Warriors - Legend of the Mirror Stream

Chapter 15

Swiftstream saw Woolentail jump on the Tallrock, addressing her clan for the first time. 'May all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather together.' Her voice was filled with sadness from mourning over her sister, Turtlestar.
'A new deputy must be appointed. I say these words before the spirits of Starclan, so they may hear and approve my choice. Swiftstream will be the new deputy of Nightclan.' Cats' shocked mews gave way to congratulations. 'Swiftstream! Swiftstream!' She dipped her head to Woolentail. 'Thank you. I will serve my clan well.'
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The next day Hollypaw came back from her journey to the Silverlake, where leaders and medicine cats shared dreams with Starclan. 'Welcome back. Did Starclan give you your proper medicine cat name?' Woolentail mewed.
'Yes. From this day I shall be known as Hollyberry. Starclan approved me as a proper medicine cat of Nightclan.' Hollyberry mewed from under the Tallrock with Woolentail next to her. 'We shall leave imediatelly. Time is precious in times like this. You mustn't waste the time on your journey to Silverlake. Your nine lives and leader name mustn't wait.' Hollyberry urged Woolentail as if she knew something is wrong. 'We will be back by tommorrow sunhigh. Swiftstream, you are in charge of the clan.' Woolentail ordered and with Hollyberry at her heels, she dissapeared in the gorse tunnel.
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Swiftstream stood on the Tallrock. This feels so.. new. She couldn't deny that being a deputy wasn't great but she doubted herself. That night, Swiftstream didn't sleep well. All she could see was darkness and a sticking liquid on her paws. When she looked down, she saw blood pouring fast and soon she was drowned in it. She woke with a startled yowl. 'Great Starclan! Can you just shut your whiskers?! We want to sleep, deputy..!' Sandstripe hissed, turned and fell asleep again. Swiftstream laid down again and soon she was in the same dream. But this time, there was a voice. Fire and Ice will meet in a battle and blood will be spilled. Three will become four and blood will shake the forest with the talons of the falcon and the eagle.
Swiftstream woke up again, her fur bristling. She crept through the entrance to the warriors' den and settled on the Tallrock. Moon shone brightly. Woolentail will get her nine live by now.. she thought. Will I share my dreams with my ancestors in that cavern one day too?
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Dawn warmed and shone on each cat's pelt. Swiftsream was giving orders and chose cats for the dawn patrol. 'Head for the Cliffside, Snowclaw. But don't go too near the border if you sense Bloodclan. I want no harms. No blood must be spilled!' She ordered, with her last words, she looked doubtfully at Specklecloud. His ambision might have headed for a murder of a cat. But he isn't that mouse-brained to kill a medicine cat. Swiftstream's doubt faded away, looking as the patrol dissapeared into the gorse tunnel.
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Rustling of the gorse barrier made some cats gather in the middle of the clearing. 'Our new leader is back!' One cat meowed. Hollyberry emerged from the gorse tunnel.
'I present you Woolenstar, the new leader of Nightclan!' Her voice rang and cats began to congratulate the new leader.
'Welcome back, Woolenstar.' Swiftstream dipped her head in greetings.
'Thank you. Everything fine?' Woolenstar mewed.
'I sent a patrol to the Cliffside, but the border seems quiet. But..' Swiftstream was cut by her leader.
'I share your doubt, more that you think.' Woolenstar rested her tail on Swiftstream's shoulder. Then, she leapt on Tallrock.
'Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather together!'
Cats casted doubtfull looks on each other, gathering below the Tallrock.
'I am pleased by your welcoming. I promise I will do everything to help my Clan through this hard times. Now, I wish to speak with my deputy and medicine cat.' Woolenstar mewed, leaping down the Tallrock toward her den with Swiftstream and Hollyberry at her heels.
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'I guess you are surprised, Swiftstream. But there is more to discuss than you think.' Woolenstar meowed, settling on a patch of moss.
'Woolenstar's nine lives ceremony went wrong.' Hollyberry went on, casting doubtfull look at Swiftstream. 'I mean, she has her lives but the ceremony was cut by a river of sticking blood. There was a vision of cats being drowned in it.. and Turtlestar gave us a prophecy. Fire and Ice will meet in a battle and blood will be spilled. Three will become four-' Hollyberry was cut by Swiftstream. '... and blood will shake the forest with the talons of the falcon and the eagle.'
'How do you know?!' Hollyberry's voice shook.
'I recieved this prophecy by the time of Woolenstar's nine lives ceremony.' Swiftstream mewed.
'But- But you are a warrior! Not a medicine cat! How-' Hollyberry spilled the words out of her.
'You are forgetting that I'll save the Clans, Hollyberry. Starclan walks my paths and warns me like you.' Swiftstream mewed, resting her tail on Hollyberry's shoulders. 'This means the battle isn't over.'
'Yes. Soon enough there will be a Gathering. We will surely find out what will happen.' Woolenstar murmured. 'You may go. Swiftstream, let two hunting patrols out and one border patrol along the Bloodclan border.'
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Days passed since Woolenstar became a proper leader. The night of the Gathering will come soon.
'Swiftstream, Lionpelt, Thistlepelt, Stormpool, Ravenfeather, Morningpelt, Snowclaw, Sandstripe, Briarpelt and Palepaw and Rainpaw will accompany me to the Gathering. Be aware that Bloodclan is a big thread. Sleep lightly. We mustn't loose more warriors if something happens.' Woolenstar commanded, waving her tail to the chosen cats to follow. Surely even Bloodclan wouldn't break the truce?
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At the Sun-drown-rocks, it seemed as if there was whole Bloodclan.
'Greetings, Woolentail.' Robinstar greeted her. 'Where is Turtlestar?'
But she just dipped her head in greetings and leapt on one of the rocks.
'Cats of all Clans, welcome!' She began, silencing the cats. Robinstar and Clawstar joined her. 'I wish to speak first.'
'Where is Turtlestar? What is going on?' Cats mewed theie questions, but Robinstar cut the off. 'What's wrong, Woolentail?'
'Turtlestar lost her last two lives when Bloodclan ambushed our camp.' Her voice shook. 'I am the new leader of Nightclan. My name is Woolenstar. And without the help of Fireclan, we would've had lost. Thank you.'
Shocking mews came from the cats below, along with Robinstar. But one cat laughed. Clawstar!
'Yes, it's pretty amusing that the great and noble Turtlestar died below my claws. It was a sign from Starclan that I've said the truth! Bloodclan will stand till the end of the world!' When he spoke, some strange cats began to circle around the Clan cats. Three of them went forward untill they stood below Clawstar's rock. The first cat leapt on a flat rock under Clawstar's, the two following.
'This cat is known for his strenght and power over other rouge and loner cats.' Clawstar murmured, letting the leader of the rouges speak.
'My name is Eaglestrike. This is my lead fighter, Falcon, and this my lead hunter, Shadow. All these cats around you are hunters and fighters from Eaglestrike's group, feared for their hostility and strenght.' Swiftstream looked carefully at Eaglestrike. He was dark brown tabby and his eyes looked as the setting sun, almost red. Falcon was a lighter tabby, but her claws looked like talons of a falcon. Blood will shake the forest with the talons of the falcon and the eagle. They were the ones to destroy us! Swiftstream's pelt bristled.
'These cats will join Bloodclan, but will be apart from the warrior code and hunt for themselves as they did before. But they are here to fight. In time of the quarter moon, there will be a battle. If you won't fight, we will find you and kill you all!' Clawstar yowled. 'Time of the quarter moon when the sun will be setting.'
Swiftstream's eyes widened witg fear. Those cats were born for battle, there was no chance in winning if Fireclan and Nightclan fought together. Suddenly, one cat spoke. 'If you wish a fight, you'll have it. But don't think I'll fight on your side.'
'Sunblaze?!' Clawstar's hostile mew made Swiftstream flinch.
'Cats of Bloodclan. Do you really want this? To fight for nothing? To have a traitor as a leader? To make Starclan abandon us because of him?' Sunblaze meowed. 'Join me. Don't stand still and look as your Clan is destroying the warrior code along with the clans. Save it!'
Clawstar growled at his son. Swiftstream rose to her paws, beckoning Stormpool, Lionpelt and Thistlepelt to follow. When she spotted Nightstorm and Minnowtail, she signalled them to follow. The six cats joined Sunblaze, making a shield in front of him. Swiftstream look at Sunblaze, dipping her head. She turned back, with her eyes narrowed.
'Clawstar thinks he will win. He thinks that he can spare his warriors as much as he wants. Is this a leader?' She turned to cats of three Clans. 'I want you to make your decision. Which side do you choose? A rightfull leader or a traitor?'
Cats looked at each other. Soon they began to separate. To Swiftstream's relief more cats chose Sunblaze as their leader.
There was one last cat standing. Petalmist! Swiftstream recognised her sister.
'Come, Petalmist.' She mewed to her.
'You can't win this time, Swiftstream..' Sunblaze whispered.
Petalmist padded past them toward Clawstar. Laughter rose in his throat. 'Very well, my son. Live on as their leader. There is no chance of winning against us, so I will let you be my deputy still.'
Swiftstream hissed. 'You will pay for everything, Clawstar! The One along with the Five bells and help of the clans will defeat you!'
Robinstar leapt down with Woolestar behind him. He beckoned Nightstorm and Minnowtail to follow him. Nightstorm padded next to Robinstar. I suppose she is the new deputy. 'Now, cats of all Clans, let the war begin!' Clawstar yowled from the Sun-drown-rocks and made his way to his territory along with his warriors and the Eaglestrike's group.
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