Warriors: Book One: The End of the Forest

Chapter Four

Swiftpaw jumped as Lightningpelt's tail whipped her muzzle, "SWIFTPAW!" he yowled, glaring at her furiously. Stonepaw hurtled past her, paws stretched desperately as he tried to gain ground. Lightningpelt stalked around her, "That is the THIRD piece of prey you missed that ran right past your muzzle! Not to mention the two mice you missed earlier." he snapped, looking furious, "This is Stonepaw's first hunt!  You should be honored Snakeflower asked you to help show Stonepaw how to hunt, but your acting like a rabbit without its ears!" he growled. Stonepaw slipped up, "I-I'm sorry. If I'd run faster I would have gotten it." Snakeflower licked his ear, "It isn't your fault." she mewed gently glaring at Swiftpaw, "If SWIFTPAW hadn't been daydreaming and tripping over her own paws, we would be done by now!" she spat. Frosteye licked Swiftpaw's ear, "Maybe you need a break...?" he mewed, "You haven't been as together as usual since you woke up. You're not sick are you?" Swiftpaw shook her head, "N-No, father. I just didn't get enough sleep." she lied, feeling angry with herself. Her father almost never went out with her on patrol and she had messed up the first time she'd been hunting with him. Swiftpaw hung her head and plodded over to Gingerpaw, "I'm not any good at running down press, anyway. I'm much better at stalking." she growled. Gingerpaw licked her ear, "Don't worry! I'll make up for it! I'm good at bare ground hunting, between us we can feed the whole Clan!" he mewed. Swiftpaw smiled, "Yeah." Snowpaw walked up with a rabbit, "Your still thinking about the dream, aren't you." Swiftpaw nodded, "I think I know why we were picked by the StarClan deputies. Snowpaw got WindClan because she is the most like a WindClan cat. Gingerpaw got RiverClan because he is the most like RiverClan. I got ShadowClan because I'm most like a ShadowClan cat, and Tinypaw got ThunderClan because she is the most like a ThunderClan." she mewed. Snowpaw and Gingerpaw shared a glance, "It does make sense that way." Gingerpaw mewed. Lightningpelt flicked his tail, "Let's get back to camp." he growled. Swiftpaw got up and trotted after him, helping Snowpaw carry her rabbit.

Swiftpaw slid into the medicine den a poked Tinypaw awake, "Wha-" Swiftpaw slapped her tail over Tinypaw's muzzle, "SHH!" she hissed. Tinypaw nodded and got up. Swiftpaw sighed as they met Gingerpaw and Snowpaw outside, "Let's get going to Prey Rock before someone sees." she hissed. Swiftpaw slipped along the wall and forced her way through a small hole in the bushes. She glanced back as her littermates followed her, "Come one, let's run. I don't want to get caught by the Moon-high patrol!" she hissed. 

Swiftpaw looked up at the sky, "It's almost dawn. They said they'd be here!" she mewed. Tinypaw yawned and pressed into Swiftpaw, "They'll be here, Lifestar and Deathstar probably just took longer than they thought." she mewed. Snowpaw nodded and leaped up beside Gingerpaw on a rock. Swiftpaw shivered and huddled deeper under the tree, "This is NOTHING like the trees at home." she grumbled. A familiar voice made her jump, "That's because it's a mountain tree." Swiftpaw leaped up and raced forwards to meet Soulstar, "I thought you weren't coming!" she gasped. Spiritstar, Brightstar and Finalstar lined up beside him in front of the apprentices, "Don't worry, we were always coming." Swiftpaw blinked as two huge tabbys padded up to her, "You must be Lifestar and Deathstar. I remember you, from my first dream." Lifestar smiled and touched noses with her, "It is nice to see you again, Swiftpaw." Deathstar gave her a curt nodded and swept his gaze across the other cats, stopping at Tinypaw, "What is her purpose, other than to fill in for ThunderClan?" he growled. Spiritstar glared at him, "She is a medicine cat. She well helps her siblings on the journey." Lifestar looked at Spiritstar, "You picked her for your apprentice so she wouldn't have to leave, didn't you." Spiritstar nodded, "Yes. Her Clan will need her skills in the future anyway." Swiftpaw stepped forward, "What do you mean, leave?" she asked. Deathstar looked at her in surprise, "You don't know? Once you bring the stones back, you well each lead a Clan. Swiftpaw will carry the shadow stone and lead ShadowClan, Gingerpaw the river stone and lead RiverClan, Snowpaw the wind stone and WindClan and Tinypaw the thunder stone and ThunderClan. You will then stay in those Clans as their guardians, just like I and my sister were." he mewed. Swiftpaw gasped and glanced at her siblings, "W-What! We never agreed to that!" she mewed. Lifestar pressed her muzzle to Swiftpaw's side, "I know it is hard, but your Clan, no, ALL the Clans are relying on you. Even if they don't realize it." she mewed. Swiftpaw shivered, "O-Ok. We will do it." Tinypaw wailed and pressed against her, "No! Please, no!" she whimpered. Swiftpaw licked her ear, "We have to." she mewed, nosing her away softly, "Where are we going?" she mewed. Lifestar glanced at Deathstar, "You are going to Wolf Hollow Cove. We asked a loner to tell you about it." Snowpaw tipped her head, " A loner?" she mewed. Deathstar nodded, "She goes by the name Carly, but her star-name is Dream." he mewed. Gingerpaw leaned forward, "What is a star-name?" He mewed. Lifestar snorted, "A star-name is your real name, yours is River. Swiftpaw's is Shadow. Tinypaw's is Pool and Snowpaw's is Breeze. Your warrior name will contain your star-name, Gingerstream, Swiftshadow, Tinypool and Snowbreeze." she mewed. Swiftpaw tipped her head, "How do the leaders know our star-names?" Spiritstar stepped forward, "StarClan sends the medicine cat a sign before the naming ceremony and they tell the leader." she mewed. Soulstar nodded, "Carly used to be in a Clan. Her name was Wishdream. Her Clan broke apart soon after a hard leaf-bare, she is the only surviving member we know of." he mewed. Swiftpaw nodded, "We'll get going then." she mewed, gathering her siblings.