DustStars Decision

Chapter Four:Free or not..

It had been a moon since SandProwls death,SandStar had quit going out her den and had the warriors being her fresh moss and prey since the two kits weren't old enough to do apprentice work. DustFern cautiously walked into SandStars den,"Yes DustFern?" The ginger molly tilted her head towards him as she licked her flank. "As you know,tonight will be the gathering.." SandStar prompted,DustFern laid down in front his leader with growing curiosity. "I want you to pick out RavenKits and BarkKits mentors then I want you to lead the cats of your choice to the gathering and make the announcements in my place..I need some time alone." SandStar muttered,DustFern noticed his once prideful leader with dropping eyes of exhaustion. DustFern stared into SandStars exhausted green gaze and realized the ginger molly was being serious,DustFern dipped his head,"As you wish.." SandStar let out a trembling sigh and placed her big fluffy ginger paw into DustFerns white yet brown speckled paw,"To be honest..ever since my sons death,SandProwl..I've had nightmares of the moment he died non stop,it's exhausting to watch him die over and over again.." SandStar muffled over her trembling breath and unsteady gaze. DustFern sighed,"I hope and I pray that one day soon it gets better for all of the clan,including you.." SandStar dipped her head in thanks to her deputy. DustFern stalked out of his leaders den and stared up to the high sun in the sky,he gave a shaking sigh and leaped upon high rock-..His eyes widened in shock as he noticed how high up he was on the leaders rock,he gave a loud yowl and summoned all the cats. They gave confused stares at him but kept silent,"SandStar is currently taking a break and has asked me to step up for a little while so she can get some rest. I will be announcing who will mentor RavenKit and BarkKit then we will get onto the cats to go to the cats to go to the gathering." DustFern swiftly explained. RavenKit and BarkKit were well groomed,just groomed by their mother and they gave proud smiles as their tails slipped under their legs. Without wasting any time DustFern looked down at the kits with a comfortable smile,"RaveKit,you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as RavenPaw,Your mentor will be me,I hope I will pass down all I have been taught well." RavenPaw gasped and rushed forward with a twirl of excitement. "BarkKit,you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as BarkPaw,Your mentor will be PebbleLeap,I hope PebbleLeap will pass down all she knows on to you." DustFern dipped his head as BarkPaw gasped and rushed towards PebbleLeap,the she gave a soft smile to her first apprentice and touched noses with the tom. "DustFern!" WindyLeap,a very old medicine cat yowled with drooping eyes. "Yes,WindyLeap?" DustFern asked,his ears pricked towards WindyLeap,the medicine cat pushed through the gathering of cats and gazed at DustFern. "I feel I am far to old to continue to serve as WindClans medicine cat,I believe that JuniperPaw is past prepared to serve as our medicine cat." WindyLeap dipped her head with a soft glance to JuniperPaw who had a shocked face. "You wish to step down..?" DustFern muttered in shock,WindyLeap nodded. "As you wish,at the next half moon you and JuniperPaw may travel to moonstones safely." DustFern dipped his head with respect,WindyLeap gave a sigh of relief and nodded then rushed to JuniperPaws side and covered her in licks. "I will have DustHare,WindyLeap,JuniperPaw,RavenPaw,PebbleLeap,LeanFlower and BurningBreeze travel to Four Trees with me." DustFern announced loud and clear,the cats called upon nodded in agreement. "QuietShade,will you gather two cats to go with you on a border patrol?" DustFern gazed to QuietShade,the Tom warrior nodded and stayed put until released. "RoamngLeapord,gather two cats to go on hunting patrol with you." DustFern demanded,RoamngLeapord nodded and turned away fro, his gaze. "Clan dismissed." DustFern swept his tail as a signal and leaped off high rock,the cats called upon for the patrols bounded out the clearing while the other cats for the gathering ate prey out the fresh kill pile. DustFerns stomach clenched with anxiety,he half expected LeopardYowl to suddenly pop up out of no where from the dark forest it's self! DustFern picked up a small hare from fresh kill pile and smiled a bit when he saw BarkPaw tossing RavenPaw onto the round with one forepaw then RavenPaw pinned down BarkPaw strongly with a triumphant mew. DustFern settled down in front of SandStars den and ate the small hare,watching the elders peacefully sun them selves while the two newly called apprentices tumbled over each other with playful mews. DustFern gave a sigh,his claws unleashing as he wondered if this peace would be torn apart somehow..No matter what he knew peace was never an option within this hostile forest,all cats would murder each other if it meant their lives..DustFern pushed his thoughts aside as the full moon arose into the black night sky,he gathered all the cats that would go to the gathering with him and quickly reached the territory of Four Trees. DustFern signaled all his cats to enter the Four Trees clearing and as he walked into the clearing DustFern noticed that the normal leaders HoneyStar and StreamStar stood upon high rock but an unfamiliar black and white ShadowClan tom with one green eye and one blue eye stood upon the gathering rock. DustFern leaped upon high rock and dipped his head to the other leaders though they gave him curious looks,"The gathering will begin. DustFern,how about you speak first?" StreamStar loudly announced. DustFern was a bit caught off guard but he dipped his head and stepped to the edge of the rock,he stared down in shock of how high the rock was and all the cats below looked like small mice. "Get on with it!" StreamStar hissed impatiently,DustFern muttered a curse to the ancient leader and inhaled quickly. "I know from many of your curious eyes that you are wondering what has happened to SandStar," DustFern started as his paws sucked the felling of the cold and smooth rock,"She has been feeling a bit stressed and has appointed me to direct WindClan for a while until she feels better. This in no way means she is retiring or running away or any crazy talk,she is still a hard headed yet devoted leader." DustFern finished and exhaled the cold yet refreshing air. The cats of WindClan let out relieved sighs like they were satisfied with DustFerns explanation,DustFern drew back and sat in between HoneyStar and the unfamiliar ShadowClan tom. StreamStar stepped forward and spoke of the lost of two elders then stepped back,HoneyStar spoke excitedly of two new litters and that made DustFern wonder how many kits ThunderClan has. The unknown shadow clan tom stepped forward,all the cats stared up at him with confused faces and all was silent as he spoke. "As you all know since LeopardYowl was driven away without any deputy choose our medicine cat was left to pick a leader,I am CrossStar." The Tom who's body has split between black and white,his different colored eyes filled of calmness as he spoke with an echoing and deep voice. The four clans let out meows of congratulations,most cats seemed like they had no idea whom this new leader called CrossStar was..It seemed like he just appeared out of thin air! "I hope you lead ShadowClan well." DustFern dipped his head to CrossStar,CrossStar gave a warm smile and nodded then turned back to speak once again. "Since LeopardYowls horrid leader ship ShadowClan has been left to rebuild our camp and we are working hard to feed our cats. We are not left weak by any means as our cats still have the same loyalty and bravery." CrossStar announced,his tail swaying in the breeze. CrossStar dipped his head and walked towards the three other cats,slowly the leaders gathered their cats together and stalked out of Four Trees,DustFern was last to leave as he spoke with CrossStar about how happy he was for the newly appointed ShadowClan leader. DustFern said his good byes and padded out the Four Trees clearing with DustHare,WindyLeap,JuniperPaw,RavenPaw,PebbleLeap,LeanFlower and BurningBreeze stalked side by side with him. As the cats reached the upside of their camp the air smelt musty,still and filled of fear..RavenPaw and BarkPaw rushed out their camp and met the cats that returned from the gathering with scared eyes. "It's SandStar..She's gone missing and so has RoamingLeopard! The whole clan has searched all around the camp but we can't find them..!" BarkPaw quickly yowled with panic,DustFern shared suspicious looks with the other cats. "We will immediately search the territory. I demand all of you to split up in every direction and search every inch of this land!" DustFern yowled,the fur on his shoulders bristled and quickly DustHare,WindyLeap,JuniperPaw,RavenPaw,PebbleLeap,LeanFlower and BurningBreeze split up in every which way with RavenPaw and BarkPaw left with DustFern. "We will search near the gorge,if RoamingLeopard has decided to choose violence at random she will most likely retreat to the gorge with SandStar." DustFern demanded as he tried to hide the growing panic yet he realized that the alarm in his voice was clear. RavenPaw and BarkPaw nodded,quickly the three cats sprinted towards the gorge..As they approached they smelt RoamingLeopard and SandStars smell mixed in with blood and fear and anger. DustFern and the two apprentices crouched into the bushes near the gorge incase there were other cats that couldn't be smelt or foxes that couldn't be picked up,the three cats gave sickened gasps when they spotted RoamingLeopard pinning SandStar down..SandStars stomach and throat was bleeding and her eyes were filled of panic as RoamingLeopard stood on top of her with one of her massive paws on her ginger throat. The three cats jumped out the bushes with loud hisses and unleashed claws,RoamingLeopard jumped off SandStar and edged closer to the gorge. "What are you doing here..!?" RoamingLeopard yowled,"Most important question is what are you doing!" BarkPaw spat. "Im getting revenge! SandStar has ruined my life by exiling my mother,making my father turn against me because of my mother's crimes,naming me after my mother and simply turning all cats of the forest against my existence!" RoamingLeopard spat back,her tail bristled..DustFern trembled as he realized the young she before him reminded him of LeopardYowl,the blood splattered upon her paws and maw looked exactly like LeopardYowl when she had killed BreezeCall.."The clan hasn't turned against you,we loved you we just didn't have any chance to get to know you from how quiet you were.." SandStar muttered,her eyes pulled of pain as she laid in her side on the bloody grass. "Everybody hates me,I don't have to prove my loyalty!" RoamingLeopard yowled with outrage,her tail thrashed and her eyes had the same cold expression as her mother's.."Well,trying to kill SandStar will not support that we should trust you!" BarkPaw retorted in anger,DustFern placed his paw over the apprentices mouth and silenced him. "If you don't return to your camp I will kill SandStar here and now,she is one her last life and she will easily die." RoamingLeopard snarled,DustFerns eyes widened in panic and he thought for a moment..RoamingLeopard smiled when the three cats didn't scurry away like scared mice,she picked SandStar up roughly by her scruff and the molly had no more fight left in her though she kept breathing unsteadily. DustFern scrunched up all her muscles as RoamingLeopard turned away with SandStar trapped in her jaws,DustFern sprang upon RoamingLeopards back and bit her shoulder deeply. RoamingLeopard let out outraged yowls and spun around,losing balance as the apprentices snapped at her heels and fell over the edge of the gorge. SandStar dug her claws into the gorges edge and let out wails of panic as RoamingLeopard dug her claws and hung onto her hips,SandStar twisted around and sent RoamingLeopard tumbling down into the gorges water with loud echoing screeches that quickly got muffled as a splash sounded..