(Book 1) Warriors: Separations - Six Stars

Chapter 15

"Snowpaw! Where are you?! Snowpaw!" Blackpaw called out. It had been a few sunrises since he'd been exiled from Thunderclan, however he lingered around the territory looking for his lost friend.

Blackpaw reflected sadly on the day that Snowpaw had mysteriously disappeared. It smelled strongly of catmint, however the stench of blood was clear as daylight. He sighed. Regretting the past wasn't going to find Snowpaw.

He sat next to the brick wall where Violetkit died. He hung his head low. If days of searching for Snowpaw wouldn't help, then she was probably already long gone. His hope had deteriorated more and more as the days went past, and he realized that there was no hope for the pretty she-cat.

"Cinder, I told you we shouldn't have come here! We should've just stuck to Windclan's territory."

Blackpaw heard a voice. Who was it? He hopped up on the brick wall guarding the twolegplace and looked around. He sniffed the air, and caught a whiff of rogue scent. He hopped gingerly off the brick wall, trying to not make any noise. To his relief, the wind seemed to be blowing towards Blackpaw, carrying the rogue scent toward him. That meant they wouldn't be able to easily scent Blackpaw. He crouched down as though he were hunting for prey, and stalked carefully around the twolegplace, trying to pin the scent.

"Taurus, this is ridiculous! Don't side with her!" Blackpaw heard the voice again. It was a she-cat, and the scent and voices were stronger now. He creeped forward, and after passing a twoleg nest, he spotted a group of four rogues padding through the twolegplace. One of them was a dark brown tom with a pale underbelly and paws, the other was a hairless she-cat with blue eyes, another had a blue-gray pelt with navy splotches all over her fur. The last one was a chestnut she-cat with a half-burnt face, and leaves on her left ear. The four seemed harmless, they were just bickering about something.

If they came all the way from Windclan to Thunderclan, they might've passed by Snowpaw sometime! He thought hopefully. The group didn't seem very hostile, so he slowly approached them. As he revealed himself, the hairless she perked up and glared at Blackpaw. He padded nervously toward them. The chestnut she-cat with the half-burnt face looked at him, hostility immediately popping up in her gaze. "Who are you?" she spat, harshness edging her tone. The dark brown tom laid his tail on the she-cat's shoulders. "Come on, Cherry. This cat is clearly nervous, have some decency." he mewed, his voice deep and somewhat soothing. The she-cat bared her teeth but said nothing, just straightened herself back up and looked the other way, clearly annoyed with the tom-cat.

"Ooo! Who are you? What's your name? You smell like Thunderclan, what are you doing here?" The hairless she-cat bounced up to Blackpaw, her blue eyes gleaming with interest. Blackpaw chuckled nervously. The dark brown tom laughed. "Cinder, stop bombarding the poor cat with questions." he chastised her, amused. Cinder groaned. "Gosh, Taurus! You're not my dad, stop acting like it!" she sighed.

"You're Thunderclan? What are you doing this close to the twolegplace?" the gray-blue she-cat asked. Her deep purple eyes glistened with the same curiosity as Cinder's. Cinder and the gray-blue she-cat seemed to be about the same age, however the gray-blue she-cat seemed to be exponentially more mature than Cinder. Blackpaw looked at his paws, ashamed that he was exiled from Thunderclan, but all the same determined to prove that Violetkit's death was not his doing. He returned the gray she-cat's gaze and sighed. "I was exiled from my clan... for murder."

Cherry's one eye immediately lit up with overpowering distrust, and Cinder's playful gaze immediately switched to horror as Blackpaw finished his sentence. The gray-blue she-cat looked stunned. Taurus' eyes widened, he looked just as horrified as Cinder.

"B-but it was false!" He immediately corrected himself. "My mentor killed a kit, something about a grudge about the kit's mother. I was out helping my medicine cat friend with herb gathering, and my mentor used it as the perfect situation to kill Violetkit and frame me." he mewed pitifully. "And now my friend is gone! She just disappeared, and when she disappeared, there was a strong, strong smell of catmint." he sighed.

Taurus' expression changed from horror to understanding faster than Blackpaw could say "mouse." Cherry's eyes flashed with pity, but she quickly masked it with a blank stare. Cinder sighed in relief. "I thought you were a murderer!" she said, amused.

The gray she-cat gasped. "I can't believe Thunderclan would exile you for that!" she exclaimed with disbelief. Blackpaw nodded sadly. "If only I could've stopped Dappletail... Violetkit would still be alive, and maybe Snowpaw would still be here..." he choked.

Taurus padded up to Blackpaw and licked the top of Blackpaw's head reassuringly. "Well, we can't say for sure where your friend is, but we would gladly take you in while you fight for your rightful place back in Thunderclan." Taurus mewed. His voice was so calming, and Blackpaw almost instantly felt better with the tom's reassurance.

Cherry sighed. "Well, clearly you need help. And I'm not one to leave those in need behind." she mewed, embarrassment lighting up her gaze as she avoided eye contact with Blackpaw. Cinder's tail flicked excitedly as she padded up to Blackpaw. She pointed to the gray-blue she cat. "This is Misty, I don't think you got her name." she told Blackpaw. Blackpaw smiled. "Thank you all, I'll make sure not to let you down." he said determinedly.