Warriors: Troubled Tides ~Series 2 Book 2~

Chapter 9

Nutwhisker's POV:

"Hi Nutwhisker." Fluffystream greeted with a friendly grin. "Here to take the ticks away?"

"Yep." Nutwhisker nodded and put down the mousebile. "Who do I start with?"

"Dinosaur!"

"Pardon?" Nutwhisker narrowed his eyes at Loveheart's sudden outburst. He peered closer to see the she cat's eyes were closed. She's dreaming.

Fluffystream glanced over at Loveheart. "Oh... Um.. Loveheart has been complaining of nightmares. She must be having another one." He gently shook his mate. "Loveheart? Wake up."

The old she cat murmured and kicked in her sleep, narrowly missing Fluffystream's face. Her dark orange-red fur bristled and she drawled. "Dinosaurs..."

"What is she talking about?" Nutwhisker demanded. "What is a dinosaur?"

Fluffystream shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Just wake her up before something happens!" Nutwhisker snapped, setting the mousebile down to help Fluffystream. He leaned close to Loveheart and gently murmured in her ear. "Loveheart it's just a nightmare. There's no.. dinosaurs.." The word felt strange on his tongue and he stuttered slightly, mentally reminding himself to ask what a dinosaur actually was when Loveheart woke up.

Fluffystream shook Loveheart's shoulder. The elder's voice rasped, "Wake up, Loveheart!"

At last, Loveheart stirred and her rose coloured eyes fluttered open. She let out a soft whimper. "Where am I?" Her gaze searched Fluffystream and Nutwhisker before a look of realisation came across her features. "I'm in my den."

"Yes, you are. It was just a nightmare." Nutwhisker meowed, stepping back to allow Fluffystream to curl around Loveheart protectively.

"You're safe now." The long furred tom purred, his nose brushing Loveheart's cheek.

Nutwhisker felt a pang of jealousy. He wished he could express such affection to Watersplash but they had to be careful not to let anyone see them. Now that he thought about it, Nutwhisker and Watersplash rarely even brushed noses. A sad frown met his lips and Nutwhisker sighed. Loveheart noticed and she pricked her ears, turning her attention to the light brown tom. "Are you okay, Nutwhisker?"

"Fine." Nutwhisker cleared his throat, trying to give his most convincing tone of voice. "I'm perfectly alright." He lied before quickly changing the subject. "So, uh, what's a dinosaur?" The word still felt sticky and strange in his voice.

"Oh, a dinosaur?" Loveheart chuckled, her nose turning a slight pink colour in embarrassment. "It's just a type of animal that I found in my dreams. My mother told me they were dinosaurs, so that's what I call them."

"Okay..." Nutwhisker shrugged and continued through his list. "Now, let's get these ticks off you." He quickly retrieved the mousebile and settled down by Loveheart. He quickly began working on a large tick on her tail, skillfully taking it off and killing it within a few heartbeats.

The den grew quiet and Fluffystream felt the need to break the heavy silence. "So, who was your mother? I've never met her."

"Her name was Rosewind." Loveheart meowed softly. "She died when I was a kit."

"How did she die?" Nutwhisker meowed curiously. He quickly added. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"She died of a mysterious sickness. It struck her one day, giving her pounding headaches and an excruciating pain in her stomach. Later on Treefern, Treepaw at the time, discovered a lump in her stomach. Not soon after the discovery, she died." Loveheart explained, a hint of sadness etched in her voice.

"Wait," Nutwhisker meowed in shock, "Treefern was an apprentice when you were alive?! You're ancient! This den should be renamed as the Immortal Cats' Den."

Loveheart sighed softly, a small smile reaching her lips. "I have simply lived longer than other cats."

"But how?" Nutwhisker was still in awe. He had never expected Loveheart to be so old!

"I blame it on the things the twolegs did to me." Loveheart shrugged.

"What did they do?"

Loveheart rested her head on her paws. "They changed my pelt colour to this red-ish colour. They used foul smelling liquids..." A shiver passed down her pelt. "..Terrible liquids.."

Nutwhisker frowned but nodded and continued silently working on her ticks, no longer as thrilled to be talking to the old she cat.

Luckily, Stormstar's yowl saved him from anymore odd conversations.

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Stormstar's POV:

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highboulder for a clan meeting!" Stormstar's voice rang clear and strong around the small gathering clearing. From the Highboulder, he could see the ear-tips of his clan mates as they made their way down the pathway that led from the main clearing and into the gathering clearing.

Beside him, Shadedstar sat calmly on the rough rock. Her grey fur was smooth and well-groomed. Her yellow eyes shining with excitement. The Starclan she cat's claws scraped against the lip of the rock and she mewed. "Will they accept me?"

"Of course." Stormstar replied. "The younger warriors may not remember you but I'm sure the elder cats will welcome you again." He lay his tail against her back briefly before turning his gaze up to the sky.

The afternoon sun shone brightly down on the Lightclan cats, warming the air around them. It was well into Newleaf now and the days were gradually getting hotter. Prey had returned and the fresh-kill pile was fully stocked at all times. Stormstar was glad that his warriors were finally returning to their original health again. The scars left by Magiclan and Monsterclan was fading.

Sometimes, Stormstar wanted to see Rabbitstar again just so he could rub it in the brown tom's face that Lightclan was stronger that before thanks to him and his clan.

"Start the gathering, Stormstar." Shadedstar's soft whisper brought him out of his thoughts and he looked down to see all his warriors gathered in the sandy clearing, their expectant gazes glued on him.

Stormstar cleared his throat with an embarrassed lick on his chest fur. "Uh, Hello everyone. As you can see beside me, we have a visitor. Some of you may recognise her as-"

"Shadedmoon!" Autumnpool yowled, racing to the front of the crowd. "I missed you so much!"

Shadedstar purred and meowed down at Autumnpool. "I missed you too, Autumnpool. I'm so sorry I had to leave, but my clan needed me. But now that I have died, I have returned to Lightclan as a Starclan Spirit."

"Will you stay forever now?" The golden she cat ventured, her eyes begging.

Shadedstar shook her head, "I must return to Starclan at some point."

Autumnpool nodded, her eyes sad and thick tail drooping. "Okay..."

Stormstar spoke up before anything else happened. "Shadedstar will be staying with us for the next moon or so... Until she decides to return to Starclan." He and Shadedstar had agreed not to voice the part where the grey she cat had no idea how to get into Starclan in the first place. There was no need to create panic.

"Clan dismissed!" Stormstar meowed abruptly, wanting to end the gathering before anymore cats spoke up.

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