Warriors: Sandhearts Travels

Chapter 13

          Sandpaw scraped earth over the mouse she caught to pick it up later after her hunt. She split from Lionfur and the others to have time to think by herself. Padding toward the hollow where the apprentices go for their two moons in the forest she let her thoughts wander to the gathering that would be held that night.

All four clans would gather on the sacred island for the full moon to share news. This would be her first gathering and she felt worried and apprehensive. This would also be the gathering where Hawkflight would be leader and he would have to share the news of Duststar. Would Fireclan take this as weakness and threaten to attack Darkclan? Would the other leaders accept Hawkflight? Sandpaw assumed they would since Hawkflight would take them into battle all the time.

Sandpaw could only hope that the other leaders would see the sense in Hawkflight's leadership. As she approached the gorse bushes that lined the hollow she heard tiny scuttling's against the boulders. Flattening herself to the ground, she quietly dragged her forepaws and glanced around a boulder. Two mice were fighting for a seed and seemed to engrossed in their fight to scent danger.

Sandpaw wagged her haunches and leaped. She landed on one mouse and gave it a killing bite. The other mouse tried too get away but Sandpaw quickly flashed out a paw and slammed it to the ground. She gazed at the mice in pride. She caught enough to carryback to camp with the mouse she covered earlier.

When she arrived in camp she saw there was a clan meeting and hurried to deposit her prey in front of Frecklewishes den. Skirting the other dens she pelted to sit beside Hickorypaw and Applepaw. She glanced up to the high limb and saw Hawkflight sitting calmly. His brown spotted pelt was well groomed and there was a cat tooth in his ear. Just like Duststars. Sandpaw wondered as she glanced around for the former Darkclan leader.

He was sitting beside Thornfur and Thistleclaw glaring angrily up at Hawkflight. Before Sandpaw could say anything to Hickorypaw the meeting began.

"Cats of Darkclan, I have received my nine lives and name. Duststorm has received his warrior name again and will be moving to the elders den. I wish him many moons of peace before he joins Starclan." Hawkstar meowed, glancing warily at the former leader.

Sandpaw heard Duststorm snicker and turn away to the elders den. Sandpaw guessed he wasn't going to make it easy for Hawkstar. Turning back to her leader Sandpaw pricked her ears to listen more intently. This would be the time that Hawkstar would choose his deputy.

"I must now choose my deputy." Hawkstar meowed quietly and searched the clan. Silence gripped the forest as they waited. Sandpaw looked at Hickorypaw and meowed "I hope he chooses someone worthy." She was afraid he would choose Thornfur, but then remembered how he was the one to disagree to Hawkstar becoming leader.

"Smallear will be Darkclan's deputy. May he sever his clan ling and faithfully." Hawkstar meowed, leaping down to touch noses with Smallear. The clan broke into yowls of approval and Sandpaw breathed a sigh of relief. Smallear was a noble cat and he was a popular choice.

"Thank you Hawkstar, I will do my best to serve you and the clan well." Smallear meowed, returning Hawkstar's gaze.

"Before the meeting is over Firepaw needs a new mentor. I have thought over this carefully and Volewhisker will be his mentor. Teach him everything Wolfclaw taught you." Hawkstar meowed, nodding his encouragement to Firepaw and Volewhisker. Firepaw glanced aroud excitedly before touching noses with his new mentor. Sandpaws heart swelled with gratitude that Firepaw will now be able to show his potential to the clan.

Sandpaw padded to Smallear and gave her congratulations before heading to the medicines den. Maybe Cloudpaw had a sign from Starclan on Hawkstar's leadership.