Chapter 20

Lionblaze shuffled his mate past Gingerstep and Dovepelt. The breeze whipped down through the hollow, hitting Cinderheart and Lionblaze across the face. He flickered his gaze toward Dovepelt, willing her not to mention how scruffy Cinderheart looked today. She was still very confused by her surroundings of the Thunderclan camp, even though she had been aware of her new situation for a few days. Today she was Cinderpelt, whom she had been since they had arrived back to camp since their visit to the moonpool.
"Who was that?" Cinderpelt whispered in Lionblaze's ear, flicking her tail across his shoulder nervously.
"The orange tabby was Gingerstep of Shadowclan, her mate is Oakfur." He nodded toward Dovepelt,"Thats my old apprentice, Dovepelt. You mentored her sister, Ivyshade," Lionblaze whispered quietly,"Lets go visit the nursery," Cinderheart's eyes grew blurry as she tried to focus.
"Okay," she whispered.
Lionblaze guided her toward the bramble bush that was home to the nursery. It rustled as Lakekit tumbled out, his squealing echoing off the camp walls. He jumped back into the nursery as Lionblaze shouldered past him, Cinderheart following behind. Mountainstripe was on the floor, rolling on his back while Lakekit and Leopardkit tumbled over him, giggling. Mountainstripe's tail twitched as Leopardkit pounced on his stomach. He snarled playfully as he grabbed her by the scruff and set her down across the nursery. Leafpool was dozing in soft moss while the young cats played. Lionblaze felt his heart swell while he watched his kits play.
"Mountainstripe," Lionblaze's gristled voice mewed loudly, making his son glance his way. Instantly he sat up, the kits tumbling off him. He dipped his head.
"Father," He rumbled, his voice almost equally as deep as his father's. Mountainstripe blinked his amber eyes at his mother,"Mother," He rushed forward to touch noses with her.
"How has being a warrior been?" Lionblaze mewed thoughtfully, eying his son cheerfully. He shoulders were very broad and muscles passed through his pelt gracefully.
"Great," He muttered,"Its been great. A dream really," He could sense Mountainstripe was forcing the enthusiasm in his eyes.
"I wish I was a warrior!" Lakekit squeaked, bounding toward Lionblaze. Lionblaze narrowed his eyes, he couldn't believe this was his own brother. He was so small, yet he could see the tom was smart. He looked like a lighter gray version of their father, Crowfeather.
"Leopardkit, come here and say hello to your mother," Lionblaze called to his small gray spotted kit. She trotted over to Cinderheart and nudged her fur.
"I'm a badger and you're a warrior! I'm gonna' eat you!" Leopardkit mewed, pouncing on Cinderheart's tail. She withdrew her tail momentarily, then drew a paw back playfully to swat at her kit. A fierce gleam in her eye told Lionblaze she would be alright for awhile.
"I'll be back soon, if you need anything, ask Leafpool," He mewed, he flicked his gaze to his own mother, she nodded to show she had heard. He dipped his head toward his daughter next, nudging her flank gently,"Be good for your mother," He murmured. He stood up tall and licked his chest fur importantly, glancing at Mountainstripe quickly before leaving the nursery.
Lionblaze saw his brother's gray tabby pelt vanishing behind the lichen in the leaders' den. Lionblaze glanced around the camp, Tinder was eating around the fresh kill pile with Bumblestripe and Leaftail. Lionblaze padded towards them, joining them as Heathertail sat down next to Bumblestripe.
"It should be any day now," Leaftail murmured, glancing sideways. Lionblaze sat down, grabbing a finch from the pile and breaking off a few feathers.
"What should?" Lionblaze asked the speckled she-cat.
"Gingerstep's kitting. Willowshine told her it should be any day now." Leaftail glanced at Bumblestripe quickly,"I've always wanted kits myself..."
Bumblestripe gave her an alarmed look,"Aren't you, er, a little young, to be, uh, wanting kits?" The gray tabby blinked and swallowed. Leaftail flicked her tail, glancing at her mouse.
"Well when I find the right cat, we'll both know when." She settled closer to her other side, instead of Bumblestripe. Lionblaze gave Heathertail smirk and settled down to eat his finch.
"Bumblestripe, Lionblaze," Oakfur called the two toms. Lionblaze looked up,"You two are going with Ashfoot and Antpelt to inspect Windclan's camp before they leave tonight," Lionblaze finished his finch and padded toward the group, Antpelt's tail was flicking irritably as Lionblaze stood next to him. Lionblaze turned around to wait for Bumblestripe.
"Sorry, I have to go, talk to you later," Lionblaze heard Bumblestripe mew to Leaftail, she gave him a lick on the muzzle and cleaned up her meal. Bumblestripe padded over, Lionblaze flicked the younger warrior's shoulder as he arrived.
"Lets go then," Ashfoot shouldered past them, dashing through the tunnel. Her lithe body vanished into the ferns, Lionblaze chased after her. The forest opened up, the green buds reminding him of last Green Leaf, when he hadn't known when the Dark Forest would attack. His mind was always filled with worries, about Tigerstar, his clan, and his clanmates. Of course back then he hadn't known Hollyleaf was the leader, and so many of his friends and family were alive.
He could remember the day Mousewhisker had died, an mysterious illness claimed the lives of four cats, one from each clan, last Green Leaf. Jayfeather had done all he could and met with the other medicine cats many times, but even Blackstar had lost his last life then. Lionblaze's worries were even more then, but today seemed so worry free, he couldn't imagine that he had ever been that depressed.
Lionblaze glanced at Bumblestripe, his broad shoulders rippling underneath his shiny pelt. His ears were alert and his eyes trained on the forest in front of him. Bumblestripe flickered his eyes off the path and glanced at Lionblaze, "What do you think their camp will look like?" he murmured. Lionblaze flicked a leaf off his ear that had drifted down from the trees.
"Probably not as clean as a normal camp," Lionblaze ventured,"But I guess we'll see when we get there," They set off faster, catching up to Antpelt and Ashfoot as they approached the border. The moor breeze carried the scent of grass and rabbit. Lionblaze twitched his whiskers, there was another scent. Cat! A cat, outside the clans for sure since he couldn't recognize it, was on the moor.
"Do you smell that?" Lionblaze looked at Ashfoot, Ashfoot narrowed her eyes, then nodded.
"Come on, lets go see what they're up to," She murmured, setting off across the moor. She sprinted away as Antpelt and the others dashed after her sleek black pelt. They vanished over a rise of a hill, Lionblaze was struggling to keep up with the swift Windclan warriors. He bounded forward to meet them when they stopped about a treelength away, their heads dipped to the ground. Antpelt looks up, his eyes sombre.
"Its blood," He murmured, blinking at Lionblaze, then gazing across the moor. Lionblaze padded up to him, then noticing the fresh scarlet blood smeared onto the ground as if someone-or something- had been dragging something away. The blood stopped a few tail lengths away, instead it was small drops on the ground, like little blood drops. Lionblaze let out a growl as he followed the trail, it weaved over a hill, through gorse, and through blue heather flowers. Lionblaze glanced back, Ashfoot was looking around the moor.
"Its not rabbit blood," she mewed. Lionblaze blinked and nodded, taking the lead once more, wishing he had Dovepelt's power to sense things at great distances. They followed the trail as it loped over the vast hills of Windclan territory, the blood lessening as they padded onward, Lionblaze had to search for the trail of blood between gorse bushes. Finally, it stopped altogether. Lionblaze turned back, retracing the area for any sign.
"Over here!" Antpelt shouldered through the shoulder-high grasses, leading the trail toward the Windclan camp, passing throguh the two boulders that marked the entrance. The trail was now made by scent rather than sight. He locked eyes with Bumlestripe, his yellow eyes no more than pieces of flint, they both past through the thorn barrier. Lionblaze as Ed, the camp was in ruin, the dens no more than a tumble of weeds and sticks. Ashfoot gasped, her tailed fluffed out in anger at the sight of her beloved camp. Crowfood was scattered everywhere, stinking up the camp. Lionblaze picked up the trail of blood again, it led into the medicine den. He leaped into the crevice, ferns brushing his pelt. He blinked at the scent of herbs and dust, the dim light flickering into focus. He glanced around, gasping at the sight. A large calico tom was stretched luxuriously against the ferns and walls of the den, his amber eyes gazing at Lionblaze with the usual cold contempt.
"Hello, Lionblaze,"
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Lionblaze guided the tom toward the Thunderclan camp, glancing at Ashfoot. The tortoiseshell's fur rippled under his pelt.
"I would think you'd have more questions about me, Lionblaze," the tom murmured, his voice smooth as starshine,"Though, I do supposed that you're quite dumbfounded at my sudden appearance,"
"Be quiet," Antpelt spat at him, he was behind the tom, Bumblestripe had run ahead to alert the leaders. Lionblaze growled at Antpelt to stop talking, while the tom continued on with his malicious words,"How are the four clans doing then?" He gave Lionblaze an icy stare, his broad shoulders rippling under his pelt smoothly.
"Fine," Lionblaze stepped over rock, guiding the tom around a bend in the path. He couldn't believe what this no good cat was doing here, it was well over six seasons since the last time he had run him our of Thunderclan territory. The ground sloped downward as they approached the camp entrance, the brambles and ferns thickening as the tunnel enclosed around them. The scent of many cats swarmed around Lionblaze, he realized all the cats in camp must have gathered to greet the calico tom. The clearing opened up, the cats were gathered around the highledge in a crooked circle, their eyes glaring at the patrol. Onestar greeted them at the entrance. Lionblaze dipped his head to the older leader.
"I didn't think it was true until I saw it with my eyes," Onestar murmured to himself, Lionblaze wasn't sure he was meant to hear the wise leader's words. "Come," He beckoned the patrol forward with a contemptuous flick of his tail. The tabby leader bounded up toward the leaders' den and vanished behind the lichen. Lionblaze followed suit, with Ashfoot and Antpelt flanking him. He glanced back one more time to the clearing, Cinderheart and the other deputies were seated below the highrock, waiting anxiously for the meeting to begin. He turned back around toward the den.
Bramblestar was sitting with his paws tucked under him neatly, his amber eyes shining in the dim light. Rowanstar had his tail wrapped around his paws, he was sitting next to Mistystar, the oldest of the leaders, whose gray fur was beginning the gray around the muzzle. Onestar joined them, sitting beside Mistystar, his back erect and his whiskers twitching as he glanced at the patrol. "Ashfoot, please explain to us what happened after you left the Thunderclan camp," Onestar dipped her head for his deputy to begin. Ashfoot took a step forward, her pelt brushing against her clanmate, Antpelt.
Ashfoot dipped her head to the leaders,"When we left the camp today, we headed straight for the border between Windclan and Thunderclan." Lionblaze glanced at the calico, his eyes were locked at Ashfoot,"We had begun to scent a trail- a blood trail," Lionblaze saw Onestar shift forward in interest, Ashfoot flickered her eyes through the crowd in the den,"We followed it all the way to our camp, when we got in there, we started checking the dens, to find out where the scent trail led," Her gaze flickered to Lionblaze,"Lionblaze followed it into to medicine den, where we found him," Her tail gestured toward the calico, his eyes brazenly following Lionblaze's gaze with bitter coldness. A chill swept through Lionblaze like it was the middle of Leaf Bare.
Rowanstar stepped forward, his amber eyes delicately narrowed, his ears primmed forward in thought as he stared at the tortoiseshell tom,"I say we send him back the way he came," Rowanstar mewed,"The quicker he's gone, the better of we'll all be,"
Mistystar shot him a sharp look,"He may know something about Whitewing's..."
The calico tom tilted his head,"Whitewing? I do remember seeing her quite a few days ago, or was it moons?" his eyes twinkled smoothly, the words dribbling out of his mouth like blood. His stare seemed venomous, piercing through Lionblaze. Lionblaze stood, dipping his head to the leaders.
"If I may, I think we should keep him for a few days," He saw Bramblestar nod next to Onestar as he leaned over. Lionblaze spoke again,"It would be easier to keep track of him, especially since the clans are separating tonight," Bramblestar got to his paws, his tail flicking.
"Its been decided the clans will not leave the hollow yet,"

Of COURSE I meant the chapter would be released this Friday and not last Friday, thats what I meant. Okay, not really, but I got my laptop taken away for like three days last week and I couldn't write. Anyways, any guesses on who the calico is? I expect some answers and at least two reviews of this chapter, or I won't release the next one! 
~Firefoot

*Cough*

Sorry about this, but I need to talk to Rosesong, so Rosesong if you could please message me via this blog, that would be awesome.
Also, next chapter will be up sometime before Friday, and I do mean that! Heres a cliff hanger: Somebody is gonna' die.
Also, I've not been feeling the love lately, less comments, I'm not sure how many people even come on this any more. So if you guys could review more, that would help, I don't know what you guys like to read anymore, or what you don't. I don't know how my writing is effecting the story or anything, so please, be brutal about it. What do you like? What do you wish I would stop doing? PLEASE HELP ME.

~Firefoot

Just a question...

I have a lot of death's planned for the story. But I'm just curious, who do YOU think will die?

I'm really bored...

I'm so bored, and instead of writing, like I should be doing, I made this!

Firestar Likes Cookies by zyker325, made at DoInk.com

Chapter 19

Jayfeather wished for not the first time to be able to see. He was settled deep in his nest, his head just poking out from the moss that separated him from Willowshine. Her breathing was slow and quick; she was in deep sleep. He could feel the moon shining brightly on his pelt through the opening of the medicine den, it would be full in a few days. He got up slowly, wincing as he accidently brushed her pelt with his paw. Willowshine murmured something inaudible and shuffled closer to her nest. He sidestepped her and walked past his apprentice who was closer to the den opening. A swift breeze tugged at his fur, but he did not shiver. He listened for any cats, there was a guard standing post at the camp entrance. He padded stifly across the camp.
"Late in the evening for a stroll," Raccoon's slanted comment flitted towards Jayfeather's ear. He almost curled his lip. Something about this tom made his neck fur rise. Jayfeather stepped past him, Raccoon chuckled slightly for an unknown reason. Jayfeather almost went into his mind, but felt he didn't need to know whatever Raccoon was laughing about.
Jayfeather listened for any clanmates in the forest, it wasn't uncommon to find Bramblestar and Squirrelflight night-hunting, and Shadowclan were renowned for stalking silently in the shadows. Thankfully, he couldn't hear anything stirring in the forest. He padded silently, using the common paths that led down to the lake. His fur ruffled, though he wasn't sure it wasn't just from the slight breeze that blew from the lake. The scent of the moor reminded him he was close to the border. Suddenly, a cat threw him to the ground. Panicking, Jayfeather tried to scrabbled away. This is it! This is who killed Whitewing! He tried to let out a yowl when fur covered his mouth. Sarah!
With all his panicking, he forgot to scent for who it was.
"Shh! Do you want a whole patrol to come running down through the forest looking for you?" Sarah murmured gently. She jumped off him, Jayfeather could hear her grooming his pelt.
"What color is your fur?" Jayfeather wondered absentmindedly, realizing he didn't even know what she looked like.
Sarah responded,"I'm a tortoiseshell, I have a ginger splotch over my left eye and my eyes are green like a leaf," She purred as she grew closer to him,"Of course, you wouldn't know what a leaf is," Jayfeather shook his head.
"Not true. I can see in my dreams and even when I'm awake sometimes," He explained quietly,"So I can imagine you perfectly," He felt Sarah's mind whirl in curiosity, but she said nothing.
"Is that your power then? What are Lionblaze's and Dovepelt's powers exactly? I've heard little things about them but no one really wants to talk about it," Sarah spoke quickly. Jayfeather flicked his ears.
"Why don't we find some place better to talk?" Jayfeather suggested, Sarah's pelt sparked with anxiety. He heard her flick her ears.
"Alright," Sarah sighed, followed him closely, their pelts brushing. Jayfeather padded through the forest, aware of another cat padding next to him. But it wasn't Sarah's fur brushing against his, the scent was sweeter, softer, more familiar. Half Moon! 
"Jay's Wing..." She whispered, her breath warm on his ear fur,"Don't..." Jayfeather knew if he would go through with tonight with Sarah, he could lose Half Moon forever. He felt his fur prickle, I-I have to, I need someone to trust, someone to be there for... someone who can be there for me... 
He could feel Half Moon flinch,"I'm always here for you," But not in the way I need you! I need someone alive, that knows what I feel! I'm sorry Half Moon...
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Jayfeather loped around Sarah, wreathing his tail around her neck. She was a compact she-cat with shorter legs than him. Her tail curved off into a delicate point of soft fur. She giggled.
"What are you doing Jayfeather?" She rasped a tongue around his ear. A fierce wind shook the forest, rattling the trees. "Brrr, its cold. Why don't you sit next to me Jayfeather," He heard her tap her tail against their make-shift nest. Jayfeather settled down next to her, their fur touching.
Jayfeather tried to start conversation,"Sarah, whats your favorite-" But he was interrupted by Sarah.
"Wouldn't it be better if all the clans stayed together?" She rasped a tongue along a paw,"I mean, what everyone is doing tomorrow night, won't that just cause more problems for everyone?" Jayfeather could feel her gaze boring a hole into his pelt.
"Theres always been four clans. It's more than just wanting to eat fish instead of mice or hunting in the brambles instead of pine trees. In in our hearts to be with our clan, to protect it, to hunt for it, to defend it. Or in my case to heal it. We have leaders to carry us through things that no ordinary warrior could, to be able to sort out problems. In a clan with all the cats of four clans, there could be no order, there would be too many cats to tend to all the problems that would rise. You can already see in Thunderclan's camp theres not enough space to fit all of them. Clan cats are bound to their homes stronger than a the stars are bound to the sky," Jayfeather finished, twitching his whiskers at the sound of twoleg monsters on the far side of the lake.
"Thats true. I guess I will never understand this about the clans since I wasn't born here," She sighed, "Can you tell me something else Jayfeather?" She snuggled closer to him, breathing into his ear,"Crowfeather is your father, am I correct?"
Jayfeather nodded,"Yes, and Leafpool is my mother,"
Another wind whipped across the forest from the moor,"Lionblaze is your brother, which I knew, and then Hollyleaf is your sister," Jayfeather flinched at the naming of his sister. She was killed by her own family in the Great War all because of her lust for the warrior code.
"Why did she join the Dark Forest anyways?" Sarah pondered absentmindedly,"I've never heard of her breaking the code..." Her voice trailed off, she swung her broad head towards Jayfeather. "Or did she?"
"...I don't want to talk about it," Jayfeather shrugged her off, turning his head away from her.
"Lets change the subject then. Who was your mentor?" Sarah flicked her tail on his chin. Jayfeather turned back to her, Why does everything have to go back to my family?
"Leafpool," He mewed, feeling her eyes on him again.
"But Leafpool isn't a medicine cat, she's a warrior," Sarah sounded confused.
"She was a medicine cat for a long time," Jayfeather explained,"Before..." He stopped, imaging the night Hollyleaf vanished into the tunnels again.
"Before what?"
"Before Hollyleaf told everyone who our parents were!" He shrilled,"Are you happy now? Now that you know everything about me!" He stalked off into the forest, toward Windclan territory, leaves from the previous leaf fall silencing his steps. His nostrils flared in anger, his fur rising on his neck, he clawed the grass in fury. He knew he shouldn't get this mad, especially at Sarah who was risking everything to be with him, but he couldn't stand talking about his family. There was nothing great about them, in fact his family had caused more drama for the clans since they came to the lake than any other family he could think of. His parents, leaving their clans for each other, his mother and aunt lying about their birth, Ashfur trying to kill them in the fire, and finally Hollyleaf trying to destroy the clans forever to retain the warrior code. All of these thoughts flew back into his mind, and it just made him angrier.
"Jayfeather!" Sarah's voice brought him back, she padded up to him, nuzzling his shoulder gently,"I found you. I'm sorry Jayfeather, I didn't know how sensitive you were," She murmured into his ear, gently rasping her tongue along his neck fur.
"Lets get back to our nest," He forced his neck fur to lie flat and followed Sarah back toward the forest. A fierce caterwaul of a twoleg sounded from the beach, Jayfeather flicked his ears toward the noise.
"Lets go down to the lake instead," Jayfeather commented to Sarah, flicking his tail along her cheek. The pair walked down the path, the scent of water telling Jayfeather they were heading the right way. But something else was puzzling him, there was another scent drifting toward them, it was an acrid scent he couldn't place.
"Do you smell that?" Jayfeather murmured to Sarah, the wind hitting them again as they came out of the forest and to the lake shore.
"Oh my Starclan," Sarah whispered in horror, her voice distant. Jayfeather narrowed his eyes.
"What is it?"
"I-its a fire, across the lake at the twoleg house," Sarah mewed in a hushed tone. Suddenly the night awoke to  another wail of a twoleg, then another and another. They were so blood curdling and creepy Jayfeather couldn't help but flinch. The scent he could smell was smoke and ash churning in the water and the wind and settling across the lake. Jayfeather blinked the ash out of his eyes, opening them to the sight of the twoleg nest on fire. Flames reared out of the gaps in the walls and they licked the sky greedily. Smoke swirled in the sky, creating ovals and edges. Pointed edges of the smoke's reach cut into the sky like teeth, the ovals were swirling like gray eyes of a skull. The image of a cat's skull was in the sky, and was clearer than any other sign Starclan could've given Jayfeather. The voice of Yellowfang swirled in his ears, foretelling the omen he had heard many moons before.
"There will be five, who bring the four to one," The gray she-cat murmured, Jayfeather could smell her rank breath in his nose,"Beware Jayfeather, bonds are forming, but something stirs in the hearts of the new," 
The skull and the ominous prophecy stirred in his mind. His fur started to rise again, who were the five? Did this have to do with the Dark Forest, were the three still needed? He thought the "new" Yellowfang had mentioned might be Sarah, and love was what was stirring in her heart. Even with the fire burning and the omen at hand, he couldn't help feel a little warmed by the thought of Sarah's love.
"Jayfeather?" Sarah's voice quivered, her voice no more than a whisper above the screech of the wind,"They stopped screaming," Jayfeather was now aware of the sudden silence that met the lake. There were no twolegs fleeing, no monsters running up the path. The fire was still burning, he could hear the twoleg nest crackle across the lake and part of it cave in on itself in a soft thud.
Jayfeather bit his lip before answering Sarah,"Come on, lets go back to camp," He weaved his tail around hers and led her through the forest. He felt her pelt quiver, he wasn't sure with what, but he felt bad. He had ruined tonight, by storming off and requesting to go to the lake.
"Lets stay in the forest instead," Jayfeather murmured,"I'm sorry I ruined most of the night, but I promise if we can make it through the rest of it," He nuzzled her,"we can make it through anything,"


YAY! Finally finished this chapter. I thought it was quite epic if I do say so myself. I've actually been planning this chapter for a long long time, especially the scene on the lake and the fire. Ooh I'm so excited!
~Firefoot

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