Warriors | A Prophecy Reborn: Book 2. (A Path Beyond Stars)

~A Path Beyond Stars: Chapter 6~

Reedtail froze. Surely she had heard wrong?
"Impossible," she said mulishly. Specklefern's singular word circled around in her mind as she tried to register what Runningstar had said. Half... Half... Half...
"You may only tell your kin," Stonestar said warningly. "If anyone else were to know, specifically cats outside of ThunderClan, they would use it as a weakness against both Clans."
Reedtail nodded. It was bad enough that Grayfur and Reedtail's old mentor were both gone... She didn't want Runningstar adding to the pile of regret, she found herself thinking.
Suddenly, they heard barking in the distance, followed by yelling from something that was clearly not a cat.
"Prepare your Clan," he said to Runningstar. She nodded and turned away, but was hesitant in moving.
Stonestar urged her to leave and dragged Reedtail back to ThunderClan while Runningstar rushed back to RiverClan.
They entered camp as the bark sounded again, slightly closer than before.
Those in the clearing - Spidertail, Redpelt, Beeflower, Darkkit, Stripedkit, Ashpelt, and Rockhopper - turned their heads to the camp entrance in shock.
"Take the kits to the Nursery," Stonestar ordered Reedtail, and she rushed over to help Beeflower usher them back to the queens.
Reedtail heard Stonestar throwing orders about the camp. Ashpelt and Rockhopper ran off to get the patrolling warriors of their Clan and Redpelt went with Spidertail to inform Russetpaw. Crookedfire was not in the camp.
Reedtail moved Stripedkit and placed her next to Specklefern, who held the small tabby close with her tail. Specklefern moved to grab Darkkit, who had brought Frostkit and Coldkit back into the den.
"Stay here," Reedtail told the kits. They all nodded and shuffled around the den, Coldkit and Frostkit going back to Fuzzyear with Brackenkit, Stripedkit and Darkkit waiting by Specklefern.
The sooner they're made warriors, the sooner they'll be able to do something during an attack! Reedtail thought impatiently before remembering, They need to be made apprentices first.
Two barks sounded from just outside the border where Stonestar had told Reedtail to go. The dogs would be here before long.
"How do you know if the patrol will make it back in time?" Reedtail said, running over to Stonestar.
"They will make it back," Stonestar yelled reassuringly as the barking neared and the warriors prepared for the attack. "Fernfeather will make sure of it!"
Three dogs ran into the camp before Reedtail could even blink. One was dark brown, similar to the one that had chased them from the Twolegplace.
Another was black and white with pointed ears. It stood in the middle, between the other two. It seemed as though a wolfish grin had settled upon its face as it inspected the cats.
The third was a small gray dog around the same size as Tigerfur. It didn't look very old. If Reedtail had to guess, these two odd dogs were its parents.
The gray one was shoved aside by the brown dog. The pup gave a slight nod and backed away, running out of the camp. "Don't let it go!" yowled Fernfeather from outside. Reedtail heard the gray dog bark and whine as the warriors slashed its side.
The brown dog growled menacingly, but the black and white dog moved in its way and glared at the cats.
In a flash, the brown dog suddenly launched at Reedtail. She toppled over with a yell and began furiously scratching at its stomach with her hind legs.
The brown dog didn't move. It growled with an ugly snarl lingering on its face.
Before the brown dog could wrap its jaws around Reedtail's neck, Stonestar and Flameclaw jumped at its legs, knocking it over.
Reedtail scrambled away from the dog and turned to see it laying on its back.
Flameclaw hissed as the dog growled again, and the ginger tom leapt at its stomach.
Stonestar's first instinct was always to get at his opponent's eyes, a tactic he most likely learned from Half-Sight.
Stonestar slashed at its eyes, coating its face in dark red liquid, then clawed at its muzzle.
The black and white dog stood, that same grin hanging over its face. None of the cats had moved from their positions, instead slowly edging further back into the dens as Flameclaw, Stonestar and the patrol fought.
The black and white dog let out a bark that reminded Reedtail of the one that had chased Spiraltail, Ashpelt and Reedtail when they were all apprentices. The grin slowly left its face and let out a coughing grumble which she assumed was a scoff.
"Idiots!" she thought she heard. Suddenly, the black and white dog charged at Flameclaw and Stonestar to defend the other dog.
Reedtail darted toward her apparent father and, at the same time, Spiraltail surged out of the Medicine Den to join the fight.
Reedtail and Spiraltail stopped right in front of the dog, between him and the ThunderClan leader.
The dog stopped and glared at them with threatening eyes. She heard a rustle behind her, and the dog's gaze flickered from the injured warrior and Reedtail over to the spare den where Buzzardstar sat.
The dog narrowed its eyes, running quickly out of the camp with the other one after snapping its jaws at Fernfeather and the rest of the patrol.
Fernfeather chased it a bit further out of ThunderClan territory while the other cats of the patrol rushed in to check on everyone else.
Stonestar and Flameclaw seemed disturbed. Spiraltail looked like she was still in bad shape, and Reedtail's gut felt worse than ever.
"Are you okay?" asked Iris-Eye, turning quickly to a panting Flameclaw. Flameclaw nodded, shaking his bleeding leg.
"I think the dog only bit me slightly," Flameclaw said, turning to its dead body. "I'll be fine."
Iris-Eye shook her head and led him to the Medicine Den, glancing sideways at Spiraltail in concern.
Spiraltail was walking slowly toward Ashpelt and Whitestripe, who were trying to keep the kits in the Nursery.
Mossgaze walked out of the Medicine Den, indicated for Voleroach to check on the elders, then walked with Tigerfur toward Stonestar to check him for wounds.
Swiftflight strutted over to Reedtail and flicked her tail as a gesture for her to follow outside the camp.
"Fernfeather has been saying recently that you and Ashpelt will be busy for a short time after tomorrow," said the tortoiseshell warrior, sitting just far enough so no other cat could hear. "Would you tell me what you were going to be doing if I asked?"
Reedtail flicked her tail. "Fernfeather said we should only tell who we take with us," she said simply.
Swiftflight nodded suspiciously and sat up. "If you ever need help, let me know." The two walked back to the camp, jumping over the body of the small gray dog.
As the two she-cats entered ThunderClan, Reedtail saw Fernfeather and Rockhopper gathered around the brown dog's body with a few of the other warriors, getting ready to move it. Crookedfire, appearing from just behind the camp entrance, made Reedtail jump as he sent her a vicious scowl, padding off to his den.
Foul old beast! Reedtail thought angrily. She then heard her name being called by Ashpelt in the spare den. With him were Spiraltail and Whitestripe.
Reedtail ran over and ducked inside the den and they all sat in different corners of the den.
"I'm guessing you told them?" Reedtail asked Ashpelt impatiently.
"They have a right to know, out of everyone in the Clan," the gray tabby tom pointed out.
"Spiraltail still needs to recover," Whitestripe said.
"I wasn't injured!" Spiraltail said stubbornly.
"You're not going, and I'm staying to make sure you don't this time!" Whitestripe growled. Spiraltail glared at her in rage and disbelief, then turned her head away from her sister.
Reedtail remembered Runningstar and Stonestar. Should I tell them? she thought. She wanted to, so she wouldn't have to bury the guilt of the secret any longer than she needed to, but she also didn't want anyone to overhear her talking to her friends about it.
Her mind suddenly flickered to the brown kittypet from her dream. She didn't want them to know about him, despite her common hatred of kittypets in general.
All kittypets but Grayfur, she realised. I miss her.
"Something's on your mind," said Spiraltail. Reedtail liked her friends, but it was a bit frustrating when Spiraltail knew she was trying to think.
Reedtail flicked her tail impatiently and ignored the statement, turning to Ashpelt. "Who are we taking, if not Spiraltail or Whitestripe?"
"I still think Iris-Eye or Horizon are two good choices," Ashpelt started.
Reedtail sighed. We have no choice. Spiraltail shouldn't leave camp for a while and Whitestripe has her own troubles to tend to, looking after her sister being one of them.
But who would be more reliable in the situation? Horizon most likely knew her way around most of the Twolegplace, but Iris-Eye was an excellent fighter, something Reedtail had learned from sparring with her.
The decision will be made soon, but not immediately, she reminded herself.
"We will decide when it is time for us to leave," she said finally.
They were about to leave the den just as Stonestar called for a Clan meeting. The four warriors left the den and saw Stripedkit and Darkkit eagerly bounding toward the Highledge.
"How could we have forgotten?" Whitestripe exclaimed excitedly. "Stripedkit and Darkkit will become apprentices!"