Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday! Oh, its not your birthday? *Looks at Calendar* Oh, then it must be mine! Please, save the gifts for later. I would like to thank you guys for making my writing easier and yet more challenging to pump stories out as quick as possible. I am going to post more regularly 'cause I got me self a fancy laptop. The next chapter should be out Sunday! So keep a look out!

~Firefoot

Hey can you all do me a favor?

My friend Abbey is doing this thing called People to People. Its pretty much understanding different people and cultures through experiences. She gets to travel through Europe for three weeks to be a Student Ambassador. You have to be recomended by a teacher or previous student to People to People member. So she was selected, went to a BUNCH of meetings and interviews and finally she is able to go! Yay. Only bad part is, the trip is 1,000 dollars. But the good news is, she can get a scholarship if she can show she is good for it, for example being tech savvy and an all around nice person. She's already an awesome person so she just needed to be tech savvy, so she created a blog! All I ask you guys to do is go and comment on it, just saying things like,"Wow thats so cool!" So the people at People to People can see how "Tech savvy" she really is! Heres the link http://www.abbsblog.com/ You can commment on anything, read up on the program, and I'll tell her! Thanks guys!

~Firefoot

Chapter 18

Lionblaze shook his pelt. Mountainstripe and Antpelt were at his side, and Weaslefur and Mapleclaw across from him. All of them chattered over the fresh kill pile. Lionblaze bit into his vole as Antpelt continued his story about the earilier patrol.
"Twolegs eveywhere," Antpelt explained chewing on a robin's wing,"I never saw them come this early in Newleaf," Antpelt and Weaslefur shook their head.
"I've never seen a twoleg," Mapleclaw put it,"I bet they're ugly,"
"The ugliest! Only have fur on their heads and muzzles and where these ugly colored pelts. All sorts of colors like a messed up tortoiseshell if you ask me," Antpelt bit off another bite continuing his story,"They were on the Riverclan and Shadowclan border, at that twoleg place,"
"As if the clans didn't have anything else to worry about," Mountainstripe growled, fidgeted next to Lionblaze. He had barely touched his chaffinch.
"You gonna' eat that?" Weaslefur mumbled as he took the last bite of his rabbit he was sharing with Mapleclaw. Mountainstripe shook his head and pushed the small prey over to the ginger tom with distinct white paws.Weaslefur nodded his thanks as he sculfed down the prey. Mapleclaw leaned over to Mountainstripe.
"How Windclan cats manage to stay that thin while they inhale their prey is beyond me," Mapleclaw whispered. Lionblaze suspected she hadn't wanted anyone else to hear that, but Antpelt raised his head. His fur bristled.
"Why would a Riverclan cat want to know, you guys stay fat all leafbare while the rest of us struggle for a mouth full of prey." He sneered, Weaslefur narrowed his eyes and nodded at the already plump Riverclan tabby ginger. Mapleclaw hissed in annoyance, got up and joined Petalfur and Cedarclaw. Lionblaze looked at his son in surprise, could the clans' friendships be broken so easily?
"I'm going hunting," Mountainstripe announced quietly, slowly leaving the glaring Windclan toms. Lionblaze got up.
"Er, me too," He mewed awkwardly, joining his son as he left the gorse barrier.
"Where do you want to hunt?" Lionblaze looked around, sniffing for the slightest bit of prey and listening for the chirp of a bird.
"I was thinking the trees," Mountainstripe mewed quietly, studying his paws. Lionblaze looked at his son quietly, realizing her knew nothing about him.
"Sure," Lionblaze nodded, Mountainstripe looked up and twitched his ears. In a flash, the black and orange tom was in a tree, expertly hooking his claws around the tree trunk and flying through the trees silently. Lionblaze gasped as his son jumped over three foxlengths into the next tree. "Do you always hunt in the trees?" Mountainstripe gazed down at him through the trees, sunlight lightly dappling his pelt to make it look gray.
"When I'm alone," He answered quietly, his voice barely audible above the whisper of wind on leaf. Lionblaze nodded, scampering up the tree less than gracefully. He hated climbing trees. But he wanted to see his son where he was most comfortable.
Mountainstripe raised his tail over his muzzle, Lionblaze stopped in his tracks and waited for his son. The odd thing was, Lionblaze couldn't hear a bird anywhere. Mountainstripe stuck close to the tree limb, his tail quivering just ever so slightly as he peered downward into the forest. Thick leaves blocked anyone's view of the two cats hanging many fox lengths above the ground. Lionblaze kept watch on his son, his huge claws pierced the tree bark as he clung to the thinnest parts that would support him- then he jumped. Lionblaze bit his tongue to keep from launching himself to catch his young offspring. He pulled his head through the leaves and saw his son leap atop a rabbit, biting the throat as it collapsed under the weight of the much larger animal.
"Wha-who-..." Lionblaze stammered before the words could come out of his mouth,"How did you learn that?" Mountainstripe gazed into his father's eyes carefully.
"Rockfur from Skyclan taught me," Mountainstripe shrugged waddling away with the rabbit. Lionblaze skittered down the tree and followed the tom.
"Where are you going?" Lionblaze demanded. Mountainstripe turned around.
"To bury the prey?" He cocked his head. Lionblaze stepped closer eyes round.
"You just jumped from the trees to catch a rabbit! You need to teach this to Thunderclan!" Lionblaze hissed in excitement. No prey would be able to get away if they lept from the trees! Mountainstripe shrugged.
"I guess so," Mountainstripe looked at his paws again. Lionblaze narrowed his eyes.
"Is everything alright?" Lionblaze approached his son. The broad shoulders and chest were much bigger than him. He was taller than Lionblaze and more muscular but Lionblaze knew he could take him in battle, not must because he had his powers, but because his son was so timid. "You can tell me," Lionblaze murmured, studying his son.
"I don't want to be a warrior,"
"What?"
Mountainstripe looked up fiercly, claws scraping the ground as he dropped the rabbit,"I'm six moons old! I should be an apprentice right now! I should be with Firepaw and Sandpaw, with my sister. But now I'm just a warrior. Pretty soon I'll have an apprentice because Bramblestar can't wait for me to teach another cat how to be as strong as I am. But I don't know how!" Mountainstripe growled.
Lionblaze looked at him sympathetically,"Why don't you take a break for a while? Visit Leopardkit, help with the apprentices at training. I'll ask Bramblestar to lay off you for a while,"
Mountainstripe shrugged,"Okay," He padded away,"I'm going back to camp," He dragged the rabbit away carefully over the rocks. Lionblaze sighed, watching his son leave. Mountainstripe was right, he was still supposed to be an apprentice. He never had been able to play around with his friends. But he had to be loyal to his clan, no matter what he was a warrior now.
Lionblaze walked down towards the lake to sort out his thoughts. The pebbly sand under foot soothed his slightly. Wind ripped across the open area, the sun beat down on him without the protection of the thick trees. He settled down a few tail lengths from the water. It lapped gently at the shore line, rhymically sounding in his ears.
"I was looking for you,"
Lionblaze didn't turn his head towards his mate's voice. He merely flicked his tail toward where he wanted her to sit next to him. Cinderheart padded up next to him, her fur splayed against the wind. Sunlight dappled across her pelt. She stared into his eyes, then back out at the water towards Riverclan.
"Cinderheart?" Lionblaze murmured.
"Cinderpelt," The gray she-cat corrected.
Lionblaze shook his head,"Yes, Cinderpelt. Why were you looking for me?" He murmured again, closing his eyes so they were barely slits. Cinderheart looked at him sharply.
"We're mates, I thought I should," She sighed,"I saw Mountainstripe come into camp looking upset, I thought you might know something," Lionblaze nodded as he explained the situation.
"He has a right to be upset," Cinderheart mewed, Lionblaze nodded once more.
"But he has to be loyal to his clan more than anything, he's a Thunderclan warrior," Lionblaze added, Cinderheart looked at him.
"Are you saying he's got to ignore his feelings?" Cinderheart growled.
"Well it can't get in the way of helping his clan," Lionblaze explained carefully. He looked across the water again, Twolegs ran along the shoreline busily chattering and taking things out of a monster,"Look at that," He nodded towards the shore. Cinderheart looked up and started shaking her head.
"That can't be good for the move," Lionblaze commented,"They'll have to leave at night as to not attract attention from the twolegs,"
"Do you think its a sign?"
"A sign?"
Cinderheart looked at him,"From Starclan, telling the clans they shouldn't seperate?" Lionblaze narrowed his eyes.
"Jayfeather's had no signs," Lionblaze murmured thoughtfully, flicking his tail across the beach. The pair were quite for a long time.
"I can swim," Cinderheart sayed suddenly, jumping into the lake. Lionblaze got up and let a mrrrow as she splashed in the shallow waves. "Come in! Its so nice!"
"Let me think about it, getting my fur wet, possible drowning," Lionblaze joked, Cinderheart rolled her eyes. The sun shone high above the sky. A few more cats came out of the forest, probably for a sun high patrol. Bumblestripe approached them.
"Have you two seen Jayfeather?" Bumblestripe asked as CInderheart made her way out of the water and shook her fur. Water sprayed across Lionblaze's fur. Lionblaze and Cinderheart looked at each other.
"No, is he missing?" Lionblaze stepped forward, Dovepelt, Bumblestripe and Firepaw looked at each other.
"He's been gone since clan meeting," Dovepelt sighed, flickering her gaze from Cinderheart to Lionblaze.
"Can't you hear him?" Lionblaze asked, shifting his head. Dovepelt closed her eyes and twitched her ears for a few heartbeats.
She shook her head,"I can't hear anything. If he's out there, he's not doing anything,"
"Lets go look toward the Windclan border," Bumblestripe sighed. Cinderheart looked at him sharply.
"I'll join you," She said, dipping her head at Bumblestripe,"With you leading of course. This is your patrol," Bumblestripe nodded.
"I will too," Lionblaze got up, Bumblestripe shot him a look, shaking his head.
"Bramblestar wanted to see you. I think you should head back to camp," Bumblestripe explained. Lionblaze nodded, departing from the patrol and running through the forest back to camp. The sun rippled across his shoulders, dappling him to a darker ginger. His eyes glowed as he leaped over a log. He suddenly felt so powerful he could do anything. He climbed to a branch over looking the forest despite hating to climb. He didn't stop even when the tree limbs swayed under his weight. Finally, since he found his mate two moons ago with her mind in shambles, ever since he was falling apart himself, he felt free. He continued to climb until he reached the very top of the oak tree he as climbing. He looked out across the forest, he was sure he was as far up as any cat could get to at the lake. He gazed down, the thick leaf cover blocked any sight to below. Instead he gazed out, he could still see the twolegs milling about on the opposite shore, he looked away toward the Windclan border. He could see the faint dots of cats- Bumblestripe's patrol- busily hunting for any signs of his brother. He knew he should be at camp so he could hear whatever Bramblestar had to say to him. But he could be late, Bramblestar wasn't expecting him anytime soon. So he stayed there, seeing the birds flying just tail lengths from where he was perched carefully on the tree top. He knew he could catch them if he leaped, but he didn't want to risk missing a tree branch and falling down onto the forest. He felt mroe powerful than any time before. Even more powerful than when he fought Tigerstar and Hawkfrost, when he defeated so many cats in the Dark Forest he couldn't count them. He flexed his claws, grinning when he felt the deep indentations in the oak bark.Lionblaze knew he was the most powerful tom in the whole forest, he had the most charisma, leadership, the best warrior of the clans. He had won that battle with the Dark Forest, sure those the other warriors had helped, but he could've defeated the whole of the army. He kept thinking this over and over in head his head until he let out a powerful caterwaul that could be heard from here to the stone hollow.

More pictures...

A picture of Mountainstripe. I dunno', I did it a few months back when I was still thinking of what Cinderheart and Lionblaze's kits would look like. I used Blackstar's picture for the pose in Cats of the Clans.

I drew this when I drew Mountainstripe. Bluewish won't show up in any of my stories but I liked to draw her, I think of her as a Riverclan warrior.

My cat! Guess her name... You're right if you guessed Cristy! I based Cristy the character entirely off of my cat, except for her age. Cristy my kittypet is 22 years old, while I think Cristy the rogue is around two or three. Even Cristy's murderous attitude is based off my pet.



Enjoy :)

~Firefoot

I *finally* uploaded the picture of Heightened Senses' cover.

I drew it a few weeks back and have been procrastinating uploading it. But I got a laptop Friday *YAY* so that not only means regular posting but I was able to upload this. Can anyone guess the cats on the cover?
~Firefoot

Mwahahahaha

Just wanted to say, I have MANY twists and turns that you *hopefully* won't see coming. Some cats /might/ die or they /might/ not and... oh you'll just have to wait and see.

-From the especially evil feeling Firefoot >:)

Chapter 17

Jayfeather's heart seemed to flounder. It thumped pitifully against his chest as Sarah's tail weaved absentmindedly around his neck. He shifted away slightly, bumping into Twilight on his other side.
"Excuse me," He murmured, slipping through the crowd of cats and entering the drafty medicine den. He was alone, at last, and he could finally think about things. He settled down amongst a group of ferns and moss and just let his mind wander while his eyes slowly closed.
Soon, he was in a large forest, a low lying mist settling around him. It was so thick he could barely see his paws. Scents swirled around him, cats from his past, present and future though he could pick out no scents to be sure of who it was.
"Oh Jayfeather," A sweet voice whispered in his ear,"What are you going to do..." The voice mumbled quietly. He tried to see where the voice was coming from but it eluded him. "Don't worry my love," The voice belonged to multiple cats speaking at once,"I will always watch over you," The voice confused him, what was he doing? Who were these cats? ,"Oh Jayfeather... Jayfeather... Jayfeather," The voice continued, slowly then faster.
"Jayfeather, Jayfeather! Jayfeather!"
Jayfeather blinked open his eyes, the forest was gone and replaced by the ever dark world of reality. "What?"
Honeypaw's voice broke into his ears once again,"Jayfeather, we're low on cobwebs and chamomile, should I ask Willowshine to help us gather some?" Jayfeather felt his ears burn with guilt, he had completely forgotten about Honeypaw after the announcement that Sarah was leaving with Tinder to Riverclan territory. She was all he could think about now.
"Yes of course, go and ask Willowshine and Twilight, we also need burdock and catnip and Twilight could help carry some back," Jayfeather mewed. And I want to test Twilight's interest in herbs...
"Sure!" Honeypaw purred, Jayfeather could hear her paws click out of the den. He began to groom himself, flicking moss off his moss with his tongue.
"Ready to go Jayfeather?" Willowshine called out from outside the den. Jayfeather pushed past the ferns and joined her and the two others coming along. They padded past the nursery and fresh kill pile where the newly made warrior, Mountainstripe, was eating with Twigstorm, Leaftail, and Bumblestripe.
"So what were the clans like before the Great Battle?" Twigstorm asked Bumblestripe.
Jayfeather heard Bumblestripe flick his tail against a fern, "The clans lived separate, there were a lot more cats, and we went to gatherings every moon."
"I can't wait until we go to gatherings,"  Twigstorm sighed shaking his head.
"Give the clans a few days to settle in again to their old homes," Willowshine added,"You'll go to one in no time," She promised sweetly. Jayfeather felt agitation swirl around the camp, coming from Sarah then a few others, the scent telling him it was from Cristy and Ghost who weren't on patrol today. Jayfeather couldn't figure out why though.
"Come then," Jayfeather ushered the group away, Honeypaw and Twilight in front of him while Willowshine behind him.
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"Jayfeather I need to talk to you!" Sarah hissed from behind the tabby medicine cat. Jayfeather whipped around, anxiety flaring through him. He was in his den stacking the herbs from earlier today. They had gotten their quota and more, and Twilight had shown quite an interest in herbs and the best places to find them. Now he was alone in the cave, except for Sarah here now.
"Here? Now?" Jayfeather panicked, dropping his herbs on the dusty floor. Honeypaw would be back anytime now from applying the poultice to Slatepelt's sore pads and Willowshine was checking on the queens in the nursery.
"Yes, now," Sarah hissed, Jayfeather stepped back, he could feel angry pulsing through her. He dove into her mind, but now all he felt was a cat trying to calm herself down. "Jayfeather come on! I must speak with you!" Sarah urged. Jayfeather pushed his herbs aside for the moment and beckoned her forward.
"Follow me," He led her to the back of the cave, behind the large stacks of herbs that were going to needed to be stock piled for Leaf Bare, past a few ferns and into a cleft in the wall. A fresh scent of the forest was the only clue that this cave led on into another part of the forest. This is how the clans had won the Great Battle.
"Come on, we'll talk in the middle of the tunnel." Jayfeather walked into the tunnel, the slope rising gently, rocks tumbling behind him. Hopefully no one would come looking for him here, he didn't want to be questioned about his whereabouts.
"What's this about?" He spat impatiently.
"We need to meet tonight, there's going to be to much preparation for the clans leaving tomorrow night to be able to meet in the forest alone," Sarah whispered, flicking her tail over his ear. Jayfeather shivered. He had forgotten about their meeting agreement until now. He nodded.
"Why don't you just stay with Thunderclan," Jayfeather pleaded,"It'll be so much easier, we won't have to stay away from each other,"
Sarah sighed, Jayfeather could feel her grief but refrained from jumping into her thoughts,"I can't. Ghost and Raccoon are my brothers. I couldn't leave them, and they love the water, they want to go to Riverclan so badly," Jayfeather understood, he could never leave Lionblaze or any of his family for Sarah no matter what. "We'll still see each other at Gatherings, and tonight it'll just be us two." Sarah whispered, wrapping her tail around his waist and licking his head. She parted with him and walked back through the tunnel, whispering,"Remember, by the Sky Oak at Moonhigh, I'll see you tonight my love,"
Jayfeather waited silently, thinking and rethinking what he was doing. He knew it was wrong. So very very wrong. He was walking down the same path as his mother, instantly making his name in Starclan something to be said behind closed dens and questioned by multiple cat he didn't even know. Panic gripped him and he began to wheeze, slowly losing sane thoughts as he padded back and forth through the tunnel. He had to get out of this tunnel, he could feel it closing in on him. Why hadn't Starclan warned him that he was going to die while the tunnel collapsed? Had they abandoned him? The thought made him panic more. He would die, and be sent to the Dark Forest where he would find Mapleshade or Darkstripe and they would torture him. He wheezed harder as he sprinted out of the tunnel. He tore through the grass as he reached the forest, sprinting through the trees through Thunderclan territory. He could hear trees whizzing past his ears, and soon he was in unfamiliar territory. He slowed to a stop under a large oak tree. His breathing was ragged, his fur was greasy and sticking out in all directions. He tried to groom but burrs nipped at his tongue that were stuck through his fur. Blood seeped from a few scratched that could only of come from a bramble bush that he had burst through without realizing. He began to pluck the burrs from his pelt and lick his wounds. His breathing slowly returned to normal, along with his thoughts. He knew now the tunnel wasn't collapsing, it was just his panic. But still he felt Starclan was leaving him, he hadn't had any dreams from them other than seeing Starclan accept Honeypaw. He sat there staring into the empty blackness of his sight while the sun settled lower in the sky. If he wasn't back soon there would be a search patrol sent out especially with Whitewing's murderer still unknown. But still her sat there, he could hear pawsteps creeping up behind him, multiple cats were approaching from where he had fled from the clans. He braced himself for an attack, these cats could be Whitewing's murderer.
"He's here," Bumblestripe hollered behind him. The large gray tabby approached him, Jayfeather could feel his eyes gazing all over him, into each cut and burr in confusion. "Come on, lets get you back to camp," More cats helped him up, Cinderheart included. Others included Dovepelt, Firepaw, and Mountainstripe.
"What happened?" Firepaw whispered into his ear as he helped the older medicine cat onto his paws.
"Let Jayfeather go, he'll tell Bramblestar what happened when we get back to camp," Cinderheart mewed calmly. Jayfeather narrowed his sightless eyes, he jumped into her thoughts. It was Cinderpelt speaking, she was so calm and collected now after only two days!
"Firepaw go ahead and tell Bramblestar we've found him," Dovepelt instructed her apprentice. He dashed off through the forest. Jayfeather felt shame prickle at his pelt, he really didn't want Bramblestar to ask him why he had dashed off through the forest.
Soon, they were arrving at the Thunderclan camp entrance. The sky was now dark, many cats were going into their dens for a night's rest. Like always though, there was not enough room for all the warriors in the warrios' den and some had settled onto the ground in large bunches. Cinderheart told the others to go get some sleep as she led him up to the leaders' den.
"Bramblestar?" Cinderheart called in.
"Come in," Bramblestar's throaty mew echoed outside the cave. Jayfeather and Cinderheart both walked in at the same time. Bramblestar was alone. "I asked the other leaders to give us a moment alone." Bramblestar seemed to read Jayfeather's thoughts.
"We found Jayfeather right outside our territory," Cinderheart explained,"He looked quite dazed,"
"Let me speak for myself!" Jayfeather spat angrily, he wasn't dazed, he was confused and thinking.
"Very well Jayfeather, go ahead and explain why you ran off," Bramblestar murmured.
"Stop talking to me like I'm an apprentice who ran into the forest without their mentor, I'm your medicine cat Bramblestar. I know what I'm doing. I was simply looking for... signs from Starclan," Jayfeather improvised quickly while defending himself.
"If you were just looking for signs why do you have scratches all over your body and burrs stuck in your pelt Jayfeather?" Cinderheart's irritated voice asked him rhetorically.
Bramblestar ignored his deputy's outburst,"Did you see anything Jayfeather? From Starclan? Some kind of sign?" The leader seemed to yearn for some sign from Starclan, and Jayfeather could offer him nothing.
He shook his head,"Starclan are silent Bramblestar,"