Warriors: The Unknown Threat Series Book #5: Mysterious Newcomers

Epilogue

EPILOGUE

             Sunpaw sat in the center of the camp with many cats gathered around her and her father. “How did you help to defeat the SkyClan cats, Sunpaw? Lionblaze keeps saying you were very helpful, but he never said what you did,” Cavefrost meowed.

              Sunpaw opened her mouth, trying to come up with an answer that wouldn’t give away her powers. Lionblaze answered for her. “Snowpelt had me pinned on the ground and was about to kill me,” Lionblaze said calmly. “Sunpaw snuck up behind him and killed him before he could kill me.”

              “Then what?” asked young Eaglekit, gazing at Sunpaw with awe.

             “Sunpaw gave me enough help so that I could kill the other cats with ease,” Lionblaze replied, answering honestly, but not saying anything that might give away her powers.

             Graystripe walked up to them. He was always cranky, but today, he seemed in an unusually bad mood. “I bet she didn’t actually kill Snowpelt,” Graystripe snorted. “She probably just got in the way. She can’t even give me dry bedding, how could she kill a cat that was three times her size?”

              Sunpaw felt a surge of anger. Graystripe was just an unappreciative, cranky elder! She felt as if the temperature around her had risen in the last few moments. “Stop it,” Lionblaze hissed quietly. “Before they find out your secret.”

         Sunpaw felt confused. “What?” she whispered in his ear.

         “Look at your paws,” Lionblaze said.

         Sunpaw lifted her right forepaw. Small wisps of smoke were coming off of her fur. She
closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment. The smoke faded, but Sunpaw still felt as if her fur was steaming. “Leave my daughter alone, Graystripe!” Lionblaze hissed loudly. Then with his tail twitching in amusement, he purred, “You’re a crankier elder than Mousefur was!” A few loud purrs came from the senior warriors. Graystripe just turned away and padded into the elders den.

         Eaglekit was about to ask another question, but a loud yowl from the Highledge drowned out his words. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!”

         “Sunpaw, step forward,” Bramblestar meowed.

         Eyes widening with surprise as she realized what Bramblestar was about to do, she walked slowly forwards until she was standing right beneath the Highledge.

         “I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Sunpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?” Bramblestar meowed.

         “I do,” Sunpaw declared, lifting her chin with pride.

         “Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Sunpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Sunsplash. StarClan honors your courage and cleverness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan,” Bramblestar said, stepping forward to rest his head on top of hers. She gave his shoulder a respectful lick and then stepped backwards.

         “Sunsplash! Sunsplash!” the Clan shouted her new name.

         “In the tradition of our warrior ancestors, Sunsplash must keep a silent vigil until dawn, and guard the camp alone while we rest,” Bramblestar meowed.

         Sunsplash was thrilled. She was a warrior now! But suddenly a strange cold wind blew across the ThunderClan camp, and Sunsplash knew in that instant that another danger to her Clan was coming very soon.