The Forgotten Clans~ Black River

Chapter 3

Brambleflash woke up with a jolt. Fernpaw prodded him in the side. "Brambleflash!" She hissed.

Brambleflash opened his eyes and saw the calico she-cat, almost mistaken her as Dawnfern. "What are you doing?"

"We have to go further! I saw a patrol. They are looking for us." She whispered.

Halfpaw was wide awake, watching them intently.

Brambleflash nodded then rose quickly to his paws then bounded after Fernpaw and Halfpaw.

They disappeared under a bush and Halfpaw stopped suddenly. "Where are we even going?" He sighed.

The others turned to him.

He flicked his tail annoyed. "Do we even have a plan?"

Brambleflash looked down. "Of course."

There was a moment of silence and Halfpaw coughed awkwardly. "Sooooo.... What is it?"

Fernpaw hissed at him.

"We find Silverpaw and Willowpaw." Brambleflash meowed, sniffing the air.

"Aren't they sleep?" Halfpaw asked.

"Probably." Fernpaw meowed then bounded off nudging Halfpaw. "We will search all over the moorlands, Brambleflash please search the forest." Fernpaw meowed.

Brambleflash twitched his whiskers in amusement. "Am I your mentor?" He joked.

Fernpaw purred then nudged Halfpaw again then the two apprentices bounded off, and dissapered over the slope.

Brambleflash padded tiredly but wide-eyed watching as the ground grew rockier and the trees started getting thicker, sprouting from the ground.

"Silverpaw!" He whispered in the night, picking up his pace. "Willowpaw!"

"Brambleflash..." a voice softly whispered.

"Dawnfern?" He gasped, whipping around but seeing noting. Her sweet, familiar scent washed over him as he stumbled back, confused.

"Brambleflash." The voice repeated but closer this time.

Tears welled in his eyes and kept searching for her. He crawled under a cluster of leaves, following the sound and scent. She was so close. "Dawnfern!" He yowled and another scent washed over him.

Dark fur leaped out the bushes, clawing his back. In the moonlight, he could see a small v-shaped nick in her ear.

"Willowpaw!" He sighed with relief.

The cat paused then looked at him. For a moment, Brambleflash thought he'd made a mistake but the white side of her face and her amber eyes approved his confirmation.

"Brambleflash?" She squinted her eyes. "No!" She moaned, as Brambleflash winced in surprise."Silverpaw and I made a bet." She tossed a pebbles aside ashamed. "I said you gave up on us but she said you guys were coming back."

Brambleflash blinked at her. "Yeah... Goldenstar thinks it's your fault so I suggest not going back there for a while—Wait let me talk with Silverpaw at the same time."

Willowpaw sighed then flicked her tail at a clump of ferns. Brambleflash followed her tail and leaped over the ferns then ran across the slope and found Silverpaw watching her tail move in absolute wonder. She looked up and she smiled and purred in delight. "Brambleflash!" She touched his shoulder. Willowpaw leaped beside him.

Silverpaw looked at Willowpaw and a wide smiled spreaded across her face. "I win."

"Shut up!" She snapped, looking down, attempting not to smile.

Brambleflash nudged Silverpaw. "Well, after those cats died," he saw them look down. "Goldenstar was mad and he said that...you probably down want to go there for a while."

"He's going to kill us?!" Willowpaw hissed in shock.

"No! Well... he just said to capture you but still, don't go there." Brambleflash said quickly. "But anyway, since Rosepoppy died, I am deputy."

"What are you doing here then!" Silverpaw hissed, nudging him. "Go back! You'll loose your clan's trust!"

Brambleflash rooted himself and looked down.

"Oh..." Silverpaw mumbled. "Sorry."

"I came because it was the right thing to do." He mumbled then looked up.

Willowpaw lashed her tail. "Are you the only one?"

"No. It's only me, Fernpaw and—"

"Halfpaw?!" Willowpaw screeched as Fernpaw and Halfpaw leaped out from behind the bushes.

Halfpaw's fur bristled and he hissed at her as she glared at them.

Silverpaw purred at Fernpaw as she touched her nose. "You're ok!" Fernpaw purred.

Brambleflash watched as the two apprentices yelled at each other and the other apprentices purred peacefully.

"Fernpaw. How'd you find us? I was going to get you—"

"This one was yowling so loud, we just followed her annoying screech." Halfpaw meowed at Brambleflash.

Willowpaw unsheathed her claws and leaped on him, pinning him down, hissing dangerously.

"Willowpaw." Brambleflash said.

Willowpaw hissed and got off him, bristling with rage. Halfpaw growled and shook his pelt.

"I don't want you speaking to each other. Understand?" Brambleflash hissed.

The two glared at him without saying a word.

Fernpaw stepped forward, eyeing Willowpaw and Halfpaw, wondering if this was such a good idea. "So the plan was to find them, we did. What do we do now?"

"Well, someone's yowling—"

"Quiet, Halfpaw." Silverpaw said calmly. The stubborn apprentice opened his mouth but closed it under the glares of the others.

"We will travel and go away from the other clans." He said.

"Brambleflash. You are the only warrior here." Fernpaw pointed out.

Brambleflash looked at all the apprentices. "You should be one."

Fernpaw purred with pride then it slowly faded. "We can't go back now."

"I know..." he meowed.

"So where are we going?" Halfpaw meowed impatiently.

"To the city."