New Horizons

Chapter 6

Dawn soon came, Mistpaw being awoken by Whiteclaw. Crawling out of the apprentices den, the young she-at yawned and stretched, shaking her head slightly in an attempt to clear the fogginess from her mind so that she could focus on the patrol that morning. "Whiteclaw, Mistpaw!" Leopardfur called, trotting over to the mentor-apprentice duo, seeming nervous.

"Leopardfur," Whiteclaw greeted, seemingly confused. "Mistpaw and I are waiting to go on the dawn patrol."

"That's just it," the spotted she-cat started, "There is no patrol this morning. Crookedstar needs to make an important announcement this morning and needs every cat to be there apparently."

"Do you know what it's about?" Mistpaw asked, noticing Nightpaw, Reedpaw, Silverpaw, and Featherpaw emerging from the den. Some warriors were also deciding to emerge from the den as well. Leopardfur glanced towards the nursery before shaking her head.

"I did see Ripplebreeze leaving Crookedstar's den last night though, so your guess is as good as mine," the she-cat mentioned before going to inform those who were getting ready for the dawn patrol.

"Wonder what Ripplebreeze was meeting with Crookedstar about," the dusky brown she-cat mentioned as Nightpaw and Silverpaw came over to them. "Do you think it has something to do with me, Nightpaw, and Featherpaw, Whiteclaw?"

"Possibly," the tom murmured. Time passed and soon the sun was above the trees of ThunderClan territory that the RiverClan cats could see in the distance.

It's time, Crookedstar thought, getting up from laying on the large rock. "Let all cats old enough to swim gather in the clearing for a Clan meeting," he yowled, watching as his cats gathered below him. His heart sank at what he was about to do but knew that it was important. Ripplebreeze had confirmed that for him, but why did he believe her? "It ahs come to my attention thanks to the help of Ripplebreeze that we have cats in our Clan that are not of our blood."

"Not of our blood?" Nightpaw murmured, ears drawn back in slight confusion. Mistpaw shrugged, glancing towards Ripplebreeze who looked extremely smug for some reason.

"Have you seen the look on Ripplebreeze's face? She looks smug for some reason," Silverpaw pointed out, Mistpaw and Nightpaw nodding in agreement.

"Last night, Ripplebreeze and I met in my den as she had urgent news to tell me about three cats in our Clan. The cats in question are Nightpaw, Mistpaw, and Featherpaw." The crowd of cats were stunned into silence. Nightpaw, Mistpaw, and Featherpaw were extremely shocked. Their mother – the she-cat who was supposed to love them unconditionally – had confessed to their leader that they weren't of RiverClan blood? Then who's blood were they? Were they of Clan blood? Kittypet blood? Rogue? Loner? "Ripplebreeze had met with a loner who had given birth to these three kits as well as their brother, Duskkit who was brutally murdered by Amberstripe. Ripplebreeze met with the she-cat and took the kits in as her own. She wished for me to inform you all, so you no longer lived lies."

"You think this is good for those three?!" Yowled Leopardfur, glaring at both Crookedstar and Ripplebreeze in turn. "This will ruin them! The Clan won't see them the same way anymore!"

Ripplebreeze rolled her eyes. "They're nuisances, they always have been. I wish Amberstripe had killed all of the kits, but alas he only killed the runt." She spat, wrapping her tail around Duskkit and Weaselkit, both now two-moons-old.

Minnowstripe grew angered. He suddenly turned on Featherpaw, who sat beside him, and lunged. Wildwillow yowled, lunging at the tom before he could harm his apprentice. "Don't lay a paw on my apprentice!" he hissed, standing protectively above the she-cat as her littermates made their way over, making sure she was okay.

"They're not of our blood, so why do they deserve to stay?" Minnowstripe pointed out, the fur on his back standing on end as he tried to look for anyway to get at the cats as he could.

"They still deserve the same treatment," Stonefur pointed out, his apprentice Heavypaw sitting next to him. Heavypaw, as well as his littermate Shadepaw, would be a warrior in the next few days.

"They do not!" Silverwind spat, looking at Nightpaw with utter disgust.

"You're really turning on your apprentice?" Whiteclaw was shocked. Silverwind was turning on her apprentice just like that?

"He's not of RiverClan – or any Clan – blood, so why should I care about his training?" the light grey she-cat pointed out, rolling her eyes when Whiteclaw growled in anger. "You know I'm right, Whiteclaw, you just don't want to admit it in front of Mistpaw."

"Whiteclaw...?" Mistpaw asked, shakily.

Whiteclaw shook his head, turning to his apprentice and resting his muzzle on her forehead tenderly. "Don't worry, Mistpaw, I'm not like them. I refuse to leave you, now and for however long. I'm not going to abandon you just because you're not of Clan blood."

"Thank you," she whispered, her and her littermates cuddling together as their Clan, or what they thought was their Clan, fought over whether they should stay or if they should leave and live the same life as their mother, live like loners or rogues.

"Enough," Crookedstar growled, leaped down, and stood in front of the three trembling apprentices. "They are still kits, barely six-moons-old, do you really think it would be suitable for these apprentices, these kits, to be loners, let alone rogues?" He paused, brushing his tail over the trio. "You all should be ashamed of yourselves. They are as much a part of our Clan as anyone born to RiverClan. They were, and still are, RiverClan apprentices who will become RiverClan warriors. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Crookedstar," was the collective mutter from the cats around him.

"Good. Now, continue." With that, the leader left for his den, Leopardfur and Ripplebreeze in tow to discuss the revelation that had just been revealed to the Clan. Wildwillow, Whiteclaw, and Mudfur sat with the three apprentices as every other cat glared, bar Silverpaw of course but her mentor, Minnowstripe, refused to let her near the three 'mistakes' as he had dubbed them. At least they still had Wildwillow, Whiteclaw, Mudfur, and Silverpaw. It was just a shame that Ripplebreeze didn't care for them as much as they had cared for her.