Warriors, The Next Chapter; Spiderpaw's Journey

Chapter 22

Spiderheart woke the next morning to Sweetblossom's rhythmic breath and quiet pawsteps entering the attic. When he looked up, he spotted a lean black tom with a big white patch over his left eye enter the space.

"Dahlia?" The black tom called softly.

The fawn colored kittypet leapt forward, "Apollo!"

"Sorry to say it but we must leave soon," Needlestar mewed.

Dahlia spun around to face Needlestar then dipped her head, "It was great traveling with you and your Clan but I'll be returning to my housefolk. To get out of the twolegplace, just follow the white picket fence, it's got rounded spike like things at the top of the fence so you'll know it when you see it."

"Thank you Dahlia," Needlestar purred, gathering his Clan with a sweep of his tail, "May StarClan light your path."

"And yours," The she-cat mewed before following Apollo down a thin twoleg path.

Spiderheart turned around to see Sweetblossom at his side, "I wonder what I'll tell Clawstar back home."

Whitepounce pressed up beside her former apprentice, "I'll take care of it, just take care and enjoy MoonClan when we get there, alright?"

"I will Whitepounce," Sweetblossom promised, turning to Spiderheart, "I'm so happy that she was the one who came, Drifteye would have clawed my fur off!"

"I bet," Spiderheart commented.

Blossomwing ushered Shellkit and Brightkit by with Cherryspirit and her litter not far behind.

"I wonder when we'll get our first apprentices," Spiderheart mewed thoughtfully, turning to Sweetblossom.

The cream pelted queen overheard and laughed, "Don't go wishing for these two, their a pawful!"

The Clan helped the elders and kits down the wall of the twoleg den, forming a small circle in the clearing. Spiderheart was one of the last cats to go, with only Blackleaf and Needlestar after him. He scrambled down, his black paws finding small ledges to cling to as he lowered himself to the earth.

Blackleaf went next, the Clan deputy was about half way down when he missed a ledge and spun down toward the grass. He rolled agilely in the air and landed on his paws at the last moment. Needlestar was the last cat down and once he made it, the Clan set off again.

Spiderheart took the lead with Needlestar and Shamblecreek, Yarrowfur right behind. He overheard Sweetblossom talking to Appledusk a little ways back and perked his ears to listen to what the she-cats were saying.

"So, how is ThunderClan doing?" Sweetblossom was mewing.

Appledusk's voice followed, "Good, good, Sniffkit, Plumekit, and Smokykit are nearly apprentices."

A soft trill jerked Spiderheart from listening to Sweetblossom's conversation and he spotted Shellkit and Brightkit chasing eachother toward the front of the group.

"I'll ask him first!" Brightkit purred.

"Nuh-uh, I will!" Shellkit chirped as the two little kits came barreling forward.

The two out of breath young cats came up beside Spiderheart.

Brightkit bunched her little haunches and leapt up onto Spiderheart's shoulders, "Can you be my mentor when I grow up!"

"No! Spiderheart will be my mentor," Shellkit argued playfully as she pulled her sister from atop Spiderheart.

Blossomwing caught up to her daughters, "I'm sorry Spiderheart, are they bothering you? I'll take them back to their father now."