Warriors: Storm Coming - Rising Dawn

Chapter 5

Emberpaw lay in the apprentices' den with Cedarpaw curled up beside her. Emberpaw got up, careful not to wake up Cedarpaw. She padded off further into the moorlands. She continued to walk off into her territory, breathing in the familiar scents.

"What are you doing out here so late?" a voice meowed.

Emberpaw turned around and spotted a silver tom with amber eyes. "Nothing, just going for a walk at moonhigh." she meowed, forcing herself to remain calm.

"I see," the silver tom meowed. He suddenly leaped over the river that seperated their territories, landing a few feet in front of Emberpaw.

Emberpaw's fur bristled as the silver tom approached her. He rested his tail on her flank, making Emberpaw's fur go back to normal. "Who are you?" she meowed.

"My name is Sootpaw," he meowed.

Emberpaw looked at him. "I'm Emberpaw,"

"What a beautiful name," Sootpaw meowed.

"Thank you," Emberpaw meowed, forcing her voice to be steady. "Why are you on my side of our territory?"

Sootpaw shuffled his paws. "I—I just felt drawn to you somehow.." he admitted.

"But you're from another clan?" Emberpaw meowed softly.

"I know," Sootpaw murmured.

Emberpaw looked down at the ground, her eyes drifting away from Sootpaw's eyes.

Sootpaw looked at her with his amber eyes. "It's happened before," he meowed.

"What has?" Emberpaw meowed.

"Many relationships from other clans have worked out back when there was the five original clans!"

Emberpaw looked at him. "I guess you're right," she meowed softly.

"I am right," Sootpaw stepped forward, closer to her. "Please, Emberpaw." His eyes silently pleaded with her. 

"But—" Emberpaw began to protest.

"Emberpaw," Sootpaw meowed, his eyes meeting hers.

Emberpaw looked up at him. "I—I should go back,"

"Okay," Sootpaw meowed. "But please meet me here tomorrow,"

Emberpaw turned away but Sootpaw quickly brushed against her flank. Sootpaw watched as Emberpaw padded back to camp.

A yowl rang in Emberpaw's ears. She froze; more horrible yowls filled her ears. She broke off into a run towards camp.

She scented badgers in camp. She instantly ran into camp, coming to a halt when she saw the horrible sight of a badger.

Emberpaw saw her brother, Thistlepaw, fighting against the badger, a bloody gash on his side. His left ear tip was torn.

More cats fought; the badger turned and fled, leaving blood everywhere and injured cats.

Emberpaw ran forward to see Thistlepaw on the ground, his flank heaving up and down. He had a huge bloody gash in his side, his tail was matted with blood and his ear tip was torn. He lay in a pool of his own blood.

"Thistlepaw!" Emberpaw meowed, padding up to his side. She pressed her nose to his bloody flank, feeling the hot sticky blood.

Specklepaw padded up to Thistlepaw. "This can't be the end.." she meowed, her eyes wide in terror. "StarClan please, Thistlepaw is too young," Specklepaw begged quietly.

Quicksong, their mother, padded up to Thistlepaw, her paws shaking. "No, StarClan! You c-can't take him!" she yowled, her voice shaking with pain.

"I let my clan down," a voice meowed quietly.