Warriors: Series 5.5: EotW: Book 1: Faded Boundaries

[Jayfrost]

Warriors: Series 5.5: Echoes of the War:
Book 1: Faded Boundaries

This is my version of what happens after The Last Hope. It follows Silentkit and Blazekit, the children of Lionblaze and Cinderheart, as they try to find their place in ThunderClan. I started writing this before Bramblestar's Storm and Dovewing's Silence were even announced, so there are going to be things here that don't comply with canon (Sorreltail still being alive, the Three still having their powers, etc.)

Rated K+.

Click on the word/title chapter to view it.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Cover}

SPOILER: Click to show

{Allegiances}

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER

BRAMBLESTAR - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes
APPRENTICE, LILYPAW

DEPUTY

SQUIRRELFLIGHT - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT

JAYFEATHER - gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

WARRIORS

LEAFPOOL - light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat
BIRCHFALL - light brown tabby tom
BERRYNOSE - cream-colored tom
APPRENTICE, AMBERPAW
MOUSEWHISKER - gray-and-white tom
APPRENTICE, SNOWPAW
LIONBLAZE - golden tabby tom with amber eyes
FOXLEAP - reddish tabby tom
TOADSTEP - black-and-white tom
APPRENTICE, SEEDPAW
BLOSSOMFALL - tortoiseshell and white she-cat
BUMBLESTRIPE - very pale gray tom with black stripes
APPRENTICE, DEWPAW
IVYPOOL - silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes
MOLEFOOT - brown-and-cream tom

APPRENTICES

SEEDPAW - very pale ginger she-cat
LILYPAW - dark tabby she-cat with patches
AMBERPAW - very small gray-and-white she-cat
SNOWPAW - white tom with amber eyes
DEWPAW - long-haired gray tom

QUEENS

CINDERHEART - gray tabby she-cat, mother of Lionblaze's kits (mother of Silentkit, a black she-cat with a white stripe, and Blazekit, a pale ginger tabby tom with green eyes)
ROSEPETAL - dark cream she-cat, mother of Molefoot's kits (mother of Sparkkit, a dark cream-and-white tom, and Lightkit, a light brown tom with white paws)
HAZELTAIL - small gray-and-white she-cat, mother of Foxleap's kits (mother of Finchkit, a pale ginger tabby tom with white, and Petalkit, a pale gray she-cat with blue eyes)
DOVEWING - pale gray she-cat with golden eyes, mother of Bumblestripe's kits
DAISY - cream long-furred cat from the horseplace

ELDERS

CLOUDTAIL - long-haired white tom with blue eyes
BRIGHTHEART - white she-cat with ginger patches
MILLIE - striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes
SPIDERLEG - long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes
SORRELTAIL - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes


SHADOWCLAN

LEADER

ROWANSTAR - ginger tom

DEPUTY

OAKFUR - small brown tom

MEDICINE CAT

TWIGCLAW - stump-tailed brown tabby tom

WARRIORS

SMOKEFOOT - black tom
TIGERHEART - dark brown tabby tom
SNOWBIRD - pure white she-cat
APPRENTICE, MARSHPAW
OLIVENOSE - tortoiseshell she-cat
SHREWFOOT - gray she-cat with black feet
WETWHISKER - dark tabby tom
APPRENTICE, STONEPAW
SPECKLEFOOT - pale tortoiseshell she-cat
TREESHADOW - dark brown she-cat

QUEENS

PINENOSE - black she-cat
APPLEFUR - mottled brown she-cat
DAWNPELT - cream-furred she-cat, (mother of Stripedkit, a dark brown tabby tom, and Smokekit, a dark cream she-cat)
TAWNYPELT - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

ELDERS

TOADFOOT - dark brown tom
CROWFROST - black-and-white tom
RATSCAR - brown tom with long scar across his back


WINDCLAN

LEADER

ASHSTAR - gray she-cat

DEPUTY

WEASELFUR - ginger tom with white paws

MEDICINE CAT

KESTRELFLIGHT - mottled brown tom
APPRENTICE, ICEPAW

WARRIORS

CROWFEATHER - dark gray tom
GORSETAIL - very pale gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes
HARESPRING - brown-and-white tom
EMBERFOOT - gray tom with two dark paws
APPRENTICE, QUICKPAW
HEATHERTAIL - light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Breezepelt's kits
SEDGEWHISKER - light brown tabby she-cat
DARKBREEZE - dark gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes, kit of Heathertail and Breezepelt
NIGHTFERN - brown mottled she-cat with amber eyes, kit of Heathertail and Breezepelt

QUEENS

SUNSTRIKE - tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead


RIVERCLAN

LEADER

MISTYSTAR - blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

DEPUTY

REEDWHISKER - black tom

MEDICINE CAT

WILLOWSHINE - gray tabby she-cat

WARRIORS

MINNOWTAIL - dark gray she-cat
MALLOWNOSE - light brown tabby tom
ROBINWING - tortoiseshell-and-white tom
PETALFUR - gray-and-white she-cat
APPRENTICE, YARROWPAW
GRASSPELT - light brown tom
MOSSYFOOT - brown-and-white she-cat
APPRENTICE, FINPAW (sleek dark gray she-cat with dark amber eyes)
RUSHTAIL - light brown tabby tom
LEAFDRIFT - pale gray she-cat
APPRENTICE, EELPAW
PONDBREEZE - dark brown tom with white paws

QUEENS

DUSKFUR - brown tabby she-cat
SILVERSHINE - silver tabby she-cat

ELDERS

GRAYMIST - pale gray tabby she-cat
POUNCETAIL - ginger-and-white tom


CATS OUTSIDE THE CLAN

SMOKEY - muscular gray-and-white tom who lives in a barn at the horseplace
FLOSS - small gray-and-white she-cat who lives at the horseplace

SPOILER: Click to show

{Prologue}     The night breeze blew into the medicine den, causing the small tom to shudder irritably. He lifted his nose, sniffing the air tentatively. The frigid air of leaf-bare offered no hint of warmth. It would be several moons before the forest was warm again.

     Jayfeather could hear his Clanmates shivering and mewling in hunger from his den. It had been a hard leaf-bare. Graystripe, Dustpelt, and Lichenkit, Lionblaze and Cinderheart's youngest kit, had already succumbed to the cold, and Cherrypaw had gotten seriously ill. The young she-cat lay on the floor of Jayfeather's den, a low moan issuing from her throat. The death of Lichenkit had been especially hard on Jayfeather. The poor little scrap had looked almost exactly like Lionblaze; he had seen her once in a vision. He knew how heartbroken his brother had been about it. Jayfeather himself had grieved over his niece as any father would. Since he and his long-dead love Half Moon could never bear kits, he had taken to his brother's kits as though they were his own. He liked to think that he and Half Moon would have been their parents, had things been different.

     The medicine cat shook his head irritably, his thoughts pushed roughly from his head. Stop daydreaming! He had to focus on helping his Clanmates. More cats would be lost to the cold if their medicine cat was lost in thought. The trouble was there wasn't much Jayfeather could do. The frost had killed all the herbs, and prey was scarce. From what Dovewing had told the medicine cat, it was the same way in the other three Clans. Mouse dung! He cursed inwardly. I've got the power of the stars in my paws, yet all I can do is sit around while my Clanmates die around me! Fighting the Dark Forest was easier than this.

     Paw steps woke Jayfeather from his bitter thoughts. The lichen in front of his den was shifted, and he could hear a cat breathing by the entrance. A familiar scent drifted towards him. "Jayfeather?" It was Lilypaw, Bramblestar's apprentice.

     The gray tabby got shakily to his paws. He'd been giving up most of his prey to Cinderheart, Rosepetal, and Hazeltail, the Clan's three queens, so he was a little weak. "What do you want?" He grumbled. Hunger sharpened his tongue, like every other cat.

     Jayfeather could sense Lilypaw's concern and unease. She didn't even seem to recognize the snap in the medicine cat's voice. "Lionblaze wants to see you." She mewed hesitantly.

     Jayfeather's heart froze. No. Not again. The image of Lichenkit's frozen body forced its way to the front of Jayfeather's mind. He barged past Lilypaw, shouting over his shoulder, "Keep an eye on Cherrypaw!" He raced to the nursery, his heart pounding with terror.

     The tom skidded to a halt at the mouth of the nursery, panting at the effort the short run had cost him. He sniffed the air cautiously, dreading the thought of smelling another dead kit. "What's wrong?" He demanded. "Are Silentkit and Blazekit okay?"

     He heard Cinderheart lift her head and Lionblaze get to his paws. Jayfeather could sense Cinderheart's relief at seeing him, then her emotions closed off abruptly, and her mind barred itself against him. That was how so many cats were acting around him now. Now that the secret was out, and every cat knew what the Three could do. Everyone except for some of the older, more experienced cats seemed spooked by the idea that their medicine cat could read their thoughts. Jayfeather could easily get around Cinderheart's defenses, but he had no wish to. It was Lionblaze he wanted information from right now.

     He scanned Lionblaze's thoughts briefly. His brother didn't make as much of an effort to hide his thoughts from Jayfeather as the others, so it was easy to raid his mind. Jayfeather let out a sigh of relief when he realized that all Lionblaze was feeling was worry, not grief.

     The massive tom padded up to his brother. "Silentkit and Blazekit opened their eyes yesterday." He began hesitantly.

     Jayfeather grew uneasy. "Is that what you brought me here to tell me?" he asked dryly, although fear clenched his heart. He knew what Lionblaze was going to say, but he needed to hear it anyway.

     Lionblaze sighed. "Jayfeather… I think Silentkit is blind."

     The gray tabby's memories were instantly thrown back to the day of Silentkit's birth. It had been a hard labour, and Cinderheart had been weak from cold and hunger. All three of her kits were weak and small, but they had all survived the birthing. Jayfeather had been congradulating the couple when his sight suddenly returned. He could see Lichenkit, Blazekit, and Silentkit, all suckling weakly at their mother's stomach. Silentkit was odd in that she hadn't cried out after birth, as most kittens did. From the start, she'd been the weakest of the kits, hardly bigger then a baby bird. It'd been days before she'd let out her first mewl, as though she'd been waiting to see if she'd make it at all before she announced herself to the world. She'd been tiny, her jet-black fur plastered down to her body. A small white stripe lay between her eyes, running down to her nose. Even then, as a newborn kit, she had reminded Jayfeather of his late sister, Hollyleaf.

     Yellowfang's foul scent had rolled over him, and her raspy voice sounded in his ears. "Remember this one, Jayfeather. You must help her meet her destiny." The old she-cat paused, and when she spoke again, her voice had been smoothed of age . "Dark times are coming. Only blind loyalty and silent sacrifice will save the Clans."

     "Jayfeather? Are you listening?"

     Jayfeather was jerked back into reality by Lionblaze's sharp words. He shook his head of the vision, wondering what in StarClan's name was supposed to happen next. "Let me check." He mewed. The blind tom reached out towards Silentkit's scent, gently pulling the kit closer to him. He took a quick breath before plunging into the kit's thoughts, searching through her memories for any hint of color or light. But there was none there. The kit's memories were all as dark as Jayfeather's sight.

     Jayfeather blinked in shock. She is blind! Oh StarClan, what next? The tabby tom froze in horror as he realized the depth of this revelation. Silentkit would never be able to see, not even in her dreams like Jayfeather could. She would never understand the concept of sight. The poor kit might never be a full part of ThunderClan.

     Jayfeather hung his head. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

     He heard a sharp intake of breath from Cinderheart, and despair burst through her guarded thoughts like water from a dam. Lionblaze's thoughts were a torrent of anger, despair, and in the end, resignation. "This is my fault." The huge tom murmured. "I'm the one related to a blind cat. I did this to our daughter."

     Jayfeather snarled softly at Lionblaze's careless reference to his blindness, but he didn't retort for once. He too was in a state of shock. What if you're wrong, Yellowfang? He wailed internally. How can she save her Clan without sight? He himself had only been of use because of his powers. How could this kit, without sight or the power of the stars in her paws, ever save ThunderClan?

     Suddenly, the world around him lit up. He was not in the nursery anymore, but deep in the forests of ThunderClan territory. Pale golden light streamed through the trees, painting the forest floor with light patterns. A few paces from the medicine cat stood a lone cat. The full-grown Silenkit was small like Jayfeather, but made of lean, hard muscle that rippled under her glossy pelt. Her midnight black fur was short and shiny, unlike the fluffier Hollyleaf, but the resemblance was still there in the color of her fur and the shape of her head.

     The she-cat stood before Jayfeather, strong and powerful and confident, her gray eyes blazing with fierce loyalty. A sweet scent wove around Jayfeather, heart-achingly familiar. He let out a slight moan. "Half Moon."

     Her gentle voice sounded in his ear. "Help her, Jay's Wing. Guide her paws on the right path. She must become a true warrior to prepare for what is coming. Have faith in her strength."

     Her scent began to fade, and the forest around the tom grew darker. Jayfeather started to panic. "No, Half Moon!" He gasped. "Don't leave!"

     Her voice was faint now. "I will always walk beside you, Jay's Wing." As the scents and sounds of the nursery returned to Jayfeather, he was only just able to catch her last words. "Until the day you come to join me."

     The darkness around Jayfeather and the cold air of leaf-bare returned the medicine cat to his senses. He was blind once more.

     Rosepetal's voice sounded from across the nursery. "She can't be a warrior then." Her voice was gentle with pity. The queen groaned as she shifted. Her kits were due in less than a moon, and her stomach was round and awkward. "Maybe she can train to be the next medicine cat?"

     The suggestion filled Jayfeather with panic. He desperately sorted through Cinderheart and Lionblaze's emotions, trying to find some spark of outrage or hope. Cold claws gripped his heart when he realized there was nothing but resignation and pity. He gritted his teeth in a snarl. They would give up on their daughter so easily?

     Something in Jayfeather snapped. "No!" Ignoring the other cats' alarm, he dragged Silentkit closer to him, where he could protect her. The skinny tom arched his back and gave a threatening hiss. "Silentkit's paws must walk another path. So what if she can't see?"

     He swung his head side to side, sightlessly glaring at any cat who might dare oppose him. "Silentkit is going to be a warrior, even if I have to train her myself!"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chapter One}     The snows of leaf-bare had long since melted, and the heat of green-leaf had descended on the forest. Prey was plentiful, and Silentkit could hear the warriors congratulating each other on their catches.

     In the nursery, Sparkkit was twitching in his sleep next to his mother, Rosepetal. His brother Finchkit dozed soundly between Rosepetal's paws. Hazeltail lay asleep with her kits, Finchkit and Petalkit. The newest queen, Dovewing, was sleeping in the far corner of the nursery, her belly round with Bumblestripe's kits. The tom was constantly visiting the nursery, bringing his mate feathers to line her nest and prey, or asking her anxiously if she was feeling alright and if he shouldn't have Jayfeather check in on her. Dovewing once joked that soon Bumblestripe would be offering to give birth for her, but Silentkit knew how much the queen loved her mate.

     Her own father also visited often, quick to join his kits in a play-fight. Silentkit and her brother Blazekit enjoyed climbing onto Lionblaze's broad shoulders and letting him carry them all around camp. Cinderheart often shook her head in exasperation at their rough-housing, but Silentkit loved it. After all, she would need her practice if she was going to be a great warrior.

     Pawsteps alerted her that another cat was approaching the nursery. She opened her mouth to taste the air, relaxing as the familiar scent of herbs and forest washed over her. It was Jayfeather, another frequent visitor to the nursery. The medicine cat had always been there for her and her brother, almost like a second father. His scent was familiar to her as her own. It smelled of herbs, and the moss and sand in the medicine den, and a bit more faintly of the forest beyond the camp. There was a hint of moor-scent there, but Silentkit never told him that. The skinny tom was prickly enough about his half-WindClan heritage as it was.

     She padded up to the entrance, waiting for Jayfeather to arrive. "Here again, are you?" She mewed dryly.

     The medicine cat let out a mrowr of laughter. "Can't sneak up on you, can I? Not even an apprentice, and you feel the need to show up the medicine cat." His sharp words were contradicted by the warmth in his tone. The two cats touched noses briefly, a purr rumbling in Silentkit's throat. The kit loved bantering with the grumpy medicine cat, meeting his scornful words with dry, sarcastic responses.

     Jayfeather stepped past the kit, his tone brisk. "Come on, I have to talk to your mother. You might as well come too, if you're determined to poke your nose in everywhere." Curious, Silentkit padded after the medicine cat, wondering why he needed to speak to her mother.

     The warm scents of the nursery swept over Silentkit once more, along with the sounds of a mewling kit. Finchkit and Petalkit, the youngest kits at one moon, must have woken up. Cinderheart raised her head as Jayfeather approached, her soft fur brushing against the moss in her nest as she shifted. "Hello Jayfeather. What brings you here?" Her tone was curious but wary. Silentkit pricked her ears with interest. What had put her mother out of ease?

     Jayfeather mewed gruffly, "Come with me. We need to talk to Bramblestar about your kits' apprentice ceremony." Silentkit gasped in excitement. Finally! She'd been waiting for this day for moons.

     There was a short pause, while Cinderheart's tail lashed once against the ground uneasily. "Alright." She finally mewed. "But I'm not sure what good it will do." The queen got to her paws, her paws thumping softly on the sandy floor of the nursery as she followed Jayfeather out.

     Silentkit tried to go after them, but Jayfeather barred her with his tail. "Not this time, nosy." He growled. "Stay here with Rosepetal." He turned and padded out of the den.

     Silentkit stood alone, puzzled. What had her mother meant by that? "I don't know what good it'll do." A sudden thought made her freeze. Does she mean that our apprentice ceremony might be delayed?

     Smaller pawsteps sounded from outside the nursery. Her littermate's scent drifted in from outside, growing steadily stronger. She lifted her head. "Blazekit?"

     The large kit padded into the den, his pelt smelling of strongly squirrel and more faintly of other prey. Silentkit could hear him dragging something clumsily along the ground. Judging by the scent, it was a squirrel. He dropped it at her paws. "I was just grabbing food." He seemed to notice the empty nest, for he asked, "Where did Cinderheart go?"

     Silentkit lifted her head, her mind made up. "She went to see Bramblestar, and we're going to follow her!" she announced, her tail held high.

     Blazekit sounded puzzled. "Why?" He had never been as adventurous as his sister.

     "Because they're talking about our apprentice ceremony," she informed him importantly. "We deserve to hear what they're saying."

     Her brother took in a sharp breath. "But we could get in big trouble! What if they delay our apprentice ceremony?"

     Silentkit hissed, "What if that's what they're talking about already? We need to find out!"

     The tom kit gave a resigned sigh. "Fine. Let's go then, while everyone's still asleep."

     Silentkit felt a rush of satisfaction. At last! They'd wasted enough time arguing. She listened quick to see if Dovewing was still asleep, for her powers would let her find them quicker than she could say "mouse." But the gray queen was snoring lightly, her paws twitching slightly. Hopefully she wouldn't wake before they got back.

     The kit led her brother out into the camp, sniffing the air cautiously for warriors. The dawn patrol had already left, most likely, and no one else had any reason to be up so early. She could hear the snores of warriors in the warrior den, and of the apprentice's and elders in their dens. She could hear voices coming from the leader's den, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. "We've got to get closer," she whispered to her brother.

     The two kits crept quietly to the rock face. There were cracks and nooks where a kit could climb up to the High Ledge, as Silentkit knew from experience, but there was no need. This was close enough to hear.

     Bramblestar's deep meow sounded from the den. "Honestly Jayfeather, I don't know why you're being so stubborn about this. Are you really thinking about what's best for her?"

     Silentkit was puzzled. Her? Are they talking about me? She raised herself up on her hind legs, putting her front paws on the rock face.

     "Of course I am!" That was Jayfeather, his voice sharp and hostile. "You think she'd be happy in the medicine den with me?"

     Silentkit was puzzled. What? Why are they talking about me being a medicine cat? That's mouse-brained! Bramblestar's voice came again. "Jayfeather, is this really about Silentkit? I remember how much you wanted to be a warrior..."

     Jayfeather's voice cut him off. "This is different!" he insisted. "It was always my destiny to be a medicine cat. But not Silentkit. You can't keep her from being a warrior just because she's blind!"

     Silentkit let out a gasp, no longer caring whether they heard her or not. Blazekit stiffened beside her, and silence fell in the leader's den. Finally, Jayfeather called out, "Silentkit, get in here. Blazekit, you too. I can sense you there."

     Still dazed, she began to climb up the rock face, Blazekit gently nudging her up the right path from behind. They finally reached the top, where Bramblestar, Cinderheart, and Jayfeather waited.

     Cinderheart rushed over to her kits, her fur bristling angrily. "I thought you two were supposed to stay in the nursery!" she scolded.

     Silentkit ignored her mother. She pushed past the queen's paws to stand before Bramblestar. Panic forced her fur on end. "You can't keep me from being a warrior!" she begged, her voice edged by fear. "I'm going to be the best warrior ThunderClan's ever had! I'll train twice as hard as any apprentice!"

     Jayfeather's voice sounded from behind her. "See? I told you she wouldn't like this."

     Bramblestar heaved a sigh. He got to his paws, his tail tip twitching uncertainly. "How would we have a blind warrior?" he questioned the kit gently. "In the thick of battle, how would you know who your enemies were? How would you hunt prey that you can't see? Or descend from trees that you can't see how high they are? It's simply too dangerous."

     Silentkit's fur fluffed up angrily, hating Bramblestar's condescending tone. "Do you know what all of your enemies look like?" She challenged. "Do you have every ShadowClan cat memorized by sight? RiverClan?" The kit puffed out her fur, her muscles rigid with anger. "I'll recognize them by scent, and I'll fight them by sound. I don't need sight to know who to claw and who to help. I'll hunt by scent and sound too. As long as I can hear my prey, I'll know how big it is and how far away. As for tree-climbing, I can hear another cat's voice on the ground, or the rustle of grass, and I'll know how far away it is. Simple!" Ignoring Cinderheart's gasp at her rudeness, she thrust her muzzle towards Bramblestar's lowered head. "I can scent and smell far better than any other cat. I deserve to be a warrior!"

     Farther back in the den, Blazekit spoke up. "She's right." He said quietly. "I've seen her tell which cat was coming into the camp before they passed the thorn barrier." He looked embarrassed over having spoken, but determined to back his sister.

     Silentkit nodded, grateful for her brother's support. "I can do this, Bramblestar," she pleaded, her anger giving way to desperation. "Please, I want to be a warrior."

     There was a long silence. Silentkit couldn't read thoughts like Jayfeather, but she could read Bramblestar's hesitation from the quiet shuffling in his paws and prickle of his fur. She continued pleading in her head. Please. Please say yes.

     Bramblestar finally sighed. "Very well." Silentkit let out a little squeal at his assent before snapping her jaws shut. You're about to become an apprentice. Act like it! The leader continued, "I don't see what right I have to deny someone the right to help her Clanmates. Besides, if your paws do lie on another path, we'll find out soon enough." He sat, curling his tail around his paws. "We'll hold the ceremony at Sundown, along with Lilypaw and Seedpaw's warrior ceremony."

     It was a clear dismissal. Silentkit dipped her head gratefully to the leader, then followed her mother, brother, and uncle out of the den, her pelt buzzing with excitement. I'm going to be an apprentice!

     Cinderheart was still scolding them as they made their way back to the nursery, but her tone betrayed pride that both of her kits would be warriors. "I thought I taught you two better than to spy on conversations that don't concern you."

     Blazekit's voice was meek. "Sorry Cinderheart. But it's a good thing we did. Otherwise Silentkit would have become a medicine cat!" He said the words as if there was nothing worse in the world. Silentkit had to agree, but she thought better of saying it aloud when she heard Jayfeather's irritated growl.

     Cinderheart sighed. "I suppose you're right." There was something in her tone, some hint of sadness and sense of loss. Silentkit pricked her ears with interest. She knew her mother had once been Cinderpelt, forced to be medicine cat because of a broken leg. Was she remembering the feeling of being forced into a different path when she had longed so hard to be a warrior?

     Jayfeather's growl sounded behind them. "I hope you two won't be so nosy as apprentices."

     Silentkit whirled around to face him, eager for a bout of exchanging insults. "You shouldn't worry. We're only nosy when there's someone interesting around."

     Jayfeather snorted. "Cheeky kit." His words were scolding, but his growl betrayed pride.

     Cinderheart sighed, exasperated. "Honestly Jayfeather, she's more like you every day."

     Silentkit purred, glad at the thought of being compared to the medicine cat. Cinderheart leaned down, giving her daughter a quick lick between the ears. "Go ahead and play if you want. Just be ready for the ceremony by sundown." Silentkit nodded, a purr building in her throat. It's almost time! She and Blazekit scampered off, determined to make the most of their last day as kits.

     The day seemed to stretch on forever, but finally sundown arrived. Bramblestar, who had been sharing a finch with his deputy and mate Squirrelflight, bounded up the rock face and sat facing his Clan on the High Ledge. He let out the familiar yowl of, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own pray join here beneath the High Ledge for a Clan meeting."

     The Clan began to gather around the ledge, a confusing mishmash of scents and sounds. There were no mews of surprise from the crowd. It was well-known that Lilypaw and Seedpaw had passed their warrior assessment a few days ago. It wasn't hard to guess the purpose for this meeting. Silentkit's paws tingled with excitement. It's time!

     Bramblestar's deep yowl came from the High Ledge. "ThunderClan, last leaf-bare was hard on us. We lost many cats to the cold. But now, green-leaf has come again, and we came out stronger than ever. To celebrate the survivors of that harsh leaf-bare, two apprentices will be honored with their warrior names. Lilypaw and Seedpaw, come forward."

     Silentkit heard pawsteps as the two apprentices came from the crowd to stand before the High Ledge. Bramblestar scrambled down to the ground again, standing regally before the apprentices. "I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." He lowered his head. "Lilypaw, Seedpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

     Lilypaw's soft voice came first. "I do," she purred.

     "I do." Seedpaw meowed, her voice bursting with pride and excitement.

     Bramblestar's deep rumble sounded again. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names." He turned to his own apprentice first. "Lilypaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Lilyfrost. StarClan honors your wisdom and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan." There was a brief pause as Bramblestar rested his chin on Lilyfrost's head, and she gave his shoulder a respectful lick.

     The huge tom turned to Seedpaw next. "Seedpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Seedlight. StarClan honors your bravery and strength, and we honor you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

     The Clan yowled out cheers for the new warriors. "Lilyfrost! Seedlight! Lilyfrost! Seedlight!" Silentkit could hear Poppyfrost and Cinderheart's voices, far louder than the others. They had grown close to their siblings since the death of their father Brackenfur at the paws of a monster. Sorreltail had retired to the medicine den after that, grieving but sure that her mate was watching her in StarClan. Silentkit supposed every cat felt closer to StarClan after the Dark Battle, when the starry warriors had come to help them in their battle. Even Cloudtail, who hadn't believed in StarClan for many moons, was begrudgingly forced to admit to their existence.

     Bramblestar waved his tail for silence, causing Silentkit to take in a sharp breath. My turn now!

     Once the crowd fell silent, the huge tom continued, "I have another duty to perform today. Two more survivors of leaf-bare are to be promoted today. They were born in that cold time, and the protection of the Clan ensured their survival. They are now being given the chance to protect their Clanmates in turn. Step forward Silentkit and Blazekit."

     Mewls of surprise rippled through the Clan, along with a few hisses of concern. Spiderleg, his voice hoarse with age, muttered darkly, "We can't have a blind warrior."

     Poppyfrost agreed, "Jayfeather couldn't manage it."

     Silentkit felt her confidence fading slightly. Facing Bramblestar alone was one thing, but with the whole Clan giving their disapproval, she wondered for a moment if she was doing the right thing after all.

     Suddenly, a new mew sounded from the crowd. "Silentkit's certainly eager enough. I don't see why she can't be a warrior if she works hard enough." It was Molefoot, one of the younger warriors and the father of Rosepetal's kits. Since the death of his sister Cherrypaw, he had dedicated all his courage and wisdom to ThunderClan. He was a respected warrior, and Silentkit appreciated his support. At least some cat believes in me.

     She and Blazekit padded up to the leader. Silentkit felt her brother's pelt bristling nervously beside her. She leaned against his shoulder comfortingly. They arrived in front of Bramblestar side by side with the whole Clan's gazes burning into them.

     The tom's deep voice rumbled, "From this moment on, until he earns his warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Blazepaw." He got to his paws, his head held high. "Bumblestripe, you fought bravely in the Dark Battle. Your father was the brave Graystripe, and your mentor Mousewhisker. They both taught you all that they knew and shaped you into a great warrior. May you pass on all your skills to young Blazepaw."

     Silentkit purred as her nervous brother stepped forward to touch noses with the warrior. She was pleased with Bramblestar's choice. Bumblestripe was a patient, kind warrior, perfect for her more thoughtful brother.

     Bramblestar finally turned to Silentkit. There was still slight hesitation in his tone as he announced, "From this day forward, until she has earned her warrior name, this cat will be known as Silentpaw." The small she-cat lifted her head proudly, reveling in her new name. I'm finally an apprentice!

     Bramblestar paused again, no doubt seeking out her new mentor in the crowd. Silentpaw held her breath. Who would he pick? The tom finally spoke again. "Ivypool, you have led a harder path than most. You spied for us in the Dark Forest, risking your life night after night among our most dangerous enemies. ThunderClan owes you more than it can ever repay. I hope you will pass on the same courage and unquestionable loyalty to your apprentice."

     Silentpaw's tail went up in shock. Ivypool was one of the most legendary warriors in ThunderClan, other than the Four. She had trained in the Place of No Stars for moons, learning the most dangerous and powerful battle skills from the evil Dark Forest warriors, finally turning against them in the Dark Battle. She was a hero in every cat's eyes. Silentpaw couldn't believe she was lucky enough to get her as a mentor.

     She heard the warrior approaching her and bounded forward to meet her. They touched noses briefly. Silentpaw whispered to her new mentor, "Thank you for taking me on as your apprentice." The apprentice still couldn't believe her luck. Ivypool was bound to know the best ways to defend her Clan in battle!

     The young warrior mewed somberly, "You're welcome. I think I have a few ideas how to train around your blindness." The two cats drew back as the crowd cheered, "Blazepaw! Silentpaw! Blazepaw! Silentpaw!"

     Bramblestar flicked his tail, signaling that he had more to say. The Clan quieted, clearly puzzled. What other ceremonies could there be to perform?

     The leader announced, "Silentpaw's training will not just consist of fighting and hunting. Jayfeather has also agreed to help with her training."

     Silentpaw paused, confused. "I don't want to be a medicine cat!" she blurted out. The small cat smacked her tail over her mouth when she realized she'd spoken aloud. But the mews coming from the crowd carried tones of amusement, not anger.

     Bramblestar's voice also seemed to find her outburst humorous. He chuckled, "Don't worry, it's not about healing. Jayfeather has agreed to help you with seeing without sight, and strengthening your other senses. May both of your mentors pass on their wisdom and skills to you." The leader dipped his head, dismissing the Clan. The crowd broke up, mewling and whispering amongst itself.

     "Can you believe he made Silentpaw a warrior apprentice?"

     "And he gave her two mentors! That's never happened before."

     "The poor thing won't last in a battle."

     "She'll get shredded!"

     Silentpaw shrunk momentarily from the whispers, but Ivypool brushed her tail against the apprentice's shoulder comfortingly. "Don't listen to them. They just worry for because they care about you. If you prove yourself to them, then they will have no reason to worry."

     Silentpaw saw the logic in Ivypool's words. Clanmates are family. Family cares and worries for each other, like Cinderheart always fretting over us. I just need to show them that I'm going to be the best warrior ever!

     Silentpaw lifted her head proudly, letting her Clannmmates' whispers fade into nothing as she imagined her own warrior ceremony. I am ready!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chapter Two}     Dead leaves crunched and rustled ominously in the forest. The young cat's neck fur prickling uncomfortably. There was something out there. Something dangerous.

     A deep roar sounded from within the trees. The apprentice shrank back in fear. "Wh-who's there?" No answer came. The cat crouched low against the ground. It's coming.

     The apprentice's eyes widened in horror as the creature came before him. It was black as a shadow with eyes burning like flame. It drew itself up to its full height, and kept going, and going, and going...

     "Blazepaw!"

     The ginger tom jerked awake. His head bolted up and his fur stood on end. His gasping breaths slowed down to a normal speed as he saw where he was. He was surrounded by the sunlit walls of the apprentice's den, where every cat but his sister beside him had already left. Blazepaw turned to see the source of his awakening. The striped gray face of his mentor was poking into the aporentice's den, yellow eyes soft with concern. "Are you alright, Blazepaw?"

     The ginger tom let out a shaky breath. "'M fine," he mumbled, ears burning. The genuine concern in Bumblestripe's eyes lessened Blazepaw's embarrassment. "Had a nightmare is all. Guess I'm just a bit nervous." The anxiety and stress over his upcoming apprenticeship had been turning itself into terror of a faceless danger in his dreams for the past several nights.

      The gray tabby flicked his ear in a friendly way. "Don't worry young one, you'll do fine." He began to back out of the den. "I have an assignment for you today. Come meet me at the fresh-kill pile." The warrior backed out the den. The branches of the apprentices' den rattled slightly even after he had left.

     Blazepaw got quietly to his paws, careful not to wake Silentpaw beside him. The blind she-cat twitched slightly in her sleeping, wearing a peaceful expression. The young tom smiled slightly at the sight of it. Silentpaw liked to act like she was tough enough to take on the world, so it was nice to see her just relaxing for once.

     The ginger apprentice made his way out of the den. A surprisingly branch-infested camp greeted him. Great broken-off pieces of branch and bushes were strewn all about the hollow. Blazepaw blinked in surprise a few times before noticing his mentor seated by the fresh-kill pile. He padded over quickly. "What happened out here?" he asked, flicking his ear to indicate the camp.

     Bumblestripe looked up from his mouse. "Hmm?" He looked at the chaotic mess around them. "Oh, it got pretty windy last night. This is what happens when you live surrounded by trees." He gulped down the last scraps of his meal and swiped his tongue around his jaws. "I want you to stay here today and help sort out this mess. The elder's den and nursery need doing too. Jayfeather will show you how to clear out the dens before he heads out with Ivypool and Silentpaw."

     Blazepaw deflated a little to hear that his first task as an apprentice was cleaning the camp. Bumblestripe smiled understandingly. "Get a good night's sleep tonight then, cause tomorrow we'll take a tour of the territory.

     The young ginger tom perked up. "Thanks Bumblestripe." He watched as his mentor padded away, followed soon by the rest of his border patrol.

     Snowpaw and Dewpaw were standing by their mentors, waiting patiently to hear what they'd be doing for the day. Blazepaw was looking around the camp, trying to figure out where to start clearing out the mess, when Amberpaw padded towards him. The tiny gray she-cat flicked her ears. "Berrynose says you're on camp-cleaning duty too."

     Blazepaw nodded, pleased. The work would go faster with two cats working. Amberpaw continued, "Would you mind taking the elder's den? Spiderleg and I got in an argument yesterday, and I don't think I'll get much work done with him raking his claws over my ears."

     The ginger tom snorted in amusement. Amberpaw was one of the feistier apprentices, and most cats in the Clan were divided on whether Spiderleg or Cloudtail were the grumpiest elder in ThunderClan. It wasn't surprising that the two had argued. "Sure," he purred. "I'll get the nursery too, if you want. Then I'll come out and help you with the clearing."

     Amberpaw relaxed, her tail lowering slightly in relief. "Thanks Blazepaw." With that, she trotted off towards the warriors' den, where a lot of clutter was collected.

     Blazepaw turned towards the hazel bush that served as the elders' den. As he pushed passed the lichen that draped in front of the entrance, he saw that all five elders were awake. Brightheart lifted her tail in greeting. "Greetings, Blazepaw," she rasped from her patched muzzle. "What can we do for you?"

     Blazepaw dipped his head to the elder in respect. "Bumblestripe sent me to clean out your bedding, then he wants me to search you for ticks," he explained.

     Millie, the oldest cat in ThunderClan, croaked from across the den, "Thank StarClan. Snowpaw was supposed to do that yesterday, but Jayfeather needed his help collecting herbs." Her silver tabby pelt was dull and flecked heavily with white.

      Spiderleg let out a snort. "Apprentices these days have no respect for their elders." He shifted on his mossy bedding, his tail lashing irritably. "Amberpaw was in here just yesterday, running her mouth off to me like I was a common warrior."

     Sorreltail rolled her eyes. "Lay off the poor cat," she chided Spiderleg in a raspy tone.

     From his spot beside Brightheart, Cloudtail spoke up. "Besides, you're not even a proper elder," he scoffed. "You're not old, you're just grumpy."

     It was true that Spiderleg was younger than the other elders. A bad case of stiff hip joints had sent him into the elders den early, although he would have joined in some moons anyway. But the black tom curled back his lips at the fluffy white elder. "You would know all about disrespect, wouldn't you Cloudtail?" the black-and-brown tom snapped. "If I remember right, you almost didn't become a warrior because of how often you disobeyed Firestar."

     Cloudtail bared his fangs at the skinny black tom. "You weren't even born then, Spiderleg," he snarled. "What would you know about it?"

     Brightheart rolled her eye. "Oh, shut up, the pair of you." She turned to Blazepaw. "You can start clearing the bedding."

     Sorreltail added, "I'll help lay down the new stuff if you want."

     Blazepaw dipped his head to the elderly tortoiseshell. "Thanks," he mewed gratefully. He padded to Sorreltail's nest and scraped the old bedding into a pile. He tucked it under his chin and started out of the den.

     Once he had replaced all the old bedding with new moss, he turned to his next task of removing ticks from their pelts. Jayfeather supplied him with the mouse bile soaked in moss, and Blazepaw carried the stinking bundle to the elders' den. As he worked at freeing a tick from Spiderleg's shoulder, Cloudtail stretched himself lazily out on his new bedding. "Ah, this is the life." The elderly white tom closed his eyes contentedly. "This is way better than doing everything myself. Now I have no end of apprentices to wait on me." He chuckled. "My reward for moons of service, I guess."

     Spiderleg let out a snort. "Yes, because you were always such a hard-working apprentice," the black elder growled sarcastically.

     Sorreltail gave her denmate a jab in the side with her forepaw. "Leave him alone," she admonished him. "The two of you are always arguing. It's enough anyone can do to get any sleep around here, the way you two are always carrying on."

     Spiderleg let out an irritated huff. Sorreltail rolled her eyes and turned to Blazepaw. "Sorry about that. Those two never could get along." She flicked her dappled tail in a friendly way. "But at least Purdy isn't here anymore. That old tabby would talk until your ears fell off."

     Millie let out a wheeze of amusement. "Poor Mousefur's probably with him now, listening to another one of his long-winded tales. I doubt he'll have left any prey in StarClan's forests either. I've never met a cat with such a talent for eating." Even as she insulted her old denmate, Millie's eyes gleamed with affection for the old tom.

     Blazepaw turned to look at Millie, his ears twitching hopefully. "I don't mind stories." He offered.

     Sorreltail let out a hoarse chuckle. "Oh you don't, eh?" She eyed the apprentice shrewdly, an amused grin lighting her features. "Very well. Then I assume you won't mind hearing about the battle with the foxes at Fourtrees?"

     Blazepaw nodded brightly. With a light chuckle, the old tortoiseshell shifted until she sat comfortably in her nest. "Well, you get started with that bedding, and I'll see how much I can remember, hmm?

----

     In the forest, Silentpaw followed her new mentor through the thick undergrowth. The new terrain baffled the blind cat. Back in ThunderClan's camp the ground had always been smooth and sandy, but now there were brambles, vines, bushes. Everywhere she set her paws there was something waiting to get in her way and tangle around her legs. Even getting past what was on the ground, there was the constant sound of the wind banging against the trees high above them. So many new things out here. The sheer number of new scents and sounds threatened to overwhelm the young apprentice.

     Silentpaw gritted her teeth in annoyance as her paw got caught up in a bramble. The apprentice tugged at the tangled thing to no avail. "Ivypool, can you get me out of this?" she asked sheepishly.

     Pawsteps sounded as her mentor came to her side. "No problem." The warrior gave the brambles a quick jerk, freeing Silentpaw with ease. "Good thing you're not like Jayfeather," Ivypool commented with amusement. "We'd have been here all day while the stubborn idiot tried to free himself."

     The tom in question gave a derisive snort. "You weren't exactly a ray of sunshine as an apprentice either," he pointed out crossly. Ivypool just chuckled and led the small group onward.

     As they traveled further into the forest, the scent of water grew stronger. "Are we getting close to the lake?" Silentpaw asked eagerly.

      "Yes. There's something I want to show you first though." Her mentor's pawsteps faded, and when she spoke again, her voice was farther ahead. "Come check this out."

     Silentpaw padded gingerly towards her mentor, careful of the undergrowth under her paws. Ivypool was standing by a tree of some sort, oak by the scent. Silentpaw placed her paw on the trunk, feeling the cool bark under her pad. The young cat had no way of telling how high it was, but by checking how thick it was, she guessed it was pretty tall. "What is this?"

     The young warrior's voice sounded off to the left. "This is the Ancient Oak. No one knows how long it's been here, but it's the biggest tree in all of ThunderClan's territory. We'll be doing tree-climbing lessons here."

     I have to climb this? Silentpaw gulped at the thought of being up so high in the air. She'd told Bramblestar that she could handle climbing trees despite her blindness, but she'd never realized how tall they were. An involuntary shudder ran through the young cat.

     Jayfeather must have read the apprentice's thoughts, for he laid the tip of his tail comfortingly on her shoulder. Silentpaw allowed herself to be led forward until she was surprised to feel water lapping at her paws. She leaned down to sniff at it, flinching away as her nose touched the cold, wet surface. "Is this the lake?"

     "Yes." The grass rustled as Ivypool sat beside her apprentice. "This is the center of all the Clans' territories. Every Clan has access to it." There was the slight stirring of water as Ivypool traced her paw over the surface. "You could say it is the heart of the Clans."

     Silentpaw felt a sense of wonder at her mentor's words. She lifted her head, trying to imagine what the great expanse of water must look like. The little cat listened to the wind as it swept over the smooth, clear water, and she could smell the water and the scent of the other Clans being blown in from across the lake. Ivypool sighed quietly. "I wish you could see it," she murmered.

     She'd probably thought her voice was too low to be overheard, but Silentpaw had caught every word. She turned to her mentor, trying to put as much conviction into her words as she could. "I don't."

     Ivypool perked her ears with interest. "Really?" The pity in her voice had been replaced by curiosity. "Why not? I can't count the number of times Jayfeather's whined about being blind." The tom in question let out an annoyed hiss, but Ivypool ignored him.

     "That's because Jayfeather knows what seeing is like. He sees in his dreams after all. But me?" Silentpaw shrugged. "How do you miss something you've never had? And my scenting and hearing are all the better for it." She suddenly realized how much she'd revealed, and her pelt burned in embarrassment. She got to her paws as quick as she could. "Come on, there's more forest to explore, right?"

     The three started off again. As they went further into the forest, new, less pleasant smells became apparent. The odor of marshland was strong and slightly foul and strangely overlaid with the sickly sweet scent of pine. Silentpaw wrinkled her nose in disgust. "What in StarClan's name is that stench?"

     Jayfeather's gruff mew sounded. "We're getting close to the ShadowClan border. Keep your ears pricked, Silentpaw," he instructed the apprentice. "Figure out the way the land is laid out, where the trees are, and the dips and rises in the ground. You'll have to find your own way around one day with nothing but scent and sound to guide you."

     Silentpaw snorted. "I don't think scenting this place is going to be a problem."

     Suddenly, pawsteps sounded in the distance. Silentpaw turned to Jayfeather. "Do you hear -"

     "Yes." The medicine cat stepped up to stand beside the apprentice, his legs stiff and his muscles tensed. "A ShadowClan patrol is coming this way." He leaned down to murmur in Silentpaw's ear, "Just stay calm. ShadowClan cats like to puff out their fur and talk tough, but they won't pick a fight without reason. Well, not most of them."

     The sound of cats' paws grew louder, and soon they stood only a few fox-lengths away. There were three full-grown cats, judging by the pawsteps, and a smaller, probably an apprentice. An unfamiliar voice sounded. "Greetings, Jayfeather, Ivypool. Didn't expect to see you out here."

     Ivypool dipped her head respectfully. In an even gone she mewed, "Greetings, Rowanstar." Silentpaw blinked in surprise. ShadowClan's leader? She never thought she'd meet him on something so mundane as a border patrol. He hadn't been leader long - Blackstar, the leader before him, had died shortly before Silentpaw was born.

     Another voice sounded, another male. "This is Snowbird's apprentice, Marshpaw. Who's yours?" Silentpaw stiffened when she realized they were talking about her.

     "Silentpaw," Jayfeather replied tersely. In a quiet voice, he murmured to the apprentice, "The tom is Tigerheart, Rowanstar's son, and the she-cat with them is Snowbird, Marshpaw's mentor."

     Tigerheart. Silentpaw had heard his name before. He was Bramblestar's nephew, and a former Dark Forest visitor. He, like Ivypool, had turned out to be a spy for the Clans and had fought to protect the forest from the Dark Warriors. Silentpaw felt almost as much respect for him as for her mentor.

     Rowanstar sounded surprised. "Ah. You're Lionblaze's kit, aren't you?"

     "The blind one?" A younger voice blurted out bluntly. Marshpaw, probably.

     Silentpaw let out a soft hiss. "Yes. I'm blind. So?" Her tone dared the apprentice to challenge her further.

     "Hmm. Congratulations on becoming an apprentice." Rowanstar didn't make much of an effort to hide his disdain. "Goodbye, Jayfeather. Just make sure your new apprentices know to keep their paws on your side of the border." With that, the leader took his patrol and left, leaving the ThunderClan cats alone once more.

     Silentpaw let out a snort. "Nice guy," she commented sarcastically.

     "He's a leader of a rival Clan," Ivypool mewed dryly. "What'd you expect, your pick of the fresh-kill pile?"

     Jayfeather's voice sounded. "Besides, they've got a lot on their minds, what with Oakfur being sick."

     Silentpaw perked her ears in surprise. "How did you know that?" Then she remembered who she was talking.

     Ivypool's voice was heavy with disapproval. "Jayfeather, you can't keep doing that. What happens to ShadowClan is their own business."

     Jayfeather sniffed. "It's not my fault they can't keep their thoughts to themselves," he complained. "That Marshpaw was practically shouting in my head."

     "How sick is he?" Silentpaw asked.

     Jayfeather didn't speak for several moments. He finally answered quietly, "He's not long for StarClan." Without another word, he turned and started off into the forest again, leaving Ivypool and Silentpaw to follow. As they returned to their tour of the territory, the little blind cat was left to wonder, What does it mean for ThunderClan if ShadowClan's deputy dies?

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chapter Three}     A sparrow's alarmed squawk broke the calm morning silence. The bird burst through the bushes, sending leaves and feather flying in its panic. Angry claws swiped at the air where it had been moments before. Stupid bird!

     "Silentpaw!"

     The young cat turned away from her escaped prey and, with a sigh, faced her mentor. Ivypool's tail was twitching irritably - clearly she was trying to keep her temper in check. "What?"

     The warrior made an effort to keep her voice even. "You're still attacking too quickly. You have to be close enough for one pounce to get you to your prey."

     Silentpaw gave an irritable hiss. "I know. I'm working on it, alright?" She turned away and began to pad away. "I'll go get your stupid bird."

     "Silentpaw!" Ivypool's voice was sharper than before. The warrior stepped out in front of her apprentice, blocking her path. "This isn't about the bird," her mentor growled. "This is about you not putting in the proper effort with your training. We've been working on this hunting move for two days. You should have it by now."

     The small she-cat narrowed her eyes. "I caught two mice earlier. So what if the crouch isn't right? It's just hunting."

     "Just hunting?!" Ivypool hissed in outrage. The warrior thrust her muzzle right in the apprentice's face. "Is that what this is about? You think hunting's beneath you or something? What happened to 'I'll work twice as hard as any other apprentice?'"

     Silentpaw pulled back with a snarl. "I didn't think we'd be doing hunting for two straight moons without any other lessons!"

     Ivypool bared her fangs, an ugly snarl building in her throat. "We'll work on hunting as it takes for you to get it right," she growled. "It's not up to you to decide which duties are most important. Prey's plentiful now, but if a drought hits, we'll need all the hunters we can get, and leafbare left us with fewer warriors. You need to learn to respect my decisions, even if they don't agree with what you want to learn."

     Silentpaw gave an irritable hiss. Deep down she knew Ivypool was right, but still, she'd caught plenty of prey, shouldn't that be enough? The little she-cat stormed past her mentor, ignoring Ivypool when the warrior called after her. I just want to learn to fight! Is that too much to ask?

----

     Two squirrels fell under Silentpaw's frustrated claws, but as the hours passed and Ivypool didn't come after her, the apprentice's anger faded to uncertainty. True, the excessive hunting was really annoying and not particuarly enjoyable, but Ivypool was her mentor after all. Maybe she should go appologize?

     Pawsteps sounded nearby. Ah, Ivypool finally came to yell at me. But the newcomer wasn't Ivypool; the faint scent of herbs and moorland alerted her to her mistake. "Hey Jayfeather," she greeted her other mentor dully.

     The medicince cat let out a snort. "I guess even I can't sneak up on you." He sat down beside the apprentice, letting a few moments of silence pass. Silentpaw wanted to ask him why he was there, but the threat of another lecture held her tongue.

     "She's afraid, you know." Jayfeather's gruff mew broke the silence. Silentpaw looked at him, puzzled. The medicine cat explained, "Ivypool trained in the Dark Forest for a long time. The kind of fierce training she saw there isn't something you can just forget. So many foolish young cats eager to serve their Clans, turning bloodthirsty and vicious from the training they received. She had to pretend to be as cruel as they were and train her apprentices as harshly as they did. Sometimes they trained until their pelts were so bloody you couldn't see what color their pelts were under all the red." His voice grew sarcastic as he growled, "I can't imagine why she'd be wary of teaching you battle training."

     Silentpaw was struck dumb by Jayfeather's words. She could barely imagine the kind of savagery the medicine cat was describing. Poor Ivypool! Hesitantly she asked, "Why didn't she just tell me that? I would have understood."

     Jayfeather snorted. "No you wouldn't. You were being stubborn. You wouldn't have given up the fight that easily." Silentpaw hung her head, recognizing the truth in his words. "Do you think the Dark Forest is something Ivypool finds easy to talk about? The kind of things she saw there can leave powerful scars. There's really no one in the Clan that can understand the pain she's gone through, so she just doesn't talk about it."

     "Then why are you telling me?"

     "So you'll ease up on her. She's doing her best to be a good mentor, but you have to remember that the last time she trained an apprentice, they were as eager to fight as you, and they became ruthless and cruel."

     Silentpaw nodded, feeling guilty. "I'll drop the battle training issue." Jayfeather gave a nod of approval, and the two fell back into silence. In the distance a bird let out a warning cry, then fell silent.

     "Well, spit it out." Silentpaw turned to the tom in surprise. Jayfeather's words were gruff as ever, but his tone had softened slightly. "You've got more on your mind, I can tell. Let me hear it."

     Silentpaw let out a chuckle, trying to pass it off as a joke. "You mean you don't already know?" Not for the first time Silentpaw found herself cursing Jayfeather's mind reading powers. She never blocked him out though. He'd been able to help Silentpaw sort through her tangled thoughts more than once.

     Jayfeather wasn't buying it. "Alright fine, how about you need to hear it?"

     Silentpaw lowered her head, almost embarrassed to say the words. But maybe Jayfeather could help. He wouldn't laugh, she knew that. Jayfeather was gruff and grouchy as an elder, but he'd always been there for Silentpaw. "Jayfeather, what if I can't do it?" The words sound small even to her own ears. "What if being blind keeps me from being a warrior?" Part of her had been afraid that the reason Ivypool didn't want to train her was because she didn't think her apprentice was capable of learning properly.

     "You can learn to be a warrior, Silentpaw." Jayfeather's voice had gone unexpectedly hard. "You're blind. That's just how life is and it's not going to change. You have to learn to deal with it. It's not your blindness that's holding you back. If you want to be a warrior, you're going to have to work for it. Look, I get it, two moons ago you were a kit with no responsabilities, but now you're an apprentice. You're going to have to work twice as hard as any other apprentice if you have a hope of being a warrior. It's not fair, it's just the way it is. Can you commit yourself to that?"

     Silentpaw shrank back a bit from Jayfeather's tone, but in the end he was right, as always. She closed her eyes, furrowing her brow in thought. The last two moons had seen the hardest work she'd ever faced. Hunting without sight wasn't easy, and it was the difficulty of the task more than the monotony that had made her wary of it. Somehow she'd thought that everything would come easy, but training wasn't fun as she'd always thought. It was long hours, strained muscles, and aching claws. Pointless catches that were forgotten as soon as they were done and dens that weren't slept in until long after sundown. So much work. Was it really worth it?

     Yes. Silentpaw let out a sigh. To be a warrior, to be respected, yes it is. It wouldn't be fun, but she would do it all to be a warrior. She lifted her head proudly and told Jayfeather, "I'll work as hard as it takes." They weren't just words this time. She meant them to the tips of her claws.

     Jayfeather's tail flicked once in a friendly way. "I guess that'll have to do for now." He nudged the apprentice with his shoulder. "Go appologize to Ivypool." The small tom got to his paws and padded away, leaving Silentpaw sitting alone in the forest.

     After collecting her prey, the apprentice made her way back to camp. Ivypool was sitting with her sister Dovewing by the nursery. The warrior tensed warily as her apprentice approahed. "Glad to see you're back," her mentor said stiffly.

     Dovewing looked from Ivypool to Silentpaw. "Er, I think Jayfeather needed to see me." She scurried off to leave mentor and apprentice alone.

     Silentpaw searched awkwardly for something to say. She muttered, "Er, thanks for not coming after me."

     Ivypool's voice was even. "Dovewing assured me that you were fine."

     Do the Three have nothing better to do than use their powers to spy on me? Silentpaw pushed the irritated thought away and dug around for the words for an apology. "Sorry for storming off earlier." Silence. With an effort she continued, "I shouldn't have been so stubborn about learning how to fight. I'll keep working on my hunting if that's what you want."

     For a few moments the warrior gave no reply. Finally, she sighed. "I guess I understand where you're coming from. I'm sorry too. I know you're sick of hunting, but let's keep at it a bit longer. Your bird hunting could use some work."

     Silentpaw nodded, relief spreading though her limbs, loosening her tensed muscles. "Deal."

     Ivypool got to her paws. "I'm going to go talk to Bramblestar. I think that a night at the Gathering would be a good introduction to battle training, don't you?"

     The Gathering? Silentpaw gaped at her mentor. "You're letting me go to the Gathering? After today?"

     Ivypool chuckled. "It'll be a good experience for you," she explained. "Besides, you've been an apprentice for two moons. You've got to go to the Gathering at some point." With a final flick of her tail, the warrior padded off towards the High Ledge.

     Silentpaw's fur bristled with excitement. The Gathering! She leapt to her paws and bounded off towards the elder's den, where she knew Blazepaw would be.

     "Blazepaw! I'm going to the Gathering!"

     The young tom looked up, the scent of mouse bile almost making Silentpaw gag. Spiderleg's scent was stale, he hadn't been in the den for a few hours, and Sorreltail was asleep, but the other elders were all there.

     Blazepaw let out a purr. "Me too! Bumblestripe told me earlier."

     A dry chuckle sounded from Cloudtail's nest. "You young cats," the old cat rumbled. "Always up and eager about something. It's a wonder any cat can get any sleep around here with you apprentices underfoot."

     Brightheart's softer tone sounded after her mate. "Oh, leave them alone Cloudtail. Like you weren't excited for your first Gathering."

     "No, he was probably too busy arguing with Firestar," Sorreltail joked. Silentpaw started slightly at the sound of the queen's voice – she hadn't heard her wake up.

     Cloudtail snorted. "You were only a kit back then, Sorreltail."

     Silentpaw turned eagerly to Brightheart. "Do you remember your first Gathering?" she asked the one-eyed elder.

     "Oh yes." The old she-cat shifted in her nest. "I still had both eyes back then. I'd caught three squirrels that day, and my mentor, Whitestorm, said that he'd asked Bluestar to let me go."

     Blazepaw tipped his head. "Bluestar?"

     "Mistystar of RiverClan's mother. She was leader before Firestar," Sorreltail explained. "Goodness, do you mean we've never told you any stories about Bluestar? There's so much to tell about her; she had quite the life, though of course most of it didn't come out until after she'd died."

     But Silentpaw wasn't interested in old leaders at the moment. "What about your first gathering, Sorreltail?"

     "Oh, I remember it well," the old queen mewed, a wistful edge creeping into her voice. "It was back when we were in the forest. We gathered at Fourtrees. My brothers and I were so excited! I remember walking into Fourtrees with my mentor Sandstorm showing me around." She suddenly let out a rusty mrowr of laughter. "Rainpaw nearly got his ears swiped off by a crabby RiverClan warrior called Blackclaw. He'd tripped over Blackclaw and insulted him all in a few minutes. I don't even remember how I got him out of that one."

     Cloudtail's pelt was trembling in laughter. "Didn't you say something to Blackclaw about Rainpaw having hit his head in training and thinking he was a badger all day?"

     "Like you could have come up with something better with that bristly old grouch glaring at you like that!" The outrage in Sorreltail's tone was lost in her own laughter.

     Silentpaw heard Blazepaw stiffen beside her. Quietly the tom asked, "But he wouldn't have really attacked Rainpaw, would he?"

     Sorreltail's tone became comforting as she mewed, "Of course not. Besides, he's been in StarClan a long time, and no one's been as hot-headed since that I remember. Well," she amended with a tail flick towards Cloudtail, "Maybe just this idiot here."

     "Hey, I never started any Gathering fights, did I?"

     "Neither did Blackclaw," Brightheart pointed out with a purr. She turned to the apprentices. "Don't worry little ones, fighting is forbidden at the Gathering. You'll have lots of fun."

     Silentpaw turned to the only elder who hadn't spoken. "What about you, Millie? What was your first Gathering like?"

     The former kittypet let out a slight chuckle. "Well, it started with me and Graystripe being attacked by WindClan warriors and ended by us being swarmed by more cats than I'd ever seen in my life. I didn't get to see a Gathering until I was well over the age of a young warrior. I've only ever known the Gathering island - like you." The queen lifted her head to the sky, taking in a deep breath. "There's a storm coming," she rasped.

     "That's good," said Brightheart. "It's been too long since it rained.

     Silentpaw agreed, but Millie still seemed uneasy. "This could be a big one though." She turned urgently to the apprentices. "Stay close to your mentors little ones, and keep an eye on the skies. This Gathering probably won't be a long one."

     The apprentices promised to do as she asked, but privately Silentpaw hoped she was wrong. This was going to be her first Gathering; she didn't want some stupid storm cutting it short.

     She wanted it to be a night she would never forget.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chapter Four}     Moonlight had turned the forest to shades of silver, the moon full and far above the treetops. It was nearly time for the Gathering patrol to depart. Blazepaw had been excited, but now, as he stood among the warriors and the older apprentices, he could feel a pit of unease in his belly.

     Beside him, Silentpaw was being groomed by Cinderheart, who was trying to trying to flatten a bit of fur sticking up between her ears. “Just hold still,” the gray queen fussed, reaching out with a paw to pull her daughter's head closer.

     Blazepaw had to hold back a purr of amusement at his sister's expression. Silentpaw's fur was bristling uncomfortably, her tail twitching with irritation. “It's fine, honestly,” she grumbled. When Cinderheart tried to pull her closer again, she ducked away from her paw, darting away from her mother's grasp. “Look, I'm fine,” she insisted irritably. “It's not like I get to see the end result anyway.”

     Cinderheart's tail twitched irritably. “You're getting more stubborn by the moon,” she scolded. Then she sighed, something sad softening in her gaze. She looked from Silentpaw to Blazepaw, smiling softly. “My little warriors,” she said quietly. “Already off to your first Gathering.” She turned to Blazepaw, gently brushing a tuft of fur on his shoulder down. With a sad smile, she told her son, “Watch out for your sister, alright?”

     Blazepaw nodded uncomfortably while Silentpaw let out an irritable growl. “I'll be fine, mom,” she muttered. The little apprentice shook out her pelt, making it as ruffled as it had been when Cinderheart had started. Cinderheart sighed at her daughter's behavior, then turned to Blazepaw. “Be safe,” she said softly, giving him a lick between the ears. “Stay close to your mentors, both of you.”

     “They'll be fine,” a voice rumbled behind them. Blazepaw turned to see Lionblaze standing behind them, a fond smile on his face. He padded up to stand beside his mate, rubbing his muzzle against her cheek. “The Clans have been at peace for moons now, and no one would dare break the truce, not anymore.” His eyes softened with worry as he looked at Silentpaw, but he seemed more confident than Cinderheart as he added, “Their mentors will look after them, and Jayfeather said he'll keep an eye on them.”

     Blazepaw wondered if Silentpaw was going to complain about needing a babysitter, but she just gave Lionblaze an irritable glare. Before Blazepaw could assure her he knew she didn't need watching, Bramblestar's voice rang from the camp entrance. “ThunderClan, time to go.” The patrol's chattering stopped, all eyes on their leader. One by one they began filing out past the camp entrance. Blazepaw winced as he pushed past the brambles, the thorny stuff tugging at his pelt. Once he was out, he looked back out of habit to make sure Silentpaw was still with the group, then hurried to follow the rest of the group.

     As the apprentice followed his Clanmates, he couldn't squash the small, fearful voice in his mind. Tonight was the first time he was going to meet cats from the other Clans. So many things could go wrong. What if he said something wrong, or started a fight, or gave something away? What if he didn't know what to say and made himself look like an idiot in front of the other Clans?

     “Something wrong?” Blazepaw jumped at the unexpected voice behind him. He turned to see Bumblestripe padding behind him, looking down at his apprentice.

     The small tom relaxed, smoothing down his ruffled back fur. “No, I'm fine,” he mumbled, ignore the cold weight in his stomach.

     Understanding flashed in the warrior's eyes. “I see,” he rumbled. “Let me guess, first Gathering jitters?” Blazepaw looked at his paws, embarrassed. The gray tom let out a chuckle. He came to walk beside Blazepaw, giving the apprentice a friendly flick of his tail. “Don't worry, everyone gets them. I remember how nervous I was my first Gathering.”

     Blazepaw pricked his ears. “Really?”

     Bumblestripe nodded. “Blossompaw and Briarpaw were excited, but I just kept thinking of all the ways I could screw up. But Mousewhisker stuck by my side the whole night, and it turned out fine. I met a few apprentices from the other Clans.”

     The apprentice gave a weak smile, the knot in his stomach easing a bit. “Thanks,” he mewed. He hesitated, then asked, “I can stick with you the whole time?”

     “Of course,” the gray tom assured him. Blazepaw nodded, satisfied.

     The patrol had just reached the edge of ThunderClan territory; now, they had passed into WindClan's moors. Blazepaw had never been on the moorland before, and he couldn't say he liked it. The lack of tree cover made him feel exposed. He ducked his head, hurrying after the patrol as they padded alongside the lake.

     The warriors picked up speed as they neared the fallen tree bridge. Blazepaw eyed the musty old log critically, not terribly eager to let it take his weight. Bumblestripe seemed to understand. He assured the apprentice, “I'll be right behind you.” Blazepaw nodded shakily, turning back to the fallen tree. He dug his claws in as he scrambled up past the roots, cautiously picking his way across the moldy log. The little tom didn't relax until he was back on grass again.

     Bumblestripe jumped down beside him, giving him a reassuring grin. “There, not so bad, huh?”

     Blazepaw shook his pelt out, trying to disguise how nervous he really way. “I guess.” He lifted his head, trying to catch a glimpse of Silentpaw on the other side of the bridge.

     He finally spotted Ivypool talking to her. Silentpaw nodded at something she said, then allowed her mentor to lead her across the bridge with Jayfeather right behind her. Blazepaw watched with bated breath, but they got across without any problems. Silentpaw jumped neatly off the log and padded over to Blazepaw's side. Her pelt was fluffed up with excitement, gray eyes shining. “We're finally at the Gathering!” she mewed, ears twitching here and there as she tried to catch every sound possible.

     Blazepaw nodded, forcing his pelt to lie smooth. "Yeah."

     Ivypool and Bumblestripe exchanged amused looks at their apprentice's reactions. The tabby-and-white she-cat gave her apprentice's shoulder a friendly tap with her tail. "Come on, let me introduce you to some of the other apprentices."

     As their mentors started off, Blazepaw slipped into his usual place beside Silentpaw, tail brushing against her flank to guide her. They didn't really get to train together all that often, so it was nice to be able to spend time with her again, especially in the face of their first Gathering. He'd never admit it to her, since she'd shred him if he did, but he felt protective of his blind little sister.

     As they pushed through the bushes into the main clearing, they were greeted with the sight of more cats than Blazepaw had ever seen in his life. He gulped, sending his mentor a nervous glance. Before he could say anything, however, Silentpaw nudged him. "What does it look like?" she asked eagerly.

     The little tom forced back his anxiety, searching for the right words. "There's a ton of cats," he started.

     "I know that!" Silentpaw interrupted irritably. "I'm blind, not noseless." She lifted her muzzle, sniffing lightly. "I smell WindClan and RiverClan, but the ShadowClan scents are old. They must not be here yet."

     Impressed, Blazepaw looked up at the Great Tree, seeing only three of the leaders. "Ashstar and Mistystar are up there," he told his sister. "Mistystar's gray-blue, like Lionblaze said, with thick, sleek fur. Ashstar's gray, and way skinnier than I was thinking. She looks really small up there next to Bramblestar. They're up on the Great Tree, on some thicker branch, Ashstar and Bramblestar sharing a branch with Mistystar below them."

     Silentpaw nodded, drinking it in with an air of bliss. "I can't believe I'm actually here," she breathed. Blazepaw threw her a concerned glance. Had she really thought her blindness would keep her from going to Gatherings? Or did she mean she never thought she'd get to come as a warrior apprentice?

     Before he could ask, Bumblestripe led them to a couple of younger cats. The gray tom dipped his head to the two warriors in the group. "Mossyfoot, Gorsetail," he greeted respectfully.

     The warriors dipped their heads. "It's good to see you again, Bumblestripe," Gorsetail purred.

     "You too," the warrior returned. "How's Darkpaw? I expecting to see her with you."

     Gorsetail's eyes glittered with pride. "Darkbreeze is with Nightfern, meeting some of the other warriors," she informed them. She gestured to the small brown tom beside her. "This is Quickpaw, our newest apprentice."

     Bumblestripe, and Mossyfoot's ears pricked with interest. "They're warriors now?" Bumblestripe asked. "Congratulations!" He gestured to Blazepaw and his sister. "This is my apprentice, Blazepaw, and his sister Silentpaw."

     Mossyfoot let out a purr. "Congratulations, Bumblestripe. Your first apprentice!" Blazepaw noticed that one of the younger cats beside her was staring at Silentpaw with narrowed eyes. The tom shifted closer to his sister, glaring defiantly at the she-cat. She glared at him for a few moments before turning away with a disdainful sniff.

     Bumblestripe nodded to the younger cats. "Blazepaw, Silentpaw, meet Finpaw and Eelpaw of RiverClan. Finpaw's been Mossyfoot's apprentice for two moons now."

     The cat who'd been staring at Silentpaw, Finpaw, turned to her mentor. "They're Lionblaze's kits, right?" she asked, completely ignoring the kits in question. "Isn't his daughter supposed to be blind? Why is she here?"

     Blazepaw bristled, indignant on his sister's behalf, and he heard her let out a soft snarl under her breath. Mossyfoot glared at her apprentice. "Finpaw, no need to be rude," she scolded. "ThunderClan can train who they like."

     Finpaw shrugged, amber eyes flicking to Silentpaw. "Sorry, just asking," she said, not sounding that sorry."

     "I can train just fine, thanks," Silentpaw said evenly. "Just like I can tell you have duck feathers and fresh moss in your nest without asking." Finpaw's eyes widened with shock. "My nose and ears work just fine, thanks." Without another word, she padded off, joining Ivypool and Jayfeather with a group of warriors.

     Blazepaw turned back to his group, paws shuffling uncomfortably. No way he was going to apologize for Silentpaw, she'd had a right to be mad, but he wasn't sure what else he was supposed to say. He was saved the trouble by Quickpaw, who stated at him with wide eyes. "You're Lionblaze's son?" he asked with awe.

     The ginger tom nodded uncomfortably. While he didn't have to face much of the consequences of being the son of one of the Three in ThunderClan, there were still cats in his own Clan in awe of Lionblaze for his role in the Dark Battle.

     Quickpaw's eyes widened. "Wow. What's he like? Have you ever seen him use his power?"

     "Quickpaw, leave the poor cat alone," Gorsetail scolded. "It's his first Gathering, no need to overwhelm him more than he already is." The apprentice ducked his head, clearly embarrassed.

     Blazepaw couldn't help but feel bad for the apprentice. He gave Quickpaw a friendly smile and told him, "No, my dad's power is fighting, and I've never seen him fight for real. But Jayfeather and Dovewing use their powers all the time."

     Quickpaw's ears perked. "Really?" he asked eagerly.

     The apprentice nodded. "Yeah, when we were kits we couldn't get away with anything. Either Dovewing saw us going where we weren't supposed to be, or Jayfeather saw us planning something and stopped us before we could even do it."

     As Quickpaw purred with amusement, Blazepaw heard pawsteps approaching, and a foul smell rolled over island. He turned to see a new patrol of warriors, strong and battle-scarred, coming over the tree-bridge. Blazepaw wrinkled his nose at the foul scent, recognizing it from his border patrols. "Looks like ShadowClan's here," he mewed.

     A ginger tom broke away from the rest of the group, bounding towards the Great Tree. “That must be Rowanstar,” Quickpaw realized aloud. Blazepaw remembered Silentpaw saying she'd met the ShadowClan leader on the border before, and how he'd been polite but disdainful of her blindness. He supposed that fit what he'd heard about ShadowClan. Dovewing said they were decent enough cats, but tended to be untrusting of other Clans.

     As Rowanstar scrambled up the Great Tree, Ashstar took a step forward, raising her tail commandingly. “Cats of all Clans!” The murmuring in the crowd died down, every cat lifting their head to look up to the Great Tree. The gray queen continued, “This Gathering has begun, and WindClan would like to speak first.” The other three leaders nodded their consent.

     The she-cat lifted her head proudly as she announced, “Hunting has been good this season. There are plenty of rabbits on our moors, and we now have two new warriors to help catch them. Darkbreeze and Nightfern have earned their warrior names.” Blazepaw saw two she-cats, one dark gray, the other a mottled brown, lifting their heads proudly.

     The Clans began to cheer, “Darkbreeze! Nightfern!” but Blazepaw couldn't help but notice some cats staying coldly silent, some even glaring at the new warriors. Behind him, Eelpaw, the other RiverClan apprentice, noted, “Ashstar looks happy.”

     “Of course she is,” Quickpaw replied, “Darkbreeze and Nightfern are her kin, after all.”

     Blazepaw looked back at him with interest. “Really?”

     The small tom nodded. "Yeah, they're Heathertail and Breezepelt's kits, and he's Crowfeather's son.”

     Breezepelt's kits. Now Blazepaw understood the lackluster reaction from the crowd. All of the warriors who'd fought for the Dark Warriors in that battle had been exiled, including Breezepelt. Those who'd trained in the Dark Forest but had chosen to fight for the Clans, or who hadn't fought at all, had been allowed to stay, but the traitors had been outcast. He'd forgotten that Breezepelt had kits in WindClan. Heathertail must have been his mate before the Dark Battle.

     When the noise died down, Ashstar continued, “We also have a new apprentice, Quickpaw.” The chanting began again, this time aimed in Quickpaw's direction. Blazepaw added his voice to the crowd's, watching as Quickpaw puffed out his chest proudly.

     Bramblestar stepped forward next. “We too have been fortunate this moon, though we have no new warriors to name. Dovewing's kits should arrive soon, and Squirrelflight recently moved to the nursery.”

     There were cheers to this, but also a few uncertain murmurs. Blazepaw heard a cat near him whisper, “I hope he made sure she's actually expecting this time.” The small tom felt a rush of anger. Just because Squirrelflight had lied to protect her sister, her loyalty was always to be questioned. It didn't seem fair. He knew a lot of cats had been hurt because of it, but if he was a she-cat, he knew he wouldn't hesitate to do the same for Silentpaw.

     Bramblestar's expression didn't waver, even as the cats below muttered about his mate's unfaithfulness. When the chattering died down, he continued, “In a moon's time, we'll have more apprentices. For now, ThunderClan is well.” He stepped back to let another leader speak.

     Rowanstar was the next to step forward. The ginger tom wore a dark expression, his stature tense and unwelcoming. Blazepaw remembered Silentpaw mentioning Oakfur being sick. Had he died?

     The old ginger tom growled, “Applefur recently gave birth to two kits, Sunkit and Rosekit.” The cheering this time was warmer; new warriors or apprentices meant new enemies to fight, but kits were always welcome news. “Tawnypelt's litter is expected within the moon, and Dawnpelt's kits will be apprentices soon. ShadowClan has had good hunting, but that doesn't mean we're willing to share a pawstep of it with any cat.” He glared meaningfully at the crowd below, then stepped back. Uneasy murmurs rippled through the crowd. Blazepaw wondered why he was being so aggressive, but then he saw the hunch of Rowanstar's shoulders, and the gray dappling his muzzle. Maybe he was sick?

     Mistystar stepped to the edge of her branch, her tail twitching irritably. There was something hard and unyielding in her blue gaze. Blazepaw remembered the elders mentioning how her mother had been a Clan leader. She certainly looked like she had been born to be a leader.

     In a hard tone, she announced, “I come with news of prey theft. ShadowClan has been stealing from RiverClan territory!”

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chapter Five}     Silentpaw's ears flew up in surprise. Prey theft? There'd been peace by the lake for moons now, ever since the Dark Battle when everyone had come together. It was weird to think that something as mundane as prey theft could finally break the truce.

     She could hear angry growls and hissing rippling through the crowd, probably from the ShadowClan warriors. When the clamor died down, Rowanstar spoke in a carefully even voice. “My warriors haven't set paw in your territory, Mistystar. Do you have any proof, or are we here to listen to the gossip of idle warriors?"

     "ShadowClan scents were found well over the border," the RiverClan leader replied testily. "Scraps of fur and squirrel blood were nearby."

     Rowanstar let out a snort. "Really, Mistystar? A bit of fur and some old scents? That's your proof? That could've been caused by anything. For all you know, prey from our territory could've run into yours, carrying the scent over."

     A growl rumbled from Mistystar's throat. "You think my warriors can't tell prey scent from trespassing warriors?" she asked in a low voice.

     "Maybe the stench of all that fish has your nose confused," the ShadowClan leader sneered. "Is this honestly enough to break a season's worth of peace?"

     Angry growls and hisses sounded from the RiverClan warriors. The atmosphere on the island, so relaxed before, had become tense, almost electric, angry tension buzzing between pelts like the beginnings of a storm.

     "These scents have been straying over the border for well over a moon," the halfClan leader snapped. "We may have kept the peace for a long time, Rowanstar, but that does not mean our prey is there for the taking, and it does not mean we won't fight to defend it."

     A few fox-lengths away, Silentpaw heard a ShadowClan warrior mutter, "What's got Mistystar's tail in a twist? Everyone knows RiverClan doesn't eat land prey."

     A RiverClan warrior hissed in response, "That doesn't mean we'll let ShadowClan foxhearts steal it!"

     Silentpaw could hear similar growling and complaining, voices rising with tension and anger. She stiffened, taking a moment to sniff the air. She'd thought the tense atmosphere was due to the arguing warriors, but there was something more tangible in the air, moist and electric all at once. The apprentice remembered Millie's earlier warning of a storm, and how it was going to be a big one. She leaned in towards Blazepaw. “I smell a storm coming.”

     The apprentice nodded distractedly, more focused on the two leaders. Behind him Bumblestripe mewed, “StarClan must not be pleased.”

     Silentpaw frowned. Somehow, she doubted this storm was somehow the wrath of StarClan. She had an odd sense of foreboding. This storm smelled stronger than what she'd ever scented before. The little cat fluffed out her fur uncomfortably, lifting her head to take a few, uneasy whiffs. She didn't know why she was getting so worked up about the oncoming storm, but she just couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going to happen.

     Vaguely, she heard Bramblestar's deep rumble. "Rowanstar, if your warriors have been stealing from RiverClan, it would be better to admit -"

     "Typical ThunderClan, doing anything to avoid getting blood on your claws," Rowanstar hissed scornfully. "You're as bad as Firestar ever was. You'd think a half-ShadowClan leader wouldn't be so eager to tiptoe around battle."

     Silentpaw stiffened at the blatant mention of Bramblestar's parentage, but the ThunderClan leader didn't rise to the bait. "All I'm saying is -"

     Something wet and cold landed on Silentpaw's ear. She flicked the drop off, but it was soon replaced by more, then a steady fall of rain. In a matter of seconds, the rain was pouring, pounding down harder and faster than she'd ever felt before. Her pelt was soaked through in moments, clinging uncomfortably to her frame.

     Through the roar of the rain, she heard a yowl from the Great Tree. "Everyone, to the tree bridge!" She was barely given time to recognize Mistystar's yowl before cats were suddenly pushing on all sides around her, scrambling to get to the bridge. The blind apprentice swung her head around, feeling a brief sense of panic. The rain was blotting out most her senses. Which way was the tree bridge? Where were her Clanmates? She couldn't scent any of them.

     She only had a few seconds to worry about that before she felt a warm pelt press against her, a familiar scent just barely noticeable through the rain. "This way," Ivypool hissed. She led the apprentice through the throng of wet pelts, her tail resting on Silentpaw's flank.

     Before they could reach the tree bridge, a wail of panic rose from the cats nearest the bridge. There was a sudden scramble to get away from the edge of the lake. "What's going on?" Silentpaw asked.

     A nearby warrior called out over the rain, "An elder fell off the tree bridge. He's being swept out into the lake!" There was a thin wail of fear in the distance, but the roar of the rain soon drowned him out.

     There was a shriek of fear. "He's gone! The waves pushed him under!"

     Silentpaw felt fear clench in her heart. If they couldn't get across the tree bridge, how were they supposed to leave the island? Without warning, she felt water lapping at her paws, even though she was several fox-lengths from the shore. The panic and yowling grew even louder. "The lake is flooding!" one warrior shrieked. Others soon took up his cry.

     Silentpaw felt a cat push past her, hurtling itself towards the front of the crowd. She was briefly able to recognize Mistystar's scent before her yowl sounded over the rain. "Warriors of all Clans!" she cried out for every cat to hear. "The lake is flooding, and if we don't keep our heads and figure this out, we'll all drown. So stop mewling listen up!"

     Little by little, the clamor of the crowd died down, leaving only the pounding of the rain. When it was clear she had everyone's attention, Mistystar continued, "We need to get to higher ground. We don't know how long this flood is going to last, and we need somewhere safe to wait it out."

     "The trees," Bramblestar rumbled. He sounded like he was towards the front of the crowd, by the edge of the lake. "We need to get everyone up into the trees, high as they can go." His voice turned commanding as he snapped out, "Squirrelflight, get our warriors organized. Two ThunderClan cats to a tree, get as many cats up as you can, as high up as you can. Young apprentices, pregnant queens, and elders climb the Great Oak, warriors and apprentices to the outer trees. Go, now!"

     Everyone began moving again, but now there was a calmer order to it. Bramblestar's orders had quelled the panic, given the warriors something to focus on. Squirrelflight began rattling off names, assigning warriors to trees. The ThunderClan warriors quickly rounded up cats to lead up into the trees. Silentpaw was pulled into Molefoot and Ivypool's group, along with a few WindClan and RiverClan warriors.

     They approached a tree towards the edge of the clearing, where the water was already starting to lap at the grass. Molefoot approached the tree, tail brushing the bark. "The branches are shorter up top, but they should be strong. Smaller cats up top. Silentpaw, that means you. Eelpaw, you go ahead of her."

     Eelpaw and Silentpaw both hesitated. She couldn't tell how tall the tree was, but her stomach clenched uncomfortably at the thought of being that high up. Ivypool seemed to realize, for she gave the apprentice a reassuring flick on her shoulder. "I'm going up first," she assured the two apprentices. "Just watch where I put my paws, and dig your claws into the bark to keep from falling."

     Silentpaw let out a slow breath, forcing her pelt to stop trembling. She waited as her mentor scaled expertly up the trunk. She lost track of her mentor as the warrior got further up and the rain drowned her out, but a few moments later, she heard the she-cat called out, "Eelpaw, Silentpaw, head up."

     The RiverClan apprentice went first, hesitantly hauling himself up onto the trunk. Silentpaw followed him without a word, staying on his heels. At first, she was trembling so much she thought she was going to shake her claws loose of the bark. But little by little, the action began to feel familiar. Some instinct awoke, telling her where to place her paws, how to use her claws, how to keep balanced. The idea of being up so high was dizzying, but as long as she focused on putting one paw in front of her, she was pretty sure she'd be okay.

     About halfway up the trunk, Eelpaw stumbled slightly, bark giving way from under his hind leg. He clung desperately to the tree, letting out a kitten-like mewl. "I don't think I can do it!" he wailed, pelt trembling with terror. Silentpaw could feel the tip of his tail trembling as it dangled down past her cheek.

     "Come on," Ivypool called out encouragingly, "you're nearly there, just a bit farther." Eelpaw just whimpered, shrinking back against the bark.

     For a moment, Silentpaw felt a flash of irritation. He was almost to the top, couldn't he just suck it up like she was and keep going? Then she remembered, Eelpaw was from RiverClan. She didn't like tree climbing, sure, but she'd worked on it a little, and as a ThunderClan cat she knew it'd be required of her one day. Eelpaw had probably never even gone near a tree in his life, nor thought he would ever need to. And now, being asked to do so in the middle of a freak storm, with the threat of falling to a watery death... no wonder he was terrified.

     Silentpaw edged a bit closer, so her head was next to the tom's flank. "Listen," she told him quietly, "just put one paw in front of the other. Don't think about anything else. Listen to the rain and block it all out. Got it?"

     Eelpaw let out a slow breath, his tail still trembling. After a few moments, he let out a weak, "Alright." The apprentice began climbing again, slowly hauling himself upward, not pausing again until he reached Ivypool.

     Once they reached the top, Ivypool directed them towards branches the were safe to perch on. Silentpaw settled uncertainly onto her branch, her stomach clenching as it swayed stiffly in the wind. Now that she wasn't climbing, she had nothing to distract her from the dizzying height. She no longer had a sense of how far off the ground they were, but somehow that made it worse. If she fell, who knew how far there was to go down? She let out a low moan at the thought, wrapping her limbs as far around the branch as they would go.

     A few moments later, she felt something shift on the branch, and an unfamiliar mew. "Mind if I join you?"

     Silentpaw took a shaky breath. Part of her wanted to say no, no way, she wasn't risking the branch breaking under the weight of another cat. But she knew there were only so many high branches strong enough to support the weight of cats, so she forced herself to say, "Sure, fine by me."

     The warrior in question stepped lightly onto the branch. "Thanks. I'm Darkbreeze by the way."

     "Silentpaw," the apprentice returned through gritted teeth. Through the fog of terror in her mind, she remembered heading the warrior's name before. "Wait, Darkbreeze, you're the new WindClan warrior, right?" Internally, she remembered Quickpaw saying she was Breezepelt's daughter, but she wasn't exactly planning on bringing that up.

     "Yeah, my sister and I were made warriors three nights ago," the she-cat confirmed. Silentpaw couldn't hear the warrior's movements over the rain, but she could feel her shifting through the movements of the branch. "I've heard your name before. You're Lionblaze's daughter, right?"

     The apprentice nodded warily. "Yeah." She wondered if Darkbreeze knew which of Lionblaze's kits she was talking to, and whether she'd say anything. Silentpaw didn't mind cats commenting casually on her blindness like Jayfeather, but the last thing she needed right now was rude blathering on about how a blind cat could never be a warrior.

     If Darkbreeze did know, she didn't say anything. Instead she commented, "You don't look so good. First time in a tree?"

     "First time this high up," the little cat managed between gritted teeth. The warrior's comment only reminded her of just how high up they were, and how very sleek and wet the branch was. She could imagine just how easily she could slip off and fall, body crushed and bones snapped by the landing below...

     To her surprise, the WindClan warrior flicked her tail tip against Silentpaw's flank in a comforting manner. "Deep breaths, in through your nose, out through your mouth," she instructed. "I know you can't see, but keep your eyes up anyway, and your head, keep them even with the branch. Don't fight the branch if it moves, relax and let yourself move with it."

     Silentpaw forced her breathing to slow, lifting her eyes and head like Darkbreeze had instructed. Some of the dizziness faded, and she instantly felt more balanced. She let her muscles relax slightly, her pounding heart slowing to match her carefully measured breaths.

     "Better?" Darkbreeze asked. Silentpaw could practically hear the smile in her voice.

     To her surprise, Silentpaw really did feel better. "Much, thanks." Now that the terror was subsiding, curiosity crept into her thoughts. "How'd you learn all that? You seem pretty comfortable in the trees for a WindClan warrior."

     Darkbreeze chuckled. "Yeah, we don't really do a lot of tree climbing," she admitted. "At least, my Clanmates don't. Crowfeather taught me and my sister how to climb trees when we were apprentices. I think he learned it from Leafpool."

     Silentpaw was surprised to hear Darkbreeze referring so casually to Crowfeather's warrior code breaking affair with the ThunderClan medicine cat. Even though all parties had basically been forgiven, cats still tiptoed around the whole Leafpool and Squirrelflight debacle like it was some big secret. As if every cat didn't already know and hadn't moved on.

     Aloud she mewed, "I've never met Crowfeather. What's he like?"

     "Grumpy," the warrior replied with a chuckle. "Gruff, stubborn, irritable."

     Silentpaw snorted. "Sounds like Jayfeather," she commented with amusement.

     Darkbreeze nodded. "He's your father's father too, right? That makes us kin."

     The apprentice thought about that for a moment. She had kin in another Clan. Silentpaw's hardly ever thought about the fact that she was a quarter WindClan. She didn't share some warriors' scorn for anyone with mixed blood, but she had to wonder for a moment what it would mean to have family in WindClan. Would she be expected to fight her own cousins? Scorn them at Gatherings to prove her loyalty? She wasn't sure what ThunderClan would expect of her, but after a few moments, she decided she didn't care. Darkbreeze seemed like a nice cat, and if she wanted to be friends with her, where in the warrior code did it say that was wrong?

     "Yeah," she said with a slight smile. "I guess we are."

     Both cats fell silent after that, the rain still pouring as heavily as it had been when it had started. A few minutes passed, but finally Silentpaw's curiosity got the best of her. "What's happening out there?" she asked Darkbreeze. "Did everyone make it up safely? How far has the water spread?" Privately, she cursed herself for not having worried about her Clanmates before now, especially Blazepaw. What if her brother had been swept out into the lake? Cold fear gripped her heart at the thought.

     The WindClan warrior shifted, peering out through the rain. "I can't see the trees very well, but there's no one left on the ground, so I think everyone made it up okay. There's..." She let out a shaky breath, voice suddenly tinted with fear. "Great StarClan, that's a lot of water. It's covering the whole island, and part of the mainland. I... I can't see the tree bridge." The WindClan warrior shrank back against the branch. "What if it's not there anymore? How will we get home?"

     Fear clawed at Silentpaw's own heart, but she forced herself to think logically for Darkbreeze's sake. "It's alright," she assured her new friend. "This will all be over soon. We'll be home before you know it." She remembers on of Millie's old sayings, repeating it as confidently as she could manage. "Hard rain usually stops as fast as it starts."

     Darkbreeze nodded, relaxing a little. At least she had calmed down a little. Silentpaw wished she could believe her own words as easily as her kin had, but that strange foreboding from earlier still hadn't let up.

     An unfamiliar voice hissed in her mind, "Things change. This storm is just one of many to break."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chapter Six}     Blazepaw was woken by the feeling of a tail brushing his shoulder. It had been dark and pounding rain when he’d drifted off, still clinging to his branch, but now the sky was a weak grayish-blue, probably late morning. He looked up to see the ShadowClan warrior he had been sharing his branch with, a tom named Wetwhisker. The tom mewed gruffly, “Come on. Cats are starting to gather down below.”

     The apprentice blinked the sleep out of his eyes. With a weary little shake of his head, he tried to focus on the world around him. The first thing that he noticed was that the loud pounding of the night before had ceased. “When did it stop raining?” he asked groggily.

     “Last night,” the tabby told him. “I kept waking up.”

     As Blazepaw looked out at the sky into the territories past the lake, he saw that it was foggy and gray, but the rain had ceased. He crouched low against the branch in order to look down at the ground below. Through the fog, he could see massive amounts of debris, branches and leaves and scraps of twoleg thing. There were cats moving around down there too, little blots of color. He couldn’t imagine how they were walking through all that clutter.

     “Come on,” Wetwhisker urged. “We should see when the leaders are planning to leave.”

     Blazepaw nodded. “Right, sorry.” He waited for the older tom to start down the tree trunk, then followed him down, clambering easily down the soggy bark. He and the ShadowClan tom were both pretty comfortable in trees, so they waited at the bottom for the others on the tree to come down, helping the more timid climbers off of the tree.

     When everyone was off the tree, Blazepaw turned to look at the center of the island. He could see cats picking carefully around the fallen debris, blinking in bewilderment. Blazepaw couldn’t blame them. The Gathering Island looked completely different. The trees looked bare and stripped of branches and leaves that had been torn off during the storm, which were strewn about the ground. The grass was plastered down from the sheer weight of the rain, and fog was wrapping around everything. Even the Great Tree wasn’t left untouched. A branch higher up the tree was snapped in half, left to dangle awkwardly off the tree. Blazepaw couldn’t take it in.

     As he looked at the wreckage, he noticed a familiar pelt moving through the crowd. He bounded over to the warrior, calling out, “Squirrelflight!”

     The deputy looked up as he bounded over. “Blazepaw!” His adopted grandmother pulled him into a quick embrace, on paw on his back and her chin on his shoulder. Blazepaw melted into the embrace, finally letting himself feel fear, like he couldn’t in front of the other Clans’ warriors the night before. The rain was over, but what was going to happen now? What kind of devastation had been left behind that they hadn’t seen yet?

     The older warrior pulled back, letting out a weak purr. “Thank StarClan you’re safe. Have you seen Silentpaw?” Squirrelflight might not have been their father’s actual mother, but she was just as invested in Lionblaze’s kits as if she was.

     Blazepaw shook his head, guilt clenching in his gut. “Not since the rain started.” He turned to look at the rest of the cats, gaze scanning for the black pelt of his sister. Guilt burned under his pelt; why hadn’t he tried to find her during the storm? What if she’d gotten swept out by the water? He was her brother, he was supposed to look after her.

     Noticing his concern, Squirrelflight brushed her tail comfortingly against his flank. She told him warmly, “I’m sure she’s fine, Blazepaw. We’ll find her together.”

     “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.” The young tom let out a shaky sigh. “Thanks.”

     “Hey, it’s what I’m here for,” the she-cat reminded him warmly.

     Blazepaw shook his pelt out, still damp from the night before, and began to make his way through the clutter, Squirrelflight right beside him. He began calling out his sister’s name. “Silentpaw! Silentpaw, where are you?”

     All around, cats were calling out for their Clanmates. Blazepaw could see some grouping together with the cats they recognized. There were plenty of voices calling out, but eventually he heard one that he recognized. “Blazepaw!” A familiar gray tom bounded over, yellow eyes lit up with concern.

     “Bumeblestripe!” Blazepaw greeted him with a quick rubbing of muzzles, letting out a purr. He was fond of his mentor, and glad to see him unhurt.

     The gray tom pulled back, eyes running over his apprentice. “Are you alright?” he asked urgently.

     “I’m fine,” Blazepaw assured him.

     Bumblestripe relaxed. “Good.”

     The apprentice hesitated, remembering his earlier quest. “Have you seen Silentpaw?” he asked.

     The larger tom shook his head. “Sorry, I haven’t.” His gaze shifted over to Squirrelflight, and in a more serious tone, he told her, “I found Mistystar and Weaselfur, they want to gather the cats by-”

     Suddenly, a wail of horror rose up from the edge of the island. “The tree-bridge is gone!”

     Blazepaw’s blood froze at her words. As he exchanged a look of horror with Bumblestripe, other cats took up the warrior’s call, cries of horror and panic becoming deafening. The three ThunderClan cats followed the crowd over to the first cat to speak, to see for themselves.

     As they walked, Blazepaw heard a familiar cry. “Blazepaw!” He turned to see Silentpaw, Ivypool, and an unfamiliar WindClan warrior bounding towards them. Silentpaw nearly knocked him over as she crashed into him, rubbing her muzzle desperately against his head and neck as he did the same. “I thought you got washed out into the lake!” his sister mewed with relief.

     He leaned into his sister’s embrace, feeling relief wash over him. “Me too.” The small tom pulled back, flicking his tail as he told her, “Come on, let’s see what they’re wailing about.” With that, he and the others followed the crowd to the edge of the lake.

     The small tabby tom felt terror tighten in his chest as he saw that the warrior was right. The lake looked swollen, pushed out farther than the usual boundaries, and the fallen oak that served as a bridge to dry land was nowhere to be seen. He couldn’t take it in. That tree had been there since before he was born, since the Clans had first claimed the lake territories as their own. It had been given to them as a sign from StarClan that they were meant to live by the lake. What did it mean now that the tree was gone?

     From the desperate yowling, he wasn’t the only cat thinking on those lines. He could hear an elderly she-cat wail, “Is StarClan angry with us?”

     Another cat, a young apprentice he guessed, let out a frightened yowl. “Will we have to leave the lake?”

     As the gathered cats continued to wail and yowl, a cat managed to push her way to the front of the crowd, turning to face the cats in front of her. Blazepaw was barely able to recognize her as Ashstar before she let out a commanding screech of, “Silence!"

     Reluctantly, cats fell silent, the noise fading out until every cat had stopped their yowling. Ashstar waited until everyone was silent before speaking again. She held her head high, glaring out at the crowd as she told them, “Cats of all Clans, the storm is over, but we don’t know how far the damage has spread. Right now, the most important thing is to get back to our Clanmates. They might need our help, and if it starts raining again, we can’t be stuck here. We have to get across to the other side.”

     “How?” a ShadowClan she-cat called out dubiously. “The tree-bridge is gone.”

     Another familiar voice called out, “We’ll have to swim.” Blazepaw recognized the voice as Mistystar’s. As cats murmured in shock and worry, the speaker managed to push her way to the front of the crowd, taking her place beside Ashstar. She addressed the crowd in a firm, strong tone, telling them, “The water is still now. It’s safe to swim across.”

     Cries of protest rang out. “Are you mousebrained?” a WindClan tom mewed incredulously. “We’re not all RiverClan, we can’t swim that. It’s too deep!”

     Mistystar glared at the tom. “Would you rather stay until StarClan descends to rebuild the tree-bridge from scratch?” she asked sarcastically. The warrior looked away irritably, ear flicking with annoyance. “We need to get home now, so we’re going to have to swim. My warriors will help everyone who needs it across. Not everyone at once, though.”

     “Form a line, everyone,” Ashstar commanded. “Warriors pair up with young apprentices, elders, and queens.”

     Calmer now that they had clear orders, the cats began to comply, sorting themselves into groups to cross together. Blazepaw found himself bundled together with Silentpaw, the WindClan warrior she’d come with, Eelpaw and Finpaw of RiverClan, and Ivypool. They were fairly close to the front of the line, so they didn’t have to wait long. Blazepaw watched anxiously as the first group, a RiverClan warrior with a couple of WindClan and ShadowClan cats, came up to the shore. One of the WindClan cat glared at the RiverClan warrior. “I’m not going in that water,” the WindClan tom growled.

     The RiverClan warrior, a tom named Grasspelt, flicked his tail in irritation. “Fine. Stay here then.” The WindClan warrior hesitated. With a final glare at Grasspelt, he finally padded into the water, flinching as the cold water washed over his fur. Soon, his group had swam all the way to the other side and were safely out of the water.

     There was one more group before them, then it was Blazepaw’s turn. He approached the water, fur fluffing out uncertainly.

     Beside him, Finpaw let out a snort. “Scared, tree-climber?” she sneered.

     Blazepaw glared at her, but before he could say anything, Silentpaw was in front of him, glaring at Finpaw with her sightless gray eyes. “Hardly,” she told the apprentice coolly. “We both know how to swim, actually.”

     The ginger tom glanced at his sister gratefully, but he still felt uncomfortable. True, Jayfeather and Cinderheart had given them both swimming lessons when they were kits, and later as apprentices, but he’d never had the knack for it that Silentpaw had seemed to. Jayfeather had spent more time teaching her, anyway. She’d always been closer with the medicine cat, while Blazepaw had been closer with his parents. But he didn’t need Finpaw to know that, so he said nothing.

     Finpaw glared dubiously at her, but said nothing. Silentpaw let out a snort of triumph. To prove her point, she waded into the water without hesitation, kicking with strong hind legs. The small she-cat turned herself around to face shore once again. “Well?” she said pointedly. “Are you coming?”

     The rest of the group approached the water, but the WindClan warrior held back, eyes flashing with fear. “I can’t swim,” she said anxiously.

     Silentpaw’s tone softened as she assured the she-cat, “It’s alright, Darkbreeze. You can swim beside me, I’ll help you.” Blazepaw blinked in surprise. Darkbreeze – Breezepelt’s daughter, the new WindClan warrior.

     Darkbreeze hesitated, then lifted her head, stiffened with determination. The she-cat approached the water stiffly, Silentpaw swimming to her side as Darkbreeze slipped down into the water. Finpaw and Ivypool entered next, and soon only Blazepaw and Eelpaw were left.

     The tom hesitated, fear creeping through his pelt. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t. He would be dragged under and he’d drown, in the cold and dark, alone. Fear closed his throat; he couldn’t breathe.

     Eelpaw’s voice sounded behind him, breaking him out of his thoughts. “Come on, it’ll be fine.” He looked back at the RiverClan apprentice in surprise. Eelpaw looked steadily at him, mewing gruffly, “C’mon, I’ll help you, just stick next to me, I’ll guide you.”

     Blazepaw was surprised by the tom’s offer. He’d thought Eelpaw would be as stuck-up and irritating as his sister, but apparently not. “Thanks.”

     “Don’t mention it.” The tom started off into the water, leaving a reluctant but calmer Blazepaw to followed. He flinched away from the cold water as it lapped at his fur, getting it wet and soggy again, but at least the lake wasn’t the raging, wild torrent of the night before. As the ground gave way under him and he had to start kicking out his paws to swim forward, he forced himself to focus on the shoreline ahead. As promised, Eelepaw stayed next to him with a tail on his back. The tom helped steer him through the water.

     Finally, they reached the other shore. Blazepaw scrambled onto shore as quickly as he could, trying to hide how much his pelt was trembling. Silentpaw came over and pressed herself against him, supporting him. The tom waited until his trembling subsided bit, then turned to Eelpaw. “Thank you,” he mewed gratefully.

     The young RiverClan tom nodded stiffly. “It was nothing.” He turned to Silentpaw, adding, “Thanks for helping me last night. You’re not so bad for a tree-climber.”

     Silentpaw gave a snort of amusement, replying, “And you’re not so bad for a fishface.”

     Eelpaw’s stiff demeanor broke as he gave a purr of amusement. “See you next Gathering?” he asked.

     Both siblings nodded. “See you,” Blazepaw confirmed. Eelpaw gave a final nod, then padded off to join his Clanmates.

     Darkbreeze, who was still nearby, turned to Silentpaw. “Thanks for helping me, Silentpaw,” she mewed brightly. Her fear from earlier seemed to have vanished entirely. “I guess I’ll see you next moon, huh?”

     “Of course,” Silentpaw said with a friendly flick of her tail. Darkbreeze padded off, leaving Blazepaw and Silentpaw with their Clanmates. Some were still crossing over, but there weren’t many cats left on the other side of the lake.

     The last group to cross over had two leaders in it; Mistystar was helping Bramblestar cross over. As they reached the shore, Mistystar remarked to Bramblestar with amusement, “Of all the ThunderClan cats who can’t swim, I wouldn’t have guessed you, Bramblestar. Didn’t Feathertail and Stormfur teach you anything on that journey of yours?”

     Bramblestar let out a mrowrr of laughter in his deep voice, telling her, “They tried, but I was always too heavy to swim.”

     “The silly furball nearly drowned when we reached the sun-drown place. I had to go and save him,” Squirrelflight added as she approached them. She embraced Bramblestar, rubbing against his neck. “I was worried when I couldn’t find you.”

     Bramblestar rubbed his muzzled against his mate’s cheek, letting out a deep purr. “I’m fine,” he assured her. “Besides, if I ever get swept out into the water again, you’ll save me. You seem to be good at that.”

     “You better believe it,” she told him. As she pulled back, she turned to look at the gathered cats. “Now what do we do? We can’t swim over again for the next Gathering?”

     “We can decide about that later,” a voice said from behind them. Blazepaw turned to see Rowanstar of ShadowClan approaching them. “Right now, we need to worry about getting back to our Clanmates.”

     “He’s right,” Bramblestar mewed. “Before the next Gathering rolls around, we can send messengers to the other Clans to figure out where to meet. For now, let’s gather our Clanmates and leave.”

     The leaders departed, each yowling for their Clanmates to gather to them. Blazepaw and the other ThunderClan warriors soon bunched in around Bramblestar. Squirrelflight weaved between them, doing a quick head count to make sure they hadn’t lost anyone. “Everyone’s here, Bramblestar,” she called out to her mate.

     “Very well. Let’s go home then,” Bramblestar decided. With a wave of his tail, he led his Clanmates away from the Gathering Island and back towards their own territory. As Blazepaw followed them, he couldn’t help but feel anxiety. If the flood had been bad enough to take out the tree bridge, what else had it changed?

     What if there weren’t any Clanmates to go back to?

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chapter Seven}     The ThunderClan cats walked in subdued silence, picking their way through the destruction left behind by the storm. The Gathering Island wasn't the only place where debris had fallen. Everywhere Silentpaw seemed to step, there was a branch or pile of leaves to trip her. Luckily, Ivypool and Blazepaw stayed at her side, helping her navigate the tricky landscape.

     Since they had left the Gathering Island, the reality of the situation had really sank in for Silentpaw. The rain had affected more than just the island. What had happened to the camp? It wasn't hard to imagine the stone hollow, with its sheer walls and narrow entrance, being flooded with the pounding rain, sweeping her Clanmates away in a fast-flowing current. The thought of it made her quicken her steps, desperate to get home and make sure her Clanmates were alright.

     Ivypool seemed to sense her thoughts. “It's alright, Silentpaw,” she said in a low voice. “We're almost home.” The small she-cat just nodded tiredly in response. She lifted her head and took in a few whiffs of air, trying to scent something familiar. But every scent was dulled and dampened by the thick blanket of rain that was laid all over the forest.

     A few minutes passed before they finally reached the stone hollow. As the patrol passed through the thorn barrier, they were greeted with a barrage of yowls and meows.

     “They're back!”

     “Great StarClan, we didn't know what to think!”

     “Why didn't you come home last night?”

     “We wanted to send patrols looking for you, but the rain was too thick.”

     Silentpaw felt pelts pressing all around her, cats rubbing their muzzles against her face, and the loud rumble of every cat purring. She closed her eyes, a fierce purr building in her throat as she tried to greet all of her Clanmates. All at once, she felt safe again. Her Clan was there for her, everything was well again.

     Over the mewing of her Clanmates, Silentpaw heard Ivypool joking, “Couldn't you see where we were?”

     Dovewing's voice sounded next, heavy with relief. “The rain was too thick for me to see anything at the island. I didn't get a chance to look this morning.”

     Once the clamor began to die down, Leafpool stepped forward. She had been left in charge of camp while the leader and deputy were at the Gathering. “We sheltered in the dens during the rain, but there was some damage. Parts of the nursery were torn away by the wind and rain, and rain started to leak through patches in the elder's den. The queens and elders sheltered in your den, Bramblestar. It was the highest place we could find for them. The fresh-kill pile was all but destroyed.”

     Bramblestar reached out and laid a paw on Leafpool's shoulder. “You did well, Leafpool,” he meowed. “Thanks for looking after the Clan.” There was a thudding of paws as the large tom bounded across camp, clambering his way up onto the High Ledge. There was no need to call for the Clan to gather; they were all already there.

     The tom rumbled, “Cats of ThunderClan, last night, the lake flooded. The tree-bridge was swept away in the storm.” Worried murmurs broke out, but Bramblestar continued. “The rain has gone, but now we must repair the damage left behind. Our first task is to restock the fresh-kill pile. The rain may have scared off what little prey is left now that leaf-fall has started. Toadstep, can you take Blossomfall, Foxleap, and Seedlight out and see what prey you can scrounge up?” The black-and-white warrior gave a sharp nod. “Good. Berrynose, take Amberpaw and Snowpaw as well. Now, while they're doing that, let's get started on repairing the dens. Molefoot, Birchfall, please divide the remaining warriors between the elders den and the nursery.”

     Birchfall nodded. “We'll make sure they're strong enough to hold out through another storm, if they have to.”

     “They might,” Millie said gravely. “A storm like this doesn't just strike once.”

     Bramblestar nodded. “Millie's right. I hope to StarClan that this is the last we see of a rain like this, but we have to be ready in case this happens again.”

     “We can keep the fresh-kill pile in one of the smaller caves,” Molefoot suggested. “That way it won't get ruined if it rains again.”

     Foxleap added, “And we could use branches to strengthen the nursery. Let's see the wind blow that over.”

     There were pleased mews in the crowd, murmurs of appreciation for the warriors' suggestoins. Silentpaw felt a rush of pride; instead of feeling fear in the face of the destruction, ThunderClan was working together to find solutions. This was what being in a Clan was all about. Cats supporting each other, like a family should.

     “Alright. Let's get to work.” With that, Bramblestar flicked his tail, ending the meeting. He climbed down from the High Ledge, padding over to Birchfall and speaking to him in a low voice.

     As the cats dispersed, the small she-cat heard a voice calling her name. “Silentpaw!” She turned towards the sound, catching a familiar scent drifting towards her. Jayfeather reached her, rubbing his muzzle against hers. “I'm glad to see you're alright.”

     “You too,” she purred. She had worried about the medicine cat when she hadn't seen him after the rain ended.

     As always, he read her thoughts. “I would have gone to find you sooner, but Berrynose fell out of his tree and injured his head. He was dizzy and disoriented and I had to look after him.”

     “I understand,” Silentpaw assured him. His duties as a medicine cat came before his duties as an uncle. “Did your supplies survive the storm?”

     Jayfeather shrugged. “I haven't gotten the chance to look yet. I doubt it. My den is pretty sheltered. But I'll make sure my stocks are well and full, in case it rains like this again.”

     Silentpaw's eyes narrowed. “Do you really think that'll happen?” She'd assumed Bramblestar had just been being overcautious.

     There was a few moments of silence. “Maybe,” the medicine cat said in a quiet voice, quite unlike his usual gruff tone. “Storms like this never bring anything good with them.”

     Silentpaw blinked at the medicine cat in surprise. She was about to ask what he meant when she heard a cat calling her name. “Silentpaw!” The small she-cat turned, padding up to the warrior who had spoken. Molefoot was standing in front of the nursery, a group of warriors and apprentices surrounding him. He turned to the small she-cat and told her, “I need you and Dewpaw to collect branches and brambles to reinforce the nursery. Bring it back, and the other warriors will weave it into the dens.”

     She nodded. “Right away, Molefoot.” Dewpaw's tail flicked against her flank, letting her know he was ready to leave, and she followed him out past the bramble barrier of the camp and out into the forest beyond.

     As the apprentices picked their way through the undergrowth, searching for branches and brambles, Dewpaw spoke. “So, what was the Gathering like? Is the tree-bridge really gone?” There was a low note of fear in his voice, as though he was afraid of the answer.

     “Yes,” Silentpaw told him. “It get swept away by the lake.”

     “So how did you get back?” the young tom asked curiously.

     “We swam.” The she-cat's muzzle brushed against a stick. She tested it with a paw, making sure it was pliable enough to be woven into the nursery wall. Satisfied, she grasped it in her jaws, the bark on it sleek and wet from the rain, and covered in dirt and mud.

     Dewpaw let out a mew of surprise. “You swam? Ugh, that sounds awful.” There were a few moments of silence. Silentpaw heard the shifting of brambles, and the sound of something being dropped to the ground. She padded over and left her stick in the same pile. In a low voice, Dewpaw asked, “Do you really think it's going to rain again?”

     The small she-cat shrugged. “Maybe. Jayfeather and Millie seem to think so.”

     “Has StarClan told him anything?” Dewpaw asked. He spoke as though it were perfectly natural to expect Jayfeather to have all the answers, as if StarClan would know how to fix this. Silentpaw supposed a lot of cats felt that way, since Jayfeather was both an exceptionally powerful medicine cat and one of the Three. But she knew the small tom better than that. He did everything he could to help the Clans, but a lot of it was the answers he came up with himself, not just what StarClan told him.

     In response, she just mewed, “Not that he's told me.”

     Dewpaw sighed. “I hope they same something soon,” he mewed fretfully. “How are we supposed to know what to do if the rain comes again?”

     Silentpaw let out a snort. Dewpaw always had been a bit too reliant on StarClan. She supposed it made sense for a cat that had witnessed StarClan cats living and fighting in front of them as a young kit. “I guess we'll just have to think of something ourselves,” she responded dryly.

     Suddenly, she paused. There was a whiff of something, a scent under all the damp leaves and grass. She crouched, putting one silent paw in front of the other, until she could just hear it rustling in the leaves, could smell it digging for food. Then she pounced. The vole's spine snapped under the weight of her paws, the warm body growing still.

     As she scooped up the vole in her jaws, Dewpaw let out a purr of approval. “Nice catch. I'd never have smelled that with all this rain-scent.”

     Silentpaw purred around the body in her mouth. She trotted over and dropped it onto the pile with the den reinforcements. “There's some good meat on its bones,” she pointed out. “At least there'll be something for the Clan to eat tonight.” She chuckled. “Looks like two moons of hunting has done me some good, at least.”

     Dewpaw mewed softly in agreement. “Not likely we'll find anything else in the woods today,” he pointed out ruefully. “Everything's hiding from the rain.”

     “True,” Silentpaw agreed reluctantly. “But at least we can do something about the dens. Come on, let's keep looking.”

     The apprentices dug around for as many brambles as they could for the next several minutes. By the time they returned to camp, they had collected so much that they needed to take two trips to bring it all back to camp.

     Molefoot greeted them as they entered the camp again. “I'd wondered where you'd gotten to,” he meowed warmly. “That looks like plenty, good job.”

     “And there's more coming,” Silentpaw assured him. “And I caught this.” She gestured to the vole, which was sitting in front of her paws.

     Pawsteps approached, and a familiar voice purred, “Nice catch, Silentpaw.” Ivypool stood beside Molefoot, tail fur brushing against the ground. “Put it on the fresh-kill pile, then go fetch the rest of the brambles.”

     Silentpaw nodded. “Thanks.” She brushed muzzles with her mentor, then picked up the vole again and trotted it over to the fresh-kill pile, or at least what had used to be the pile. There was nothing there now but wet bundles of left-over fur. She dropped the vole onto the empty space.

     As she padded past the nursery, she heard tiny paws skittering towards her. "Silentpaw!" Petalkit called out, her brother Finchkit right at her side. "Is it true that the tree-bridge is gone? Did you really get to see the other Clans?"

     Silentpaw started to answer her, but the sound of voices in the nursery made her pause. She waved her tail, motioning for Finchkit and Petalkit to keep quiet for a moment.

     Bramblestar was speaking to someone in a low voice. "How are the other Clans faring?"

     Dovewing's voice responded quietly, "I already checked. Their Gathering patrols returned about when you did. They're faring as well as we are. Fresh-kill piles destroyed, prey frightened away. RiverClan got the worst of it. The streams flooded and drove them out of their camp." Silentpaw stiffened in surprise.

     "What is it?" Finchkit asked curiously, but Silentpaw silenced him with a hiss.

      "Are they alright?" Bramblestar asked.

     "Well enough. They were driven further inland. But they won't fare well if it rains again, and it's going to be hard fishing when the lake's flooding like this. The fish are hiding too." Dovewing paused. "Do you think we should help them?"

     The leader sighed. "I wish we could. But it's going to be hard enough feeding ourselves the next few days. And there's no guarantee they'd accept help even if we offered it." There was a shuffling sound as the large tom got to his paws. "Let's focus on getting ThunderClan back on its paws for now. Then we can worry about helping other Clans."

     Pawsteps began approaching. Silentpaw began scraping some nearby brambles towards her and hurriedly started working them into the wall of the den, trying to look busy. Bramblestar padded out of the den, not even glancing at Silentpaw or the kits as he walked towards the elders den.

     When the leader was out of earshot, Finchkit squeaked, "Why do we have to be quiet? Are we playing a game?" Clearly, Silentpaw had been the only one with sharp enough ears to hear the conversation.

     She shook her head. "Er, nothing. Could you two do me a favor and tell Dewpaw I'll just be a minute getting that second load?" The kits nodded fervently, scampering off to find Dewpaw.

     Once the kits were gone, Silentpaw poked her head inside the nursery. Dovewing was in the center of the den, paws working anxiously on the sandy floor. Hazeltail and Daisy were asleep, and Roseptal and her kits were nowhere to be seen. Lightkit and Sparkkit were almost old enough to be apprentices, so they were probably helping with rebuilding dens. Squirrelflight's nest smelled like she hadn't slept there for a few days, which made sense since she'd been at the Gathering.

     Dovewing looked up as the apprentice entered the den. "Oh, hello Silentpaw. Can I help you?"

     The little she-cat wasn't one for beating around the bush. "Is RiverClan really going to starve?" she asked bluntly.

     The far-seeing queen stiffened in surprise. Then she sighed. "Silentpaw, you really need to stop listening to conversations that don't concern you."

     Silentpaw snorted. "That's rich, coming from you," she said pointedly. She wasn't going to apologize for eavesdropping, especially to a cat famous for it.

     Dovewing paused. "True," she admitted. "Alright, fine. I don't know. There isn't much fish in the lake right now. RiverClan's going to have a time of it trying to feed itself, especially now that they've been chased out of their camp."

     "But they have territory other than the lake," Silentpaw argued. "Can't they just catch land prey if there isn't any fish?"

     The young queen shook her head. "They're not as skilled at hunting it as we are," she explained.

     Silentpaw flicked her tail uncertainly. Little flickers of worry itched under her pelt. RiverClan couldn't really starve, could they? She wasn't naive enough to think StarClan would keep it from happening. They had their limits, like any cat. But RiverClan had been there for moons and moons before any cat she knew had even been born. Her whole life, she had only ever known peace and prosperity between the Clans. It was hard to imagine one of them starving and driven out of their home.

     Dovewing hesitated. "Listen," she said quietly, "I'm sure RiverClan will be fine. I'll keep you updated."

     There were more questions Silentpaw wanted to ask, but she recognized that the conversation was over. She dipped her head respectfully. "Thank you, Dovewing." With that, she turned and padded out of the den.

     When she reached the outer camp, she heard Dewpaw calling out to her. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

     Silentpaw nodded. "Yeah, I'm coming." She followed him across the camp, towards the thorny entrance. As they passed through into the forest, the apprentice made a promise to herself. If Dovewing told her something about RiverClan that made her more worried, she would talk to Bramblestar. He'd be able to tell her what it meant.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chapter Eight}
     It was two days after the Gathering ended. Since then, it had all been a whirlwind of patrols and hunting and rebuilding. There was hardly time to relax between when Blazepaw woke in the morning and when he finally crawled into his nest at night. He didn't mind, though. Working that much took his mind off his worries. And he was worried, very worried about whether it would rain again.

     The storm had absolutely devastated the Clans. The tree bridge was gone, and the lake was still swollen. What had happened at the Gathering Island was still rippling through the Clan, impacting every cat. The tree bridge had been there ever since the Clans had claimed the lake as their territory.

     Blazepaw had heard the story time and time again from the elders.
There had been a huge battle when a WindClan deputy had tried to steal Onestar's leadership. StarClan had sent the tree crashing down, crushing the treacherous deputy and creating a bridge to the Gathering Island at the same time. It was as great a landmark as the Moonpool, or the Great Rock in the old territories. Blazepaw still couldn't believe it was just gone.

     Oddly enough, the elders seemed to be handling it the best. Blazepaw was bringing them a mouse that he'd caught earlier. Millie was asleep, but Spiderleg, Brightheart, Cloudtail, and Sorreltail were all up and talking about the Gathering. “Do you really think it's a sign that we need to leave the lake?” Spiderleg asked. His tone seemed unusually subdued. He was the youngest of the elders, but Blazepaw often forgot because of how cranky he was.

     Sorreltail let out a snort. “Of course not. Don't be so daft, Spiderleg. If StarClan wanted us to leave the lake, they'd find a better way to do it than washing a tree away in a storm.”
“But how can you be sure?” Blazepaw blurted out. He didn't mean to interrupt, but it had been eating at him for days. Did StarClan really want them to leave their home?

     Cloudtail shook his head. “The last time we had to leave our home, StarClan sent a sign to four cats, one from each Clan. They had to go on a long, mouse-brained journey to get the whole message, but it was a whole lot clearer than losing a tree. Ask Bramblestar to tell you about it sometime.”

     Sorreltail gave a friendly flick of her tail. “Don't worry, little one,” she said warmly. “Sometimes a storm is just a storm. I wouldn't worry about any wayward signs from StarClan if I were you.”

     The small tom nodded, trying to feel like he meant it. The elders had seen so much more in life than him. Surely if they weren't worried, he had no reason to be either.

     Of course, not every cat was as at ease as the elders. When Blazepaw padded out of the den, he noticed a few warriors gathered by the fresh-kill pile, speaking in low whispers. "But what if it rains again?" Lilyfrost mewed, her voice almost kit-like in quiet fear. "What if the camp floods?"

     Seedlight lashed her tail once. "Quit talking about it," she hissed, "you're going to get the whole Clan panicked."

     "Maybe they should be panicked," Toadstep countered. He waved his tail, indicating the vast walls of the camp. "Look at this place. If it rains hard enough, this would all fill up with rain. We'd be trapped."

     "That's enough," Molefoot warned. "We all just have to hope it won't rain again."

     Blazepaw padded past them, heading towards the warriors' den. The warriors' words rang in his ears. Would the camp really flood? He could imagine it all too easily, his Clanmates being pulled under by the waves as the rain pounded down and the stone walls of the camp filling up with dark, murky water. He shuddered. It won't happen. It can't. StarClan won't let it.

     Trying to push the thoughts out of his head, the small tom padded into the warriors' den. "Bumblestripe?" he called out. The long-haired tabby was sitting by his nest, talking to Mousewhisker. "I fed the elders. You said you wanted to see me after that?"

     Both toms looked up when Blazepaw walked in. "Ah, Blazepaw, come in," his mentor mewed warmly. As Blazepaw padded over, Bumblestripe explained, "I need you to find Snowpaw and find us by the entrance. We're meeting Silentpaw and Ivypool in the forest for a special training session."

     Blazepaw perked his ears up in interest, but when no explanation was forthcoming, he just dipped his head. “Yes, Bumblestripe.”

     “He should be in the nursery cleaning nests,” Mousewhisker added as Blazepaw backed out of the den. The small ginger tom padded across the camp, making his way to the nursery.

     Rosepetal was inside, her kits Sparkkit and Finchkit sharing a mouse beside her. They looked too big for the nursery now – it couldn't be long until Bramblestar made them apprentices. Hazeltail was there too, and Dovewing, who was asleep. Finchkit was asleep by Hazeltail's side, but Petalkit was awake. The tiny gray she-kit darted to the entrance when Blazepaw walked in. “Hi! Did you bring any prey? Can you tell us a story?”

     Blazepaw smiled warmly. Petalkit rarely stopped talking. “Not right now, Petalkit.” Snowpaw was in the far corner, cleaning out some of the nests. Blazepaw padded over to him. “Snowpaw?”
The apprentice looked up. “Hi Blazepaw,” he mewed. “Do you need something?” The young white tom was a quiet, serious sort, but he had been a good friend while he and Blazepaw were denmates.

     “Mousewhisker wants to see you,” Blazepaw told him. “We're having some sort of special training session, apparently.”

     Snowpaw's ears flicked forward with interest. “Really? Well, sounds better than cleaning dens.” He glanced at Rosepetal. “No offense,” he added.

     The dark cream she-cat purred. “None taken. We can finish up around here.”

     “Thanks,” the apprentice mewed. He followed Blazepaw out of the den, the two toms making their way to the entrance of the camp. Mousewhisker and Bumblestripe were already there waiting.

     Mousewhisker lifted his head, getting to his paws as he mewed, “Alright, let's get going.” He waved his plummy tail, indicating for the other cats to follow him.

     The small patrol made its way through the woods, the two young toms trailing behind their mentors. It didn't take long to reach Ivypool and Silentpaw, who were waiting by a small, twisted redwood. Silentpaw padded up to her brother, touching noses with him in greeting. "Do you know what this is about?" she asked as they walked back to their mentors.

     Blazepaw shook his head. "No clue."

     Ivypool cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the three apprentices. "Now that you're all here, we can get started. We've decided to hold a little competition today." Silentpaw tipped her head in question while Blazepaw and Snowpaw shared an excited glance.

     "After all the rain that we've had, we figured that a hunting assessment might be in order," Mousewhisker continued. "So here's how the rules go. You have until sundown to catch as much prey as you can. You have to stay inside the 'territory' you choose for yourself. No straying over your boundaries, no taking prey from other territories."

     Bumblestripe told them, "Each of you will choose where you want to hunt, and where you'll set your borders. This will show us your judgement, and how you handle yourself in your environment. We can't help you with your choice, but we'll be watching." He gave a friendly flick of his tail, glancing at his apprentice as he added, "Good luck. Meet us back here at sundown with your catch."

     The warriors turned and padded off into the forest, leaving their apprentices behind. Blazepaw could see Silentpaw kneading the ground with excitement, while Snowpaw had his head bowed, eyes shut in concentration. Blazepaw himself felt his tail twitching with excitement. He'd been practicing his tree-climbing and squirrel-hunting a lot with Bumblestripe, so he was hopeful about his chances of winning.
Silentpaw was the first to break the silence. "So, where are we all hunting?"

     "I think I'll hunt by the lake, from the WindClan border to the Ancient Oak," Snowpaw said slowly. "There's usually plenty of squirrels in the area."

     Blazepaw tipped his head, trying to think. "I'll take the abandoned Twoleg nest," he mewed finally. "The place is overrun by mice."

     "Which leaves me," Silentpaw said. "I guess I'll take this stretch of wood, from this twisted redwood to the edge of camp." Her tail tip twitched. "I think I heard a bluejay earlier, maybe I can work on my bird hunting."

     Now that they'd decided where to go, the three apprentices went their separate ways. Blazepaw made his way through the woods, finally reaching the Twoleg nest. The place was run-down, broken in several places with ivy and other plants draping themselves over the walls. The scent of Twoleg was so faint it was barely noticeable, and the air was thick with the smell of birds and mice. A perfect place to hunt.

     He leapt lightly onto part of the decaying wall, crouching low against it and peering into the nest. Cobwebs hung in one corner, and the floor was covered with dust and dirt. It was hard to believe twolegs had ever lived there.

     His ear swiveled around to catch the sound of scurrying. There was something in the corner beside him. The small tom crouched low against the wall, every muscle tensed and still as he tried to pinpoint the sound. There, just a few tail-lengths to the left. He waited a heartbeat, then he gave a massive leap.

     He landed square on the back of a mouse, snapping the spine in one go. That done, Blazepaw sat, contemplating his catch. The mouse looked well-fed, plump enough to make a nice snack for the elders. Hopefully, there was more where it came from.

     Blazepaw buried the mouse just outside the den, to collect for later, then headed towards the trees surrounding the den. If the other prey in the den had heard him kill the mouse, maybe it was best to do a bit of tree hunting and let them forget about the danger in the nest.

     His gaze was caught by a tall beech tree. The branches were waving, and he caught sight of a thick, furry tail between the leaves. He tensed. Squirrel.

     With bated breath, Blazepaw dug his claws into the bark of the beech and started to climb. The branches were still waving above him as he slunk up the trunk of the tree. He crept closer, waiting until he was close enough, then he struck our with a lightning-quick paw.

     His claws snagged into the squirrel's flank. It let out a squeal of terror and tried to pull free, but Blazepaw pulled back sharply, yanking the squirrel free from the tree and sending it falling to the ground below. It twisted and struggled in the air before landing with a sickening thud and falling silent.

     Blazepaw groaned, glancing down at the squirrel below. It had been a messy kill, probably alerting other prey. He'd be lucky if he caught anything else soon.

     No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than branches from a nearby tree waved wildly and a robin tore away from the tree, below him. Blazepaw made a quick calculation and leapt for the bird, tackling it mid-air. The robin screeched and flapped wildly to get away, but Blazepaw dug his claws into its body and wrestled it to the ground. They landed a bit awkwardly, the force of it slamming into Blazepaw's shoulder and knocking the wind out of him. The bird was still beneath his paws.

     As Blazepaw fought to get his breath back, he noticed movement in the bushes ahead of him, and the gleam of yellow eyes. Bumblestripe? Had his mentor seen that catch? It had certainly made up for the questionable kill of the squirrel. There was a warm feeling of pride in his chest. He really was starting to get better at this.

SCENEBREAK

     Through the rest of the day, Blazepaw was able to catch two more mice, a thrush, and a vole. It started to drizzle around sundown, when Blazepaw was getting his haul together to carry back to the twisted redwood. He tried to push back the twinge of worry as he padded through the forest with the nice in his jaws and the birds slung over his back. It was just a bit of rain, not the pounding onslaught of water from the Gathering. Nothing to worry about.

     The three warriors were already there when he reached the redwood, and Silentpaw was arriving with her catch, apparently with a second load as there was already a sizeable pile there. Blazepaw could tell just from the size of the pile that his sister had beat him. He dropped the mice and birds at his paws, commenting, "Whoa, that's a lot of prey!"

     Silentpaw held her head up with pride. “I had a good day,” she purred.

     Blazepaw grinned at his sister. “This'll teach the other Clans to say that a blind cat can't be a warrior,” he praised.

     His sister grinned back. "It wasn't just me. All that training must've done me some good," she admitted, ear flicking towards Ivypool.

     The gray-and-white tabby warrior looked pretty proud herself. "Well done, Silentpaw," she praised. "The Clan will eat well tonight. And good job to you, Blazepaw," she added. "Bumblestripe told me about how you caught that robin." The thick-furred gray tom gave his apprentice a nod, pride gleaming in his eyes.

     Blazepaw bowed his head shyly. "I wouldn't have caught it if I hadn't screwed up killing that squirrel," he admitted.

     Bumblestripe strode up to his apprentice, his tail tip brushing against Blazepaw's shoulder. "You caught it," he reminded the young tom. "That's what matters."

     The apprentice ducked his head, but that pride was still warm in his chest. Aloud, he mewed, "I left the squirrel behind, I should go get it." He turned and padded away, his shoulder still aching and his pelt a little wet from the rain, but overall pretty content. He'd done well today.

     That contentment began to fade into concern as the rain started to get thicker and harder, starting to pour rather than drizzle. His pelt was soaked through in minutes, clinging close to his frame and leaving him cold and miserable. By the time he reached the squirrel, the dirt that had been covering it had turned to mud. It was all over the creature's pelt, getting in his mouth as he picked it up. He suppressed a shudder, forcing himself to keep going with the mud-soaked thing in his jaws.

     Snowpaw still wasn't by the twisted tree by the time he got back. Silentpaw was hunching over her kill, sheltering it from the rain as best she could, and Ivypool, Mousewhisker, and Bumblestripe were gazing around with concern. “Have you seen Snowpaw?” Mousewhisker called as Blazepaw approached.

     The pale ginger tom shook his head. “Sorry, no.”

     Before Mousewhisker could ask anything else, Ivypool called out, “I see him!” Blazepaw turned to see a figure approaching through the rain. The tom's fur was so caked in mud and rain that it was impossible to make out his snowy pelt, and he held two drowned water voles in his jaws. He finally managed to stagger towards them, dropping the pitiful catch at his paws and panting. “Hunting was horrible,” he spat, glaring at the voles. “It was too muddy to get anything done, and the lake's so flooded that there was barely any prey around. I spent half the time getting stuck in the mud and nearly getting pulled into the lake.”

     Mousewhisker bounded forward to touch noses with his apprentice, clearly relieved he was alright. Ivypool, however, was watching Snowpaw with narrowed eyes. “How flooded is the lake?”

     The apprentice leaned against his mentor's shoulder, visibly shaking. “It's stretched all the way to the Ancient Oak,” he said grimly. “It looked like it was getting worse when the rain started again.”

     Blazepaw felt a cold pit of fear in his stomach. If the lake was flooding again, how was the camp faring? “We have to go home,” he said, fear tight in his throat. “We have to go back.”

     Ivypool nodded curtly. “We'll help carry the prey.” She picked up Blazepaw's robin in her jaws, slinging a thrush from Silentpaw's pile over her shoulders and tucking a vole under her chin. Bumblestripe and Mousewhisker grabbed prey as well, finishing off all three piles. Once all the prey was loaded, the three cats headed back towards the camp.

     Blazepaw could barely see through the thick haze of rain, but he managed to keep behind Bumblestripe, never more than a hair's width from his mentor's tail, or else he'd lose sight of him. The going was tough, with the rain practically blinding him and the mud trying to pull his paws down. Beside him, Silentpaw was struggling, her ears twitching and swiveling every which way to try and figure out where she was going. Blazepaw kept his tail-tip on her flank and his shoulder against hers, guiding her as best as he could through the storm.

     They finally made it back to camp. Blazepaw was relieved to see that it was more or less intact. Squirrelflight greeted them as they walked back in. “Are you all okay?” the dark ginger she-cat demanded.

     “We're all fine, Squirrelflight,” Bumblestripe told the deputy wearily. “Just soaked and tired.”

     Squirrelflight sighed in relief. “Thank StarClan. You're the last cats out.” Her eyes widened in surprise as she took in their appearance. “That's an impressive haul,” she remarked, glancing at the prey.

     Ivypool nodded. “Our apprentices did well today,” she said proudly.

     “I'll say they did at that,” Squirrelflight mewed warmly. “Drop some of that off for the elders and kits, then get yourself some food. You earned it.”

     Blazepaw dipped his head respectfully, then padded off in the direction of the elder's den. As he did, he couldn't shake the little nagging thought in the back of his brain. Are we really safe from the rain here?

[Garrus Vakarian]

SPOILER: Click to show

{spolier because I say stuff that's in the story}I've about the first two chapter or so, and I gotta say, I'm liking Silentpaw already. I do like how you've actually had a cat that denies what others want for them and goes with what they want instead. It's very nicely written, and I think you've handled Silentpaw extremely well. Her blindness and her determination to become a warrior is pretty damn amazing. I actually really like how she's determined to become a warrior to the point she even goes against what everyone else says and I can bet that she'll be kicking some ass sooner or later. =) Jayfeather will love helping, I bet...he'll get to see that kit follow the path he wanted to. ;-;

[Kyle Stump]

Could you please add a rating to the description, if not in the title?

[Jayfrost]

Jun 7, 2014 14:12:26 GMT Garrus Vakarian said:

SPOILER: Click to show

{spolier because I say stuff that's in the story}I've about the first two chapter or so, and I gotta say, I'm liking Silentpaw already. I do like how you've actually had a cat that denies what others want for them and goes with what they want instead. It's very nicely written, and I think you've handled Silentpaw extremely well. Her blindness and her determination to become a warrior is pretty damn amazing. I actually really like how she's determined to become a warrior to the point she even goes against what everyone else says and I can bet that she'll be kicking some ass sooner or later. =) Jayfeather will love helping, I bet...he'll get to see that kit follow the path he wanted to. ;-;

SPOILER: Click to show

{also spoiler}Thanks. I had fun coming up with Silentpaw's character, and her brother too. The creation of her was sort of based on my frustration that Jayfeather gave up fighting his fate and became a medicine cat. I always thought he should've been a warrior. I wanted to see someone defy that whole destiny thing and just do what they wanted with their own life. Jayfeather will be quite happy to help his niece reach the rank that he never got to have - if she does, of course.

for the same reason.

Also, Chapter Seven is posted.

[Jayfrost]

Updated.