Warriors: A Dark Sun

Chapter 35

Olivenose crawled out the den and looked around. No use sulking, she did say she'll think about it. He was trying to be positive. He climbed on the top of the leaders den to watch the camp and bask in the sunlight. He sat on top the stone and instantly his fur was warmed. He liked the view from up there. I wonder what it's like looking down from the Tallstone. There was nothing exciting going on except for the repairs continuing. His ears pricked when he heard shuffling and Lilymist exited the den. He almost gasped in shock when he saw her fur. He couldn't see properly in the dim lighting of the den, so it surprised him when he saw how matted and dull her coat looked. He sat up and leaped off the rock.

"You need help?" He offered. She shook her head and pointed with her nose towards the medicine den.

"I was going to go and talk with Pixiepaw for a while." She said over her shoulder as she padded away. There was something odd about her walk, as if she was putting all her weight on her back legs. I'll remember to tell Echomist to check her front paws. He walked with her and entered the temporary den. It was a big mud pit that the warriors dug for the medicine cats.

"Hey Echomist. Would you mind checking Lilymist's front paws? I think there's something wrong." He quietly explained. Echomist shook her head and looked at him.

"I've already checked and it seems she is just scared of where she is putting her paws." Echomist explained. Olivenose nodded and left the den to go sit on the rock again when he noticed Cloudpaw standing alone by the leaders den.

"Is something wrong?" He asked the white tom. Cloudpaw shuffled his paws and shook his head.

"Don't lie to me, I can tell you're lying." Olivenose warned.

"Will Lilymist get better?" Cloudpaw looked up at him with concerned yellow eyes. The question took him by shock and it took him a moment to recover.

"Why do you ask?" He asked.

"She's more fun than Snowbreeze, all Snowbreeze does is talk and talk then ask me to demonstrate. Lilymist makes a game and a scene for battle training and she treats me like an equal not a kit." Cloudpaw quietly meowed. Olivenose didn't know what to say.

"I'm sure Lilymist will be better soon." Olivenose replied hoping it would be true. Cloudpaw looked up at him again.

"So do I." Cloudpaw said. Olivenose ran his tail across the young tom's shoulders and went to sit on the rock again. He watched Lichenkit and Moonkit slowly waddle out of the den, their eyes squinted in the bright sunlight. Olivenose purred in amusement. The kit's legs were shaking as they stumbled around and their tail stuck out like a twig. He felt a surge of love towards his nieces. They were almost two moons old. He leaped off the warm rock and landed carefully beside the kits. They stared at him in awe. Their tiny mouths hung open.

"Did you just jump off that rock and landed here?" Lichenkit squeaked. "That was awesome!" Moonkit nodded in agreement. He purred at them and noticed their eyes. They were still pale blue, but Moonkit's were starting to turn amber, just like her father's. Lichenkit had brown bleeding through, looking as though she had inherited Swanshine's eye colour. He heard a loud conversation going on behind him. He spun around and saw Lionscar, Snowbreeze and Reedpaw leading and small cat into the camp. Olivenose flattened his ears to his head and wrapped his tail around the kits.

"Who are you and what are you doing in RiverClan territory?" Icestar approached the small tom cautiously. The tom caught Olivenose's eye and then turned back to Icestar.

"In peace I come. Your kits I no harm." He meowed with a quiet yet powerful voice. He spoke oddly, an accent slurring his words. It calmed Olivenose though. He sat up and flattened his fur, but still kept his tail wrapped around the kits.

"You didn't answer my question." Icestar coolly meowed. The tom nodded and sat up taller.

"I am Aban. Long way I have traveled searching for cats of Clan. My Mama told me story, story of kit she had. That kit left with father. The kits name Lucian. Lucian found Clan. Where is Lucian?" Aban looked around trying to find the cat called Lucian. Olivenose noticed how odd the tom looked. He was short, with orange fur. He looked simple, so simple that it was strange. His eyes were a yellowish green.

"I knew Lucian. To the Clans he was known as Rowantail. I'm sorry Aban, but he has died many moons ago." Echomist stepped out of the makeshift nursery. A path appeared as cats stepped out of her way. She came face to face with the stranger and he flinched.

"You have power. Rank so no disrespect." He mewled. Echomist understood him and smiled.

"Yes I do. I am a medicine cat and the Clan must respect me. Could you sense the power around me?" She curiously asked. Aban nodded.

"I sense power, love, secret and future sometimes." He smiled with pride. "My Mama taught me." The Clan started speaking in hushed voices and they seemed excited. Icestar stepped towards Aban, her eyes bright with hope. Grayheart, Adderblaze and the apprentics entered the camp and wandered towards the group of cats surrounding Aban. Some cats quietly explained what was going on.

"Will you help us? Can you please sense my Clan's future?" Icestar asked. Aban happily nodded and Icestar started giving out commands.

"All mates will sit side by side over there. All kits will sit beside their mother and father. Apprentices will sit there and warriors sit here." She yowled, pointing with her tail in different directions. Aban started with the kits.

"Gold tom and kits. Where mother?" He asked Sunfrost. Sunfrost mumbled something and Aban sadly shook his head. "Too bad. You very much love her. You miss her lot. She live in kits spirit." He licked each of the kits heads and dipped his head to Sunfrost.

"You golden tom, have dark future. Kits bring hope." Aban told Sunfrost. The orange tom moved onto Brightcloud.

"You have secret silver one. These kits not his. Not all kits here." Aban stared at Brightcloud. She looked down in shame and sadness. What is that all about? Rainwhisker looked at his mate and kits.

"I know." Was all the gray tom said. Aban moved on to the apprentices and passed all the apprentices except for Cloudpaw who was sitting beside Adderblaze.

"Love is strange. You two are love." He muttered as he passed the toms. Everyone looked confused as they had never heard of toms in love. The Clan shrugged and continued watching Aban. The orange tom weaved his way between the warriors until he reached Duskflower. The black queen was still staring at Cloudpaw and Adderblaze.

"You mother of white one. Why you not like him?" Aban asked curiously. Duskflower looked at the tom with regret in her gaze. She looked back at her son who was staring at his mother.

"I don't know. He was born weak. I feared his weakness would affect the other kits so I separated him." Duskflower meowed sadly. Olivenose looked up from the queen to see Reedpaw, Frostpaw, Featherpaw and Grayheart all approaching Cloudpaw.

"I'm sorry..." Grayheart started saying to his son. Cloudpaw looked back at his father with anger lighting his yellow eyes.

"If you were truly sorry you would have helped me earlier. I had to suffer from her neglect for almost 3 seasons." Cloudpaw hissed at his father with venom. Cloudpaw pushed past his father and ran out of the camp sobbing. Adderblaze looked back at Grayheart then ran after Cloudpaw. Aban sat and watched then looked back at Duskflower. He didn't say anything, but he placed his tail on her shoulder as he passed. He stepped up to Lilymist and stared at her.

"You have lost everything. You give up. Turn around, find light, great change happen." Aban meowed to the red she cat. Lilymist looked up at him and Olivenose saw a little bit of light flickering in her dull blue eyes. She nodded slightly and Aban moved away. He passed Pixiepaw and dipped his head to her in respect. He almost walked past Olivenose then he stopped and walked backwards. He looked Olivenose up and down.

"You love her. She has flaws, but you look past it. You make good mate." Olivenose felt his ears burn and he looked at Lilymist. She was looking at her paws, but Olivenose could see a small smile spreading across her face. Thank you Aban!