Warriors NEW MOON

The Welcoming

Hazelpelt yawned. A tail thumped her. "Hazelpelt, get up, lazy-bones! You've just been called onto the dawn patrol!" Hazelpelt groaned. Her brother cuffed her right ear affectionately. "C'mon, then..." Stormfeather mewed. "Alright, alright! I'm up!" Hazelpelt purred. She sat up, and then collapsed. Finally the she-cat rose to her paws and wobbled over to the clearing where Stormfeather, Whitepaw, and Ashstar were waiting. "Hazelpelt!" Meowed Ashstar in alarm. "Watch out! Snake!" Madly, Hazelpelt ran in circles, looking behind her. After a few minutes she stopped. "That woke you up, didn't it, Hazelpelt?" Purred the Clan leader, twitching his ears in amusement. She growled, "Argh, Ashstar, I was, awake!"

Stormfeather shook his head affectionately. He twined his tail with hers. "Well, Come on, warriors, Whitepaw! Let's get going!" Called Ashstar, as he raced up the steep ravine, scattering tiny clumps of debris to the ground below. As the patrol mad their way back to the camp, Maplerush and Flametalon skidded to a stop to face them. Panting, Maplerush began to speak. "Strangers, come... to camp! With... Fox... Kits, too!" Flametalon dipped his head. "Great StarClan. I think you have hypothermia. Have you seen Willowshine?" Whitepaw asked, loudly. "No, we haven't. It's true." Protested Flametalon and Maplerush in unison. "Well, let's go and see..." Muttered Ashstar. When they entered the fern tunnel, their eyes stretched wide. There, was a small dark rust-colored fox with a white muzzle, belly, legs, and tail-tip! Her eyes were a deep emerald shade, outlined with long, coal-black lashes and rims. Her muzzle was black-tinted too. At her side was a huge, golden cat with a lion-like mane. His eyes were the color of of ice, beautifully carved, beautifully colored.  He looked so much like a lion, Stormfeather wondered if he was one. Ashstar, as soon as he'd made sure the strangers weren't enemies, he said, "Welcome to FireClan!"