Blocked Moon
book one of the divided series
Allegiances[]
ThunderClan[]
Leader - Whitestar - pure white she-cat with shining amber eyes
Deputy - Redwing - russet tom with three dark stripes on his forehead and a dark tail tip
--Apprentice - Skypaw
Medicine Cat - Berrytail - tan-colored tom with spiky fur and a short tail
Warriors (toms, and she-cats without kits)
Starlingsong - gray-brown tom
--Apprentice - Jaypaw
Stormpelt - gray and white tom
Rainstorm - tortoiseshell she-cat
Tigerstripe - dark brown tabby tom
Longtail - pale tortoiseshell tom
Embercloud - flame-colored tom
Froststream - white she-cat with black patches
Greyfur - mottled dark grey tom
Silverwind - silver tabby tom
Sunblaze - pale orange tabby she-cat
Creamheart - cream tabby she-cat
Cougarheart - tan-colored tom with markings like a mountain lion's
Spottedfur - tortoiseshell she-cat
APPRENTICES
Skypaw - light blue-grey she-cat
Jaypaw - light grey tom
QUEENS AND KITS
Snowsky - pure white she-cat with green eyes (mother of Greyfur's kits: Cloudkit, white she-cat with gray patches and Nightkit, pure black tom)
ELDERS
Darkeyes - brown she-cat; blind in both eyes
WINDCLAN
LEADER - Volestar - red-brown tom
DEPUTY - Grassfur - light gray she-cat with green eyes
MEDICINE CAT - Tornfur - former warrior tom; scarred black pelt with blue eyes
WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits)
Dapplepelt - thick-furred tom with gray, reddish-brown, and white splotches
Roseheart - pink-orange she-cat
Pounce - brown tabby tom; former barn cat
Robinfur - gray and black she-cat with reddish chest and belly
--Apprentice - Rabbitpaw
Stormpool - blue-gray tom
--Apprentice - Pinepaw
Quietsong - shy dark orange she-cat
Shellfur - energetic young tom
Goldenfur - golden-brown tabby tom
--Apprentice, Shadepaw
Lightningflash - very light gray tom with a dash of white on his side
Cloudsplash - brown tabby she-cat with white markings and cerulean-colored eyes
Briarheart - dark grey she-cat
APPRENTICES
Pinepaw - gray she-cat with black stripes
Rabbitpaw - jumpy light gray tom
Shadepaw - dark gray tabby she-cat
QUEENS AND KITS
Darkpelt - dark brown she-cat (expecting Goldenfur's kits)
ELDERS
Lightfur - white she-cat with a gray tail
Slashnose - battle-scarred blue-gray tom
RIVERCLAN
LEADER - Miststar - dark blue-gray tom
DEPUTY - Bluepelt - blue-gray tom
MEDICINE CAT - Cinderpool - silvery she-cat
WARRIORS
Raindrop - light gray - almost white - she-cat
Larkflight - brown she-cat with white patches
Ottertail - fierce ginger she-cat with a thick tail
Crookedtail - gray tabby tom with broken tail
Rockfur - dark gray - almost black - tom
Darktail - white she-cat with ginger stripes and dark ginger tail
Mistysun - speckled orange she-cat
Silverpatch - silvery-gray she-cat
Runningfire - brown tabby she-cat with ginger stripes
APPRENTICE, Brackenpaw - ginger tom
QUEENS AND KITS
Mousefang - gray she-cat with stripes and white patches (mother of Rockfur's one kit - Mistykit, gray tom)
Fernshadow - dark gray she-cat; expecting Crookedtail's kits
SHADOWCLAN
LEADER - Cinderstar - black she-cat
DEPUTY - Goldenpool - small yellow-orange tabby she-cat
MEDICINE CAT - Littlefoot - cream-colored she-cat with small, delicate paws
WARRIORS
Darkfur - dark-striped tom
Ashtail - grey tom with amber eyes
--Apprentice - Foxpaw
Firefoot - white tom with ginger paws
Toadleap - black and white tom
--Apprentice - Mosspaw
Squirrelshadow - dark orange-brown tom
--Apprentice - Longpaw
Nightfur - dark tom
--Apprentice - Stripepaw
Scatterleaf - dapple-furred she-cat
Lionwhisker - golden-brown tom
APPRENTICES
Longpaw - pale tabby she-cat with a stripe running down her back
Stripepaw - long-furred black tom with white paws and a white muzzle
Foxpaw - reddish tom with markings that make him look like a fox
Mosspaw - small grey tabby
QUEENS AND KITS
Cloudchaser - white dappled tortoiseshell (mother of Ashtail's kits; Icekit, calico she-kit, and Stormkit, grey and white tom)
Flameheart - fiery orange she-cat with strange purple-blue eyes (mother of Darkfur's kits; Firekit - flame-colored tom with purple-blue eyes, Frostkit, white she-cat with dark patches and green eyes, and Patchkit, black-and-gray tom with green eyes)
ELDERS
Limptail - thin tabby tom; oldest cat in ShadowClan
Applefur - pale russet she-cat
CATS OUTSIDE THE CLANS
Raven - sleek black tom; barn cat
Sparrow - brownish-gray she-cat; barn cat
Crow - young gray tom; barn cat
Noble - long-furred tom with a black back; loner
Petal - short-furred tabby she-cat; kittypet (has not been to the Cutter)
Prince - fat tabby kittypet (has been to Cutter)
Chapter 1[]
Berrytail dropped the soaked moss at the entrance of Whitestar's den. "Whitestar?" he called softly. His leader was whispering something. "Whitestar!" he meowed, more loudly this time.
Whitestar's head snapped up and she yowled, "It's my fault! It's all my fault you're dead! Forgive me!" She reared onto her hind legs, and crashed down onto the floor.
Berrytail squeaked in alarm and ran to Whitestar's side. She looked unconscious. "What in Silverpelt? Whitestar, wake up!" He shook her with his paws.
The off-white she-cat blinked her eyes open and mewed quietly, "Burrpelt? I'm sorry. It's my fault you died." Her voice cracked.
Berrytail was surprised. Burrpelt was an elder, and he had died of starvation. So why did Whitestar think that he was a dead cat? He did look like Burrpelt, with the same spiky tan fur and watchful amber eyes, but he was certainly younger than Burrpelt. "It's not him, Whitestar. It's Berrytail, your medicine cat."
Whitestar stumbled closer, her eyes squinted at him, and then she sighed. "Oh. You." She dragged herself back to her nest. Then she started to whisper harshly. "It's my fault, it's my fault. I didn't give you enough food or water. Forgive me. Please?" Then her head snapped up. "What forgiveness can I expect from StarClan? They know I killed my mate. So why don't I join them?" She placed a claw to her throat.
"No! Whitestar, don't" Berrytail yowled, trying not to panic. He leaped, taking Whitestar's claw away from her throat. "You've got one life left. You must enjoy it."
"Enjoy it?" Whitestar sneered. Her fur rose. "Knowing I murdered a cat? No. Want to hear a list of things that happened while I was leader? Emberblaze's hind legs were broken, so she could barely walk. Then the drought killed her and Stripepaw. Then Burrpelt died because of me, and Frogleap drowned. Rainstorm lost her tail against those two dogs, and Appleblossom died falling into the gorge. See? I'm a curse to ThunderClan!" Without another word, she slipped out of the den, her dirty white tail disappearing.
Berrytail couldn't believe what had just happened. His leader had lost faith in herself.
.:Chapter 2:.[]
Whitestar headed to the medicine den. She knew exactly what she was going to do. Tigerstripe nodded, a thrush in his jaws, but she didn't acknowledge him.
"Whitestar? Where are you going?" a voice behind her meowed. Rainstorm!
Whitestar whipped around to face the tortoiseshell. "Why don't you mind your own business!?" she snapped.
Rainstorm winced, and looked away. Then she grabbed a large squirrel off of the fresh-kill pile and dropped it at the leader's paws. "Here. You must be hungry, curled up in your den all day."
Why don't you leave me alone, annoying, mouse-brained furball! Whitestar wanted to say. But instead she mewed coolly, "I'm not hungry. You must be missing training, anyway, Tiny! Where's your mentor?"
Rainstorm dropped the squirrel and turned tail, running off.
"Mouse-brain." Whitestar muttered. She continued to go to the medicine den, quickly this time. When she reached it, she sniffed around. They have to be here somewhere . . . Where would Berrytail hide them? Where kits couldn't get them, of course! She looked in a hole in the wall. There they were, enclosed in a leaf. She dragged the leaf out carefully and uncovered the deadly berries. Tigerstripe, Longtail, and Redwing had used them to kill the snake threatening them a moon ago. It looked like Berrytail had forgotten to dispose of the leftovers. The glossy berries held enough poison that one could kill an adult cat. Unless they were given yarrow. Most of the time.
Deathberries. Perfect. A quick death. Whitestar was about to take one into her jaws until a starry figure stopped her. A cat stood in front of her, a ghost of a tom. Who else would come to her at her moment of near-death? The one she'd killed. Burrpelt.
"What are you doing here? Come to watch me die? Go ahead." Whitestar snarled.
"No . . ." Burrpelt's voice was strong, not the weak, quavering voice he'd had before his death. "Don't, Whitestar. You didn't kill me . . . It was . . . my time to die . . . I was suffering. No cat wants to suffer. Please, keep living for me. Whitestar, this is your decision," he added as Whitestar opened her mouth to protest. "No cat can make it for you. Think of how Snowsky would react. If you keep on living, I'll support you until the end". He paused. Then he finally asked, "Are you suffering?"
Whitestar looked at her paws. "Yes."
"Then you can join me, my love. I'll wait for you. Just . . . Try not to feel any pain." Burrpelt looked away, and then touched his nose to Whitestar's. Then he was gone in a white mist.
Whitestar looked at the deathberries. Did she want to do this? Then she took one in her mouth, and stabbed it with a tooth. Red juice spattered all over her white fur. She swallowed, and ate the other four. She suddenly collasped. She panted hard, and foam dripped from her lips, she flailed her limbs, sheathing and unsheathing her claws in pain. She saw a ghost cat. A StarClan cat. Burrpelt.
A cry erupted from some cat, but Whitestar didn't try to look. She just closed her eyes, took her final breath, and was plunged into blackness. A spirit cat was all she could see. Have you come for me, Burrpelt? I love you, no matter what. A strange feeling of peace washed over her, and she slowly went unconscious, until she couldn't feel herself at all . . .
.:Chapter 3:.[]
Redwing padded down the ravine, folllowed by his apprentice Skypaw, Starlingsong, and his apprentice Jaypaw.
"Good hunting, you two." Starlingsong praised the 'paws. Their eyes shone.
Skypaw was carrying a large sparrow, a mouse, and Redwing had to carry Skypaw's rabbit. Jaypaw was carrying two mice, a squirrel, and a small thrush.
Redwing spat out the rabbit. "I bet that's all fluff and no meat!" he purred.
Starlingsong glanced at his apprentice. "They're shaping up well, aren't they? Time they became warriors?"
Redwing shrugged and opened his mouth, but a terrified yowl cut him off. A tan-colored cat was scrambling around blindly. Berrytail? What in the name of StarClan . . . ?
"She's dead! Oh, StarClan, she's dead!" Berrytail cried. He ran straight into Jaypaw, making him drop all of his catches.
"Hey, watch it!" hissed Jaypaw.
Berrytail didn't seem to hear him. "She's dead, Redwing!"
"Who's dead?" Redwing meowed in alarm.
Berrytail's cry was now a whisper. "Whitestar . . ."
"How!?" Starlingsong gasped. His gray-and-brown fur was fluffed up.
"You know those deathberries we used last moon to kill the snake?" Berrytail's voice shook. The two warriors nodded. "Well, she ate the remaining berries! Now she's dead!"
Redwing couldn't believe that his leader had killed herself. "Go and get the vigil ready. Night is about to be here."
When he got to camp, cats were buzzing around the edge of the clearing as Berrytail dragged his leader to the clearing. He headed back to get some other stuff. Redwing didn't know much about medicine stuff.
Skypaw looked horrified as she placed her prey onto the fresh-kill pile. Jaypaw did the same.
Starlingsong said, "Why did she do this?" Fright danced in his eyes.
Thunderdancer and Joltflight were talking to each other sadly. Tigerstripe and Longtail stared wistfully at their dead leader. Aurastorm was heading into the warriors' den, throwing a last glance over his shoulder. Pounceleap had his head hung low, and Silverwind lay with his head on his paws.
Snowsky was crushed. A gurgling cry erupted from her, and she threw herself on her mother's body, wailing. Her white fur and Whitestar's white fur blended into one.
Redwing knew the vigil would start about now. Berrytail announced, "As you know, Whitestar is dead. She was an honored old leader, wise and full of courage. But that has come to an end. We are here to honor her." With a glance at Redwing, he added, "Redwing will travel to the Moonstone tomorrow. He will go as a deputy, come back as a leader!"
"Redwing! Redwing!" the cats chanted. There was no enthusiasm, though. Redwing leaped down from Highrock. The vigil began at moonrise. Redwing cast glances around at who was sitting vigil. Snowsky, obviously. His mother Rainstorm. Tigerstripe. Berrytail. Do medicine cats usually sit vigil? Redwing wondered. Then he shook the thought away and buried his nose in his leader's cold fur. She smelled of lavender and rosemary. And deathberries.
.:Chapter 4:.[]
Redwing and Berrytail stepped over the WindClan border. They were heading to the Moonstone so Redwing could become leader. Redwing tasted the air. A WindClan patrol. He cast a glance to see Greenmoor, the deputy, and Tornfur, the medicine cat, streaking toward them. Greenmoor was screeching a challenge, while Tornfur struggled to keep up.
Greenmoor bowled him over, yowling. "What are you doing on WindClan territory, intruder?" she hissed.
Redwing spat back, "Going to the Moonstone, mouse-brain!" He pushed Greenmoor off of him and leaped to his paws.
"Well, you'll have to wait! I'm going first!" Greenmoor streaked off, down the path leading to the Moonstone.
"Hey! Not if I get there first!" Redwing rushed off after her.
Redwing and Greenmoor both arrived at the same time. But they were surprised to find Mothermouth blocked off, a Twoleg monster near the mouth of the cave. It growled ferociously, and its eyes flashed in anger. It charged toward them.
Greenmoor yelped and leaped out of the way of it. Redwing hissed and followed.
Tornfur caught up, panting. Berrytail followed. "What happened?" Tornfur exclaimed.
"A stupid monster tried to attack us and eat us." Greenmoor grumbled.
"Were you scared, O mighty WindClan deputy?" Redwing teased.
Greenmoor hissed at him. "Don't you know that Volestar's dead? He died two days ago."
Berrytail gasped. "Our leader died yesterday!"
Tornfur meowed, sorrow in his eyes. "Whitestar? I thought she would live for at least another moon. Same for Volestar."
A flurry of pawsteps startled them. The RiverClan deputy Bluewater was padding side-by-side with the medicine cat Graycinder. He stopped when he saw the ThunderClan and WindClan cats. "What in StarClan is going on here?"
Berrytail mewed, "You heading for the Moonstone?" When Bluewater nodded, he said, "That means Miststar is dead . . . When did she die?" he suddenly asked.
Bewildered, Graycinder mewed, "Yesterday. Why?"
Redwing explained while the RiverClan and WindClan cats listened.
When he finished, Bluewater's eyes were wide. "Wow. That's creepy." he breathed.
"Or," Greenmoor pointed out, "it's just a coincidence."
"A coincidence that our leaders died on the same day?" Redwing hissed. "How can that happen? Oh, I know! A sudden cough that hates leaders so it affects them, not other more vunerable cats like kits or elders? Perfect sense!" He flicked his ears.
"Hey, what are you doing?" A small she-cat was racing toward them, a bigger she-cat trotting behind her.
"It's not the half-moon, medicine cats." Bluewater meowed, his tone even.
"Medicine cats? Oh. I'm the deputy of ShadowClan. She's the medicine cat." the small yellow-orange she-cat explained, twitching her whiskers in annoyance.
The ShadowClan medicine cat nodded. "Yes. Yellowpool and I are heading to the Moonstone so she can get her nine lives from StarClan."
Yellowpool stalked up to the other deputies. Up close, she was half their size. The size of Skypaw. Redwing thought.
"You have a problem with that?" Yellowpool hissed.
Graycinder dipped her head. "So . . . Cinderstar is dead."
Berrytail dipped his head, too, but then it shot up. "Wait. She's dead, too!?"
Yellowpool tipped her head to one side. "Yes. Why?"
"Our leaders are dead, too . . ." Greenmoor's jaws gaped. Then she shook her head.
Yellowpool widened her eyes. Then she just meowed, "Well, I'll go back since the Moonstone is blocked off. Come on, Truesong. I'll come when I know that the Moonstone is unblocked, got that?" she hissed over her shoulder as she bounded off. Truesong followed.
Bluewater shrugged. "I'm going, too." He padded to RiverClan's territory, followed by Graycinder.
Greenmoor turned her attention back to Redwing. "You need an escort back to Fourtrees?" she sneered.
"I know perfectly well where Fourtrees is!" Redwing spat. He turned and made sure Berrytail was following. He was thinking all the way back to camp. Has the Moonstone been blocked off before? And why didn't StarClan tell about the barrier? Does StarClan think I won't be a good leader?
.:Chapter 5:.[]
"Stupid Twolegs blocked the Moonstone!" Yellowpool hissed as she stalked back into the camp.
"Yellowstar? Is something wrong?" a voice asked. She turned to see the warrior tom, Darkfur.
Yellowpool sighed. "My name's not Yellowstar. It's Yellowpool." She prepared for a lot of explaining and protests.
"Yellowpool, not Yellowstar?" Darkfur echoed, then he snapped his head toward you. "Did you not get your nine lives on purpose? Did StarClan not accept you as leader?" His dark tail swished.
"No and no." Yellowpool mewed. "Twolegs blocked the Moonstone. Can't get to it," she added with a shrug.
"So . . . You can't appoint a deputy? You're still the deputy!?" Darkfur yowled disbelievingly.
Cats streamed from the dens. Frozenwhisker and Hollowtail poked their heads out of the medicine den curiously. (They were recovering from greencough.) Icekit and Stormkit tumbled out of the nursery, but Cloudchaser caught them and took them back inside. Foxpaw stepped out of the apprentices' den, yawning. Toadleap, Squirrelshadow, and Mosspaw were back from patrol, placing their prey on the fresh-kill pile and followed each other to face their deputy. Limptail and Applefall wandered out of the elders' den, yowling in complaint.
"Did Darkfur say that Yellowpool is not leader?" one cat, Hollowtail, coughed.
"StarClan don't accept her!" another cat cried in fright.
"That can't be true! Yellowpool is a loyal deputy!" Foxpaw objected.
"What do you know about deputies? You're an apprentice!" a warrior hissed in anger.
The ShadowClan cats started yowling at one another, batting at each other with their paws.
"QUIET!!!" Yellowpool raised her voice to be heard above the challenging hisses. Her Clan turned and stared at her.
"She's already turning into Marshstar . . ." a cat muttered.
"Demanding and evil." another agreed.
"I'll explain to you all." Yellowpool meowed. "The cats that aren't gathered here join us now!" A few warriors and Cloudchaser and her kits came at the call. "The reason why I don't have nine lives is because Twolegs blocked Mothermouth. Of course, with that, they blocked the Moonstone too."
Gasps rose from the listening cats.
Yellowpool continued, "I won't be able to speak with StarClan for a while, or get my nine lives. Nor will the other deputies. But I will still apoint a deputy. And that deputy will be-"
"Wait!" a cry erupted from a cat. The other cats parted to reveal Darkfur. "A deputy appointing a deputy? Have you all lost your minds!? Only a nine-lived leader can have a real deputy! If this is what ShadowClan is coming to, it is not a Clan. Only a bunch of mouse-brained furballs! I am out of ShadowClan." he spat the last word out. Darkfur headed toward the exit and his dark tail was swallowed up.
The Clan was silent. Flameheart covered her three kits with her tail. Firekit was silent. Frostkit wailed. Patchkit cried for his father. "Daddy, where are you going!?" "Are you coming back?" The two cried.
Yellowpool spoke slowly, "Darkfur has left us. He was a good warrior . . . Only an event like this could've gotten him to leave." The Clan then dipped their heads. Only Flameheart's head wasn't bowed. She was visibly shocked and sad.
"Well, who's the new deputy?" Squirrelshadow called out.
"The new deputy will be . . ." Yellowpool's mind whirled. Who should she choose out of the senior warriors? She listed who she should choose. Squirrelshadow, Toadleap, Nightfur. Aha! I've got it. "Toadleap will be my deputy." she announced.
Toadleap looked up. "What!?"
Squirrelshadow leaped to her paws and nuzzled Toadleap. "Nice! Now you're deputy!"
The Clan chanted Toadleap's name. "Toadleap, Toadleap!"
Toadleap ignored them. "I-I never thought . . . H-How . . . ? M-Me? Deputy?"
Yellowpool tipped her head. "Yes, you heard me." Doesn't he want to be deputy?
Limptail limped over to meet him. "Good job, youngster!"
To Yellowpool's surprise, Toadleap seemed frustrated. He rushed out of camp. The Clan stared after him. Limptail looked surprised.
"Great StarClan, don't say he's leaving, too!" cried Stripepaw. His sister Longpaw pressed against him.
"Is it an omen, StarClan?" Yellowpool barely heard Truesong's question. The medicine cat shook her head and whisked to her den.
Applefall and Limptail padded back to their den and slipped inside. Nightfur cast a worried glance at Yellowpool, then at the camp's enterance. He headed to the warriors' den.
Yellowpool wondered if she could sleep in Cinderstar's den tonight. Of course! She was leader. Wasn't she? Settling down in the bed, noting that the moss had been changed while she was gone, she thought, Will they ever accept me as leader?
.:Chapter 6:.[]
Bluewater swam across the river, Graycinder following. "Hey, Graycinder?"
The medicine cat shook her fur. "Yes, Bluewater?"
"Will the Clan still accept me as leader even if I haven't got a leader's name?" He mewed, licking his paw.
Graycinder nodded, kicking out with her hind legs to dry them, one after the other. "Of course! You were their honored deputy, now you'll be their honored leader. With or without the name." she added.
Bluewater sighed. "I trust you, Graycinder."
The two walked silently to camp. When they got there, they were greeted by purrs of congratulation. Mistkit bounded out of the nursery, made up of willow branches and tangled-up reeds. Mousefang strolled out to find her kit, and purred when she saw the two cats. "Well, Bluestar. How'd it go?"
"Yeah, about that . . ." Bluewater meowed, but another mew interrupted him.
"Bluestar, my son!" his mother, Larkflight, purred to the point of not stopping. She licked his face over and over.
Bluewater pulled away. "Mother! You're embarrassing me!"
Larkflight mewed, "So, how'd it go?"
Mistkit leaped onto his back and tugged at his ear. "Did it hurt? Did you see StarClan?"
Bluewater was uncomfortable. "I can't tell you."
The Clan had crowded around him, making it feel warm and cluttered.
"Listen here, Clanmates!" he called over the talking Clan. He leaped onto a boulder. "I have not gotten my nine lives, but for a reason." He explained the situation.
Larkflight gasped. "So if you die, you . . . Don't wake up again?"
Bluewater shook his head. "I will appoint a deputy, as a Clan cannot go without one. The new deputy will be . . ."
Larkflight seemed to be wishing she was deputy. It'd be embarrassing to appoint my own mother deputy! How about Raindrop? Yes. Bluewater's deputy would be Raindrop.
"Raindrop." he finished.
"Raindrop! Raindrop!" the Clan cheered.
The new deputy raised her head proudly. "Thank you, Bluewater! I'm honored to be appointed. I'll serve the Clan the best I can!"
Bluewater dismissed the Clan, and beckoned Raindrop. "Could you send a hunting patrol out?"
Raindrop nodded. "Sure. I'll send Larkflight to lead, and Rockfur, Darktail, and Mistysun can go, right?"
Bluewater nodded. "Perfect."
Raindrop went to call the warriors and Bluewater went to see Graycinder.
"Graycinder?" he meowed when he was at the medicine cat's den.
"Yes, Bluewater?" the silvery she-cat asked.
The blue-gray tom shifted nervously. "Are you positive that the Clan will accept me as leader?"
Graycinder's head snapped around. "Yes, Bluewater! I'm positively sure. The answer will always be yes. Names don't matter. What's inside is what matters."
"Nine lives don't matter?"
"When the Moonstone is unblocked, you can get your nine lives and name. Until then, you should stay out of danger unless it is to help your Clanmates." Graycinder dismissed Bluewater.
The tom trudged to his new den. It was woven into the roots of an ancient hollow, the den being made of willow stems. He'd miss his old nest in the warriors' den among his friends. Bluewater curled up in his nest and closed his eyes. I hope Graycinder's right.
.:Chapter 7:.[]
Greenmoor and Tornfur streaked back toward the camp. Tornfur stumbled on something.
Greenmoor stopped. "Are you okay?"
Tornfur mewed, "Yes." But he was obviously in pain. He was limping, holding his left paw slightly off of the ground.
"Tornfur, you're limping. Where are some of those herbs that-" Greenmoor cast glances around her, looking for an herb that might help.
But the medicine cat insisted that he was fine. "I can treat it when we get back to camp." he panted.
When the two got back to camp, cats padded toward them. "Greenstar's back!" Pounce announced.
"Greenstar! How was it?" Robinfur yawned. She nuzzled Greenmoor, who was her daughter.
Rabbitpaw bounded toward them, exclaiming, "Greenstar, Greenstar! Did getting your nine lives hurt?"
Pinepaw followed, purring, "I know what you'll be called as a warrior, Rabbitpaw! I bet you'll be called Rabbitleap. Hello, Greenstar!"
Greenmoor signaled for Tornfur to go treat his paw, then she bounded onto the Tallrock, where the leaders call their Clan for a meeting. "Let all cats gather here for a Clan meeting!" When all cats were gathered, she explained that the Moonstone was blocked, and she couldn't get her nine lives or name. I'll appoint a deputy, anyway. "I will be appointing a deputy. That will be Pounce!" Wait, did I just say 'Pounce!?'
Pounce looked surprised, but he meowed, "I'll do my best for the Clan."
The cats cheered for him and congratulated the young tom.
Greenmoor dismissed them but called Pounce. "Pounce!"
When he joined her, she mewed, "Send a border patrol along the ThunderClan border. Tell them to hunt along the way. We could do with some prey."
Pounce looked thoughtful. "I'll go, and l'll take Robinfur and Rabbitpaw. He could let his energy out on patrol and maybe go to sleep tonight!" He twitched his whiskers in amusement, then padded off to gather the patrol.
Greenmoor stalked to a sleeping place in the middle of camp. She curled up and thought. Do they truely accept me as their leader? Do they trust me?
.:Chapter 8:.[]
Berrytail had noticed something similar about the deputies. Their fur. They all had pure colored pelts with three darker stripes running down their heads and a black tail-tip. Were they related in some way?
No. They couldn't be! They were in different Clans. Berrytail shook his head.
"Hey, Berrytail!" a call sounded from outside of his den. "Could you check on Pounceleap? I think his leg is acting up again."
A tortoiseshell. Rainstorm. "Alright. I'll be to him in a minute." Berrytail replied absently. He fiddled with a ball of moss with his paw, rolling it around in the dust.
"Berrytail!" a distressed yowl called. The tan tom rushed to Pounceleap.
"The wound is almost healed," Berrytail explained, "but have you put any weight on your leg?" he asked, examining the leg wound.
"I, sort of, reared back on one leg while battle training. Balanced on the leg that had a wound. Now it feels terrible." the warrior complained.
Berrytail pulled the comfrey out of his medicine store near the warriors' den. Redwing, Redpaw at the time, had suggested digging a deep hole and putting leaf-wrapped herbs in the hole. Silverwind, Rainstorm, Whitestar, and Sunblaze had agreed. Silverwind had said, "If there is a wounded cat near the warriors' den, you could easily get to the herbs." Sunblaze had tried to persuade him, and the persuading from three of the cats had worked. Whitestar had approved of the idea.
"Here." Berrytail told Pounceleap after chewing the root into a poultice. "Let me rub this onto the wound." Finshing, he added, "No weight on that leg, got it?"
Rainstorm objected. "Won't it stiffen up?"
Berrytail hadn't thought of that. As he placed catchweed on the poultice, he corrected himself. "Practice walking on it again. Only a few times every day. But no battle training."
Pounceleap just nodded.
When Berrytail glanced at Rainstorm to thank her, he noticed something. Three black stripes on her forehead, and she used to have a black tail tip, he recalled. Thanking Rainstorm, he headed back to his den. Redwing had the same markings as Rainstorm did, the three stripes and black tail tip. So did the other three deputies. Were the other three deputies actually Rainstorm's kits?
.:Chapter 9:.[]
Redwing yawned and stretched. Last night, he'd barely slept. How could he carry out the tasks of a leader if he was barely awake? Padding out of the den, a queen was stalking toward him. "Redwing!" she hissed. It was Snowsky. Her tail was lashing.
"What is it?" Rediwng asked sleepily.
"It's the day my kits become apprentices! It's past the time! Cloudkit and Nightkit are ready to be apprenticed! It;s been a week since they were supposed to be-" Snowsky growled.
Redwing pushed her back lightly. "I'll apprentice them! Okay? Are you happy?"
Snowsky nodded, going to wash her kits.
Redwing bounded onto the Highrock and called, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a Clan meeting!" His ear flicked.
Thunderdancer emerged from the warriors' den with his brother Joltflight. Their father, Tigerstripe, was right behind them. The warrior Aurastorm lead the elder Blindeyes out of the elders' den. Skypaw and Jaypaw bounded through the gorse tunnel, followed by Starlingsong and Longtail.
When the Clan was gathered, he called, "Cloudkit and Nightkit, step forward." The excited kits stepped forward. "You have reached six moons and it is time for you to become apprentices. Cloudkit, you'll be known as Cloudpaw. Aurastorm, you have proved to be loyal and clever. Teach what you know to this apprentice." Mentor and apprentice touched noses. "Nightkit, you'll be Nightpaw, and Joltflight will be your mentor." He sensed Snowsky's eyes burning into him.
The Clan cheered. "Cloudpaw! Nightpaw!"
Redwing mewed, "And I'm appointing new warriors. Skypaw. Jaypaw. Step forward." The dazed apprentices stepped forward. "Starlingsong said you fought in a border fight, correct?"
Jaypaw and Skypaw nodded.
"You will be warriors now. Skypaw, you will be known as Skystorm. You have been quick and a good hunter, and you are now a full warrior of ThunderClan." Redwing touched his nose to the warrior's forehead. She licked his shoulder in return. "Jaypaw will be known as Jaywing. You've proven yourself to be thoughtful and a skilled fighter. You are now a full warrior of ThunderClan." He touched his nose to Jaywing's forehead, and the new warrior licked his shoulder as Skystorm had done.
Starlingsong joined his leader. "Well look at that. I was appointed deputy yesterday and now my apprentice is a warrior!"
Redwing nodded, but flicked his tail in annoyance when he saw Snowsky approaching him again.
The pure white she-cat hissed in his face. "You didn't choose the right mentor for Cloudpaw! She should have gotten a more experienced warrior, like Longtail or Tigerstripe!"
Redwing reared back. "Aurastorm was happy to get his first apprentice!" he snarled back
Snowsky turned her back and walked off in anger.
Starlingsong sighed. "She's rather prickly. Don't let her get to you. Aurastorm was a perfect choice."
"Yeah. Queens," Redwing shook his head. I'm going on patrol. Could you take charge of the camp?"
Starlingsong nodded.
Redwing turned and went to find cats to patrol.
.:Chapter 10:.[]
Greenmoor's patrol was going to see if the Moonstone was unblocked. Crossing the moor, they were silent. The leader had taken four warriors and one apprentice. At the barn, they saw the three loners there. Pounce had lived there, and he wasn't to keen on passing this way. She saw his muscles stiffen and his gaze avoided the barn.
The three loners, Raven, Crow, and Sparrow, mewed in greeting. "Greenmoor!" the sleek black tom Raven greeted her. "Last I saw you, you were racing with some red-colored cat. Why didn't you see us?"
Greenmoor shifted. "I was racing him. We were going to the Moonstone. Or, racing to the Moonstone, more like it. He was ThunderClan. We were both wanting to get our nine lives." Greenmoor explained to situation.
Crow nodded. "I see." He cast a glance at Pounce. "Pounce!"
The young brown tom ducked away from his former barnmate's eyes.
Sparrow stared at him. She purred, "You're not invisible, Pounce."
Raven turned back to Greenmoor. "Are you heading to the Shinestone now?"
Shinestone? He must mean the Moonstone. "Yes. Why?" Greenmoor asked.
Raven replied, "I saw the Nofurs taking the small, thin trees they call 'wooden boards' away. But then," he warned, which made Greenmoor stiffen. "They were putting red, square rocks against the entrance to the Shining Cave and sticking them together with something wet. Well, it's wet until it dries up. Crow learned that when he accidentally stepped in some. The barn Nofur had to take him to Nofur Healer. When he came back, his paw was wrapped in something soft, like a leaf. A couple weeks later, he got it off."
Crow purred. "Yeah, the wet stuff dried fast."
Another warrior Greenmoor had taken, Robinfur, cleared her throat. "StarClan doesn't wait, Greenmoor."
"Oh, sorry to leave so soon, you guys, but I've got to go." Greenmoor hurried, her warriors at her flanks.]
Raven was right. Hard rocks covered the enterance of the cave. No Twolegs were around, so Greenmoor and her warriors padded to see the rocks.
Rabbitpaw pressed his paws on one of the rocks. "This one won't come out." he sighed.
Robinfur did the same on a different rock. "Neither will this one." she puffed, pushing on the rock.
When `Rosestem had pushed a rock, though, it moved slightly. "Hey, Greenmoor!" she called.
The other four cats rushed over to the pinkish-orange she-cat. Greenmoor's paws hit the hard surface of the rock that had moved. It was too heavy for one cat. "Hey, help me push the rock!" she told her Clanmates. It was much easier to push the rock with five pairs of paws. The rock fell to the other side of the wall. Sure enough, the cats found the wet stuff Raven had described.
Rabbitpaw almost licked some of it up, but Rosestem had dragged him away by his tail. "It will stick up your insides," Rosestem told him. As the group found more loose rocks, a hole showed, big enough for a cat to squeeze through.
"Rabbitpaw," Greenmoor mewed, "you're the fastest. Go and get Tornfur. I'm getting my nine lives tonight. Rosestem, go with him." As the two sped off, Greenmoor wondered if she should tell the other deputies about the Moonstone being uncovered.
Wolfhowl purred, "Now the other three can be leaders!" His thick neck fur danced like tree branches caught in the wind. He seemed to had read her mind.
The remaining four sat and waited. Soon, Rabbitpaw and Rosestem came, Tornfur following. The medicine cat's blue eyes shone as he joined the group. "You've opened the cave!" he cried. He glanced up at the darkening sky. The moon was rising. He gasped. "Quick! In, in, in!"
Greenmoor ordered her warriors back to camp, and she set paw in the cave. It felt dark almost instantly. She'd been here once before. With Volestar as an apprentice. She didn't remember it being so . . . dark. "Is it normally this dark, Tornfur?" she whispered.
Tornfur didn't reply. He just kept walking. His pelt seemed to melt away into the darkness.
Was it always this dark? It was supposed to get lighter. Greenmoor felt as it she'd been swallowed by the darness. She couldn't see Tornfur's dark pelt anymore. Her heart pounded in her chest. Were there two tunnels? Had she gone down the wrong one? "Tornfur!" she wailed. No reply. "Tornfur!" Silence. Greenmoor began to run around blindly, but the tunnel seemed to be as wide as the length of how far the mountains stretched, as dark as a ShadowClan cat's heart.
She was trapped.
.:Chapter 11:.[]
Redwing's paws slipped as he walked on the dew-coated grass. Patrolling sure was fun. He was taking Skystorm, Longtail, and Tigerstripe along every border to make sure the other leaders didn't trespass. He sighed. The patrol's last stop was Sunningrocks.
Skystorm caught up to him. "Redwing, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, just tired." Redwing lied.
Skystorm nodded then dropped back to talk to Tigerstripe.
Longtail then walked faster to catch up with Redwing. "You're lucky." His dappled tail flicked.
Redwing glanced at him. "What?" he asked. Had he heard tortoiseshell tom correctly?
"You're lucky to like such a nice she-cat." Longtail repeated.
Redwing's ears burned. "What!? I don't like Skystorm! Well, not how you think." Redwing protested. He twitched his whiskers in embarrassment.
"That's too bad. If Skystorm had kits, they'd make great warriors." Longtail shrugged. "Are you sure?"
"No. I mean, yes! I'm sure!" Redwing insisted.
"Skystorm really likes you," Longtail continued.
Shut up! I don't want a mate, even if she was my apprentice!
Behind them, Tigerstripe froze. He tasted the air. "RiverClan! I smell River-" A hefty tom knocked the tabby over into a puddle. The RiverClan tom dug his teeth into Tigerstripe's forepaw. Sreeching, a she-cat leaped onto Longtail, surprising him, and two cats, a tom and a she-cat, pounced on Skystorm.
Redwing snapped his head around and leaped at the RiverClan warrior, but a shape bundled into him. A pure ginger she-cat hissed at him, and ran her claws down his side. Redwing pushed her off, spitting at her and raking his claws down her muzzle. With a final hiss, he went to find Tigerstripe. The tom was struggling under two warriors now. Redwing dug his claws into a larger tom and flung him off of Tigerstripe. He felt claws tear into his tail, and he swerved to pull his tail away. It was the ginger she-cat again. He swept at her paws and hit her forepaws, knocking her over.
Skystorm's light blue pelt was covered in blood. "Redwing!" she cried. "We have to get out of here!" A tom knocked her, wailing, to the side. Redwing glanced a crooked tailed tom, probably Crookedtail from Gatherings, staring in alarm as he yowled for the fight to be called off.
Tigerstripe leaped lightly away from a warrior and scored his claws down its head, sending the cat running. Another warrior quickly replaced it, and an apprentice leaped on Tigerstripe's back, causing him to hiss in rage. Rolling onto his back to throw the apprentice off, it ran from the ThunderClan warrior, but the RiverClan warrior distracted Tigerstripe, taunting him and swiping at him.
Redwing leaped onto the back of the warrior, hissing with fury. The RiverClan warrior yowled in surprise, falling forward. Redwing raked his claws down its back until it screeched in agony. He stepped off, but watched it as it ran in case the cat was planning to counter attack.
Tigerstripe mewed quickly, "Thanks," and started to run back to camp, but was blocked by three warriors. They were being surrounded.
"Let's teach them that Sunningrocks is ours." hissed a she-cat, the ginger one Redwing had fought with earlier. She shot forward and dragged Skystorm backwards by her tail. The light blue she-cat strugged weakly, but couldn't get free. Longtail shot forward, but a big paw knocked him aside.
Redwing hissed coldly, "If we say Sunningrocks is yours, will you let us go?"
Another warrior shook his head.
Tigerstripe had to be dragged by two warriors, and Longtail had leaped to help the warrior, but a warrior dragged him back by one of his hind legs.
Redwing was the only one left in the circle of RiverClan warriors.
The ginger she-cat hissed, "That leader only has one life."
"Right, Gingerotter," a big tom replied, his eyes glowing evily.
The she-cat he'd called Gingerotter mewed, "Kill him."
The gray tom stalked forward. Redwing hissed and swiped at him, but the RiverClan warrior blocked and then he used his huge forepaw to slam Redwing in the side of the head. Redwing couldn't feel anything as he went unconcious, hearing his friends clawed and thrown to the ground. Then everything went dark.
.:Chapter 12:.[]
Bluewater's fluffy tail drifted in the water like a leaf. It was peaceful today. Yowls broke the silence. Battle yowls. And terrified yowls. He'd ordered his patrol not to attack for the stupid rocks!
He leaped to his paws and raced to the Sunningrocks. No time for the stepping stones; he'd have to swim. He saw sleek bodies slipping out of the water, even though he'd ordered a patrol of five only. The patrol had gone back to camp and led the warriors into battle! He leaped into the river and slid through it like an otter. Scrambling to the top of the tallest rock, he took in the scene.
RiverClan cats yowling victory, while four ThunderClan warriors lay on the bloodstained ground, blood flowing from their wounds. And he recognized the leader, Redwing, either dead or unconcious, his side bleeding heavily and his tail shredded. Skypaw, his apprentice, was lying near him, her left eye barely open and her pelt torn and bloodied. The tabby warrior Tigerstripe lay beyond them, his eyes dull, but he was still breathing. Longtail had his tortoiseshell fur colored red. Both of his ears were torn.
Gingerotter, her pure ginger fur stained and her muzzle scratched, froze when she turned and looked at him. "Bl-Bluewater!?"
Crookedtail looked up, his eyes full of sorrow. He'd stayed out of the fighting, Bluewater guessed. His pelt was unmarked and his eyes weren't glazed with triumpht. They were glazed with pain.
Bluewater scolded his Clanmates. "They were outnumbered. You should have known you'd win without even fighting. Back to camp, all of you. Crookedtail." he called to the odd-tailed warrior. "Stay here."
Rockfur was barely scratched, but he had blood staining his paws and his eyes gleamed with triumpht.
Raindrop slid our of the water and stared at the scene. "Bluewater, I sent the hunting patrol and the border patrol, but not into battle!" she cried, her voice choking.
Bluewater punished the hunting and border patrols, making them do apprentice chores until he told them that the punishment was over.
That night, when he'd sent the ThunderClan warriors back to camp, healed, Redwing was still unconcious. He sat on the river shore, hoping that the leader would get better. Bluewater sighed. Was this his fault? "StarClan, tell me that leader will be okay," he begged StarClan. One star gleamed brighter than the rest. Was that a sign of hope?
A loud cry erupted from behind him. An adult Twoleg grabbed him in its arms, a Twoleg kit scampering under its big paws.
"StarClan save me!" he yowled to the stars as he was put in a tangle of cobweb-like stuff. But wisps of clouds covered the stars now. Was there no hope of escaping the Twolegs? Something sharp poked his haunch. "Ow!" he meowed, sharp with surprise. He suddenly felt sleepy, and he lay down, resting his chin on his paws, and his vision faded to a darkness that made him feel uncomfortable.
.:Chapter 13:.[]
Yellowpool felt sick. She had felt like that all day. Her throat stung and felt sore. She coughed all day, too. The yellow-orange she-cat had gone to Truesong and gotten herbs, but it felt like they didn't work. She'd try again tomorrow. A spasm shook her, and a loud cough hurt her throat.
Truesong had placed her in the medicine den and ordered that the leader's bedding be changed. She had told Mosspaw to take the bedding as far away from the camp as possible and to bury it deep into the marshy ground. Fresh moss had been brought back.
Yellowpool was given water from a ball of moss. Mosswater, ugh. Yellowpool hated moss water. Tasted too much like... moss. Another cough shook her.
Truesong hurried in and gave another herb to her. It tasted surprisingly good, for an herb.
"Truesong!" a voice yowled. It was Toadleap.
"Coming! I'll be right back, Yellowpool," the medicine cat added to Yellowpool. She rushed out of the den.
Yellowpool dozed off, but it was hard. When she dozed, dreams of death and battle came to her. Coughing woke her, anyway. Truesong hurried back into the den. She felt Yellowpool's paw pad with her nose. "A fever . . ." the medicine cat meowed, fear pulsing from her. "How long have you been sick?" Truesong suddenly asked, wild terror in her eyes.
Yellowpool was confused by her sudden terror. "I've come to you for about a week, so . . . a week, I suppose."
Truesong whimpered, "Yellowpool, you have greencough."