Rising Stars {Warrior Cats}

Chapter 5

       "Cloudstream!" Owlheart called him from the top of a tree. Cloudstream put his prey down and quickly climbed the tree up next to her. They had been mates for several moons now.
       "Yea?" Cloudstream mewed. Owlheart pointed with her tail to something far away. "Wow...." Cloudstream's jaw dropped in awe. Owlheart playfully closed his mouth.
       "I wonder who lives there, maybe another clan?" Owlheart asked. Cloudstream didn't answer and continued to stare off into the mountains. Owlheart then softly mewed, her eyes focused on the sun setting behind the mountain, "Cloudstream?"
       Cloudstream turned his gaze towards her and mewed, "Yes, Owlheart?" His tail flicked.
       Keeping her gaze focused on the view, she mewed, "Cloudstream, I'm expecting kits...your kits." Cloudstream didn't say anything and purred with joy. He scooted closer to her and licked her neck soothingly. He pressed his nose to her cheek and licked her ears.
       Cloudstream gently motioned for her to lie down, and when she did, he cuddled her warmly. He licked her stomach and gently said, "Kits, I'm your father." The mates purred in unison.
       Owlheart replied, "I'm so lucky to be able to have your kits." She closed her eyes and began to fall asleep.
       Cloudstream quietly replied, "I'm lucky to have you..." Cloudstream looked up and saw that it was almost dark. He quietly whispered, "Owlheart, night is almost here, we should head back." Owlheart nodded and climbed down the tree, Cloudstream right behind her. The evening wind chilled Owlheart's spine, making her shiver. They walked back to camp together, pelts brushing.

The sun was rising when Cloudstream woke up in his nest the next morning. Owlheart was still sleeping, so he quietly padded out of the warm den and felt the wet dew of the morning grass on his paws. He shivered.
"Cloudstream, Cloudleap, Halowing, and Shadepaw, come with me on the dawn patrol near the Brambleclan border," the deputy, Cedartail called. Cloudstream sat down near Cedartail, waiting for the rest of the dawn patrol to gather. "Barkheart, Honeyflight, Mistycloud, Dawnpaw, and Echopaw will be on the hunting patrol. With the that, Cedartail jumped off the Highrock and led the dawn patrol out of camp, the morning air moist.
"Remark the borders and check for any Brambleclan scents," Cedartail meowed. Cloudstream padded up to the nearest tree and sniffed it. It smelled untouched, but he remarked it anyway. He watched as the others on the dawn patrol did the same. Cloudstream then headed to where Cedartail was but stopped when he heard small vibrations in the earth. He turned around to face the border and watched Brambleclan territory. "Cloudst-" Cedartail was cut off short when Cloudstream lashed his tail for everyone to stay still.
       After waiting for several minutes, Cedartail said, "Cloudstream, are you sure you heard something?" Cloudstream didn't reply and Cedartail began to call his clanmates back from the border. Just then, five Brambleclan warriors jumped out from their hiding and onto Bloomclan territory near Cloudstream. Cloudstream growled at them as Cedartail and the others turned around. A sleek grey tabby tom with a scar on one of his eyes approached Cloudstream.
       Cloudstream growled, "Get off Bloomclan territory." His fur was up and claws unsheathed. His tail was straight up, alert. "Sharpeye."
       The tom laughed and replied, "No way! I've come back to get revenge on you for blinding me in one eye. "Oh by the way, it's Sharpstar now." Cloudstream growled, and Cloudleap stood beside him.
       "We will rip you all to shreds if you don't get off Bloomclan territory right now," Cedartail warned. Sharpstar laughed and pounced on Cedartail, claws unsheathed. He landed squarely on his shoulders and dug his claws in. Cedartail yowled in pain, but was able to shake the Brambleclan leader off of him. At their leader's attack, the four other warriors lunged at the Bloomclan warriors. A jet black tom with huge paws thruster himself onto Cloudstream, but he saw it coming and quickly dodged the black tom. He swiped the tom's face with his claws, and he soon got away and threw his claws towards Cloudstream. The tom pinned Cloudstream down and dug his claws into Cloudstream's chest, growling. Cloudstream grimaced as he felt the blood flow of the fresh wounds. He struggled to get out from under him, the the Brambleclan warrior was just too large and heavy. Cloudstream kicked his belly a couple of times, finally able to throw him off.
       Just as he did, a she-cat lunged at him from behind, tackling him. Cloudstream, not ready, yowled as she bit into his scruff. She was easy for Cloudstream to throw off, being muscular, and swiped at her face with a huge paw, sending her running back towards her border with a bad wound to the cheek. Cloudstream then looked around and saw the black tom going for the final bite on Cloudleap. He pounced on him just in time to save Cloudleap, and rolled on the ground, kicking his belly. Spiderfoot, as his name was, bit Cloudstream's forepaw in anger sending him off of Spiderfoot in an instant. Cloudstream dashed at Spiderfoot, and jumped over him, biting his hind leg from behind. Spiderfoot yowled and limped back to his territory, badly wounded from the bite.
       Cloudstream rushed over to Cloudleap and meowed, "Are you all right? Do you need to go back to camp?"
       Cloudleap shook his head and replied, "I only have a few scratches." Cloudstream nodded and looked around. He saw Sharpstar with the Bloomclan deputy under him. Cedartail lashed out his paws at Sharpstar's neck, and threw him off. Sharpstar lunged at his neck before Cedartail could turn around and yowled as Sharpstar bit down hard. He could feel the blood running through his ears and felt his vision go blurry, then black. He could barely hear Cloudstream's growls in the distance and smelled Shadepaw's fear. Sharpstar called of the rest of his warriors and ran back to their camp.
       Cloudstream meowed, "Cedartail! Cedartail you must stay alive! Bloomclan needs you!" He started to drag his deputy back to camp.
       Cedartail forced up all of his strength and opened his eyes. "C-Cloudstream..." He mewed. Don't. I'll be happier in Starclan." Cloudstream bowed his head in respect and murmured, "Thank you for your service, Cedartail." With that, Cedartail's body fell limp as the Bloomclan dawn patrol sat around their deputy's body, mourning.