WARRIORS: Snowdrift's Promise

Chapter 11

Five moons past since the death of Darkstar and the shocking news of Newmoon. Shadowstar lay on the cliff where he would address clan meetings and watched as the new warriors, Raincloud and Snowdrift sparred, showing a kittypet who joined the clan a moon ago, Hailpaw, how to do some battle moves. The apprentice looked eager and ready to learn. Moonfall, only two moons older then Snowdrift, had been watching her with interest. Shadowstar smirked and noticed the new medicine cat, Featherherb pad into camp. His head hung low with grief, he still wished to wake by Newmoon's voice. Shadowstar's tail swished and stirred the sand that lay on the rock, he found his true mother was Newmoon. Sadly, the old she-cat passed a moon after Shadowstar had been made leader. Sonicstep, the new deputy jumped onto the ledge and nudged his leader, a vole in his jaws,"Here Shadowstar, you need to eat." His mew was muffled by the vole's sleek fur. The black and red tabby looked to the pale blue tom,"Thank you Sonicstep." He nodded to the Deputy. Taking the vole from the tom, the leader bit into the juicy flesh of the vole, the musky flavor of forest prey exploding in his mouth. His dark red eyes eyed Snowdrift, watching her trip and fall on a simple stone. Shadepaw, one of the apprentices that was only two moons younger then Snowdrift, snorted,"The great, old Snowdrift finally trips!" He purred with amusement. Snowdrift spat out dust,"Try me, mouse-brain! Wanna see how a she-cat's claws are sharper then those of a petty know-it-all tom?" She hissed, crouching. Raincloud was amused,"Go easy on him, Snowdrift." She said with amusement. Shadepaw huffed and padded along,"Nah, I'm good. I don't want to waste my energy with a dumb Thunderclan cat." He said in response. The way he called her a Thunderclan cat hit Snowdrift like claws in her heart. She heard of the tales Windpelt told her when she was no more then a kit, how her real mother abused her because she was the smallest. Shaking the hurt from her eyes, she looked at Hailpaw,"Let's go hunt." She said smiling, glad to have an apprentice to train to ease her mind from the pain and distrust from all the other warriors. Her silver pelt glistening in the sunlight that peered into the clearing. The apprentice nodded and raced after his mentor, his pelt was white and fluffy like a small cloud, his eyes were blue like the sky and had a hint of amber in them. Snowdrift always felt a daze when seeing the tom's interesting eyes and observed him carefully. Moving towards the Thunderpath near the Thunderclan border, she could taste the scent of who was once, Her littermate, the one Skypelt loved most, and a couple of warriors who were now the oldest warriors in Thunderclan. She heard Heatstar lost his final life after he lost Mudpelt to a rock slide in Snakerocks. She had adored the funny she-cat and her noble mate. Her ear twitched to the sound of voices on the Shadowclan side of the border and turned to Hailpaw,"Go to camp and warn the others of trespassers. I'll bring the patrol to camp to explain themselves." She ordered him briefly. Hailpaw nodded,"Yes, Snowdrift." Came his reply as he raced back to camp. The she-cat straightened and followed the voices, meeting up with her own sister and three senior warriors,"Well look who it is, Thistlepaw and her older warrior friends." Snowdrift hissed in warning. "It's ThistleFERN now Snowdung!" Thistlefern spat, her hackles raised at the hostility in Snowdrift's voice. Just before the two she-cat went for each other's throats, Longfoot stepped forward,"Mouse-brains! We didn't come here to fight, Snowdrift. We're here because Strongstar wants to make a temporary alliance with Shadowclan until the war with a pack of dogs subsides." He explained calmly. Snowdrift's ears perked and looked at Longfoot, she always admired the tom's calm and collected nature,"Alright, come with me. I'll escort you to the camp." She mewed, leading the patrol of Thunderclan cats. Thistlefern hissed,"We don't need to be led by a traitor!" She spat viciously at Snowdrift, her words stinging like venom from a cobra's fangs. Snowdrift's tail lashed, showing her irritation before the other tom, Steelwing spoke to Thistlefern,"Enough, Thistlefern. We are here in peace, not to quarrel with a former clan-mate." He hissed, nodding to the thankful look in Snowdrift's eyes.

By the time they reached the Shadowclan camp, Shadowstar had just got a patrol ready to see what was taking Snowdrift. Moonfall's ears perked and tapped Shadowstar's shoulder,"Shadowstar, She's back." He spoke calmly. The leader turned and greeted the Thunderclan cats,"How may I help you, Longfoot?" He asked the leader of the three cats. "I've come with Thistlefern and Steelwing because Strongstar requests an alliance. A dog pack has raided our territory and killed so many warriors, we lost our most skilled fighter, Zebratail to the dogs." Longfoot said mournfully. Shadowstar's gaze grew sympathetic,"I'm very sorry to hear that. Tell Strongstar if need be, be may take refuge here in my camp until the pack leaves." He told them. Relief flooding through the two toms. Their pelt smoothed,"Thank you so much Shadowstar! We shall tell Strongstar and I shall return to deliver his next message." Longfoot offered, leading his small patrol back to Thunderclan. Shadepaw stood against his leader,"Why did you do that!?" He snapped, his eyes narrowed and his lips curled. "Because no clan needs to suffer while others thrive. We may be rivaled with three clans. But when times grow rough. One must take a stand to call for a Truce that binds the clans together." He said calmly, his tail dismissing the cats around him. Shadepaw growled at that and left to the Apprentice Den. Sonicstep stood infront of him,"Have you forgotten you have a Moonhigh Patrol to go with?" He spoke in warning,"Your going with Snowdrift and Hailpaw." He told him padding off. Shadepaw groaned,"Great... Now I have to be with that Thunderclan cat and her kittypet apprentice..." He snarled to himself and padded towards the enterance. The bright she-cat and her bouncing apprentice smiled and gave a few laughs. Shadepaw felt his paws prick in jealousy,"I was told to come on the patrol... where's Ruinabyss? She was supposed to join too." The apprentice asked, curiousity lighting his eyes. His question was soon answered by a gentle paw of his mentor touched his left hip,"You think I'd just leave a warrior to watch two apprentices on her own?" Ruinabyss gave a rather amused purr at how Shadepaw glared at his mentor as if a fox was about to grabbed him. Amused purrs erupted from behind the patrol,"Seems Shadepaw woke up on the wrong side of the nest." Shadepaw's sister, Littlepaw mewed with a mrrowr of laughter. Her creamy-white colored pelt blended in well with the sandy entrance. Shadepaw's tail lifted and poofed out, his neck fur bristling,"Says the kit with her wailing about not getting what she wants!" The young tom said with a small hiss. Before Littlepaw could counter at her brother's words, her mentor, Waveclaw steps in,"Enough you two!" She scolded softly, moving her crimson gaze to Snowdrift,"Mind if Littlepaw and I join you're patrol? I didn't have any plans for Littlepaw's training today." She mewed, the ginger tortoise-shell waved her tail so it rested softly on Littlepaw's shoulder, calming the hissing apprentice. Snowdrift smiled and nodded,"That's fine, Waveclaw. The more the merrier." She said with a smile, her fluffy tail twitching and her sapphire eyes glowed with joy. The group of mentors and their apprentices then padded onward through the gorse tunnel out to the pine forest of the Shadowclan Territory, chatting happily with one another except for a crabby Shadepaw. Littlepaw wiggled her nose and her face showed disgust,"Eww! What's that smell??" She said, sticking out her tongue. Shadepaw looked unamused as he hissed at his sister,"Maybe it's your smelly fur!" He said, stalking further ahead. Littlepaw stared onward as she watched her brother go ahead, shock was apparent on her face,"What did I do?" She asked mainly herself. Hailpaw padded to walk alongside Littlepaw as he rests his tail tip on her shoulder,"Hey, you didn't do anything. Shadepaw either has a hairball stuck in his throat or he woke on the wrong side of the nest. You didn't do anything to him." He reassured her with a comforting lick on the ear. Littlepaw blushed, looking at the larger tom with her teal green eyes. Hailpaw smiled and then walked alongside her for the rest of the patrol. Snowdrift smiled to the two apprentices falling for one another and pride filled her chest and continued to talk with Waveclaw and Ruinabyss,"What should we do about Shadepaw? I mean, he's been rather moody..." Ruinabyss sighed, she was one of the senior warriors and she was due to retire soon as her apprentice became a warrior. She looked onward and watched Shadepaw angrily stomp along the trail. Waveclaw watched this and purred,"I'd say this, take him and do battle training. I'm sure his way of venting his feelings is to battle it out. I remember when Killzone was an apprentice and he would pick fights with Skullbash over who would be Whitesplash's mate, in the end it was Flashstep who claimed her." The she-cat purred loudly, remembering the good old times when the senior warriors were no more then apprentices. Though it was only Ruinabyss, Killzone, and Skullbash who were the oldest warriors, Ruinabyss and Killzone were the only ones to retire. Skullbash had spoken he was gonna remain a warrior until his death. Snowdrift smiled,"Remember when Rainpaw and I got into so much mischief that I ended up stuck with picking Ironwill's ticks for a quarter moon!" She purred louder then Waveclaw. Soon the patrol returned to the camp when Moonfall, Billystorm, and Whitesplash were crouched with Shadowstar and Sonicstep, faces of sorrow plastered on their faces.