Warriors: Fire and Ice - Book Two (Completed)

Chapter Two

Bluestar halted on the edge of the clearing with her Clan lined up beside her. Some of the cats from RiverClan and ShadowClan turned and acknowledged their arrival. Waterpaw trekked toward the medicine cats. They were sitting on the far end of the clearing. She sat down beside Mudfur. "How is RiverClan?" She asked, wrapping her tail over her front paws.

Mudfur dipped his head. "All is well."

Yellowfang padded beside her and sat down a half of a tail-length away. She mimicked Mudfur's stance by sitting awkwardly on her haunches and her tail curled at the tip behind her. She was silent for a few heartbeats, then finally spoke to Runningnose. "How is ShadowClan?"

The other medicine cats noticed that she was oddly not in ShadowClan, but they didn't question her. Runningnose kind of sniffled before responding. "Great." He mewed. Waterpaw stared at the gray-and-white tom. He was small, much like Littlepaw. She then stiffened and looked around the clearing. Yellowfang noticed her sudden change in breathing and twitched her ears as she tried to follow her gaze. "Looking for someone?" She finally asked.

Waterpaw turned her gaze to Yellowfang "Oh.. uh.. No! I was just lost in thought." She lied, shaking her head to clear it. 

She was saved by Bluestar bounding up the Great Rock to begin the meeting. Waterpaw turned to face the leaders. Crookedstar stood by Bluestar and an old black tom stood beside Crookedstar. He sat awkwardly on his butt, one back leg folded under the other back leg. His fur was ruffled up, and matted. "Who's that?" Whispered Waterpaw.

Yellowfang lowered her head to Waterpaw's level. "Nightpelt. He must be the new leader."

When the cats had settled in front of the Great Rock, Bluestar spoke. "ThunderClan brings to this Gathering their new medicine cat, Yellowfang." She announced formally. She paused while all eyes turned to the old she-cat with the thick fur and flattened muzzle. Yellowfang's ears laid back flat on her head. She shuffled onto her haunches like she was to ready to pounce. She did not like the attention. Bluestar spoke again. "We also bring two newly named warriors—Fireheart and Graystripe."

Waterpaw looked over at her clanmates across the clearing. Fireheart held his head high and Graystripe puffed out his chest, proudly.

Nightpelt stepped forward, brushing past Bluestar to stand on the highest part of the rock. "I, Nightpelt, have taken over the leadership of ShadowClan." He announced. "Our former leader, Brokenstar, broke the warrior code and we were forced to chase him out."

Waterpaw heard Yellowfang scoff at the tom's words. She bit back hateful words and kept her ears flattened in anger. Waterpaw turned her gaze to Yellowfang and nudged her softly, hoping to ease her anger. Luckily, to her surprise, Yellowfang relaxed and straightened her ears again, but she was still disgusted by Nightpelt's words. Some of ThunderClan's warriors did help. Without them, they wouldn't have stood a chance. The were all half-starved. Yellowfang was one of them that had helped. 

Nightpelt continued, "The spirits of our ancestors have spoken to Runningnose and chosen me as leader. I have not yet traveled to Mothermouth to receive StarClan's gift of nine lives, but I will make this journey tomorrow night while the moon is still full. After my vigil at the Moonstone, I shall be known as Nightstar."

"Where is Brokenstar now?" Called a voice from the crowd. It was Frostfur, the white ThunderClan queen.

"I think we can assume that he has left the forest, with the other banished warriors. He knows it would be dangerous for him to try to return." Answered Nightpelt.

Crookedstar waited for the yowls of agreement to die down before padded up the highest part of the Great Rock to speak. "While Brokenstar was ShadowClan's leader, I allowed him to hunt in our river. But now ShadowClan has a new leader, and this agreement can no longer stand. The prey in our river belongs to RiverClan alone."

Mews of triumph rose from the other RiverClan cats. Nightpelt bristled his fur, then raised his voice in anger. "ShadowClan has the same needs as it did under Brokenstar. We have many mouths to feed, Crookedstar. You made an agreement with the whole of ShadowClan!"

Crookedstar leaped to his paws and turned on Nightpelt. He flattened his ears and hissed, and the cats below fell silent.

Quickly Bluestar stepped between the two leaders. "ShadowClan has suffered many losses recently." She mewed softly. "With fewer mouths to feed, Nightpelt, do you really need RiverClan's fish?"

Crookedstar hissed again, but Nightpelt held his gaze without flinching.

Bluestar spoke again, this time more forcefully. "You have just driven out your leader and several of your strongest warriors! And Brokenstar went against the warrior code when he forced Crookedstar agreed to share the river."

Nightpelt unsheathed his claws. Bluestar didn't flinch and kept her icy blue gaze on the old warrior. "Remember you have not even received your nine lives from StarClan. Are you so confident you can make these demands?"

Waterpaw flinched at Bluestar's words. Did she think that Nightpelt was not worthy of becoming ShadowClan's leader?

Nightpelt looked away angrily. His tail flicked to and fro, but he said nothing. Bluestar had won. Her voice softened. "We all know ShadowClan has suffered much these past few moons." She meowed. "ThunderClan has agreed to leave you in peace until you have had time to recover." She turned her gaze on Crookedstar. "I'm sure that Crookedstar will agree to show you the same respect."

Crookedstar narrowed his eyes to slits and nodded. "But only as long as ShadowClan is not scented in our territory." He growled.

"You won't scent us, Crookedstar," meowed Nightpelt, his eyes still narrowed. "Bluestar was right—we don't need your fish. After all, we have the uplands to hunt in, now that WindClan have left their territory."

Crookedstar looked at Nightpelt, his eyes brightening. "That's true," he agreed. "This will mean extra prey for all of us."

Bluestar drew up her head sharply. "No! WindClan must return!"

Waterpaw had forgotten that Barkface was missing for quite some time. She felt bad for not even remembering the old WindClan medicine cat. She bristled her fur as the rest of the Gathering seemed to getting tenser.

When the Gathering ended, she noticed glances between the leaders, but didn't think much of it. She just wanted to go to sleep. She was exhausted from all the anger in the clans. As she followed Yellowfang, she heard a soft whisper calling her name. She alerted her ears and stopped dead in her tracks. Is she hearing ghosts? She twitched her tail, impatiently as she heard the whisper again.

"Waterpaw!" 

Waterpaw turned around slowly and opened her eyes wide with shock as she recognized the small tabby tom. "Littlepaw." She mewed, quitely.

"Actually, it's Littlecloud now." He purred happily.

"You're a warrior already?"

Littlecloud nodded his head, happily, still purring.

"I should get going." She mewed, then turned to catch up to her clan.

"Wait!" He mewed. "Can you meet me tomorrow?"

Waterpaw turned her head, looking over her shoulder. "You know I can't, Littlepaw, I mean Littlecloud." She softened her eyes with sadness. "I'm a medicine cat, remember?"

"I know..." He shuffled his paws. "I just want to see you again." He looked down at the ground not able to look her in the eyes.

Waterpaw softly sighed. "Alright, meet me by Snakerocks at sun high tomorrow." Then she bounded quickly after her clan, catching up to Yellowfang. Luckily Yellowfang didn't notice her presence and assumed that she was behind her the whole time. Waterpaw began thinking on how she would meet the new warrior. The only thing that would work would be to go searching for herbs. She's an apprentice, Yellowfang would never let her go alone, would she?