Warrior Cats: Into the Unknown.(1/3)

Chapter 21

Timberpaw padded sleepily out of the den. He had been woken by anxious murmurs from the clearing. Could something have happened at the gathering? The sun was just rising above the treetops, melting the frost that had covered the forest. Timberpaw fluffed out his pelt against the cold. "It seems like leaf-fall is settling in." Swiftpaw mewed as the long-limbed black and white apprentice padded out of the den. Timberpaw murmured something in agreement. Cloverpaw, his sister, squeezed out of the den after them. "How was the gathering?" Swiftpaw asked her as he stretched his long limbs. Cloverpaw shrugged. "Shadowclan looked awkward and they didn't want to talk to anyone, which is of course completely normal for such a proud clan. Although, Rowanstar blames us for Tawnypelt's, Cinderpaw's and Mouseclaw's deaths. Other than that, Riverclan has four new apprentices, Mallowpaw, Milkpaw, Minnowpaw and Mottlepaw." She mewed as she settled down to groom herself. "What's going on?" He asked Willowpaw as she hurried past him. "Ambermoon and Fernpaw are missing." She mewed briefly before hurrying to Ivypool who was frantically searching the camp. Fernpaw was missing? Panic rose up inside him. How could that be? Bramblestar was talking to Birchfall and Lilyheart but they had taken the night's watch. Icefeather was organizing search patrols while Stormcloud followed Ivypool around, trying to calm his frantic mate down. Then suddenly, strange cat scents hit his nose. He let out a growl when the barrier rustled. Bramblestar looked up sharply and the whole of Thunderclan raced up and lined up in front of the barriers, hackles raised. Timberpaw crouched beside Fernsong and Rainsong and let out a threatening hiss. He straightened himself and pricked his ears when Fernpaw cautiously peered through the entrance. "Fernpaw!" Ivypool let out a yowl of delight and relief and raced towards her daughter, but skidded to halt and let out a hiss when a few unfamiliar cats walked in after the grey she-cat. Timberpaw let out a yowl and launched himself on top of a grey and white tom. "Timberpaw, stop!" Fernpaw screeched and hauled him off the tom. Timberpaw's heart seemed to stop and he scrambled to his paws. "Are you crazy?" He hissed, staring at the cats beside her. A light brown tom nudged the cat Timberpaw had attacked to his paws. "Are you alright?" He whispered and the other cat nodded. Bramblestar shouldered his way through the line. "Fernpaw, why have you brought these cats here?" He asked, his deep voice a bit threatening. The largest cat Timberpaw had ever seen stepped forward. He had large curved ears, and a massive body and huge paws. He dipped his head. "You must be the noble Bramblestar." The tom mewed. Bramblestar glanced uncertainly at Icefeather who had padded up to them to stand beside her leader. Bramblestar nodded curtly. "How come you know my name?" The dark brown tabby tom asked. The rogue nodded to Fernpaw. "We have heard many great things about you." He mewed and flicked his tail towards the cats behind him. "What are your names?" Bramblestar asked, lifting his chin. Fernpaw cleared her throat and stepped forward. "This is Mickey and Simba." She mewed and nodded to the massive black tom and a huge golden, fluffy tabby tom. "This is Big Red." Fernpaw mewed and flicker her tail towards another fluffy ginger and white tom. "Flick and Flash." She mewed and nodded to the cat Timberpaw had attacked and the one that had helped him to his paws. "And my best friends, Juniper, Diesel, Coal and Alex." She mewed and wound herself among four young cats. Timberpaw's jaw dropped. Best friends? Was his sister completely mad? "Where is Ambermoon?" Brightheart called, her voice high-pitched with worry for her daughter. Timberpaw didn't like the sad gazes the cats in front of him exchanged. Big Red was about to speak, but before he could, Fernpaw stepped forward. "May I talk to you in your den?" She asked the Thunderclan leader. Bramblestar flicked an ear uncertainly, before nodding curtly. "Take him with you." He murmured and pointed at Big Red with his tail before whipping around and stalking to his den. Big Red exchanged worried and a bit scared glances with Mickey and Simba, before bounding after Fernpaw as she hurried after Bramblestar. "Jayfeather!" Bramblestar yowled, and the small medicine cat trotted out of his den and followed his leader up into his den. "Bramblestar, what should we do with the others?" Icefeather yowled before the leader disappeared into his den. He stopped in his tracks for a moment as Fernpaw scrambled up the rocks before turning around. "Guard them." He simply mewed before disappearing into his den. Icefeather nodded slowly. The clearing fell silent in shock until Badgerkit and Smokekit hurtled themselves out of the nursery. "Invaders!" Badgerkit yowled as he flung himself at Mickey. The massive black tom grunted and staggered as Smokekit scrambled after his brother. "Badgerkit!" Daisy yowled as she shot out of her den. She grabbed Smokekit by the scruff before hauling him off. Berrynose and Mousewhisker, Daisy's oldest kits, quickly dragged Badgerkit off Mickey. "I'm very sorry about that." Mousewhisker mewed as Berrynose scolded Badgerkit and nudged him towards the den where Daisy was mewing something to Smokekit. The rogue shook his pelt and gave out a low rumble of laughter. "Kits will be kits." He purred with a gance at Simba, and the golden tabby tom nodded in agreement. Icefeather glared uncertainly at them. "I'm Icefeather, the deputy of Thunderclan." She mewed formally. Coal nodded. "We've heard a lot about Thunderclan, and we know almost every name here." He mewed and Diesel purred in amusement. Coal nodded to Timberpaw. "Let me guess, you're Timberpaw, Fernpaw's brother?" He asked, his tail flicking. Timberpaw's eyes widened as he nodded slightly. "I am." He murmured. "Acornfall, Snowbush and Cherryfall, settle them down on the basking rocks." Icefeather ordered the three cats. They all nodded before Snowbush flicked his tail to beckon Mickey towards them. "Are you sure it's a good idea?" Simba murmured. Flick looked at him. "If I know Fernpaw and Ambermoon, they wouldn't let anything happen to us, so they wouldn't have sent us to a place we wouldn't be safe." He murmured before padding after the snow-white warrior. Cherryfall brought up the rear while Mickey, Simba, Coal and the others followed them without question. Timberpaw sat down beside Cloverpaw and Oakpaw, too shocked to say anything. Foxkit, Toadkit, Icekit and Hazelkit were tussling outside the nursery while Sparktail's kits cheered them on. He watched as Hazelkit launched herself at Toadkit, bowling him over. He snapped his head around when Cloverpaw and Oakpaw sprang to their paws. Cloudtail and Brightheart, who had been pacing anxiously outside the elders' den, stopped and looked up at the highledge. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the highledge for a clan meeting!" Bramblestar yowled. Fernpaw and Big Red stood on either side of him, while Icefeather sat a little way off behind them, her pure white pelt almost hidden in the shadows of Bramblestar's den, but her face looked grim and her icy blue eyes blazed. When allt he cats had gathered in the clearing, Bramblestar began. "Fernpaw has told me something very shocking, but I'll let her tell you herself." He mewed before stepping aside. Timberpaw felt a rush of pride for his sister as she stepped forward, but it turned to horror as soon as she began speaking. "Ambermoon took me to meet the Renegades when I had just begun my training." She began. She stopped for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing. "I met a lot of wonderful cats, and I admit that Ambermoon and I have been sneaking out of camp to go to meet the Renegades." Dread filled up inside Timberpaw when Frogleap yowled out. "So Squirrelflight's death is on your paws?" Shrieks and yowls of both protest and agreement filled the clearing. Fernpaw stared in horror as the cats below her began turning on each other, hissing and spitting. "We never meant for this to happen! And we tried to mask our scents and we don't understand why they accused us of trespassing when we never did!" She looked desperately at Big Red. "We suspect that the Strikes have been trespassing, and Shadowclan only accused us because they found our scents outside their borders!" She yowled into the clearing. Timberpaw shook his head and looked down at his paws. "Who are the Strikes?" Acornfall yowled. Now Big Red spoke. He touched Fernpaw's shoulder with the tip of his tail. "The Renegades' enemies." He mewed. "Ambermoon has been visiting us for as long as I remember, but Fernpaw has only been visiting us for about three moons now." He mewed, looking into the clearing. "But where is Ambermoon?" Brightheart cried out. Big Red and Fernpaw stayed silent. "She died saving us." Big Red murmured and Fernpaw ducked her head in shame and sadness when Brightheart let out a wail of grief. "Everything had been going well until last night, when Renegade decided to take Fernpaw as a prisoner so she could take over the clans by the lake with help from the Strikes." Big Red mewed when Cloudtail quieted Brightheart down. Gasps and wails came from the clearing. Take over the lake? Timberpaw's heart dropped and the fur along his shoulders rose. "But the Strikes are your enemies, aren't they?" Birchfall mewed with a glance at his mate, Whitewing. Big Red dipped his head. "Renegade and Strike are littermates, but they turned against each other when they were younger, but Renegade is very manipulative, she could fool anyone." He mewed and Fernpaw stepped forward when Sorrelstripe yowled. "But why does she need you to take over the lake." Bramblestar silenced Fernpaw with a glare. "We must warn the other clans." He mewed. "But when will the Renegades attack?" Lilyheart yowled, pressing herself up to Snowbush. Mickey stood up from the basking rocks. "In a long time. Renegade isn't at her full strength yet, and she still has to make the deal with the Strikes and find more rogues and kittypets if she is to attack the clans, and she also has to train them." He mewed, his deep voice echoing off the walls. Timberpaw closed his eyes in fear as his heart thumped in his chest. Icefeather padded out of the shadows and whispered something in Bramblestar's ear. Timberpaw strained his ears, but he didn't catch what she said. Bramblestar nodded and looked at Simba and the others. "We will give Fernpaw's friends shelter for the night at least." Shocked growls and murmurs rippled through the cats in the clearing. The rogues dipped their heads and Bramblestar added. "Poppyfrost, Honeyleaf, Leafheart, Bumblestripe and Flamingheart, make a den for them behind the warriors' den." He mewed. Then Molewhisker called out. "Bramblestar, are you sure you're making the right decision, welcoming them into our camp?" He asked with a quick glance to the rogues. Bramblestar nodded slowly before dismissing the meeting.