Emberstar's Journey

Chapter 11

"Emberpaw? Emberpaw!" Emberpaw snapped open his eyes and he saw Deertail looking at him. He pushed himself up, "What? What's happening?" He said, gazing around.

The she-cat shook her head, "BreezeClan is here." Emberpaw froze and followed her, blinking as he saw Cedarstar, Lightningfire, Sagewater, and Wildclaw all standing below Highcliff. Lynxstar was staring at the intruders through narrowed slits. 

"Why have you come here?" She asked lowly before adding, "Unannounced." 

Cedarstar opened his muzzle before closing it and glancing at Wildclaw, who was ignoring the leaders and gazing around, his pale green eyes flicking around the camp. 

"Wildclaw!" Emberpaw cried, lunging forward, making the tom turn. 

"Emberpaw!" He moved towards the apprentice with a toothy smile that looked like a sneer to anyone else. "How're you?" 

"Is this why you came?" Lightningfire growled irritably, "To check on another Clans apprentice?" His fur bristled in anger and he began to stalk towards the ginger-and-white tom.

"Easy, Lightningfire." Cedarstar stopped his deputy, "I'm sure there's more reason than that." he side-eyed the warrior who was in a soft conversation with Emberpaw.

"I'm fine." He had told the warrior as the BreezeClan warriors were grumbling. "Why're here? I-I know you said.." 

Wildclaw gazed at the apprentice, a conflicted look in his eyes before he sighed, "Junipertail left me." He murmured, "After Fognoses disappearance." 

Emberpaw froze, his eyes wide, "Why?" He asked, tail trembling. "She wasn't your guys' daughter." 

"It was completely my fault," Wildclaw hung his head, "I snapped at her and it was too much. She couldn't stay." He looked away as he felt his leaders eyes on him. "I was checking on Emberpaw." 

Cedarstars dark blue eyes darkened, "Wildclaw," He said lowly in a warning tone, "He's not one of our own. He tossed that chance away." He frowned, "He's okay however. It's time we go home." With that, the leader turned, shaking his head in a show of disapproval.

Lightningfire, however, was much more showing in his anger. He glared at the younger warrior, tail flicking to and fro in a fit of anger before he turned to Lynxstar gruffly. "I apologize for my Clanmates nosiness, it seems Fognose wasn't the only cat in BreezeClan who couldn't sense the border." He growled, turning to leave.

Wildclaw let out a roar and lunged at the deputy who yowled in shock and anger as Cedarstar, who had overheard Lightningfires comment and froze, shoulders tense, whipped around with his mouth hung open in shock. 

"Wildclaw!" He roared, "Stop!" 

Emberpaw stared in horror as the two powerful warriors tumbled in a tangle of fur, claws, and angry screeches. 

At the sound of his leaders voice the deputy unhinged himself from the ginger-spotted tom and staggered back. He had a gash on his cheek and shoulder and his ear was bleeding. Wildclaw wasn't unmarked either, there was a jagged scar across his face from the base of his right ear across to the end of his chin on the left-most side. A clump of fur was missing on his under-belly but he was snarling, his eyes wild.

"Fognose was an amazing apprentice!" He growled, "It wasn't her fault that she was born without a sense of smell." 

Lightningfire reeled back at that, eyes wide. Shocked mews from the DeltaClan cats who had gathered around the outsiders arose while Cedarstar cringed. "What?" The deputy growled, turning to his leader who stared at the deputy before lifting his chin the look in his eyes already confirmed it for the deputy whos jaw dropped.