerful. Lily trotted up to the patrol and stopped Streamstone, leading him behind the apprentice den.
Her eyes were dark as she mewed. Harepetal has taken Webkit. Mossstar decided to keep Leafkit here. Dewpelt’s devastated, so is the whole clan. I saw the whole thing.”
“That’s horrible. How could she let Webkit go and not Leafkit? Why did she even let Harepetal take Webkit?”
“Harepetal is their father. Dewpelt’s mate Smudgepelt is a foster father to Webkit and Leafkit.” She mewed as she lowered her head to her paws. How could Mossstar do that to Leafkit? She was only a kit.
Streamstone sighed and padded along to his den with heavy paws. The rest of the cats looked on at Lily. “What do we do now?” Icepaw’s small mew sounded in the silence.
Lily stared at her paws.
She then whispered to Icepaw. “I don’t know Icepaw. Let’s go into camp.” She started to pad into the camp, her scent arousing cats from their dens. They came out and gasped, staring at the patrol of cats as they padded proudly through the camp. Rippleclaw stepped out of his den, hissing, back arched, hackles raised. Rippleclaw bounded forward, face to face with Lily. “We’ve had enough trouble today. We don’t need rouges like you just wandering into our camp.”
Rippleclaw was pushed out of the way as Streamstone stepped between them, hissing at Rippleclaw. “Don’t even step any closer, Rippleclaw.”
Rippleclaw hissed one last time at he stomped back to the warriors’ den. Streamstone gazed up at high ledge as Mossstar stepped out and called a meeting. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath high ledge for a clan meeting.” She was gazing at Lily as she spoke. “Leafkit, step forward.”
Leafkit padded slowly out of Nettlemist’s den and stopped in front of Mossstar. Mossstar had leapt down from the high ledge, landing as if it hurt to land. Mossstar mewed to Leafkit with a voice as smooth as honey. “From this day forward, we welcome a new apprentice to our clan. Leafkit, do you promise to train hard, and become the best warrior you can?”
Leafkit’s voice was trembling. “I-I do.” Her tail was shaking with excitement, and her back fur was half-raised.
Mossstar rested her muzzle on Leafkit’s chin mewing, “Welcome, as a new apprentice,” She paused and raised her muzzle high to Starclan, yowling, “Leafpaw!”
The cats of the clan started to cheer the name. Lily raised her muzzle and joined in on the yowls of the newly made apprentice. “Leafpaw! Leafpaw!” Once the cheers had died down, Mossstar climbed back up onto the high ledge. “To teach her to fight with tooth and claw, and hunt with determination and skill, I give Leafpaw as an apprentice to Puddleclaw.” Lily saw the silver warrior padding proudly to Leafpaw, purring. His first apprentice, She thought. Lily gazed up as Mossstar padded into her den, her deputy, Brookshine, following.
Lily padded up to Leafpaw, who was being shown to the apprentices den by Rosepaw, a brown she-cat with dark green eyes. Lily mewed to her, “Good job Leafpaw. Good luck with Puddleclaw, he’s a tough mentor.” She purred.
Leafpaw mewed back as she held her tail high, “Thank you.”
Lily padded over to the fresh-kill pile, her belly growling at her. She started to look up at high ledge as Mossstar and Brookshine padded from the dark den, Brookshine’s eyes sad. Lily wondered why he was so sad, he was deputy, and he was next to be the leader of Thunderclan! He should be happy. Brookshine leapt down from high ledge, padding toward Lily. He began to mew something to her, “Lily, I have news for-” He was cut off by Mossstar who began calling something to her clan.
Mossstar was standing on high ledge, her pink nose lifted high in the air. “I also have some other news to announce. Step forward Berrykit, Bramblekit, and Mallowkit.”
Their mother, Echosong, was leading them from the nursery. Their fur was still plastered to their pelts from the earlier rain. Mossstar began to pad forward on high ledge. She was almost to the edge, when the whole clan gasped. Mossstar had slipped on a loose rock, and was plummeting from high ledge. Mossstar landed on her back in the dust. Nettlemist rushed to her side. She stuck her paw to Mossstar’s neck. Nettlemist yowled with her muzzle held high, “Mossstar is dead!”
Chapter 7
Brookstar
Lily was padding from the warriors’ den into the warm sunlight. She yawned, last night had been Mossstar’s vigil, and the whole clan, kits and elders, stayed up to sit vigil with their former leader. Brookstar padded from the den, eyes pooling with sadness. His deep mew sounded through the clearing. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath high ledge for a clan meeting.”
Lily padded forward, joining her was Icewing, the newly made warrior. She had completed her six moons of warrior training and was now fourteen moons old. Even though she was formerly of Riverclan, the clan admired her skill in hunting and her bravery in battle. Brookstar had given her the name earlier, a little after dawn.
Brookstar sat at the end of high ledge mewing to his clan, “Mossstar had made a last request. Lily, come up here.” As he said this, all eyes turned to the grey she-cat, who came padding onto high ledge. “Mossstar was going to announce this after she did Berrykit, Bramblekit, and Mallowkit’s apprentice ceremony. She never had the chance.” He turned to lily, blue eyes blazing, searing into Lily’s pelt. He mewed, “Lily, you are to be made the leader of Thunderclan.” Lily’s eyes widened, as the clan cats gasped.
Streamstone began to cheer first. “Lilystar! Lilystar! Lilystar!” Soon the rest of the Thunderclan cats began to cheer for Lilystar. Even Rippleclaw managed to get out a few yowls to Lilystar.
Lilystar raised her muzzle high and proud to Starclan, mewing a last thank you to Spottedleaf, as she heard Spottedleaf whisper into her ear, “Congratulations, Lilystar.”