WARRIORS: THE HOPES

Chapters 4-6

Chapter 4

Spirestar led her cats. She had memorized everyone's name now. She looked behind her, naming every cat she had chosen. Wildfire, Badgerbranch, Mosspaw, Whitefox, Sprigpaw, Blackwater , Blackspark, Coldair, Wavepelt, Mottleheart, Lionfire, Shimmerpaw, Tansypaw, Petalwing, and Frostflake. She truly was becoming the Great Spirestar. She had been working on her leader voice all afternoon. She remembered something Snakestar, her beloved lost mate, had once said at a gathering. "Our ancestors came to this lake as one clan. We are truly all one clan. Sure, there are borders, but that doesn't mean we must wall our hearts off from each other." She whispered as she crossed the log. Leaftuft followed behind her. She was so proud of the young she-cat. Spirestar had burdened her with such an important role, a role that Spirestar herself had failed at, but Leaftuft led the clan when she couldn't.
"Are you prepared Leaftuft?" Spirestar mewed
"Those ThunderClan fox hearts try to humiliate me at every gathering. It's funny to think that they think it gets under my fur."
"I'm so sorry" Spirestar sighed
"For what?"
"For putting you through this. I-I"
"Being deputy has made me a better warrior. I stick up for myself, and I don't take anyone's mouse-dung anymore."
Spirestar leaped from the log onto the island. They were the first clan there this time. Spirestar had left before the sun started to set. She watched her clan, not from the tree branch, but from within the crowd for once.
Tansypaw, Petalwing, and Frostflake were the last to get on the island. Oh Frostflake…Frostflake had a large leaf wrapped in cobwebs over his eye. It hung from his slightly torn ear to the back of his head, like an eyepatch. A gnarly scar ripped down from his other eye, to the middle of his flank. His other ear was completely torn and he walked with a noticeable limp. Frostflake had gotten stranded in the Dark Forest. His body had been left in a coma for a quarter-moon, but he had been safe in StarClan, or atleast after his great battle had been won. Spirestar had remembered his words when he finally woke up. She whispered them to herself "We made a mistake! Frostbite and its blizzard will destroy the forest!" Had it been a prophecy or crazed screaming. He refused to elaborate. He refused to mention the Dark Forest at all. Spirestar knew one thing for sure. The Dark Forest had scarred his pelt badly, but his mind took a harder blow.
To think he had been so optimistic. He was happier than a kit when Petalwing said he could become a full medicine cat. It seemed like these three moons had been forty for him. He was scraggly and ragged like an elder.
"Spirestar? You're staring at me." Frostflake hissed "I know I'm hideous, but it's rude to stare" he laughed a bit
"Oh Frostflake…" she sighed "you-"
"Yeah I know, I've gone through too much. You tell me and my sister that every day."
Spirestar cleared her throat. WindClan was starting to cross the log. She looked back at Frostflake and gave his torn ear a lick "How's Tansypaw?"
"He likes flowers."
"Well, how's his training?" she laughed.
Frostflake laughed a bit too "He doesn't seem to understand the power he has. I hope Petalwing never abuses it."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm afraid she'll start asking too much of him. I've been trying to keep him away from her" he sighed "I do want him to meet that RiverClan medicine cat. She-"
"Do you like her?"
Frostflake flinched "Oh for StarClan's sake! Of course not! Plus, it's against my code." Frostflake glanced at the arriving WindClan cats "Why do you ask?"
"No reason. You just talk about her a lot"
"She has an interesting story, and RiverClan makes a big deal out of her"
Spirestar pondered for a second "Why is she so special?"
"Dunno." He answered flatly.
She looked around. RiverClan was on the log, but Frostflake was intrigued with something in the WindClan crowd. "Is it just me or do you not see Thistlestar?"

Chapter 5

Coldair sat with Leaftuft and Jewelpaw since Spirestar was talking with Frostflake. RiverClan and WindClan cats started to take their place.
"You alright, Coldair?" He jumped. A RiverClan she-cat that he recognized.
Is that my sister?
"Hello?" He pretended he didn't know her. Her fur was light brown, but with a white underbelly. Her eyes were brown like her mother's.
"Oh shut up! It's me! Snapfreeze! I'm your sister for StarClan's sake!"
"Oh." He wanted nothing to do with her. My mother took her to RiverClan and left me for dead. I don't know this cat. She's nothing to me.
"Coldair…just because we split when we were kits doesn't mean we can't be friends." She sighed "I really don't hate you, I never did" she rested her tail on his shoulder but he pushed it off with a paw. "Stop."
"And our mother never hated you either-"
"Fox dung!"
"It's not! She-"
"Why did she leave me then? She was afraid of me!"
ThunderClan cats were hopping off the log. There was no time for this. Snapfreeze turned back to her own clan. Coldair looked back to Leaftuft and her apprentice.
"So that's her?" Jewelpaw asked. She seemed to be grinning a bit.
"Yeah. She's the one my mother chose over me"
Jewelpaw snickered "She's not something to leave a clan over'' But Jewelpaw didn't understand. She didn't leave because she thought Coldair was ugly or a bad hunter, it's because she feared she had created the next Hailspiral.
The leaders began to climb their trees, their deputies below them. Coldair couldn't help but to notice a new cat standing where the deputies watched proudly. Lycanvine's brown pelt stood where Thistlestar usually was. Thistlestar is older than most of our elders. Maybe it was his time. Below Lycanvine was a reddish brown tom. I talked to him at my first gathering. Copperpaw, I believe. All the leaders were looking at Lycanvine, but she was staring at her paws. Jaystar yelled out "All clans are accounted for! Let the gathering begin!"
The murmurs silenced. Stingstar was the first to speak "Well good evening, Lycanstar, has Thistlestar joined StarClan?"
"Oh, I'm still Lycanvine, but as you know, Thistlestar was very open about his amount of lives. He's sick…and on his last life. Sporetail recons he has less than a half-moon left." Her mew was sorrowful. Coldair noticed the one-eyed medicine cat wasn't present.
"Oh, speaking of Sporetail, she's taken Sorrelpaw as her apprentice"
Sorrelpaw! Sorrelpaw! WindClan cheered.
"Below me is my choice as deputy…when I become leader of course. His name is Copperpelt. He's a determined and young warrior."
Spirestar smiled "I see the trend I started is catching on."
"Yes, Spirestar, I think you're right about letting the younger cats lead us."
"Yes…lead us to destruction" Stingstar snarled under her breath "All these young cats want to break down the borders we've worked to protect for our entire history!"
Spirestar's eyes widened in surprise. She puffed out her chest and closed her eyes "Our ancestors came to this lake as one clan. We are truly all one clan. Sure, there are borders, but that doesn't mean we must wall our hearts off from each other!" She looked so proud of herself, looking out to the other clans, expecting cheering. Badgerbranch and Wildfire yelled out "We are one!"
Coldair shouted out too "We are one!" yelling in unison. All of ShadowClan cheered out.
We are one! We are one!
"We most certainly are not!" Stingstar screeched. She pinned her ears and her eyes twitched. "Jaystar! Do you really believe this nonsense?" Stingstar's tail was thrashing behind her.
"We did come to this lake as one clan, but it's better this way, but I appreciate this chant, Spirestar. Very inspiring"
Coldair couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not. Jaystar's tone was always sarcastic, like he never meant anything he said. Dovefur, the brown and white tabby deputy of ThunderClan looked the most irate. Her claws unsheathed. A small cloud started to block out the moon.
"Dovefur! Put your claws away!" Coldair called out, pointing a paw at the moon. Its full appearance meant a truce. Stingstar glared at him "You're in no place to tell my deputy how to act!"
Lycanvine hissed "Maybe we should just say our news and move on!" the yowling piped down. "Hollykit has become Hollypaw. Her mentor is Rapidstrike, my first born son. Prey is plentiful in Green-leaf."
Hollypaw! Hollypaw!
Jaystar took the attention "Doublepaw has passed her warrior assessment and will now be known as Doublestrike." He purred to the young brindle warrior, "And Icefall has had two strong sons. Blazingkit and Hailkit."
ShadowClan went ballistic.
Icefall was the former mate of Hailspiral. She named her son after the cat that killed two leaders.
Coldair felt like a kit again. Watching his mother screeching, as he laid helpless on the cold floor in the nursery.
"Get it away! Get it away from me!"
How could she have abandoned him for looking like Hailspiral, and then go and name her son after him? A voice in his head snarled. Kill her. Let her feel the pain you're feeling right now. Coldair perked up. Had he really thought that? No, he couldn't have…
Spirestar spoke up "I'm very glad an old friend of mine has safely kitted…but did she really choose Hailkit as a name?"
"Yes. All by herself. RiverClan has no other reports" Jaystar knew he had caused chaos, and he relished in it. Stingstar tried to speak, but every cat was still freaking out. Dovefur called out from below "Shut it!" the clans silenced "Alright, go ahead"
"Thank you Dovefur. ThunderClan welcomes Shinepaw and Finchpaw as apprentices."
Finchpaw! Shinepaw!
"Yes, yes, all great. Snakestem gave birth to Ashkit and Pricklekit. There were some complications but Cloudspiral has done well. Oh! Lightningpaw has become a full medicine cat and will be called Lightningstrike. He has taken Sunpaw as his apprentice."
Lightningstrike! Sunpaw!
"I must say that prey is running precariously low…but not low enough to ask for anything. That is all for ThunderClan"
Coldair noticed Jewelpaw tensing. Spirestar adjusted her grip on the branch "There's not much to report. Flashstorm is having her kits soon. Many of you are concerned with the health of Frostflake, but he is recovering."
Cats began to talk amongst themselves again. It had become semi public information that Frostflake had been to the Dark Forest. The gray tom was snarling in the back of the crowd. A twinge of sadness poisoned Coldair's thoughts. They were best friends before…all that. Now he was distant from everyone but Tansypaw. He hadn't gotten a message from StarClan since the incident. Coldair feared that whoever Frostbite was had cut off his connection.

Chapter 6

"Congratulations, Flashstorm, you've bore four healthy kits" Frostflake purred. Tansypaw was liking the shivering white and gray kit. She was smaller than the others, despite being first born. I should tell Frostflake. She needs a closer exam.
"C-can I name them yet?" Flashstorm gasped, still shaking. She was young and this was her first litter. Four kits was a lot for a young mother.
"Let her" Tansypaw rested his short tail on his mentor's scarred flank.
"Alright. This gray and white one my apprentice is licking is a she-cat, name her first"
Flashstorm looked at him. He looked the most like his mother. Maybe Stormkit, Flashkit, or Skykit?
Flashstorm purred "I like Echokit"
"Very unique…now the dark ginger she-kit…" Frostflake seemed caught off guard, like he saw something in the kit. Tansypaw looked into him, but saw nothing.
"How about Egretkit"
"Very beautiful" Tansypaw lied. I would certainly be upset if I had to walk around with that name.
"This one is gray but has a ginger face, isn't that just splendid? I'll call him Jaggedkit"
Frostflake looked at Tansypaw with his one uncovered eye. There was obvious humor in his look.
"Frostflake? Did you say that the last one was a tom?"
"No, a she-kit, Flashstorm"
"Hmm" she pondered her daughter "I want Falconfeather to name her, he's the father"
He is? "Alright, I can't get him in here though, he can't walk yet"
"That's fine" she purred. Frostflake rolled his eye.

"Falconfeather, Flashstorm had kits. Three she-kits and two tom"
"Wha…four kits!" The tom was bewildered. His eyes darted between Tansypaw and herb stock "She's..okay right?"
"Healthier than ever"
"Oh StarClan…I'm stuck in this musty medicine den and my kits are waiting for me!" He cried. Tansypaw grumbled to himself "The medicine den isn't musty"
"Has she chosen names? You said there were three she-kits and-"
"She wants you to name her final daughter. She's gray and white with ginger specks"
"Oh…Oh…how about…oh StarClan…Olivekit?"
"Sure" Why not a normal name like Specklekit?

"What did he say? What did he choose?" Flashstorm was breathing swiftly.
"Olivekit" he sneered.
"Oh it's beautiful, just like her"
Frostflake's eye was twitching "So…Echokit, Egretkit, Jaggedkit, and Olivekit? How…special…"
This was the first kitting of Tansypaw's life. Petalwing had been completely absent. She had been out for lavender, an uncommonly used herb. Frostflake was such a professional. He knew every little trick and taught it to Tansypaw so kindly. Frostflake had told him something the second time he ever went to the Moonpool.

"Those who were treated unfairly will treat others the fairest. They know how it goes. They know the feeling of suffering better than anyone else, and their job is to never let anyone feel like that again."

Frostflake had been shut out by his mentor as he grew older. She had revealed that he had no StarClan connection, which destroyed his belief in not only his ancestors, but his own power. He had told Tansypaw to stay away from Petalwing, claiming her old age was making her batty. She's as old as a senior warrior, but not old enough to retire.
"You there, Tansypaw?" Frostflake licked one of his ears. He apologized for being lost in thought. Frostflake's stomach growled.
"Let's eat and then I'll have you sort the herbs again" He meowed. The two medicine cats slowly walked to the prey pile. Tansypaw picked out a juicy mouse, while Frostflake crunched a scrawny thrush.
"Why do you take the smallest food when you've done the most today?"
Frostflake looked at him with his good eye. He was troubled "W-well I'm not very hungry, and thrush is my favorite" he nodded at the small bird. Blood oozed out of it. Blood. If there was one thing Tansypaw would never get over, it was blood, like when Shimmerpaw killed that frog and its blood oozed from her mouth. Or when he saw Frostflake's body being dragged in. I have to get over it if I'm going to be a good medicine cat.
Suddenly, a shape appeared in the front entrance. The smell of rot and sickness was flooding the cat's fur, but they seemed healthy. It was a large tom with a copper colored pelt. He reeked of hare and grass. Frostflake shelled his apprentice "WindClan" he snarled. Other ShadowClan warriors approached. The foul smelling cat stood at the entrance, flicking his tail back and forth. Is he planning an attack? The copper tom was familiar. His orange eyes were somewhere in Tansypaw's mind. Lionfire and Spirestar rushed through the hissing crowd. Spirestar spoke first
"Copperpelt, to what do we owe the pleasure?"