**OLD** Valley Cats: Of Sky and Stone 1- Daughters and Darkness

Chapter Twenty-Five

 "Really? SpiritClan cats live in the sky and walk on clouds?" Lemmingpaw breathed.

 "Yes. They glow like the sun, too. It's warm and extremely bright up there, plus they're really hot to the touch." Galepaw detailed.

 "I heard they eat sun-rays and cause the weather!" Adderpaw butted in rudely. "I don't know about rain and hail, though." the bold tom joked.

 Galepaw flattened his ears. "SpiritClan cats are to be highly regarded, you know."

 Possumpaw was visibly fighting down giggles, but she soon recovered to ask the healers' apprentice another question. "So you speak with SpiritClan while at the Moonpond every half-moon, but does that mean that you can also go to the Frozen Forest?" she said, quiet as ever but a lot less shy than she had been the first time Twisterpaw had met her.

 "I don't know. I think any cat can go to the Frozen Forest. What's it like?" Galepaw asked, tilting his head at the pale gray she-cat.

 "It's really cold. The mud will swallow you if you're not careful. There's this bluish mist everywhere, and the only scenery is a bunch of dark trees and white rocks, and..." Possumpaw trailed off, seeing the glare Adderpaw was giving her.

 "At least, that's what Brackenburn says. He's our only Clan elder, ever since Sproutseed passed over the cold season." Possumpaw recovered.  There was a heavy silence among the group, in which Adderpaw and Twisterpaw gave her disapproving looks.

 Soon, though, Adderpaw's loud voice broke through the quiet moment. "So, Galepaw, what SpiritClan cats have you seen? And how's Brightpaw?" he gave the nervous ForestClan tom a friendly shove with one of his large, dark brown paws.

 "Since all of the cold-season snow has melted, Brightpaw would normally be allowed to go to gatherings. Plus his other punishment for nearly letting Finchpaw drown, but he's already done the time. He would be here, but he got in a fight with his mentor Parsleyshade while they were on a hunting patrol. For the next moon, he has to do all of the apprentice tasks." Galepaw said, obviously pitying his older brother.

 "And about SpiritClan, I talk to lots, actually. I've seen leaders of the past, like my grandmother Marblestar. One time I talked to Berrytail, the legendary WoodClan healer. And other notable Clan leaders, of course. There's Yellowstar of MeadowClan, Streamstar of DeltaClan-"

 "Speaking of leaders, what's up with Sandyfur? Is Poppystar sick or something?" Oriolepaw burst in from over Adderpaw's shoulder.

 "Oriolepaw, go back to playing your stupid games with the others. We're talking about SpiritClan." Adderpaw flicked his tail at the fiesty ConiferClan tabby. "Anyways, you were saying, Galepaw?"

 "Actually, what did happen to Poppystar?" Gillpaw spoke up from where he was crouched beside Possumpaw, their pelts almost blending in. The pale gray tom rarely spoke, but all apprentices listened when he did. Now, the four turned to the two ForestClan cats. Galepaw looked at Twisterpaw, his expression unreadable.

 "I heard she died because a tree branch fell on her!" an excited voice piped up from behind her. Twisterpaw whirled around to see Pumpkinpaw grinning at them. The tabby's pelt was fluffed up from her adventures buzzing around the clearing. "Is that true?" she prodded.

 "Seriously? You were there." Twisterpaw said flatly, but then remembered the cats watching her. "This is Pumpkinpaw, the newest apprentice of ForestClan. Her mentor is Basilfang." she introduced the former kittypet.

 "Oh, hey, Pumpkinpaw. I haven't heard the ForestClan leader announce any other kits. And is that a GroveClan or MeadowClan name?" Lemmingpaw said warmly, welcoming the younger she-cat.

 "No, I used to be a kittypet. But then I met Twisterpaw and now I'm an apprentice of ForestClan!" Pumpkinpaw said enthusiastically, squeezing between Lemmingpaw and Twisterpaw.

 "How can a kittypet become a Clan cat?" Adderpaw sneered, wrinkling his nose at the idea.

 "Any cat can join a Clan at any time, as long as the former Clan agrees. At least, that's our current rule. I wasn't born in MeadowClan, you know. A patrol found me on the CliffClan border, and I was adopted by Quailflight. She's the mother of Volepaw and Shrewpaw, but don't expect to see those two talking to anyone but Wrenpaw and Oriolepaw. Oh, and Quailflight is also my mentor." Possumpaw said humbly. Her voice never carried far, but still the apprentices leaned in to hear what she had to say.

 "See? I so can become a warrior of ForestClan!" Pumpkinpaw puffed out her chest, nearly knocking the small Lemmingpaw over. "I wonder what my warrior name will be. Pumpkinstream sounds nice." she pondered over it for a moment.

 "Pumpkinstream is a DeltaClan name." Gillpaw said simply.

 "So? What if I want a DeltaClan name? You guys were just saying-"

 Sensing a parallel to Brightpaw's arguments, Twisterpaw brushed her tail over Pumpkinpaw's shoulder. "It doesn't work like that. You'll learn that soon, though." She turned back to the others. "Sorry. She hasn't been an apprentice that long."

 "But I already know so much!" Pumpkinpaw waved her tail at the structure Twisterpaw now knew as a 'bench'. The she-cat's tail nearly knocked her over, too. "I know that Ospreystar is the leader of ConiferClan, Sequoiastar is the leader of WoodClan, Quartzstar is the leader of CliffClan, Barleystar is the leader-" the tabby's rant was cut short by Galepaw's shocked meow.

 "CliffClan?" the healers' apprentice whirled around to stare at the bench where the leaders sat. "This is their second appearance in a row! But they never show up to gatherings..." he trailed off, his eyes going wide.

 "I remember the first time I saw CliffClan. Don't they smell weird? They don't really talk a lot, but their stench is enough to send seasoned warriors running from a battle! What do they eat, carrion? Roadkill? They shine like gemstones, but seriously, don't they even-" Adderpaw was also cut off by Galepaw.

 "Twisterpaw..." the dark gray tom breathed. "It's them. They're here."

 "What are you talking about? Who?" Twisterpaw drew back her head, confused. Whatever her brother was looking at, it must be quite a sight. His expression was blank but his body was rigid, his dark blue eyes so big they looked like little moons.

 "It's Snowspirit and Magpeipaw. They're here. But they're with CliffClan."