Chapter 24

The full moon cast shadows as the group of cats ran through the forest. It was the first gathering for ages and everyone was happy and excited. A warm breeze rustled the leaves of the forest. Ashbreeze was avoiding her, and really she couldn't blame him. She still felt a lump in her stomach when she saw him, his blue eyes so hurt and confused. But she couldn't be with him.
They arrived at Three Stones fast in the hot greenleaf sun. Stormstar looked exhausted, he only had three lives left now. Poppystar a had died to the terrible sickness, and apparently Duskstar had come close too. When OakClan arrived, RockClan and MapleClan were already there, all showing signs of sickness but all looking happy to be there. Her eyes sought out one particular cat in the mass of pelts that was RockClan. She couldn't see him, surely he had to come to this gathering. They needed to work out what to do next? She spotted Dewpaw's grey pelt amongst the MapleClan cats. Slipping away from her clan she headed over. "Hey, Dewpaw!" Dewpaw turned around and caught sight of Featherdawn.
"Hey Featherpaw." She mewed, moving towards her.
"How are you?"
"We're recovering." Dewpaw replied shortly.
"How are you?" Featherdawn insisted.
"Fine." Dewpaw replied stiffly.
"No you're not." Featherdawn mewed. "Tell me."
"Reedstar doesn't want to give me my warrior name." Dewpaw sighed, looking at her paws. Anger and resentment burned in her eyes.
"Why?"
"He's not himself, he's been paranoid and thinks I'm some sort of traitor."
"That sucks." Featherdawn said sympathetically.
"I suppose you've gotten yours." Dewpaw mewed resentfully.
"Well yeah." Featherdawn shuffled her paws sheepishly.
"And...?"
"Featherdawn."
Dewpaw nodded. "Suits you."
"Featherpaw?" Featherdawn swung round. Ravenpaw was running towards her.
"Ravenpaw!" She rushed up to him and pressed her nose into his fur, then remembered they were at a gathering with cats from all the clans and stepped back awkwardly.
"So, what is it?" Ravenpaw asked.
"What's what?"
"Your warrior name of course."
Featherdawn saw Dewpaw narrow her eyes at Ravenpaw. "Featherdawn."
"Wow! Mine is Ravenstrike."
"Nice! Have you seen Sparkpaw?"
"Nope but I think-"
"He's over there." Dewpaw cut across Ravenstrike flicking her tail. Sparkpaw's vibrant orange pelt could be seen amongst the SunClan cats that jostled at the far end of the clearing.
"Let's go get him then." Featherdawn pelted around the outside of the gathered cats strength and energy filling her. The evening was warm, the trees thick with green leaves. A small group of tribe cats had come to join, sitting at the very back of the clearing and blending into the trees. Wing was amongst them, but he didn't join them. Sparkpaw looked up as they approached. "Hey." He said, not meeting her gaze. Featherdawn opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by Duskstar yowling for silence.
"Cats of all clans we have faced a terrible sickness but we have survived!"
The cats yowled in agreement.
"The clans live on! But we face more dangers." Duskstar paused to draw breath and Stormstar joined Duskstar. "Rouges threaten of bounderies more than ever, we must unite to fight them off!" Stormstar called.
"We do not unite with soft cats of OakClan." Duskstar spat at him. 

The OakClan cats hissed at Duskstar and Flamestripe yowled "Says you!"

"We must." Stormstar insisted, flicking his tail for silence. "I think we should come up with some sort of plan, start training programs together." 

"Share our fighting moves?" Reedstar sounded shocked.
"If you want the clan era to live on, then yes." Stormstar hissed. "Can't you see the only way for us to survive this, is together?"
"We don't need anyone's help." Duskstar said bitterly.
"Then die." Stormstar snapped back. "Can't we put aside our old rivalries and face this bigger threat, together?"
Yowls of approval echoed around the clearing. Only Duskstar and a couple of his clan were left looking unconvinced.
"When do we start this?" Willowstar asked, speaking for the first time.
"I say tomorrow we all send a patrol of cats here. Some can start exchanging fighting techniques, others can begin a fighting plan." Stormstar said.
Willowstar and Reedstar were nodding, and Duskstar grudgingly agreed as well.
"Then it is decided. We will face this threat, united as one."


A/N

I have no idea what has happened to my computer, the spacings are really weird I don't know why. Sorry.

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top