Warriors: The Prophecy of Frost - Danger Lurking

Chapter 2- The Start of a New Journey

Froststar woke up and Stagwind stared anxiously at her. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes," she replied, stretching her sore legs. "We need to get back to camp." Stagwind nodded and they headed out.

"Do you need to rest?" the medicine cat mewed, noticing her tired face. "I'm fine," Froststar insisted, speeding up the pace.

Stagwind rolled her eyes but didn't argue as they crossed into WindClan territory. A WindClan patrol was passing by and one of the cats padded towards them.

It was Dawnflight, the WindClan deputy. "Greetings," she mewed politely. "Why are you doing on WindClan land?"

The other members of the patrol, Watertail and Woodpaw, looked ready to pounce. "Brownstar is dead," Froststar mewed. "We are just returning to our camp."

Dawnflight dipped her head. "I will tell Dovestar." Froststar nodded and they set off again.

As they arrived at the ThunderClan camp, Honeypaw immediately pounced onto her mentor. "You are back!" she yowled excitedly.

The other cats spotted the new leader and the medicine cat and yowled, "Froststar! Froststar!"

"Thank you," Froststar mewed. "Appleshade, is there anything you need to tell me?"

The ThunderClan deputy shook her head. "No signs of trespassing."

She nodded and mewed, "There is a warrior ceremony that I need to hold. Softpaw, step forward." There was no need to call the clan together as they are already gathered.

The white she-cat stepped forward nervously. A moon ago, she had injured her leg while trying to save Lilypaw from falling, and her warrior ceremony was delayed.

"I, Froststar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." Softpaw's eyes were bright with excitement as Froststar continued.

"Softpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?" she asked.

"I do," Softpaw mewed confidently.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name: Softpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Softfoot. StarClan honours your courage and loyalty and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan," she finished.

"Softfoot! Softfoot!" the clan called out the new warrior's name.

Grassheart, Softfoot's former mentor, puffed out his chest with pride. Jet would be proud of her, Froststar thought.

"When is my warrior accessment?" Honeypaw asked. "I do hope to be a warrior soon."

"Me too!" Rockpaw yowled as his mentor, Stormleaf, frowned in disapproval. "Rockpaw, patience is required to become a warrior," she scolded.

"I am patient," Rockpaw replied. "I have been waiting for moon for this." Stormleaf rolled her eyes. "You are just as impatient as Fireclaw when he was an apprentice."

"I didn't!" Fireclaw protested.

Toms, Froststar thought in amusement.

~~~~

The tom woke up and stretched. He had been traveling for many moons rather aimlessly.

He caught a familiar scent as the wind direction changed. Feather? he thought. The brown tom ran towards the scent eagerly. The snowy kittypet had saved his life once, and he wondered why she was here.

"Feather!" he yowled as he spotted a Twoleg nest. He heard her familiar mew, "Where are you?"

"I'm here," he mewed loudly. Feather dropped down from the fence and asked, "How do you know I'm here?"

"I found your scent," the brown tom replied as she narrowed her eyes in thought.

"You want to go back don't you?" she asked slowly.

He began to consider carefully. If he went back, would his clanmates accept him? Has Nightflight become leader yet?

The questions flooded his mind but one thought ran clear in his mind. His eyes watered at the thought as he recognised the protective feeling he had many moons ago.

Feather was still waiting, her white paws fidgeting restlessly.

The brown tom looked at her with determination in his gaze. "I do," he mewed.

Don't worry, my sister. I'm returning home, he thought.