Chapter 33

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An observer. That was all Smokestorm was now.
She listened to all the suffering ThunderClan was going through, and she could do nothing about it.
She listened as Tawnyshade died
She listened to Proudstar mourning her death.
She listened as Snakeshade died.
She listened as Frostbite died.
She comforted Sparrowpaw, Maplepaw and Gingerpaw through their mother's death.
She made a promise, since she couldn't help ThunderClan, she could help these apprentices.
She trained them ruthlessly every single day, making them take laps around the nursery or making them play fight each other. She knew it exhausted them and they were all depressed from all the deaths and the isolation, but she needed to teach them to fend for themselves.
There was a good chance that WindClan would attack at some point, and Smokestorm didn't want to lose anymore of her clanmates than she already had.

The only interactions she had of cats outside the nursery was when Fawnheart, ThunderClan's deputy, tossed them prey every day. Ravenshine had also grown quieter, watching the apprentices train and keeping an eye on Waspkit, who was acting like any normal kit.
Ravenshine had given birth two days ago, but Darkpaw was dealing with other cats and Blackpool was sick, Smokestorm had had to help her.
Beetlekit and Cloverkit were their names.
Beetlekit was a raven pelted she-kit, like her mother, with yellow eyes. Cloverkit was a light brown tabby she-kit with yellow eyes. Smokestorm assumed that Beetlekit and Cloverkit's father was Snakeshade, who was a tabby similar to Cloverkit. That would also explain why Ravenshine seemed more sad.
Smokestorm and the others had missed two gatherings in the time they had isolated.
She had heard that Blackpool and Darkpaw had left for the moonstone three days prior to name Darkpaw as a full medicine cat of ThunderClan. By now it was known throughout the clan that Blackpool was dying, so he wanted to perform the ceremony with Darkpaw before his time was over.

Smokestorm had just awoken to the bone chilling wind. She stretched and decided to let the apprentices sleep for a little while.
Crimsonpelt had visited her at moonhigh only three times during isolation.
Smokestorm had been worrying about her dreams. She knew something would happen with Hollowfang, she just didn't know why or when.
"Can you tell me a story?" Waspkit asked from beside her.
She was so lost in thought that she hadn't seen the kit next to her.
He was quite big for his age, he looked about the same size as an apprentice.
He was very smug for a kit, with sharp wit and a sense of humor.
"Sure. What do you want to hear about?" She asked.
"Maplepaw talks a lot about you being a rogue or something. Can you tell me about that?"
"Okay. want to hear about the battle between DuneClan and MoonClan?"
Waspkit nodded, plopping himself down on the snow covered ground.
Smokestorm recited all the events that occurred, making sure to leave out the part when she ripped a cat's skin off.
"You're really brave. Do you think I'll ever be like you?" His question took Smokestorm aback.
The two of them were already very similar, although Smokestorm would reckon that he had a worse past than her. His clan didn't even want him, while ShadowClan fought to save her and Wrenfeather before she was taken. Waspkit had to spend his whole life so far in leaf-bare and didn't have any friends or siblings to keep him company in the nursery other than Ravenshine, his adoptive mother.
There was one thing that he would have that she didn't.
Someone that had his back through everything. And that was what she was going to be.

"Don't worry, little one. I'll watch over you and make sure you become the finest warrior this clan has ever seen."
Smokestorm heard footsteps coming towards the nursery, and by the scent she could tell it was Fawnheart.
But it was too early for prey. Why was she here?
Fawnheart pushed through the entrance of the nursery, waking everyone up.
"Everyone. You'll be pleased to know that your isolation is finally over." She announced.
"YES!"
"Finally!"
"It's over!"
"StarClan, it's about time."
"I can't wait to go running in the forest again."
The apprentices ran out of the nursery, while Ravenshine, Waspkit, Beetlekit and Cloverkit stayed inside.
Smokestorm looked at Waspkit sadly, knowing that he couldn't run through the forest like everyone else.
"Don't worry, I'll join you out there in a few moons." he said.
Smokestorm nodded, then padded out of the nursery. Smokestorm inhaled deeply, feeling much better being out of the crowded nursery. The clan seemed in a rather sad mood, but the good thing was that leaf-bare was almost over.

Fawnheart lagged behind and walked beside Smokestorm.
"Our last gatherings did not go smoothly." Fawnheart stated.
"In the first one, we found out that ShadowClan is mad because some RiverClan cats killed Redstar's deputy. Apparently it was because RiverClan was angry that ShadowClan has had no losses from WindClan. ShadowClan is also mad at ThunderClan because one of our warriors started all of this and they're also mad at WindClan for reacting so poorly. Now WindClan is also mad at ShadowClan for being unreasonable and accusing clans without knowing their situations." Fawnheart explained.
StarClan. That was only one gathering.
"Then, at our most recent gathering, we found out that RiverClan is mad at us still for the romance with Hollowfang and one of their warriors. In short, every clan is mad at each other. I fear that there may be a war between all the clans soon. We've also been smelling some WindClan cats nearing our borders, we think they might attack." Fawnheart added.

That was a lot to catch up on.
"What's Proudstar doing about all this? Shouldn't we relocate until we know it's safe for us to return?" Smokestorm asked.
She honestly thought that Proudstar would have gotten them out of a situation like this.
"He says that we have nowhere to go. I suggested we go to the place you stayed, but he said that they wouldn't take in a whole clan and there was a good chance that they'd all starve to death or die of exhaustion before they got there. It's too big a risk." Fawnheart said.
That was reasonable, but Smokestorm had a bad feeling about staying here.
Smokestorm left Fawnheart when she noticed Hollowfang and Wrenfeather leaving camp together. She knew they were going to get Heatherpelt's kits.

She quickly asked Spiderclaw to watch Sparrowpaw for a little while until she got back and went to follow the two.
Smokestorm followed them to the RiverClan side of their borders, to find that they were meeting with Heatherpelt.
Heatherpelt sighed in annoyance.
There were four kits splayed out on the snow.
One of them was blue-ish gray with darker gray spots and a white belly with yellow eyes. One was white as the snow below it with green eyes. One was white with ginger spots and green eyes, like Hollowfang. And the last one was gray with white spots and brown eyes.
Hollowfang turned to Smokestorm.
"I'll be taking two. Which ones do you think I should take?" He asked her.
"Whichever you want." She could tell that Heatherpelt didn't want Smokestorm picking the kits.
"I'll take these two." Hollowfang guestured to the snow white one and the gray one with the white belly.
"I was thinking of naming those two Emberkit and Ghostkit. The white one is Ghostkit because of their pelt colour and the other is Emberkit because of their eyes." Heatherpelt said.
"I love it."

"The one with ginger spots can be Twigkit, and the other one can be Rabbitkit." Hollowfang stated.
Hollowfang picked up Ghostkit while Wrenfeather picked up Emberkit. They carried the two away.
Smokestorm stayed behind to talk with Heatherpelt.
"How's RiverClan doing?" She asked, wanting to hear this from a RiverClan cat.
"Not so well. We think that with this potential war with all four clans, we'd lose easily because a lot of our warriors have died from illnesses." She said solemnly.
Smokestorm nodded.
She suddenly smelt WindClancoming closer. She bid goodbye to Heatherpelt and ran off to check it out.

She saw the entirety of WindClan at the border.
Smokestorm hissed, trying to get them to back off, but they didn't. WindClan looked as if no cats had died during leaf-bare, and there were plenty of warriors.
"Move aside, Smokestorm." Jaggedstar commanded.
Smokestorm hissed again.
Spiderclaw rushed to her side, having also smelt WindClan.
This was going to get messy.

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