It's been three days since Spiderstar announced that the Clan would be going along with Nightpaw's plan. As the time drew nearer, Nightpaw had become anxious. She was afraid that her plan would end up in failure.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Spiderstar yowled. But the call was nearly unnecessary. Half the Clan had already been waiting outside their dens with anticipation pricking their paws. "Cats of ThunderClan! It is time we approach WindClan and offer assistance if needed by them. My escorts will follow me first to the WindClan camp while the backup patrol must hang back and hide themselves along the moorlands. Does every cat understand?" Yowls of agreement rose from the ThunderClan cats. "Tanglebush, you are in charge of camp while we are gone, have the elders guard the camp," Spiderstar meowed. "Lets go, ThunderClan!" Spiderstar dove from the Highledge and bounded out of camp. Nightpaw darted for him with Blacknose by her side. The rest of the Clan hung back for a couple of heartbeats before following at a slower rate. Swallowfern and Cinderdapple were at the head of the patrol as they bounded through ThunderClan territory on their own course. Spiderstar slowed down as the three cats reached the border.
"Be wary and stay close; do not insult them," Spiderstar instructed. The ThunderClan leader led the way across the shallow stream and waited for Blacknose and Nightpaw to follow. They both made their way across easily and they started off toward the depths of WindClan territory.
Nightpaw scented the air, the smell of wind and moorland was strong as she padded onward, but there only was the faint scent of prey. Suddenly, a reeking stench clogged her scent glands and she sneezed. The moorland smelled thickly of unfamiliar cats, crowfood, and dried blood. She looked down at the blown over grass beneath her paws and saw a few patches of stale blood staining the land. The stench cloyed the air and she parted her jaws, trying to dispel the scent.
"It reeks!" she huffed under her breath. The ThunderClan warriors paused to drink in the air.
"The smell belongs to cats," Spiderstar recognized, "but it's unfamiliar to me."
"Maybe because you're intruding on WindClan territory!" a loud hiss made the three ThunderClan cats whip around. Nightpaw recognized the ginger-and-white tom as Squirreltail, the WindClan deputy.
"Who should accuse who of trespassing now!" a light brown she-cat sneered.
Spiderstar dipped his head respectfully to the patrol of cats, "Greetings, we have come to discuss something with your leader, Mudstar."
"Talk to our leader? With your deputy and a kit with you! Don't amuse me!" Squirreltail snorted.
"Have you no respect?" Nightpaw snapped. She didn't like being called nor liking how the WindClan deputy was speaking to her father.
"Shut your trap," Squirreltail snarled at her, the fur along his back beginning to bristle with aggression.
Spiderstar stepped between the two hostile cats. "I have only brought two cats because I come to WindClan with peace on my heart," Spiderstar meowed earnestly.
"Let them see Mudstar, they can't take on all of WindClan by themselves," a younger black-and-white tom meowed. Spiderstar dipped his head gratefully to the young WindClan warrior.
"Fine, but surround them! I'll have no ThunderClan cat slip away!" Squirreltail barked the order and the WindClan patrol spread out around the group of cats. They led them through the moorland until the reached a bramble enclosed camp with hollows that probably led down into underground caves. As they entered camp, many heads turned as the ThunderClan scent filled the air. A few jumped to their paws and bristled with hostility as Squirreltail led them to the leader's den.
"You two," Squirreltail motioned to Blacknose and Nightpaw, "will wait out here."
"I'd like to request that they come-" Squirreltail cut the ThunderClan leader off.
"You're not leader of this Clan, you don't get to make such petty requests," the deputy scowled. Spiderstar dipped his head and let himself get led into the leader's den behind Squirreltail. Nightpaw gazed around at the thin cats of WindClan. They looked as if they wanted to leap into battle now and tear the ThunderClan cats to shreds!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sorry for such a short chapter but a lot is gonna be going on in these final chapters so I needed to divide them up into rather short sections.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Warrior Cats: The Winding Path (Book 1)
RandomA new generation of cats have been born. Sagekit, Timberkit, and Nightkit are born into ThunderClan. Like any cat, they have a destiny. They must choose the path on which they'll take and that will lead them to their demise or life as a warrior. It...
