Rainfeather's POV
I was sitting next to my sister's body. While the four new warriors were having their vigil outside of camp, Flowerspike's body had been moved outside. Killerstreak was curled around his dead mate's body sobbing uncontrollably. Shadekit and Spikekit were being watched over by Pineflower, who had agreed to nurse them and their sister who still needed a name. "Why did Starclan take her from us?" I whispered to himself. "She was so young and she had only just had her kits. It's not fair that she won't be able to see them grow up."
"I will be able to watch them grow up," I looked over to see Flowerspike sitting next to me with Grasspaw on her other side. "I will watch them grow up from Starclan. I will be here for their apprentice and warrior ceremony. Could you tell Killerstreak I do not regret my passing and that I love him and the kits very much?"
I nodded. She's my sister after all. Flowerspike smiled and left. Grasspaw and Rainfeather looked at eachother for a long while. "Are you going to lecture me again about how Song isn't loyal to me?" I asked.
Grasspaw shook her head. "Just be aware that not everyone is as they may seem. She will betray you, but what you do is not for Starclan to decide, it is for you alone to decide," Grasspaw faded and I turned back to my dead sister's body. "Killerstreak," KIllerstreak looked at me with hollow eyes. "Flowerspike doesn't regret anything and she loves you and your kits very much," Killerstreak gave me a small, sad, smile and put his head back on Flowerspike's cold shoulder.
"Time heals all wounds. You should know better than most after losing Grasspaw and now having a mate with kits," I turned his head and saw Leapordgrass sitting next to me. "Your sister was one of the most beautiful and kind cats I have ever had the privelage of meeting. Killerstreak will grieve for a while yet, but he has his kits to think of. Speaking of which, has Icestar picked a name for the other kit?"
I shook my head. "Icestar says she will reveal the name she has chosen one moon before their apprentice ceremony," Leapordgrass nodded and went to Flowerspike's body to pay his final respects.
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Powerfang's POV
I was up and about before dawn. I was getting to go on a solo hunting trip around the territory and smiled at the four newest warriors as I headed out of camp at a swift trot. All of them smiled as the I disappeared into the trees. I had decided to hunt near the Windclan border. Leaf bare was almost here and the clan needed feeding. A squirrel ran across my path and I gave chase. After a short while I was racing up a trunk and grabbed the squirrel's tail in my jaws. I dragged the creature to the ground and dispatched it swiftly. I buried my prey and resumed my hunt. By the time I came to the Windclan border I had caught a mouse and a vole. A sparrow and a rabbit had escaped me much to my disappointment. I decided to do a swift patrol of the border before heading back to camp. I didn't want to be around when the elder's and Killerstreak went to bury Flowerspike's body. As I checked the borders I felt that something was terribly wrong. My suspicions were confirmed when I came across a Windclan patrol made of seven warriors and two apprentices coming towards me. I stood my ground as the patrol stopped. The leader of the patrol was, much to my disappointment, Peachclaw. She looked ragged. Her fur was unkept and she overall just looked pityful. A rather small cat trotted at her side. Breezeclaw and Smokefang were also there and standing next to Smokefang was a white she with purple eyes named Violetpaw. I didn't recognise the other warriors. "Greetings," Peachclaw said in a hollow voice.
"I didn't know so many cats were needed for a dawn patrol," I looked over the patrol. "A little unnecessary don't you think?"
Anger flared in Peachclaw's eyes and she unsheathed her claws. "Not in the least!" Peachclaw spat. "Icestar is an unpredictable savage and when Thistleheart dies she will try to wipe us out!"
I unsheathed my claws as well. I knew that none of these cats could defeat me in battle and they clearly knew it too. Some of them looked uneasy, but numbers would kill me and I needed to do something before they figured that out. "If Thistleheart dies that will be one of the worst mistakes Windclan has ever made, and lately you have made a lot."
The entire patrol unsheathed their claws and several hisses could be heard. I cursed my big mouth, but I would not back down. I looked defiantly back even if the odds were against me. "Windclan attack!" Peachclaw ordered. I launched myself at Peachclaw and I could feel claws tearing at my pelt and teeth pricking at my neck. I slashed Peachclaw's muzzle and tore my claws through her ears. She shrieked and knocked me away. I decided to lay still as the Windclan cats surrounded me.
"I thought he would be harder to beat," I heard Violetpaw say to Breezeclaw.
Breezeclaw cast a suspicious glance at me. Smart. "I did too," Breezeclaw turned to Peachclaw. "What now?" he asked her.
Peachclaw's voice was filled with unmitakeable rage as she answered. "Kill him. He is Icestar's grandkit and favorite of his littermates. From what I have seen he is also the deputy's daugther's future mate. This will be quite the blow to Thunderclan."
"Is that the sensible thing to do though?" a new voice asked. A deathly silence came over the Windclan cats. I strained to turn my head and saw Icestar and Thistleheart standing there. Thistleheart was the one speaking. "Do I look dead to you? Does Icestar look weak? I believe a little lesson in the warrior code would do you all a world of good."
"What would you know about the warrior code?" Peachclaw snarled. "You have killed so many cats of all the clans! Why Riverclan chooses to ally themselves with such barbarians is beyond me!"
"I don't remember our leader killing a medicine cat in cold blood," I hissed as I slowly got to my feet. My pelt felt like it was on fire and one eye was crusted over in blood. Thistleheart came over and supported me even though I didn't need the help. "I also don't remember it being us who declared war on you!" I spat.
Icestar put her tail in front of me and shook her head. I nodded my head respectfully and watched as Icestar started circling the group of Windclan cats. "You want me dead, correct?" The whole patrol nodded. "All of you together could kill me. Why not try. I will order my warriors to stand down. It will be just me against you nine. Sound fair?" the Windclan cats nodded, but my contorted into a shocked look. Thistleheart had a smug look and noise in the branches above made everyone look up. Bumblestripe, Darkheart, Pineflower, Ivypool, Frostwing, Flowerhawk, Thornclaw, and Cinderheart were perched in the branches. Dovewing, Lionblaze, Icecloud, Molefur, Sorreltail, Birchfall, Berrynose, Snowypaw, Shrewpaw, and Tulippaw materialized out of the undergrowth and stood in a circle next to Thistleheart and Powerfang. Dawnlight came up and stood next to Powerfang. The cats in the branches fanned out until there was on cat in every tree around the circle of warriors. "I will be the only one fighting, undertstood?" The Thunderclan cats nodded, but Darkheart, Bumblestripe, and Dovewing looked worried. Icestar turned to the astonished Windclan cats. "Shall we begin?" Peachclaw and Breezeclaw launched themselves at Icestar. Violetpaw and Smokefang followed suit. The other Windclan cats circled around and attacked from behind. Icestar knocked Peachclaw aside and whipped around and sent a mottled tabby whirling away. Smokefang and Violetpaw jumped onto Icestar and tried to pin her. Icestar filpped onto her back and squashed them beneath her greater weight. Breezeclaw hooked his claws into Icestar's shoulders and flung her away. Icestar landed neatly on her feet and charged at a tabby. The warrior's apprentice jumped at Icestar and knocked her into another warrior. Icestar looked at the apprentice and nodded in approval before knocking the younger cat away and jumping at Violetpaw. Violetpaw let out a squeak as Smokefang jumped in front of her and where Icestar's claws would only have shredded the apprentice's ears, Icestar's claws sank into Smokefang's chest. Icestar retracted her claws quickly and Smokefang fell to the ground barely alive.
"Smokefang?" Violetpaw crouched beside her mentor. Her eyes were wide in horror. "Smokefang?"
Smokefang blinked and looked at her apprentice. "Get me to camp," she whispered. "This was not worth it and I plan to see you made a warrior," Breezeclaw lifted his clan mate on his shoulders and glared at Peachclaw.
Peachclaw gave him a questioning look. "This shouldn't have happened," he hissed. "Your grief is not worth almost losing Smokefang," Peachclaw looked in shock as her patrol headed back towards Windclan's camp.
"Icestar, why didn't you just finish off Smokefang?" Thistleheart asked his mother and leader.
Icestar shook her head. "I could have killed all of them. I have great respect for Smokefang and that apprentice, Stormpaw. All those cats are noble warriors, but Peachclaw's judgement was clouded by grief for her now dead mate," Icestar explained as the warriors headed back to Thunderclan. The Thunderclan leader's voice dropped to a whisper that only I could hear. "The Dark Forest may have claimed my soul, but they will not influence the choices I make for my clan."
My tail twitched and I flattened my ears to my head. Upon arriving at camp I headed to the medicine den. Dustpaw was waiting with a nest ready and some herbs spread out. "Where's Dewcloud?" I asked looking around.
Dustpaw shrugged. "He went out to collect some herbs. He trusts me with healing my clan mates," Dustpaw turned to look at Dawnlight who had just walked in. "Get Icestar. Those scratches on her shoulders and flanks won't treat themselves and I have no intention of letting them get infected because Windclan cats don't know how to clean their claws," Dawnlight nodded and ran out and Icestar appeared a few heartbeats later. Icestar sat down as Dustpaw administered to her wounds. "Go straight to the nursery and no leaving camp for the next few days," Icestar dipped her head respectfully to the medicine cat apprentice and Dustpaw treated my wounds.
"How did you know about Icestar's wounds?' I asked.
Dawnpaw just shrugged. "I have always been able to. I don't know why though. My littermates know and just think it is a power all medicine cats have. According to Starclan a cat named Yellowfang had that power too. She was originally a Shadowclan medicine cat and was always a Shadowclan cat at heart, but when her son drove her out she came to Thunderclan and became our medicine cat after Spottedleaf was murdered by a Shadowclan cat named Clawface who was stealing Thunderclan kits. Yellowfang never regretted her choices and I won't regret mine. Now stop asking questions and rest," I grumbled, but curled up in my nest and fell asleep.
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Softkit's POV
I was wrestling with Cloverkit. Her beautiful eyes had me transfixed. I pinned her down and stared at her. "Get off me you great lump!" she squeaked. I smiled and shook my head. Cloverkit rolled away and tackled me. I pummeled her belly. I set my paws on her stomach and flung her off with all my strength. I scrambled to my paws when I heard Cloverkit land with a loud thud. Cloverkit pushed herself to her paws and was about to say something when Sixkit came trotting over.
"Are you hurt?" he asked Cloverkit looking her over. Cloverkit purred while shaking her head and I felt my blood boil as I watched the two of them. I sighed realizing how silly I was being. Sixkit and Cloverkit were a moon apart while I was younger than Cloverkit by four moons. Sixkit would be made an apprentice in another moon while Icestar's kits would be made apprentices in the next few days. Everybody already knew that Palekit would be apprenticed to Brightheart, and Cloudkit would be apprenticed to Lionblaze. Nobody knew but Icestar who Graykit's mentor would be. When I am old enough I wanted to have Dovewing. I had asked Icestar, but Icestar had said no in such a voice that gave the impression that something was very wrong with Icestar's relationship with her mother. She had clearly stated that I would have Flowerhawk and my sister would have Frostwing.
"Let's go outside!" Cloverkit squealed. Sixkit, Iriskit, Cloudkit, Plumkit, and I all followed her to the elder's den. "Hey Spiderleg!" Cloverkit smiled at Spiderleg and Spiderleg exchanged a look with Graystripe.
"What do you kits want?" Jayfeather asked.
I sat next to the blind former medicine cat. No one knew Jayfeather's reason for moving into the elder's den, but the gray tabby had declared that he wanted to be an elder even though he had many seasons before it was his time. "Cloverkit wanted to come in here," I told Jayfeather. Jayfeather nodded his head and lay it on his paws. Cloverkit sat in front of Spiderleg. Sixkit sat to her right and Iriskit sat on Cloverkit's left. Cloudkit sat next to Iriskit making her look small. Plumkit sat a little away from the group.
"You are only a kit Softkit. Barely even a moon old. Cloverkit will be an apprentice soon and so will Sixkit," I looked in surprise at Jayfeather. "It is very rare that a cat meets their mate when they are both kits, especially if one kit is older than the other. The fact that this happened for Icestar proves how lucky she is. Sixkit and Palekit are also fighting for Cloverkit's affections," I looked down sadly. Jayfeather rested his tailtip lightly on my shoulders before moving it back to his side. "I don't like to say this but it is the truth. One day you will meet the one you're meant to be with, but it is very unlikely that it will be Cloverkit. You have an important role to play in the future of Thunderclan and you mustn't let Cloverkit distract you. Do you understand?"
I nodded my head sadly. No matter what my clan must come first. "I understand Jayfeather."
Jayfeather smiled briefly down at me. "Why don't you go back to the nursery," it was more of a statement than anything else. I nodded my head and scrambled to my nest in the nursery. I curled up and fell asleep just as the other kits came bounding in the nursery with a very deppressed Icestar following.